“It’s fun, but not too silly…”

Oh no! Not another wine with one of those cheery, jokey labels, I hear you cry. From pawprints on the neck capsule to a sketch of a pooch with its owner, this wine is begging for your attention, but in rather an appealing way. Despite its name, Charlotte’s Chardonnay is emphatically not a dog.

From Tuchan, a village in the heart of the exciting new world of winemaking in the Languedoc region of southern France, this wine expresses all that is most impressive about the way this area has reinvented itself. The wine is affordable, but not ridiculously cheap; it is fun, but not too silly. Best of all, it tastes fresh, fragrant and attractive, with that ‘meadow grass’ scent of quality Chardonnay and none of the heavy oiliness often associated with wines from the so-called New World. It has a delicate finish which deserves understated food to accompany.

This would be great for a convivial lunch get together; try it with clam chowder or other creamy fish dishes such as that English classic; fish pie. This is a versatile white wine which would also pair well with simple pasta dishes like ricotta and spinach tortellini or good old macaroni cheese.

Le Dog de Charlotte, Chardonnay 2008, Vin de Pays d’Oc, £5.49, www.morrisons.co.uk

ROZ COOPER: BIOGRAPHY

Roz began her wine career in California, leading wine tours and tasting wines for a wine warehouse near San Francisco. She then ran her own California wine import business in the UK and subsequently became assistant editor of Decanter magazine, then wrote various books on wine including The Wine Almanac. Since then, she has written wine columns in many publications and edited books and magazines, including The Italian Magazine. She’s passionate about green issues including organic and biodynamic winemaking and also works on a voluntary basis with the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Tags: Wine of the Week