wine Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

Weekly Winedown #48 Apothic Red

Anna — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 19:32:58 +0000

Well, there’s another week gone. Remember when we were young and the weekend took forever to arrive? Summer holidays felt like they lasted months rather than weeks. These days Monday seems to be here every other day! Before I know it I’m going to be sat, shrivelled in an arm chair with a pointy party hat on trying to blow out the 122 candles on my birthday cake without losing my dentures! I hope that doesn’t happen, I can’t bear the thought of getting that old…unless they give me a body transplant every 60 years. That is probably a post for another time. Today is Friday and time for a winedown! I really should get a theme tune. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t going to bother today but then I spied this bottle of Apothic Red in the supermarket and figured a winedown would justify my purchasing it. The Label This is entirely why I bought this wine. The label is black with a red vine like pattern wrapping around a large ‘A’. Exactly like something you’d see on Pretty Little Liars – sent by the criminal master mind (if you entirely disregard the final, disappointing, episode) to unnerve and antagonise those ”not always innocent’ victims. That’s it. That is the sole reason I bought this wine, because it looked like it was designed by a baddie in a program. I’m not even sorry. The Blurb Inspired by the “Apotheca” a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe. Apothic Red offers a masterful blend of wines including Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, creating layers of dark red fruit complimented by hints of vanilla and mocha. Well, that sounds interesting. Despite having a very European looking label (yeah it does) and being inspired by European wine blending, it’s actually a Californian red. Although I usually find Californian wine to be a bit too ‘sunshine and light’ for me I have high hopes for this wine. Full bodied, smooth and slightly spiced is what I’m hoping for! Oh. My. Days. The nose is so soft a familiar smell that I can’t quite put my finger on, maybe blueberry maybe grape (yes I KNOW it’s made of grapes but it never actually tastes of grapes) and vanilla. The taste is sublime, it’s smooth yet full. Almost sweet but with a finish of tart dark berries. There is a definite vanilla and slight oak taste to it – everso subtle. The only thing I didn’t get was Mocha…maybe THAT was the smell? Either way it’s a beautiful wine, one I’d be willing to pay full price for! Sometimes it’s good to judge a book bottle by its cover label. Go and buy it! All the major supermarkets have it in stock! Name – Apothic Red Price – £7.25 (currently 25% off) Colour – Deep, velvet red. Smell – Soft fruit and vanilla Taste – Smooth, fruit and vanilla. Like honey (but not actually like honey because that tastes of bees) Goes well with – That skirt I wore in 2008 Overall score – 5/5 yes it’s bloody perfect.

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Opi Malbec – Weekly Winedown #46

Anna — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 19:00:21 +0000

I’m really taking the Weekly out of these winedowns at the moment aren’t I? I think I need to change it from a Friday. And maybe from an evening. I’ll be honest, I think a Monday afternoon would work better for me but I’m not sure how much school would appreciate me rocking up to get the kids with an aroma of wine! Anyway, it’s been a chaotic couple of weeks. I’m still trying to figure out how to make two jobs, life, parenting and wifeing work all at the same. Some things are getting neglected (the rug hasn’t been hoovered in ages and I throw Zoflora around like confetti) and my ‘to do’ list is pretty hefty at the moment. That’s my burden, not yours so let’s continue! This week I did a terribly grown up thing. Something that feels even more grown up than buying a house, getting married and having children. I got a Laithwaite’s wine plan. You know the one, where you get sent wine every so often. The deal was basically 14 bottles of wine and two wine tumblers (they’re a thing now) for £54 which BASICALLY works out at £3.85 a bottle. What an absolute bargain. Rory keeps saying things like “Well that’s the wine for Christmas sorted” Hahahahaha…Righto. Tonight I am drinking Opi Malbec from Argentina. I chose this from the box randomly. It usually costs £9.99 a bottle apparently. The label Super simple – white, slightly embossed with the signature of the wine maker on it. No faff just information, as I like it. Opi Malbec blurb Right, there is a LOT of information on the back. Like, the man’s life story which I’m SURE is terribly interesting (I saw the words fishing and motor cross) but I like to keep to around 500 words so I’ll just share the bit about the wine. It has an intense deep red colour; the nose and palate convey harmonious ripe blackberry and plum, underpinned by elegant smoke and vanilla notes from a deft touch of oak. This attractive wine is the perfect partner to red meat dishes, spicy sausage and cheese. Well, I have neither sausage nor cheese but this wine is an actual delight! The nose is, as suggested very brambly. The palate is tart berry, the tannins are smooth and there is a really subtle vanilla/creamy finish. This is the kind of wine that doesn’t need food. It can certainly be drank alone. Name – Opi Malbec Price – £9.99 (or £3.80 if you get this fancy plan) Colour – Red purple Smell – Bramble Taste – Tart blackberries with a creamy finish Goes well with – Autumn and candles that smell of gingerbread Overall score – 4/5

