Devon Winery's Support for Gold-Winning Horatio's Garden at Chelsea Flower Show

The head of a Devon winery has spoken of his deep pride for supporting Horatio's Garden charity, which won gold and Best in Show at the Chelsea Flower Show with a wheelchair accessible design by Exeter and London-based landscape design duo Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg.

Horatio's Garden is a charitable organisation which creates and maintains beautiful and accessible gardens at NHS spinal injury centres. It's designed to be a sanctuary for patients with a therapeutic outdoor space specially designed to be wheelchair accessible where they can relax, escape the clinical environment, and engage with nature.

Duncan Schwab, CEO and head winemaker at Sandridge Barton, the home of Sharpham Wine, has supported the charity by offering celebratory wine. 

He said: “We're so proud to be supporting Horatio's Garden charity which provides beautiful spaces to help with the well-being and quality of life for people who have spinal injuries. 

“We believe that connecting with nature and the healing power of gardens positively impacts the lives of patients and their families and we were delighted to support them in a small way with some wine for their VIP visitors to the Chelsea Flower Show, and even more delighted that this beautiful garden won Best in Show.”

The garden was designed to be experienced by spinal injury patients from a bed or wheelchair. It will be relocated to the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre in Sheffield in 2024, offering an area of sanctuary to long-term patients, families and NHS staff and improve their wellbeing.

Horatio's Garden charity has gardens at six other NHS spinal injury centres across the UK including Horatio's Garden South West, based at Salisbury District Hospital. 

The charity is named in memory of Horatio Chapple, who had the original idea to create a garden for patients with spinal injuries and their loved ones while volunteering at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury during his school holidays. The first garden opened in 2012 and following its enormous success, a nationwide charity was formed with the mission to open a Horatio's Garden in all 11 UK spinal injury centres.

Re-Energised Bolle Returns to the London Wine Fair With an Improved Low/no Wine Offer

Buoyed up by positive initial expert and consumer reactions NEW, improved Bolle will be hitting the alcohol free wine marketplace this Spring.  

Roberto Vanin, who is the founder of Bolle is again shifting the goalposts when it comes to revolutionising best-in-class, alcohol-free wines.  

After extensive trialling, (including buyer reviews, event tastings and awards panels) the Bolle team are convinced this new, improved offering will meet and even exceed the demanding taste aspirations of an increasingly influential low/no movement.

 For the most part, the UK's leading alcohol-free wines are produced via de-alcoholisation, a somewhat heavy-handed process which unwittingly and unfortunately removes not only the alcohol but also all of the volatile components that shape a wine's unique personality.   The result is a one-dimensional proposition devoid of depth and engaging taste, because incumbent low/no wine providers fill the resulting 'flavour void' with lazy juices, sugar and flavourings. 

Bolle's unique pathway opts instead to leverage game-changing Zero GradiTM technology to re-ferment the de-alcoholised wine, revitalising complex flavour and aroma profiles without alcohol.   

Bolle is a stylish sparkling wine with none of the taste compromises historically associated with the UK's low/no wine movement.  Bolle is committed to taking low/no wine in a new pure pleasure direction and was recently shortlisted at The World Innovation Awards.

To learn more visit Visit bolledrinks.com.

 

Luc Belaire Luxe and Blue ideal Coronation party drinks

Luc Belaire Luxe: Luc Belaire began in 1898 in Burgundy and combines grapes of fine, rare quality with craftmanship that can only be found at a family-operated winery like theirs. This ‘Luxe’ bottle has a slightly more premium touch, making it for popping during celebrations  

Tasting notes: Balances subtle sweetness with a crisp, refreshing, fruit-forward taste profile.

 Available at Selfridges for £32.99 (also available on Amazon, too)

Luc Belaire Blue: A truly unique cuvee with a taste and colour like no other wine. It’s effortlessly drinkable, mixable, and extraordinary both in the glass and on the palate.

Tasting notes: Fresh berries and tropical fruits, with a clean finish

Available at Selfridges for £32.99 (also available from VIP Bottles and Amazon)

Luc Belaire Gold: A bottle with clear elegance and the ability to pair with nearly any cuisine. 

