Argentinean Pop-Up Barullo comes to London

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Kesh

East London is infamous for hosting some pretty exciting pop-ups and now we needn’t look further as Hoxton welcomes a Wines of Argentina production, Barullo. This October we will be treated to four spectacular days of the best of Argentinian culture. Hosted by Hoxton’s JJ Studios, prepare to be immersed in art, wine, music and of course food and spend an evening being serenaded by sweet Argentinian fayre.

Mauro Colagreco

For the very first time ever Mauro Colagreco will be bringing a touch of two-star Michelin restaurant Mirazur to Barullo providing ticket holder’s with a slice of some fine dining. We are talking four days of dining curated by one of the best restaurants in the World. Guests enjoying dinner can expect a four-course feast featuring; Antarctic King Crab, Scallops, Pumpkin and Coconut milk and Patagonian lamb confit with sweet potato, dates, caramelised shallots and sesame sauce.

What’s more, Barullo are including a second ticket option for those who still want to enjoy the “best of the best” wine’s alongside music and art but do not wish to dine. With a focus on the best Argentinean wines, wines from almost 40 of the country’s winemakers will be making an appearance. Highlights include sommelier led tasting bars with 5 of the world’s top 10 sommeliers sharing their expertise, including Argentina’s number one sommelier, Paz Levinson. Art will be provided by the country’s most renowned contemporary galleries, Buro for you to enjoy whilst listening to live sets by two of Argentina’s hottest DJ’s. So tango your way to Barullo to experience an Argentinean pop up with flavour, culture and fiesta. Salud!

Tickets start from £32.45 (including booking fee) per person which include Wines, Art, Music including access to the wine tastings which can be enjoyed from 8pm

Tickets are priced at £106.79 (including booking fee) per person for those who would like to try the full Mirazur dining experience starting at 6.30pm

Tickets can be purchased at;
Eventbrite

For more info;
Wines of Argentina

Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky Review

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Frostie

Frost always gets excited when a bottle comes through the door. Not that we are lushes or anything. We just like a wee dram. We got send The Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish which came with these words from the PR:

“The Glen Moray prides itself on providing a range of excellent quality single malt whiskies at an excellent

price. Yes, they come from Speyside and yes, they are the 6th biggest selling single malt whisky brand

in the UK but they do not charge high prices because they understand the position that Glen Moray

has strived to achieve and they are proud to offer value.

NEW GLEN MORAY SHERRY CASK FINISH IS AN EXCELLENT QUALITY SINGLE MALT WHISKY AT

AN EXCELLENT PRICE

The Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish offers a new twist on the traditional Glen Moray taste-profile

by adding layers of rich and spicy sweetness to the spirit’s typically light and floral flavours of

butterscotch and lemongrass. Sherry Cask Finish is a celebration of the age old tradition of maturing

whisky in the finest Oloroso sherry casks.”

But what did we think? We loved it.This whisky is from Elgin, the capital of Speyside, Scotland’s most famous whisky region. Burnished gold in colour, with toffee candy, dried fruits and cinna on the nose, this whisky has a gloriously long finish and just the right amount of sweetness. Eat with shortbread or fruit cake. We reckon it would also go well with red meat. A very fine whisky indeed.

Available from Sainsbury’s and sainsburys.co.uk price £22.00.

Rémy Martin Cocktail Recipe to begin London Cocktail Week

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Kesh

As The Whisky Show comes to an end and London Cocktail Week prepares to wow you with a jam-packed line up of creative and tantalising offerings, we are here to provide you with a luxurious cocktail to start London Cocktail Week with a slice of class.

Rémy Martin Grand Tonic

50ml Rémy Martin VSOP
10ml Dry vermouth
100ml Tonic water
Garnish with a lemon wedge and serve in a burgundy wine glass

If you’re looking for a reason to indulge even more and have one expertly crafted, the Rémy Martin Grand Tonic is available at The Sanderson for £14

Old wines in interesting bottles at Winerack

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Jack Shamash

Borgo Magredo – great wine in an attractive flask

The big wine retailer Conviviality, which includes Bargain Booze and Wine Rack, is offering a series of wines which are veering towards the unusual.

Their autumn wine tasting, held last week (7 September 2016) had a wide variety of wines from unlikely countries. A Slovenian 2015 Gomilla Sauvignon Blanc (£10.99) was being offered alongside a Chinese2015 Chateau Changyu Moser XV Cabernet Sauvignon (£10.99). The Slovenian wine was light and fruity. The Chinese wine was slightly too dry for my palate, but it is the sort of thing that guests would be keen to try..

There are some really pretty flask-shaped wine bottles from Italy. The 2015 Fruliano Borgo Magedo, Friuli Grave was fruity and slightly floral with notes of grapefruit. It’s a nice wine and – it might sound a bit shallow – but when you are having a dinner party, it’s nice to have something on the table that looks interesting.

It’s worth checking out the South African wines. There are some good chenin blancs and I particularly rated the Julien Schaal Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay (£13.99) – light and slightly fruity with citrus tones. A nice thing to drink with fish, chicken breasts or just by itself.

