Easter wine tasting

 Easter Saturday was our latest wine tasting with our friends at our scout group. We have recently secured grants for new windows and new flooring thanks to our local council and The King's Trust repainted our hall over the February half term so the building is starting to look amazing. We still have work to do, in particular we are needing to refurbish our toilets so we can include accessible facilities, so we are looking at grant funding for this.

Anyhow the room looked lovely all set up for our wine tasting, with a mini quiz and an Easter treat for all.

We began our evening trying something new, last tasting we tried vermouth this time La Gitana sherry was our new tasting. It isn't something I like and I didn't know if the others would but as Tesco had it on clearance at under £3.00 it seemed too good an option to miss. Unfortunately it wasn't well liked but I guess it probably tastes amazing out in Spain on a very hot day served very cold. 

Our tastings were in twos as not everyone likes white and not everyone likes red so tasting in pairs gives everyone a choice of wine when we pause mid tasting for our buffet.  Our first wines were The Traitor from Majestic, yes it was the label that caught my eye. 

The Traitor white was 100% Sauvignon Blanc and the red 40% Carmenere 40% Syrah and 20% Malbec. Both wines were from the Central Valley in Chile and were produced by Vina Casa Solis one of the big Spanish wine producers who also make the Guv'nor wine. The company invested 45 million euro in buying new sites in Chile and sourcing vines from the various Chilean regions. The name Traitor is from the legend of a young woman named Ananuca. She died from a broken heart after being betrayed by a miner and his quest for treasure. The day after her burial the valley was covered in vibrant red flowers and so were given her name and feature on the label of these lovely wines.

As soon as I looked into researching these wines I knew we had visited them in Chateauneuf du Pape. Leon Perdigal was the first wine maker of Ogier, one of France's top producers of Cote du Rhone wine. 

At previous tasting we have enjoyed this red and the white but we have not tasted the rosé until now. Both wines are made with  Syrah and Grenache grapes but the rosé also has Cinsault and the red Mourvedre. As expected these wines were very well received, we do all seem to enjoy this style of French wine. 

After our buffet we moved on to two wines from Aldi, both in the Unearthed range, a selection of wine Aldi have sourced from little known vineyards. Unearthed Beira Interior is a white wine mage from Roupeiro, Fontae Cal, Malvasia and Arinto grapes in Portugal in the Beira region at high altitude. Again it wasn't until I was researching the wine that I discovered it had featured on Saturday Kitchen recommended by Olly Smith. 

Our Unearthed red was from a region of Southern France I know very well as we have holidayed there many times including last year in the area of this appellation Minervois. Montagnes du Paradis is a blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault and is made for Aldi by Chassaux et Fils. It was probably my favourite of the evening as it certainly brought back memories of warm sunny days last June in France.

We stayed in France for our final pair, Beau-Rivage Bordeaux Blanc and Bordeaux Rouge. Their name means beautiful shore and these wines are produced near the banks of the Gironde river on a terroir of gravel and silt. Produced by a family owned winemaker since 1870 these wines are produced exclusively for Majestic.

Bordeaux Blanc was predominately Sauvignon Blanc with the addition of Semillon giving it a rounded flavour with floral highlights. Bordeaux Rouge has an abundance of red fruits coming from its two grapes, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our final wine did not have a pair, we wanted to enjoy it on its own. Fabula de Panzia Carinena is a Spanish wine from Lidl made from Carignan. It is made by a 60 year old Bodega with over 3000 hectares of vines in the village of Carinena. This wine maker has six different labels all of which have their own fable. The fable on our bottle was 'And for being so honest and sincere, she received the name of her land'.

We had a super evening as always, discovering new wines and flavours and perhaps understanding more about which wines we prefer and where they are from. It is always fun, if hardwork, to host these events and I'm already thinking about which wines to try next. 

January Wine Tasting

Last month was the first wine tasting of 2024, I can't believe we have now been doing these tastings for ten years. I know for certain everyone's' tastes have changed, so has their wine buying. 

I began hosting wine tastings when our scout group celebrated its 100th birthday and during 2014 Hubby and I presented 100 wines for the adults in our Group to enjoy. It has been an amazing success. This is the link to my final post summing up our year of tasting - Grande Finale - you'll find links to all the 100 tastings there too.

