wine recommendations

Perfect Drinks for Date Night

best date night drinks thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Words by Aidy Smith and Helena Nicklin

The biggest date night of the year is upon us, so be it still wine, bubbles, vodka or gin that you like to drink the most, here is Helena and Aidy’s selection of top picks to make your night the best yet, whether it’s a romantic date for two or a pamper date for one...

Cupid’s Perfect Sparkle

Taittinger Prestige Rosé Champagne

Best date night drinks Tattinger champagne thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

A deeply coloured, exceptionally vibrant rosé champagne produced using top class Pinot Noir from Montagne de Reims and Les Riceys and a fair whack of Chardonnay that rounds everything out beautifully. Youthful in appeal, it’s a wine packed with bright red berry fruit with an elegant, smooth body and creamy mousse. This is no wallflower champagne. It demands attention! HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: UK £38

Rathfinny Sparkling Rosé 2017

Best date night drinks Rathfinny sparkling rose thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Rathfinny Estate is located on a prime, south-facing slope in East Sussex, where world class sparkling wines are produced largely from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Their sparkling rosé 2017 is a blend of 63% Pinot Noir, 19% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Meunier. It has an elegant, cherry blossom pink hue with notes of crunchy red berries and a subtle, spicy finish. HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: UK £36 (includes a complimentary gift box for Valentine’s Day.)

Hattingley Valley Sparkling Rosé 2017

Best date night drinks Hattingley Valley thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Internationally renowned for its delicious English sparkling wines, Hattingley Valley has created its first-ever limited edition label just in time for Valentine’s day. A blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir Précoce this award-winning 2017 sparkling rosé has delicious notes of strawberry coulis, a creamy texture and perfectly balanced acidity. Pair this with clam chowder - trust us, you won’t regret it. AS

Size: 75cl
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £41

White & Rosé Wonders

Gran Moraine Chardonnay 2017

Best date night drinks Gran Moraine Chardonnay thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

There’s nothing quite like a good Chardonnay to sip as you wind down in the evening and right now this beauty from Oregon is piquing our intrigue. Deriving from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, this rich, fruity and balanced Chard is bursting with flavour and the most important thing for me in a wine like this – texture. Some people love oak, others don’t, but this has the perfect balance, making it incredibly well rounded and sumptuous. Rich, but not overpowering you can expect to taste apricot, buttery lemon, kiwis and clementines. For those who love Chardonnay, this is for you. For those who don’t, I’d dare say it will convert you. AS

Size: 75cl
ABV: 13%
Find here: £43


Kylie Minogue, Rosé 2019

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Super easy-drinking, fruity and soft, Kylie’s first wine project is still an absolute smash hit. Made from Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon from the South of France, Kylie has manage to create a beautifully packed, pretty, pink drop that knocks it out of the park for value.

Size 75cl

ABV: 12.5%

Find here: £9

Marques de Murrieta Primer Rose 2017 

Best date night drinks Marques de Murrieta Primer Rose thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Imagine the most beautiful rosé you’ve had from Provence, something along the lines of Domaine Ott? Well, say hello to the Spanish equivalent. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better than this. Strawberries, cream and raspberries erupt from the glass and with it so much texture. You’ll often hear me harp on about that word – but for whites and rosés, texture is key for me! This is the wine to be popping the cork on when the sun shines outside (and when I want it to shine inside, too). AS

Size: 75cl
ABV: 13%
Find here: UK £29.35

Changyu Moser XV Blanc de Noir 2016

Best date night drinks Chateau Changyu Moser XV thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Allow us to introduce you to the first white Cabernet Sauvignon from China – and my god is it beautiful. Firstly, the vines are around 15 years old – which is pretty unheard of when it comes to rosé. The vines themselves are located in the Ningxia province with Lenz M. Moser continuing to establish his name as a pioneering force of nature for Chinese wines. Estate bottled for that final seal of quality, you can expect grapefruit peel, exotic fruits and an array of crushed raspberries and apple. Zippy and refreshing with texture – and as you know, texture is everything. AS

Size: 75cl
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £18.99


Romantic Red Wines

Saint Amour, Domaine Des Côtes de la Roche, Beaujolais, 2018

Best date night drinks Saint Amour Domaine des Cotes de la Roche thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

No date night is complete without a bottle of Saint-Amour. This vibrant, perfumed and fruity wine made with the Gamay grape hails from one of the lesser known and smallest of the ten Beaujolais ‘Crus’. It’s refreshing and lively with notes of concentrated blackcurrant and dark cherry with a whiff of wild strawberry and a slick of slate. Very easy, very pretty wine. HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 13%
Find here: UK £11.50


Maruxa Mencia, Virgen del Galir, 2019,

Best date night drinks Maruxa Mencia thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Mencia is a grape that we will see exploding onto the wine scene soon as more and more people look towards lighter, crunchier, more refreshing red wines styles. Hailing most famously from Northwestern Spain, Mencia has similar strawberry and cherry-like qualities and high acidity, like Pinot Noir and Gamay, but add to the mix a touch of licorice and plum spice and a cool minerality with this one, which is made in tiny quantities by the same people responsible for the fabulous Contino Rioja. HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 14%
Find here: UK £12.99 per bottle (£10.99 mix six).


