This Month We're Mainly Drinking - six great wines to drink just now. January 2022.
A box set to chase away the winter and put a bit of sunshine in your glass… One bottle each of six dfferent wines ideal for drinking just now.
Buy it here for £79.50. Delivery available locally (free if you are within 15 miles of Shrewsbury) and across the UK or collect from the Iron & Rose shop in Shrewsbury Market Hall or our bar, Glouglou, on Castle Gates, Shrewsbury.
White wines -
Odfjell, Armador Sauvignon Blanc, San Antonio, Chile - Originally from Norway the Odfjell family made their name in shipping but Odfjell Snr fell in love with Chile and wine and you can guess the rest. Built up over a number of years, their vineyards are spread across a variety of sites with varying climates and soil types allowing optimum grape/ terroir matching. The one thing they all have in common is the biodynamic and organic principles followed to farm the vines, enhancing soil life and biodiversity. Most of Odfjell’s production is red but they make one white, this Sauvignon Blanc from cool, coastal San Antonio. Wonderful with seafoods, salads and fresh young cheese or hang on to it for the new season asparagus.
Producer - Odfjell
Country - Chile
Region - San Antonio
Variety / Blend - Sauvignon Blanc
Farming - Organic / Biodynamic
Vegan
Antica Enotria, Bianco, Puglia, Italy - Raffaele Di Tuccio and wife, Addolorata, left Basilicata in the 90's in search of fertile land and natural approaches to farming, they found their spot in Puglia, geographically the heal of Italy but perhaps its heart for agriculture with rich soils and plentiful sun. Raffaele and Addolorata renovated a Contessa Staffa farm near Cerignola and they began farming organically and producing natural wines. Alongside the vineyards they also farm some of the best tomatoes and pickles for their authentic sauce company.
The wines are made with native varieties, in this case Falanghina and Fiano, which despite the heat can make wines that retain freshness and balance.
Perfect with pasta, roasted mediterranean vegetables and seafood.
Producer - Antica Enotria
Country - Italy
Region - Puglia
Variety / Blend - Falanghina, Fiano
Farming - Organic
Vegetarian
Red wines -
Mas de la Font Ronde, Midrium, Vin de Carignan, VDF, Gard, France - Mas de la Fond Ronde is a mixed 80 hectare farm in the hills of the South of France where horses are used in the fields and vineyards as they are quicker and more effective than tractors and which the same family has been farming for over 300 years. In the vineyards no herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fertilisers are used and in the winery just concrete tanks, no steel or oak, and no SO2.
Producer - Mas de la Font Ronde
Country. - France
Region - Languedoc
Appellation - VDF
Variety / Blend - Carignan
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Sulphate free
Chateau Ollieux Romanis, “Lo Petit Fantet d’Hippolyte”, Languedoc, France - This has become a firm favourite at Iron & Rose, the one with the tractor. Bags of character from a beautiful, organically farmed vineyard in the south of France. Mainly Carignan with a dollop of Grenache and Syrah and no added sulphur, it's got garrigue herbs and ripe red fruit flavours. You could even say ebullient in character, an underused word in our opinion.
Producer - Château Ollieux Romanis
Country - France
Region - Languedoc
Appellation - Corbieres
Variety / Blend - Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Sulphate Free
Vina Zorzal, Garnacha Joven, Navarra, Spain - Vina Zorzal is a project three brothers inherited from their father, Antonio Sanz. It wasn’t long before Inaki, Mikel and Xavier were joined by their friend Rafael Regadera and Vina Zorzal really took off. Having inherited one of the oldest vineyards in Navarra, planted with ancient Garnacha vines that had even survived Phylloxera, they realised the magic lay in nature itself. Farming organically and making wines with minimal interference they let the grapes speak for themselves.
Navarra lies directly next to the Rioja region in Northern Spain but, being much less well known, often offers greater value for money and that is certainly the case with Vina Zorzal. This Garnacha is full of ripe fruit with lovely touches f spice and great texture. Super easy drinking and satisfying. Drink it on its own, with a hearty slow cooked stew or some grilled meat or veg,
Producer - Vinã Zorzal
Country - Spain
Region - Navarra
Variety / Blend - Garnacha
Farming - Organic
Vegan
Alvaro Castro, Outeiro, Dao, Portugal - Quinta de Pellada had been in the Castro family since the 16th century however it wasn’t until the 1980s when Alvaro Castro, a civil engineer, returned to the Quinta and picked up where his family had stopped a few generations before that the quinta started to become well known for wine. Now Alvaro Castro is recognised as one of the leading winemakers in the Dao region and along with his daughter Maria makes wines which capture the character of the unique climate, soils and grape varieties of this northern part of Portugal. Here the vineyards are protected by the Caramulo, Montemuro, Bussaco and Estrela mountains. The continental climate, with cold rainy winters and hot, dry summers, helps produce wines with great balance and freshness.
This wine is a blend of indigenous varieties and is made for easy drinking, elegant and balanced and versatile enough to drink with a variety of foods.
Producer - Alvaro Castro
Country - Portugal
Region - Dao
Variety / Blend - Alfrochiero, Jean (Mencia), Tinto Roriz, Touriga Nacional
Farming - Organic
Vegan
This case contains one bottle of each of these wines. If any is out of stock or becomes unavailable it will be replaced by one of equal or greater value and deliciousness.