Four exciting Riojas for winter

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Jack Shamash

Riojas from Vina Real

The picture above shows two empty bottles of Rioja sitting on my desk. The reason why they are empty is that we drank the lot over Christmas – and very good they were too!

Rioja is one of the classic wines of Spain. Made primarily from Tempranillo grapes, it has a strong, rich flavour of berries and a slightly leathery smell. It is a wonderful robust wine, and just the thing to drink in the evening, when there is a slight chill in the air. It can be drunk by itself – preferably in front of a log fire – or it can accompany strong beef stews or slices of Jamon Iberico, Manchego cheese and rich olives. It’s a macho wine from the land of bullfighters!

I was fortunate enough to be sent four bottles of wine from Vina Real. They represent a wide range of Riojas, so I thought it would be fun to compare them.

The first one was a Vina Real Rosada. (£11.05) from Majestic. This is unconventional – a rose wine made with 15 per cent tempranillo and 85 per cent viura – a white grape grown extensively in the Rioja region. I wasn’t greatly impressed with this one. It was a brave experiment, but I thought the flavour was just a bit thin and it didn’t suit the Rioja style of wine.

The Vina Real Crianza 2011 (£11.60 Lea and Sandeman) was a much better buy. Crianza has to be aged for at least two years old. This had lovely rich flavours of plum and vanilla. We drank it with meatballs and rice and loved it!

The Vina Real Rioja Reserva 2010 is only available from independent outlets, price £18.95. A Rioja Reserva has to be at least three years old. This means that the tannins have softened, so it’s not so sharp. It is gentler on the palate. This was sumptuously fruity, nicely oaked and had a long finish.

Best of all was the Vina Real Gran Reserva (£28.85 Majestic). A Rioja Gran Reserva has to be least five years old. This one had lovely scents of candied fruit and coffee. Save this one for wine aficionados, who can really appreciate it! All in all, a great selection and worth hunting out.

Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Review

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Frostie

This wine is fruity and fresh. Savoury with the perfect balance of acidity: this wine is the perfect wine to bring in the New Year. Ripe fruit characters, intense aromas of passion fruit, grapefruit and blackcurrant with a subtle underlying of gooseberry on the nose. The palate is concentrated with tropical flavours and it has a long finish. Delicious.

Winemaker Notes

A classic Wairau Valley style bursting with the trademark ripe fruit characters found in this sub region. The nose displays pure and powerful aromas of peach, grapefruit, blackcurrant, and underlying fresh aromatic herbs like rosemary and lemon thyme. The palate is concentrated with an enticing array of gooseberry, melon and guava flavours, balanced by a fine thread of acidity, and a savoury refreshing finish.

Vineyards

The fruit for this wine comes from a combination of vineyards with varying soils and viticultural techniques throughout the Wairau Valley. The common thread between the vineyards was an unrelenting focus on vine health. This was achieved by careful yield adjustments and water management as well as a balanced approach to vine nutrition

Winemaking

All Sauvignon Blanc grapes were harvested at the cool of night to retain aromatics and freshness in the grapes. The fruit was destemmed, crushed, and pressed before cold settling. The clear racked juice was inoculated with selected aromatic yeast strains. Cool, slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks took place to retain distinctive sub-regional and varietal characteristics

Vintage

The climate in Marlborough has high sunshine hours, but temperatures during the growing season are regulated by the cooling ocean influence. In 2014, Marlborough had warmer than usual spring, followed by temperate summer. Overall, it was a bountiful harvest with excellent quality grapes; intensely flavoured and picked in pristine condition. All Sauvignon Blanc grapes were harvested between early March until mid April.

Food match

Enjoy with:

Fish/Shellfish
Salads & Picnics
Mild Creamy Cheeses

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc 100.0%

Region: Marlborough

ABV: 13%

pH: 3.00

Total Acidity: 6.80 g/l

Residual Sugar: 3 g/l

Drink: Now to 2 years

Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Celebrities Turn Out For Crisis At Christmas Charity Casino Fundraiser…

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

It’s around about now on Christmas Day that family come together for Christmas dinner, reflect on the year and look forward to a new one, all washed down with a glass of Bucks Fizz and Auntie Maur’s mince pies.

But Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time of year for a person cut off from family and home.

Crisis at Christmas, every year, provides companionship and support to tackle loneliness and isolation, helping people take their first steps out of homelessness.

With two new centres set to open their doors this year, Crisis need over 10,000 volunteers to make Crisis at Christmas happen for thousands of homeless people. As well as warmth, companionship and hot meals, centres in London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Coventry and Edinburgh will provide guests with healthcare and specialist advice on housing, work and benefits.

With this in mind, Jeremy Reeve, who heads up PowerPackXL Ltd (a Cambridge-based manufacturer of unique patented mobile phone chargers), wanted to raise some much needed funds for the charity, so set about using some of his contacts to build a night of fun and laughter to raise some cash for the charity. The number one call on Jeremy’s list was British actor Tony Fadil, as Jeremy knew he was the man when it came to filling a room with celebrities! Tony instantly took on the role and put in the hard work needed to run a VIP list and fill the room.

Many well known faces from TV, film and music turned out earlier in December for a charity casino night in aid of Crisis at Christmas, held in the famous White Room at the Grosvenor Barracuda Casino in London’s Baker Street – the perfect backdrop to a memorable night.

With free-to-play casino tables, guests enjoyed roulette, blackjack and poker, all played for fun. The evening then continued with a charity auction and raffle, in total, raising £2,312.65, all heading off to the charity to be put to use helping London’s homeless this Christmas.

Jeremy Reeve the MD of PowerPackXL has volunteered with Crisis, the single persons homeless charity, for the last five years, working in London during the Christmas week, where Crisis run a number of centres looking after guests.

VIP guests included:

Jaye Gamm, Gerry Todd, Marc Zammit, Paul J Lane, Wayne Gordon (ITV’s Gladiators), Sean Cronin, Kellie Barclay, Hayley Louise, Fergus Gaddes, Dean Maskell, Niqi Bupsie (X Factor 2015), Derry Luca Mensah (X Factor), Paul Manners, Old Men Grooving (Britain’s Got Talent), Simon Gross (Big Brother 2015), Heavy D, Angie Brown (solo artist), Cream Boomtown (TV Reality Star from BBC3, MTV, SKY TV, & Hip Hop Artist famous for hit single ‘Daddy Kool’), James Lewis (ITV’s Deals Wheels & Steals), Dave O’Donnell (UCMMA Promoter), Flint Bedrock (CEO of YSBG Management), Becky O’Brien, Colin Chapman (Author), Colin Marker (Percy Publishing) Nuraya Kokos CEO Baby KoKos Events Limited (PA to Jethro Sheeran), Carl Charlesworth (magician), stand-up comedian Simon Hussein, and a host of look-a-likes and people from the industry.

After spending a week volunteering at a Crisis at Christmas centre, Jeremy, who has volunteered for the last five years, quoted on his Facebook page yesterday:

“337 hot meals were served at my ‪#‎CrisisXmas‬ centre in East London tonight – 100% of the guests smiling! Your donations MADE A DIFFERENCE!”

So, join Jeremy and make a difference this Christmas…. donate at:

http://m.virginmoneygiving.com/mt/uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=PowerPackXLJeremyReeve&un_jtt_redirect

Crisis at Christmas 2015 runs from 23 – 30 December 2015.

www.crisis.org.uk/pages/christmas

Images courtesy Shane Finn (Visual Devotion)

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2013 Review

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Frostie

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2013 is a rich, textured wine with subtle spice flavours and red cherry notes. This is a sensual wine, elegant and intensely flavoured. It gives a red fruit burst and is medium bodied with a clean and long finish. Cranberry and spice make it perfect for winter.

Winemaker Notes

The 2013 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir displays a fragrant bouquet of dried herbs, red cherries and subtle smoky notes. On the palate the wine is concentrated with juicy red berry fruit flavours, integrated acidity and fine grainy tannins.