Our tasting set up in our Scout HQ

So back to now and our January 2024 tasting which was a mixture of new discoveries and a little bit of comparing. We had two sparkling wines, one to begin and one to finish, with five whites and five reds in between. Our selection was mainly from Morrison's with a couple of wines from Tesco and Aldi.

Our sparkling white wine was Radacini Blanc de Noir  Morrison's £6.00. I certainly haven't tried a Blanc de Noir made from Cabernet Sauvignon before and it was my first sparkling wine from Moldova.

Moldova has a large production of wine which was previously been supplied to the former USSR. With markets changing these wines are now becoming seen in many European countries. Radacini is made using the charmat method, also called cuvé close or the tank method. The grape juice is mixed in stainless steel pressurised tanks with sugar and yeast so the fermentation occurs in a closed system. As the carbon dioxide cannot escape it is dissolved into the wine producing the bubbles.

Everyone enjoyed this wine with its cherry and apple aromas which were also in its flavour along with melon and a hint of white pepper. With slight acidity this was a very enjoyable glass of bubbly. 

Our white selection began with a Sauvignon Blanc following through to comparing two Chardonnay wines. There was quite a mixed opinion on a few of the selections. 

McGuigan Gold Label Sauvignon Blanc - Morrison's £7.50 

Having previously included McGuigan red wines I thought it would be good to try a white, especially a Sauvignon Blanc which is my favourite grape. With over 100 years, and three generations, of winemaking this Hunter Valley wine promised gooseberries and citrus but I couldn't find any. In fact myself and a few other tasters thought that in a blind tasting this could be thought to be a Chardonnay. 

Alzar (Concha y Toro) Sauvignon Blanc, Pedro Jimenez - Morrison's £7.00

This wine is from South America from one of the biggest wine producers which includes Cono Sur, Trivento and Casillero del Diablo. It was a new for all of us having only previously had Pedro Jimenez sherry from Spain, which is where this grape originates. It is used in Chile to make a clear spirit called pisco - something to look out for as I have not heard or seen this before. I really enjoyed this wine, it had the soft characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc with a slight sweetness on the finish, I think this would match a cheese platter very well especially if Manchengo cheese was included. 

Verdeca - Morrison's Best £6.50

A white grape with greenness which you could see in the glass this wine also included some Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia Bianco (a grape found in the Canary Islands, Maderia and Balearic Islands). From Puglia, the heel of Italy, this Verdeca had been oaked for three months which gave is a light vanilla flavour along with figs and lemon citrus. It was a new wine to most and the general thoughts were although nice it was more of a summer white enjoyed in warmer weather, which matches exactly to its origin.

.

Grand Conseiller Bouchard Aine et Fils Chardoinnay - Tesco £8.50

The first of our comparison Chardonnay wines was from Burgundy in France, a Beaune appellation that was granted in 2009. The wine house itself was started in the mid 1800s , already 5th generation winemakers they went on to found a winemaking school. Et Fils in the name refers to the continuing generations (sons) of winemakers. I'm unsure as to whether this was oaked as there was a very slight vanilla flavour but it was predominantly full of honey, candies fruits with floral notes. 

Trapiche Reserve Chardonnay - Tesco £7.25

Our second comparison, and final white wine, was from Argentina and had been aged in French and American oak. Grown at high altitude on the foot hills of the Andes mountains this wine had plenty of rich flavours. Full of brioche, pear and lemon it was a delicious Chardonnay and my preferred one of the two although they were very similar despite being grown and produce in very different climates. 

Our red selection also included a comparison which we began with, two Merlot wines. 

Apothic Merlot - Tesco £8.50

A few of our tasters really enjoy Californian wines especially Merlot so this was a perfect wine to include, they loved it. Merlot grape is a midnight blue in colour which the winemakers mirrored in their labelling. The name Apothic derives from Apothica, a 13th century European winemakers sanctuary for blending wines. This New World Merlot was full of  dark fruits, especially blackberries and vanilla. A new label to all our tasters but one I know they will be seeking out. 

