What's your favourite wine? Yorkshire Post readers share their top picks

It is a question I have been asked a thousand times, and it is always difficult to answer – “what’s your favourite wine?” I could choose the easy drinking wines that slip down without fuss when enjoying an evening with friends. It could be the sensational bottle discovered in my late father’s cellar that was opened at a dinner party I arranged solely around that one wine, or it could be a grand event I have been invited to where the wines were truly extraordinary – at prices that made my eyes stand out and my taste buds weep with joy.

Generally, I deflect that difficult question by saying that it depends on the occasion, the food, and who is footing the bill.

In truth, I have lots of favourites, and it really does depend on the day, but in this year’s wine quiz, I asked readers to name and describe their favourite wine and the results were fascinating. From simple supermarket staples to once-in-a lifetime bottles whose flavours still echo in the minds of a reader, this was a glimpse at the wines that are poured into many Yorkshire glasses.

Clearly celebration was in the mind of one reader as he described Taittinger champagne as “biscuity with a delicious clean finish”. I have to agree with that tasting note. I have several cases of Taittinger gently gathering age in my cellar, bought when it was on offer so that we could open them for the family get-togethers that would be arranged around our daughter’s wedding. Well, lockdown and travel problems scuppered that idea, so we will just have to enjoy them when those relatives drift by again. With sparkling wine also in mind, another reader recalled a birthday spent picking grapes in Burgundy and the vigneron opened a bottle of delicious Crémant de Bourgogne to celebrate. This wine is often just as good as and sometimes better than Champagne and it costs a fraction of the price. Marks & Spencer has a particularly good Crémant de Bourgogne in its Classics range at the bargain price of £10. Crisp yet creamy with hints of yellow fruits and a citrus finish.

Katie Jones’ Grenache Gris (Wine Society, currently out of stock) was a favourite of a York reader who described its pear and fennel notes and honeyed freshness with so much enthusiasm I could almost taste it.

Stretching the budget further, one reader praised Ch Mouton Rothschild’s Aile d’Argent, a traditional blend of oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for its hay and silky pineapple notes with a long finish and its ability to partner tomatoes and fish. I tasted it some years ago and liked it enormously. I am delighted that such a costly wine (around £80 a bottle) is a favourite for a Yorkshire Post reader.

Lishman’s butchers came in for a recommendation from a Huddersfield reader who is a fan of Vinsobres from Famille Perrin. “If you buy it from the Co-op when it is on offer, then its full-bodied flavours and dark fruit complement a sirloin from Lishman’s,” he wrote. At around £10.25 depending on offers, the Perrin wine is a real bargain.

I was interested that one reader pointed out the wines of Ollier-Taillefer in Faugères, a region in the Languedoc which over the years has become a beacon of excellence. Local grapes and excellent winemaking make Ollier-Taillefer the one to look for when you are visiting the region. These wines are difficult to find in the UK, but Majestic has the bramble and herb-shot Domaine Cottebrune “Les Moulins” 2017 from Faugères (£15.99 or £12.99 as part of a mix-six deal) from Pierre Gaillard, who also makes substantial wines in the Northern Rhône.

Rioja featured in many readers’ favourite wines. From memories of hiking the Camino and discovering Campo Viejo Tempranillo Rioja, to the deep-flavoured Muga Rioja Reserva (Majestic £19.99 or £17.99 on a mix six) that goes so perfectly with slow-cooked lamb, there are many recollections wrapped up in the taste of Rioja. Dark fruits, tobacco and juicy smooth tannins in La Rioja Alta Arana Gran Reserva (Concept Fine Wines, Harrogate, £29.95) were summed up as “yummy” by one reader and I have to agree. La Rioja Alta makes a whole collection of wines that, once tasted, set a benchmark for others from that region.

I am delighted that one reader chose Canadian wine Burrowing Owl from the list at Roots in York. I have become a fan of wines from the Okanagan in recent years and it is fascinating to see a region gradually take its place on the world stage. Not only is this a great wine region, it is a fabulous

place to visit with amazing scenery – and the Canadians are so welcoming.

Closer to home, one reader is reminded of leaving school many years ago and briefly going to work on a farm. Now that farm has been planted with vines and has become Little Wold Vineyard, producing a fine range of still and sparkling wines. There is nothing quite like knowing the lie of the land and the depth of the soil to appreciate the quality of the wine it produces.

With mentions of Ch Musar from Lebanon, Devon Valley Pinotage from South Africa and Barolo from Piemonte in Italy, it is clear that Yorkshire Post readers have wide and varied tastes in wine. Wine is not just a drink, it is a way of connecting with memories of people, places and social occasions, both recent and long ago.

But wine doesn’t have to be linked to past memories, it can create its own. One reader praised Rosé Pinot Grigio for its simple fresh flavours and the way it can be enjoyed with or without food. I enjoyed this comment because wine can sometimes be the pivot around which we build friendships. Pinot Grigio is sometimes regarded as a wine for Friday evening after work drinking but that is just fine. There is nothing better than a light, simple, fruity, easy drinking wine to lubricate a good post-work conversation. Wine doesn’t always have to be the star of the show. It works well as a supporting act too.