Tasting notes: The perfect balance of fresh fruit, a hint of peach, pear, and brioche … along with a refreshing, dry finish.

Cocktail recipe: The “Luc Belaire Gold Blush Mimosa” cocktail is an effervescent and refreshing fruity concoction that complements Belaire Gold’s pear and stone fruit aromas. 

Available at Selfridges for £31.99 (also available from VIP Bottles and Amazon)

Faustino Cava Brut Reserva: Faustino is the largest vineyard owner in Rioja with more than 160 years of family winemaking history. This special Cava is a sparkling wine with a clean, bright, pale yellow colour and gold rim.

Tasting notes: The nose is warm and fruity, with hints of white fruit, honey, apple and floral notes. It airs well with salted fish and other seafood dishes, along with baked potatoes and mushrooms. Conclude your meal with a glass of Cava and strong flavoured cheese.

Available from Ocado for £13

Bumbu Cream: An irresistible premium Barbados-based rum which is hailed the world’s fastest-growing, most decorated premium rum.

Tasting notes: A rich rum cream with a deep, complex array of aromas, including chai, coconut, and cinnamon. A nice combination of sweetness and spice, best served chilled on the rocks.

Available from Ocado for £31.00 (also available from Amazon, and Master of Malt)

Wickhams' Wines of the Month

Peter Falke Signature "Kailani" Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, Stellenbosch

£55.00 Single Bottle or £49.50 Any 6 Mix

75cl ABV: 14.5%

This superb wine has rich dark purple hues with exquisite aromas of raspberry, cassis and cedar wood. The palate has notes of red fruits with dense, smooth tannins and a beautiful lingering finish. Pair this with fattier steaks like ribeye and sirloin, or try it with roast lamb.

Only the very finest of grapes go into the wine - bunches being handpicked in the vineyard, leaving all the sunburnt berries on the vine. Once de-stemmed, a second hand sorting selection was made. The wine was lightly pressed and matured for 18 months in French oak barrels. Twenty percent went into 1st fill oak and the rest into 2nd and 3rd fill.

The 2017 vintage is the winner of many high profile accolades including the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards Platinum medal, where it scored 97 pts.

Señorío de La Eralta Gran Reserva 2016, Rioja

£15.50 Single Bottle or £13.95 Any 6 Mix

75cl ABV: 13.5%

This was scored as one of the top 100 wines in the recent "Best of Spain" tasting. It is cherry red and bright in colour with hues of ochre. The prominent aromas are of ripe blackberries and black pepper spice.

As a Gran Reserva wine this has spent two years in a combination of American and French oak barrels and a further three years in bottle. This has produced a wine which is unctuous, full and nicely complex. The palate is rounded and velvety with elegant tannins with a long finish. This is a wine which will repay you if you give it time to breathe before drinking.

It is rare to find such a great value Gran Reserva Rioja.

Wickhams is an award-winning independent online wine merchant founded by Dan Farrell-Wright. Sourcing the finest wines from around the world, as well as the UK, Wickhams curate collections from the everyday to the classics, so there's something to suit all tastes. They passionately believe in stocking wines, spirits and gift sets at a range of price points to ensure their products are accessible to all. A special focus is placed on finding producers who have strong stories and strong ethics, with sustainability and diversity at the forefront. Delivery is available to mainland UK with all orders packed in 100% recyclable packaging. Orders over £40 are shipped free of charge.

https://wickhamwine.co.uk

Wickhams' Wines of the Month

Langham Rosé Brut NV, Dorset

£35.00 Single Bottle £31.50 Any 6 Mix

75cl ABV: 12%

This award-winning pink fizz has aromas of pink petals, pastry and strawberries which are followed by a bright, refreshing palette. There is a fine mousse with notes of strawberries & cream, sour cherry & pink lady apple with an integrated citrus acidity. This is a complex wine with a long finish. 85% of the grapes come from the legendary October 2018 vintage with the rest coming from reserve.

