Or so my mother used to say to me when hurrying me out of the door to get to school on time. But that is exactly what it was. The length of our skirts, the carefully picked holes in our jumpers...we might have all been in school uniform but there were ways to mark ourselves out, or rather blend in. Now I'm doing the school run and eldest boy takes great care over his collar, each morning carefully shaping it to look casually unshaped. I haven't uttered my mother's words to him yet - I'll try to resist, I like the fact that his collar gives him confidence - but am sure it is only a matter of time. As for what I wear on the school run, read this and tell me it's not a fashion parade...
Current white in the fridge:
Guentota Estate Chardonnay/Viognier 2009, £4.99 on offer, Tesco
The Chardonnay grape got a bit of a bad name (and not just because it was used as a first name in Footballers' Wives, spawning a thousand baby Chardonnays). Most were put off by excessive oak (or rather oak chip) flavours that were all the rage when Australia was on the equivalent of wine steroids. These wines are mostly a thing of the past. This Argentinian one is big and bold but with just the right amount of sunshiny melon and tropical fruit flavours. The splash of Viognier adds weight and spice too. I've had this with grilled sweet peppers tonight and it was delish. Apparently, Evita got her wines from here for State dinners. Not sure how good her palate was but she always did good Dior.
Current red on the side:
Long Country Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, £4/bottle half price, Tesco
I bloody love Chilean wines. You always know you are going to get great value for money. You always know you are going to get something you'll want another glass of. And you always know you'll be able to stick your nose in the glass and play 'name that fruit'. In this case, it is blackcurrant. And ripe plums. Oh, and a whiff of chocolate. And a tiny note of cinnamon. This is made from grapes grown in the vast Central Valley region, one big fruit bowl really. Tried and tested with rib of beef on Sunday, drunk from little carafe tumblers in the garden. Magical.
Sunny daze x
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Invisible (wo)Man
Someone once said - probably Germaine - that beyond a certain age, women become invisible. I'd always assumed that referred to women my mother's age* but a funny thing happened last week that made me think it might happen sooner than anticipated. As I walked out of Topshop on Oxford Street (see how I'm fighting it?) a young hipster stood with a microphone doing a vox-pop street interview for Radio One. On what, I shall never know. You see, as I walked towards him, he smiled, put his hand out and said: "scuse me, can I ask you a quick question?" To the two teenagers behind me. I had to pretend I was smiling fondly at someone in the distance. Which I was. My teenage self.
Current white in the fridge:
Domaene Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner, 2009, £6.49, Waitrose
Find this on the stand-alone wine towers in Waitrose currently, the 'grape of the moment' from Austria. To be honest, this has been touted as the grape of the moment for so long that I fear we may have missed it. But get past the almost incomprehensible label and name and you will be richly rewarded with a spicy, peachy flavoured dry white wine that works a treat with food with a bit of spice. Thai green curry a particular recommendation.
Current red on the side:
Chateau Calage 2007, £8, Source Wines
I included this wine in a tasting I did for a group of friends earlier this week and, tellingly, the bottle was drained. Not a drop remained, always a good sign. This is a cocktail of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan grapes and is rich, purple and royally good. Blackcurrant fruit dominates the nose with smooth chocolate and spice notes on the palate. This particular region, the Languedoc in the South of France, is positively sizzling with exciting wines, (mostly) reasonably priced.
*Ma, there's your mention! x
Current white in the fridge:
Domaene Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner, 2009, £6.49, Waitrose
Find this on the stand-alone wine towers in Waitrose currently, the 'grape of the moment' from Austria. To be honest, this has been touted as the grape of the moment for so long that I fear we may have missed it. But get past the almost incomprehensible label and name and you will be richly rewarded with a spicy, peachy flavoured dry white wine that works a treat with food with a bit of spice. Thai green curry a particular recommendation.
