Wine Appreciation Meeting in April 2026 - Members' Choice

This month, in Sue's absence, we held a Members' Choice meeting. Many thanks to our members who donated some really lovely wines. It was particularly interesting to compare and contrast several different Viogniers. We had a great afternoon! The comments are from group members, the scores are mine and do not represent a group opinion. Note - I tend to mark down, but consistently!

Our first wine was a genuine champagne - Kirkland Champagne Brut (12%), a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meuniere. A pretty, pale and bubbly wine with a nose of gentle fruit, a fresh palate with a hint of ginger spice and surprisingly good length. We all thought it was lovely - "I could drink this all day." The current price at Costco is £21.49.

Score - 15/20

Next we tasted Weavers South African Viognier (11.5%). The colour was a pale straw, with a tropical nose and a buttery, creamy palate with tropical and greengage notes. Creamy aftertaste and good length completed this delicious wine, which was a bargain at £10.99.

Score - 17/20

Now, Queen Bee Viognier (12.5%) also from South Africa. This was a pale lemon wine and had a tropical nose and a palate of honey, peach and tropical fruit. Still a good length, but a little shorter than the previous wine. A classically lovely, soft, creamy viognier which cost £12.99 in a mixed case from Laithwaite's.

Score - 16/20

We then tasted yet another Viognier, but this was a delightful French blend of Viognier, Colombard and Muscat grapes - Cabalie Blanc 2025 (12%) from the Languedoc in Southern France. The colour was pale lime/lemon with a rich nose of honey and spice, a tropical palate with peach and citrus, and very good length. This was another delicious and complex wine from Laithwaite's costing £12.99..

Score - 17/20

Our next wine was a rose, Trivento Reserve Malbec Rose 2024 (11.5%) from Argentina. We had been thoroughly spoilt by our delicious champagne and trio of viogniers. While this was a pleasant rose, it was more of a simple summer garden wine. Pretty pale pink, slight aromas of strawberry and summer fruits, a flavoursome palate with a hint of grapefruit and vanilla and a crisp, fruity finish. Cheap and cheerful at £7.50 (less 25%) from Sainsbury's.

Score - 13/20

We then moved on to reds, with a very enjoyable Pinotage called 2024 Pinotage (13.5%) from South Africa. This was a clear, deep red wine with dark red and forest fruits on the nose, light tannin and dark fruits on the palate and good length. There were mixed views on this wine (some people don't care for tannin) but I really liked it. At £8.95 it was a bargain.

Score - 14/20

Our final Members' Choice was Valle de Maipo Carmenere 2023 (14%) from Chile. A rich red wine, with a nose of forest fruits and chocolate, dark fruits and spice on the palate, very light tannin, and good length with a hint of vanilla in the aftertaste. This was a very good wine, enjoyed by all our red wine drinkers and another bargain red, at £8.75 from the Co-op.

Score - 16/20

The MaD u3a Wine Appreciation group meets on the third Wednesday of each month, starting at 2:30 pm. The group is currently full, but if you would like to put your name on the waiting list please contact either Sue or Maggie by email.

Although the in-person group is full all members are welcome to join the MaD Wine Bar which meets via Zoom most Wednesdays at 6.00 pm.

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Cheers from the Wine Appreciation Group