I used to travel abroad alot in my old, full-time, pre-children job. In fact, so often I had a bag that remained permanently half-packed, ready to be topped up last minute. Nowadays, I don't get out much and honestly don't miss it. (Currently non-bearded) husband rarely has to go away for work but tonight he left for somewhere 12 hours away by plane with just 24 hours notice and is not back for a week. Having tucked the children into bed I came downstairs to a TV remote that was mine, all mine. I poured myself a cold glass of wine.
It didn't taste as good as it normally does.
Current white in the fridge:
Vina Casablanca Nimbus Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2009, £9, Source
Made in the Casablanca Valley north of Santiago, this eponymous winery has made a really good Sauvignon Blanc here with that unmistakable floral nose and citrus and gooseberry-laden palate. The back label told me it had notes of maracuya but seeing as I have absolutely no idea what that is, I'm none the wiser. Often, what was labelled as Sauvignon Blanc from Chile was actually the inferior Sauvignonasse grape, giving a coarser, herbal flavour. Not here: this is smart single estate Sauvignon Blanc, much preferred. Drunk tonight without food but really sang last night with chicken kebabs cooked on the BBQ at the beach.
Current red on the side:
The Big Kahuna, Australia, £5.19, Tesco
There is nothing subtle about this wine. The packaging is garish (a bright orange surfboard that covers most of the front of the bottle), the wine is a non-vintage fruit bomb with blackcurrant, spice, chocolate and a smoky note at the end. But despite its rather shouty nature, I like. Australian wine is often no-nonsense: the label tells you clearly what grape the wine is made from for a start. This one is a crowd-pleaser but sometimes you need exactly that. Went down a storm last night.
Roll on Friday xLabels: 2009, Australia, Chile, red wine, Tesco, white wine