Plan your wedding wine list with Aldi. And get free wedding day wine!

Newlyweds-to-be will be in with a chance of having their wedding wine absolutely free in Aldi’s newest competition which is open until 11th September.

With the average UK wedding costing nearly £20,000, Aldi is offering cheaper alternatives to help couples during the cost-of-living crisis.

Mistress of Wine, Sam Caporn gives top wedding wine tips including whether you should or shouldn’t match wine with your food.

Getting married has never been pricier, with the average wedding now costing £19,1841 and alcohol alone taking something like 10% (£1,800) of the budget.

Aldi, which is The Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year, says shoppers can make big savings on their big day by sourcing their wine from Aldi, which can cost as little as £2.25 per person.

Proving that you really can’t put a price on love and to celebrate these impressive savings, the discounter is offering three lucky couples ‘to be’ 60 bottles of award-winning wine to contribute to their special day – FOR ABSOLUTELY FREE!

To be in with a chance of receiving a mix of white, red and rosé wine supplied by Aldi, all budding couples need to do is send an email to aldiweddingwines@clarioncomms.co.uk with the below details:

Full name

Proof of age

Date and location of wedding

150 words explaining why you think you should receive a selection of Aldi’s wines for your wedding.

 

Sam Caporn, Mistress of Wine says: “I know myself when you’re planning a wedding, there’s so much to think about and decisions like choosing the right wines can be daunting and a bit overwhelming, especially when budgets are tight. 

"Together with Aldi, I want to show happy couples they don’t need to compromise on the quality of wine at their wedding to get a bargain and by following these few simple tips, it can be a lot easier than couples might think.”

Sam Caporn, Mistress of Wine’s I dos and don’ts of choosing wines for weddings:

Don’t try to match it with the food – A common mistake people make is focusing on matching the wine with the food when actually guests will prefer to stick to one wine throughout. Plus, the meal is very much just one part of the wedding. 

It’s better therefore to opt for easy-drinking wines, i.e. not too oaky or acidic, not too high tannin or rich. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc (Freeman’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc £6.79, 75cl) or a soft Pinot Grigio such as Aldi’s Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, available for just £4.49, are sure to be confirmed crowd-pleasers!

Do match the wine to the season Whether a relaxed outdoor summer gathering or an elegant indoor winter wedding, the season can drastically change what wine to serve. For a winter wedding upweight easy-drinking but well-bodied red wines such as a Shiraz (Cambalala South African Shiraz £4.75, 75cl) or Malbec-I would recommend60:40 red to whites. Whereas for summer weddings, introduce rosé into the mix (30:30 rosé to whites).

Do opt for alternatives to Champagne – Couples often assume you need champagne for their wedding toast. However, Champagne for a wedding can get very pricey. Think of fizz alternatives like a Crémant, which is a delicious alternative, this premium French fizz is made in the same style, by the same methods so you might be surprised how few people will notice the difference, especially as often bubbles are pre-poured or obscured by a white napkin. Aldi’s Specially Selected Crémant du Jura (£8.99, 75cl) is a purse-friendly alternative to luxury brands, but equally as tasty. Available in store 11th September.

Don’t splash out unnecessarily. You really don’t need to spend lots of money for a delicious wedding wine. Focus on good-quality but great-value favourites rather than expensive, premium bottles. The style of wines like Premier Crus are often not to everyone’s taste, so do focus on more approachable wines. A Spanish Rioja Reserva like Aldi’s Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva (£5.99, 75cl) or Argentinian Malbec like the Specially Selected Argentinian Malbec (£6.59,75cl) are great choices for red wines.

But please don’t forget the non-drinkers. Whether they're a designated driver, pregnant, abstaining or just generally prefer not to drink alcohol, having fun no or low alcohol options will make everyone feel included. Aldi’s 0% sparkling, Zerozecco is just £2.99, tastes delicious and is perfect for the toast.

Entries to the competition are now open until Monday 11th September. To enter now and view the full terms and conditions, visit the Aldi Wedding Wines page on https://www.aldi.co.uk/free-wedding-wine

Aldi's going to give £100 shopping vouchers to lucky customers

In order to help shoppers celebrate the August bank holiday weekend, Aldi is giving customers the chance to win their shopping for free.

Aldi's giving away £100 vouchers to 20 lucky shoppers to purchase all the food and drink they need to kick start the long Bank Holiday weekend celebrations.

