Sophia Longhi is a renowned wine communicator, writer, and tastings host, recognised as one of the ‘Top 100 Most Influential People in Drinks 2024’ by Drinks Retailing and winner of the IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Communication Award 2022.
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Strawberry Wine from Rhythm Winery
I love all of Rhythm Winery’s fruit wines - the Alfonso Mango was featured on Saturday Kitchen and sells out every time a new shipment comes in. But, the strawberry wine could actually be even more perfect for summer.
Two varieties of strawberries are used to make this wine, which give it the tangy-sweet taste - the Sweet Charlie and the Camarosa. They’re picked from the strawberry orchards in Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats of India in December to March. The fermented fruit is blended with a Chenin Blanc base wine before bottling. You’re tasting fresh strawberries with their natural sugars, so it’s a semi-sweet wine with a bright acidity. Drink chilled!
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Fratelli M/S Rosé
It’s a deeper coloured rosé but that doesn’t mean it’s sweet. It’s dry and made from the Sangiovese grape variety - so very different from your Provence pink. It has notes of blood orange and rose petal, maybe a bit of sour cherry too. Definitely different and definitely delicious for summer.
Grover Zampa Art Collection Chenin Blanc
This is a super tropical Chenin and really light on the palate. I get notes of pineapple, zippy grapefruit and Starburst sweets. It hasn’t seen any oak, so the fruit is really vibrant. A really refreshing sunshine sip.
Myne Chenin Muscat
The Myne Chenin Muscat is a 80-20 blend of Chenin Blanc and Muscat grapes grown in the Godavari River Valley of Nashik. You get the floral aromatics from the Muscat and the tropical, juicy notes from the Chenin, with a touch of honey and spice. Again, it’s pretty different but a cold glass of this would be very welcome at a garden party.
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Grover Zampa La Reserve Syrah Grenache
Let’s do a chilled red! This wine is fruit-forward enough to do it, with red berry fruits coming from the Grenache and some juicy black fruits coming from the Syrah, along with some florals and a bit of black pepper spice. It’s had a bit of oak ageing - 6 months - which gives it a nice depth of flavour, but I think popping this in the fridge for 30-40 minutes before serving gives it a nice refreshing edge. Perfect for warmer temperatures.
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