Sun & showers = good food & wine

What a weekend !! - both weather wise and fun wise !!

Our friends came with us to our lovely caravan on the West Wales coast for the weekend. The weather was very mixed but it didn't hinder our plans. It is always beautiful as Tywyn Photographers show with their frequent photo updates on Facebook and Twitter.

This is my very quickly taken rainbow phone photo from Fairbourne Beach looking at Barmouth Bridge. It was pouring and I really did just quickly point and click :-/

Friday night we dined at Walkers Quality Restaurant in Tywyn which I think has the best fish and chips - my fish combo would have fed all of us and was superb. I had cod, haddock, plaice and scampi - all cooked perfectly and accompanied by their delicious chips.

One of our friends had the fish combo too and the other the sausage and mash - Hubby had a steak and was very impressed. The restaurant is small and booking is advisable but the staff are so welcoming and the food perfect after an evening's drive.

Walker's does serve alcohol and we shared a good bottle of McGuigan Black Label Sauvignon Blanc which was served nicely chilled with an ice bucket.

McGuigan Black Label
Sauvignon Blanc

It was a full-flavoured wine with the signature crispness of a sauvignon; lovely flavours of peach and lime with a light nose of summer grass and mangos. It was a perfect match for my fish combo and although maybe not a first choice did go well with the meat dishes too.

Saturday's weather was very hit and miss; the weather forecast was cloudy but fair early morning building up to heavy showers. We had planned to do Precipice Walk which is reasonably high and as suggests has some tricky footpaths (single file please) so we set off mid morning with cloudy/sunny skies.

It's quite a steep walk in places and fairly rocky so I always need a pole and at times a helping hand too. I couldn't find my modern pole so took my Dad's thumb stick - I haven't got a photo and have left it at the caravan but I'll remedy that next blog. Hubby did catch me having a windswept moment on the viewing bench half way round - I think the view from here is stunning and very much worth the walk.

A much needed bench !!

The view looking down the Mawddach Estuary

The view looking north

The clouds were building as we made our way back round to the car however a beautiful butterfly was just using it to enjoy the final rays before the rain set in.

Enjoying the rays

As you can see from my first photo the rain then arrived and rain it did - so heavy with some thunder. For us is meant an afternoon in the local pub watching the football before returning to the caravan to enjoy a home cooked meal starting with a bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro - one of my prizes from Tesco Wine Community.

Freixenet Cordon Negro

Another great weekend with good friends at a place we love - next year we will be visiting our caravan in it's perfect setting many more times than we've managed this - if you get the chance visit Tywyn and it's surrounding area - you won't be disappointed :-)

Trivento 2012 Reserve Malbec

I was very lucky to be chosen by Tesco Wine Community to be one of their reviewers for Trivento - their 2012 Reserve Malbec.

2012 Trivento Reserve Malbec

So after I enjoyed this red wine I hope you enjoy my review:

My first thoughts were what a classy, stylish bottle - a good label does make a difference.

Hubby and I decided to have this with lamb, initially I did think steak but we decided to do our tasting with lamb for a change - and what a success it was. Our first glass was straight from undoing the bottle and then an hour or so later with our dinner.

The Malbec in the glass was so smooth; it clung to the glass like a velvet crimson coating leaving the tears running with a haze a red. I kept swirling as it really looked so rich.

A definite hit of blackberries for my nose followed by a slight spice, maybe cinnamon. It brought to mind Christmas pudding.

The taste was quite different, a little tannin but not overpowering, slight fruit but a lovely surprise of vanilla. Hubby thought almost icing sugary in texture but not sweet. A warm glow and a mouth of rich fruit was our first after taste.

All of this before we even began eating - and what a difference!! The lamb lifted the fruit in the taste and lessened the tannin. It added to the vanilla in the after taste and brought the wine altogether. A really, really good pairing, which we loved more and more as we enjoyed our dinner.

I did leave a glass until the following day - the colour was same as was the nose but the taste had mellowed. The tannin had lessened to almost nothing, the blackberries were more prominent in the taste and the vanilla has softened slightly. However my preference would be to let it breathe an hour or so but no longer as it was best the day before with our meal.

We had visited the Trivento stand at the Tesco Wine Fair but I tend to do mainly whites at the fairs and missed this one - but I did try Concho Y Toro Otorio Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2006 at the Casillero del Diablo & Trivento stand - beautiful !!

Concho Y Toro Otorio Late Harvest
Sauvignon Blanc 2006

It is so smooth, with the depth of a good sauvignon blanc but with honey syrups, It isn't over sweet just so so smooth and one I will be enjoying over the festive season - I can already image a glass with Christmas pudding or poured over a bowl of Christmas pud ice cream.... maybe I won't wait until Christmas after all practice makes perfect !!

Please leave your comments about my blog or the wines - I love to read them

 - thank you for calling by !!