Piquepoul Rosé Foncalieu 2021, Languedoc

£13.33 Single Bottle £12.00 Any 6 Mix

75cl ABV: 13%

Produced by Les Vignobles Foncalieu in Vin de Pays d'Oc, Southern France, this medium bodied, dry rosé is produced using solely the rare Piquepoul Noir grape. An attractive pale pink in colour, Piquepoul Rosé Foncalieu has a delicate nose of cherry blossom, strawberries and peaches. The palate is wonderfully fresh with summer berry flavours and notes of crushed rose petals. These fruity notes are balanced perfectly with a lively, citrus acidity, leaving the palate refreshed.

Malbec World Day: Monday 17th April 2023

Allowing time to stock up for Malbec World Day, Wickhams has an online tasting event taking place on Thursday 16th March which focuses on Malbec. In its homeland of southern France, Malbec was deemed only useful to bulk out wines and add colour. It then found a new home in Argentina where the altitude allowed it to show its aromatic personality. It has since become one of the most popular grape varieties in the world. Dan Farrell-Wright and Pip Vanham (AIWS DipWSET) will present six Malbec wines from Argentina, France and Australia and this is their pick of the bunch:

Finca Sophenia 'Altosur' Malbec 2021, Mendoza

£15.50 Single Bottle £13.95 Any 6 Mix

75cl ABV: 14%

Awarded Best In Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2022. This wine has an attractive red colour with violet hues and aromas of intense ripe fruit, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh plums, combined with spicy and floral hints. In the mouth the sweet and round tannins increase its fruit sensation and balance. A wine of good intensity, concentration and long aftertaste. When originally launched this wine was awarded the Decanter International Trophy for Best World Red. Quite some achievement for a new winery.

Wickhams is an award-winning independent online wine merchant founded by Dan Farrell-Wright. Sourcing the finest Estate bottled wines from around the world, as well as the UK, Wickhams curate collections from the everyday to the classics, so there's something to suit all tastes. They passionately believe in stocking wines, spirits and gift sets at a range of price points to ensure their products are accessible to all. 

A special focus is placed on finding producers who have strong stories and strong ethics, with sustainability and diversity at the forefront. Delivery is available to mainland UK with all orders packed in 100% recyclable packaging. Orders over £40 are shipped free of charge.

For more information about Wickhams' products visit www.wickhamwine.co.uk. You can also follow them on facebook and instagram @wickhamwine. 

Worth checking out what fine wines they have in stock for Mother's Day.

Recas. A wine treat for the women in your life

Mum. Aunty. Grandma. Wife. No matter what you call her, Mother's Day is the one time of the year you show the strongest woman in your life your appreciation with gifts, a beautiful meal accompanied by a special bottle of Recas and a flick through a magazine.

At Cramele Recas, their Pasari Pinot Grigio's very special meaning behind its name makes this a special bottle to present to that special female presence in your life. 

Meaning birds in Romanian, the Pasari gather late February to build their nests in preparation for spring. Across Romania, people celebrate this joyous occasion dedicated to the appreciation of love and nature. RRP £8.75 available at Corney & Barrow.

Named after the embodiment of the Moon in Greek mythology, the elegant Selene is the bottle for you if you're after a beautifully unfiltered red. Ample, dry, optimally barricaded red wines (between 6 and 9 months) offer a special taste and olfactory experience to each taster. RRP £24.26 available at Vinero.

The world's top selling win aerator is now available in the UK! Vintur, all the taste, no wait!

The Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator, the first and original breakthrough wine accessory hailed by Californian wineries and experts, is now available in the UK.
Wine which has been allowed to breathe tastes better. As wine breathes, it opens up, and releases its intended aromas and flavours. Traditionally, decanters were used to aerate wine; however, decanting is time consuming, cumbersome and inconvenient. Vinturi's patented design speeds up this process with ease and convenience.

Simply hold the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator over a glass and pour wine through. Beautifully designed to blend form with function, it draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, instantly allowing wine to breathe.

‘Vinturi accelerates the breathing process, enabling wine lovers to fully enjoy their wine from the very first sip, rather than waiting an hour or more for traditional decanting,’ says Rio Sabadicci, Vinturi’s inventor.