Luis Felipe Edwards Merlot - Tesco £8.50

Our second Merlot was still New World in the Americas but more southerly. This winemaking family began in 1976 and with over 1850 hectares of estates produces Chilean wine for the world market that had a boost in 1990. This red was quite similar to the first Merlot but had added flavours of plums and cherries, enhanced by plenty of vanilla on its lengthy finish. It's hard to say which Merlot was preferred as both were very much enjoyed by everyone. 

Pata Negra Rioja Tempranillo - Morrison's £7.50

Not a wine for me but loved by my Hubby this Tempranillo Rioja was packed with dark red fruits, cloves and vanilla. Rioja, in Spain, has three main areas; alta, alavesa and oriental, influenced by the climates of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Oriental (inland) respectively. This wine was produced on the alavesa area benefiting very hot and extreme cold climate. It had been oaked for 18 months in French and American barrels. 

Campo Viejo Rioja Garnacha - Morrison's £7.50

It isn't Rioja wine I can't take to it is the Tempanillo grape so finding this Rioja made from Granacha was perfect for me. Made by Spain's leading producer and part of the Pernod Richard group this wine is available everywhere, it's very vibrant labelling certainly stands out in the wine aisles. I much preferred this wine, plenty of strawberries, raspberries and cherries with a soft violet floral high note. If only all Rioja were made of this grape ... for me anyway. 

Colpasso Appassimento Nero d'Avola - Morrison's £8.00

Our final red was from Italy, with a beautiful tiled label tributed to Greek mythology, specifically Dionysus the God of winemaking, grape harvest and dance. The best grapes for this wine are picked mid September and dried for 3-4 weeks, after which they are fermented. The remaining grapes are left on the vines until well ripened when they are picked and also fermented. The two fermented wines are then blended together to make this Colpasso Appassimento. Of all the reds we tasted this had the most spice and pepperiness, it wasn't overpowering and added depth to the rich cherry flavours. 

Our final red was a Sparkling Shiraz, saved until last as a totally new wine to everyone, including myself and Hubby. We discovered this wine in Aldi £6.99 .... and to be brutally honest it can stay there. It isn't often I am lost to find something positive in a glass of wine but this left me shaking my head and was so disappointing. 

It was difficult to discover any details about this wine which, in hindsight, should have been a warning. Although black cherries, redcurrants and liqueur chocolate was mentioned as flavours all that came through was such a chemical flavour, no-one liked it at all. 

We certainly had another fun evening discovering more about wine and our preferred tastes. I know there will be some wines purchased and some left on the shelf but that's the fun of our tastings ... roll on the next one when I have a few surprises in mind!

Aldi 19th Tasting Panel

I have been very lucky to have been chosen to review wine for Aldi in the past and again just before Christmas. These are my previous tastings and review:

17th Tasting Panel 

14th Tasting Panel 

8th Tasting Panel

4th Tasting Panel 

Cocktail Time 

The 19th tasting panel had three tastings; This Italian Sangiovese Loves ..: Organic Prosecco; and Freeman's Bay Pinot Gris

This Sangiovese loves ... 

I really enjoy Sangiovese wine, a grape variety I think is always best with food, but not necessarily a full dinner. As we had eaten out at lunch we enjoyed this red wine with savoury snacks: nuts, crisps and mini cheddar biscuits. 

It had a very inviting glistening red colour when poured and a great fruity nose. I found it full of flavour, namely cherries and dark fruits with a medium body and good finish that had just a hint of tannins. 

Although branded as a wine with food .... pizza or pasta ... I really enjoyed this with our few snacks. 

Organic Prosecco

I usually find Prosecco has large bubbles, probably due to the carbon dioxide being added in a similar way to fizzy pop, but this glass of bubbles was light and very elegant. 

We didn't have the opportunity to open it over Christmas or New Year but did enjoy it in early January with a pasta bake.

It was superb, as I mention lovely soft small bubbles a plenty filled the glass. A nose and flavour of ripe pears and light citrus, it was very clean in the mouth with a long smooth finish, very soft. 

