By Adam Nicholls
Director, Wine Compass
T: 1300 339 463
W: winecompass.com.au
This month we feature some fun wines that are a little different and don’t take themselves too seriously. These wines are all about drinking and enjoying now without worrying about things like ageing potential, high prices and all that serious stuff. Even in the depths of winter, we think it is important to have a little fun.
Crittenden Los Hermanos Saludo al Txakoli
Txakoli (pronounced ch-kol-ee) is the spritzy white that goes perfectly with Pinxtos (tapas from Basque country in northern Spain) and this wine did what we hoped it would - it took us back in time to San Sebastian. If you haven’t been and you love food, you should book a flight immediately. If you have been you would have seen Txakoli being poured in all the local bars. The Crittenden version has some nice acidity that gets the mouth watering for some delicious Spanish food. This is easy drinking even when it’s chilly - it’s always raining in San Seb anyway!
RRP: $26
Rare Hare White
Everybody is talking about the new Jackalope complex in Merricks North, a bold project mixing food, wine, art and accommodation. It’s located on the site of Willow Creek vineyards and still serving wines from that label, a label we have loved for years. The surprise, however, came with their latest release of Rare Hare branded wines which are made to be easy drinking styles that will match the food in the restaurant. Our favourite was Rare Hare white with a rather unusual mix of Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. It really worked and was a match made in heaven with their seafood and vegetable entrees.
RRP: $28
Quealy Secco Splendido Metodo Redmondo
This wine has been a real brain-bender for tour groups since they began pouring on the Quealy cellar door and always evokes a strong reaction. At first smell this wine could be mistaken for a sweet moscato but on the palate it is bone dry. It needs to be consumed within a year (good excuse to crack a bottle now) and is made with no sulphur so is great for people who get a headache from wine. If you are like us it’s hard to stop at one bottle - it’s that delicious and a great alternative to the average sparkling wines. They also have a white version too - Metodo Ancestrale. This is really different and I recommend you try it.
RRP: $30
