You don’t need to spend too much on top quality picnic wines – here are five superb examples.
2010 Erràzuriz, Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, Chile (£8.99, reduced to £5.99 until 21 June, Waitrose). Leafy green and citrus themed on the nose, this is a tangy white and it is delicious with any summer salads and seafood dishes. Terrific value and a brilliant crowd-pleaser this cracker is made by one of Chile’s most reliable estates.
2010 Asda Extra Special Beaujolais Villages, Burgundy, France (£5.00, Asda). If, like me, you adore light, chilled, summery reds then this delicious Beaujolais is a work of art. The class and elegance of this wine are incredible and I simple couldn’t believe it when I found out that this stunner was only a fiver.
2010 X&Y, Sauvignon Blanc, Margaret River, Western Australia (£8.99, Co-op). With a highly polished feel and a less urgent and explosive nose than the Errázuriz, this seamless, distinguished sauvignon, from the idyllic Margaret River region of Australia, is a very upmarket wine indeed for a surprisingly reasonable price tag.
2010 Torres, Viña Sol, Penedès, Spain (£6.99, reduced to £4.99 until 21 June, Tesco). You have got to hand it to Miguel Torres, Spain’s most famous winemaker, because every year he raises the bar for his wines and every year they amaze me. 2010 Viña Sol is sensational example and it is another bargain-priced wine, too. Everyone will love the smooth, sleek lines of this lemon and green apple-scented wine.
2010 FirstCape, Limited Release Merlot, Western Cape, South Africa (£7.99, reduced to £5.29 until 21 June, Waitrose). Still one of the best value merlots around, you must make a beeline for FirstCape at this discounted price because it is the definitive, red-berry-soaked picnic red and it’s sealed with a screwcap for ease, too! It’s just the ticket for the red pepper sausage roll recipe, too!
