TalkTV: Retro Liqueurs

It’s official. Liqueurs are back with a bang! Rediscovered through our post lockdown obsession with mixology and ingredients, drinkies from years ago are back and we are also welcoming some new brands taking a modern take on retro styles of liqueurs. Here are some delicious, old fashioned drinks to seek out, including the Queens favourite tipple!

Amaretto Adriatico (28% abv)

Adriatico amaretto talkTV

As Seen on TalkTV

A new generation of amaretto liqueur, made with 100% natural, roasted almonds from Puglia distilled and infused with coffee, cocoa, cinnamon and a pinch of Adriatic sea salt.  It’s morish, sweet and delicious but not sickly.

Serve: Simply over ice or in many cocktails, such as an almond margarita.

Find it for £28.74 from Master of Malt or Amazon

Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (40% abv)

grand marnier talktv

As Seen on TalkTV

This premium, iconic orange liqueur is one of a kind. First created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle, it’s a Cognac based liqueur made with the distilled essence of Caribbean oranges and sugar. Weighing in it at 40% abv, it’s punchy and full, but fine, fresh and complex with notes of vanilla, baking spice and marmalade. 

Serve: Chilled over ice or try it in a Sidecar cocktail. 

Find it for £17 from Ocado (50cl) or £19 from Sainsbury’s 

Créme de Cassis Liqueur ‘Cocktail Collection’ (15% abv)

cassis talktv

As Seen on TalkTV

Crème de Cassis is a traditional blackcurrant liqueur that famously comes from Dijon in France. This version was created for Sainsbury's by a multi-award-winning producer using a recipe based on whole blackcurrants, blackcurrant buds and raspberry. The nose is literally jam-packed with fresh, ripe blackcurrant. Try their other flavours too, especially the peach for your bellinis!

Serve: Splash a small amount into a wine glass then top up with white for a kir or Champagne for a Kir Royale.

Find it for £8 from Sainsbury’s (35cl)

Dubonnet (14.8%)

dubonnet talktv

As Seen on TalkTV

The Queen’s favourite tipple is not technically a liqueur, it’s more like a vermouth but it certainly is retro. She loved it so much, she even gave it a royal warrant! Originally  created in 1846 by French chemist Joseph Dubonnet, to help combat malaria among the French Legionnaires, it’s a French, fortified wine, naturally flavoured by herbs, quinine and spices then aged in oak barrels. 

The Queen’s serve: Take two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, stir with icem then strain into a wine glass and serve with a lemon wheel. 

Find it for £10 from Waitrose, Ocado & Amazon

TalkTV: Pinotage Wines for Pinotage Day

South Africa’s flagship red grape Pinotage is an interesting one. It’s actually a crossing of two French grapes, Pinot Noir and Cinsault, the latter of which used to be known as Hermitage in South Africa. This is where the name came from - Pinot-age! Geddit? Pinotage is famously rich, meaty and smoky like a good South African braai. In the past, it was a grape that made wines that could be a little rough around the edges but these days, you can find some very beautiful, silky ones with plenty of plush plum fruit flavours. Here are three wines showing Pinotage three ways to celebrate both Pinotage day this Saturday, October 8th and the recent South African heritage day.

Van Hunks Sparkling South African Rosé

Van Hunks is a sparkling wine that is hand crafted in South Africa using the traditional method, just like in Champagne. All the wines are bottle fermented in small batches and matured in contact with the lees for approximately 30 months, which gives them a creamy texture and weight. This rosé is made with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a splash of Pinotage to add flavour, colour and richness.

Find it at Amazon for £20.25

Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage Rosé

Kanonkop spend a lot of time working with the Pinotage grape and this wine comes from the Perdeberg, which is the largest single block of Pinotage in the world. It’s quite unusual to make rosé from this robust, full-flavoured grape, but Kanonkop have pressed on and created somethign delicious. Aromatic and vibrant, it has notes of rose, summer berries and refreshing red apple.

Find it at Majestic for £9.99 mix six price

Tesco Finest* Stellenbosch Pinotage

Here we have a fantastic, accessible, modern version of a red Pinotage without the burnt rubber, bonfire stink. It’s light on its feet, velvety and fruity with lots of juicy, bramble fruit. Incredibly drinkable, this is a brilliant mid week red for your spag bol or lasagne. Hailing from South Africa’s most famous wine region, Stellenbosh and created for Tesco by renowned producer Stellenrust.

Find it at Tesco for £7.50

Want to know what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV? See here!

