What have you been buying and drinking this July 2025?

It’s that time again. Time to inspire me to spend more money on drinks, even though the WineArk cabinet can’t be closed properly and the Amex is maxed out.

So, what wine, beer, and other refreshing liquids have you been buying and drinking this month?

It was a quieter month for cellar additions in July, with only a small top-up of Julien Cecillon’s delicious Saint-Joseph (because I love Saint-Joseph) and some Domaine de la Noblaie Chinon. Both of which are classic representatives of style and place, plus they fit the medium-bodied but generous red fruit profile that my family loves (and let’s be honest, that’s who ends up finishing my bottles).

On a buying tangent, in the latest example of ridiculous first-world problems, I have too many magnums of Bollinger filling up the storage cabinet of late and not enough 750ml bottles, so there will be Champagne purchases in the coming weeks. Or maybe I just need to suck it up and bring out the big bottles…

What about you? What have you been buying/plan to buy this month?

I spent most of July on a multi-island Indonesian holiday with a lot of these:

Even the small child had a (non alcoholic) piña colada, although she was more interested in the pineapple garnish than the liquid itself. I indeed drained my fair share of mixed drinks in Indonesia, largely because wine is wildly expensive and Bintang (which is flood rubbish) is the only typical beer option (although every year more local brews from Island Brewing and Kura Kura creep in).

This ‘local’ Two Islands Reserve Chardonnay 2024 was a little closer to something vinous and palatable found in Bali and across the archipelago, although the fine print says that it’s Limestone Coast Chardonnay vinified in Bali. It’s a slightly sweet and sour style of modern Chardonnay with taut acidity, a blunt oak character and a profile based on freshness rather than complexity. It’s fine, but quality-wise a $20AUD wine, which makes the 500,000 Rp (about $48AUD) asking price a hard pill to swallow.

You know what wasn’t hard to swallow this month? A Veuve Fourny Cuvée R Extra Brut NV. Fourny’s Blanc de Blanc Champagne releases are more interesting for mine, but the R is a complete wine (and very well priced).

I also would like more of this Range Brewing Chasing Daylight West Coast IPA, which had a delightful contrast of distinct piney herbaceous hop-forward aromatics on a perfectly detailed palate. No haze, no softness, just a proper balance of bitter tang and clarity.

Finally, Lisa Anselmi dropped by with a brace of Soave in tow as well. It’s fascinating to hear about the evolution of the Anselmi wines and vines, with Lisa’s phone chock-full of pics from a range of new PIWI grape varieties that have been planted in the family vineyards.

That’s a huge step, as PIWI grapes are more experiments than mainstream grapes. Of course, there is a precedent here, as famously, Roberto Anselmi left the Soave DOC some years ago as he was unhappy with the rigid regional rules and focus on quantity rather than quality. He introduced a smorgasbord of other grapes into the Anselmi vineyards and began maturing more wines in oak. Now, Lisa is picking up the innovation lead by embracing PIWI varieties (which are disease-resistant crosses with names like Souvignier Gris & Muscaris) in a big to combat the challenges of climate change.

I’m mentioning the Anselmi wines in this section because I’ve now, by chance, had two tastes of the Anselmi I Capitelli 2022, and I’d happily drink loads more. It’s effectively a passito Soave, so a sweet wine made from Garganega grapes that are picked late (with some botrytis) and partially dried. I kept thinking about Passiona too, as there is this distinct passionfruit brulee character that is unmistakable. It’s a basket full of honeyed fruit fun, that’s not wildly complex but with a vibrancy and luscious/crisp contrast that I really like.

What about you? What have you enjoyed drinking this month?