review Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

Lapland Letters – Magical Letters from Santa – review.

Anna — Sat, 21 Nov 2020 12:15:58 +0000

Review. Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat… With only 4 weeks to go I am in full on Festive mode. I normally start my Christmas planning in September but this year working and studying full time has ensured that I have barely done a thing. One of the things I did make sure to get done sooner rather then later was ordering a letter from Santa for the children. As with most things Christmas, I am really fussy. I don’t like tacky and cartoon like letters, I like something a bit more traditional. Ideally the missive would be written on magical paper from the North Pole and written by Old St Nick himself. I appreciate that he is rather busy around this time and so will settle for something that at least gives that vibe. This year I ordered personalised letters from Lapland Letters who offer ten different letter themes from Santa (or Father Christmas if that’s your preference). Themes for 2020 include a Lockdown Letter, First Year of School, Baby’s First Christmas and The Meaning of Christmas alongside the ‘classics’. Costing just £5.95, all letters come with a copy of the Secret Map Santa uses on Christmas Eve to make his way around the world. For an additional £2.95 you can add a bumper activity pack to the letter which includes colouring sheets and games, a door hanger and a thank you card to send back to Santa. If that wasn’t quite bumper enough, the early bird special includes a treat tray, nice list certificate and countdown to Christmas. Perfect pre-Christmas entertainment. Personalising your child’s letter couldn’t be easier. After choosing which letter format you’d like (ideal for making sure siblings letters aren’t identical) you simply fill in some boxes with the child’s information. Their age, their best friends name, the gift they’d like etc. and your work is almost done. You can even specify whether your child uses ‘Santa Claus’ or ‘Father Christmas’. The ‘PS’ can be used to include any personal achievements or special information you would like included, “Mummy & Daddy are so pleased that you enjoy your new school” or something of that ilk. Maybe refrain from announcing a new baby brother or sister in this bit though. That could ruin Christmas. Once you’ve personalised your letter and paid, the Elves take over and will send out your child’s letter in early December. You can tick one thing off of your to do list and maybe celebrate with a small sherry. As well as personalised letters, you can also order personalised magical extras including Mrs Claus’ Cookie Mix, Reindeer food, Magic Keys or Christmas Eve box – it really is a magical Christmas Eve on stop shop! Prices start at £5.95 and includes delivery to anywhere in the world and are available from Santa himself via Lapland Letters.

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Weekly Winedown #38 Terreo Malbec

Anna — Fri, 18 May 2018 18:10:21 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy This weekend will see Miss Markle make an honest man of Harry. I hate that term, ‘honest man’ it implies that up until some point tomorrow he was just off galavanting with other women and generally being a bit of a cad, it’s a bit demeaning to be honest. Some of the terms and traditions to do with weddings really are archaic aren’t they yet we (not actually me) bandy them about without thinking. Like when people refer to their hen/stag do as the ‘last night of freedom’. If people really think that they won’t be able to get pissed with their friends ever again, they should probably question why they’re marrying a joy vacuum in the first place. Anyway, I digress, Harry & Meghan are getting wed and I can’t wait. Judge all you will, I don’t give a hoot! I don’t consider myself to be a royalist but I love the pomp and ceremony, it’s also nice to see that being a royal doesn’t stop people whinging about who you do or don’t invite to your wedding as if it’s anyone elses business! The biggest appeal to me though is watching something happy for a change and seeing two people in love marrying one another. I’m such a softie. Let us get ready for wedding celebrations with an expensive (but on special offer) French Malbec. Deja vu? I know it’s a risky move after last weeks Winsom Cousins but I need to right the wrong. The Label Simple and elegant. A square white label with the brand name in purple and the rest in black. Kind of like the front of a menu in a fancy establishment, one that is so fancy it probably doesn’t even take a taste card. The cap is also white, like a magicians gloves. I’m not sure what I make of that though, it makes me uncomfortable. The Blurb “Terreo Malbec is an unique red wine from South West of France. Very deep red colour with shades of purple. Notes of black fruit and vanilla. Great unctuousness in the mouth” It’s one of those fancy labels where they do the blurb in French then put a direct translation underneath, this always strikes me as a little pretentious but in the past, the wines that do this have been good. I particularly like the term ‘unctuosness’ we should use it more in daily life. It’s even nicer in French ‘Grand onctuosite en bouche’. So basically, we’re expecting a rich, intense wine with a hint of vanilla, let’s see! There was so little on the nose, like nothing to declare. A very light scent and everso slightly floral but not a lot more. The taste, intially big – almost unctuous (but not quite) bold red berries in the mouth then nothing. There’s not long taste, it’s just gone. I certainly didn’t get any sense of vanilla at all. It’s certainly not an £11.99 bottle of wine in my opinion, but what do I know? More than Aoife at the very least 😉 Name – Terreo Malbec Price – £5.99 (should be £11.99) Colour – reddy purple Smell – Light, a bit vague Taste – Tart berries, starts big then nothing. Goes well with – A Royal wedding eve Overall score – 3.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #36 – Vista Alegre Reserva Rioja

