A year of grapes and gripes

Dec 14 2008 by Michael Kelly, Sunday Sun

I ALWAYS find it interesting looking back at what I’ve written over the last 12 months.

I started the New Year off with the pledge to give up smoking, which lasted all of two months.

As a consequence, I’ve had my fair share of colds and sniffles as a result of being consigned to the Siberia of the doorstep — or “beer garden” — of various pubs, to have a tab.

It has been particularly challenging of late with the cold snap . . . although it’s amazing the number of new people you can meet who share the same death wish.

I predict, come January 1, 2009, I’ll be giving up the fags again and, 12 months later, will be lamenting the fact that I haven’t been able to keep it up. New Year traditions need to be maintained.

At my present reckoning, I fork out £150 a month on tabs, which is enough for the repayments on a reasonably new car or maybe, just maybe, an update on my 1990s wardrobe . . . and perhaps even some food for my kids.

You’ve got to get your priorities right, after all.

For this column, over the last year I have drunk roughly 200 bottles of wine.And I really do drink them — I don’t sniff, sip, gargle and spit it out — to get the full-on experience.

Although there are some wines I have been sorely tempted to pour down the plughole, a sense of duty has seen me plough on.

There have, however, been notable exceptions . . . wines worth the cash and ones that’ll have you returning for more.

As always on this list is the Tim Adams Shiraz. There’s never been a bad vintage of this red, available from Tesco for just over a tenner.

It packs a punch with 14.5 per cent alcohol content, but that does not overpower the lush red fruit and sweet intensity with hints of liquorice and spice.

Definitely one to consider teaming with Christmas dinner.

Then there’s the Montana Marlborough Reserve Pinot Noir, again a bit over the £10 mark, but well worth the extra on you might usually spend.

Available from Waitrose and Oddbins, it has a lovely cherry and strawberry aroma, soft ripe tannins and complex flavours to make this a memorable drink.

And there’s the Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano.

My favourite name for a wine as it is a joy to pronounce, it is made from the Sangiovese grape and has spent two years in oak barrels before bottling. It has a rich, ruby red colour, with aromas of plum, vanilla, and a hint of aniseed.

It is beautifully distinct from the New World reds.

Next week, I’ll highlight some of the memorable whites I’ve had this year.