Hubby and I enjoy many sparkling wines; my preference is French  and a dry wine rather than overly citrus. This Extra Dry Italian Organic Prosecco is definitely one I'd buy again, especially as the winery is eco-friendly using renewable energy where possible. 

Freeman's Bay Pinot Gris

The final wine of this tasting was Freeman's Bay Pinot Gris, another Italian grape I enjoy. This wine I drank chilled and on its own. 

A great pear colour in the glass with a distinctive floral nose of honeysuckle, a little sweet in its aroma which did have me wonder if I would enjoy it. 

And on tasting I did ... a flavour of pear and white fruit. It was a light wine with a short finish and I was pleased I had not paired this with an food as i feel it may have been overpowered. 

It would be a perfect, chilled, on a warm spring day in the garden with the freshness of spring and the light blossoms.

Thank you Aldi for choosing me again to review your lovely wines.

Two red, two white

A real mix this week, two red wines and two white: non opened for any celebration but all chosen for a reason.

The first being this month's tasting on Cuvée Reserve, the online wine forum I happily host. This month it was my Hubby's turn to choose our wine for reviewing: it must be available from a mainstream supermarkets and under £10.

Nick's choice was Asda Extra Special Carménére; originally this French grape was grown in the Bordeaux region and mainly used in blending.

Its name derives from carmin (crimson in French) and refers to the colour of the vine leaves in autumn. Carménére is now one of the most popular grapes grown in Chile and is used to produce single grape wines as opposed to just blending.

We both enjoyed this deep claret coloured wine with its oaky, faintly vanilla nose. There was a hint of liquorice too on the nose which was also evident in its flavour. A very smooth wine, full of sour cherries, spice and subtle tannins from being in American oak barrels.

It was a very drinkable wine and great value, certainly one we'll buy again although not all members of Cuvée Reserve agreed. Wine is such a complex subject and we all have such varied tastes - the monthly tastings are a superb chance to try wines we would perhaps not of chosen ourselves.

I wonder what March's will be.

The second red we tried this month was also Hubby's, this time a gift on his recent retirement.

We really enjoy Aldi Wines (the focus of our latest great wine tasting based on Quirky Bottles) but had not tried their Exquisite Collection Malbec: another from South America this 2017 Argentinian wine was a little surprising.

Initially we were unsure, very little fruit on the nose or the palate although a great deep red in the glass.

However after an hour or so it suddenly sprang to life - plenty of dark fruit, quite jammy with a smoothness of chocolate.

Its finished lengthened the longer it rested in the glass, certainly a wine that needs decanting and time to develop. It's a great price and allowing it breathing time puts it another on our to buy again list.


And so to the two whites - both from Majestic and as with the reds both new wines.

Tu Meke Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favourite wines from Majestic but I have not tried their Chardonnay. It is currently on offer at an unbelievable price, an ideal time to add one to our basket on a recent trip.

Chardonnay is such a different wine to my favoured Sauvignon Blanc in many ways, the first being the colour in the glass. A much deeper yellow, giving a thicker impression but still having sparkling highlights.

Nicely chilled its nose was quite peachy with a hint of citrus. This was echoed in its flavour; plenty of peaches, nectarines and white stone fruit it had a lovely creaminess to its body. It's finish was dry with some length and was a perfect match for my chicken stir fry meal.

Another beautiful wine from Tu Meke - their Pinot Grigio is another I have yet to try.

My second white and final of the four is another from Majestic - Carrro de Santa Maria. I'm not particularly fond of Spanish wine, especially red, but as this was also on offer it seemed rude not to try .... and I'm glad I did.

It was specially produced for Majestic with some input from their Head Buyer. I've tasted Verdejo grape before but not Viura so I was quite keen to try this wine.

A lovely golden yellow in colour with a mineral nose that I found quite inviting. Plenty of apple, plenty of citrus with a bright acidity this wasn't too dissimilar to Sauvignon Blanc, I really enjoyed it.

Two reds and two whites all different, all enjoyed. As I said before there is a world of wines and so many I have yet to discover, helped by attending Wine Shows - our next is Love Wine at Guildford on 24th March where I am sure we'll find many treasures!

