Wine a Day

Christmas is coming! You turn your head for one minute and then the calendar flips itself over to December. You pull out the winter jackets, hates, gloves and scarves from the back of the closet and wonder what happened to the year.

For many of us in the northern hemisphere it has turned cold. Heavily sauced meat dishes, rich soups, stews and all manner of heavy deserts are all of a sudden on the menu. It is time to start dusting off some of those rich – heady – dark berry – alcohol filled red wines that have been developing nicely over the past years. The light and delicate wines are pushed to the side for the time being and it is time for some serious eating and drinking!

Not everyone shares the desire to get stuck in to all this decadence however. The idea of an extra two or three notches on the belt does put some people off this winter dining indulgence. I must admit, I do not get such a kick out of being so full that I am not unable to move for at least 3 hours after my evening meal every day. A couple of times a week it is great, but not every day.

But let’s face it; a fresh light salad is not going to cut it when it is below 0°C outside. A light zingy Sauvignon Blanc is also not going to delight you as much when there is snow gathering on the windowsill. But still there is a needs to be a middle ground occasionally. Some pragmatism to what we decide upon while at the butcher and wine shop.

To give you some ideas of wine that may fit the bill, this week’s Wine of the Week is the 2006 Chateau Lalande Borie “St Julien”. This Bordeaux wine is a great balance between rich berry and cassis flavors, cut with some good acidity. It also has a spiciness to it which complements many dishes that are not of the over-the-top human-blimp inducing type. It has enough richness and tannins to make you give you a fair bit of satisfaction, however at 12.5% alcohol it is quite light. Pasta or lighter meat dishes are perfect for this wine. I enjoyed this wine with a Sheppard’s Pie, which was not exactly light, but did not turn me into a motionless lump on the couch afterwards. Priced at around €20, I think it is excellent value. The wine could probably do with another year or two maturing – however it does drink very well now.

Enjoy your warming food and wine this December. If you are not experiencing the winter at the moment, enjoy your barbeques! I hope you are able to try this wine. Let me know if there are a few other wines which can sit in this mid-level category, I would be interested in your thoughts.