Drinks of the Month

Leopard’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2017

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on February 25 2018 at 09:24

Tomorrow the annual Fairtrade Fortnight starts in the UK. I wish I could get more enthusiastic about Fairtrade wine but so many of them are underwhelming. Happily this wine which is made in South Africa is an exception: not mindblowing - you wouldn’t expect that for £5 - but a more than decent bottle for the price.

It’s made at a winery called Leopard’s Leap in Franschhoek which I visited a couple of years ago which belongs to the Rupert Family who also own nearby La Motte and has an impressive workers’ village and school called Dennegeur

It’s obviously imported in bulk (how can you tell? the small print on the back label says W1743 at CH2 4LF UK which turns out, when you Google it, to be a bottling plant near Chester called Encirc). That’s not necessarily a bad thing - it certainly reduces the cost and the carbon footprint of the wine - glass is heavy and bulky to transport.

It’s on offer at the Co-op for £5.49 and is the sort of simple fruity red you could knock back with a plate of pasta, a pizza or a burger. It’s also suitable for both vegetarians and vegans and would make a good party wine. Sainsbury’s is selling a similar bottle for £5 but I don’t know if it’s the same vintage or certified Fairtrade. And I like to shop at the Co-op who do more to support Fairtrade than most other retailers.

If you’d like be able to check out all the food and wine pairings on the site you can buy a bundle of credits here to access my premium content.

And/or for regular updates on what and where I’ve been eating, drinking and travelling sign up for my weekly newsletter Eat This, Drink That, Live Well.