I passed my exam (a bit like A levels) to be awarded a WSET Level 2 award in Wines (with Merit) last year. To get to the next level can cost up to £1000 so I won’t be doing that, but nevertheless my Level 2 course was both interesting, tasty and informative. I believe I can now be called a sommellier, but that does not guarantee I know what I am talking about. The WSET stands for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and they run lots of professional and expensive courses.

Still to get to the meat of this blog I will provide some recommendations and preferences. Illustrated above is my bargain wine of choice, Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve. It is both simple, classic and blended (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre), available on discount for about £10 if you’re lucky. This wine immediately shows my preferences, it is deep, brambly, confusing and peppery. Most normal Côtes du Rhône are a bit light, that is they feel a bit watered down to me. However this Réserve and the Vinsobres version are the real deal. A cheapo version is La Vieille Ferme by the same Famille Perrin, available nearly everywhere for £8. Further south and more classic is Chateauneuf du Pape, but that costs £30 a bottle and so it is out of my price range. My tip is to go next door and avoid the classic names. Yes, nearby in the Southern Rhône you will find Gigondas, still quite expensive, but look out for Rasteau, Lirac and Cairanne, snap them up if you find them. As you maybe know French Appellation Controlée wines are based on terroir, that is where it is grown, yet the field next door may be just as good.

Going further afield I have a particular preference for Carménère, an ancient grape which was wiped out in France by the phylloxera bug in the 1880s. Now it is grown mainly in Chile and has a particular dark chocolate and tobacco flavour. You can’t find it in France, although it blends well with Cabernet Sauvignon, of which it may be a varietal. For many years the growers in Chile thought it was Merlot, how wrong they were!

In fact there is a vast amount of confusion over grape varieties even by the growers, and modern genetics has shown how similar, if not identical, many varieties are. For example even the relatively unknown Carménère has over 40 different names, and never forget Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. It is a confusing business. Wines grown and matured around the world can taste very different, even if they are they are made from the same grapes. In general I find most red wines from Australia and South Africa too sweet or too fruity, so usually I do not recommend them. That is just a personal, unfair and blanket preference.

So part of the joy of tasting wines is in fact the difference. Every bottle is an adventure. Yes they all taste like wine hopefully, but some sure are better than others. If I see an unknown grape variety I always want to try it, leading to some great discoveries and a few disappointments. These wines tend to come from Eastern Europe or Greece. Like any decision this is partly based on circumstance, mood and maybe even time of day. Many times I have tasted a glorious wine, only to feel misled when tasting the following day, good wine needs a moment to bloom, secure those moments…

To get back to advice, I would personally recommend a Malbec if you are in a pub, it is so reliable and tasty. In fact any wine from Chile or Argentina is usually good value and full of flavour. Next on the value list are the blended wines from Southern Portugal and then maybe Primitivo aka Zinfandel (same grape again), or Nero d’Avola from Italy. These wines are all strong in flavour, but if you prefer something lighter like strawberries try a Pinot Noir from Chile or even New Zealand. Burgundy, usually very expensive, is made from the same Pinot Noir grapes in North East France. All the advice so far is for red wines, but I do have some White favourites. Number One is Viognier, maybe from Chile or France, and then I do like a rich Chardonnay from Australia. Remember despite being once very popular and hence not trendy, Chardonnay is a cheap Chablis, so enjoy!

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