Blog: Brexit strategy

With the value of the pound sinking like a stone, unless you have already booked and paid for your holiday the best course of action this summer is to pull up the drawbridge, buy in some stocks of British beef and sausages and stand around your barbecue wondering who is in charge of running the country.
Thankfully most wine merchants and supermarkets have bought currency ahead so you are unlikely to see prices spiral upwards until they all get home from their holidays and have to replace stocks, so now is the time to clear out your cupboards and fill them in advance of price inflation.
When and possibly if we extricate ourselves from the EU we are likely to find that European wines become more expensive as tariffs are slapped on. On the plus side, wines from Australia, Argentina, Chile and South Africa may become comparatively cheaper since they won’t have to pay the current level of non-EU duties to sell their goods to us.
So with belt-tightening once again back in fashion, and with the threat of European wines becoming more expensive, here are my best European buys for drinking this summer. Many are on special offers which might just vanish as soon as currency adjustments are made.
Once you have stocked up you will then be left with a dilemma. Do you know which way your neighbours voted in the referendum, and who can you invite round for a barbecue without starting a neighbourly dispute?
A fiver and under
Soave 2015, Italy, Morrisons, £4: Lemon and lime with a touch of herbs make this one of the best value wines on the shelves. Will Morrisons be able to keep it at this price? Probably not, so stock up.
Winemaker’s Selection Vinho Verde NV, Portugal, Sainsbury’s, £5: Crisp, lemony fruit with floral notes and just a touch of spritz to keep the flavours light and bright. Good as an aperitif.
Silver Rock Merlot NV, Thracian Valley, Bulgaria, Morrisons, £4: This is an astonishing price for soft, plush, red berry fruit. Certainly good enough for the returning students.
Gran Vista Garnacha 2015, Campo de Borja, Spain, Co-op, £4.99: Back in 1973 any Spanish wine that wasn’t Rioja was probably awful. Now we get fantastic, great value wines such as this one from Aragon. It is full of lively, juicy red berry fruit that works well with spicy sausages and kebabs.
£6 and under
Vin de Pays du Gers 2015, France, Marks and Spencer, £5.50: Stack your fridge with this lip-smacking, lime and lemon, zesty white wine that will refresh your tastebuds.
Pierre-Jean Sauvion Chenin Blanc 2015, Vin de France, Majestic, normally £7.99, down to £5.99 on a mix six deal until August 1: Produced by the owners of one of the Loire’s top properties, this wine exceeds its lowly Vin de France classification with ease. With light honeysuckle and crisp apple flavours this goes well with spice-sprinkled prawns.
Cuvée des Vignerons NV, Beaujolais, France, Waitrose, normally £6.99, down to £5.59 until July 26: Do you remember the days of the Beaujolais race? It will be difficult to race back to Blighty with the first of the Australian Chardonnays, but who knows? As for this Beaujolais, it has had more time than a Nouveau to settle down and it is chock full of delicious, juicy, cherry and raspberry fruit. Chill it briefly and enjoy as a summer evening aperitif, then carry it through to partner meats and cheese.
Taste the Difference Primitivo del Salento 2014, Puglia, Italy, Sainsbury’s, normally £8, down to £6 until August 9: The ‘heel’ of Italy is home to Primitivo vines, not primitive, but ‘early’ in Italian. The wines are full of dark, plummy fruit with robust, grippy edges and a long finish.

Pruning back in Europe.

£7.50 and under
Taste the Difference Pignoletto Spumante Brut, Italy, Sainsbury’s, normally £9, down to £7.50 until August 9: Pignoletto is an old grape variety, now replanted and it offers lively, tangy, peachy, sherbetty fruit. If you normally buy Prosecco, try this.
Krasno Sauvignon Blanc Ribolla 2015, Slovenia, Majestic, normally £7.99, down to £6.99 on a mix-six deal until August 29: Just 16% of Ribolla Gialla grape transforms this clean, grassy Sauvignon into a wine with softer edges and a rounder palate. Team it with a herby summer salad.
Waitrose Viña Lorea Rioja Crianza 2012, Spain, normally £9.99, down to £7.49 until July 26: This is a big Rioja which actually deserves its full price, so snap it up on offer. There is good structure and creamy oak, team it with grilled lamb.
Signature Valpolicella Ripasso 2014, Italy, Morrisons, £7.50: Ripasso means that the wine has been passed through the grape skins of an Amarone wine, giving richer, darker flavours. This is a terrific wine, full of dark cherry fruit, with touches of figs and spice. Team it with venison sausages but keep some in stock for winter roasts too.
£10 and under
Broglia Gavi di Gavi 2015, Piedmont, Italy, Waitrose, normally £14.99, down to £9.99 until July 26: A Gavi with real character. Steely, lemon freshness with hints of almonds and ripe pears.
M Signature Chablis 2014, France, Morrisons, £10: A Silver medal winning wine, with bright citrus fruit and a crunchy minerally finish.
Coteaux Varois en Provence Rosé 2015, France, Marks and Spencer, £8.50: Crack open a bottle of this wine and close your eyes and you could almost be in Provence. Soft-scented strawberry and white floral notes with a refreshing finish makes this a great summer lunch wine, with or without a barbecue.
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2013, Nicolas Potel, France, Majestic, normally £11.99 down to £9.99 until August 29: Great value, simple, classic-styled Burgundy with strawberry fruit and supple tannins. Great with cedar plank salmon.

About The Author

Christine Austin

Christine is a wine writer, broadcaster and a wine judge for several international wine competitions. She has a technical background and spent five years as a buyer for a major supermarket before moving to wine writing.She writes for The Yorkshire Post Magazine and organises the York Festival of Food and Drink. She has won both the Lanson and the Roederer prizes for wine writing.

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