talkTV: Roussillon Wines

Roussillon is a small, well-established, unpretentious, yet high class wine appellation in the South of France located within the greater Pyrénées-Orientales area, bordering Catalonia, Spain. It’s often bundled together with Languedoc as Languedoc-Roussillon due to their proximity to each other, but they actually have quite different characters. The area of Roussillon has quite the Spanish vibe thanks to its south westerly location down by the Pyrenees mountains. If you’ve ever visited Perpignan, you’ve been to the heart of Roussillon.

In the past, the still reds and whites have been pretty decent but were certainly not going to set the world on fire, whereas their special sweet wines, the ‘vins doux naturels’ (fortified sweet wines), have often taken centre stage. Vins Doux Naturels remain emblematic of Roussillon’s viticultural heritage and winemaking know-how  but the dry, still, wines (be they red, rosé or white), are anything but ordinary nowadays.

The VDNs, as the sweet wines are abbreviated to, are made a bit like Port, where fermentation is stopped by the addition of neutral grape spirit before all the sugar has been fermented out, leaving a viscous, sweet wine with an ABV of around 16.5%. The key types of Vins Doux Naturels are Banyuls AOP, Banyuls Grand Cru AOP, Maury AOP, Muscat de Rivesaltes AOPs and Rivesaltes AOP, many of which can have various age statements and subtle variations to style including a hint of nutty ‘rancio’ derived from extended ageing in cement tanks, wood casks or even glass demijohns.

Banyuls and Maury are particularly famous, not just for their quality, but for the fact that they really are the greatest go-to style of wine to have with chocolate!

Four Roussillon Wines to Try

Bila Haut Blanc, M. Chapoutier, Côtes-du-Roussillon 2021

Aromatic and citrus-smoky on the nose and round on the palate, with fruit, aromatics and a saline minerality. Made with Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris and Macabeu grapes from the steep, craggy limestone, arid soil, battered by the tramontane wind.

Find it for £12.68 at Laithwaites

Lafage Muscat de Rivesaltes 2020 (50cl, 15%)

Intense, grapey nose with fresh pear, apricot and lychee aromas. Powerful and well-balanced , refreshing citrus with notes of fresh lemon and icing.

Find it for £12. 98 at Vinatis.co.uk

Banyuls & Maury

The highly-prized wines of Banyuls are made from almost shrivelled, ripe to bursting, red Grenache grapes. The colour and style of Banyuls can differ hugely depending on how it is made and aged, varying from fruity, light red wines to nutty, funky, treacley brown wines. Banyuls also have Grand Cru wines, which have to see at least two and half years of ageing. Maury wines on the other hand are usually darker in colour with tangy, dark berry notes although they do sometimes come in more pink and tawny styles too. This difference in style is attributed largely to its more inland location than Banyuls.

Lafage Maury Grenat 2020, Maury, 50cl, 15%

A deliciously sweet, red dessert wine that’s full-bodied and rich, with intense flavours and aromas of dried red fruits, chocolate and coffee beans. A must with with chocolate.

Find it for. £14.75 - Vinvm and £14.29 at All About Wine

Gérard Bertrand, Banyuls, 2016 75cl, 16.5%

Full and well-balanced with notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry jam and chocolate. Finishes with a fudgey, woody spiced note and goes on forever!

Find it for £15.26 at vinello.co.uk

Read the full article on Roussillon HERE!

Rediscover Roussillon Wines

Wines from the South of France have the greatest reputation for those tipples that taste just as good back at home as they do on your glorious French holiday. Let’s focus however on one part of the Great French South that deserves a little more attention: Roussillon. 

Where is Roussillon?

Roussillon is a small, well-established, unpretentious, yet high class wine appellation in the South of France located within the greater Pyrénées-Orientales area, bordering Catalonia, Spain. It’s often bundled together with Languedoc as Langedoc-Roussillon due to their proximity to each other, but they actually have quite different characters. The area of Roussillon has quite the Spanish vibe thanks to its south westerly location down by the Pyrenees mountains. If you’ve ever visited Perpignan, you’ve been to the heart of Roussillon.

What makes Roussillon wines great?

