WINE:At this time of year we need wines that warm and satisfy, keeping the chills at bay, writes John Wilson
"I'M COLD," SHE SAID. "I need some winter wine." I knew exactly what she meant. After a beautifully sunny autumn, this was one of the first really cold days. The ground still smelled of autumn, but the wind had a real bite, and the leaves were beginning to depart the trees. The central heating was on twice a day.
At this time of year we need a blast of vinous heat. I start to drink more red wine than white, and bigger, richer white wines, too. Wines that are warming and satisfying, wines to help keep the chill out. I am not sure why, but I also start to crave wines with lower tannins, soft but full of flavour, with a good dose of alcohol as well.
I bought a case of Loire red last week. A delicious light Cabernet Franc that will be even better served slightly cool. But I cannot bring myself to open a bottle. Instead I went rummaging through the pile of boxes in my office, otherwise known as my cellar, for a few hearty reds. These will not be wines to sip delicately while chatting to friends. But they will provide a comfort factor drunk alongside a big bowl of warming stew, a dark gamy roast or an earthy bean casserole.
It is a strange irony that the most powerful, richly flavoured red wines tend to come from the sunnier climes, where the locals need them the least. More northerly areas, such as the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Piedmont, can struggle to get full ripeness. Their calling card is elegance and restraint. For power we need to look farther south.
Grenache, or Garnacha, in Spain meets a lot of the criteria; this Spanish grape variety that has been in southern France for centuries is generally high in alcohol and low in tannins, with a lovely supple quality. Flavours vary, but many have ripe strawberry fruits, often with a peppery, spicy touch. Add some Syrah or Monastrell for backbone and you have a proper winter coat.
The southern Rhône is where I would normally start. Not just the big names, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Cairanne have plenty of Grenache, and offer real value, as do some of the better Côtes du Rhônes. Languedoc, too, does a good line in big and beautiful, sometimes with a rustic touch.
Most of Spain, leaving aside the most northerly parts, is a source of some good everyday hearty reds. My own favourites, still at bargain-basement prices, are the rounded Garnacha-based wines of Campo de Borja, Calatayud and Cariñena. Let us not forget Portugal, either, producer of many a thumping great red, nor Sicily and Sardinia, treasure troves of really interesting wines.
Moving southwards, parts of Australia excel at rich reds. It is worth looking beyond Shiraz, too. You will find some delectable high-powered reds made from Mataro and Grenache. At this time of year I also start opening up bottles of those two American specialities, Zinfandel from California and Malbec from Argentina.
jwilson@irish-times.ie