Seasonal Wines - Spring .....................................................................................................................................................................................................

The days have at last started to lengthen and (with any luck) they are becoming warmer as well. From a wine point of view we can still enjoy our winter wines - especially on cooler, wetter days - but when the sun begins to warm up we can begin to uncork those lighter wines. For white wines this would mean possibly a clean, fresh Riesling or perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc either from the Loire or one of the many New Zealand Sauvignons available. If we decide to fire up the barbecue we might even brave the new vintage of a southern French rosé. The less heavy reds start to come into their own with fresh, juicy Beaujolais wines (served cool on warmer days please!) which form a perfect accompaniment to the first of the new season's lamb - without the mint sauce please!

Pinot Gris, La Tzigane, 2003 - Domaine Henry Fuchs, Ribeauvillé, Alsace - £10.00 per bottle Touch of honeyed sweetness with a rich mouthfeel, still fresh with smoky undergrowth characteristics. Lovely long length withbalanced acidity and alcohol. Very rich even by Alsace Pinot Gris standards with a relatively high degree of residual grape sugars on the palate. Henry and Catherine Fuchs are in their mid-forties and the third generation of the family to run this splendid 10 hectare domaine situated in the quality heartland of Alsace at Ribeauvillé, a village renowned for its rich and opulent dry white wines. The Fuchs use no weed-killers or man-made fertilisers on their vineyards which goes a long way to restricting yields, but they also prune very ‘tightly’ so that their final ‘rendement’ (yield) is at least 20% below the village average. In the winery, Henry avoids the use of pumps, preferring to rely on gravity to move his wine around, thereby reducing its contact with air. Sulphur Dioxide is avoided during the fermentation and is only added in minimal quantities following racking and filtration. The overall effect of all this are wines of great freshness and character with excellent keeping potential and they are not normally released until they are showing at their best and ready for drinking. CHEESE/CHICKEN/ORIENTAL PORK/PATE ..................................................................................................................................................................

Lacrima di Morro d'Alba 2004 Fonte del Re, Umani Ronchi, Marche, Italy A high quality wine produced in a small area north of the River Esino in the province of Ancona with Morro d'Alba at it's centre. It is produced from the Lacrima grape, native of the area. A rich ruby red with violet reflections in young wines. A pleasant, dry but smooth taste and a rich fruity nose reminiscent of bilberries and violets. Almost a varietal, a maximum of 15% of other grapes of approved varieties may be added for correction purposes, normally Montepulciano and Verdicchio. After the first racking in late December a 2nd fermentation is induced by the addition of a must produced from partially dried grapes (a method known as the governo Toscano). Normally consumed as a young wine during the year of bottling but sometimes aged for up to 3 years. Best served at below room temperature (around 15°C). LASAGNA/GRILLED GAME/ROAST BEEF ..................................................................................................................................................................