Vineyards

The fruit for this wine originates from a diverse range of vineyard sites in both the Awatere and Wairau valleys in Marlborough. Soil types range from clay loams, adding depth and concentration to the wine, whereas the stony limestone soils contribute perfumed aromatics and texture.

Winemaking

The wine is made with true respect for the fruit with gentle handling through the winery.The fruit was chilled, destemmed and cold soaked for 10 days before being fermented using a mixture of indigenous and cultured yeast. The ferments peaked at 32°c to extract the desired colour and tannins. The wine was then post macerated for a further 3-5 days to soften tannin profile before gently pressing. It was matured for 10 months in new and seasoned french oak barriques, resulting in a silky refined and layered Marlborough Pinot Noir.

Vintage

The 2013 vintage was warm and dry, although quite mild temperatures throughout the summer months resulting in pronounced aromatics and ripe tannins.

Food match

Enjoy with:

• Grilled & Roasted Red Meats • Grilled & Roasted White Meats • Pizza/Pasta
• Mild Creamy Cheeses

Grapes: Pinot Noir 100.0%

Region: Marlborough

ABV: 13.5%

pH: 3.55

Total Acidity: 6.20 g/l

Residual Sugar: 0.00 g/l

Drink now…2 to 5 years

Overcoming Anxiety: Reassuring ways to break free from stress and worry and lead a calmer life By Gill Hasson

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Frostie

Anxiety is on the rise and even those lucky enough not to have anxiety will tend to worry. This book is great. It is all inclusive, it covers the aspects of anxiety to help you understand your own anxiety and anxiety in general. Part two then allows you to manage your anxiety. It gives you the tools to change the way you think, use mindfulness to help, use solution-based problem solving and boost your confidence. It even gives advice on finding help and support from other people. I found this book fascinating. I liked how it tells you to write down your anxieties and find recurring anxieties and then tackle them head on. I also loved the advice of surrounding yourself with ‘radiators’, people who spread warmth and positivity. Rather than drains who only take away energy and resources. There are brilliant tools and advice that really works. In my opinion, this book is essential for anyone with anxiety.

New book explains how to identify and manage anxiety

Anxiety is recognised as one of the most prevalent mental health problems in the UK, with financial issues, welfare of family members, work stress and fear of unemployment some of the most common contributing factors.

For those who experience occasional anxiety or have a diagnosable disorder, Overcoming Anxiety is a new book that provides practical strategies and techniques to help manage or overcome worries and concerns.

Written by bestselling personal development author Gill Hasson, the book begins by explaining what anxiety is and how it can present itself, including panic attacks, phobias, OCD & IBS. It goes on to explain how readers can manage both the cognitive and physical aspects of anxiety and identify activities they can do to help them switch off from worrying.

Overcoming Anxiety highlights the importance of reaching out and connecting with other people, outlining what family and friends can do to help. Hasson stresses the significance of having positive people around, explaining that “how other people respond to you can make quite a difference to how you feel about yourself- to your confidence, self-esteem and your ability to manage anxious thoughts and feelings.”

Throughout the book, there are quotes and examples from people who have experienced anxiety. Plus, exercises, activities, tips, strategies and techniques for readers to try.

“What is crucial is that you learn and develop a range of techniques and strategies that work for you” writes Hasson“and keep at it.”

About the author:

Gill Hasson is the author of the international bestsellers Mindfulness: Be mindful. Live in the moment , How To Deal With Difficult People: Smart Tactics for Overcoming the Problem People in Your Life and Emotional Intelligence: Managing emotions to make a positive impact on your life and career.

She is a teacher, trainer and writer. She has 20 years’ experience in the area of personal development. Her expertise is in the areas of confidence and self-esteem, communication skills, assertiveness and resilience.

Gill delivers teaching and training for educational organisations, voluntary and business organisations and the public sector.

Gill’s particular interest and motivation is in helping people to realize their potential, to live their best life!