This is a region made up of a patchwork of very small, family run properties - 2166 at time of counting - with 400 private cellars and 25 co-ops, driving 75% of Roussillon production between them. Yields here are absolutely tiny, which means quality is kept very high. We’re talking, in some cases, about 28.2 hectolitres per hectare, which is one glass per vine! The region has an ideal Mediterranean climate with the mountain slopes mitigating the warmth of the hot sun with their altitude for the vines grown on them. Fun fact: It is also the number one region in France for Organic and Biodynamic viticulture, which gives us an indication about how much the winemakers care about their land and the health of their vines.

Which wine styles come from Roussillon?

In the past, the still reds and whites have been pretty decent but were certainly not going to set the world on fire, whereas their special sweet wines, the ‘vins doux naturels’ (fortified sweet wines), have often taken centre stage. Vins Doux Naturels remain emblematic of Roussillon’s viticultural heritage and winemaking know-how  but the dry, still, wines (be they red, rosé or white), are anything but ordinary nowadays. Côtes du Roussillon and Côtes du Roussillon Village have been PDOs* in their own right since 1977, having pushed hard since 1955 for the accolade. There are 24 official grape varieties grown in Roussillon and amongst the sub-appellations are 14 PDOs and 2 PGIs**.

The Famous Fortified Sweet Wines (Vins Doux Naturels) of Roussillon

The VDNs, as the Vin Doux Naturel sweet wines are abbreviated, are made a bit like Port, where fermentation is stopped by the addition of neutral grape spirit before all the sugar has been fermented out, leaving a viscous, sweet wine with an ABV of around 16.5%. The key types of Vins Doux Naturels are Banyuls AOP, Banyuls Grand Cru AOP, Maury AOP, Muscat de Rivesaltes AOPs and Rivesaltes AOP, many of which can have various age statements and subtle variations to style including a hint of nutty ‘rancio’ derived from extended ageing in cement tanks, wood casks or even glass demijohns.

Banyuls and Maury are particularly famous, not just for their quality, but for the fact that they really are the greatest go-to style of wine to have with chocolate! 

Banyuls AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée)

The highly-prized wines of Banyuls are made from almost shrivelled, ripe to bursting, Grenache grapes. The colour and style of Banyuls can differ hugely depending on how it is made and aged, varying from fruity, light red wines or floral and citrusy white and rosé to nutty, funky, treacley brown or amber wines. Banyuls also have Grand Cru wines, mainly from black Grenache, which have to see at least two and half years of ageing.

Maury AOP

On the other hand, wines from Maury AOP are usually darker in colour with tangy, dark berry notes although they do sometimes come in more pink and tawny styles too. This difference in style is attributed largely to its more inland location than Banyuls. Maury AOP can also be produced in white and amber styles.

Rivesaltes & Muscat de Rivesaltes AOP

Between the two AOPs above, as a unique common point, there’s a large area growing Muscat of Alexandria and small grains Muscat grapes to produce both Rivesaltes and Muscat de Rivesaltes wines. Neither rival Banyuls or Maury but they can also be complex and intense. Their “young” versions (Rivesaltes Grenat or Rosé, and Muscat de Rivesaltes), are honeyed and refreshing when served with cheese or as an aperitif. Muscat de Rivesaltes particularly is produced in huge quantities. Some fantastically made Rivesaltes Ambré and Tuilé do exist but they are harder to find in the UK market.

The dry, still wines of Roussillon

In the past, the unfortified wines of Roussillon were pretty unremarkable but more and more, we are seeing the quality rise thanks to an influx of producers racing here to take advantage of the cooler vineyard locations at altitude, particularly in the upper Agly Valley, which is inland from Perpignan. Here, there are already some ancient vines and great outcrops of schist soil that help give the wines a fine minerality and deep flavour.  

Dry Whites

The dry, white wines from Roussillon tend to be very textural and weighty with refreshing acidity, salinity and minerality to balance the fruit. They make fabulous food wines. Grapes allowed in the PDO wines include White grenache, Grey Grenache, Macabeu, Tourbat/Malvoisie du Roussillon, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino, Viognier and White Carignan. Most whites hail from the Côtes Catalanes (73%) with 22% from the Côtes de Roussillon, 5% from Collioure and a tiny amount, less than 1%, from IGP Côte Vermeille. PGI wines can use these aforementioned grapes plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat d’Alexandrie.

