How about something a wee bit different this week? It's easy to stick with what you know and love and I'm as guilty as anyone else for falling into that trap. But if I didn’t occasionally have an adventurous side, I'd never have tried Ch Musar from the Lebanon or any of the Italian varietals such as Sangiovese being produced in Australia and what a loss that would have been.
So, if you fancy something a wee bit left of centre, here are two cracking wines guaranteed to give you something to talk about over dinner.
The first is a really unusual product and one that a snob like me would normally run a mile from. It's called Fresita and it's a low alcohol sparkling chardonnay-based wine from Chile with about a half an inch of crushed strawberries in the bottom of the bottle. And you know what? It's gorgeous. The strawberries fill your palate with natural sweetness and the bubbles add to a feeling of refreshment on the finish.
The second is a Brazilian red wine called Milo Lote 43 which is a classy cabernet merlot blend with rich autumn fruits and silky tannins. Admittedly the biggest story for the dinner table is that it's from Brazil but by heck what a gorgeous wine it is.
Take a leap of faith folks as different can be really fun.
Fresita Strawberry Wine, Chile 8%
Vina Fandango, Comrie £9.79
Miolo Lote 43, Brazil
The Fine Wine Co, Edinburgh £25.65
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