How to enjoy your glass of wine
Vinturi instantly delivers a better bouquet, enhanced flavours and a smoother finish.
· Better bouquet: Sample the nose of the wine. You'll appreciate the subtle aromatic differences and the full aroma of the wine. Vinturi allows wine to release its intended aromas.
· Enhanced flavours: Take a sip. Vinturi aerated wine tastes better, richer and more expensive as well as more flavoursome with better mouthfeel.
· Smoother finish: Vinturi aeration is very effective at softening tannins resulting in a much more pleasant finish. Any bitterness or bad aftertaste is reduced or eliminated.

How it works
The design applies Bernoulli's principle, which states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases. When wine is poured in the Vinturi, its design creates an increase in the wine’s velocity and a decrease in its pressure. This pressure difference draws in air, which is mixed with wine for perfect aeration.

The magic formula behind Vinturi,
with a little help from Bernoulli
Pricing and availability

The Vinturi Aerator retails at £39.95 and is available from the following stockists: www.amazon.co.uk, www.bahighlife.com, www.drinkstuff.com, www.aer8.co.uk, www.iwantoneofthose.com, www,wineware.co.uk, www.presentsformen.co.uk, www.mankind.co.uk and www.zavvi.com.

Vinturi is a wine accessory designed to speed up the aeration process with ease and convenience. By holding the Vinturi over a glass and pouring wine through, the aerator draws in and mixes the proper amount of air for the right amount of time, allowing wine to breathe instantly. The result is wine with the best possible flavour, aroma and finish. Vinturi inventor Rio Sabadicci collaborated with top industrial designers to develop this unique product that combines form and function to enhance the wine experience. The first of its kind and with a patented design which took many years to perfect, the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator was first launched in the United States in May 2007.

Perfect Partners Wine Tasting At The Ambrette Restaurant At Rye 7-Course Tasting Menu With Matched Wines For £49.99

The Ambrette Restaurant at Rye is to hosting special wine tasting in conjunction with the Cranbrook-based wine and cheese merchants, Perfect Partners on Sunday 8th January.


Chef patron Dev Biswal will be serving a 7-course tasting menu with matched wines chosen by Perfect Partners co-owner David Clarke at £49.99.


Since its opening on 1st December, Biswal has witnessed his Rye-based clientele are ordering wines from the more expensive end of his wine list, than is the case at his original award-winning restaurant in Margate.


"Many of our customers here in Rye bottles of fine wines at around the £40 mark," said Dev. "At Margate they sit the shelves for a few months and I end up drinking them myself."


Having realised the preponderance of wine connoisseurs in the Rye area, Biswal approached David Clarke to help him create a special tasting menu to showcase the fine Indian dining and Perfect Partners' wines.


"The quality of most wines worldwide has improved hugely, but they still demand rigorous selection - some of the traditional wine regions disappoint, but the new areas astound at great value," said Richard Clarke, co owner of Perfect Partners, adding, "Our philosophy is to find quality wines, irrespective of label or country, that represent good examples of their grape variety and provenance at a fair price."

Set on Rye's High Street, the Georgian frontage of the White Vine House belies its medieval heritage. Beneath the dining room lies a C13th cellar, complete with stone spiral staircase. Refurbished in 2005, the once grand home is now one of the country's premier bed and breakfast venues, having secured a 5 star AA rating.


The Ambrette (formerly the Indian Princess) in Margate has received wide national press recognition for Biswal's unique style, that eschews what he calls a "fast food mentality" offered by many high street curry houses stuck in a "1940's time bubble." There are no poppadums, curries or Chicken Tikka Masala on Biswal's menus.

The Georgian Room seats 26, the Elizabethan Room 16, the and the Club Room 14 and the outside terrace a further 20 diners.

FACTFILE:

Dev Biswal grew up in Calcutta. He trained at the Dubai Sheraton, before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and Eriki. He became a partner in The Indian Princess in Margate in December 2006, becoming patron and rebranding it as The Ambrette in 2010

The White Vine House accommodates 14 guests in 5 double rooms (one 4-poster), and a family room (sleeping four). Room rates from £130 to £180 a night including breakfast.

