#supermarketwine

[joukesp]

#sundaylunch #supermarketwine #pinotnoir #bourgogne #aloxecorton #savoie No supermarket wine for me unless they hold sales or discontinue brands. 2 PN from Burgundy and Savoie. Great value for 10€ each. The Corton with a solid structure, the Savoie with velvety fruit and surprising elegance. Both are très bon! (at Zemst) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bta73hJHMtq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2mx1mr6ss4ng

[abouttaste-blog]

2am TESCO’s Pinotage. When all came into being…

Whenever I read a new research or annual report about consumer behaviour in terms of buying wine, supermarkets lead the market with the largest sales generated by the under 10 £ margin. I guess is no wonder why many of them have developed special brands like LIDL’s “The Wine Cellar” or even pride themselves with Masters of Wine awarded individuals at the helm of their wine division. They scout the world from dawn till sunset for wines to fit the market’s demand and when they don’t find one, they just make one… I guess :)

Now, to be clear on this, I am not saying that this type of wines are not respecting the inscriptions on the label that makes us buy the bottle; I am just trying to explain how this “Selected by” wines are coming into being…

That’s how I have now the pleasure (after a Friday night shift in a restaurant, everything with above 10% ABV offers you tremendous amounts of pleasure ) to sip this TESCO finest South African Pinotage that is coming from the Black Land of Swartland. It has a W. O. appellation so i figured it can be worst than my grandpa almost vinegar that I used to drink in my youthful years.

1. Appearance

One of the first triggers that makes as pick a specific bottle of wine is the grape varietal and when we want to play safe we all go for a Argentinean Malbec or a New Zealand Sauv Blanc but, when you are an addicted like me, that can spend hours in front of the wine shelf, and you want to wage a little bet, you find yourself, at home, with a bottle of this Pinot Noir “intrigue” with Cinsaut (Pinotage was bred as a crop between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut), a 2015 as a vintage, a winemaker signature and of course, the TESCO finest guarantee. Good enough for my 6£ bet, I said!

2. Taste

Now, I don’t really pay attention to the flavour profile “encrypted” on the label but when it states “full body” you should expect that; although, if you see it next to Pinot Noir, you might not be in the wine section of the store!

A spicy like nose; something like you will find in a Malbec or Syrah, is greeting us; than a kind of red fruit flavour takes the lead and offers a balanced mouthfeel driven by acidity; tannins are there, but moderate. A pleasant aftertaste that asks for a little bit more appears…

I did mention a winemaker earlier, which is Hermias Hugo, kind of a big name around South African wine industry. At the moment, he works for Origin Wine which appears to be actually the producer of our Pinotage. This is the first time I came across his name but I have a strong feeling is not the last one! (Usually, big retailers are not making a deal for only one wine…). We’ll see…

3. Occasion

Due to the TESCO mark, I don’t believe this is the kind of wine you wanna take to a party or as a gift. I will not go for it even when you cook at home for your date, even if you’ve been together for a long time; a date is a date and it has to be remarkable and usually we remember the wine because of the moment; hence, if the wine is not blowing her/him the moment will be forgotten.

All we have left is a nice after work sip like me, a family dinner and since we are here; in terms of food, as long as you have some proteins it can go along with anything, or just enjoy it while you watch your favourite TV Series.

Rounding up, this wine will not start a revolution but for the 6£ price tag I believe it’s a nice choice when you wanna try something new. 

This is been the first #dailytaste where I review under 10£ supermarket wine that shows potential. Stay tuned…