Photo courtesy: Chalk & Cheese
As Brisbane enjoys a cool spell over winter, it's time to change what we sip to suit the weather. So, it's out with the crisp, refreshing whites and in with some warming reds.
Enter grenache and sangiovese and their various blends. These grapes often play second fiddle to shiraz and cabernet, yet their medium-bodied character is perfect for the autumn months.
Head to your local Chalk & Cheese store at West End, Teneriffe or Auchenflower for these recommended wines:
$10-$15
Sero Sangiovese Merlot: blended with merlot this is a perfect mid-week accompaniment to a tomato-based pasta dish. Ripe, fragrant, savoury and supple.
D'Arenberg Stump Jump (pictured): grenache performs exceptionally well with shiraz and mouvedre, and this blend is consistently one of the best value of the market. Cherries, spice and soft tannins.
$15-$25
Coriole Sangiovese: originating in Tuscany, this variety was invented for pizza and pasta dishes! Sour cherry, dried herbs, liquorice and lovely powdery tannins.
Hewitson Miss Harry - Dry Grown & Ancient: another blend of grenache, shiraz, mouvedre this one from 50 and 80 year old vines. Fresh berries, spice and a touch of leather. Yum!
$25+
Gemtree Cadenzia: This unique blend combines grenache and shiraz with the mainstay of Spain's wine industry: tempranillo. A rich, complex blend - fruit, meaty and smoky. Grant Burge Holy Trinity: serious stuff from one of Barossa's biggest names. Some of the vines are over a century old. Extra time in French oak and some bottle age makes this a wine for a special occasion.