Try these:

Domaine Lafage, Centenaire, IGP Côtes Catalanes 2021

80% Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, 20% Roussanne. Aromatic and richly coloured with ripe, tropical fruit on the nose. A tiny touch of oak here adds a splash of aniseed and texture. It’s a lovely, complex and creamy white that will sing with a nutty comté cheese.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Find it here for £12

Chrysopée Sélection Parcellaire, Domaine de Bila-Haut, Chapoutier, Collioure AOP, 2018

A blend of 90% Grey Grenache with 10% White Grenache, this wine is deep gold in colour with a touch of mineral rubber on the nose. Tropical and savoury, there’s a real earthiness on the palate and very ripe pineapple and coffee on the finish. White chocolate and coffee bean. A great foodie wine!

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find it here for £9

The Red Wines of Roussillon

Motus, Domaine Treloar, Côtes du Roussillon AOP, 2017

Made with a classic blend of 80% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% Grenache Noir, this red has a lovely, velvety texture and bright red colour. Plenty of violet and garrigue notes on the nose with a pleasant note of grilled meat on the palate. Proper wine.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find it here for £16.75

Res Fortes Wines Traveller, 2019

Almost entirely Syrah, which is unusual here, this is a super dry, old-school Syrah with lots of concentrated purple berry fruit and gravelly, mineral notes. This is a textural wine that tastes of its terroir! Get it open early to let it breathe and try it with some grilled meat.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find it here for £31.45

Vin Doux Naturels

Domaine Cazes, AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes

70% Muscat d’Alexandrie, 20% Muscat à petits grains This sweet wine has fantastic, refreshing acidity with notes of verbena and lemon cake sitting alongside more tropical elements like fresh papaya and mango. A touch of bitterness on the finish makes this very moreish.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Find it here for £15.99.

Abbé Rous Banyuls Rimage, 2019

Intensely flavoured, voluptuous and complex, this sweet red is packed with red cherry and ripe raspberry notes up front with mocha creeping in on the palate and a hint of spice and dried herbs on the finish. A really lovely drop that would go down very well with chocolate mousse, dried fruit or even hard cheeses.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 16.5%
Find it here for £21.99

For more information about the wines of Roussillon, go to Wines of Roussillon

*PDO and PGI are two quality schemes that were created by the EU in 1992 to protect the authenticity of products from different regions of EU, limiting the ability to create fake products or poor imitations.

PGI stands for Protected Geographical Indication and it means that the wine in the bottle is made in the specified region, using specified techniques and showing characteristics of the area. 85% of the grapes used in PGI wines must be from the same geographical area where the wine is produced.

PDO, which stands for Protected Designation of Origin, is more stringent. ​​It means all the stages of preparation of the wine are taking place in one area, from vine growing and winemaking, all the way to the bottling. 100% of grapes used to make the wine in the bottle will have come from the said area.

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 86

It’s that time again and this week we have a very special podcast for you as we are joined by the fabulous Bruce and Paramjit Nagra, owners and producers of Crazy Gin, as we talk about some rather risqué drinks news, what it is like to be a woman in the drinks industry and a wine brand doing good. We also sample a very questionable drink in ‘Buy it or Bin it’ and of course, sip away on Crazy Gin’s Lassi and Punjabi Chai gin! Listen in via the player below for all this and more!

What’s in our glass

First up is the Lassi Gin. Thought up after a bad Indian takeaway, the idea behind this gin was to create a British Indian fusion drink just like there is British Indian food. It pushes flavours together that people wouldn’t normally associate working together and wow if it doesn’t do just that! The main botanicals are turmeric, coriander and black pepper, as well as juniper, pomegranate, black cumin and yoghurt. Then whole thing is also fat washed with ghee leading to a really smooth gin that you can enjoy neat at 41%. We reckon it would work beautifully in a martini and equally well in a G&T with for example, a coriander garnish!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £39.95

The second gin we sip on is the Punjabi Chai Gin, another very tasty gin, this one taking inspiration from their Grandma’s secret Chai tea recipe. It has botanicals of vanilla, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, juniper and black pepper and is fat washed with coconut. It also has a unique colour derived from the use of not just any old saffron but ultrasonic saffron!