The original building was destroyed during one of the many French raids on the town during the 100 Years War. The Elizabethan Dining Room named for its exquisite and unique French oak panelling, which probably cost more than the original building, with each panel individually formed to fit the timber frame. The room is "signed" with a carpenter's mark visible just above the fireplace

Perfect Partners

Richard Clarke, studied Mechanical Engineering at Cambridge University, but was enticed into the food and wine trade with Jacksons of Piccadilly in 1972 as buyer of French cheeses, then wines, because of his speak rudimentary French gained from having spent a month working on a farm in Normandy. At Jacksons, Clarke was mentored by their wine consultant Harry Waugh, one of the first Masters of Wine and director of Chateau Latour, one of the great wines of Bordeaux.

In 1975 he moved to a small shipper/wine merchant who supplied the Hilton Hotels, The Ritz and Cunard Group owners of the QE2. The company was amalgamated in 1979 with a specialist in the duty free market supplying alrlines and ships. For the next 10 years Clarke advised Cunard, P&O, Sealink, British Caledonian Airways and many other airlines

In 1988, Richard and his wife Rosemary I bought Perfect Partners, Cheese & Wine Merchants of Cranbrook. Richard Clarke has witnessed a total revolution in the UK wine market. In the 1970s the only serious wines that were generally available here were French and German. Italian restaurants mainly offered a very basic range of indifferent wines. Spain, apart from Rioja and Sherry, provided bulk wines with little character.

Perfect Partners, Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF T: 01580 712633

The Blue Nun Sparkling Gold ... For Life’s Golden Moments

It may be a little early for some, but the party season is just around the corner and that means plenty of sparkle and a glass or two of fizz! (EDITOR: Never too early for a bit of fizz!)

 

For all those celebrations and family get togethers, Blue Nun has released a new sparkling Gold Edition white wine, complete with distinctive fine flecks of delicate 22 carat gold leaf!

Designed with all the glitz and glamour of the party season in mind, the iconic brand, owned by Langguth Wines in Germany, has used their passion, heritage and expertise to create a delicate, subtle quality sparkling white wine with a lovely light fruitiness (alc 11.00%). 

Blue Nun has crafted the Gold Edition with a full, rounded flavour, this light and elegant style wine has the exciting addition of gold flecks to highlight the natural effervescence of sparkling white wine.

The Gold Edition is ideal as an aperitif or to accompany light bites and hors d’oevres so it’s well suited for the party season, special occasions, celebrations or just for fun!

Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Edition is priced at £6.99 per 75cl bottle and is available to buy on-line from www.drinks2home.co.uk. or   www.drinksdirect.co.uk

The Blue Nun Sparkling will also be available to buy at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC Birmingham which runs from 23-27^th November 2011, stand number U70.

(EDITOR: OK, some will say this is a gimmick.  All my wife and I know is that when we gently (VERY gently!) inverted the bottle and put it upright again, the flecks of genuine gold danced and shimmered in the light from our Christmas candles as they slowly fluttered down to the bottom of the bottle.

As for the taste? Absolutely gorgeous. It is not too dry, nor is it too sweet, it has a fruity and pleasing taste and it has just the right amount of bubbles. It is one of the nicest sparkling white wines of any type that we have ever tried. Getting some in for Christmas? At £6.99 a bottle? I should think so!)

Wine Cultural Centre to launch in Bordeaux

There are plans to launch a new, exciting state of the art, International Wine Cultural Centre in Bordeaux City Centre.

Designed by Parisian architect X-TU (www.x-tu.com) and London based museum and exhibition design agency, Casson Mann Limited (www.cassonmann.co.uk), the new visitor attraction will sit on the banks of the River Garonne when it opens in 2014.

In harmony with the evocative river, the building's curved design is reminiscent of wine flowing through stemmed glasses and also draws comparisons to a decanter. Environmentally sound, the structure will be constructed form wood and glass, themselves materials used in wine.

The city of Bordeaux is inextricably linked to its wine. With prestigious terroirs and famous châteaux, as well as négociants, oenologists and winegrowers with centuries of tradition behind them, Bordeaux has spread the science and love of wine around the world.

