The holiday season is upon us. And is it just me, or is everybody I know on a beach or lying by a pool, permanently? Insta-envy and hot-dog legs are rife, social media has become a form of torture, and if you’re reading this from your office desk then you may be one #holibobs away from total meltdown.
In these moments, it reassures me to know that all I need to steal a little holiday moment from my very own sofa is a corkscrew, a glass, and a transporting bottle of wine. Wanna join?
Well where do you want to go? Take your pick and I guarantee there’s a wine that will take you there. Believe it or not the UK is the best place to find wines that capture a sense of place because we’re absolutely spoiled for choice – taking a stroll up and down the wine aisles is like a geography lesson; a catalogue of evocative, nostalgic, bottled holiday memories that are yours for the taking.
Here are my top 5 ‘holiday in a glass’ wines. Go have yourself a well-earned vacation…
Savoie Blanc ‘Coeur Terroir’ 2014, £9.00, M&S
Did someone say après ski? This wine is made in the Alpine Savoie region on the Swiss border, from the local Jacquère, Chasselas and Altesse grape varieties. It is delicate, floral and pretty but also linear and flinty. Very few of these wines make it outside of France, so to have a taste of them in the UK is to be sitting on the balcony of a chalet after a day on the slopes, with a glinting glass in hand.
Château Coussin Rosé 2014, AOP Côtes de Provence, £13.00, Oddbins
Just a sip of this wine and you’re lounging on the top of a yacht in the Med, overlooking a coastline of colourful, higgledy-piggledy houses. You are also wearing silly sunglasses to match. Crisp and clean, with tongue tingling citrus fruit flavours and a relaxed, streamlined elegance, this should be enjoyed while dozing woozily in the sun.
Muga Rosado 2014, £8.99 if you buy 2 or more at Majestic, or £9.99 for a single bottle at Waitrose
You can’t have enough rosé when you’re playing pretend holiday. Bask in the prettiness of this vivid example from the Rioja Alta region in Spain. Beautifully fragrant and rounded, it has delicate strawberry aromas and a dry finish that’s softened by creamy notes. It’s bottled sun to the soul.
Negroamaro 2013, £7.50, M&S
Drink this out of a glass tumbler and pair with spaghetti Bolognese or just a massive plate of salami to travel to Puglia in the baked southern heel of Italy. Dark plum and black cherry aromas give way to a chewy, pleasing finish – think rustic authenticity and full-on exuberant character.
Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port, £10.63 down from £13.29, Ocado
Do as the locals in Oporto do and treat this nutty, fruity, dry white Port like gin. Mix a liberal dose with tonic water, garnish with lime and behold! Portugal’s answer to the G&T is born. P&T goes down a treat on hot summer days and I’m convinced that it’s the next Aperol Spritz…which, incidentally, is another perfect antidote to holiday-envy…
I could go on, but while these bottles may give you a clue as to where I’ve enjoyed recent holidays, it’s certainly worth leaving your sofa to discover your own favourites.
Happy holidays! X
Main photo courtesy of Provence Wines, CIVP/F.Millo