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £39.95

Drinks News

There’s nothing like having a pint at a pub and company ‘Nothing on Events’ have taken this well-loved past time one step further, introducing naked pub meets! First held in Guildford, Surrey, the aim behind these meet-ups is to put an end to body shaming. Listen in to see whether we’ll be participating…

Buy it or bin it

This week’s wonderful treat for our buy or bin it segment is a warm no-low drink. It’s vegetal, smoky and seaweed-y. It’s very earthy and has a taste of kale and spinach to it. ‘What is it?!’ we hear you ask, why it is organic, premium ‘Duckshit’ tea from the Guangdong province in China! The question is who decided to buy it and who is binning it?!

Drinks Doing Good

We love a good chat about drinks that do good and this week we are giving a shout out to wine brand ‘Madame F’ as they have donated money to the founding and building of Britain’s first LGBTQIA+ museum, Queer Britain. That’s not all though, they are also holding a yearly bottle design competition where they give a cash grant to artists from the LGBTQ+ people to help them explore their artistic nature and the winner then has their art placed on the bottle.

Mailbag

Finally, it wouldn’t be a podcast without one of your mailbag questions and this week we tackle ‘What is London Dry Gin?!’ Listen in to hear the answer!

If you want to listen in to more of our podcasts just follow this link!

The Best Sipping Rums for Summer

Words by Colin Hampden-White

When most people think of rum, they think generally of rum and a mixer or a cocktail. Rum and cola, or a Pina Colada, or one of my favourites, a Zombie, with all three main styles of rum mixed together over crushed ice with Wood’s 100% proof floated across the top. Not for the faint hearted, but delicious.

There are also brands which are synonymous with rums you can find in a supermarket such as Bacardi, which are very good. Most of these rums tend to be white rums. They are not really designed for sipping. In contrast, many dark rums are also made for mixing. Lamb’s rum comes to mind. My suggestions today are oak aged rums, but not too dark, and are rums I would happily sit down on a summer’s evening, pour over ice and sip.

Suncamino

Sumcamino comes from South Africa and means a journey to the sun, so seemed completely appropriate for this article. It is most definitely a summer rum. It is the world’s first floral rum. Unlike other rums which use all sorts of botanicals, Sumcamino literally uses flowers to flavour the rum. They have used hibiscus, orange blossom and honeybush, which is a flower and not a type of honey. These botanical flowers lift the rum giving complex sweet floral notes as the types of flowers would suggest. This rum makes very good cocktails, but I think it stands out on a hot summer’s day over a little ice in a tumbler. A rum not just for the beach, but rather a country garden.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.95 

Market Row Botanical Rum

Market Row is a rum with five years of aging in ex-bourbon barrels. Being a blend of rums from Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados it is complex and very well balanced. A selection of botanicals is then added when the rum is re-distilled at the Brixton Distillery. The flavours include vanilla and lots of spices like cloves, black pepper, allspice and mace, but there are also floral notes of hibiscus, Turkish delight, and black tea with a background sweetness of caramel. It’s complex, yet easy going with a light touch on the palate. Another good summer sipping rum.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.99

J.G. Thomson Bold Jamaican Rum

When I think of Jamaican rum, I think about the classic funky flavours they deliver. There’s an almost indescribable nose and flavour which is created by leaving the fermentation tanks open so that all sorts of things including wild yeasts can sit on top of the fermenting liquid and fester away. It’s a flavour profile that you’ll either love or hate, but it is very worth buying a bottle to find out if you love it or not because if you do love it, you’ll really love it and be joyous you’ve found it. This rum is pot distilled with maturation in ex-bourbon barrels for three years in the tropics and then more time in barrels in Scotland. With flavours of overripe bananas, acetone and very nearly vegetal, there are also sweet chocolate and caramel flavours to balance everything. It’s a little crazy, and I’m very glad J.G. Thomson went the whole hog and didn’t hold back. Brilliant rum for summer and if you haven’t yet. Find out if you’re a lover or not.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £37.50