The region's wine roads have been travelled by connoisseurs from every continent, Bordeaux’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognises the city’s historic unity, and celebrations such as the Bordeaux Fête le Vin prove that this wine region knows how to have fun. Bordeaux is truly a cultural capital of wine.

But in the past the city has -inexplicably- lacked an emblematic location to reflect this reality. Now Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux and Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, supported by the wine industry, is working towards creating this new visitor attraction.

Described as ambitious, surprising and innovative, the future Wine Cultural Centre will be a major facility of international stature. Designed to offer visitors an entertaining voyage of discovery, the centre will include exhibitions on the regions of Bordeaux, the great terroirs of Bordeaux, as well as the history, lifestyle in modern society and much more.

When the futuristic Centre opens in 2014, 400,000 visitors are expected to pass through its doors each year.

www.centreculturelduvin.com/en/index.php

Some Habits are Worth Keeping, or developing. Get into the new Blue Nun

Blue Nun has done something quite exciting with its range of UK wines by introducing fresher and more fruity styles and a striking new design for the packaging.

The winemakers behind this iconic German-produced wine have used their passion, heritage and expertise to create a family of quality wines that really do deliver on taste for today’s wine lovers.

The new Blue Nun “Original” white wine, still in its famous blue glass fluted bottle, now contains the Rivaner and Riesling grape varieties.

Previously a blended non-varietal designated wine, the Rivaner Riesling has been carefully blended to ensure it will appeal to the taste and palate of the UK wine drinkers and offers more body and flavour.

The Langguth winemakers have crafted a beautifully finished wine with perfect balance, softness, and depth of fresh fruit flavours.

The new Blue Nun is an unpretentious, contemporary wine best consumed lightly chilled (Alc 10.0 % Vol).

The brand is also launching a new premium range of four German varietal wines, including a Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Dornfelder Rosé and Pinot Noir, each with its own distinctive style and character.

The Pinot Grigio has fresh aromas and flavours of bright apple and exotic pineapple, rounded off with a touch of fruit flavors and a crisp clean finish.

The Riesling is a wonderful combination of bright fresh fruit flavor with hints of white peach.  It has a light, zesty feel with a soft, cool finish.

The Pinot Noir is elegant and fresh with aromas of bright cherry and flavours of mulberry.  A medium bodied wine with hints of oak and a silky texture on the palate.

The Dornfelder Rosé is bursting with tangy raspberry and cherry aromas with a soft fresh finish, which results in a lovely summery wine.

Blue Nun wines have been produced since 1921 and come with the added assurance of their Sichel Superior Vinification winemaking method.  This involves temperature controlled fermentation, which results in a remarkable improvement in taste, aroma and smoothness of wines.

In the UK, Blue Nun sells over 31,000 bottles every week and is also enjoyed in over eighty countries around the globe.  So raise your glass to that! 

The new Blue Nun Rivaner-Riesling will be in most UK supermarkets nationwide from May 2011 with a RRP of about the £4.99 mark.

These new Blue Nun wines will really provide a fantastic partner for your barbecued foods this summer. So best to get a bottle (or five!) in to ensure you and your guests can enjoy good food, good company and good wine, all summer-long.

Quick! Chill that wine fast with the Wine Bottle Chiller!

The Wine Bottle Chiller is a fast, portable drinks chiller that is perfect for restaurants, bars and wine shops that want to serve their wine at the perfect temperature.

This fast chiller only takes few minutes to bring the wine to the desired temperature and can be used with glass bottles, plastic bottles or cans.

It has four compartments: one of them is large enough for bottles with a large diameter such as magnum bottles. Each of the four housings can be set to different temperatures as desired. Acoustic and visual signals alert you when the drinks have reached the programmed temperature.

Irwen Martin of Wine Corner comments, “We are continually developing new products and the Wine Chiller is our latest addition. Attention to detail has been important and the Chiller has an elegant finish in either black or stainless steel sides. There are wheels (with stoppers) allowing easy moving which makes it perfect for restaurants and wine bars where finish is as important as functionality.”

