Dance like nobody's watching...

Tonight, the 6yo Boy had his school disco. It was a 5.45pm drop off, £1 entry, all drinks & snacks included and an hour of wall to wall dance floor fillers. He really did dance like no-one was watching. He and his friends went BONKERS; they busted moves, laughed their heads off and generally had a Really Very Good Time. One mother noted how we need a drink to dance like that nowadays. I know what she means. With age comes self-consciousness. But as we get older still, more confident I'm hoping we edge back towards that wonderful time of being able to dance like nobody's watching. I came home, put the boys and girl to bed, hit shuffle on the breakin' shapes playlist (inspired by Mumra) and did just that. Luckily, no-one was.

Current white in the fridge:  Villa Maria Chardonnay/Viognier 2010, £8.50ish, Waitrose
Another New Zealand white this week, but this time not a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Gris (the grape I talked about on my last vlog) but a blend of two grapes. This is a really good blend of Chardonnay and Viognier, two white grapes that are of the fuller-figured nature vs. skinny Sauvignon and slender PG. In fact, I think there is a splash of Pinot Gris in here too, not that you'd notice. It is all about the ripe, round, almost creamy tropical fruit characters. Made from grapes grown in the Gisborne region in New Zealand's north island, this was robust enough to cope with spicy thai fishcakes. 

Current red on the side: La Leyenda Malbec Syrah 2010, £5 on offer, Tesco
So I might have mentioned this one before. It is fab: juicy, rich, full-bodied, crammed with black fruit flavours and just when you think you can relax, there's a slap round the chops from the spice. This one is another blend, made from Argentina's most famous red export, Malbec, and Syrah (aka Shiraz). They are lovely on their own but are obviously really enjoying each other's company here. It works, especially at a fiver. I had this with a half-hearted plate of cheese and slightly soft Carr biscuits. It improved it enormously. 

Bottoms up x

Summer Drinkies (vlog)

Here's one I made earlier, some suggestions for summer drinkies:

Working Holiday

I've been away from home for a few nights, spending the days working on a wine stand at the annual London International Wine Fair. Cue much swirling, sipping and spitting whilst surrounded by hundreds of bottles of wine. Now I'm home and have been cobbling a vicar's outfit together for my son to take to school tomorrow for the fake wedding they are having in class. Obviously.

It is National Wine Month apparently so in the spirit of spreading the word, click here to visit the 'Make Time For Wine' website: lots of interesting stuff about wine to be found including online wine courses.

Current white in the fridge: Wither Hills Pinot Gris 2010, £6.29 on offer, Waitrose
Love this wine, made from the Pinot Gris grape grown in the Marlborough region in New Zealand. The style is fresh, dry and gorgeously aromatic; almost flowery on the nose, honeysuckle-ish. Pinot Gris is widely grown in Alsace, France and in Italy of course, where it is absolutely bloody everywhere and labelled as Pinot Grigio.  This one is a real change from the often very drinkable but ultimately forgettable PGs that are always 'on offer'. Put this with duck pancakes and it'll blossom. 

Current red on the side: Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserve 2009, £6 on offer, Tesco
This Chilean red is made from Pinot Noir, a grape that when made well, can bring a grown (wo)man to tears due to price as well as sublime quality. Burgundy in France is Pinot's natural homeland but Chile has made itself a name over the last few years for producing good quality Pinot at less eye-watering prices. It smells of summer pudding and goes a dream with roast lamb.  

Chin chin x

Home

We've moved house. Again. Only this time, we moved into one that we own. After years of renting, we are now in a 1970's bungalow with a peach-coloured bathroom, a green sitting room and cork floors throughout. Living Etc it ain't but I love it more than any house we've ever lived in. In fact, it feels like home.

Current white in the fridge: Benjamin Darnault Picpoul de Pinet, 2009, £9.99, Naked Wines 
Book Club, meaning two more wines kindly supplied by Naked Wines for me to try with friends and get more than just my view on the wine. Our chosen book was The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, which I didn't finish. Instead, I took along my Royal Wedding copy of Hello! and shared my favourite outfit (Lady Sarah's grey dress, simply gorgeous). Back to wine: this is made from the Picpoul grape grown in the Languedoc region in the South of France. The grape name translates as 'lip-stinger', a reference to its searing acidity but this one was rather more gentle. Refreshing, lemony, crisp and dry, in fact. A real people-pleaser of a wine. 

Current red on the side: Benjamin Darnault Organic Saint Chinian 2009, £12.99, Naked Wines
The one thing that seems to unite most organic wines is a truly terrible label. This one breaks with tradition, not a bunch of grapes in sight. Made from a blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes, the wine is fruity, forward - a touch rustic even - and typical of the juicy reds grown in and around the town of Saint Chinian in the South of France. Pricey (as is often the case with organic wines) but if you buy a case of wine from Naked as an Angel, it brings the price down considerably. The last time I bought a mixed case from here, the average price was about £5/bottle. 


Chin chin x