And there are even wines with celebrity links. The 2016 MT Pinot Noir Rose (£10.99), is made by McGuigan/John Torode. John Torode is the Australian celebrity chef who does Masterchef and looks severe when contestants burn the apple crumble. Pinot noir is more normally used for Burgundy style wines and it is found in rose Champagnes. So this is a slightly unusual wine, but it would go well with prawns or a tuna salad and it is reasonably priced.

An exciting Slovenian cabernet sauvignon

Pizzolato Showcase their Honest Organic Produce

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Kesh

Our favourite West London Italian, Pizzicotto famous for their wholesome, organic and sustainable produce and of course their activated charcoal pizzas invited us back once more for an afternoon of cheese and wine. With such a focus on the quality of their products, it made sense to introduce us to the company behind their beautiful organic wine, Pizzolato. Served alongside some traditional Italian Fayre and in good company, we were able to get an insight into how special Pizzolato’s wines really are. With a combination of a wholesome, family run business and exceptional quality produce we were taught about how the organic wines served here are a cut above the rest.

Contrary to popular belief, the ambassadors from Pizzolato explain to us that the art of winemaking was by and large an organic process as chemicals did not arrive until after the 70’s. The Family however decided to keep the wines organic which then further developed into sulphite free wines in 2007. In the case of their prosecco, this produces a much riper fruit and has much of a similar quality to it’s French counterpart Champagne. The outcome is much more complex than your average supermarket prosecco with a shelf life of just around 2 years, the prosecco is enjoyed young, fresh and a pure test of the grape is in a sulphite free wine. If we want to get into the nitty-gritty of why this wine is especially spectacular, we must look at the fact that grapes are picked by hand and the fact that a sulphite free wine has much more clarity than a natural wine which is not filtered. Another reason for the unbelievable drinkable and pure prosecco is that the minerals from the prosecco comes from stones from the Dolomites, the mountain range near to where Pizzolato produce their liquid gold. If that wasn’t enough reason to switch to Pizzolato’s selection of fantastic organic wines, we then learn that they all have a vegan certification meaning that absolutely none of their products come from animal origin as in the case of many wines, the addition of bentonite which produces clarity does carry this source.

With a host of wines to try from the winery, it is not only their prosecco which is outstanding, they also produce a selection of red wines, white wines and dessert wines which ooze an incredibly mineral, fresh and what can almost be described as without the alcoholic taste. Special mention goes to The Barbarossa, the rich intense flavour of this wine comes from the fact that it is produced like the Amarone, one of the finest, richest red wines to come out of Italy. This of course is dry and chocolate and perfect with a big bowl of Pizzicotto’s mouth-watering meat dishes. Now, if this hasn’t made you run for the door to grab some cheese to go with your Pizzolato wine, consider this; Did you know the reason strong cheeses are a good accompaniment to wine is that it brings out the body of the wine due to it containing natural glutamate, which are the natural salts.

Pizzicotto is open Tue-Sun

www.pizzicotto.co.uk

For more info on Pizzolato and to purchase visit

www.lacantinapizzolato.com

The sun continues: So what about wine al fresco?

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Vina Real Barrel Fermented Blanco 2014

Picnics are booming with this late summer sunshine, so why not take this Vina Real in the picnic box with you. I have a firm liking for oak aged wines. I discovered them in the Margaret River area of Western Australia years ago now. This Vina Real Blanco has, or should I say, had (it’s all gone) a hint of a toasty and biscuity flavour from the oak and the lees, with pure floral and citrus aromas. There’s such a smooth rich palate that it slips down rather too easily. Fantastic with poultry.

Made from 100% Viura this wine really should be tried. But much like the Monople (below) it must be served at a cool temperature.

RRP £11.10

Stockists: Grayshott Wines, D.Byrne and Co, Famous Wines, The Clifton Cellars, The Seriously Good Wine Company

Monopole Rioja Blanco 2015

Another for the picnic, or for anytime actually. I enjoy Rioja, and this Monopole Blanco didn’t disappoint. The moment the cap came off the scent leapt out of the bottle. Rather a subdued bottle, I have to say, for a rather lovely wine.

It is fine and elegant and is the perfect summer drink with its white flower and tropical fruit aromas. Mango and ripe citrus flavours dominate t and a balanced refreshing acidity makes this a great wine to enjoy in the sun. It must go into the fridge, and be taken on the picnic in a cool bag, please.Essential it is served at the right temperature.

RRP £10.00

Stockists: Wine Rack, Vino Wines, The Whalley Wine Shop, Noble Green Wines, Hoults Wine Merchants, Hailsham Cellars, Partridges of Sloane Street, Islington Wine

The George Clooney of Tequila… Casamigos

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Kesh

George Clooney is many things, a man of many talents and now, to add to his long list of successes, a purveyor of Mexico’s finest export, Tequila. Along with Rande Gerber, former model and American Businessman, and Discovery Land Company CEO & founder Michael Meldman, the three amigos set out on a mission to create ‘the best-tasting, smoothest tequila around…’ which they did. Initially, it’s hard to see the allure of tequila when even the mention of it evokes horror into the heart of anyone unfortunate enough to be standing by the bar but we no longer have to associate tequila with the last shot we ever remember taking and the ethos behind Casamigos is to enjoy a premium tequila “for friends by friends.”