Bolney Estate Pinot Noir 2019

Best date night drinks Bolney Estate thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Pinot Noir has garnered a reputation as the heartbreak grape as it needs contact care and attention to flourish, but when it does, it certainly gives the love back. This Pinot from Bolney Estate is light, elegant and silky, with understated notes of cherry and red plum with just the slightest hint of spice. Perfect if you’re after wine with a lighter touch and it goes perfectly with cold cuts, smoked salmon and hard, mature cheese. HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 11.5%
Find here: UK £19.99


The McGuigan Reserve Shiraz

Best date night drinks McGuigan Reserve Shiraz thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

If a more easy-going, rich and juicy wine is what you’re after, then an Australian Shiraz will be your vinous comfort blanket. The Mcguigan Reserve Shiraz is our go-to, easy drinker thanks to its chocolatey texture and notes of blackcurrant, mint and damson conserve. Concentrated and spice, it’s a warm hug in a glass - one of the very few dry wine styles that can take chocolate and pairs perfectly with a snuggle on the sofa. HN

Size: 75cl
ABV: 13%
Find here: UK £7.

English Wine Gifting: Hampers, Tastings, Tours & More

Gusbourne X Cartografie Chocolate

Best date night drinks Gusbourne Cartografie chocolate thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

The ultimate, elegant, English pairing featuring one of the most exciting wine producers in the UK and an emerging, boutique chocolatier, hand crafting beautiful, single origin, single bean chocolates. This duo features the stunning, 2016 rosé from Gusbourne in Appledore, Kent with its notes of crips apple, cherry and strawberry and a Cartografie box containing 4 hand-crafted, ganache filled chocolates. HN & AS

Find here: here


Rathfinny Estate: Hampers, Accommodation mid vines, Tasting packs.

Best date night drinks Rathfinny Estate thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Rathfinny are also offering Valentine’s day hampers packed full of fresh, local produce and a Valentine’s wine case with their Cradle Valley 2018 Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc and their 2018 Seven Sisters Gin. Experience-wise, you can also get vouchers for overnight packages for couples to stay at their beautifully restored Flint Barns in the heart of the vines, tours of the estate and three-course lunches at their Michelin Plate Tasting Room restaurant. HN

See more here



Bolney Estate: Private Virtual Wine Tasting with Bespoke Bottle engraving

Best date night drinks Bolney Estate thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Bolney Estate are offering private, virtual tastings of their Cuvée Rosé, Eighteen Acre Rosé, Blanc de Blancs and Cuvée Pinot Noir, you can also request a bespoke package to include any of their wines or even a wine and food pairing tasting packages with cheese and chocolate selections. Bolney is also offering gift boxes containing sparkling wines or gins with chocolates. HN

See all their options here


Candles

Parks Candles

best candles for romance parks candles thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

There’s just something about the way Parks create their candles that makes you feel so wholesome and comforted. Whether to create a romantic ambience during dinner or more of a relaxing one in the bath – they’ve got it all. Some of our personal favourites are Feu de Bois, Amber, Tobacco & Leather and of course Bourbon & Maple – but we’re sure you’ll fall in love with something that resonates with you too. AS

Find here: Prices start from £10


MoJo White Truffle & Cognac Candle

Best date night drinks MoJo Candles thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

We’ve tested a lot of candles over the last few months and MoJo have been knocking out of the park for alluring aromas, long lasting length and fantastic value. We adore the White Truffle and Cognac candle which scents your room with a cosy, creamy, white chocolate scent with a hint of orange peel and spice. Original and gorgeous. We also love their Fig & Rose and Sumi & Paper Ink. Find them while you can! HN

Find here: £19

Get in the Spirit

Rosé Sainte Marie Pink Gin, Salcombe Distilling

Best date night drinks Salcombe Gin thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Salcombe Gin’s beautiful, double award-winning pink gin is inspired by the sensory wonders of the South of France. Named after the lighthouse in Marseille’s Old Port where the fruit used to come in, it has a delicate fragrance of citrus fruit, white peach and melon. Pour over ice, top up with tonic and garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit, peach or even strawberry and breath in the atoms of a warm evening in Provence, even if it’s still snowing outside. Available in 70cl, 5cl and a range of gifts. HN

