Last week, we got a new car. Second hand actually, but by far the most grown up car we've ever had. It's the children and dog car, Bearded Husband said. We'll have it forever, he said. You will be careful, won't you? he said. He's called me three times today to ask something about something - as they do - but mostly to try and tell from the tone of my voice if the car is OK. Or rather, if I have dented it yet. Well, not yet but I'm not planning to 'fess up to failing to get into the car for a full 10 minutes until I realised I was trying to open it with our old car keys. I blame the heat.
BTW, if like English Mum you wanted to see what the painting from the auction looked like, go ahead.
This week's rose in the fridge:
Tesco Finest Navarra Rose, £4.75 on offer, Tesco
Rose wine has grown massively in popularity over the last few years, driven in part by the much bigger choice we have on shelves of good quality, 'serious' rose wines rather than the light, forgettable wines of the past. Spain does Rose brilliantly (and terribly badly too, it has to be said), with Navarra as the region that can claim to produce some of the country's best examples. This one is made from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape and is simply gorgeous, brimming with juicy redcurrant fruit flavours.
This week's other rose in the fridge:
Cefiro Chilean Rose 2009, £5ish, Source
Chile is still suffering the impact of the recent earthquake with lost wine, delayed shipments and damage to wineries and vineyards. This one is made from Syrah grapes grown in the Rapel Valley and is not a shy, retiring style of rose. It is quite dark in colour, almost light red rather than rose, with layers of red fruits and added structure given by some oak ageing. The result is full-bodied with lots to shout about. Try this with M&S sushi. I did and it was not just any supper...
That's me: coming up (with) roses x
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Thursday, 20 May 2010
On the fringe...
I love putting pretty hairclips in my daughter's hair, sweeping her long fringe to one side and sweeping the enforced-genderism-at-such-a-tender-age argument to the other. It's a hairclip, FFS. Anyway, point is with two boys I'd only really considered childrens' haircuts in terms of nit prevention. Not so with the baby girl: she has lovely hair, long enough to need aforementioned hairclips to keep it out of her eyes. At least it was until - unsolicited - my mother cut it, understandably thinking she was being helpful. Whilst waiting for it to grow back, I could dig out my old Girl's World styling head if I get desperate. If only I hadn't given her an unsolicited haircut too.
Current white in the fridge:
Stork's Tower Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo 2008, £5.99, Tesco
Spain does aged red wines and young, vibrant rose wines better than most. However, really good Spanish whites are a bit harder to find. Here's one that mixes a traditional Spanish variety (Verdejo) with an internationally known & grown one (Sauvignon Blanc). In fact, the wine has been made by a Spanish and New Zealand winemaking team from grapes grown in the Castilla Y Leon region. It is a modern, fresh take on Spanish white with gorgeous grapefruit characters and lovely, balanced weight. This wine doesn't demand food but is very happy in its company, especially my pesto salmon it seems.
Current red on the side:
Sainsbury's Cotes du Rhone Villages 2007, £5.99, Sainsbury's
It was one of the Sainsbury's wine buyers who put me on to this wine. It is made by Chapoutier, who just happens to be one of the best producers in the region. Michel Chapoutier selects Grenache and Syrah grapes from Villages vineyards in the Southern Rhone and makes this extremely good, soft, supple, velvety-tannined and utterly seductive wine. It has a kick of pepper and layers of black fruit flavours, ideal for drinking with sausages or beef stews or hard cheeses. It's not so great with Toblerone but I'll push on through.
Chin chin x
Current white in the fridge:
Stork's Tower Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo 2008, £5.99, Tesco
Spain does aged red wines and young, vibrant rose wines better than most. However, really good Spanish whites are a bit harder to find. Here's one that mixes a traditional Spanish variety (Verdejo) with an internationally known & grown one (Sauvignon Blanc). In fact, the wine has been made by a Spanish and New Zealand winemaking team from grapes grown in the Castilla Y Leon region. It is a modern, fresh take on Spanish white with gorgeous grapefruit characters and lovely, balanced weight. This wine doesn't demand food but is very happy in its company, especially my pesto salmon it seems.
Current red on the side:
Sainsbury's Cotes du Rhone Villages 2007, £5.99, Sainsbury's
It was one of the Sainsbury's wine buyers who put me on to this wine. It is made by Chapoutier, who just happens to be one of the best producers in the region. Michel Chapoutier selects Grenache and Syrah grapes from Villages vineyards in the Southern Rhone and makes this extremely good, soft, supple, velvety-tannined and utterly seductive wine. It has a kick of pepper and layers of black fruit flavours, ideal for drinking with sausages or beef stews or hard cheeses. It's not so great with Toblerone but I'll push on through.
