EUROSPAR: SPAR: MACE; Londis have recently stocked a couple of fascinating wines.

They are Frizzante (ie lightly sparkling), from Spain, made by an excellent winemaker (Felix Solis) and low in alcohol – 5.5%vol

They are also excellent and retail at the very honest €4.99. I emphasise the Fair price as quite a few low alcohol wines have crept into our market at a relatively high price!

(If our ridiculously high excise duty is to blame for high entry price levels and if these are based on alcohol levels then anything at a low abv should be inexpensive – and I don’t want to hear that taking alcohol out of a finished wine is an expensive process! When I hear that all I can think is that I am expected to pay 23% VAT for a process – Low Alcohol should Equate to Low Price!)

Verdejo is a fabulous white grape from Spain. It finds a special niche in Rueda from where it is widely available as a still white wine. My favourite style is when it gives us a herbal, garrigue type of a rush on the bouquet. If that’s a bit extreme then fresh, fruit driven styles are also available.

The low alcohol Vina Albali Verdejo Frizzante (€4.99) is off dry (only lightly sweet), well scented, finely balanced and long on the palate. The grape here is from the centre of Spain in Castilla la Mancha. Serve it well chilled. Relax on the patio. Enjoy the Summer!

The low alcolhol Vina Albali Rose Frizzante (€4.99) is an equally attractive wine with the additional attraction of red-berry floral scents coming from the Tempranillo grape that it is made from.

(Listen HERE to Kevin Ecock’s WinePod when Felix Solis talked to us about his la Unico wine. He really is an excllent wine maker and his skills are apparent in these wines brought to us by the team at BWG.)