Anna — Fri, 20 Apr 2018 18:24:44 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy Well, this week has been exciting! There has been alarm and consernation here in Leeds. There’s been this great yellow ball of fire in the sky for days. No one is entirely sure what it wants, whether it’s heading toward us or if it means us harm! Everyone is going about their business with one eye on the sky…. Seriously though, hasn’t it been lovely? Some might say a little TOO warm, not I though, I try to only whinge about the cold not the warm. Clearly the sun has gone to my head as this week I have chosen a Rioja – I don’t like rioja. I’ll be honest, I chose it because I liked the label and it was half price at £7.50. Yes, this wine SHOULD have cost £15! Who actually pays that much for wine? People richer than I obviously. Anyway, let’s crack on and say Hola to Vista Alegre Reserva Rioja! The Label I like it, I like it a lot. Entirely simple in black, white and red. The name is emblazoned across the middle with a finger pointing to it, just in case you missed it… It does exactly what it’s designed to do, make you want to buy it. The Blurb “Vista Alegre is the name of one of the most iconic estates in Haro, the wine capital of Rioja. It’s name comes from the beauty of the place – a landscape dominated by old vineyards on the banks of the river Tirón with the Sierra Cantabria as a backdrop. This multicoloured way was said to “cheer up strollers,” hence it’s name, which literally means “Cheerful View”. This wine is made with Tempranillo and Graciano grapes and aged for 18 months in American and French oak barrels. It stands out for its elegance and finesse and its intense aromas of dark fruit and spices.” Well, there you go. Lots of information about where it’s from and how it was made and very little about what to expect. Is it trying to hide something – being all broody and secretive? Maybe it doesn’t want to give us expectations. At £15 a bottle I have expectations, it doesn’t matter what the label says! Well blow me down and call me Geoff. I was fully expecting (hoping?) this would be awful. I’m bitter like that. The nose was pleasant – woody, soft spice and dark berries. The taste was smooth, a big round taste. Almost cherry in flavour with soft tannins and a definite hint of oak. I don’t think I’d pay £15 for it, only because I can’t imagine paying £15 for any wine just to drink at home. This is on offer at Ocado, I’d stock up while it’s half price! Name – Vista Alegre Reserva Rioja Price – £7.50 Colour – Dark red – like my black hair (according to Aoife) Smell – soft spice Taste – round, fruity and oaky. Goes well with – A warm Spring evening. Overall score – 4/5

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Weekly Winedown #34 – Anciano Tempranillo