Current red on the side:
Chateau Calage 2007, £8, Source Wines
I included this wine in a tasting I did for a group of friends earlier this week and, tellingly, the bottle was drained. Not a drop remained, always a good sign. This is a cocktail of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan grapes and is rich, purple and royally good. Blackcurrant fruit dominates the nose with smooth chocolate and spice notes on the palate. This particular region, the Languedoc in the South of France, is positively sizzling with exciting wines, (mostly) reasonably priced.
*Ma, there's your mention! x
Invisible (wo)Man
Someone once said - probably Germaine - that beyond a certain age, women become invisible. I'd always assumed that referred to women my mother's age* but a funny thing happened last week that made me think it might happen sooner than anticipated. As I walked out of Topshop on Oxford Street (see how I'm fighting it?) a young hipster stood with a microphone doing a vox-pop street interview for Radio One. On what, I shall never know. You see, as I walked towards him, he smiled, put his hand out and said: "scuse me, can I ask you a quick question?" To the two teenagers behind me. I had to pretend I was smiling fondly at someone in the distance. Which I was. My teenage self.
Current white in the fridge:
Domaene Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner, 2009, £6.49, Waitrose
Find this on the stand-alone wine towers in Waitrose currently, the 'grape of the moment' from Austria. To be honest, this has been touted as the grape of the moment for so long that I fear we may have missed it. But get past the almost incomprehensible label and name and you will be richly rewarded with a spicy, peachy flavoured dry white wine that works a treat with food with a bit of spice. Thai green curry a particular recommendation.
Current red on the side:
Chateau Calage 2007, £8, Source Wines
I included this wine in a tasting I did for a group of friends earlier this week and, tellingly, the bottle was drained. Not a drop remained, always a good sign. This is a cocktail of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan grapes and is rich, purple and royally good. Blackcurrant fruit dominates the nose with smooth chocolate and spice notes on the palate. This particular region, the Languedoc in the South of France, is positively sizzling with exciting wines, (mostly) reasonably priced.
*Ma, there's your mention! x
Current white in the fridge:
Domaene Gobelsburg Gruner Veltliner, 2009, £6.49, Waitrose
Find this on the stand-alone wine towers in Waitrose currently, the 'grape of the moment' from Austria. To be honest, this has been touted as the grape of the moment for so long that I fear we may have missed it. But get past the almost incomprehensible label and name and you will be richly rewarded with a spicy, peachy flavoured dry white wine that works a treat with food with a bit of spice. Thai green curry a particular recommendation.
Current red on the side:
Chateau Calage 2007, £8, Source Wines
I included this wine in a tasting I did for a group of friends earlier this week and, tellingly, the bottle was drained. Not a drop remained, always a good sign. This is a cocktail of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Carignan grapes and is rich, purple and royally good. Blackcurrant fruit dominates the nose with smooth chocolate and spice notes on the palate. This particular region, the Languedoc in the South of France, is positively sizzling with exciting wines, (mostly) reasonably priced.
*Ma, there's your mention! x
Thursday, 17 June 2010
No foreplay?
I. Am. Knackered. And I definitely can't top my John Torode story from last week. So, if you don't mind, I'll go straight to the wines.
Current rose in the fridge:
Clos Clementine 2008, £10
Hot weather demands pale rose, preferably a really good one from the Cotes de Provence region. Rose wine is made from red grapes and the clear juice is given colour by being left in contact with the skins of the grapes for a short time after they have been crushed. This particular one was given to me by a friend and not widely available here yet but Majestic, Waitrose and Tesco all have very good CdP Rose in stock at the moment. Make sure you get the most recent vintage - this one is on its last legs. You want pale salmon pink rose pup-young.
Current red on the side:
Cosme Palacio Rioja Reserva 2004, £8/bottle, currently half price if bought by the case, Tesco
Father's Day. Warm weather expected. Man must barbeque. And flame-grilled meats demand a red with attitude, with firm tannins and not a little acidity to counter the fat of the meat. This one is a dream: smoky, black fruits bound together with firm tannins and a lick of vanilla oak. The fruit is warm, round and mellow (as you'd expect after nearly three years in oak), made from Tempranillo grapes grown in the Alavesa region in what was a cracking vintage. Love, love, love.
