Flavours of the South of France

From the international varieties present on the labels of the many Vin De Pays D'Oc wines to the blends of the appellation controlee wines, there is a great diversity of styles around. In times of the credit crunch, they don't need to break the bank either.

 At the most recent meeting of the Aberbeen Wine Appreciators Tasting group (AWA), we tasted our way through a varied selection all sourced from www.thewinesociety.com

My personal favourites included the Chartreuse De Mougeres Vermentino Vin De Pays D'Oc 2008 with its lively sherbet, grapefruit and almond scents and tangy, mid-weight peach and lemon flavours. £5.95

I'm also a Viognier fan and wasn't disappointed with the heady jasmine and spiced apricot scented Domaine Du Bosc Viognier 2008 Vin De Pays D'Oc. Vibrant and weighty, it would be lovely alongside a mild, creamy curry.

Flying the red flag was the full bodied and hearty Castelmaure Grand Cuvee Corbieres AC 2006. It's a Grenache/Syrah blend with the fragrance of ripe berry coulis. £10.95

From the cosatal vineyards of Le Clape comes Chateau Rouquette Sur Mer 2007. This time Carignan joins Grenache in the mix to give a well tuned combination of juicy ripe berries, spice and oak.£8.50

The next meeting of AWA is on 5th November 2009 and will be checking out both Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from around the wine world. Memberships are currently available, for details please go to the dedicated page on this web site.