The Olympics
This blog was supposed to be about Russian wine but the samples I received were of a cloudy red demeanor in test tubes labelled SOCHI 2014 VINTAGE. They didn't taste great but I started to morph into The Incredible Hulk and found I could jump over the moon.
So, that bunch of rapscallions won't be there but the rest of the world are off to South America and Brazil for the traditional, great Olympian sports of the 100m sprint, the long jump, javelin and... golf. Except that some golfers won't be there because they are scared of insects. One could argue they lack the necessary balls. On the other hand, if those golfers are keen on a tipple, and let's face it, they are (after all, it's not like you need to be in brilliant shape to wander about some greenery hitting a small white thing at a hole with a stick), then maybe those golfers are quite right to keep their distance; research has revealed that drinking booze may make you more desirable to a hungry mosquito. But they would be missing out on some fabulous booze. After all, despite the meteoric rise of Malbec, there is more to South American wine than Argentina and Chile.
Uruguay has taken the Tannat grape from the French region of Madiran as its own; producing ripe, bold, black and red fruit dominated wines of some excellent quality, whilst also embracing other varieties. Bodega Garzon, for example, make a delightful Albarino bursting with fresh aromas of oyster shell, Granny Smith and wet rocks after a thunderstorm. It is a zippy, Rieslingesque Albarino that demands fresh seafood. £14.95
In the meantime Olympic hosts Brazil are capable of producing wines in a very drinkable, good value style. Consider Rio Sol Cabernet Shiraz as a bright, earthy and sweetly fruited option with some fresh acidity plus gentle tannin to give it balance. £10.95