Much like many premium spirits, it’s always the quality that counts. The gang recount that the brand was bourne out of their love for tequila… “On the rocks, by the shot, at times straight from the bottle.” The glamour of tequila is very much that it has the magical effect of turning you into a superhuman or giving you the most incredible amnesia but if you have the most quality agave it produces a mind-blowing, smooth and silky Casamigos Tequila. The product is made from the finest, hand-selected 100% Blue Weber agaves which are grown in the rich red clay soil of Jalisco Mexico. The tequila is then distilled in traditional pot stills and the water used is naturally filtered to ensure that the flavour is not changed. The process of making Casamigos is really an indicator into how quality their tequila’s are. The agave piñas are slow cooked for 72 hours unlike the average of 30, and are then been fermented for 80 hours compared with 48. Another winning aspect to Casamigos is that absolutely no glycerin is added which makes it free from additives and completely gluten-free and if that’s not enough, each batch is tested and approved by master distillers Clooney and Gerber.

We were lucky enough to try out the Reposado expression which is aged for 7 months, with hints of caramel and cocoa. First impressions, the bottle is elegant, sophisticated and neat, an indicator into the contents itself. There is no fuss here but something that looks incredible classy and chic on a drinks counter. Sealed with a cork, there is something reminiscent of a bottle swept up from sea vibe here which is really satisfying. When you pop the cork the first smell really does offer up the salty sea and maybe it’s because of the idea of having tequila with a pinch of salt has become so embedded into my mind but the whole feel of the bottle with the smell offers up something i’d love to run away to the beach with and enjoy straight out the bottle á la George. But I digress, first comes the salt, then comes the barrel then comes the sweet nectar of the agave. This offering is filled with intense and sweet aromas unlike a regular tequila. The first taste I try neat. What we get is smooth, delicious, without the accompaniments of salt and lime then comes the sweet caramel and the finish is fresh, botanical and almost pine like. The fire is not too overbearing at all and again more flavour, this time black pepper. So Casamigos Reposado neat is a hit, in a cocktail, we tried the Strawberry Casamigas Basil Margarita, the tequila really is the star of the show. The absence of glycerine illuminates any stickiness. The taste is silky smooth, and with the other ingredients tastes incredibly balanced and fresh.

So judge for yourself, try award winning Casamigos with friends and feel safe in the knowledge that Casamigos is brought to you by those who drink it. Just to give you an idea of how to enjoy your tequila, we’ve included some Casamigos approved cocktail recipes for you to try…

CASAMIGOS STRAWBERRY BASIL MARGARITA

1 ½ Parts Casamigos Reposado Tequila
¾ Part Fresh Lime Juice
½ Part Simple Syrup (or a bar spoon of super fine sugar)
3 to 4 Strawberries
2 to 3 Sweet Basil Leaves
Balsamic Vinegar

Shake, double strain, new ice collins glass. Top with club soda, garnish with basil
sprig and a dash of balsamic.

CASA SMASH

1 ½ Parts Casamigos Reposado Tequila
3 Lemon Wedges
4-6 Mint Leaves
¾ Part Simple Syrup

Shake, double strain over fresh ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

Casamigos Tequila is available to purchase at Selfridges and Harvey Nichols as well as online

www.selfridges.com

www.harveynichols.com

Learn more at www.casamigostequila.com

La Maison Rémy Martin are the Hosts with The Most

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Kesh

To celebrate the buildup of hotly anticipated private members’ club La Maison Rémy Martin, we were invited to The Rumpus Room at Mondrian London for “A Night of Olympic Talent”. The evening is one of many to be hosted by La Maison Rémy Martin where the element of surprise and exploration of craftsmanship is very much at the forefront, much like the mystère of the brand itself.

We had the privilege of meeting Olympians Jade Johnson, Dalton Grant and Peter Wilson MBE to hear their unique and insightful stories on their Olympic journeys and current lives whilst enjoying a selection of specially curated Rémy Martin cocktails including Rémy Grand Tonic, 1738 Royal Side Car and XO Old Fashion. All cocktails were a Rémy take on old classics and were a welcome change to the old favourites. Created with the iconic Rémy Martin we were immersed in the brands allure of luxury and surprise. Whilst kicking back on the plush leather sofas of the Rumpus Room, it was a joy to hear the Olympians’ highs and lows as well as hearing Peter Wilson MBE answer our burning question of how much partying he did after winning, needless to say, he couldn’t recall much from the week after. The evening was a relaxed affair and incredibly inspirational to hear such wise words from these winning athletes. If this is how La Maison Rémy Martin do all their events this is certainly a club I would love to be a part of. We finished our evening perfectly with Rémy Martin neat providing a gold finish to an already winning evening.

For more info and for upcoming events visit;

http://www.remymartin.com/uk/

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