Drink

A sweet wine that’s low in alcohol and a great value everyday wine

Each week John Wilson picks two wines for you to try at home, this week Selbach Riesling 2014 and Madregale 2015

Low in alcohol (a mere 11.5%) with a touch of sweetness (as with many white wines these days) Riesling is the perfect aperitif wine

Thu Mar 9 2017 - 10:43

Selbach Riesling 2014, Mosel

I am a big fan of Riesling and German Riesling in particular. I was therefore a very happy bunny when a friend served me a glass of this wine before dinner recently. Low in alcohol (a mere 11.5%) with a touch of sweetness (as with many white wines these days) it is the perfect aperitif wine, but you could also happily drink it with mildly spicy Asian fish dishes; that lemon and lime acidity works really well with many Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes. Fresh crisp green apple fruits, with a zesty citrus edge and a nicely rounded finish. Delicate and delectable wine. I urge you to try it.

Available from O’Briens at €13.95 for the month of March

Madregale 2015, Rosso Terre di Chieti

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This wine is made by Cantina Tollo, a well-regarded, large co-operative in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Chieti is the largest of the four provinces that produce Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It is a very good simple, well-made, everyday wine with fresh juicy cherry fruits and no tannins. There isn’t really much more to say about it, except that it is great value. This would go down well with pizzas, lighter pasta dishes, and white meats. Or simply by itself.

Available at a very reasonable €11.05 from Avoca; Blackrock Cellars; Fallon & Byrne; Le Caveau, Kilkenny; Listons, Camden Street; MacGuinness Wines, Dundalk; Green Man Wines, Terenure; World Wide Wines, Waterford.