Classic style from the garden of France

Continuing with my campaign to get us all drinking light, delicious red wines (did you sample the Beaujolais over Christmas?), this time I am keen to recommend a fine, delicate wine from the lovely Loire Valley of France. This is another bottle which should be served slightly chilled, so it has all that depth of flavour of a red wine but plenty of acidic bite and fragrance, like a white wine (plus it’s only 12.5% alcohol, for any calorie counters out there).

The Saumur region of France is home to some amazing castles, romantic riverside landscapes and lots of excellent food, particularly fine fish (from the river, not the sea) and fresh local produce from the so-called Jardin de la France. It’s like Kent, but with really wonderful wine! This attractive, ruby red wine is made with 100 percent Cabernet Franc grapes. This relative of the better known Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world, but in this corner of France it has a unique personality, tasting of almonds and sharp Morello cherry, with a hint of ripe raspberry on the finish. It’s a smooth, charming wine but not at all ‘jammy’. This would make a perfect foil for duck dishes, whether a roast wild duck or a Chinese duck with pancakes. It’s also superb with all types of salad, notably those made with goat’s cheese. This sophisticated tipple is worth every penny of the asking price; it’s the quintessence of classic French style.

Saumur Champigny 2008, £8.99, Co-Operative stores.

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