About the wine
Katie's Sunshine After Rain is a silky blend of Carignan, Grenache and Macabeo that harks back to the early days of Fitou
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In 2020, we asked all our Winemaker of the Year candidates to make their dream wine, as a thank you for the goodness they spread in a tricky year. This wine was Katie’s prize. It’s an ode to the origins of the Fitou appellation which, when it was born in 1948, allowed winemakers to mix the white grape Macabeu in with their red Carignan and Grenache.
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As Katie explains… “Adding a splash of white grapes (macabeu) to red grapes (carignan and grenache) helps to soften the tannins and gives it a lovely smooth easy drinking structure. The wine reminds me of summer pudding, with light bright fruits such as blackcurrants, red currants and cherries. There are also deeper tones of chocolate and vanilla and a hint of liquorice but nothing too serious.”
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The grapes come from a mix of Katie’s old vine vineyards in Tuchan along with some specially cherry-picked fruit from other sites around the region, including some from her husband Jean Marc’s lovingly-tended vineyards. The name of the wine was inspired by Katie’s mum, who always promises her there’ll be sunshine after the rain, whenever she’s going through tough times. Now this incredible wine has finally arrived, the clouds have truly parted.
Best before
Drink now to 2030
Serving advice
Open/Decant 30 mins before serving
Food match
Katie's foodie tip for this wine is wild boar stew - hearty and delicious.
Contains sulphites
Always check the label
France
Languedoc-Roussillon
Grenache Blend
Big Red
14.0% ABV
75cl
Vegan
Vegetarian
Wine profile
Meet the winemaker - Katie Jones
- Katie’s love of wine led her all the way from Leicestershire to the Languedoc where she bought an idyllic vineyard perched half-way up a hill in Tuchan. In 2013 she experienced every winemaker’s worst nightmare when vandals emptied her entire year’s vintage down the drain.
- She turned to us. And 2,500 Angels helped to get her back on her feet - clubbing together to raise over £200k in just 48 hours. Our Queen of the Languedoc was able to start again and has gone on to make some seriously delicious wines, with sparkly awards a plenty.
- Thanks to her beloved Angels, Katie has been able to nab more hilltop vineyards, expand her range and even move her winemaking operation into an old railway station to fit in more barrels. It’s a long way from the 600 cases of wine she made in her garage in 2009!
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