Overcoming Anxiety: Reassuring Ways to Break Free from Stress and Worry and Lead a Calmer Life

British Singer-songwriter Lily Lambert Releases Merry Christmas, With Love

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Frostie

Want to get your jingle on? Then check out part-Irish, part-Welsh British singer-songwriter Lily Lambert whose has released a new cover album, Merry Christmas, With Love. Lambert premiered her cover of the classic Christmas song “Carol Of The Bells” on Stubby’s who noted the track stays “pretty faithful to its roots, but is dressed in rural garlands rather than big city tinsel.”

Mango Bikes Launch: The Ladies Classic

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Frost is all for people getting, and keeping fit, and as a keen cyclist I drool over bikes – I once cycled far too many miles around and about Israel, on and off road, for charity on a mountain bike, and have always longed for a road bike.

I was thrilled, therefore, to see that leading British bicycle brand Mango Bikes are introducing their new elegant Ladies Classic style. It is a traditional British bike which couples simplicity with elegance to produce a lean mean – comfortable – cycling machine that ticks all the boxes – and at an unbelievable price.

Mango Bikes was founded by two university housemates who felt that it didn’t seem right that you could buy a car exactly to spec, or shoes, to your design, but bikes were only available in a few dull, pre-selected colours.

They remedied the situation, and Mango Bikes was born. Now they’ve taken the next step and are building a full range of bikes for all levels of cyclists, focusing on great quality, great customer service and unbeatable prices. Not forgetting, keeping the whole brand experience as fun as possible.

This Mango Bike is for those of us who require reliability, comfort and of course style. Focusing on the intermediate lifestyle and urban road bikes market, Mango Bikes are a refreshing alternative to the daunting high street bike shop.

It is comfortable and beautiful and has a padded sprung saddle – the bliss.

The bike arrives with an easy to use seven-speed gear system from the world’s leading component brand, Shimano.

The Mango Bikes Ladies Classic RRP is £299.99. This style is available in five beautiful colours (cream, green, blue, raspberry and black) with matching pannier and chain guard as standard and an optional wicker basket.

For more information, or to buy, go to www.mangobikes.co.uk.

Sukin – Australian natural skincare

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Margaret Graham

The Frost team like this skincare product:

formulated in Australia, Sukin is a natural beauty brand offering a range of luxurious yet affordable products crafted using ingredients that are the best nature has to offer.

Sukin focus on perfecting formulas that contain active botanicals and essential oils carefully selected to restore the natural vitality and radiance of the skin.

From foaming cleansers to antioxidant eye serums, moisture rich body creams to hydrating face oils, protein rich haircare to intense firming serums, Sukin has a range to suit your skin head to toe, whatever your age.

Give the gift of glowing skin this Christmas with the ‘Love Your Skin’ set from Sukin. Beautifully presented in an attractive gift box and featuring a 3 step face kit of hero products from the range, this is the perfect present for any natural skincare lover this Christmas.

RRP £19.99

Foaming Facial Cleanser (125ml)

A non-drying formula utilising the coveted calming extract of German chamomile, this cleanser enlists the help of soothing aloe vera, witch hazel and green tea to provide a deep, refreshing cleanse whilst purifying and balancing the skin.

Hydrating Mist Toner (125ml)

This multitasking product isn’t just an excellent addition to your daily skincare regime. Infused with rose & chamomile, and dispensed as a fine mist, this hydrating toner is the perfect handbag accessory for refreshing skin in air-conditioned environments and on hot days and long flights. Use to set make-up as well as under & over lotions, creams, gels and oils to soothe and cool.

Facial Moisturiser (125ml)

A daily use, deeply penetrating and rapidly absorbed moisturiser that naturally hydrates, softens and soothes skin, combining a winning infusion of aloe vera, horsetail, burdock and nettle to soothe, as well as skin healing rosehip oil, wheat germ, jojoba & avocado oil.

Sukin is available from Holland & Barrett, Alphega Pharmacies, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Ocado, www.cressuk.com, www.feelunique.com and Independent Stockists nationwide.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle