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Three Wines to Try this January

BY Andrew Barrow

1st Jan 2015 Drinks

Three Wines to Try this January

January is full of people boasting about their detox regime, and drinks writer Andrew Barrow is not happy. "If I read another line about the cucumber detox, the water only day, the ‘eat a tiny lettuce leaf a week’ diet or any number of other ‘counter the excess of Christmas' tweets I’ll unfollow!" Let's hear it for the alternative, trying something new!

Dry January?

January and February are the dreariest months in the calendar as it is, without magnifying the horrors by self-imposed abstinence. I’m right behind those opting for a month of experimentation, trying something new as the twitter hashtag #tryanuary gains momentum. Perhaps abstinence is the wrong approach, perhaps sensible drinking is in order, sensible drinking with delicious wines and cheeses, or savouring a new gin.

#Tryanuary

Austrailian Port

While in Waitrose, I was perusing the fortified shelf and spotted an Australian Port, not one to be dismissed; if it comes from Australia rather than Portugal it isn’t actually a port but a fortified wine, but The Old Boys 21 Years is akin to a tawny port, aged in this case for 21 years in barrel. It is as rich and as complex as anything Portugal can produce. It’s £21, a perfect candidate for the try something new brigade.

Turkish Wine

Admittedly I’ve actually had this wine before (during a wine visit to the country back in 2012). Vinkara Narince is, I imagine, pretty obscure to most people and thus a prime target if you want to try something new. Narince (Nah-rin-djeh ) is the grape variety. It's white and native to Turkey and pretty much only grown there I imagine. Narince means ‘delicately’ in Turkish and produces a rounded, reasonably full wine with citrus and floral notes. As it usually receives some oak influences it is somewhat like a Chardonnay. To accompany? I’m adding squid to my shopping list, although any grilled fish or salad would be beautiful.

Sweet Wine

Sweet Wines are a funny breed. Everyone loves them – those who say they don’t are telling porkies – and there are loads around. Yet we hardly drink them. I’ve several bottles collected over the years on my wine rack, yet I never seem to find the time nor the place to drink them. Seeing as most are little half bottles this seems odd. One destined not to remain on the rack but to be opened on the foulest evening of the winter, The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Majestic at £12.99 – (mix and match 2 bottles save 33% - £8.65) is from New Zealand and a cracker. 

Read more articles by Andrew Barrow here

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