Guerrierri Rizzardi Pinot Grigio 2015, IGP Veneto
€10.95 from O’Briens
There is Pinot Grigio and then there is Pinot Grigio. The cheap versions, and we are talking €6-9 here, tend to be truly awful, a mixture of sweetness and mawkish confected fruit. But pay a little more, and you can find very attractive wines, full of plump melon fruits, and with good acidity to keep it refreshing. The name Guerrieri Rizzardi may not trip off the tongue, but this is a high-quality producer, making serious Amarone, Ripassa and other wines besides. I have always enjoyed their Pinot Grigio, a fresh, fruit-filled wine, perfect for drinking as an aperitif or with salady summery dishes. Well worth the extra euro.
Dom Freitas Reserva 2013, Castelâo, VR Peninsula de Setúbal
€50 for a case of six from selected SuperValu
There must be a glut of inexpensive Portuguese red wine at the moment; O’Briens have been very successful with their Porta 6, a very palatable red wine that is promoted at €10 a bottle. More recently Fresh outlets sent me a sample of their equally gluggable Portuguese red Atlantíco, which also sells for €10. This week I received the Dom Freitas Reserva 2013 from SuperValu, which will sell, from tomorrow onwards, in very smart six bottle wooden cases for €50, or €8.33 per bottle. The Supervalu version is made from Castelâo, a grape grown in the Setúbal peninsula south of Lisboa. Medium-bodied with dark cherry fruits, good acidity and some sweet vanilla oak.
