Where to get good wine this Summer: Introducing Bird in Hand

What an epic summer we’ve had so far in the U.K. The sun’s been shining relentlessly and the BBQ has well and truly earned its place on the patio.

Many an evening has been spent outside, wine in hand, grilling up some dinner. Such is the frequency of this scenario, I’ve actually adopted a keen interest in learning about wine and more importantly, what makes a good one.

Initially, my original go-to was my sister, as she’s currently working to become a qualified sommelier, however these amazing summer nights have encouraged me to understand wine better!

Recently we’ve been trying out the summer selection of wines from the acclaimed Adelaide Hills winery, Bird in Hand, who are a world renowned producer of fine wines and specialise in cool climate wines.

Thus far we’ve tried two from their collection.

Firstly, the Sparkling Pinot Noir 2017, which has been a favourite in Australia for some time, is light in colour, like a rose, but the sparkling demeanour makes it entirely different to anything else we’ve tried.

It’s delicate yet crisp, and possesses a clean and dry finish. You really get fresh strawberry flavours and cherry aromas, accompanied by a floral lift and it really is a unique wine experience.

I’d go as far as saying this is the best new wine I’ve tried this year.

£12 at waitrose.com

We also tried The Bird in Hand Chardonnay 2017 this week.

As you’d expect with a Chardonnay it has intense aromas of white nectarine, apricot and grapefruit but this combines with subtle cashew and nougat characters. The resulting wine is richly textured. Again, this wine was wonderfully easy to drink and I would highly recommend.

£19.95 at waitrose.com