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Animo Sauvignon Blanc – Weekly Winedown #45

Anna — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 17:53:41 +0000

Once again we find ourselves at Friday! How is time going so fast? I’m going to be an old lady before long! Both children are well and truly settled into school, Seth is super exhausted when he gets home which make him grumpy. It is probably no coincidence that the Winedown has been weekly since he started school…. This, is a week of controversy. I’m not talking about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (Meghan of Sussex?) closing her own door. Which IS controversial, I mean, imagine closing your own door!? How common. No, this weeks controversy lies in my choice of wine this week Ánimo Sauvignon Blanc You read the right, it’s a white wine! I’m not entirely sure what came over me, maybe it was the return of the sunshine. Possibly it was the ‘The Spirit of Chile’ tagline. Most likely it was the fact it was half price at £5.99. Although I mostly drink, and prefer, red wine I’m not averse to a good dry white. Here’s hoping this is a good dry white! The label is simple and clean. A minimal font on a cream background with, well, I’m not sure if it’s a green flame or some grass in the wind. I suspect the latter. It gives a nice ‘fresh’ vibe though. Ánimo Sauvignon Blanc blurb This exclusive Chilean Sauvignon Blanc has delightful aromas of citrus fruit, combined with gooseberry and a touch of minerality on the palate; these delicious flavours combine to create the perfect wine, with a crisp and refreshing finish. Firstly, I had no idea what minerality means so I Googled it. Apparently, in wine terms it means a group of non-fruit, non-herb, non-spice notes. So like the implied taste of something. Like how I don’t like honey because it tastes of bees. Kind of. Everyday is almost an education! The label also tells us to enjoy this wine as an aperitif or to accompany light seafood dishes like sushi, that Chilean classic! The nose is, well, foisty. Kind of like root vegetables. I’m going to be honest, it’s not the most appealing thing I’ve ever smelt. Luckily the taste is far more pleasant. An initial, tart blast of gooseberry with a zesty/tangy end. It’s crisp and dry. It need to be super cold though to take the tang back. I wouldn’t pay £11.99 for this outside of a hotel but for £5.99 it is a good Sauv Blanc. Name – Animo Sauvignon Blanc Price – £5.99 (usually £11.99) Colour – pale straw Smell – root vegetable Taste – gooseberry, tart but fresh. Goes well with – Sunny days and probably most food. Overall score – 3.5/5

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Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon – Weekly Winedown #44

