Have you tried The Guv’nor wines?
The Guv’nor wines are a brand that resonates throughout the wine world, wines that are exceptionally good value, and even better tasting. This comes from the Guv’nor’s unique way of approaching winemaking and naysaying all typical convention to achieve the best results.
What are the Guv’nor wines?
The drive behind the wines is simple. Grapes are picked from vineyards across Spain, instead of from one region, which allows the winemakers to pick and choose the very best grapes before blending them together to achieve the Guv’nor’s consistent style and, of course, taste. The removal of traditional regional classifications has also allowed the winemakers to get rid of restrictions on the style of wines they make, to make something innovative and new and to take advantage of wine knowledge from all over the world. This is not all, vintage is also of no consequence in these wines. You will usually hear people talk about vintage with a know-it-all air about them. However, this means that the Guv’nor can blend aged wine into the mix, giving it extra complexity and depth of flavour.
The Guv’nor wines really took people by storm with their first wine, Guv’nor red, which is truly a crowd pleaser, genuinely achieving consistently near-perfect approval ratings. It’s rich, soft and packed full of fruits. You’ll soon see why it’s so popular. The classic red was soon followed by a white, rose, brut and sparkling rose, all teeming with the same freedom in winemaking. Now, the Guv’nor VIP has arrived. This is a step up from the much-loved classic red and takes the value and quality ratio to the next level. It is a serious wine.
The Guv’nor range is exclusive to Majestic wine and all we can hope is that they keep expanding on it. We can only hope for them to keep driving Spanish wines forward with innovative and exciting new blends.
More than one Guv’nor
The Guv’nor is a red wine made mostly from Tempranillo, the grape responsible for world-class Spanish Rioja and Ribera’s alike, with a small proportion of Syrah. Smooth, juicy, full of dark fruits and mellow. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a few glasses of this!
The Guv’nor VIP is richer than the classic Guv’nor, but still eminently drinkable. It boasts vibrant flavours of black cherry, blackberry, and plum, which is tempered with a hint of oak and mellow spice.
The Guv'nor Blanco hits the spot for Sauvignon lovers looking for something a little more structured. A blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Verdejo (one of Spain’s chief white varieties), it carries lovely citrus fruits supported by a full-bodied, richer backbone of tropical fruits.
The Guv'nor Sparkling breaks the trend of Cava’s grape varieties and uses Chardonnay, as in Champagne, and Viura (another Spanish native grape). The Chardonnay builds up the body of the wine and lends stone-fruit and cream, whilst Viura adds citrus and blossom for freshness. A great aperitif!
The Guv'nor Rosé makes a great change from the pale, and sometimes overly-delicate Provence rosés. From a blend of three native grapes, you find it has some real identity and much more lively characteristics. Nectarine, raspberry and strawberry are abundant.
The Guv'nor Sparkling Rosé is a great companion to the still version. It is ripe and fruity, with flavours of peach, strawberry and raspberry, but the bubbles make it all the more refreshing.
Matching Food with the Guv’nor
The Guv’nor is a bold and smooth wine like this pairs beautifully with red meats. Spanish lamb, pork chops or any chorizo tapas dishes spring to mind. Or you’ll find it does a fantastic job with a stacked burger.
The Guv’nor VIP is pitched as the ultimate BBQ red, built for spicy grilled meats, such as chorizo, grilled pork ribs, and marinated chicken. A hearty paella will do the trick in winter months too.
The Guv'nor Blanco is still weighty so can stand up next to heavier foods. However, it does has a lovely zip of acidity which leads it to pair beautifully with seafood paella and creamy pasta dishes.
The Guv'nor Sparkling is a great wine to have on its own or with finger food. Tapas dishes from calamari, grilled octopus and garlic prawns to spicy meatballs and Padron peppers.
The Guv'nor Rosé would match very well with pomegranate salads and mild salsas. Its fruity profile and creamy body can also stand next to a panna cotta very well too.
The Guv'nor Sparkling Rosé is definitely one I’d prefer to sip on its own in the sun to just appreciate the intense berry flavours and refreshing nature of the wine. But this will help it go very nicely with spicier Spanish cuisine.
This blog was written by our wine expert, David Andrews. Read his Instagram blog @oinosattheoikos
Updated 12th July 2023