Anna — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 19:35:04 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy You may have noticed there’s been no Winedown for a couple of weeks. You probably didn’t notice. There were probably had more important things on your mind like Eastenders or something. But yes, I’ve slacked off. Initially I blame the beast from the East. Snow really throws me off my game. It’s like I suddenly find myself unable to think. I start to flap. “What do they mean ‘Don’t leave the house unless it’s absolutely necessary’?” Do they mean here or other places? What IS absolutely necessary? Is school absolutely necessary? What if the Ocado van can’t get here? I’ll have no wine, that would be an absolutely necessary. The I get a bit twitchy. “We should stock up” “Aldi and Waitrose are right round the corner” “But just in case” “Just in case what?” “I don’t know, I just have the urge to stockpile” It turns out you can take the girl out of the south but you can’t take the south out of the girl. As you can see, we survived that round of bad weather only for me to spit my dummy about something or other last week and going on strike. That’s how I roll… I’m in dire need of sunshine and wonderful things to look forward to. Hurry up summer. This week I’m drinking a Spanish Tempranillo, I’m going to hold my hands up and confess to have consuming four bottles of this already over the last few weeks. It’s one sexy Spanish red – say Hola to Anciano Gran Reserva Tempranillo. The Label Before we even get to the label, we need ao acknowledge that this is one of those bottles of wine that comes with like gold net on. I’m not entirely sure of the purpose of that but it certainly works in getting me to buy it! Well done the marketing team! The label is made to look old, torn edges and that browned colour like someone wiped cold teabags on it. Seven, yes SEVEN different fonts have been used on the label. It’s most certainly trying to be something it’s not and yet…I appear to be OK with that. The Blurb “In the timeless Spanish winemaking tradition, Anciano Gran Reserva is matured in oak barrels for at least 18 months and in our cellars, to achieve its fine complexity and mellow oak character. It has smooth vanilla notes, rich black cherry fruit and subtle hints of leather, blasamic and spice. Drinking well now.” OK. WHAT? It makes little sense to me. I don’t know if something has been lost in translation or they just had to make something up quickly as the labels were going to print. I’m also not entirely sure whether blasamic is being used in terms of the vinegar or of the tree but neither, combined with leather, make me think ‘get in my glass’. As you can tell, I’m pretty unimpressed with the exterior of this wine BUT this is bottle number five so what’s going on inside? The smell nose is actually quite delicate. Soft fruit and a touch peppery. The taste starts strong with cherries and dark fruits. It’s rich, smooth offering a full mouthful(oi oi) with a subtle oaked, vanilla-y undertone with maybe a hint of dark chocolate. Beautiful and full bodied, certainly NOT vinegary or tree like! Currently on offer at £5.99, I don’t think the usual price of £8.99 is out of order. I am smitten with this kitten. Name – Anciano Gran Reserva Tempranillo Price – £5.99 Colour – Deep red. Smell – Soft fruit and spice Taste – Full, buttery, cherries and vanilla. Goes well with – Life, all of it. Overall score – 4.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #33 The Whale Caller

Anna — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 20:13:15 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy Hello Friday you sexy thing you! We have been waiting, what took you so long? I always look forward to the weekend. Someone once asked me why when I don’t work and every day is like a weekend. OH HOW I LAUGHED. Take my children and come tell me how weekend like it is! I like the weekend because there are more grown ups around to talk to and I get to share the daytime parenting. However, I don’t recall the last time I had weekend plans though, unlike Rory who is off at some fancy ball as we speak. I know right?! He’s off larging it at some event in his tux leaving poor old me here, all alone to fend for myself. Meh, I’ll get over it. I’ve been a bit poorly this week which must be the ONLY explanation for my wine selection. Let us say Goeienaand to The Whale Caller, a shiraz cabernet sauvignon from South African. Interesting fact, the guy who delivered my shiraz today was called Shiraz! This particular wine comes in at £4.99 a bottle. Not on sale, just always £4.99… I’m no wine snob, OK just a bit, but I tend to rule out a bottle of wine if it doesn’t have a punt (indentation) in the bottom of the bottle. It doesn’t REALLY make a difference, it’s pretty much pomp but this bottle doesn’t have one and I found myself coming out in a cold sweat when I realised. I’m such a punt. The Label All the right colours – red, white and black. The font is unoffensive which is always a bonus. There is a picture of a whale and a man with a horn, who I assume is the Whale Caller. I don’t know why the Whale Caller is important enough to have wine named after him. Maybe he’s a pretty big deal in South Africa? The Blurb “As you savour this rich red wine, with dark berry fruits and hints of chocolate and spice, you may just catch the strains of the Whale Caller’s horn, blowing on the southern wind.” Well, if this wine makes me start hearing horns I’m going to question whether it is wine. I like a drink, I’m not adverse to getting a little tipsy on occassion. Heck I’m all for getting mortalled if the situation requires BUT I don’t want to start hearing things, nevermins whale horns on the breeze. That aside, I’m quite liking the ‘hints of chocolate and spice’. This wine could be amazing. It could also not. It’s not. The aroma is a bit plasticine like. It smells synthetic and not the most pleasant. The blurb offers promise but promises can be broken. There is a distinct lack of spice. It’s a very flat taste, almost watered down. As a wine lover, I’m not a fan. As a Yorkshire woman, I’ll drink it as not to waste the money. Name – The Whale Caller Price – £4.99 Colour – A nice dark red Smell – A little plastic/synthetic Taste – NOT spicey. Kind of flat and watered down. Goes well with – Nothing, absolutely nothing. Overall score – 1/5