Anna — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:18:57 +0000

It seems like winter is well and truly here. Storm Ali has been swiftly followed by Storm Bronagh and, whilst we’re lucky enough to not be suffering any damage right here, it has played merry hell with my hair. Lifting it up, blowing it all about and such like. Anyway. Last weeks Blog On weekend was blooming brilliant, I met up with friends, drank gin and listened to lots of knowledgeable people talk. I returned home super inspired! Unfortunately I was also pretty tired, given my old age it seems it now takes me DAYS to get over fun and so, my to do list remains lengthy. You don’t need to know that though. You need to know that this week we are going to partake in a Chilean red, say HOLA… Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon I chose this because it was on offer at £5.99, there was actually little else that screamed out to me on this occasion. The label is, well, simple. It’s white, red and black – the most excellent of colour schemes. A very clean label, with easy to read font and just fact on the front. That’s what I want in a label, not all the noise like on the Starve Dog Lane last week, you can read about that here. The Blurb “A ripe full bodied wine with concentrated blackcurrant fruit flavour, dark chocolate notes on the long velvety finish. This wine is a great match with grilled steak, roasted lamb and tomato based pasta dishes.” I do get excited when chocolate is thrown into the description, it NEVER tastes of chocolate but is often a good winter wine. We’ll see! Well, the ‘nose’ is fruity and slightly smokey, not entirely unpleasant. In fact it’s a smell that makes me very excited to try the wine. The taste does not match the smell, I was expecting something really dry and full bodied. This was light and fruity – almost sweet and a touch oaky. Not quite Pinot Noir but a lot lighter than I expect or want a Cabernet Sauvignon to be! It’s also a bit thin. I don’t like thin wine. My bouche is most certainly not amused this evening. Even at the special offer price, I probably wouldn’t bother if I were you. There are plenty of better wines for the same price. Name – Santa Carolina Cabernet Sauvignon Price – £5.99 (usually £8.99) Colour – A rich red. Smell – Light and fruity Taste – Fruity blackcurrant and a little woody (snort laugh) Goes well with – Despair and chocolate after being dumped. Overall score – 2.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #43 Starve Dog Lane Merlot

Anna — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:34:45 +0000

Crikey, it feels like barely seven days since last Friday yet here it is again. Not that I’m complaining, I love a good Friday. Maybe not quite as much as I did eight years ago… Some people find it weird that I look forward to the weekend when I don’t work. After all as a stay a home mum EVERY day is like a weekend AMIRIGHT?!? Yeah, no. Not even close. I love the weekend because it means I can get to slack off a bit on the parenting and I can have grown up conversation any time I want. It’s brilliant! I am particularly looking forward to this weekend as I’m popping off to Manchester for a blogging conference where I will not only be learning how to take over the world but will also be meeting up with loads of blogging friends and attending a Christmas party too! What’s not to love?! Anyway, that’s tomorrow and this is now. I have chosen this weeks wine on label alone. Starve Dog Lane Merlot Not the most attractive of names I know but the label it so pretty. An electric blue wall with a dogs head painted on to it and the name and tagline in a stencil effect. I’m not selling it am I? Just look at the picture, it’s eye catching. It’s blue. I chose it. The label did it’s job very well. The Blurb “If you’re hungry for something different, feed your curiosity and follow your nose to Starve Dog Lane and hit your tastebuds with a wine that breaks the rules – in a good way” “Our top dog winemaker is like a dog with new tricks and likes to shake things up. These cheeky rascals have been crafted with top notch grapes but unconventional methods to make you sit up and beg for more” “This wine barks with rich red jammy fruit flavours, soft tanins and a strokably smooth finish”. That’s a LOT of information on the back of a wine bottle. Maybe a little too much for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I like a little story but this is all a bit ‘craft beer’ for my liking. It’s trying to hard. It’s made me pull my unimpressed face. All of those words and it only really offers jammy and smooth. When was the last time YOU were impressed by jammy and smooth? Unless of course it was strawberry jam without bits? IS THIS HIPSTER WINE? I digress. Let’s drink! The smell is lovely and light with a hint of liquorice. Like autumn in a glass – perfect for this FREEZING September evening. The first mouthful offers a burst of fruit, it’s a more full bodied Merlot than usual with a soft, almost vanilla finish. It’s a proper easy drinker. The kind of wine you want to drink in front of a cosy fire, in a log cabin in the snow. I had gotten myself that irate by the label and all the writing, I was ready to write this off as pretentious guff but it is actually really bloody lovely. I would definitely stock up when it’s on offer, though given how good it is the full price of £7.50 isn’t a bad price. This is the wine that winter is made for. Name – Starve Dog Lane Merlot Price – £5.99 (usually £7.50) Colour – Deep purple (not the band). Smell – light fruit and liquorice. Taste – Fruity with a touch of vanilla. Goes well with – Cosy fires and Grandma blankets. Overall score – a solid 4.5/5 Love it!

