Tag Archives: wine

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Viña Real Wines.

Posted on by

The look of love is in the air and we think Valentines is the perfect reason to wind down with a delicious dinner paired with a superb wine. Whether you’re sharing the day with a loved one, celebrating Galantines or just spending the evening enjoying your own company, Viña Real wine will not disappoint. Now we must admit, we were sent this wonderful package of wine weeks ago but with dry January in full tow we didn’t want to leave out any folk so here’s why Viña Real should be your top choice this week.

The award winning Spanish wine brand CVNE have continued to supply us with a wide range of quality Rioja wines since 1879. With age only comes wisdom and the winery, which is split into four, include Viña Real. The wines we tried were Viña Real Crianza and the Viña Real Barrel Fermented White but the brand also stock four other wines including a Rosado and a Gran Reserva.

First up the Viña Real Crianza, this is a charming red with a flavour of deep dark berries. This is a spicy red perfect for the Winter months and great for sipping with roasted meats. This wine is very easy to drink and can be found in Gordon’s Wine bar in London for £28 per bottle buy you can get this for a fraction of the price from a good wine retailer. This bottle certainly delivers much more than it’s modest price tag. Great value and great all rounder we think this would suit even the most discerning palette.

If it’s a quality white you’re after than the Viña Real Barrel Fermented white comes highly recommended. This wine is made up of 100% Viura or Macabeo grape which has become increasingly popular and is usually used to make up Cava wines. The barrel fermentation means that the wine is fermented in smaller oak barrels as opposed to large stainless steel and helps to highlight the texture which is creamy and light and helps preserve the fruit aromas, in this case gooseberry and honeysuckle. Again a moreish and fantastic value wine with an average price of £10.95

To find out more about CVNE and Viña Real wines visit www.cvne.com

Our Top Picks For Valentine’s Day | Editor’s Pick

Posted on by

Valentine’s Day is almost here and people are wondering what to get their loved ones. Well look no further. Frost Magazine’s favourite champagne house Taittinger has two superb choices. You cannot go wrong with a bottle of one of these rosé champagnes. Taittinger’s Brut Prestige Rosé

RRP £50.60 (Silver Decanter World Wine Awards 2017)

Waitrose, Asda, Wine Rack, Majestic, JohnLewis.co.uk, The Oxford Wine Company, North and South Wines, Bacchus Wines, Harrods.co.uk, Fenwick, Ann et Vin, The Leamington Wine Company, www.champagnedirect.co.uk

A beautiful, vibrant rosé which makes for a brilliant aperitif and is sure to be an excellent start to the evening. Vitalie Taittinger describes drinking the wine as the ‘sensation of having a big kiss of the wine’ – very fitting to the occasion.

This champagne has just the right amount of sweetness. It is instant happiness in a glass.. Fun and vibrant, it is a great way to start the evening. A gorgeous champagne that makes you instantly happy. 

Taittinger Nocturne Rose ‘City Lights’ NV

RRP £54.50

Harrods, Campbell Moore, Ann et Vin, Edencroft Fine Wines, www.champagnedirect.co.uk

A voluptuous wine that will add a touch of sweetness to your Valentine’s day. This rosé is soft and mellow and is perfect to drink well in to the night

A luxurious champagne that lets someone know just how much you love them. Full of flavour and just the right amount of sweetness. Low-key with a big impact. This champagne is divine. 

 

Christmas Gifts for Wine Lovers

Posted on by

We have selected a few unique and innovative gifting options this Christmas for anyone who loves to receive wine. From subscription boxes to wine days out you can’t go wrong with our versatile selection.

