Whether your January was dry or damp, February is a great time to shake up the taste buds and seek out the new. Just as we wouldn’t eat exactly the same thing every night, so with wine it’s good to mix it up. Knackered Mothers Wine Club’s Helen McGinn shares a few under-the-radar gems that will inspire you to try a new grape variety or pick something from a place you might not usually go for. Cheers!

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Murrina Greco di Tufo 2020, £10, M&S (in-store)

Made from the Greco grape from a region in Campania in Southern Italy, the vineyards around the village of Tufo sit on mineral-rich volcanic soil. Crucially, it doesn’t heat up in the sun as much as some other soil types, which helps produce really fresh wines with a certain salinity or minerality to them. Crisp and fresh with orange and lemon peel flavours, this one’s a natural match for seafood.

 

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‘Altus’ Domaine Jean Perrier 2020, Savoie, £10.99, Majestic

The Savoie region in France, not far from Lyon, is the perfect spot for producing wines as fresh as the mountain air and this one, made from the local Jaquere grape is a real find. Crisp with green apple flavours and a touch of hawthorn, it’s just the thing with winter salads.

 

 

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Tesco Finest Marlborough Pinot Noir, £9, Tesco

From a region usually associated with New Zealand’s biggest wine success story, Sauvignon Blanc, I love the style of Pinot Noir from here too, usually a little lighter on its feet than the bigger, bolder ones from regions further south like Otago. This one’s got a very light touch of oak too, adding extra oomph. Brilliant with mushroom risotto.

 

 

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Taste The Difference Garnacha Campo de Borja, £9, Sainsbury’s

From northwest Spain, the Campo de Borja region hangs just south of the famous Rioja and Navarra wine regions. Garnacha absolutely loves it here (it’s a late-ripening grape so hot, dry conditions suit it brilliantly) and this one’s all about the juicy, bright raspberry and plum fruit flavours. A shoo-in with sausages & mash.

 

 

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Helen’s latest fiction book In Just One Day is out now. Follow her on Instagram and visit Helen’s website, knackeredmotherswineclub.com, for more delicious wine recommendations.