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Weekly Winedown #42 Head Honcho Merlot

Anna — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:22:15 +0000

Well, it’s been a while but the winedown is back! For now at least. Can you believe it has been 62 whole days since my last weekly winedown? SIXTY TWO DAYS. God didn’t even flood Noah for that long. That’s one epic break. The worst thing about it is, not only have you missed out on my wine-y goodness, but in that whole time I have nothing to tell you. Or rather I have a lot but not enough time! We’ve been to a wedding in the Czech Republic – Czech beer is amazing. We drove from Czech to the South of France via Austria, Italy and Germany. It took days but was beautiful. I have turned 40 which is actually exactly the same as 39 except I fell over and thought I’d broken my ankle. We had our amazing wedding reception a whole five months after the big day. It’s been a fun packed 62 days yet nothing really to tell you about. ANYWAY. Let’s crack on. This week wine is a Chilean Merlot, usually a firm favourite. Head Honcho Merlot was chosen for me by my mum and in familial fashion, she chose it for it’s label which is the exact same reason I’d have chosen it! Head Honcho Merlot Label Look at it. Just look at it. It’s bloody beautiful – very Alice in Wonderland. There’s a cat in a top hat and smoking jacket, he has human hands and is writing with a quill. There’s a flamingo with a vulture on his back. An ostrich just taking a look at what’s going on and a heron looking at a kingfisher while a snake sits watching. What is not to love? Head Honcho Merlot blurb “Screaming with plums and black cherries. Drink it with a pulled pork roll” Ahhhh pulled pork roll, that Chilean classic. It’s quite a bossy label but you know what? I like it. It’s a jammy nose with a slight hint of clove. I don’t mean jammy like the bad ‘wine term’ jammy. I mean it smells like jam. The taste is round and full, rather pleasant. Certainly a hit of cherries and tart plums with a softly spice finished. This may not be the most highbrow wine but it is an easy drinker. Name – Head Honcho Merlot Price – £6.50 Colour – Deep red Smell – Jam and cloves Taste – Cherries and plums with a hint of spice Goes well with – A catch up with friends and idle chit chat. Overall score – 3.5/5 – an easy drinker.

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Weekly Winedown #41 Colpasso Primitivo

Anna — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 18:17:44 +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. Forgive me for I have sinned, It’s been three whole weeks since my last winedown. THAT’S how bad the English wine was! Even thinking about it now makes me shudder. For reasons unknown, I’ve barely consumed any wine over the last few weeks. My allegiance seems to have changed to gin, saying that I DID share a rather nice bottle of Zinfandel with a friend last Friday and it looks like my wine passion has been reignited! That and the fact I stacked it on the school run today which means it’s a need wine kind of a day. After weeks of lousy weather, we have a heat wave coming (allegedly), this teamed with the fact we are going away in a month makes me VERY happy and so sent me to Italy for my wine choice today. Let us say Ciao Bella to Colpasso Primitivo, an Italian red from the Puglia. Sounds exciting right? Let’s see! The Label I like the label, it’s cheery. It’s like the floor tiles you get in a Mediterranean villa or tavern type place. You know the lovely, rustic little local places owned by very old, very Italian people. Like I’ve seen on the TV. It’s a very attractive label, it’s creating a summer vibe and I’m sucking it up! The Blurb Primitivo has been grown in the region of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, for hundreds of years. Colpasso Primitivo is the perfect combination of local tradition and modern wine-making, being robust at the same time as smooth and silky. Rich in fruit with a certain “savoury” feel, Colpasso Primitivo has an abundance of ripe, dark berry flavours and is the perfect accompaniment to rich, meaty pasta dishes. Well, that sounds busy doesn’t it? Old and new, strong and smooth, fruit and savoury…it’s certainly hedging it’s bets. Let’s see if it is the glass of sunshine I’m hoping for! Hmm, so, when I pour it looks thin. A trait of an insipid wine. With an aroma of warm rubber and sweet fruit, it’s not the most appetising smell, especially as this has to go in my mouth. The taste is certainly smooth, I was expecting something a little more full bodied with a hint of spice maybe. It was more dark fruits and a little bitter. Using the benchmark set by the English wine THIS IS AMAZING. Using other wines as a benchmark, maybe not quite so. It’s inoffensive, not worth shouting about. If you want to spend £7.99 on wine, I’d suggest going to Aldi and buying their premium/prestige Zinfandel. I have popped the rest of this bottle in the fridge as I think chilled, it will lose some of that bitter edge and become a decent vin. Name – The Colpasso Primitivo Price – £7.49 Colour – A light red Smell – warm and rubbery Taste – Dark berries but bitter Goes well with – Hopefully a big fat curry Overall score – 3/5 – painfully average.

