Schloss Vollrads - glass stopped gold

This Rheingau Riesling was a beautiful colour - I described it as 'thin gold', my partner used the word 'urine'. 

As it says on the label this was dry. But it had a good grapey flavour. 

Oddly it has a glass stopper under the foil. What's that about? 

Kloster Eberbach

German reds are unfamiliar in the UK but this Pinot Noir from Hesse is a good example of why we should be drinking more. If you enjoy New World Pinots then this dry red with a lovely berry taste might suit. It's from a vinyard near the Eberbach Abbey where Name of The Rose was filmed. Rather more romantic than Frankfurt Airport where I bought this.

Swiss Rolle

This is a very Swiss wine so it was appropriate that I drank it on the terrace of the European Broadcasting Union's HQ in Geneva with a fine view of Mont Blanc. This Mont Sur Rolle comes from the shores of Lake Geneva and is made from the Chasselas grape, believed to originate in Switzerland.
It's a wine that reflects Switzerland's make-up. It's fruity but not as sweet or rich as a German wine. It's dry but not as crisp as a good French Alsace, for example. And it has something slightly eccentric about it like some of those more obscure north Italian varietals. A little too sweet for my taste but very good drinking in the autumn sunshine and, I am told, with fondue.

Pago de Carraovejas

A lovely Ribera Del Duero. The perfect superior party wine enjoyed at a reception at the Hay Segovia Festival where it captured the semi-serious mood in the Marques' rather lovely mansion. Great colour, good cool or warm, with a light but round berry flavour.

Albarino

This Albarino was the perfect Gallician companion for the sea-food from the wonderful Ribero do Mino restaurant on Calle Santa Brigida in the Chueca district of Madrid. Medium light, dry with some acidity to help the shell-fish down.

Biferno

London, September, 2010

Very good value Tuscan red - soft, full-bodied, with a lovely curranty flavour but some depth and quite dry, too. Like a good Montepulciano.

Saint Aubin (white)

London, Sumer, 2010

Mineral, full-bodied white