A MidWeek regular, Sam, recently upbraided me for missing the latest M&S multi-buy offer in the parts of the UK where those promotions are allowed.
[su_highlight background=”#d0d0d0″]The deal allows customers to save 20% when they buy three bottles until 28 March; the discount rises to 25% when you buy six or more bottles.[/su_highlight]
So, for Sam and many others, here are some suggestions on what to use those price reductions for; they should be read with the commendations I mentioned last month.
Click on any of the bottles shown for an enlarged image to help you pinpoint the wine on a crowded shelf.
A retro wine successfully reinvents itself
Vinho Verde producers have worked hard (and successfully) to re-invent themselves and to bring us wines that now have more acidity and freshness and less residual sugar than those of yesteryear.
Their 2015 Tapada de Villar Vinho Verde (from £6 – instead of £8.00 – and 10.5% abv) has all the old style gentleness and prickle of effervescence but supplements it with apple based sherbet acidity, floral peach touches and just a hint of savouriness.
Bet you’ve never tried this before.
For a much less orthodox white, try this Slovenian blend that combines the (often) sweet wine variety of furmint with other like minded friends; I think it works rather well.
Fresh and perfumed 2014 Dveri Pax ‘1139’ Furmint Pinot Traminer Riesling (from £7.50 – instead of £10 – and 11.5% abv) has zesty pink grapefruit acidity to underpin its crunchy apple and ripe melon fruit but with a textured mace and allspice finish.
Finishing on Fortification
Another MidWeek regular, Ken, asks me to include more sherry and this promotion is an opportunity to put that right with a particularly good example. Oh, and by the way, yet another MidWeeker, Chris, asked me to add alcoholic strength where I can!
Sherry is not an easy sell – partly because of the scars left years ago by bottles of it and other fortified wines maiden aunts kept in the sideboard – but do persevere.
Avoid judging it by the first mouthful when that astringent saline assault can be at its height; all that rapidly gives way to richer and nuttier flavours typical of the less common palo cortado style involved here.
The long and smooth Dry Old Palo Cortado, (from £6 – instead of £8.00 – for a half bottle at 19% abv) has rich almond and orange flavours with supporting suggestions of olives and burnt caramel that altogether make it exceptional quality at this price point.
6 responses
Hi Brian
Like the sound of the first two, after my recent Portuguese tasting I now want to try more especially, as you say, the new freshness of Vinho Verde, I enjoyed most of the Loureiro & Arinto and Alvarinho’s I tasted.
The Furmint blend looks interesting as well, the only Slovenian I tasted so far was a blend of Furmint & Sauvignon Blanc which was also good.
I feel a trip to M&S coming on.
Dave
Yes do give them a taste drive, Dave. The Vinho Verde is undemanding sunny, Sunday afternoon in the garden wine but nicely balanced between its various components ……. Brian
Very impressed with the ‘1139’ an unusual blend which was crisp, fresh and fragrant, enjoyed with a Chinese lunch, will be going back for more, a real bargain at £7, snap it up while the offer lasts
Oriental food would be a good match and it is interesting to see the handwriting of all four varieties involved showing through in the final blend …….. Brian
Sadly these offers and choice of wines are unavailable for many long standing customers in Scotland as Ocado does not deliver to our area. M&S previously sold their wine directly to their customers on line , not now, to our detriment . For years, I have bought boxes of my husband’s favourite wines, however , M & S’s consideration for customers, many long standing as we are , is now non existent.
Thanks for joining in the Comments section Nellie – although I cannot offer much beyond sympathy at this stage. I can see how frustrating it is with Ocado not operating in Scotland and physical M&S stores often miles apart. They were selling unmixed sixes direct at one point but, I guess from your comments, that they have stopped doing that too. While I know that the M&S range is a good one and improving as we speak, is it perhaps time to look at what The Wine Society has to offer?