A Wine Guide to Winter Hibernation

It snowed over the weekend confirming that winter is really here, as if we didn’t know. Temperatures dropped long before the snow started so most people are hibernating this time of year. In truth, my hibernation started a bit early, around the second week in November which meant less time spent out doors, lounging in cosy PJs, lighting fires and candles and as always enjoying my beloved red wine.

I enjoy red wine a lot so I’ve been using this time to check out what some of my local supermarkets have on their shelves. After all with Christmas just round the corner, supermarkets tend to stock really good wine. I’ve picked a few that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and well worth a try when stocking up for the festive season. Let’s take a look …

I was at the Asda Christmas wine tasting earlier this year, so there were some wines I was dying to try starting with this Wine Atlas Negroamaro. It’s a rich red from Southern Italy, perfect for a beef joint or hearty rustic stews on cold winter nights. It has dark berry flavours with a touch of spicy oak, and undeniably easy to drink. It’s just perfect for this time of year.

Another great red from ASDA which hit me by surprise because I usually don’t go for French red wine is this Chateauneuf du Pape Appellation 2015 from their Extra Special range. It’s rich, full of flavour and almost soothing after a long day in the cold. It pairs well with casseroles and venison.

It comes from the legendary wine producing area of Rhone. This wine is full of power, but also balanced with subtle complex flavours giving it a special something. In 2011 this wine won the IWC Bronze award & IWC commended award!

Another big hit from the ASDA Extra Special range is this Old Vine Garnacha 2016. Now, it was a real surprise that I loved this wine because one of my common sayings about Spanish wine is that it’s weak, and doesn’t make an impression on the palette. Boy was I wrong. First of all, good job to ASDA for changing my mind about Spanish wine because now I know there’re some good ones out there, I just have to look.

This Garnacha is rich, full bodied and oh so fruity. It’s perfect for roast meats, casseroles and Mediterranean dishes. It’s smooth and easy to drink and I loved it. 

Next on my list is an old favourite from Aldi. I love Zinfandel but they are sometimes hard to come by on Supermarket shelves so thanks Aldi! This Meadowhawk Californian Zinfandel is everything a Zinfandel should be. It’s rich, medium to full bodied, delicious to drink and pairs amazing with my favourite food – MEAT. It’s fruity with aromas of black cherry and strawberry, with spice notes and a lasting vanilla finish. It gets a thumps up from me.

Another favourite red wine that I found at Aldi for a super affordable price is this Don Tomas Argentinian Malbec. It’s a beautiful red with ripe tannins and a beautiful balance between oak and fruit. It has aromas of ripe plums and a hint of vanilla and chocolate – how scrumptious is that? And again, it’s easy to drink but tastes even better when paired with red meats.

And finally, this amazing Primitivo from Lidl. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me with this wine. I have a Lidl about 5 mins walk from my home so I always dash there when I need my red wine fix. And Lidl, do have a great selection of reds most of the time. They used to have an Amarone and Barolo that I’m crazy about so I kept going back for more. Sadly, I haven’t seen those bottles in a while but this Primitivo is doing the job of hitting the spot so I’ve no complaints.

It’s a 2016 bottle from Puglia, rich and medium bodied, fruity with ripe red cherry fruit with a generous lick of vanilla oak and goes down very easily so can be had on its own or with meat based food.
As you know, I’m obsessed with red wine and the above will be awesome for festive gathering or like me for chilling and hibernating this winter.

I’ve also decided to do monthly wine empties on Instagram Highlights so stay tuned, I’ll be sharing any great bottles I find with you.

Have a wonderful Christmas xoxo