Win Champagne & Wine With Frost Magazine & The EE British Academy Film Awards

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Frostie

The EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony will be taking place on Valentine’s Day, Sunday 14th February 2016. Continuing their love affair with the BAFTA Film Awards, Frost Magazine has teamed up with Champagne Taittinger and Villa Maria to invite you to sip like the stars. As the official Champagne and Wine and Partners to BAFTA, Champagne Taittinger and Villa Maria wines from New Zealand are delighted to offer you the chance to win a bottle of Taittinger Brut Réserve NV, a bottle of Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2015 and Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, as served to the guests at the Awards.

Adding extra glitz to the awards for the 14^th 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. Entrants 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 or email frostmagazine@gmail.com Competition finishes 5th of February.

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

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

Anyone for Pinot Noir? By Margaret Graham

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Frost has had the great pleasure of tasting three bottles of Errazuriz’s Pinot Noir (Chile) recently, and it made us very relaxed and cheerful, let me tell you.

Pinot Noir Estate Series

The grapes for the Estate Series Pino Noir have been rigorously selected from the Errazuriz vineyards in the Aconcagua Valley and the Mediterranean climate in this area of Chile which features warm days and fresh evening breezes. This temperature oscillation in the weeks leading up to the harvest triggers an intensification of the colour of the wines.

The Estate Pinot Noir 2014’s aroma promised all that was to come, the wine felt fresh on the palate, but wholesome, and full of the flavour of red fruits. It suited the chicken dish we had, but would work as well with pasta, grilled fish, and any sort of seafood.

Errazuriz Estate Pinot Noir 2014 RRP £10.25, Majestic

Aconcagua Costa Pino Noir

There’s something special about living within easy reach of the sea, and the grapes for Aconcagua Costa Pino Noir endorse this, coming as they do from the Manzanar vineyard.

It is located barely 7.5. miles from the Pacific Ocean. The 2013-2014 weather was moderately warm, followed by a dry spring. Budbreak was delayed due to a cold spell but the cool growing conditions had the effect of a slow ripening of the grapes, leading to an intense aroma, and taste.

The grapes were hand picked, double sorted, and the final blend was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Gorgeous. It reminded me of the best of the Margaret River wines (Western Australia). We enjoyed this wine, very much.

Errazuriz Aconcagua Costa Pinot Noir 2014 RRP £16.15, Stone Vine & Sun, Cheers Wine Merchant, Hoults, Eagle wines, Noel Young, R Campbell and Sons

Wild Ferment Pinot Noir

The grapes for this Pino Noir come from the La Escultura vineyard, located in the Casablanca Valley 32 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean. Warm summer days, morning fog and fresh evening breezes that blow in from the coast allow for a gradual ripening process. This helps to preserve the grapes aroma, flavour and acidity.

This wine was my husband’s favourite. Aromas of wild strawberries, cranberries, savory dried herbs, rosemary made it pretty sublime.

Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2014 RRP £14.35, Majestic, Booths and Grape Sense

Christmas Gift Guide For The Stylish

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Frostie

Christopher Ward Watches

Humble Rose & Frankincense Hand Wash & Hand Lotion

Natural beauty from writer and broadcaster Kate Humble’s new eco-friendly beauty brand. Rose and Frankincense is very festive and the hand wash and intense hand cream make fab stocking fillers for mums, mother in laws, those in search of the Good Life etc.! please let me know if you’d like any further info/samples etc.

Contains natural biodegradable ingredients. No paragons or SLS. Recyclable packaging and made with recycled material.

From waitrose.com

Some amazing wine from Brancott Estate.

Cover-Up Woodback iPhone Covers

Each one if crafted from real wood in a beautiful blend of technology and nature. They look amazing and are well made. They even feel great. Each one is unique because of its natural grain pattern. Stylish and high-end: what more could you want? www.cover-up.com

A Trill Seasons Box. Trill Seasons Boxes are an organic quarterly lifestyle subscription scheme that has been developed by Romy Fraser, founder of Neal’s Yard Remedies. We tried some handmade organic soap from the farm and it was divine.

For the little one…we absolutely love new London based Children’s fashion brand Mini Street Style.

Mini Street Style is a brand new (London Based) Children’s Fashion brand. http://ministreetstyle.com/

The brand says: “Based on Street Style we reach out to our on-line community to curate next season’s collections. By voting on-line we produce the items with the most votes. It’s a new approach to using the social collective.”