Admiral Rodney Officers release No.2

This is the second release in the Officer’s Release series. It was distilled in 2009 and finished in ex-Irish whiskey casks, which is a little different. This gives the rum some summer fruit flavours of raspberries, cherries and plumbs as well as spicy flavours of cloves, allspice and a little nutmeg in the background. There is a little sweet chilli too. All these flavours lead to quite a rich rum, especially with the good long aging, but it somehow manages to be delicate and smooth, and perfect for summer. Perhaps a rum to sip later in the evening by a fire pit. It is a little more expensive than others but is certainly still good value in terms of flavour and experience.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: £69.95 

Havana Club 7

I reckon this is the bargain of the aged rums. Having had seven years of tropical aging in Cuba, it has a lot of flavour and has won loads of awards. This was the first Havana Club expression to be created for sipping rather than being placed in cocktails. Mind you, if you wanted to upgrade a cocktail, then this is a cracker to do it with, especially using it instead of whisky in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. For me, I’d be quite happy pouring it over a couple of large ice cubes, kicking back and relaxing!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £24.95

Hampden Estate 8 year old

Now it wouldn’t be right for me not to include Hampden in a line-up of rums. This is a rum which although not very dark in colour, has eight years of aging and is full-bodied. There is a decent dollop of that typical Jamaican funk, which is a style the Hampden distillery excels at. There are lots of punchy, estery notes giving fresh mango, and very ripe banana with lots of creamy vanilla and oak spice. With all the esters, this rum does well over ice for a little cooling and dilution. One of my all-time favourites. But I could be biased!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Find here: £55.69

Decorrum

This is a spiced rum, with loads of flavour - a selection of spices and honey with a little ginger, vanilla cloves and orange peel. The bottle is designed in an art deco style hence the name. But what I really like about this rum is the abv. With all that flavour, the abv is only 37.5% which makes it perfect for summer sipping. Either over ice to let it dilute slowly, or neat, as it isn’t too strong. Either way, it is a great, flavoursome all-rounder.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Find here: £40

Abuelo XII Two Oaks

My last offering is a big rich rum, which for me is a late-night rum sitting out under the stars with a fat cigar. Having been aged in two different types of casks, there is lots of complexity. This has also been aged for over a decade, firstly in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in heavily charred virgin American oak. This gives a little smokiness in the background. There is also lots of creamy sweetness alongside dried fruits and soft spices. It is sumptuous and satisfying.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £46.95

If you’re more of a rum cocktail fan, then why not have a read of The Best Rum To Elevate Your Cocktails or how about checking out these 7 Rums That Scream Luxury?

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 85

Another week, another fun-filled podcast to listen to! This week we discover two gorgeous Californian wines from Talbott Vineyard, chat about why playing music to vines is important, taste test a Mastiha spirit distilled from the resin of the Mastic tree, and share with you some must-try canned wines for your summer picnics! 

What’s in our Glass?

We’re not strangers to Talbott Vineyard, in fact, this time last year we were exploring the Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay (Episode 55). In Episode 85, however, we are sipping on Kali Hart Chardonnay from Monterey in California. It is a beautiful wine - not too oaky or tart, it has notes of vanilla and marshmallow on the nose and gentle peach, apricot, pear and vanilla to taste.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £19 // $19.99 

Not wanting to leave out the other grape California is renowned for; we also sip on Talbott Vineyards Kali Hart Pinot Noir. Named after Rob Talbott’s daughter, this 2018 pinot noir is a delicious glass of strawberries, raspberries, hints of vanilla and a kiss of oak. It is amazing value for a premium Californian wine and would pair perfectly with pasta.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: £19.99 // $22.99

Drinks News

Did you ever wonder why some winemakers play music to their grapes? Well, this week we have the answer! Studies have shown that the baseline very subtly causes the wine to move in the barrel which increases its contact with oxygen making for a more complex and tastier wine! Music is also played in some vineyards as apparently there is a certain pitch that stops aphids from attacking the vines!

Drinkers Discovery

This week our drinkers’ discovery is wine in cans! Let’s face it, they used to be very mediocre with a bizarre smell and a sulphury taste, however, this is not the case anymore and in fact, there are so many tasty cans out there these days you are spoilt for choice! Listen in to see which Helena rates!