Wham, bam x
Current rose in the fridge:
Clos Clementine 2008, £10
Hot weather demands pale rose, preferably a really good one from the Cotes de Provence region. Rose wine is made from red grapes and the clear juice is given colour by being left in contact with the skins of the grapes for a short time after they have been crushed. This particular one was given to me by a friend and not widely available here yet but Majestic, Waitrose and Tesco all have very good CdP Rose in stock at the moment. Make sure you get the most recent vintage - this one is on its last legs. You want pale salmon pink rose pup-young.
Current red on the side:
Cosme Palacio Rioja Reserva 2004, £8/bottle, currently half price if bought by the case, Tesco
Father's Day. Warm weather expected. Man must barbeque. And flame-grilled meats demand a red with attitude, with firm tannins and not a little acidity to counter the fat of the meat. This one is a dream: smoky, black fruits bound together with firm tannins and a lick of vanilla oak. The fruit is warm, round and mellow (as you'd expect after nearly three years in oak), made from Tempranillo grapes grown in the Alavesa region in what was a cracking vintage. Love, love, love.
Wham, bam x
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Have we met before?
Picture the scene: drinks reception for work, unfamiliar surroundings, friend introduces you to another friend. You greet them with great familiarity, you know you've met them before. Conversation starts. Brain shouting where have you met him before? What is his name? Wierd, he really looks like that bloke who does Masterchef. Oh f*ck. It is that bloke who does Masterchef. The one you've never met before. You just think you have because he's on the telly. And now he thinks you are a bit of a nutter. Too late to say sorry, now realise you've no idea who I am and by the way can see that you're unnerved by my familiarity. He later asks my friend if we had met before. No, she's always like that, was the answer.
At least I didn't ask for an autograph.
Current white in the fridge:
Nederburg Chardonnay/Viognier, £3.99 on offer (normally £4.99), Waitrose
Apparently there is some football tournament going on in South Africa at the moment. Whatevah. I'm only here for the wine. This is a gorgeous peach and melon-flavoured blend of the ubiquitous Chardonnay grape with the arguably more interesting Viognier grape. It's ripe, it's round but you can't bounce it on the ground. Drink it with salmon en croute instead. Deliciously bright.
Current red on the side:
Biferno Rosso Riserva Gran Conti, currently £4.99 half price, Tesco
Madly reasonable red blend of Aglianico and Montepulciano grapes grown in the Molise region in Central Italy. It has been aged for three years, partly in oak barrels, partly in bottle. The result is brilliant, vibrant, smooth and, well, lovely. Plum and spice notes for me, all smooth and dusky fruits. I have recommended this one before and like the Fiano, it seems to fall into my trolley whenever it is on offer.
Back of the net x
At least I didn't ask for an autograph.
Current white in the fridge:
Nederburg Chardonnay/Viognier, £3.99 on offer (normally £4.99), Waitrose
Apparently there is some football tournament going on in South Africa at the moment. Whatevah. I'm only here for the wine. This is a gorgeous peach and melon-flavoured blend of the ubiquitous Chardonnay grape with the arguably more interesting Viognier grape. It's ripe, it's round but you can't bounce it on the ground. Drink it with salmon en croute instead. Deliciously bright.
Current red on the side:
Biferno Rosso Riserva Gran Conti, currently £4.99 half price, Tesco
Madly reasonable red blend of Aglianico and Montepulciano grapes grown in the Molise region in Central Italy. It has been aged for three years, partly in oak barrels, partly in bottle. The result is brilliant, vibrant, smooth and, well, lovely. Plum and spice notes for me, all smooth and dusky fruits. I have recommended this one before and like the Fiano, it seems to fall into my trolley whenever it is on offer.
Back of the net x
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