Got a smartphone? Here's the wine to go with it

A long time ago, a bunch of people looked at a bunch of grapes and thought to themselves, “We could ferment these, drink them, and embarrass ourselves at the next office party.” Centuries later, we’re presented with 20-page wine lists written by people with a fetish for noses and legs, a worryingly deep understanding of viticulture and a blunt disregard for modern technology.

Thankfully, Tim Morgan from Summer Chimney Wine Club is neither a technophobe nor a wine dunce. We gave Tim six smartphones and asked him to match wines to the typical user for each. He even peered deep into Stuff’s soul to find our ideal wine, which we look forward to reviewing in great detail. Whether you’ve got an iOS palette or a nose for Android, these are the vintages you should be tracking down.

Apple iPhone 5 – Manawa Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Marlborough, New Zealand

The iPhone is a classic choice, and so is this Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp and zesty with grapefruit citrus notes, this wine is fantastic with root vegetables, cumin, coriander and other organic things that might be found in a hipster’s pantry. On that front, the grapes are farmed bio-dynamically and made at the Seresin Estate, owned by famous cinematographer Michael Seresin (Harry Potter, Angela’s Ashes, Midnight Express – you’ve probably never heard of him). Seresin made his name in film, then moved into wine, while Steve Jobs didn’t do too badly himself at Pixar before diving into phones.

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Shrinking Violet Syrah/Viognier 2011, Pays d’Oc France

This wine is for the serious geek whose interests lie at the cutting edge of the tech spectrum. Hailing from the foothills of the Montagne Noir in the Languedoc region of Southern France, it’s a full bodied and ripe Syrah which is softened by the addition of Viognier which brings a lightness to the wine. In other words, it’s a veritable Swiss Army knife – splash some into some stewing beef and mushrooms and drink the rest while you wait for it to cook.

Nokia Lumia 920 – Sola Fred 2010, Montsant, Spain

This wine is so cool that if it had legs and a wallet it would go to four gigs a week, to see bands most people won’t have heard of for a few years. It’s from super-cool Montsant in the hills behind Tarragona in Catalonia, with delicious blackcurrant, black cherry and earth aromas. Drink it with pasta, tomato, chorizo and peppers. But probably not at a gig.

HTC One X + – El Bon Homme 2011, Valencia, Spain

Adventurous and good looking with a penchant for parties, this wine is a blend of Monastrell (Mourverde) and Cabernet Sauvignon made 700m up in the hills around Valencia. It’s a little eccentric – each case comes with four different bottles, with a stick man and a red button on each. The wine is ripe but balanced with sweet blackberry and plum fruits, a touch of black cherry along with some spicy herb notes. A concentrated yet easy to drink wine with a nice structure and a seductive finish.

Blackberry Bold 9900 – Chateau Deville 2006, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, France

Two insurance brokers are having lunch and a bottle of wine in the City. They put their BlackBerrys down for a second and enjoy a drop of this Merlot dominant claret with aromas of berries, cherries and earthy spice notes. Medium-bodied and soft on the palate with supple juicy red fruits, its also got a little classic claret cedar note and a decent satisfying finish. The Blackberrys buzz again, but they order a second bottle, like the troopers they are. The spreadsheets can wait, thank you very much.

Samsung Galaxy Note – Carmen Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Colchagua, Chile

After several false dawns, Chile has finally blossomed into a happening wine place. This is a cracking bottle of real substance, thanks to a couple of years of ageing which have softened the tannins whilst still keeping its richness. With dark fruits overlaid with cassis, eucalyptus and allspice, it’s rich and velvety and smooth on the palate. The perfect companion to a giant, meaty rib-eye steak. Or a giant, meaty smartphone.

Stuff – Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2012, Marlborough, New Zealand

Stuff demands something vibrant and fresh. Something subtle that looks and smells good but also has a core of real substance. A mouth watering, refreshing style which blends crispy taste with a luscious finish. And what better than this brand new vintage combination of fresh basil and spicy tomato leaves, tossed with tangy nosh pear and mandarin with a sprinkle of lemon zest? A wonderful smelling wine with a subtle flintiness that alludes to an underlying core of minerality. Mouth-watering and refreshing with a deliciously crisp yet luscious finish. We’ll take four.

If you fancy having a few bottles tailor-made to your tastes then head on over to Summer Chimney and its new subscription wine service where wine experts will hand-pick the best bottles just for you.

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About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website. Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.