Your Sommelier : French Wine Box

This subscription service offers you 3 stunning French wines each month. Ccarefully selected from independent vineyards, Your Sommelier will provide tasting cards and key info to help you learn all about your wines which will be presented in your own Your Sommelier folder, free with each subscription. The subscription options will be for 1 month, 3 month or 6 months ranging from £36-£60. There is no minimum contract and you can cancel anytime making it perfect for a one off gift or for something a little bit more special.

yoursommelier.co.uk

sipp

Designed for Millennials, this wine club comes with a difference. sipp is the World’s first Augmented Reality wine club which comes with it’s own app. You pick a box online and whichever wines you receive you can scan with your smartphone and receive your very own private tasting experience. sipp helps bring to life all the knowledge of the wine as well as offering up adequate food pairings. sipp was designed to get rid of all the snobbery associated with wine tasting and creating a fun and easy to learn guide on the wines you love. Through sipp you can either purchase a one off gift or their subscription. Join sippClub for just £29 per month and you will receive wines worth up to £45 with no minimum contract and free P&P making it the perfect gift for someone who loves wine already and wants to learn more about the World of wine. Other specialist gift boxes are available and for a limited time, they are running a special Christmas discount on all gifts. We tried it out and thought that this was by far one of the most comprehensive and easy to understand hacks into the World of Wine.

sippwine.co.uk

WWW.WineCellarDoor.co.uk

Offering you a comprehensive guide to all of the visitor friendly vineyards in the UK, this website has an array of experiences and tours for anyone who loves their wine. With a gift for absolutely anyone, winecellardoor.co.uk offers events and tastings at a number of wine estates, giving you a chance to curate your very own wine day out. Through their online shop you can purchase wines produced in the UK’s finest vineyards or you can even check the events page to see what wine related events are happening around the UK from free events to taking part in official wine courses. Our top picks are: Yoga in the Vineyard priced at £85 at Hambledon Vineyard, Christmas Wreath making course also at Hambledon Vineyard and Denbies Cellar Sparkling Wine tasting and Gallery Restaurant Dinner at the Denbies wine estate in Surrey.

www.WineCellarDoor.co.uk

Cheers!

Pasta Remoli – A Must for Italian Food Lovers

Posted on by

There is nothing more satisfying than hearty Italian food especially as the nights are getting a little more chilly. Personally, finding a good pasta restaurant is surprisingly quite the challenge in London and i’m still making my way through the catalogue of recommended Italian restaurants. One of the things I look for is a menu specialising in specific regional food. Currently, Pizza is having it’s renaissance, so it’s about time that pasta had its time to shine and no place says that more than Pasta Remoli.

You may have walked past the store in the Great Eastern Market in Westfield with an array of fresh pasta displayed tempting you to grab a bite or take home and experiment yourself. This is the beauty and simplicity of the place, you choose your pasta the style you want it, your sauce and finally your cheese. Pasta like many things is a personal experience, and Pasta Remoli ensures you get to keep it that way. They can recommend different combinations but the end course is down to you. Needless to say, the success of the Westfield branch led them to open Pasta Remoli in Finsbury Park and we couldn’t wait to get stuck into their appetising menu.

Trained in the art of traditional Roman cuisine, Remoli has taken all that he has learnt and made sure that his passion for the Slow Food movement is also reflected in the menu. The food is honest, traditional and encompasses the authenticity of Italy, particularly Rome with a good list of traditional Roman dishes alongside the pasta.

For starters we tried the Burrata Cheese & Parma Ham and the Mussels and Clams. Simply named and simply delicious, there are no frills and flounces on the menu. The dishes and ingredients do the talking and when the food arrives there is a moment of silence as we get immersed in to the Italian eating experience before sharing everything between us. Burrata (literally meaning buttery), is melt in your mouth good. The Mussels and Clams are served in traditional Italian fashion inside a broth of garlic chilli and fresh parsley and fill the table with smells of the Med.

For our main, we tried bestseller Truffle ravioli in a creamy mushroom sauce with lots of Parmigiano. In true Italian style, this is exactly how pasta is meant to be cooked. It takes a real expert to balance flavours such as high quality truffle daringly against the creamy sauce and the Parmigiano but the indulgent trio makes for a great, satisfying dish. Best for big appetites and loose trousers.

We then went for a traditional Roast Chicken a staple on any Italian menu. The chicken is marinated for 24 hours in paprika chili and herbs and served alongside veg and roast potatoes. Simple on the menu, I must tell you this was out and out Soul Food. The Chicken was cooked well, retaining its tenderness but it was the roast potatoes that won me over, if they could accompany any future meals I would be very happy. They were crispy in the right places soft in the middle, seasoned to complete perfection. A great lesson on how simple dishes done well produce the best food.

