£15 to £20

Beautiful, delicate salmon colour. Exotic notes dominated by mature citrus, tropical fruits, gentle lemongrass and light spiciness. The palate is balanced and structured, with an abundance of light red fruits and flowers, light spiciness and a fresh fruit lasting finish.

Country: Bulgaria

Region: Struma Valley

Grapes: Melnik

ABV: 13 %

Food Match: On its own or with Asian and Mexican cuisine, fish, seafood, white meats and
salads.

The notes of quince and white flower with ripe yellow fruit and green spice on the nose. On the palate it starts with spiced ginger biscuit. The wine shows a bright acidity and fleshy fruit.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape – Franschhoek / Bot River / Durbanville

Grapes: 70% Semillon, 30% Chenin blanc

ABV: 12%

Food pairing: guanciale carbonara, lightly toasted hot cross bun, lashings of butter and a sliver of sharp cheddar.

Delicious, semi-sweet red from Georgia's largest wine region, Kakheti. The wine is supple and very easy drinking with lots of red berry, cranberry and black cherry aromas and flavours.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kindzmarauli, Kakheti

Grapes: Saperavi

ABV: 12%

Food Match: Goes perfectly with a cheese board full of hard, soft, fresh and aged cheeses accompanied by fruit preserves as well as dried and fresh fruits such as dried apricots and fresh green grapes.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

Elegant fruit character on the nose of citrus fruits and stone fruit with a little pineapple, bread notes, fragrant, delicately floral. On the palate, beautifully balanced and discreet; juicy middle weight, elegantly built, a lot of fruit on the nose, tight palate with a fine bite and a pleasantly dry finish.

Country: Germany

Region: Pfalz

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

Friedrich Becker and his family own around 24 ha of vineyards in southern Pfalz, on the Alsatian border. Friedrich Senior was the first of his family to stop selling grapes to the co-op and produce his own wines. Friedrich Junior took over in 2005 and has proven himself to be one of the best Pinot producers in Germany, winning the Gault Milau annual German wine guide’s award for the Best German Pinot Noir almost every year since.

Vergelegen’s special dessert wine made from the Sémillon grape grown in Vergelegen’s Korhaan and Niel-Suid vineyards. This wine is only produced in certain years. Abundant ripe, tropical fruits on the nose and a marvellous acidity and freshness on the palate.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Semillon

ABV: 12%

From Teliani’s more experimental ‘Winery 97’ project, this amber wine is a blend of four varieties that you can’t pronounce – luckily the rich dried fruit and nutty flavours and long dry refreshing finish are much easier to get your mouth around! Don't chill it, you'll just bring the tannins forward at the expense of the lovely flavours - serve cool, not cold!

Beautiful amber, golden coloured wine. Aromas of vanilla,tropical fruit, ripe stone fruit, with hints of orange zest and orange peel. On the palate, lovely dried fruit (apricot) flavours with nutty hints. The finish is fresh with soft, grippy tannins.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi

ABV: 12.5%

Food Pairing: Kakhuri N8 is a The wine pairs especially well with fish dishes and cheeses. Serve cool, not cold.

A blend of 4 Georgian indigenous grape varieties – Rkatsiteli, Kakhuri Mtsvane, Khikhvi and Kisi, harvested in Kakheti, east Georgia. Grapes are exclusively hand selected and only the highest quality, fully ripe grapes are used for production. The wine is made using old Kakhetian traditional winemaking method with skin contact. Fermentation on skins takes place for 7-10 days, once the fermentation is finished the grape skin remain with the wine for 6 months.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

A stunning example of Hunter Valley Shiraz made from grapes taken from 40 year old mostly non irrigated vines which lend the wine a wonderful complexity.

This fine wine shows bright red fruit and spice with soft savoury tannins. the cleansing acidity prepares your palate for the next sip and makes this wine wonderfully moreish.

Country: Australia

Region: Hunter Valley

Grapes: Shiraz

ABV: 11%

Gorgeous aromas of orange blossom, with hints of nuttiness and candle wax. Concentrated, savoury, but fresh palate with an elderflower cordial and orange rind and mineral finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Tsindali, Kakheti

Grapes: Kisi

ABV: 12%

Food Match: Great paired with flame grilled pork or hard, aged cheese such as parmesan or comté.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

Lemon yellow colour with flecks of green. Aromas of stone fruits peach and apricot, tropical fruits mango, passion fruit and melon. On the palate it is light, with balanced sweetness and acidity and a tropical fruit finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Racha, Khvanchkara

Grapes: Tsolikouri

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Spicy dishes such as tagines or Thai Curries, fruity desserts such as pavlova or summer pudding or just fresh cut fruit.

Giuaani Winery is located in the historic village of Manavi, the heartland of Georgian wine producing region, Kakheti. The Manavi village, cradled by the southern slopes of the minor Caucasus, is a home to one of the 29 PDOs (Protected Denomination of Origin) of Georgia. Its unique soil composition and microclimate provides perfect conditions for vine cultivation, especially for Kakhuri Mtsvane grape variety, and for the production of Manavi PDO white dry wines.

A fresh, crisp wine showing all the fine qualities of the unique Furmint grape. Aromas of blossom, apple, and pear combine with flavours of ripe apricot and peach to produce a
sleek, intense dry wine with a long, refreshing finish.

Country: Hungary

Region: Tokaji

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Furmint

Tokaji wines have enjoyed a long, glorious history. Louis XIV of France described them as “The wine of Kings and King of wines”, whilst Catherine the Great of Russia stationed a contingent of Cossack soldiers in the region to protect the vineyards and escort the wine on its journey to St. Petersburg. Many European monarchs are known to have enjoyed Tokaji wines over the centuries. Napoleon III ordered 30–40 barrels of Tokaji for the Imperial Court each year, while Emperor Franz Joseph sent Queen Victoria a gift of Tokaji every year on her birthday - a dozen bottles for each year of her age.

The notes of bright red fruit and spice on the nose. On the palate it`s raspberry and pink Sparkles sweets.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: 92% Cinsault, 8% Grenache

ABV: 12%

Food pairing: sourdough margherita pizza, sweet and sticky pork ribs.

Vinified and aged on the skins in traditional qvevri clay pots for 6 months

Amber with orange hues. Stone fruits, peach and white flowers notes on the nose. Intense with pronounced but soft tannins coming from the skin contact balanced with
refreshing acidity. Medium bodied and moreish, with very good length.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Rkatsiteli

ABV: 12.5%

Food Pairing:  Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, aromatic rice, smoked aubergine. Serve cool, not cold.

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

A lively, tropical nose of guava, nectarine, apricot and hints of almond blossom leads to a richly textured palate, has superb length, balance and plenty of finesse. Bright and zesty on the finish.

Country: Greece

Region:  Macedonia

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Malagouzia 

Food match: Pairs perfectly with Greek salads, shellfish and grilled white fish.

Sweet, but balanced, powerful, rich and full bodied with aromas and flavours of blackberries, baked plum and sweet spice. Concentrated, long finish with notes of cocoa and baking spice. 

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla a Mancha, Jumilla

ABV: 11.5%

Grapes: Monastrell

Food Match: Dark chocolate mousse or Christmas pudding

The Gil family have been major wine producers in Jumilla since the early 20th Century. Bodegas Juan Gil is dedicated to producing powerful, yet approachable and modern wines, mainly based on Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) which is grown on about 80% of the vineyard.

The winery has invested heavily in its Organic and Sustainability programmes in recent years.

Inviting scents of ripe red berries intertwined with delicate yeasty undertones grace the nose, offering a tantalizing introduction. The palate unveils its dry, lightly sparkling nature, accompanied by a harmonious balance of vibrant acidity and luscious fruity nuances. Approachable and effortlessly enjoyable.

Grape: Nero di Troia

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 12%