Not to be one always looking back, whenever I start a new year I try and think about all the great times of last year and it helps me get really up for all the challenges and possibilites for 2020.
So whilst most of you are doing Dry January or something equally as healthy to overcome the post-Christmas and New Year booze/chocolate/meat comas, I thought I’d start the year with a quick recap of the wines that meant a lot to me in 2019…
OCTOBER – GRAZIANO MEROTTO PROSECCO SUPERIORE
October took me on my first ever trip to Prosecco. Not the massive industrial bit, the very beautiful (despite the rain) hills of Valdobbiadene and rolling slopes of Conegliano, to go discuss all things DOCG and marketing.
It was a crazy trip really, with 1% of the world’s MWs on it with us. Of course I asked the most searching questions, naturally!!
On this trip was Sarah Knowles MW, the Wine Society’s buyer for Italy. She found a few that she really liked, including one fantastic biodynamic producer in Conegliano. But, despite the high standard of wines on show, it still boils down to “could you sell it”?
This Rive Di Col San Martino from Merotto was an absolute delight, really concentrated fruit flavour, great acidity, lovely balance, but a tough sell at nearly £50 a bottle after taxes are thrown in. But it was so good, and I was so impressed with the DOCG wines, that it had to make the list!
Cheers
