The best saintly wines for Holy Week

When you’re only ever a flood, frost or hailstorm away from disaster, it’s no surprise that winemakers have a tendency to religiosity. When it goes wrong it can feel biblical. And when it all goes right it feels like the Lord is shining on you.

So, no surprise then, that there are five principal patron saints of wine.

1. St Vincent of Saragossa

Viñas del Vero ‘La Miranda de Secastilla’ Garnacha Blanca 2021 (13.5%, £15 or £13 if you buy six) comes from Somontano, home of St Vincent of Saragossa, the most famous wine saint. Not that St Vincent ever made anything like this fresh, citrussy white with a refreshing wet-stone feel.

Vincent’s link to wine was (reputedly) his donkey, who chewed at some vine shoots while the two of them rested by the road and accidentally discovered the benefits of pruning. Vincent’s name helped though. For the French – where he is revered – it’s a combination of vin (wine) and sang (blood).

For a particularly good blood-red wine from St Vincent’s home, try Pizo Cariñena 2023 (14%, £10.99). It’s a ripe, brambly wine with rich, juicy fruit and a supple character.

2. St Trifon Zarezan

St Trifon Zarezan was a Bulgarian saint variously known as ‘the pruner’ or ‘the drunkard’. To this day, Bulgarians celebrate ‘Trifon Zarezan’ on the 1 and 14 February as a professional holiday for wine growers, falconers, gardeners and innkeepers, with rituals to celebrate the start of pruning – a precursor to Easter.

You can join in with Rumelia Winery Merul Mavrud 2021 from the Thracian Valley (14%, £15.50). It’s from a new wave of modern, vibrant Bulgarian wines: juicy, with lots of black fruit and tannins that love grills and roasts.

3. St Morand

If that’s a while to wait then prepare for the feast of St Morand in June, the father of the modern fasting diet. Morand reputedly survived all 40 days of Lent on a single bunch of grapes; the ultimate Easter preparation.

St Morand is particularly associated with Alsace (he set up a monastery there), so try Cave de Turckheim Pinot Blanc 2022 (13%, £9.50).

Phenomenal value, this has white flowers, juicy pear, and peachy sweetness. Or swap Champagne for Kuehn Crémant d’Alsace Brut Cuvée Prestige NV (11.5%, £13.99) with a bright, crunchy apple character.

4. St Armand of Maastricht

St Armand of Maastricht manages to combine being patron saint of winemakers with brewers, innkeepers, and for some reason, Scouts. Côtes de Bordeaux Rouge Domaine de Saint Amand 2019 (14%, £22.40) is an exciting wine from young winemaker Sarah Simon. She describes it as having a ‘greedy’ aroma.

I’d say it’s ‘generous’ with lots of plummy merlot fruit, blended with a portion of steak-loving malbec giving it mouthfeel and texture.

5. St Urban of Langres

And my favourite wine saint? St Urban of Langres. He was a bishop who hid from Roman soldiers in a vineyard where he then converted the vineyard workers to Christianity. But the reason he’s my favourite is that his picture is on one of my favourite Austrian wines, Riesling Loibner, Smaragd, Weingut Knoll (13%, £33).

Brilliant pale gold colour, it has lush yellow peach and nectarine balanced by racy freshness. Worthy of a saint.