Żubrówka Enchanted Forest Limited Edition Sleeve

A delicious and unique vodka. Brilliant stuff.

MRRP £20.00

Available from October, while stocks last at Tesco.com, Waitrose.com and Sainsburys.co.uk

Żubrówka Vodka, the Original Bison Grass Vodka, has over 500 years of tradition and history. Żubrówka’s exceptional character is emphasized by a single bison grass blade placed in every bottle. Each blade of bison grass is hand-picked and dried under natural conditions, making each bottle of Żubrówka an exceptional gift this Christmas.

For the perfect Christmas cocktail our brand ambassador, Przemyslaw Matuszewski, suggests our legendary Apple Zu, an extraordinarily smooth and aromatic cocktail, with a festive twist.

Glass
Highball

Ingredients
50ml Żubrówka
100ml traditional pressed cloudy apple juice
Squeeze of lime

Method
Fill a highball with ice, add all the ingredients and stir
Garnish with a few slices of apple and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to tickle your festive tastebuds.

Lastly: the wrapping paper.

WHSmith Launch Charity Gift Wraps for 2015

As part of their Christmas gift wrap this year and as a first UK retail offering, WHSmith is launching three gift wrap bundles that support charity. Each bundle has two rolls at 3M each. On the reverse side of each roll is the WHSmith cutting grid to help those wrapping cut in straight lines and measurements.

The three charity gift wrap bundles will support Marie Curie, RSPCA and Save The Children.

WHSmith Marie Curie Nordic Knit Christmas Gift Wrap

Two Rolls Per Package / Each Roll is 3M / Two designs in the package

Price per package: £3.49

Merry Christmas, from all of us at Frost.

Babycham Original Sparkling Perry Review

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Frostie

This retro classic was a hit at Frost from men and women alike. It’s fun and glamorous with a low alcohol content. Which is actually a good thing, as you can have more fun without the consequences. It tastes great: sparkling perry pears are delicious, and comes in a 750ml bottle with a satisfying cork to pop, or mini 200ml bottles. Perfect for Christmas.

Looking for an unashamedly girly Christmas tipple that every generation will love? Babycham, the refreshing sparkling perry will add a touch of sparkle and fun to any Christmas festivity.

Having launched in 1953, Babycham captured the celebratory mood of the post-war era and was the first alcoholic drink to be marketed directly at women. At that time, women were only just allowed into bars and the light, sweet sparkling drink was fun and lively and something that they could call their own. Even the iconic coupe-style glass it was served in felt glamourous and it gave women the chance to experience a champagne-style drink without the expensive price tag.

Since then, Babycham has continued to be a firm favourite of women of all ages and holds a nostalgic place at many a Christmas party or soiree. Still bottled, as it was in the 1950s, with the iconic fawn on the front, Babycham is best served ice cold.

So it’s time to get in the Christmas groove with this retro blast from the past because Babycham, the original girly drink, is ready to party!

Babycham Original Sparkling Perry

4 x 200ml

RRP £3.99

Stockists: Asda, Tesco.

The light and sweet original sparkling perry, made from perry pears, is the best girly Christmas tipple for every festive occasion.

Babycham Original Sparkling Perry

Popping Cork Bottle 750ml

RRP £3.49

Stockists: Asda, Tesco, B&M.

The large popping cork style bottle is the perfect drink to bring to the party and share with friends.

Black Friday – On Demand Champagne

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Frostie

We think this might be one of the greatest ideas ever: on demand champagne delivered straight to your door with two champagne flute. And within ten minutes if you live in certain areas of London. We love.

One of the most extravagant app offerings in town, Gett Clicquot (a.k.a on demand champagne), is being cut to just £39 from an original £50 in line with Black Friday, to truly celebrate the upcoming online and offline shopping frenzy!

Gett partnered with Veuve Clicquot to launch the on demand champagne delivery service this summer. That’s right, a bottle of yellow label, chilled Veuve Clicquot, delivered to your door with two champagne flutes within ten minutes via scooter, throughout specific areas in London.

Users will receive their bottle of champagne, supplied by Amathus, available from 4pm – 10pm every day in and around Central, Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, the City, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Belgravia and Kensington.

Additionally, Gett are offering a Black Cab Friday deal whereby, when 3 rides or more are taken with Gett over the Cyber Weekend, Fri 27th-29th, they’ll be gifting users with £5 free cab credits.

Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Tag Archives: wine