Well it's not every day that I have lunch with a true football legend, so hats off to John Terry for a fabulous afternoon at Aaron Rutigliano's trendy Gola Restaurant, in the heart of Chelsea and Fulham, close to Stamford Bridge.
There are many celebrities jumping on the drinks bandwagon! So it would be easy to assume that here's yet another one with an OK drink that just bears their name, but no, not this time!
All credit to Terry for two years of trialling different wines to arrive at his impressive range, exclusive to GP Brands 'The Wine of the Champions'. In keeping with his competitive nature, Terry, a long-time lover of wine, said that these wines have to be right for him to put his name to them. So, crafting the flavour profiles to his liking with football and wine-making supremo Fabio Cordella, these quality wines from southern Italy are designed to reflect the ex-England and Chelsea captain's tastes and personality.
Cordella has assembled a champion's team, working with some of the world's greatest football legends. Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Terry are just some of the names on his wine labels and we'll soon be able to buy a case of wines that represents a full team of champions! So what are the John Terry wines like?
There are three wines in the range, all bearing JT's beloved no. 26, the shirt number he kept throughout his Chelsea career. The white (Chardonnay), rosé (Primitivo) and red Salice Salentino (80%+ Negro Amaro and Malvasia Nera) are all fresh, fruity and elegant without being overpowering, a far cry from JT's hard man image!
"I said to Fabio, I'm going to be really picky as I love my wines and want these to be just right!"
There's finesse here with all the wines. The Chardonnay is unoaked and all the better for it. Bright acidity with white peach, lemon balm and a mineral edge, this retains both a lightness and intensity that carry on to the finish. The rosé is similarly fresh with a red berry and spice tingle plus good acidity/tannin balance. The red just gets better with time in the glass or in decanter. Give it an hour to breathe and you will be rewarded! There's plenty of berry fruit notes here and the gentle vanilla and chocolate hints from some oak ageing soften the mouthfeel and make this an ideal wine for roast meats, aged cheeses and other strongly flavoured dishes like pasta with truffles.
Official release date is the week commencing 17th October, but you can buy Fabio Cordella John Terry Salice Salentino DOP 2020 now from GP Brands' online store for £22.23 per bottle.
Salento in Puglia produces many delicious wines, not so well known yet in the UK. So, it's great to see wines from this region being championed by … well … a champion. Definitely no red cards here!