TalkTV: Autumnal Wines for Organic September

Organic september wines talkTV

Organic wine has been increasing in popularity these past few years and consumers are becoming more discerning about what they put in their bodies. Majestic Wine announced an increase of 27.4% in organic wine sales this past year, which is a huge jump. For a while, with wine, it’s fair to say that it felt like a bit of a gimmick at first but now, a new generation of winemakers are very much supporting the idea that if you look after the earth, you will get better produce. I’ve tasted the result myself. Wines seem brighter, more vibrant and alive.

What does organic wine mean?

Very simply, organic wine means that it has been made with organically grown grapes. This does not mean that nothing else has been added to it, however. With organic wine, you can still use yeasts and fining agents, some of which are derived from cheese or eggs, so organic does not always equal vegan either. 

As organic September draws to a close, we take a look at some delicious wines worth tasting that won’t break the bank. 

White 

organic wine talktv

Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay 2021 on offer at Ocado for £8

An easy drinking, ripe Chardonnay with a touch of spice from oak and lovely fresh melon character. A perfect white for the mild Autumn chill. Their Pinot Noir is also worth a try (see below).

Veramonte Reserva Organic Chardonnay 2021 from Ocado for £11.50

A bold Chardonnay with a touch of smoke and savoury minerality with a caramel pudding note on the finish. A great gastronomic wine that would love a bit of roast chicken.

Pink

organic wine talktv

TalkTV Pick: Organic Etna Rosato, 2021 at Aldi for £8.79

Wines from around the Sicilian volcano, Etna have a unique, texture mouthfeel and character thanks to the volcanic soils there and the local grape varieties used. This one has a great balance of red fruit and chalkiness all with a lovely round body. A fab, Autumnal pink. 

organic wine talk tv

Sumarroca Cava Rosado NV from Talking Wines for £14.99

As Cavas go, this one is exceptionally elegant and bright. Packed full of raspberry fruit and a touch of brioche, it’s a serious wine with a playful streak. 

Red

organic wine malbec

TalkTV: Tilimuqui Organic Malbec, 2021 on offer at Waitrose for £7.99

Tilimuqui, up in Argentina’s Famatina Valley, make wines that are light on their feet, aromatic and bright thanks to a very dry climate, high altitude and lots of sunshine. This is a blueberry and raspberry scented Malbec that is lighter and more elegant than some. 

Côtes du Rhône, Gabriel Meffre Organic, 2020 on offer at Waitrose for £7.99

When in doubt with red, pick a Côtes du Rhône, especially in the Autumn. This mid way style wine is a classic example of type with its notes of grilled meat, damson, rosemary and thyme. It’s on offer at the moment too, so grab it while you can!

Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir, 2020 from Sainsbury’s for £9

This is a comforting, juicy Pinot with warm plum and vanilla spice character. Easy drinking and not too heavy, it’s one for a stew or a mid week shepherd's pie.

Veramonte Reserva Organic Carmenere, 2020 from Ocado for £11.50

Carmenere is Chile’s flagship red grape and is loved for its bold blackcurrant and leafy notes. This one is relatively restrained with a flinty kick on the finish. 

Want to know what else we’ve been tasting on talkTV? See here!

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talkTV: Beautiful Boxed Wine!

Boxed wine has come of age. Long gone are the days when the only thing you could find in a box was rocket fuel, thanks largely to advancements in technology, keeping wine fresher for longer. You can read more about why we should all be drinking boxed wine here and in the meantime, here are three bag in box wines that look as good as they taste to celebrate International Box Wine Day!

Domaine Wachau Gruner Veltliner, BIB Wine Company

The BIB Wine Company were the first, in my eyes to make PROPER wine in boxes ‘a thing’. Through them, I first saw proof that producers were putting their faith in the technology and allowing better and better wines to be boxed. BIB Wine have also nailed the packaging with their sleek, matte grey boxes that fit beautifully in the fridge (and look great on the counter top), they have impressive sustainable credentials and most importantly, offer top class wine that would be much more expensive if it were in glass bottles.

This Gruner Veltliner, which is Austria’s flagship white wine grape, is crisp and fresh with a fine minerality and kick of spice on the finish. A great alternative to wines like Gavi, Chablis or Picpoul.

Find it here for £40.90 for 2.25L box (£13.63 per 75cl bottle)

Lot #9 Luberon Rosé, Laylo Wine

Laylo believe that you drink with your eyes and they are right. Their beautiful boxes would not be out of place as the centrepiece at your dinner party. Entrepreneurial duo Laura and Laura (love that) set up their company after being convinced of all the positive reasons to drink wine from boxes, but annoyed that all the ones they could find were ugly and unwieldy. They work with small, independent wineries to hand pick a small selection of delicious, easy drinking wines in various styles.