The finale was a dessert worth waiting for, Gluten Free Tiramisu Remoli, the biscuits being the gluten free part! This was surprisingly light and a delight. I’ve never really been a fan of tiramisu but this was far from the boozy affair. Served with a shot of Limoncello this was the perfect end to an incredible Italian experience. I will be back and order everything else I didn’t get to try and the same things all over again.

The restaurant is unpretentious and warm. We saw groups of friends, couples, singles and the restaurant had large enough tables to accommodate a large group planning a surprise birthday. Feeling comfortable in a restaurant is all part of the experience and thankfully Pasta Remoli is set over a great enough area where you can move around freely without bumping into/being trapped by the next table. The service was excellent, they navigated the menu well and were attentive without being too fussy. Three courses for two diners with wine came to around £70. Unbelievable value considering the quality of the food we had just had in a London restaurant. Searching for a quality Italian restaurant is no longer a challenge now I have found Pasta Remoli.

Want to learn how to perfect your pasta?

Simone Remoli will be hosting a series of Pasta Masterclasses at the Bellavita Academy every Tuesday in November. With four masterclasses to choose from dealing with different types of pasta making. You can take part in a single evening class, or a four week course where you’ll learn Simone’s top tips and enjoy your dishes after every session. For more information and to book visit www.pastaremoli.co.uk

Win Champagne Taittinger & Villa Maria To Celebrate The EE British Academy Film Awards in 2017

Posted on by

competition, win, giveaway, champagne, wine, This year is the 70th anniversary of the EE British Academy Film Awards and to celebrate the occasion, we are offering readers

–          A BAFTA-labelled bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve NV

–          Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2016

–          Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

The BAFTA Film Awards celebrate the best in film and the awards ceremony will take place on Sunday 12th February 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall.

As keen supporters of the arts, Champagne Taittinger and Villa Maria wines from New Zealand are the proud official Champagne and Wine Partners to BAFTA. Taittinger and Villa Maria are delighted to offer you the chance to sip like a film star and win a special BAFTA-labelled bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve NV, a bottle of Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2016 and Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 as served to the guests at the Awards.

Adding extra glitz to the awards for the 15th year running, Taittinger is the only leading Champagne house to remain owned and actively managed by the family named on the label. Taittinger is widely available. www.taittinger.com.

Villa Maria has been New Zealand’s most awarded winery for over 30 years and remains proudly family-owned. Villa Maria wines are widely available in all good retailers. Visit www.villamaria.co.nz

Terms & Conditions:  Entrants must be 18 or over and must provide a mainland UK address and telephone number for delivery. Visit www.bafta.org for more information.

 

To be in with the chance of winning this fantastic prize, follow @Frostmag on Twitter or Instagram, or like us on Facebook. Alternatively, sign up to our newsletter. Or subscribe to Frost Magazine TV on YouTube here: http://t.co/9etf8j0kkz.Then comment below saying what you did. Competition finishes on 6th February and the winner should give their contact details as soon as possible for the wine to arrive on time. Thank you and good luck!

Where do congressmen go to eat? The best steaks in Washington!

Posted on by
Capital Grille - Washington-steaks-pricey

The Capital Grille in Washington DC – a great place for upmarket steak

Washington DC is the home of Government in the USA. As a result it has a number of restaurants where the Presidential staff, the congressional staff, the senior lobbyists and all the congressmen get wined and dined – at great expense. So when I visited Washington, a friend of mine insisted on taking me to one.

When it comes to feeding congressmen, there are a couple of places that fit the bill. We tried to book the Caucus Room, but it was closed for refurbishment. So we decided to go to the Capital Grille. This is part of a chain of restaurants – but a particularly plush one. When you eventually stagger out, filled with good food and drink, you get a great view up Capitol hill to the Capitol building: the big place with the dome that you’ve seen on all the postcards.

If you are a lobbyist, trying to get a congressman to see things in your way, this is the place to go. It is all oak panelling and very plush. And yet it is also very American: there is a large head of a bison behind the bar.

The place absolutely shouts money – but in a restrained way. It is designed to look like an exclusive gentlemen’s club. The carpets are very thick, the flooring around the bar is marble. When you sit down you are given huge steak knifes which must cost around $30 each and the table napkins are of the finest linen.

