Reviewed by
Rebecca
There are some things in life that are better left to the professionals. In the thorny territory of wine selection- where the number of vineyards, variety of grapes and new blends have exploded over the past decades- it can seem impossible to keep abreast of what we ‘should’ be drinking. And then there’s the haughtiness and pretension associated with wine and the archaic instructions for pairing with food. These rules alienate the average wine drinker, who doesn’t need a lesson with their glass of wine.
Enter Most Wanted Wines, a newly launched range of the best wine available on the market right now. They do the legwork, travelling the globe to find prime examples of varieties of wine that you already know (and some that you’ve probably never heard of). In short, Most Wanted Wines is willing to not only take the task of wine selection off your hands, but will also introduce you to some new favourites.
The ethos is simple: you should drink wines that are worth drinking, despite the region of production or the price of the bottle. The range of wines available from Most Wanted Wines currently include: an Albariño, a Malbec, a Pinot Noir and a Sauvignon Blanc. All four are easily accessible from your local grocery market or off-licence and the website provides a useful stocklist to help you source each variety.
I was asked to sample two bottles from Most Wanted Wines’ range and I jumped on the chance to try both something familiar and something new. I opted for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as my baseline and the Albariño to sample out of curiosity. Both bottles are branded as Most Wanted Wines, but the region, vintage, style, tasting notes and suggested food pairings are highlighted on the back label. The front label is simple, bold and highly recognisable in an overcrowded wine section.
The Sauvignon hails from Hawkes Bay in New Zealand and is a good example of this type of wine, delivering a dry, crisp flavour with a pleasant citrus and fruity undertone. This is a good quality wine that is easily enjoyed alone, or would complement seafood, or even a spicy dish, very happily. I didn’t have the opportunity to pair this Sauvignon with food because it was highly drinkable in its own right. This is an easy choice for a high quality, dry white wine that’s available for less than a tenner a bottle when ordered by the case from Tesco Wine!
The Albariño potentially represented more of a challenge- I’ve never heard of this region or style, but it’s produced in Rias Baixas, Spain. Like a Sauvignon, this wine is dry- but it has a wonderfully balanced hint of fruit and is very aromatic. As a crisp white, it’s also pleasant to enjoy by the glass on its own, but Most Wanted Wines suggest pairing it with spicy Indian dishes in addition to more traditional bedfellows, such as seafood. This is a variety of wine that’s set to become increasingly popular in the United Kingdom and this example of Albariño can be found at your local Co-op or Nisa.
Most Wanted Wines is endeavouring to become a brand that is synonymous with consistently good, affordable and interesting wines. Based on my experience with these two varieties, I can see why this is an appealing concept. By making the selection process effortless and the wines more accessible, my time is freed up to make more important decisions- like how many bottles I’ll need.
By Mary 
By Evelyn 
