Two reds, a white and a new beer

The first red enjoyed this week was from Majestic and is a favourite of ours. The label is very striking, the passion flower artwork so intricate. 

Tarima is 100% Monasrell from the Alicante region of Spain. Grown on a lime soil which holds little water this grape grows in very dry conditions which helps force the rich flavours into the fruit. 

After fermentation in vats the wine is matured in French barrels for six months. This Monastrell wine is a deep red in colour with inky purple highlights, its aroma gives notes of liquorice and floral notes with its flavour being cherry fruit, chocolate and herbs edges. It's a smooth full wine with a lovely depth and good length to its finish. 

Yarrunga Field is a wine we have purchased before from Laithwaites but a white wine. This was the first time we had tasted Yarrunga Field Durif and it has certainly now been added to our wine list. 

Another deep red purple wine filled with blackberries and plums. There's a soft sweet spice with vanilla notes to the lengthy finish of this Special Reserve Australian wine, it's certainly a good wine.

Sauvignon Blanc is my favourite white wine, I do enjoy many other grape varieties but, even including reds, it is my top choice. Ara Pathway is from Marlborough, an area renowned for producing full flavoured Sauvignon Blanc wine. 

The Ara aroma is full of citrus, orange and herbs, its pale yellow colour leads to a palate of green apple and lime. It's a strong crisp wine with citrus high notes and a medium finish. Although I lean towards the softer French Sauvignon Blanc wines this was superb and will be added to our next Majestic purchases.

This week we also enjoyed a beer from Gloucester Brewery, a place we visited whilst on a mini-break in late November last year. 

We purchased a variety of beers to try at home and chose Neipa as our first tasting. A New England IPA it is quite a hoppy beer with tropical edges of flavour which was very refreshing. I'm looking forward to trying the others.

This next week brings a sense of normality as on Friday our friends are with us for dinner. I always enjoy planning our food and pairing drinks, I've a few ideas already!