World Drinks

Have you tried Mastiha spirit?! Well, this week we popped open a bottle of Axia and did just that in the studio. Mastiha spirit is a clear spirit from Greece distilled from the resin of the mastic tree. On the nose, it’s smoky and spicy but in an elegant way that doesn’t jump out of the glass at you. To taste it is very aromatic, with savoury notes. It’s almost herbaceous with a slightly aniseedy flavour, liquorice spice and fennel. We reckon it would make a cracking variation of a Bloody Mary!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £31.95

Mailbag

We love your mailbag questions and this week’s question did not disappoint as you asked us which rosé wine, other than those from Provence you should have in your glass. Listen in to find out what we recommend!

If you liked this you can find this episode as well as previous episodes via this link.

One Drink, Three Ways: Franklin and sons Mandarin and Ginger Soda

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

Franklin & Sons create tonic waters, soda, premixed cans and soft drinks. Founded in London in 1886 they are pioneers in the soft drinks space, seeking out only the best natural ingredients to create unique flavoured drinks. From Rosemary and Black olive tonic to Guava and Lime soda, there are tons of options to enjoy with your favourite mixers or to just sip neat. Today we are sharing with you three of our favourite mocktails/cocktails using Franklin & Sons Mandarin and Ginger soda.

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Helena’s Choice: The Lowball

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The Lowball

Ingredients

50ml Everleaf Forest

20ml Orange & Fennel Cordial

120ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

We all love a cocktail but sometimes you want to drink something that’s tasty without the added alcohol and so I’m mixing things up a bit this time and going for a no-low option. This cocktail is zesty and refreshing with a beautiful warm spicy finish. The perfect drink for a warm summer night. 
Method: Pour all the ingredients (excluding the soda) into a highball glass and then add ice and top with the Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Gently stir to mix.

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Aidy’s Choice: The Northern Mule

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The Northern Mule

Ingredients

50ml Spirit of Manchester Gin

15ml Lime Juice

10ml Ginger Syrup

120ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

Being from up North it would be wrong not to give this beauty a shout out! A twist on the classic Mule, this version uses gin instead of the traditional vodka making for a very light and refreshing Summer drink. 
Method: Pour all the ingredients (excluding the soda) into a mule mug, add ice, and top with the Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Gently stir to mix and garnish with a sprig of mint and crystallised ginger.

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Colin’s Choice: Old Fashioned Spritz

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Old Fashioned Spritz

Ingredients

50ml Woodford Reserve

15ml Demerara Syrup

3ml Angostura Bitters

150ml Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda

I love an Old Fashioned and would possibly go as far as to say it is one of the best whisky cocktails around. The addition of the Mandarin and Ginger soda in this spritz version transports this traditionally wintery drink into a cocktail that is a delight to sip on a balmy Summer evening. The bitterness of the cocktail works harmoniously with the soda giving it an edge of sweetness that will keep you coming back for more.
Method: Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass, stir and top with Franklin & Sons Mandarin & Ginger Soda. Garnish with orange peel and a cherry.

If you’ve enjoyed this, why not check out One Drink, Three Ways: Wine Cocktails with Barefoot Wine, One Drink, Three Ways: The Macallan 12YO Double Cask or One Drink, Three Ways: Remy Martin VSOP Cognac?

talkTV: Shiraz and Syrah

Today on talkTV, we shine a light on the difference between Syrah and Shiraz. Did you know that it was the same grape, just with different personalities depending on style desired and location? 

Syrah: The original home of Syrah is the Rhône Valley in France, where certain villages in the Northern Rhône particularly, famously make stunning wines only with the Syrah grape. Heard of Saint-Joseph? How about Hermitage? Crozes-Hermitage or Cornas, even? These French appellations will give you the very best examples of Syrah in their natural habitat with savoury notes of grilled meat, black olive, damson fruit, violet and garrigue-scented goodness.

Shiraz: Syrah was taken over to the New World by immigrants where it started to develop a slightly different personality - so different in fact, that this New World style was given a new name. Shiraz still showcases that famous dark fruit and silky tannins but in this guise, it’s more fruit-forward rather than savoury, more jammy and spicy, with a slick of licorice and black pepper.

