Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys this Weekend Christine Austin October 13, 2018 Drink, Wine Plaimont Côtes de Gascogne 2017, France, 11.5%, Sainsbury down from £7.50 to £6.25 until 30 October Crisp and refreshing with notes of pink grapefruit and lemon. Ideal as an aperitif or pour alongside...
Discount me in – Best Wine Buys from Aldi and Lidl Christine Austin October 6, 2018 Drink, Wine A few years ago the value of your house would go up if a Waitrose store opened nearby. These days you have to wait for a Lidl or Aldi to open at the end of the road to get an uplift in the value of your...
Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys This Weekend Christine Austin October 6, 2018 Drink, Wine Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Marlborough, New Zealand, 13%, Sainsbury down from £8 to £7 until 9 October Terrific value for this fresh-tasting, thirst-quenching, palate-cleansing gooseberry and...
Heaven can’t wait – South Africa’s heavenly wines Christine Austin September 28, 2018 Drink, Wine As Yorkshire heads into autumn the southern hemisphere is at last waking up to springtime. Here in South Africa where I am visiting for a few days to check out new vintages, there is blossom on the trees and...
Better Reds in the Bed – Hungary’s Wines move up in Quality Christine Austin September 27, 2018 Drink, Wine Can you remember the last time you drank Bull’s Blood? Easy to say, and astonishingly easy to drink, Bull’s Blood was a staple wine at any 1980’s party where its big flavours and low price ensured that...
Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys this Weekend Christine Austin September 22, 2018 Drink, Wine Grillo 2016, Sicily, 13%, Marks and Spencer down from £7 to £6 until 1 October Grillo is Sicily’s own grape variety, now made into a fresh-tasting, citrus-charged, dry white wine with clear streak of...
Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys this Weekend Christine Austin September 22, 2018 Drink, Wine La Fortezza Vermentino Terre Siciliane 2017, Italy, 13% Marks and Spencer down from £7 to £6 until 1 October Terrific quality and value from Sicily where Vermentino grapes develop herb-scented, crisp...
Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys this Weekend Christine Austin September 15, 2018 Drink, Wine Granite Earth 2016, Swartland, South Africa, 12%, Morrisons down from £8.50 to £6 until 25 September A blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne giving fresh stone fruit flavours with a...
Spar above Par – a Yorkshire Master of Wine Swings into Action Christine Austin September 14, 2018 Drink, Wine With around 2400 UK shops bearing the Spar brand I am astonished that, before now, I have not really investigated the wines they sell. All that will change because Spar has recruited York resident and Master...
Off the Shelf – Best Buys this Weekend Christine Austin September 8, 2018 Drink, Wine The Best Fiano 2017, Sicily, Italy, 13%, Morrisons down from £6 to £5.50 until 25 September Soft herb-dusted peachy notes with a rounded texture and crisp, clean finish. Try it with prawn linguine, or...