GOING FROM SPRING INTO SUMMER... WITH WINES! - JOANNE MAXWELL, SECTION CHAIR
Now that the days are much longer and opportunities exist for drinking wines during the lovely Spring evenings and the warm Summer nights, we were delighted to have Noel Reid of Rediscover Wines give us some suggestions for what might be poured into our glasses. Noel searches for the hidden value finds and works with wineries that provide creative and innovative products that are both special and affordable.
As an example, in 2017, Noel introduced a full collection of wines made by David Forcada who heads a multi-award winning, family-owned winery in the south of the Rioja region. In 2019, Bodegas Forcada’s old vine Alma de Forcada “Cepas Viejas” Garnacha Rioja won three awards at the International Wine Challenge in London – best Rioja Garnacha, Best Spanish Garnacha, and Best International Garnacha. Quite a
triple crown! Noel offered two of the Forcada wines during our tasting. More information about Noel and his wines is available on his website: rediscoverwines.co.uk.
ProMosso Spumante, Montelvini 2025 – a Gold Medal winner made in the same style as Prosecco, but using different grapes in the blend. Delicate green apple and ripe melon aromas make this a refreshing and delicate wine (11.5% ABV)
Verdejo Rueda, Bodegas Sanz 2023 – a dry white wine with lots of lemon and ripe apricot fruits and a bright finish. Made with the local Verdejo and Viera grapes by Rueda’s oldest winery.
Pinot Grigio DOC Della Venezia, A. P. Osvaldo 2024 – fresh and bright notes fill the palate without being over-bearing (12.5% ABV)
Bodegas Forcada Rioja Blanco 2024 – white Grenache and old vine Sauvignon Blanc grapes give this wine lots of spiced apple and pear notes on the palate. Aged in spicy French oak, the wine is complex, yet balanced (13% ABV)
Grenache Moulin de Gassac – made from 100% Grenache, this wine from the Pays d’Oc has bright raspberry and cherry notes (13% ABV)
Giuaani Saperavi 2024 – a dry red wine from Georgia made from the Saperavi grape in the prestigious wine region of Kakheti. The wine is fermented in stainless steel vats and has a deep ruby colour with notes of wild berries, plums, and sour cherries (13% ABV)
La Forcada Rioja Crianza Ecologico 2021- the wine is a blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes and stored in French and American oak barrels. The grapes are grown on rocky outcrops of a protected biosphere and created organically without any herbicides or pesticides. Dense black currant and plum fruits and floral notes on the nose (15% ABV)