Something in between: A particularly interesting style of Syrah is when you find it in the New World, where the old world flavours of grilled meat, rosemary, thyme, pepper and damson are coaxed out, but there’s an extra dollop of ripe, New World fruit and incredible, violet perfume. This is a glorious style to look out for. 

Syrah

Côtes Du Rhône, La Grande St  Martin Reserve

Some Côtes Du Rhône wines such as this will be Syrah dominant in their blends as it gives such great character. This little CDR has a dollop of Grenache in it too but still shows that classic, Rhone Valley Syrah style - and is great value to boot. Made by the famous Perrin family from Chateau Beaucastel too so it has a good pedigree! 

Find it on offer at The Co op for £7.50 in store. Usually 

Shiraz

Most Wanted Collective Australian Shiraz

Shiraz is arguably Australia's flagship red grape where the style has become bolder, more fruit forward, spicy and jammy. This Most Wanted version hails from South-Eastern Australia and is very soft and easy drinking. This label was also part of their Collective range created to celebrate diversity, where MW got together a group of artists to express themselves freely using wine labels as a canvas. This label is Most Wanted x Dorcas Creates and was designed by  illustrator Dorcas Magbadelo who produces stunning  art and greeting cards celebrating black women. 

Find it at various supermarkets as well as VIPBottles on offer for  £5.99

New World Style, Old World Soul!

Neil Ellis, Groenekloof Syrah

This wine is that in-between style showcasing a velvety, medium-bodied wine style that really is a great mix of both worlds. Velvety and smooth, this is a wonderful wine for roast lamb or grilled veggies.

Find it at Ocado and for £16

See what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV here!thethreedrinkers.com/talk-tv

The Bring a Bottle Podcast: Episode 84

Welcome back to another episode of our Bring a Bottle podcast! This week we chat about tasty mixers for your rum, give a shoutout to brand new vodka brand, Vodka 4 Peace, taste test a drink that looks like alcoholic pink chocolate milk in buy it or bin it and Aidy catches up with the wonderful Briget from Étän Rum! Listen in to hear all this and more via the player below!

What’s in our glass?

We’re taste-testing mixers for rum this week and we’ve got our hands back on Franklin and Sons Pineapple and Almond soda*. When you drink this mixer on its own the pineapple really stands out, however, we found that when mixing it with rum there is a real marzipan note to it as the pineapple is toned down and the almond shines through. The mixer itself is a great drink to enjoy if you just fancy a nice drink that isn’t alcoholic but we’re curious to see what it would taste like with mezcal…

Size: 200ml
Find here: £17.50 for 24 bottles

* For our American friends, soda in the UK is flavoured water.

Drinks doing Good

We love to shout out about drinks brands that are doing good and this week we’re putting Vodka 4 Peace in the spotlight. Set up by peace-loving entrepreneurs including Anastasiia Rosinina who was forced to leave Ukraine this year, the brand has been created to help Ukrainians in need and to support humanitarian organisations worldwide. The vodka itself is a premium grain-based vodka, triple-distilled under German quality standards and 100% of all the profits made from sales will go to charities to help until 2026 with £5 from every bottle also being donated.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £29.90

Personal News

Helena has been busy helping Wines of New Zealand with their petition to get a white wine emoji. You can find out more here. Aidy on the other hand has been getting into the art of journaling!

Buy it or Bin it

Buy it or bin it is back and this week we have a drink that looks like alcoholic pink chocolate milk and smells like raspberry blancmange! ‘What is it?!’ we hear you ask… it is in fact, Dead Man’s Fingers Raspberry Rum Cream Liqueur! A definite guilty pleasure, this would taste amazing poured over ice cream, be that vanilla, strawberry or chocolate!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 17%
Find here: £15 

Third Drinker

Aidy catches up with Briget, one of the five fabulous sisters behind rum brand Étän, to discuss where the idea of Étän rum came from, what it tastes like, the BEST street food you can find in Cameroon and the most underrated rum cocktail you need to try. Listen in to find out more and if you want to get your hands on a bottle of Étän rum, here are the details…

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £40

Mailbag

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Bring a Bottle podcast without one of your fantastic mailbag questions. This week you asked ‘What are the differences between light and dark rum?’.

Listen in to all this, and a whole lot more, by clicking on this link!