Tag Archive for: wine

You are here: Home / wine

Posts

Weekend wishlist: gorgeous wines for Mother's Day

Weekend wishlist: gorgeous wines for Mother’s Day

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Well hello there! My brain is currently swirling around in a big fog of jet lag after flying back from Singapore yesterday (feature in Cruise International coming very soon on Silversea Cruises’ fab new culinary enrichment programme, .S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste), which enables guests to discover even more about their cruise destinations by sampling the local culinary scene. It was a fabulous week and I can’t wait to get writing (lots of pics on Instagram if you’re interested, including this one from a beautiful sunset cruise on the South China Sea). In other news, Mother’s Day is rushing towards us at an alarming rate, so I thought I’d be a doll and give you some inspiration so she doesn’t end up with a bunch of service station flowers again (hoping my children are reading this). I’m definitely no wine expert, but I’ve taken to snapping a pic of the wines we enjoy with a view to sharing some of our finds, so excuse the pretty ‘home made’ photos. Whether you’re cooking dinner for your mama and want some new wine recommendations to try, or whether you’re just looking for a pressie, here are some gorgeous wines for Mother’s Day. Read more

Send a Prosecco subscription box this Christmas!

Send a Prosecco subscription box this Christmas!

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

I’ve been talking quite a bit recently about why I believe that the best gifts are useable/consumable. We’ve all got enough ‘stuff’ in our lives, and I think a beautiful, useable, indulgent gift that we might not actually buy for ourselves is the way to go. Step forward, then, the gorgeous Princess Prosecco, a gorgeous gifting company with a conscience - so it pretty much ticks all my boxes. Here’s why I think you should forget the socks and the bad Chrimbo jumpers and send a Prosecco subscription box this Christmas instead!

Read more

My Drinkaware month - an update

My Drinkaware month - an update

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

How’s your January going? If you read my healthy plan for 2018, you’ll know that I’m determined to be more healthy this month (and hopefully carrying on for the entire year), to foster a healthier respect for alcohol, break the habit of my after dinner glass or two of wine and eat a much healthier diet, with a lot less meat and sweet treats. How am I getting on? Well, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, but I think I’m on the right track. Read on for my thoughts so far on my Drinkaware month - an update on my mission to break bad habits and foster new, healthy ones.

Read more

Non-alcoholic alternatives for a healthy New YearNon-alcoholic alternatives for a healthy New YearNon-alcoholic alternatives for a healthy New Year

Non-alcoholic alternatives for a healthy New Year

/2 Comments/in , , , , /by

How’s your January going? We’re just hoovering up the last of the Christmas goodies, but we’re also eating much more healthily (lots of healthy food inspo to come) and I’m back running again, so I feel I can forgive the odd Cadbury’s Hero (or three!). I mentioned in my plans for 2018 post that I’m really going to start concentrating on my health and wellbeing this year: looking after my body and my mind, and a big part of this for me is cutting down on my drinking, staying within the recommended guidelines and getting lots of alcohol free days. We’ve spend an enjoyable few days researching some healthier substitutes our usual drinks, and while lots are just hideously sweet and horrid, there are a few really good non-alcoholic alternatives:

Read more

Looking at how I drink - designated driver at The Coach, Marlow

Alcohol Awareness Week: my Drinkaware Challenge

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

So last week I told you a little about my relationship with alcohol, and my Drinkaware challenge during Alcohol Awareness Week to stick to the recommended weekly guidelines: that’s 14 units a week, spread across the week, evenly over three or more days with a couple of alcohol free days. Last week, I also kept an alcohol diary, with the help of the Drinkaware app (and the notes on my phone to record the actual circumstances). Here’s how I got on:

Read more

Alcohol Awareness Week, and a Drinkaware challenge

Alcohol Awareness Week, and a Drinkaware challenge

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

How’s your relationship with alcohol? I’d say that mine’s… complicated. When we were younger, I was always the one who would volunteer to drive. I’m naturally quite chatty and happy, and it didn’t occur to me that I needed to drink alcohol to have a good time, therefore I was generally the designated driver, and happy enough with it. Now, we don’t tend to go out much, so our drinking is done at home, and this has increased steadily over time. Add to this the fact that we really love our wine, to the point that I write about it and we even invest in it, and you’ll see why our alcohol consumption has steadily grown. Next week, 13th to 19th November is Alcohol Awareness Week, and I’ve been thinking a little bit about how (and why) I drink. It’s been an interesting time…