Chin chin x
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Picture perfect
Saturday night was fun, if a little wierd. I returned from eldest son's School Ball with a splinter in my foot from shoes-off dancing. My husband returned with a painting having bid for it in the auction. I think he had the fizz equivalent of beer goggles for art on with that one. Fart goggles, perhaps. We got home, navigated our way through that slightly awkward conversation with the babysitter - the one where you hope she doesn't realise how tipsy you really are because you've got children - and fell into bed. For two hours. Then: up cradling eldest boy with earache, closely followed by baby with cough and finally with middle boy who heard everyone else was up and didn't want to miss out. The dancefloor was a distant memory.
Still, we've got the painting to remind us.
Current white in the fridge:
Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner 'Terraces' 2009 Wachau, Austria, £6.07, Waitrose, currently 20% off online
Austrian wine is sadly overlooked, perhaps due to a combination of nearer £10 a bottle prices and unpronouncable names. But Waitrose seems to have cut prices across much of their Austrian range at the moment and this one is a great introduction to the world of Gruner Veltliner (or Gru-V, as it is lovingly known by those who like to spend time thinking up natty names for difficult to pronounce wines). White peach, pepper, a touch of grapefruit, a hint of herbal...this wine is delicious, different and currently discounted. Now that is a great combination.
Current red on the side:
Tero Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008, £4/bottle, Tesco
I do love Italian reds at the moment. They can be a little bit animal, slightly unpredictable even, partly due to the enormous number of grape varieties grown as well as the spread of climates across regions. This one, from the Abruzzo region, is bright, ripe and moreish with black cherry fruit aromas and bramble fruit flavours. The late-ripening Montepulciano grape is best drunk young, so don't stick this one away for a rainy day. Like you would. Very happy on its own but great with sausages and mash, I am happy to report.
Groovy x
Still, we've got the painting to remind us.
Current white in the fridge:
Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner 'Terraces' 2009 Wachau, Austria, £6.07, Waitrose, currently 20% off online
Austrian wine is sadly overlooked, perhaps due to a combination of nearer £10 a bottle prices and unpronouncable names. But Waitrose seems to have cut prices across much of their Austrian range at the moment and this one is a great introduction to the world of Gruner Veltliner (or Gru-V, as it is lovingly known by those who like to spend time thinking up natty names for difficult to pronounce wines). White peach, pepper, a touch of grapefruit, a hint of herbal...this wine is delicious, different and currently discounted. Now that is a great combination.
Current red on the side:
Tero Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008, £4/bottle, Tesco
I do love Italian reds at the moment. They can be a little bit animal, slightly unpredictable even, partly due to the enormous number of grape varieties grown as well as the spread of climates across regions. This one, from the Abruzzo region, is bright, ripe and moreish with black cherry fruit aromas and bramble fruit flavours. The late-ripening Montepulciano grape is best drunk young, so don't stick this one away for a rainy day. Like you would. Very happy on its own but great with sausages and mash, I am happy to report.
Groovy x
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Like a jumper in a washing machine...
It's eldest son's school Annual Ball for parents on Saturday night and I am looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure. The pros include meeting up with good friends for stiff drinks before we go and, later, being able to dance to live music then disco whilst slightly under the influence. I love dancing; proper hands in the air like you just don't care-type dancing. In my head I look HOT. In reality I probably look more like Iggle-Piggle. A friend was once described as looking like the title of this post when on the dance floor. She really didn't care. My (trimmed) bearded-husband claims to hate dancing but does a great Mick Jagger routine if the mood takes him.
Oh, the cons? Squeezing into a dress that has mysteriously shrunk since I last wore it two babies ago. Let's hear it for Spanx.
This week's white in the fridge:
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne NV, 2 for £25 until 9th May, normally £19.49/bottle, Tesco
This is all we have loaded up on this week, with a bottle chilling and ready to be opened once the results are in on Thursday night (I'm an optimist). This is a really special Champagne, and not just because it beat all the top twice-the-price names in a blind Which? Magazine tasting years ago. It is a Chardonnay & Pinot Noir-dominant blend with, critically, a little more bottle age given before it is shipped to these shores, allowing the wine to settle and broaden. The result is a rich, layered, biscuity style of Champagne but with real lightness of touch. The producer is based in the highly-regarded village of Avize. Even cheaper if you buy by the case.
Chin chin x
Oh, the cons? Squeezing into a dress that has mysteriously shrunk since I last wore it two babies ago. Let's hear it for Spanx.
This week's white in the fridge:
Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne NV, 2 for £25 until 9th May, normally £19.49/bottle, Tesco
This is all we have loaded up on this week, with a bottle chilling and ready to be opened once the results are in on Thursday night (I'm an optimist). This is a really special Champagne, and not just because it beat all the top twice-the-price names in a blind Which? Magazine tasting years ago. It is a Chardonnay & Pinot Noir-dominant blend with, critically, a little more bottle age given before it is shipped to these shores, allowing the wine to settle and broaden. The result is a rich, layered, biscuity style of Champagne but with real lightness of touch. The producer is based in the highly-regarded village of Avize. Even cheaper if you buy by the case.
Chin chin x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)