Quirky Bottles

It was Wine Tasting night last Saturday at our Scout Group - yes just for the adults. Regular visitors to my blog will know that these evenings started in 2014 as part of our 100th year celebrations but are so popular I now host about three or four a year.

There seems to be a trend appearing to have unusual wine labels instead of classic style labels - last year Majestic introduced a new range 'Majestic Loves' with great art work on the labels. Our friends came over to try a few last spring, you can read about our discoveries in my 'Duo of Quatre wines' post.

That said I decided to focus on unusual or quirky labels for this tasting and doing a little research discovered quite an extensive range at Aldi - Wonderful World of Wine. It was great fun choosing which wines to include, especially as some were new, either the grape or the country the wine was from.

Our first selection

Our second selection

Our two selections are separated by our buffet, a great chance to chat about the wines we tasted from the first section and enjoy a glass of our favourite. Everyone brings a plate or two of food which we put on a large table to make a sharing buffet, there's always cheese, bread, pork pie and other delicious nibbles.

To start our evening we had a little celebration. Hubby donated a bottle of Heidsieck Gold Top for us all to toast his retirement. It's a great bottle of bubbles, dry but not overly so with an abundance of small bubbles and a lovely biscuity flavour.

Our first wine was Pardon my French 'Gastonomy', a peachy tropical white wine made from Colombard grapes.

Everyone enjoyed this wine finding it very refreshing and evoking thoughts of warm summer days in the garden, although no-one wanted a garden of snails!

Our second was also Pardon my French - Ventoux a Grenache, Carignan, Syrah. Ventoux is the highest mountain in Provence and often part of the Tour de France cycle race hence the cyclist label.

This wine had plenty of dark red fruits with a hint of liquorice, although nice it could have had a little more depth.

Our third and fourth wines were new grapes for everyone to try. Isola Zibibbo from Italy was another 'summer garden' wine.

Lovely and light in colour, quite a floral nose and a mouth full of apricots with a subtle hint of mineral to give an edge to its finish.

Animus Douro was made from three grapes; Tinto Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca. As with our first red it was full of dark red fruits but with cedar notes and soft tannins. This Portuguese wine was certainly one of the evenings's favourite wines.

Our final white before our buffet had everyone laughing ... not at the wine but at me. For some reason I thought the label was a frog (I have just finished reading Wind in the Willows) but realised it is a Great White Shark hence the name 'The Grape White'.

Unusually from South Africa this Pinot Grigio was full of peaches and nectarines. A smooth wine with citrus notes and a long finish, I found it very enjoyable and easy drinking.

This final red before our break was the only wine of the evening I had tasted before as a member of Aldi's 17th Tasting Panel. Estevez Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenére and Syrah is a deep red, full of fruit with peppery notes.

It has a hint of coffee and is slightly oaked, it was a great wine to go with the mixed meats on our buffet and was also good with the stronger cheeses.

The labels on our first six bottles were certainly unusual and the reverse labels had changed too. There was very little information about the actual flavours in the wine, more of a general note and information about the wine's origins. I find it very interesting to watch wine trends; grapes that come in and out of favour, label styles, providence information being important and tasting notes less so. I wonder where wine and labeling will go next?


France was our next country as we started our second section with The Forgotten One with a label featuring penguins!

This white Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc was as expected full of tropical fruits, grapefruit and citrus. It  was a great palate cleanser after all our nibbles, one I'll be buying again for sure.

Chile next for a bottle of Malbec which is often from neighbouring South American countries. Quite a bold font on this Quisco label with a spikey cactus, which mirrored it's bold fruit flavour and hit of dark chocolate.

Our penultimate white was from Romania, Noctilio a Transylvanian Chardonnay. Such and impressive red label, quite dazzling.

The wine itself was surprisingly smooth; lemon, apple, vanilla and oak combining together leaving a long finish in the mouth.

Down the Lane is a Shiraz Tempranillo from Australia although it's label is quite Spanish/Mexican looking. It has all the characteristics of a Spanish Tempranillo and although a little lighter it had a good spice to its finish.

Our final white was from Germany. In my late teens/early twenties German wine was the main wine available but I don't remember having a Pinot Blanc which was the grape in Lot 18 from Baden.

