A is for Albariño

This is a grape you may recognise from our range of Spanish wines here at Maj.  A distinctive and aromatic variety with a thick skin, which allows the grape to flourish in normally wet wine producing regions of Spain.  Often producing high alcohol and highly acidic white wines with quite punchy flavour profiles.  Popular in the Rias Baixas region of Spain; this is where you'll find some of the most popular Albariños available at Majestic; the Caixas and Martin Codax (£6.99 and £9.99 respectively).

T is for Tokaji

Tokaji is sweet wine from the Tokaj region located in the foothills in the far north east of Hungary.  Here there are warm sloping vineyards which benefit from excellent warm southerly exposures that make the most of long dry autumns.  This exposure, combined with early morning humidity generated by nearby rivers, encourages the development of noble rot (or Botrytis). Noble rot is good (hence the name) and results in an extremely concentrated, very shrivelled grape high in sugar and flavour.  It's a tough process picking out what is nobly rotten and what isn't, so pickers pass through the vineyard several times hand picking the grapes they want.  This process guarantees quality, as well as being time consuming and expensive; so Tokaji wines are often demand a premium price because of this.

Tokaji has long been famous for these sweet wines affected by Noble Rot.  These wines are usually bottled in dumpy shaped 50cl bottles and can contain as much as 180 grams per litre of residual sugar! A great example is the Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2008. 

A is for Albariño

This is a grape you may recognise from our range of Spanish wines here at Maj.  A distinctive and aromatic variety with a thick skin, which allows the grape to flourish in normally wet wine producing regions of Spain.  Often producing high alcohol and highly acidic white wines with quite punchy flavour profiles.  Popular in the Rias Baixas region of Spain; this is where you'll find some of the most popular Albariños available at Majestic; the Caixas and Martin Codax (£6.99 and £9.99 respectively).

T is for Tokaji

Tokaji is sweet wine from the Tokaj region located in the foothills in the far north east of Hungary.  Here there are warm sloping vineyards which benefit from excellent warm southerly exposures that make the most of long dry autumns.  This exposure, combined with early morning humidity generated by nearby rivers, encourages the development of noble rot (or Botrytis). Noble rot is good (hence the name) and results in an extremely concentrated, very shrivelled grape high in sugar and flavour.  It's a tough process picking out what is nobly rotten and what isn't, so pickers pass through the vineyard several times hand picking the grapes they want.  This process guarantees quality, as well as being time consuming and expensive; so Tokaji wines are often demand a premium price because of this.

Tokaji has long been famous for these sweet wines affected by Noble Rot.  These wines are usually bottled in dumpy shaped 50cl bottles and can contain as much as 180 grams per litre of residual sugar! A great example is the Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos 2008. 

Just a few basics to consider when tasting wine: Integral elements such as sugar, acid and tannin are important because they contribute to the balance and style of the wine, and are the most important factors when food matching. In some cases, the eefect of one component can interfere with the impression made by another: alcohol and fruit add to the perception of sweetness, and acid can mask sweetness. When assessing the palate of a wine, you are using your sense of taste (for sugar, acid and bitterness), touch (for astringency and texture) and smell (for flavour characteristics). 

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