Best Bonfire Night wines
Coat and mittens at the ready, Decanter seeks out warming wines to drink while enjoying the Bonfire Night fireworks this weekend.
Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night on 5 November marks the failure of a plot to kill King James I in 1605. Fires were lit to celebrate, and the annual public day of thanksgiving eventually became a gathering in which people ‘burn’ their sorrows and merrily protest against the establishment. For that reason it’s not uncommon to see cut-outs of politicians burning on Bonfire Night…
The night also serves as the unofficial start of the festive season, kicking off weeks imbued with a sense of celebration and indulgence.
A sense of warmth does not necessarily mean high alcohol. Other structural components can also contribute to a sense of comforting lusciousness in wine. These include intense, ripe flavours; smooth but firm tannins; warming spicy notes; and a creamy texture.
A feast of colour
Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised to find wines of different colours and styles on the list below. It’s a mistake to think that only robust reds can provide the sense of comfort we seek on cold days and with hearty meals.
A generous white, such as a softly textured Garnacha Blanca, a creamy Viognier or an oak-fermented Chardonnay, are perfect autumnal wines and the ideal pairing companions to the season’s game and root vegetable dishes. Be brave and explore lesser-known varieties or unexpected expressions of famous grapes. If you haven’t tried a dry Furmint, now is a great time. The variety’s trademark herbal lining and affinity with wood make it ideal for autumn drinking.
The flavour complexity, savoury layers and textural appeal of orange wines (skin-fermented whites) also makes them a great option for chilly evenings – especially since they make such outstanding food companions. The same could be said of intense rosés, where nuanced aromas and a firm backbone meet a subtle tannic grip.
Remember that neither orange wines nor rich whites and rosés should be served too chilled. They are best enjoyed when their aromatic complexity and texture are allowed to shine.
Fortify yourself
What about a glass of Port or Sherry? Intense yet elegant, with vibrant acidity balancing the sweetness and alcohol, these fortified wines are guaranteed to warm you up.
There are great value choices on this list; celebrating doesn’t mean breaking the bank.
Open one, or more, of these bottles, light the bonfire and get warm. Inside and out. These wines will pair perfectly with hearty, flavourful dishes (a rich pasta or a lamb stew for example) or, in full fiery mood, some barbecued meat or vegetables.
Warming wines for Bonfire Night: 10 to try
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Vasse Felix, Filius Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia, 2021
93
Pockets might not run deep enough for this winery's Premier Estate and Heytesbury Chardonnays, but the Filius tier offers incredible value. This vintage shows perky acidity and a wild ferment tang of warm hay woven through ripe melon, crunchy nectarine and lemon balm. Delicate yet concentrated with judicious creamy roasted nut oak notes.
2021
Vasse FelixMargaret River
Babylonstoren, Viognier, Simonsberg, Paarl, South Africa, 2022
91
A third of this wine was aged in large foudres and used barrels, the rest in stainless steel. Perfume and purity of fruit: ripe peach, apricot and honeysuckle all jostle for attention. Texture, warmth and weight from the oak, yet there's an overriding freshness which delights.
2022
BabylonstorenSimonsberg
Disznókő, Furmint Dry, Tokaj, Hungary, 2021
91
Aged on its fine lees in stainless steel vats for 3 months, the dry Furmint from Disznókó has a lovely nose of beeswax, citrus blossom and marmalade. Bright acidity refreshes a honeyed palate of lemon curd, quince and grapefruit, with waxy smokiness and candied orange peel towards the finish.
2021
Disznókő
Altavins, Ilercavonia, Terra Alta, Spain, 2021
90
<p>Terra Alta is a region to watch in Spain – and this elegant, layered Garnatxa Blanca shows why. Honeyed nutty tones to the pineapple, stone fruit and citrus nose. Herbs, bright citrus, vanilla and white blossom wrap around a mineral core on the textured palate, with great natural acidity and a touch of salinity on the clean finish.</p>
2021
Altavins
Teleda, Qvevri Rkatsiteli, Kakheti, Georgia, 2020
91
Light-handed take on the more extreme traditional skin-fermented Rkasiteli wines, showing aromatic restraint and a quiet poise. There's a sweet quality to the red apple, quince, watermelon and peach flavours which is offset by orange zest, savoury pickled walnuts, grilled apricots and spices (nutmeg, cardamom, wild fennel). Very subtle, soft tannins.
2020
Teleda
Thymiopoulos, Rosé de Xinomavro, Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece, 2022
93
In its dark bottle, this serious rosé is built to age and looks forward to an era of Greek wine production where rosé rivals reds and whites for flagship status. Lovely flecks of bronze in the glass, and the aromas reward decanting with savoury framing around some exotic splendour along the lines of gingery spice and papaya. A few months in oak bolster depth and savoury resonance alongside fresher notes that pop like dots of red apple and tiny raspberry pips. After an hour it opens into orange peel and rose nuances underpinned by lavish intensity, which makes it a fabulous choice for the finest banquet of crab or lobster. Farmed organically, using biodynamic practices.
2022
ThymiopoulosNaoussa
Yalumba, The Tri-Centenary Grenache, Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2018
From a 0.8ha block of 820 bush vines planted in 1889. Left on skins for 100 days after fermentation giving gorgeous velvety texture to the...
2018
YalumbaBarossa Valley
Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola, Tinto, Alicante, Spain, 2021
93
Pepe Mendoza's Alicante 'village' red is a Monastrell-led blend from different plots across the DO. Supple and very pure, with wild red fruits and a lovely touch of sappy grip and plum skin bite bringing a succulent, juicy quality. Typically keen and fresh but warm-hearted – compulsive drinking. Organic.
2021
Pepe Mendoza Casa Agrícola
Taylor's, Late Bottled Vintage, Port, Douro Valley, Portugal, 2017
92
Luscious and bright flavours of cranberry, cherry and strawberry jam, layered with herbal notes of mint, rosemary, lavender and thyme. Firm tannins give structure to the mid-palate, while a medicinal and spicy aspect delivers a long, refreshing finish.
2017
Taylor'sPort
The Society's, Fino, Jerez, Spain
90
Only £7.25, and that's for a full bottle – no wonder this own-label fino, made by Sánchez Romate, is the Society's bestselling Sherry, and was voted a Wine Champion this year by the Society's buyers. It's exemplary fino, tangy and yeasty, with the salinity, lipsmacking acidity and apple peel freshness that make it the perfect glass to reach for on so many occasions. Will keep for a week or so in the fridge after opening.
The Society's
