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  |  Drinks  |  Wine, champagne & spirits  |  French leave: buying wines from across the channel
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French leave: buying wines from across the channel

by Alice King
continued from page 2
  • Rather than buying claret, look for wines made from the same grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot). For example, the aptly-named Buzet is always good value and extremely drinkable – as is good old Fitou. These wines taste best served with flavoursome food.
  • For summer drinking, try some lighter reds. Look out for Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur Rouge. Produced in the Loire valley, these are made from the red-fruit-flavoured Cabernet Franc grape. They taste brilliant chilled.
White out
  • Alsace whites represent great value. For an over-the-top flowery variety, look for Gewürztraminer. This tastes marvellous with spicy ethnic food and is a good choice for summer barbecues.
  • Look out for Viogner and Marsanne, two lighter, perfumed grape varieties with nuances of honey. These grapes flourish in the south of France so keep an eye out for the words ‘Vin de Pays d’Oc’ on the label.
  • If you are a Sancerre fan, look out for similar wines made from the gooseberry-like Sauvignon Blanc grape, but from lesser-known neighbouring villages such as Quincy or Menetou Salon. Or, try the crisp dry white Sauvignon de Touraine from the Loire Valley.
  • There are lots of decent French sparkling wines. If you are planning to drink them neat, don’t opt for the cheapest ones. Instead, pay a little more and try Crémant de Bourgogne, Saumur or Blanquette de Limoux. Otherwise, go for the old favourites from Australia and New Zealand.

    Coming up rosés
    Summer is a great time to try some decent rosé. The best wines tend to come from the sunny south of France, so look out for Rosé de Provence in its distinctive skittle-shaped bottle, or the popular and consistently good Listel Gris de Gris.

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