Quite a crisp wine with pears and nectarines being the dominant flavour this was a lovely wine. This white would be perfect for a roast chicken dinner.

Our final red was Odd Lot, a Petit Syrah, Petit Verdot wine from California. It was jam packed with fruit, very rich with a touch of sweetness.

Initially it provokes a 'oohhh mmmm' amongst our tasters but everyone soon agreed that one glass was enough as it was a bit too jammy and overpowering.

Thanks Aldi for a great selection of wine, all our wines brought a quirkiness to the evening - the labels, the new grapes and plenty of new flavours. To finish our evening I took along Maynard's Pink Port I had opened at Christmas. In fact it was the tasting wine for Cuvée Reserve in December - you can read the reviews here.

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Quirky tasting - these events are always great fun. I wonder what theme we'll have for our next one in a few month's time.

That's a good one !

Whilst in France last year we visited BeauVignac, one of the Languedoc's largest producers especially in the Etang du Thau area. When visiting these huge caveau it's hard to take it all in, especially if only a 'calling by' visit.

Everyone is always so helpful, so knowledgeable and ready to pour any (if not all) of their wines: another problem if driving by. You can read more about our visits to the caveau and domaines we visited in my previous post Wines of Languedoc 

One bottle at BeauVignac that caught our eye and was superb on tasting was Moelleux Blanc. It's blue bottle shone out amongst the usual green and white - especially with it's clear glistening contents.

Le Moelleux is a sweet wine but not a dessert wine. a floral nose with sweet citrus notes. It's flavour was full of oranges and lemons, citrusy yet slightly sweet, with floral highlights. A lovely finish that despite its sweetness was neither cloying or syrup. A blend of Picpoul Blanc and Colombard (grapes used in producing Cognac) it's a light wine at 10.5% with a slight watery edge but the finish is soft and long.

All told this was a very enjoyable wine; its look in the bottle and out, its nose, its flavour and its finish. We will be bringing more than the one bottle next time we're near the Etang du Thau.

Another 'good one' we have recently enjoyed is my penultimate tasting for Aldi's 17th Wine Panel. Estevez Chilean Cabernet Carmenére Syrah was a wine I knew I would enjoy settled on the sofa rather than with a meal... and it was!

A deep inviting red that had a great pour and a nose full of fruit with a spicy edge. It was full of dark cherries, plums, dried fruit with such a wonderful warming body. I don't normally enjoy tannins but the tannins in this wine were so soft, developing lightly with the spice, lovely tabacco notes and a smooth long finish.

Its characteristics derive from its three grapes:

Cabernet - its fruitiness

Carmenére - its creamy smoothness

Syrah - its spice

For me this was a bottle to sink into, hence the need to be sofa bound with a few nibbles. It really is a great wine, especially at £4.79 - thank you Aldi.

There are two more wines which I expect to say 'that's a good one' on opening - Canadian Icewine. For Christmas my Hubby gave me a bottle of Lidl Pillitteri Estates Riesling Icewine, as yet unopened as I am waiting to find the deserving dessert and opportunity to enjoy this sweet delight.

Icewine is made from grapes picked in December or January once the temperature has dropped below -8 degrees; Canada's terroir and winters make it ideal. The iced grapes are pressed immediately producing a small amount of highly concenrated juice often referred to as 'The Nectar of the Gods'.

And to our amazement on a visit to Lidl a the weekend it is now reduced to £7.99, as is the Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine - that's an amazing half price. Needless to say I now have both bottles to plan that special dessert/moment for.

I have no idea what wine we'll be opening this week - life is a little strange at the moment with Hubby retiring at the end of the month our plans are as comes just now. However I'm sure whatever it is I'll be letting you know all about it - cheers!

Pre Christmas enjoyment

My latest two tastings for Aldi were just perfect for us - a Sauvignon Blanc for me and a Spanish red for Hubby.

It is a real privileged and treat to be chosen to be a member on their Tasting Panels.

The Project Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is from the Western Cape South Africa and is as geography suggests: not as smooth, subtle and sophisticated as the French yet not as hard hitting and full on like the New Zealand.