To be in with a chance to win, all entrants have to do is visit Aldi’s Facebook page, where the competition is being hosted, and comment on the post by sharing what their bank holiday weekend plans will be.

Entries are open from now until 11.59pm on Monday 21st August, with winners being contacted on Tuesday 22nd  for the e-vouchers to be sent in time for them to stock up on all their bank holiday essentials.

Aldi's Bank Holiday weekend must-haves are already available in stores and include a wide variety of summer party essentials, like Specially Selected BBQ items and Aldi's own-brand sides and desserts.

Richard Thornton, who is Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “With the long weekend just around the corner, I’m sure lots of people will be coming together to enjoy the bank holiday with family and friends.

“We hope our vouchers will give customers the chance to make the most of the weekend, helping to cover the cost of their bank holiday essentials so they can put all their attention into hosting.”

To find out more and to enter the competition visit: https://www.facebook.com/AldiUK/posts/pfbid0Qi3ufJzQmQu3C5opEN1nG7TqyXWYoT2XKmC5jH8yHfbMbUXGo6jsMj3MRnEcscrxl

Entries Open For First Ever Gourmet Dessert Chef Of The Year Competition

Luxury Swiss Ice Cream brand Mövenpick is urging chefs to enter the first ever annual competition to find the best gourmet dessert chef that Britain's hospitality industry has to offer.

Launched in partnership with The Graft Guild of Chefs, The Mövenpick Gourmet Dessert Chef of the Year competition challenges professional chefs to design a unique new dessert using Mövenpick's gourmet flavours - including the newly launched Fior di Latte Ice Cream and Apricot Sorbet.

 Boasting the creamy texture and subtle flavour of pure Swiss milk, Fior di Latte is an ideal dessert base, to which chefs can add their own imaginative touch, while Apricot is a delicious combination of velvety apricot sorbet and sun-ripened Bergeron apricot pieces from France.

Successful finalists will show their skills in a live cook-off in a bid to win a luxury weekend for two to the home of Mövenpick Ice Cream in Switzerland, with two lucky runners up joining a Patisserie & Desserts day course at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons.

Julia Jones, Head of Customer Marketing at Mövenpick Ice Cream said: "We are committed to gastronomic excellence and want to give chefs an opportunity to create an irresistible gourmet dessert. We're really excited to see what they come up with."

To enter, visit www.moevenpick-icecreamcompetition.co.uk.

TOTAL Greek Yoghurt launches great competition - tasty recipes with a healthy twist!

TOTAL Greek Yoghurt is launching a fantastic competition to find winning recipes for its new Healthy Eating eBook which will be sold on Amazon via Kindle in the New Year. And what's more, all proceeds from the sale of the eBook will be donated to the Charity - Action for Children

TOTAL is asking entrants to create delicious recipes, perfect for those maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The eBook will publish these recipes alongside heart warming tales from the charity Action for Children.

The owner of the best recipe will receive an iPhone 4S and iPad 2 complete with smart cover. The runner up will win an iPad 2. There will be a further ten runners’ up prizes of TOTAL Greek Yoghurt goody packs, and all recipes which end up featuring in the eBook will receive a branded Yoghurt Cool Bag!

To enter the competition entrants are being asked to submit recipes via Facebook. All recipes must include TOTAL Greek yoghurt as an ingredient. The deadline for entries is the 20th January 2011.

Alison White from TOTAL Greek Yoghurt said; “Every week, we receive a number of emails from customers who have used TOTAL as a healthier substitute for cream, crème fraiche or mayonnaise. The recipes we sometimes receive are of a very high standard and so we thought an eBook would be a great way to showcase people’s passion for the product.

"Through the competition, we’re hoping to receive a variety of tasty recipes - from nutritious snacks to wholesome family meals and healthy desserts. The eBook will be available to download on Amazon early 2012 as a Kindle eBook and all profits will be donated to the very worthy charity - Action for Children.”

"By entering the competition, people will be in with a chance of seeing their name and recipe credited in the TOTAL Greek Yoghurt published e-cookbook, alongside the recipes of well known personalities!

"Action for Children supports and speaks out for the UK's most vulnerable and neglected children and young people. One of the main signs of child neglect is children going hungry. The effects of hunger can be devastating, from daily pain and poor health to low educational achievement and bullying. Action for Children looks to combat this by early intervention. All of the proceeds from this project will be donated to the 'Take Your Action for Children' neglect campaign."