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Weekly Winedown #31 Sangre de Toro.

Anna — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 19:19:20 +0000

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Weekly Winedown #29 Altozano Tempranillo Syrah

Anna — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 20:25:51 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. Happy New Year! Reader, it’s been three weeks since my last winedown, I have sinned. To be fair, I declared back then that I needed a break so I took a bit of a step back from blogging over Christmas. Not QUITE the break I had hoped for, but one less thing to fret about was liberating. Now order is restored and I am back to grace your eyes with my thoughts. And wine. This week I have a Spanish red. I am quickly running out of reds to try from Ocado. Altozano Tempranillo Syrah is currently on offer at £6.74. £6.74, what a random price. It is what it is though. The Label A Neutral colour with red and black text. Very simple and unoffensive, nothing to shout about though. I originally thought they little picture on it was an acorn. Further inspection leads me to believe it might be a helmet or something? No idea. The Blurb The top bit of the blurb was written in Spanish. “Oh how exciting” I thought. Then I Google translated it and I realised it said exactly the same underneath in English. I can’t help but think it’s showing off with it’s bilingual skills. “Juicy red cherries, ripe plums and warm spices burst from this delicious blend of Tempranillo and Syrah with subtle hints of oak from cask ageing. You can enjoy this smooth and fruity wine on its own or as the perfect match to succulent roast meats and rich pasta sauces.” It sounds more interesting in Spanish to be fair. Though plums, spices and a hint of oak sound like a jolly good blend to me. I always find it interesting when they ‘match’ wine with a food. Especially when it’s as vague as ‘roast meats’. Roast chicken tastes entirely different to roast beef. I should imagine that roast venison taste different to those. Does the wine maker truly believe this wine will go with all those equally or are they hedging their bets? This really is a pointless discussion for me to be having as I don’t have one roast meat, never mind a variety to test out this claim. Anyway. Onwards! Hmmmmm. The nose (oh yes) is very plummy with a hint of cloves. Not a bad start! The taste. Well. It’s very tart, like unripened plums with an aftertaste of pepper. I wouldn’t say it was vile but it’s not entirely pleasant. As a frugal Yorkshire woman, I’m going to finish the bottle but I won’t be buying this again. Name – Altozano Tempranillo Syrah. Price – £6.79 Colour – Beautiful – like a blood red. Smell – Plums and cloves. Taste – Tart and peppery Goes well with – Dinner parties with those you want to leave early. Overall score – 1.5/5

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Portable North Pole – Do Good Elf