As in some private members clubs, where members have their own bottles of whiskey in a locker, this one also has lockers for the private supply. But this is obviously done in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. One of the lockers had the name of Frank Sinatra (the singer who died 18 years ago) and another had a brass plate with the name Strom Thurmond. Thurmond was probably the best known Senator in Washington: he lived to 100 and served in the senate for 48 years. But as he died in 2003, his name plate was probably an in-joke for the Washington crowd.

So what do you eat? Well naturally you eat steaks – and the very finest steaks that money can buy. But as we were splashing out, I decided to start my meal with half a dozen oysters. They were lovely little things – very fresh, juicy with a choice of toppings. I dressed mine with shallots and vinegar. I thought the horseraddish, which I was offered, would have killed the taste of the oysters. My wife had asparagus dripping with butter.

Oh, the bread was very good – crispy and incredibly fresh and yielding. It was quite perfect. In fact it was so good that we asked the waitress to take it away, lest it should ruin our dinner.

So how should I describe the steaks. They were wonderful. I ordered a ribeye with porcini mushrooms and balsamic vinegar. It had that lovely crust that you get when you fry a well aged steak in butter. And the meat was wonderfully – marbled with just a tiny bit of fat. And the meat hadn’t been trimmed, so I got to eat a slice of that full, rich fat, which is probably dreadful for cholesterol levels, but which tastes so good.

We ordered two bottles of Dutton Chardonnay – at $70 a bottle. We had brought two bottles of our own red wine. Normally we’d have expected to be charged for corkage – opening the wines – but when we looked at the bill we hadn’t been charged. And for dessert, I shared a superb creme brulee with my wife.

The meal costs $550 for four, which I have to admit is the most I have ever paid for a meal. If we had had four starters and four desserts (rather than sharing them), and bought all the wine at the restaurant and a rounded off with a decent brandy, the bill could easily have been $1000.

Aldi’s superb Christmas offerings

Posted on by
Champagne,Aldi,Asti,Spumante,Christmas

Champagnes and sparkling wines from Aldi

Over the last few years Aldi’s wines have been one of the great success stories of British retail. This year – in addition to the normal ranges – they have got some superb sparkling wines and Ports, which are ideal for Christmas and which will also make superb gifts.

Last week Aldi unveiled its range of wines for Autumn/Winter 2016. They are continuing with the extremely successful Exquisite Collection – a range of good quality wines for around £6 a bottle. I really enjoyed the Claire Valley Riesling (£6.99), but they are all worth drinking.

More exciting was a range of excellent sparkling wines. The Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante, was a classy prosecco – lots of citrus flavours and medium dry – for £7.49. If you want to create a bit of a splash at Christmas, then the Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut at £10.99 is an absolute bargain. Lovely light grain – not too fizzy – and a refreshing slight taste of toast. The ideal thing to bring along to a party.

Another interesting sparkling wine is Asti Spumante at £4.99. This is a bit retro – a throwback to the seventies. But it’s fun. It isn’t too alcoholic (7 per cent ABV), it has lovely flavours of ripe pears and would be just the thing for younger people who currently drink cider. Stick a bottle on the table at Christmas dinner!

The collection of fortified wines is also pretty impressive. If you want to splash out Maynard’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 1992 at £19.99 has lovely flavours of chocolate and cherries and a slight hint of pepper. If you’re on a budget Maynards also do a 2012 Late Bottled Vintage Port for £9.99 – which is almost as nice.

Port,Aldi,Tawny,cheap,Christmas

Great wines in lovely bottles – Aldi has some exciting ports for Christmas

Oh, and there’s a Maynard’s 40 year old tawny port for £29.99. It comes in a lovely bottle and makes a great gift. Tawny ports are made in much smaller barrels than ruby ports, so there is more oxidation. Ruby ports taste of fresh fruit, tawny ports taste of dried fruit. This one has lovely flavours of dried figs, dates, raisins. It would make a great gift and would be just the thing to serve with the mince pies.

Old wines in interesting bottles at Winerack

Posted on by
Borgo Magredo - great wine in an attractive flask

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.

Gomila Exclusive sauvignon blanc

An exciting Slovenian cabernet sauvignon