By Steve Dinneen
Even watching tennis can be thirsty work so it is time to prime those palates for Wimbledon and pair your glass to whomever you are supporting this season.
Our very own Andy Murray has won Wimbledon twice already and is looking as good as a glass of something crisp and cold on a hot day after winning two of his last three grass court tournaments.
Cheer on Murray with something refreshing like Exton Park’s newly released Blanc de Blancs 2014 (extonparkvineyard.com £65) which, like the man himself, has a bit of age and experience, coming from Exton’s oldest 20-year-old vines. Waitrose is currently doing up to 20 per cent off English wine right now so I snapped up some cool, zippy Chapel Down Sparkling Bacchus (£15.99) and to pair with any sweet treats later on, Nyetimber’s Cuvée Cherie (£29.99).
Those of you watching through lunch, go for a classic English estate like Simpsons whose Roman Road Chardonnay 2022 (simpsonswine.com £28) is a precise and elegant match for summertime picnics with its notes of honeysuckle and lemon.
If sticking to the traditional strawberries and cream then why not try it in sophisticated bottle form and select another English award winner, Gusbourne’s delicious English rosé 2022 (gusbourne.com £25).
Of course, there are other players making waves. The reigning champion is Novak Djokovic but no, I am not going to be recommending a Serbian wine for his supporters, instead I’m pairing this OG of the tennis courts with the OG of the wine world – champagne.
Drappier has been crafting champagne for over two centuries and eight generations. When it comes to quality, they are heavyweight contenders and their expressive Carte d’Or Brut is currently on offer (£38 down from £44 thechampagnecompany.com).
Djokovic has plenty of experience spraying bottles about after his seven previous Wimbledon wins, though he did once nearly take his eye out with a close-shave cork, so lesson learned for any celebrations – keep your hand over the cork and aim the bottle neck away.
If you favour a likely upstart, such as Carlos Alcaraz, who last year became the youngest world number one male tennis player at 19, then try something new and fittingly Spanish. The brand new Azabache sparkling white rioja (£24.99 The Naked Grape) is something really quite different with its smooth bubbles and heady floral aromas.
Another bright young thing to watch out for at Wimbledon is American Coco Gauff who also at just 19 is already ranked as the world top 10 for women’s singles and doubles. A wine that keeps delivering in complexity and skill is Californian Talbott’s Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir 2018 (£40.50 The Wine Library). This luxurious, lightly spicy red can be gently chilled for easy sipping in the sun.
Finally, Ukrainian tennis star Sergiy Stakhovsky was inspired to create his own wines after playing the French Team Championship for the Bordeaux team, Villa Primrose. Though Stakhovsky has now volunteered for the National Guard of Ukraine his wines are still available throughout Europe at stakhovskywines.com.
Wines of the week
AYALA ROSÉ CHAMPAGNE MAJEUR NV £44 JEROBOAMS
My goodness this is a delightful bottle. A beautiful pink in the glass, fine bubbles abound with flavours of ripe strawberries and dusky cherry blossom. Expertly made this is not to be quaffed with its rich, long, lingering finish.
TEUSNER, JOSHUA GSM 2021 £25 THE GREAT WINE CO
A juicy, plush blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Shiraz. Think a French Rhone Valley red, but with the concentrated flavour of Australia’s Barossa Valley’s amazing old vines. An absolute beauty of a wine that can be served lightly chilled.
PORTE NOIRE CRU CLASSE ROSÉ 2021 £29.80 PORTENOIRE.CO.UK
Is there anything Idris Elba cannot do? With his love of wine this bar-owning, entrepreneurial actor has now perfected the Provence rosé in a collaboration with Chateau Sainte Marguerite. Peachy, fresh, summertime sipping.
WINE RECOMMENDATIONS SCHLOSS REINHARTSHAUSEN 2015 ERBACHER HOHENRAIN RIESLING SPÄTLESE £31.10 THE WINE BARN
A sweeter style of wine with sophistication and complexity. This classy Riesling has layers of honeyed apricot, lemon and orange blossom. Off-dry wines go well with Asian dishes but this goes wonderfully with a cheeseboard.
CONTINO RESERVA 2018 £25.90 SAINSBURYS
A fantastic blend of Spanish Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. This rioja has been aged for three years, two in oak barrels, to give it depth but retains a youthful freshness making it an uplifting red for tapas.