Size: 70cl
ABV: 41.4%
Find here: UK £40


Mirabeau Provence Rosé Gin

best drink night drinks mirabeau rose gin thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

When it comes to rosé my top choice for quality and value is always Mirabeau, which made me pretty god damn excited when they announced they were making a gin. While the base botanicals consist of juniper, citrus, orris root, angelica root and coriander it’s the Provençal twist containing a variety of herbs such as bay, thyme and rosemary alongside the neutral grape spirit and base distillate of Mirabeau Classic Rosé that really makes this gin stand out from the crowd. The result is a fruity and textured gin with lemon, coriander and citrus bursting with floral notes, rose petals and lavender. The story ends on a final note as those herbs add an extra kick of character to the blend. AS

Size: 70cl
ABV:
43%
Find here: UK £45



Belvedere Single Estate - Smogóry Forest

Best date night drinks Belvedere Vodka Smogory Forest thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

Our next treat takes us to a tiny village in the far west stretches of Poland where Belvedere’s Smogóry Forest estate calls home. Mild winters and long summers result in bakers-grade Diamond Dańkowskie rye – the perfect base product for this award-winning vodka. Purposely left unfiltered to allow the flavour to continue to elevate over time, this is a vodka for those who like true craft. The single-estate gem oozes with salted caramel, cereal and a touch of honey evolve to reveal toasted bread and a hint of white pepper. AS

Size: 70cl
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £39.90 // US $49.99


Gran Patron Platinum

Best date night drinks Gran Patron Platinum thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

I love a good tequila, it seems to be one of the spirits I’ve really found an appreciation for over the last few years. If I was to name one house that consistently delivers quality across its whole portfolio, my mind takes me straight to Patrón. It seems there’s a little something for everyone and while I’ll happily get my hands on a Reposado for my margarita needs (quick tip, avoid the salt rim, it ruins the drink), I love nothing more than to sip on something of premium quality. That brings me to Gran Patrón Platinum, arguably the world’s first ultra-premium tequila. With each bottle taking around 30 people to create, quality is of the utmost level. Agave is individually sourced for its rich sugar content before being harvested, triple distilled and left for 30 days in oak tanks to create pure elegance. The result is a smooth and seductive nectar of agave, orange, vanilla, lime and white peppercorns. Pure bliss if you ask me and don’t even get me started on a Mexican Martini (google it, you won’t be disappointed). AS

Size: 70cl
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £193.95  // US $199.99

Highclere Castle Gin

Best date night drinks Highclere Castle Gin thethreedrinkers.com The Three Drinkers

The perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, this stunning gin is created using botanicals from Highclere Estate, also known for its appearance in the internationally renowned Downton Abbey series. The multi-award winning gin is distilled at England’s oldest distillery, Langley, in one of the oldest working copper gin stills dating back to the 1800’s. The result is an incredibly smooth gin, perfect for sipping over ice but also equally good in cocktail. Check out their ‘British 75’ cocktail, simple and yet stunning, it is a perfect celebration cocktail that will add the wow to your Valentine’s Day.

Size: 75cl
ABV: 43.5%
Find here: UK £42.30 // $39.99 

Enjoyed this? Then, make sure you check out Cheap Champagne that Tastes Great and Top Pink Proseccos £10 and Under

The Wine Society: Top picks for Spring & Summer 2019

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As wine writers, we get invited to a lot of press tastings, where we are lucky enough to try many of the wines on offer from various merchants, clubs and supermarkets all at once. One tasting we are always happy to go to is that of The Wine Society: a national institution that despite being founded in 1874 has moved seamlessly with the times to offer genuinely fantastic examples of key grapes and styles of wine as well as hand-picked, lesser known wines from places you may never have heard of (but that will blow your mind). The best bit? As The Society is owned by its members, there are no obligations to place huge margins on the wines, so everything you taste punches well above its price tag as the buyers have the freedom to buy the best. With wines from £5 all the way up to iconic, more collectible bottles, this is where to come to learn your wine basics by tasting through their benchmark styles before moving on to expand your palate, happy to do so as you know and trust their choices.

Here’s our pick from yesterday’s press tasting:

SPARKLING

Crémant de Jura, Domaine de Montbourgeau, France, NV. £14.50

Fabulous, classy, Champagne-style bubbles (traditional method) with loads of tang and flavour. Made with 100% Chardonnay and ridiculous value. 12%

Alfred Gratien Blanc de Blancs, Champagne, 2012. £39

Proper, seriously good, 100% Chardonnay Champagne with all the trimmings: brioche, apple-skin, peaches, rainbows...

