drink different - a beaujolais alternative

In a world of blockbuster, high alcohol red wines, it’s nice to try something a bit lighter for a change.  Beaujolais has often been the obvious first port of call – wines made from the light, fragrant Gamay grape, and the vinified in such a way as to extract maximum fruit and minimum tannins.  Thankfully the bubble-gum flavours of Beaujolais Nouveau are no longer in vogue, and a lightly chilled (yes, really) Beaujolais-Villages is a delightful spring treat.

Further north in France is an excellent, and less well-known, alternative: Cabernet Franc wines from the Loire.  Equally fruity, and with just enough tannin to give some interest without adding too much weight, a Chinon is an infinitely more interesting and less obvious alternative.