Sunday 20 November 2011

A List of Vegan and Vegetarian Wines from M&S


As I promised (and been requested for) in my last post about the M&S tasting, here’s a list of the wines that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.


Suitable for vegetarians

NV Prestige Cava Brut
NV Sparkling Burgundy
NV Oudinot Rose Medium-Dry
NV De Saint Gall Rose
NV  De Saint Gall Blanc de Blanc Premier Cru
2004 De Saint Gall Vintage Prenier Cru Brut
NV TArlant Brut Nature Champagne
1998 Orpale Champagne Grand Cru
2011 Hunter Valley Verdelho
2009 VAsse Felix Semillon
2010 Clocktower Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Summerer Gruner Veltliner Langelois
2010 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
2010 Gavi del Commune di Gavi
2010 Belle Tour Chardonnay
2010 Domaine Mandeville Viognier
2008 Chablis
2007 Chablis Premier Cru Fouchaume
2009 Pernand Vergelesses Les Combottes
2008 Chassagne-Montrachet
2008 Vinalta Gran Reserva Malbec
2007 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon
2009 Clocktower Pinot Noir
2009 Earth’s End Pinot Noir
2008 Quinta de Fafide
2009 Balcon de la Villa Joven
2004 Valdemadera Grand Reserva
2007 Nero D’Avola di Sicillia
2008 Vilalta Amarone della Valpolicella
2007 Chateau les Ormes
2010 Belle Tour Cabernet Sauvignon
2010 Old Vines Grenache Noir
2008 Cuvee Extreme
2008 Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru
2008 Hermits Hill Botrytis Semillon (Desert wine)
NV Pale Cream Sherry
NV Rich Cream Sherry


Suitable for Vegans

NV Champagne de Montpervier Blanc de Noir
2010 Tierra y Hombre Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Cascara Limari Valley Chardonnay
2011 Rockridge Sauvignon Blanc
2011 Six Hats Fairtrade Chenin Blanc
2011 Charles Back Stonedance
2011 Journey’s End Honeycomb Chardonnay
2009 The Gum Chardonnay
2010 Seifried Nelson Sauvignon Blanc
2010 Rabi Gruner Veltliner Kamptal
2010 Val do Salnes Albarino
2010 Picpoul de Pinet (one of my favourite wines of the moment)
2010 Les Pierblancs Sauvignon Blanc
2009 Pouilly Fume Mathilde Favray
2010 Petit Chablis
2008 Organic Chablis Jean-Marc Brocard
2010 Macon Villages Uchizy
2009 Rully 1er Cru La Pucelle
2011 Balbi Rose
2011 Burra Brook Rose
2010 Cotes du Rhone Reserve du Boulas Rose
2010 Tierra Y Hombre Pinot Noir
2010 Clear Lake Merlot
2010 Six Hats Fairtrade Shiraz
2009 Journey’s End Beefwood Tree
2010 Hunter Valley Shiraz
2008 Marananga Dam GSM
2006 Marques del Costal Conca de Barbera Costal
2008 Rioja Pago Real
2006 Pena del Inferno
2009 Baglio Rosso Nero d’Avola
2010 Barbera d’Asti DOC
2007 Barbaresco Cascina Morassino
2010 Mauregard Bordeaux
2009 Chateau Le Vieux Pressoir
2008 Chateau Mondorion
2007 L’Etoile de Romanin Les Baux de Provence
2009 Domaine Collonge Crozes Hermitage
2009 Saint Joseph
2010 Beaujolais
2010 Beaujolais Lantignie
2009 Borgogne Pinot Noir
2009 Mercurey
2009 Chorey-les-Beaune
2009 Volnay Domaine Roux
2009 Chambolle Musigny
2009 Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru
1995 Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina, Villa di Monte (Desert wine)
NV Finest Reserve Port
2005 Late Bottled Vintage Port
2007 Vintage Port
NV 10 Year Old Tawny Port

I have to say I’m pretty impressed with the amount of wines that are suitable for both vegetarians and vegans, even more so that M&S will tell you, I hope this of use to someone.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

Not Just Any Tasting, But An M&S Tasting


Sorry, I know it's not the best picture!

The other week I called in on the Marks and Spencer’s Autumn tasting, and for a change I had a bit of a plan, and that was to avoid the big varietals and appellations, as you can be pretty sure what your going to get from them, and try find something that little bit different.

As usual from these guys, there was nearly a 150 wines on show; these are the ones that caught my eye which wasn’t your usual New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or a Burgundian Chardonnay.

2010 Summerer Gruner Veltliner Langelois - produced in the Kamptal region in Austria, this had beautiful floral notes with a hint of lime thrown in to the mix and just a touch of acidity, combining to create a delicious wine, well worth the £9.99 price tag.

2010 Pecorino - this is a grape that has recently been re-discovered by the producers in Abruzzi and has been grown at a high altitude with the cooling Adriatic Sea breezes. This had restrained flavours of Peaches and Honey, with just enough acidity to give it a great balance, again definitely worth the £9.99 price tag.

2008 Vinalta Gran Reserva Malbec - this wine is made using fruit from vines over 60 years old, which helps to give it a real intensity. With an opaque purple colour and flavours of dark cherries and cassis, with a touch of sweet spice, great tannins and acidity combine to create a stunning example of good Malbec can be.

2009 Nerello Mascalese - from the Belice Valley in the south west of Sicily, it had a pale red colour with youthful red fruit flavours and a touch of cocoa coming through from the background, fine tannins and a small amount of acidity go on to create a very enjoyable wine, all for £5.99.

2009 Darting Estate Scheurebe Eiswein - the Schreurebe grapes are picked once the temperature reaches minus 10 degrees celcius, from vines that are least 15 years old. This wine had a real richness of flavours while also being lusciously sweet with just enough acidity to cut through it, and was absolutely stunning.

I have to admit there are a lot of excellent wines within there range these days, these are only a couple that really caught my eye, I also have to admit my guilty pleasure from the day is there Asti Spumante, which is just full of Tangerines and loads of acidity, but works and is just delicious. I was also impressed with the book we were given as I told which wines were suitable for vegetarians and vegans, not something you see very often, I think I may have to put up a list of them.