Read more

Discovering Temecula wine country with Virgin Holidays Experiences

Discovering Temecula wine country with Virgin Holidays Experiences

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

If you follow me on Vivino (if not, please do - I love to chat about wine), or if you’ve read any of my wine writing, you’ll know we’re huge fans of American wine. My obsession properly started after tasting the fabulous American wines available at some of my favourite restaurants at Walt Disney World, especially Citrico’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa where the award winning wine list runs to several pages and the Sommelier can recommend some really fabulous wines. It was at Walt Disney World that I first got a taste for delicious, medium bodied floral Oregon Pinot Noir; and rich, peppery, fruity Californian Zinfandel. From there, we went on to buttery brioche Chardonnays too. I love tasting and learning about wine and you can imagine my delight when I found out that during our recent foodie trip to LA, we were going to be visiting Temecula wine country with Virgin Holiday Experiences.

Read more

Planning the perfect picnic

Planning the perfect picnic

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

So did you know that Sunday was International Picnic Day? Luckily the weather was absolutely gorgeous so it was easy to get outside and do some alfresco snacking. Of course planning the perfect picnic really shouldn’t include limp sandwiches and sweaty salads - I think the key to an impressive picnic is to mix a few things you’ve made yourself with a selection of ready made bits and bobs, blurring the edges so nobody quite knows which is which. I’ve been trying out a few items from Tesco’s brand new Mediterranean-inspired Deli range, and they fit the bill perfectly: you can eat many of the items hot or cold, and there are loads of tasty little bits and pieces perfect for eating with your fingers.

Read more

Spiced cherry hot cross buns

The big Easter roundup: recipes, eggs and more

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

I’m so looking forward to this weekend! After a busy few weeks, it’s time to kick back and enjoy a lovely few days with the family. It’s Charlie’s birthday so we’re planning to head out on Sunday for brunch and I’m fully intending on spending Saturday baking hot cross buns and scoffing chocolate - let’s hope it stays nice and sunny! If you’re entertaining this weekend, I’ve got loads of recipes for you, including big roast dinners, delicious desserts, baking and - of course - hot cross buns! For this big Easter roundup, I’ve also picked a few of my favourite sweet treats, just in case you haven’t chosen your chocolate stash yet. Enjoy!

Read more

Summer Champagne and sparkling wine on test (with help from my family)

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Last Friday, we decided to throw a little bash to test out some sparkling wines. There’s nothing nicer on a summer evening than a glass of fizz and - unsurprisingly, my family were quick to volunteer when the subject of a party with a little tasting of some summer Champagne and sparkling wine was mentioned. As usual, I was completely useless and didn’t take any photos (apart from a very blurry selfie), but we had a fab time and discovered loads of wonderful summer sparklers for you. Here are our top tips:

Read more

Some lovely wine recommendations for spring 2016

/0 Comments/in , /by

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you’re all having a wonderful day. Since I’ll be opening a special bottle today to celebrate, it seems like a perfect day to share the wines I’ve been drinking recently.. I do write about all the wines I try on Vivino, so please do follow me there (and start an account to keep track of your own wines, it’s great fun).

Read more

The beautiful outside living area at Cupano, Montalcino

Cupano: the most beautiful winery in Italy

/16 Comments/in , , , /by

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I’ve been in Tuscany recently. I’ve been on a guided wine tour with Away with Wine, exploring Montalcino in Italy, and discovering more about its famous wine, Brunello. A little background first then: owner Sorcha Holloway first visited Montalcino about eight years ago with her husband Tim, and visited a gorgeous winery called Il Poggio Antico. The visit really started their love affair with Italian wine, and, wanting to share her discovery, Sorcha set up Away with Wine to provide guided wine tours to this, and many other famous wine producing areas.

Read more

The Father’s Day roundup

/0 Comments/in /by

Firstly, can I just say that the apostrophe issue with Father’s/Fathers/Fathers’ Day and Mother’s/Mothers/Mothers’ Day really niggles my inner pedant. Apparently the OFFICIAL term is Father’s Day, as the original meaning of the two days was to celebrate your own parent rather than parents in general. But… bah. Anyway… I’ve got some lovely ideas for your favourite dad this year, so whether he be chocoholic, alcoholic or shopaholic, I’ve found the perfect pressie!

Read more