A lovely pale yellow in the glass with the base having a slightly green hue. It's nose had plenty of tropical fruits, soft and inviting with that recognisable sauvignon gooseberry nose.

A light taste again sitting between Old and New World, plenty of citrus with pineapple overtones; a very enjoyable wine to drink alone or paired with a light chicken dish, great value at £5.99



The Toro Loco Edicion Memoria 2015 is a brand we have enjoyed before, an exclusive wine at just over £10.

Its dark brooding label is a pointer to its blend of Bobal, Tempranillo and Merlot, giving a deep cherry red that is slightly opaque.

A light peppery nose with hints of oak could have initially offered a little more but did develop as the wine rested in our glasses.

Medium bodied with plenty of red fruits, it was easy drinking, which suited my palate me. However as its oak and tannins did develop so I would prefer to drink it straight away before its length had developed.

Staying with Aldi the tasting for this month at Cuvée Reserve is Maynard's Pink Port.


It was my choice this month and I chose it because although I have (and do) enjoyed Tawny and Ruby Port I have not seen Pink Port before and was intrigued, especially at the reasonable price of £7.99.

It has taken a while to find a bottle as not all stores stock but on a recent trip to Nantwich we found it in their store. I'm looking forward to trying this with a mince pie .... or two.

The reviews will be on Cuvée Reserve from 20th, I wonder what we will all discover.


Late summer we had a lovely holiday in the South of France https://aimetus.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/two-special-vineyards.html during which we visited Domaine Paul Mas. We have been enjoying his wines for quite a few years so were very pleased to be able to visit their caveau.

There were so many wines we had not seen before including a sparkling Picpoul de Pinet and the label Claude Val with its beautiful artwork.

Cote Mas Frisante had all the fun of Southern France beginning with its label, followed by its lively bubbles in the glass.

It was Picpoul de Pinet with added zest - plenty of citrus with that hint of the sea that makes Picpoul the perfect wine with fish.

Not dry or biscuity like champagne, not sweet like prosecco this bottle of bubbles is perfect to be enjoyed on its own, with seafood or even with some soft French cheese - a definite winner for me - I hope it is available in the UK.




Claude Val's label is very eyecatching depicting the ancient town of Pezenas. This brand of three wines, red, white and rose, is a blend of noble and established grapes but is easy drinking without the complexity of higher priced wines.

Claude Val blanc is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, Chasan, Mauzaca and Sauvignon Blanc.

A very pale colour in the glass with a nose of soft white fruit, this wine is so smooth, so easy drinking, it's just lovely.

I can feel a return trip happening as both these Domaine Paul Mas wines are on my to buy again list. I'd love to try these in the garden in the summer as if they were good indoors in the winter I'm presuming they will be even better chilled on a summer's day.

Aldi 17th Tasting Panel

I have been chosen to be one of the tasters for Aldi Wine Club's 17th Tasting Panel.I have been on their wine review panels before and chosen to make and review some cocktails. These are the links to my previous tastings:

14th Tasting Panel 

8th Tasting Panel

4th Tasting Panel 

Cocktail Time 

The 17th Tastings consist of 6 wines and a liqueur to be tasted between now and January. The rules of being a panelist are to review the wines on Aldi's web site and tweet on Twitter about each wine.  

Today I received my first three tastings - thank you Aldi.

The notes below are from Aldi: 

Exquisite Collection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Complex aromas of white stone fruits and blackcurrant leaf give way to flavours of lime-drizzled nectarine and an intriguingly soft texture, with a long and thoughtful finish.

Food Matching: Aperitif, or summer salads and seafood

Taste: Crisp and zingy

Exquisite Collection Plan de Dieu

Dense and concentrated with a nose of scrubland herbs and a plump, warm spiciness. Its ripe black and red cherry flavours are embellished by juicy blackberries and red berry fruits.

Food Matching: Ideal with roast beef, roast lamb and chocolate cake

Taste: Rich and supple

Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur

Treat yourself to this beautifully rich, smooth and creamy Irish Cream Liqueur - a blend of spirit and indulgent fresh dairy cream.

Taste: Smooth and creamy

I'll be trying these over the next few weeks, maybe with friends to see what their taste findings are. Thanks again Aldi, I'll be tweeting soon. 