Alfred Gratien Brut 2006, £42

If you’re into aged vintage Champagne with a slight funky edge, you will adore this. Rich, round and a touch nutty, there’s so much going on.

freddie bulmer the wine society the three drinkers.jpg

WHITE CLASSICS

The Society’s Exhibition Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, 2018. £14.50

Yes, you can find some cheaper Albariño, but this is the best version we have tasted for ages. Crisp and citrus with a chalky kick and tropical, peachy note. Gorgeous.

Contino Blanco, Rioja, Spain, 2017. £20

A very well put together white Rioja that is fresh, floral with buttery, pineapple notes right now, but will also age beautifully. Made by a tip top producer.

Jacques Saumaize, Macon-Vergisson Sur La Roche, Burgundy, France, 2017. £12.95

Quite simply, a beautifully fresh and youthful, unoaked Chardonnay with tonnes of fruit.

Soave Classico, Calvarino, Pieropan, Italy 2016. £18

Soave can be boring but Pieropan’s is the icon. Incredible texture, floral aromatics and ripe fruit. Summer in a glass.

WHITE ‘MUST-TRY’ QUIRKIES

Quinta de Calçada Alvarinho, Minho, Portugal, 2018. £9.50

Another gorgeous Albariño but from Portugal this time. Saline and citrussy with great texture. Say its name out loud for extra enjoyment.

Pepe Mendoza, Moscatel, Macabeo, Airen & Alicante blend, Spain, 2018. £11.75

(Available from July) A happy, summery wine. White flowers, oranges and lemon cream with the lightest touch. Huge drinkability.

Szolo Tempo Tokaj Furmint, Hungary, 2017. £14.95

Hungarian Furmint is a grape to look out for if you love refreshing, crisp whites with an off-dry element, like this one. Perfect with mildly spiced thai food.

Blackbook Winery, The Mixup, England, 2018. £18

Properly quirky, this one! And made in London to boot by this exciting new winery. 50:50 Bacchus and Ortega grapes. Sweet, grassy nose but dry palate. Very textural. A great food wine. Gloriously different and unique.

PINK

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Corent Côtes d’Auvergne, Saint-Vernay, France, 2018. £9.50

Did you know that Corent must always be rosé and always made from the Gamay grape? This dark pink wonder is all tangy, wild strawberry with a subtle, savoury note. In between a Provençal and Tavel style. Delicious and great value.

Domaine Alzipratu, Fiumesecco Rosé, Ile de Beauté, Corsica, France, 2018. £14.50

A crazy Corsican name, this easy-to-love pink is made from the local Sciaccarellu grape and it has an incredibly soft, round palate with charming peach and melon flavours.

RED CLASSICS

El Pacto, Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2016, £11.50

All those classic Rioja flavours, but with a particularly fresh acidity and lovely herbaceous note. Not overblown. Infinitely moreish.

The Society’s Exhibition Margaux, France, 2015. £23

This Margaux shows why this Bordeaux appellation is so sought-after: positively regal with silky, dark fruit, classic, Cabernet features and a seamless, mineral core. Gorgeous plum and violet notes too.

The Society’s Exhibition Fleurie, France, 2018. £10.50

Beaujolais is back and it’s better than ever. This Fleurie has all the hallmarks that make the appellation famous: perfume and light-bodied silkiness, but it’s a million miles away from the soapy styles of yore. Crying out for charcuterie.

Langhe Nebbiolo A Mont, Paolo Conterno, Italy, 2016 £18

This wine is just how you want non-Barolo nebbioo to be: ethereal and earthy with subtle violets and rose. Utterly beguiling.

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RED ‘MUST-TRY’ QUIRKIES

Undurraga Cauquenes Estate Carignan, Chile, 2016. £8.95

Chilean Carignan is getting really good. Tangy and refreshing, it’s got a moreish, chewy texture and strawberry jam notes.

Cirò Rosso Gaglioppo, Santa Venere, Italy, 2017. £9.95

Rustic, but with charm, this is earthy and fruity with fairly high tannin. A bit like a fruitier Nero D’Avola. Made with Gaglioppo grapes from Calabria.

Duché d’Uzès, Les Perrasieres, Domaine Camp Galhan, France, 2016. £10.50

If you’re a fan of Syrah form the Northern  Rhône, you will love this. Tonnes of thyme, rosemary and violets on the nose and a silky, plum fruit texture. Great value for great Syrah.

Kardarka, Maurer, Serbia, 2017. £14.50

A Serbian wine, no less! Kadarka is the grape and makes wines that are really light in colour and bright red. The flavour profile is so interesting: rose petal and figs, with a viscous, licorice and caramel finish. Definitely worth a taste and only 11% abv.

By Helena Nicklin