Description
April in Edinburgh is a real Spring awakening! The city starts to bloom, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy lighter, fresher wines. Our April Wine Pack captures that feeling, with a crisp white, a vibrant rosé, a tropical sparkling pet nat and a fresher red that are just right for sunny afternoons and cozy evenings as the days get longer.
Plus, we’ve included a delicate sake, perfect for sipping whilst enjoying cherry blossom season. Think picnics in the park and cheerful dinners with friends with this truly global wine pack featuring wines from Spain, Sicily, Australia, South Africa and Japan!
This month’s wine pack includes:
First up we have the Emilio Moro Finca Resalso Ribera del Duero. This is from a fantastic region in Spain that has been described as “one of the most exciting wine regions in the world” by Tim Atkin MW. Ribera del Duero wines are becoming increasingly sought after by discerning consumers who are looking for something exceptional. This month we will be celebrating this region with two in store tastings so please pop in!
A deep cherry red in colour with a violet rim, the bouquet is intense and dominated by the ripe black fruits typical of Tempranillo. Tempranillo is a very famous grape in Spain, also home in Rioja, it is great to taste it from across different regions.
This red has subtle floral notes in the glass, adding complexity and sweetness to the wine. In the mouth it is silky and full-bodied. Ripe tannin give a pleasant and creamy feel to the palate with a lovely finish and long aftertaste. Finca Resalso is the name of an historic vineyard that was planted in 1932, the year Emilio Moro was born. This is the name given to the wine made from grapes from their younger vines grown in a mixture of clay, stony and chalky soils. The wine macerates with its own skins for 12 days, so later the malolactic fermentation is made for 30 days in stainless steel. Finally, it is aged in 3 year old French oaks barrels.
Emilio Moro’s viticulture methods are environmentally friendly, with no artificial irrigation, as they believe this can alter the characteristics of the harvest, and prefer that each year has its own personality.
Unico Zelo Sea Foam Sparkling Pet Nat (Australia)
As salty & refreshing as ever! Think pears and green apples and a touch more white nectarine, frangipani and a whiff of grassy freshness. This is a great, fun and easy going fizz! Pet Nat is short for Petillant Naturel which is a natural more hands off method of making Sparkling wine, it results in a slightly hazy colour when poured but is absolutely full of flavour with a lighter frothy bubble.
Unico Zelo is a small winery founded and run by Brendan and Laura Carter. This young, dynamic couple have been making wine under the Unico Zelo label for close to a decade, taking their inspiration from their intense passion for their native land in South Australia. The wines are crafted from grape varieties, often Italian, that require minimal intervention, both in the vineyard and the winery. These delicious and unique wines combine sustainability and drinkability to great effect!
Babalu White (Sicily)
This is a brand new wine to our shelves, we recently tasted Babalu and loved it! There is lots of flavour, a taste of Sicilian sunshine and offering great value for money. Punchy tropical peach and pineapple aromas leap out of the glass. These flavours continue onto the palate joined by lovely ripe pear and a lick of acidity to balance the ripe fruit. This is made from a Sicilian grape field blend which will undoubtedly feature Cataratto and Grillo from the taste of it!
Enjoy chilled in the sunshine alongside Italian antipasti, fried fish or a creamy seafood or vegetable risotto.
Vermador Organic Rose (Spain)
With fruity aromas recalling strawberries and fresh plums, this single variety rose wine is produced from vines of the Monastrell variety cultivated organically. After a soft de-stemming and crushing, the grapes are left macerating for 10 hours and the must is bled which then ferments for a few weeks. It is pale in colour with a lovely fresh fruitiness, very easy going Rose made for sunshine and sharing with friends.
Kiuchi Awashizuku Sparkling Sake (Japan)
A delightful sparkling sake from the Kiuchi Brewery, the makers of Hitachino Nest Beer. This is a junmaishusake, a style of pure rice wine that is not mixed with distilled alcohol, and during the mashing stage of production a little sour white koji is added. This addition results in an acidity that balances out the sake’s natural sweetness, creating a refreshing and complex sparkling drink.
Serve this chilled like a white wine or fizz. Sparkling sake pairs well with a variety of foods, including seafood, sushi & fruity desserts. If you are curious about sake then you could try adding ice or frozen fruit for a refreshing twist.
El Montanista Criolla Tintas 2021
El Montanista is changing the game in Calingasta Valley just north of Mendoza. They have a wealth of 80+ year old ‘Criolla’ in their arsenal, grown organically, harvest by hand, and aged in concrete eggs – which has a similar effect to oak ageing, minus the oaky flavours. This would be very happy lightly chilled alongside a BBQ or grilled lamb.