Duo of Quatre wines

With being less mobile than normal both in and out of the house I have not really had much to blog about. Just a trip to the supermarket is an achievement although we are taking a short break to Kent and France at the end of June so hopefully my travel blogging will return soon.

It will be interesting and I'm sure very different to travel as a disabled person, I will hopefully be on my crutches by then but will still need a wheelchair. We've already had to think about accommodation and travel changes: Travelodge and Ibis have been super with room facilities and we've decided Eurotunnel is best as there isn't much point struggling on deck for a 90 minute crossing.


Anyway more about the stuff I can manage - wine tasting !! I have been very lucky to have been chosen for Aldi's 14th Tasting Panel and so far have received four very nice wines to taste and review. There are six in each tasting and the final two will arrive soon.

Vignobles Roussellet Pinot Noir : a lovely light red, shimmering with highlights, this Pinot Noir is full of soft fruits. A light cherry nose with a very light white pepper background. 

Strawberries, cherries, summer fruits with that subtle pepperiness and soft tannins makes this a very enjoyable wine, perfect for a meat dinner but equally suited to drinking unaccompanied. 

Exquisite Collection Cremant de Jura : full of fine lively bubbles with a beautiful golden colour making it look very elegant. Plenty of apples, hints of citrus, elements of biscuity yeast and a smooth crisp finish. 

This would stand up to many champagnes, we've been buying this for many years and have never been disappointed.

Exquisite Collection South Australian Shiraz : a lovely dark colour which is very inviting. This Shiraz has a full nose of dark fruits; blackcurrants, dark plums but predominantly black cherries.  

This rich wine has hints of liquorice and traces of spice. A lovely weight with a smooth long finish makes this perfect for steak meals or enjoyed on a winter's night.

Exquisite Collection Cótes de Provence Rosé : such an elegant bottle, instantly bringing Southern French holidays to mind. It's crystal clear rose hue is equally inviting. 

Full of summer strawberries with a fun touch of spice this rosé wine is dry but refreshing rosé  and perfect for outside dining.

Thank you Aldi - I really enjoy being part of #AldiWineClub and having the opportunity to taste and review such lovely wines. 

My first trip out after my fall was to Majestic Wine in Leicester where I discovered their new range ' Majestic Loves'  

There are nine different wines and a bottle of fizz in the range. Each bottle is £5.99 and is the result of 500 blind tastings. The artistic designed labels by Jean Jullien and wrap around the bottle. Unusually the label has no branding or grape variety shown on the front of the bottle, all the information is on the reverse. 

The informality of the labels when stood together did give the suggestion of it being party time so we invited a few friends round to help us try this new range and chose two reds and two whites. To make the simplicity of the labels we didn't take tasting notes, just generally chatted about likes and dislikes - sometimes this is the best way to decide on a wine. The notes on each are Majestic's own. 

Majestic Loves 

Majestic Loves… Shiraz 2014 

You can almost hear the sizzling arrival of BBQ season – so don’t get caught without a suitable wine! 

This juicy Shiraz is stuffed full of dark fruit and a subtle spiciness. 

It’s just waiting to do justice to the mightiest meat platter

Majestic Loves… Pinot Grigio 2016

Pinot Grigio is a smart buy for fans of the thirst-quenching Northern Italian style – but this isn’t from Italy. 

From top vineyards in Romania, it has all the hallmarks of its Italian cousins, with plenty of tangy green apple and a refreshing finish.

Majestic Loves… Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2015

This great Montepulciano is full of juicy red fruit and relaxed tannins. 

Exceedingly approachable, easy going and perfect with pizza – everything that great Italian red should be!

.Majestic Loves…  Grüner Veltliner 2016

Grüner Veltliner has long been the go-to wine for lip-smacking refreshment. 

From top Hungarian vineyards our GV is full of fresh lemon,red apple and a delicate spiciness. Brilliantly versatile.

So there's my duo of quatres, two different suppliers with four lovely wines from each. Over the next two weeks I will be reviewing my final two for Aldi and then at the end of the month we'll be discovering new things in Kent and selecting old favourites to bring home from France - plenty to blog about next time !