Anna — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 18:00:08 +0000

Despite being the biggest fan of Christmas and creating lovely little traditions to celebrate the festive period, I never succumbed to a certain Elf on a ledge. If I’m entirely honest, it’s because I am far too lazy to think of 24 new and unique scenarios to play out. I have that much going on in the run up to Christmas, I don’t need to add 24 more items to my ‘To Do’ list. Over the past three years though, I have used Portable North Pole to create personalised videos for Aoife. Just to let her know where she stands with the big man himself. One year, when her behaviour was particularly ‘challenging’ she found herself,briefly, on the ‘undecided’ list. I felt terrible when she realised what Santa was saying. She looked like her heart had been ripped out BUT her behaviour improved and the next video confirmed she was indeed on the Nice List. Peaks and troughs. This year, we were asked to take in some visitors on behalf of old Saint Nick and the Portable North Pole. Buddy and Holly the Do Good Elves. The baby Do Good Elves are sent from Santa’s Village to live with a child who’s job it is to make sure that they grow up to be a good elf and a valuable part of Santa’s team. The child looks after their elf and teaches it the difference between naughty and nice. Throughout the course of the month your child tracks their new elf’s journey in the passport provided and Santa checks in with personalised videos. The Do-Good Elves are really cute, they have a plastic face but soft body that can be moved into different positions. Their clothes can be removed and washed (always handy). They come with a small passport for your child record their adventures together and a code to access four videos from Santa that you can personalise for your child. The Do- Good Elf is a lovely idea and slightly less hard work than other elves on the scene. It is a little time consuming personalising the videos, you need to have photos of your child and their elf for example. Once the video is done it really is magical. Their faces when they realise Santa knows their names! You can also access a number of the other free videos on the website. As I mentioned, I have used Portable North Pole for a few years. There have been some changes this year though. Previously, whenever you created a video for your child an email was sent addressed to them. It explained Santa had recorded a message and they could click a link to receive it. This doesn’t happen now. Instead you receive an email saying the video is ready and if you access the video via the website it’s all a bit ‘behind the scenes’. You need to make sure the video is ready to play in full screen mode so they can’t see that you’ve made it. Viewing via the app is a lot better as you can store the videos to the ‘Kids Corner’ section and they can’t accidentally stumble behind the curtain. There isn’t the magical anticipation as there was before though. At £20 the Do-Good Elf isn’t cheap. S/he comes with a passport and the code to unlock four personalised videos. If you want to use the reaction cam, download the video or access the Big Book video you need to purchase the Magic Pass as well. It would be a nice touch to include this with the Elf. The Do-Good Elf is about encouraging your child to consider their behaviour as there are little elves (and a fat man in a red suit) watching. However, there is nothing to say that they can’t get up to mischief on occasion! Your child can just tell them that playing cards and drinking all night is not good elf behaviour! The Do-Good Elf can be purchased from John Lewis, it really is a good quality little thing. My two are smitten with theirs. Seth takes Buddy everywhere. Under Seth’s guidance he might not grow up to be Santa’s Elf material but he will be well loved. Why not head over to Portable North Pole to see what magical videos you can make for the believers, big or small, in your life. Those in power at Santa’s Village (Santa?) have given me the chance to spread some festive joy. You will receive 20% off a Magic Pass if you enter the code PNP7BLG20 at the checkout or click this link. This will unlock all of the premium videos, calls from Santa, the reaction cam and enable the downloading of videos. With the magic pass you can make unlimited videos for unlimited recipients until November 2018. I am still a big fan of Portable North Pole. Watching them take care of their Elves and teaching them to be good melts my heat. It really is lovely seeing their faces light up when Santa acknowledges them by name and they really do want to get on that Nice list. Who doesn’t?? You can find the Portable North Pole website here PNP Santa can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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Weekly Winedown #27 Carta Roja Crianza

