In the first of our new series on wine, Margaret Clancy, our resident wine expert, looks at some beautiful picnic wines for the coming of summer
Margaret Clancy has a love of good living, but has earned it the hard way; training as a chef in top Michelin star restaurants and learning about wine by working in the wine industry. She’s been a food and wine writer for years and without being a snob about it either, likes nothing more than to guide people to the best hidden gems and value on offer.
Picnic wines
We Brits love a picnic, but what to drink? Wine critic, Margaret Clancy asks Ham’s independent wine merchant, Taylor Fine Wines for advice.
At the beginning of summer, when the clouds part and we haven’t yet got used to the idea of warmth and the outdoors, picnics feel as though we’ve pulled one over the British weather. So, whether you’re the type that carefully makes and cuts sandwiches and packs plates and knives, or the kind who nips into the local shop and collects a ready-made quiche and a tub of coleslaw, it’s now that picnics are the best…
But what are the best wines for a picnic? I asked advice from a man who should know: Andrew Taylor of Taylor Fine Wines in Ham (www.taylorsfinewine.co.uk). His shop is at a crossroads by Ham Common, with Richmond Park within a mile on one side and the Thames towpath the same distance on the other. Come sunny days he has plenty of ‘walk-ins’ looking for suggestions.
“We have loads of lovely wines here, but as an off licence, I am not allowed to open wine for customers. That’s strictly against the rules.” So if you don’t want to buy a new corkscrew it’s best to settle for screwtops? “Absolutely,” he replied, “but there are some really great ones around.”
We move on to colour. “It’s amazing how many people look for a white wine or a rose for a picnic. They’re fine for your first glass, especially if you have found a bottle in a chiller fridge, but the wine gets warm and you realize you need an ice bucket.” By the end of the bottle, it can be seriously unpleasant, so unless you want to drink really quickly, the end of your picnic will have a sour taste to it.
So stick to reds, and robust ones at that - you want to be able to drink it from simple, packable glasses, and if you’re walking more than 20 yards from the car, you may need to put it into a bag or a backpack, in which case it’s going to shake around a bit. It also needs to have a lowish alcohol level if you’re driving home. We put an upper limit of 12.5% on the suggestions, but we found plenty of easy old-world wine drinking that fits the bill. His first call is Les Nuages 2013, a Pinot noir from the Central Loire (£8.49). It’s got a surprisingly big flavour full of spicy red fruit, so it’ll cope well with a pork pie and strawberries, and if you were drinking this in France, it’d probably be chilled – perfect for the vagaries of the British weather. His second pick is Valpolicella from Verona Northern Italy – Alpha Zeta 2014 (£8.99), with a nice bitter cherry fruitiness, which could cope with a quiche just as well as bread and pate.
I know that not everyone lives within striking distance of Ham Common, but we mostly live reasonably near a Waitrose, a Sainsbury or a Majestic. So here is what I’ve found for you that do the job nicely.
Waitrose: Cotes du Rhone Village 12.5%, £6.99
A classic, full of fruit with a hint of spice. Easy, undemanding drinking on its own, but can cope with most things thrown at it, especially cold chicken and ham.
Sainsbury: Beaujolais Villages 2014 12.5% - £7.00
Light and fruity again. One to enjoy for its softness and easiness. It’ll be a perfect match for a quiche, but it’ll cope with fairy cakes and meringues.
Majestic: Incanta 2015 12%, £6.99
From Romania, slightly earthier and more farmyardy than the classic French choices, but it can cope with being sloshed about and it’s got bags of character.
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2014, Griffone 12%, £6.99
A typically upright, somewhat jammy number which works well with with sunshine, summer, salamis and strawberries.
For more articles from our newly created Wine section, click here, you can also check out our favourite picnic spots in Surrey & SW London by clicking here
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