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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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Mums Go Wild aka Mums Night Out!

Anna — Mon, 14 May 2018 13:12:57 +0000

One of the biggest events in any Mum’s diary is Mums Night Out (just mine? Oh OK). You know the one, it used to be called Girls Night Out and then you had children and it took on a slightly different dimension. Mums Night Out provides the opportunity for you and your mum friends to let your hair down, try to grab back a bit of the person you once were. A nod back to your young and more debauched days. It’s doesn’t happen as often as you’d like but when it does it’s an absolute BLAST. It also follows a very similar timetable up and down the land… Mums Night Out 7pm Mums Night Out always starts on time. The Mums arrive eyes shining with delight and slightly flushed. Part caused by excitement and part caused by shoving the kids towards an appropriate adult while sprinting out of the door. There will be a LOT of navy and white stripes. I’ve no idea why Mums veer toward that nautical look but it happens to us all. 7.05pm Time for a second drink, The first has been necked as if they expect it to be whisked from their hand or, worse still, SHARED. Underneath their chosen table will resemble the hold of a plane. Oversized handbags full of wet wipes, snacks, toys and spare socks. 7.30pm After a frantic texting session, one Mum realises she’s fighting a lost cause. Her face will be etched with despair as she realises it’s all going down at home and this wasn’t to be her night. She downs the rest of her Merlot and bids a sad farewell. 7.45pm By now, the empties on the table suggest a group twice the size – more ‘Rugby Lads on Tour’ than Mums night out. Conversation has moved on to inappropriate letching and the objectification of men, namely Mr Bloom, Mister Maker, Dr Ranj and whomever may have read the Cbeebies bedtime story recently. There will be at least one declaration of ‘he can read me a bedtime story any time‘. Josh Homme, I’m looking at you… *sultry wink that looks more like I’ve got something in my eye* 8.00pm The fast flowing beverages and previous conversation lead to absolute hysterics and actuLOLing. This in turn leads to a look of panic and 75% of the group rushing to the toilet and cursing their weak pelvic floors. 8.15pm The group has naturally divided into two. Those who can’t stop talking about their children/school/being a mum and those who have started to forget they even have children. Then the inevitable happens, shots are suggested. Hold onto your hats, things are going to get lairy. 8.30pm A Sambucca or two leads to animated conversations about nights out in the BC years. Reminiscing about pubs and clubs that are probably closed now. Upon realising that they all attended the same club nights in town back in the day they talk about the chances that paths could have crossed ten years ago and yet it was birthing humans that bought this group together rather than shared interests and being cool. Then it happens, those words are uttered… “Let’s head into town tonight, make a night of it! It’ll be absolutely immense” “Yes! Let’s make a night of it!” 9.15pm After a fair amount of Googling to see where the cool kids go these days and a bit of discussion, going into town is put on the back burner. After all, it is Wednesday and the kids still need taking to school in the morning. The youngest won’t nap whilst you’re hanging and Lord KNOWS life as a parent is tough enough without throwing an old school hangover into the mix. In fact it’s getting quite late already so we should probably be heading home now. Next time though. Without a doubt. 9.30pm Drinks are finished off, oversized bags are retrieved and Ubers are summoned. Everyone has had the best night and decide Mums Night Out really must be a regular thing, just not the last Wednesday of the month or the one when the PTA happens. And maybe not Friday or Saturday because, that’s the weekend. And Tuesdays and Thursdays are no good but YES! A plan will be made. 10pm Pizza has been consumed, leftovers are in the kitchen ready to announce your crime to your family and remind you of your midweek drunken shame. Make up is removed and it is bedtime. You give yourself a congratulatory high-five for being able to have a top night out AND be in bed for your usual time. For once you’re winning at adulting. Now for a good 8 hours before the smalls wake up, if only the bed would stop spinning….

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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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