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...
Beefy by the Barrel – Sir Ian Botham’s new wines Christine Austin September 7, 2018 Drink, Wine There was no play at Lord’s Cricket Ground on the day that Sir Ian Botham launched his new range of wines, although there was considerable activity on the pitch as the grass was mown to millimetre...
Off the Shelf – Best Wine Buys This Weekend Christine Austin September 1, 2018 Drink, Wine Taste the Difference Pecorino 2017, Italy, 12%, Sainsbury down from £7.50 to £6 until 18 September Bright citrus fruit and a rounded, food-friendly style make this a perfect wine to pour alongside...
When on Rhône – Cruising through France with a glass in hand Christine Austin August 31, 2018 Drink, Wine The best way to fall in love with a wine region is to visit it. There is nothing like walking through a vineyard, appreciating the lie of the land, the steepness of the slope and the close-planting of the...
In St Michael’s Cellar – Wine Festival Bargains Christine Austin August 21, 2018 Drink, Wine Marks and Spencer’s Wine Festival continues through until 3 September with good offers on a large chunk of their range. Some wines are discounted by as much as 33% which makes it well worth getting in the...