Drinks of the Month
My top drops in October.
October was a bumper month for supermarket tastings, my recommendations from which will be filtering through over the next few weeks. I also went to Beaujolais for a few days and came back even more in love with the region so it obviously has to head up my selection this month
My top drops in September
September always sees the start of the wine tasting season so it’s harder than ever to pick out the wines - and other drinks - that have made the biggest impression on me. But here’s a selection that I think is worth your attention - for different reasons (though some are definitely for special occasions).
My top drops in August
I’ve not been sure what to do with this section since I moved most of my recommendations to my Substack newsletter Eat This, Drink That (which helps to support this website by the way if you feel inclined to take out a subscription).
Wednesday's Domaine
The thing that most frustrates non-drinkers who are wine-drinkers - including me when I'm taking a day or two off - is the lack of a convincing replacement for wine.
Col del Mundo ‘Sunnae’ Abruzzo Bianco 2020
If you’ve been inclined to dismiss trebbiano as an uninteresting grape variety, think again. I’ve seem it in a whole new light since my trip to Abruzzo last month as you can see from my recent Guardian column.
The Aldi Platinum Jubilee beer range
Hats off to Aldi for creating three such decent and stylishly packaged beers to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee - and at a typically Aldi price
The best Jubilee fizz bargains
If you’re planning to celebrate the Jubilee with a glass - or two - of bubbly you’re not alone. According to Majestic the UK is going to be consuming 114 glasses of fizz per minute over the bank holiday weekend (not sure how they calculate this but fair to say it’s likely to be a fair bit!)
Babylonstoren rosé 2022
OK, I know I wrote about rosé the other week but it’s rosé season, right, and this is the first 2022 wine I’ve tasted this year. Which is pretty remarkable given it’s only May.
Panoramico Rioja rosado 2019
Who thinks about Rioja when it comes to rosé? Well maybe we should, certainly if this stylish example from Panoramico is anything to go by.
Domaine Chevalier-Métrat Côte de Brouilly Les Grillés 2020
If you’re a Beaujolais fan - which I unequivocally am - you’re going to love this wine.
Drink of the week: Mumosa
Yes, it’s dead cheesy and the colour is a bit Peppa Pig but I suspect it would bring a smile to your mother’s face: M & S’s special Mother's Day version of a mimosa or Buck’s Fizz as it’s more commonly known - a blend of sparkling wine (well, actually still wine with a bit of CO2) and orange juice
3 roses from Aldi to drink right now
At the first sign of spring we all think rosé but ironically, when it comes to cheaper bottles at least, now is not the best time to buy it.
Wine of the Week: The Society’s Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2017
There are apparently only low stocks left of The Wine Society’s Exhibition Rioja Reserva 2017 which should encourage you to snap up a few bottles if you're a member.
Two cheap South African Fairtrade sauvignon blancs
If you want to do your bit for Fairtrade projects during Fairtrade fortnight the good news is that you can do yourself a favour in the process. The Co-op which has consistently been the greatest supporter of Fairtrade wines has two well-made, well-priced South African sauvignon blancs which any savvy blanc lover should snap up
Wine of the Week: Vin Santo del Chianti Nicodemo 2018
A lot of us - including me - think in terms of champagne and other sparkling wines on Valentine's Day but sweet wine can be just as much of a treat, particularly when V-Day falls, as it does this year, on a week night and you haven't got time to make a slap-up dinner
Wine of the Week: Asda Extra Special Fiano
Finding drinkable wines under a fiver these days is a tough call but Asda’s Extra Special Fiano is worth anyone’s money
Two massively drinkable natural wines for under £10
I’ve long been a fan of natural wine but can’t argue with the fact that it’s expensive. For good reason - it’s often made on a very small scale by artisan producers but that generally takes it out of the realm of everyday drinking.
The best of the new Blind Spot wines from The Wine Society
The Wine Society has had a range of exclusive Australian wines called Blind Spot which are made for them by winemaker Mac Forbes for a while.
The best value champagne buys Christmas 2021
With bad news all around us the last thing you may feel like is popping a cork but you may just think to yourself 'to hell with it' and resolve to have as good a time as possible.
The best wines from Waitrose’s Fine Wines for £10 offer
As in previous years Waitrose has 10 'fine wines' on promotion at £10 in the run up to Christmas. All are on substantial discounts but are they a good buy? Some are, others less so in my view. Here are my top picks
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