To find out more visit our Wine Bottle Chiller website page, now.

Wine Corner also offers made to measure wine cabinets as well as the design and installation of bespoke wine cellar solutions, visit www.winecorner.co.uk.

Independent wine retailers and local restaurants invited to team up for Bordeaux wine promotion

In 2010 the inaugural Bordeaux Dinners initiative was a great success and the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) has launched plans for the 2011 promotion.

The proposal is very straightforward: independent wine retailers are invited to team up with a good local restaurant and host a Bordeaux Dinner. Together they promote Bordeaux Wines and receive a contribution of £250 towards the event as well as materials to publicise the evening.

They then create a special dinner menu matched with at least four Bordeaux wines listed by the independent and set a ticket price that will appeal to customers.

Douglas Morton of the CIVB points out: “For generations Bordeaux has been making food-friendly wines. The overall style, diversity and range of flavours produced in the region result in wines that complement rather than overpower food. So we have developed a promotion that helps to prove that 'Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux'.”

New for 2011, the Bordeaux Wine Council is working with Restaurant Magazine to organise Bordeaux Dinners directly with restaurants. The same rules apply as with the independent wine merchants. Also, the best performing 15 restaurants will have the chance to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Bordeaux. The winners will be selected by Restaurant Magazine and will be judged as having organised exceptional dinners.

For details please visit www.goodfoodwouldchoosebordeaux.com/bdxdinners

Have a Strawberry fizz this Summer!

Fresita is a delicious Chilean sparkling wine infused with hand-picked fresh strawberries from Patagonia - ideal for sipping in the sun.

Strawberries - or 'fresita' in Spanish - were first discovered in Patagonia in the South of Chile in the seventeenth century. Sparkling wine lovers have long been accessorising their fizz with fresh strawberries and now the winemakers at Fresita have found the perfect combination: a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel grapes for the wine with the addition of puréed strawberries from their homeland.

Crisp, light and full of bright red strawberry flavours, Fresita is available from Whole Foods (Kensington), RRP £8.99; Nisa and Costcutter, RRP £8.49; drinksdirect.co.uk, RRP £7.99; formulawine.co.uk, RRP £7.49

www.fresita.com

Shloer has new taste of summer drink for your summer days

Now you can make the perfect Summer’s day even better by drinking Shloer’s brand new Summer Fruit Punch. The limited edition flavour is light and fruity and is ideally refreshing on a sunny day.

Ideal for the grand garden party, or simply enjoyed at a Sunday Social barbecue, Shloer’s Summer Fruit Punch is best served ‘dressed to impress’. Conjure up the typical tastes of summer: mint leaves, slices of orange and cucumber and fresh juicy strawberries, all served in a jug over ice – perfect for sharing.

The natural alcohol alternative

Shloer uses only the finest ingredients to create a delicious non-alcoholic sparkling juice drink. All varieties make a tasty grape-based alternative to alcohol, suitable for all the family - including those who want to enjoy the Summer social circuit without drinking alcohol. Shloer contains no preservatives, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings and is available from all major supermarkets.

Best served shared – on any occasion

Shloer’s Summer Fruit Punch will add a little sparkle to any social gathering planned or impromptu: That might be sharing with friends during one of the many Spring bank holidays or serving at a wedding or a Royal Wedding street party.

Entertaining Inspiration

If the warm weather (or the thought of it) has left you longing to get a group of friends together but you need inspiration with your menu, then you might like to check out The Shloer Sunday Cookbook, you'll find it at the official Shloer Facebook page, www.facebook.com/shloer

The recipes you’ll find there are created by devoted Shloer fans themselves, around a ‘simple and sharing’ principle.

Share recipes and win

It’s easy to contribute your own tasty dishes, or vote for your favourites on their Shloer Sunday Cookbook, either way you have the chance to win some fabulous prizes such as cookery lessons with an expert chef.
A flavour for everyone

Shloer is available in White Grape, Red Grape, Rose, Apple & White Grape, White Grape, Raspberry & Cranberry, White Grape & Elderflower and new Summer Fruit Punch - RRP £2.29