Anna — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 20:31:22 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. It’s happened. It’s finally happened, it’s been a long time coming but by heck it was worth the wait. December is here! The children were really giddy when they woke up as Advent had begun. I asked Aoife why Advent was important, she mumbled something about family, her birthday and chocolate. Priorities. Still, I’m glad family topped the list – just. I have finally caught up with myself, it snowed yesterday and I made about 100 biscuits on Wednesday so I am definitely in a festive mood. Life is feeling very cheery at the minute.. This festive spirit clearly made me leave my senses elsewhere when ordering my wine this week. Let us say Hola to Carte Roja Crianza, a Spanish beauty(?) currently half price at £4.99. The Label Red and gold. I guess it’s aiming for a plush and posh kind of vibe. Like a throne or something equally as regal. It’s a nice colour scheme to be fair but the paper feels a bit cheap. The label is nothing to write home about. I’m down on this one already aren’t I? The Blurb Carta Roja is made traditionally from Monastrell and Syrah grapes which produce rich and intense wines, it is full-bodied with red fruit aromas and intense flavours of ripe plum and vanilla. Aged in American oak barrels, this wine has soft, smooth tannins. It makes a fantastic partner for game and lamb dishes and also hard cheeses. Plums, vanilla and intensity. Well, that sounds nice doesn’t it? Maybe I have been a little hasty… The only thing I would maybe like bit of spice as well. I guess I can’t have it all! Also, a great partner for game? I am currently reviewing Don’t be a Donkey. Should be perfect! The Verdict Meh. The red berries are tart, there is a smooth peppery finish which isn’t entirely unpleasant. Plum and vanilla have completely passed me by. From the promises it makes and the tastes it has I would hope for something ‘bigger’. It is a very thin wine. Had I paid full price of £9.99 for this I’d be kicking myself. For a £5 wine it’s ‘OK’ though. Just OK. You can get a lot better for a fiver. Don’t rush and get it for Christmas! Name – Carta Roja Cianza Price – £4.99 (should be £9.99) Colour – Insipid red. Smell – Muted. Taste – Bitter with a peppery finish. Goes well with – Come back to me on that Overall score – 2.5/5 Painfully average.

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Weekly Winedown #26 KWV Big Bill Red

Anna — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 18:30:24 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. It’s been a funny old fortnight. Winedown was cast aside last week as we took a family trip to the theatre for my Dad’s birthday. He is a big fan of ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ so off we trotted to watch that. BLOODY HELL. The acting was good, and the story was intense but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It was harrowing. I CRIED. On a Friday night, rather sober, I cried! It was not the feel good tale I had been led to believe it would be but it was nice to spend time with my family. Sitting in a theatre. Sobbing. This last week I have been trying to wade through the backlog created by Seth’s being ill and the internet being down for almost a week. It’s been particularly arduous given that Y, U, H, J, N and M have decided to only work sporadically. Hey ho, let’s go. The wine this week hails from South Africa, KWV Big Bill Red, on offer at £6.49 a bottle. The Label Red, black and white. My colour scheme of choice. The label is busy, part hand drawn and lots of text. The text tells the tale of the legend of Big Bill. Wrestler, war hero, rugby player and GM of KWV, wine producers. It doesn’t really say WHY he is a legend, aside from being a great multi-tasker and all rounder. That’s OK though, I’m sucked in. The Blurb “A bold red blend with upfront strawberry, cherry and mulberry aromas with hints of peppery spice and dark chocolate. The silky tannin structure is complemented by sweet fruit that contributes to the long, lingering finish.” I’m going to confess, I don’t know what a mulberry smells like. I just know that in the olden days they used to go round one. On cold and frosty morning. Peppery spice and chocolate is something to look forward to. The Verdict Well, if that’s what a mulberry smells like I am a fan. The scent is sweet but not sickeningly so. It is a really lovely, soft smell. I would buy a candle that smelt like that. The taste, the very first taste has a bitter edge, this is no bad thing. The sweet fruit and deep spice blend beautifully. The wine is so smooth, absolutely perfect for snuggling under a blanket on a cold winter night. I really need to get me a log cabin with an open fire somewhere it snows. Only the fresh stuff though. No slush. This is certainly on a par with the 19 Crimes wine. Name – KWV Big Bill Red Price – £6.49 Colour – Dark, deep like velvet. Smell – Sweet with a hint of spice. Taste – Bitter start but smooth, fruity and warm. Goes well with – Winter and open fires. Overall score – 4.5/5 near as damnit perfect.

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