This Luberon rosé hails form the most Provençal or Provençal areas. think blue shutter, pétanque and chocolate box houses. This pink is vibrant, fruity and easy drinking with that quintessentially Provence mineral core. Delicious.

Find it here for £34.99 for 2.25L (£11.66 per 75cl bottle)

Rosso Puglia Organic Wine, Terre di Faiano

It’s a box in tube form! Looking as good as a well packaged Easter egg, this boxed red wine has been a Waitrose favourite for quite a while now. If you’re a fan of bold, chocolatey wine, this one is for you. Made with a blend of red grapes with the figgy and cherry scented Primitivo leading the way, this wine is organic and vegan to boot! A great red wine as the weather turns and a winner with meats, burgers, stews and grilled veg. Even better, it’s on offer right now for Organic September - 20% off!

Find it here for £20.79 for 2.25L (£6.93 per 75cl bottle)

Tune in at 12.45pm GMT every Thursday for The Thursday Club with Mke Graham

talkTV: Cabernet Blends for Cabernet Day!

Helena Nicklin talktv cabernet sauvignon

Lebanon (Bekaa Valley)

Petit Paradis de Qanafar, Chateau Qanafar, 2018

The Bekaa Valley in Eastern Lebanon is the country’s most important farming region and where 90% of all Lebanese wine is made. With dry summers and cool winters, the climate is Mediterranean where any extreme heat is mitigated by the vines planted at altitude on mountain slopes and the rain shadow those mountains bring. The region produces deeply coloured and flavoured wines from predominantly French grapes.

The Bekaa Valley is also one of the oldest wine regions in the world, with Israelite prophets mentioning the wines of Lebanon during the biblical era as well as the Ancient Phoenicians. Production dwindled during the Ottoman empire but flourished again after the world wars.

Chateau Qanafar is a family run winery that use only grapes they own ans farm right next to their winery. The Petit Paradis is what they call a ‘vin de plaisir’, rather than a simple table wine as it aims to be simple yet structured with lots of vibrant, ripe fruit.  Think  juicy blackberry and redcurrant with toast and vanilla. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (35%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (20%), Tempranillo (20%).

Find it for £14.99 from Naked Wines

South Africa (Stellenbosch)

Reyneke, Cornerstone Organic, 2018

Reyneke is an organic and biodynamic wine estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa run by visionary winemaker Johan Reyneke. Their ethos is all about reusing, recycling, and re-purposing and they do not use any kind or type of pesticide or anything-cide. This properly holistic approach has produced wines of a whole new level of vibrancy showing that methods that are better for the earth are also  better for the wine.

Culturally too, Reyeke has a similar approach. Their Cornerstone project is founded on the fact that you cannot make good grapes without good people who want to do a good job. They employ local workers, empowering them to become financially independent and educated through this scheme with retirement annuities and funeral policies added to the pay structure of all permanent employees.

This classic Bordeaux-style blend is all about ripe blackcurrant spice and tobacco leaf flavours. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Cabernet Franc (36%) Merlot (1%)

Find it for £16.99 on offer at WaitroseCellar

Chile (Maipo Valley)

Santa Rita, Triple C, 2018

Santa Rita was founded in 1880 in Chile’s Maipo Valley when founder Don Domingo Fernández Concha brought over grape varieties from Bordeaux, installed state-of-the-art equipment and employed a team of fantastic winemakers. With that, Chilean wine making was changed forever! Today, Santa Rita still pioneers, using the most advanced technology and producing world class wines.  The Triple C is a nod to the traditional French blends at the heart of the winery's history, which are aged in French oak. Concentrated but fresh, think black cherries, cedar and tobacco with awesome structure.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Cabernet Franc (40%) Carménère (15%)

Find it for £19.99 mix 6 price at Majestic

See what else Helena has tasted on talkTV with Mike Graham here!/

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!

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

10 English Wines You Need To Try

Must-Try English Wine

With English Wine Week now in full swing, we wanted to shine a light on one of England’s greatest exports: English wine! Gone are the days when English wine was considered to be a joke. Our wines, both still and sparkling, are now being embraced as some of the very best out there. Here are some great bottles from producers that really should be on your radar.

KENT

Springfield Chardonnay, Balfour Winery, 2020 (as seen on talkTV with Helena)

Springfield Chardonnay Balfour Winery

Balfour’s very first barrel-aged Chardonnay, this is a Chardonnay modelled on a white Burgundy, yet keeping that characteristic Kentish freshness. Creamy and with a hint of spice from the new oak barrels, there’s a ton of ripe, orchard fruit notes here, a smoky grapefruit note, a slick of moreish saline and a granny smith apple skin tang.
Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£25
Find here:
Balfourwinery.com

SURREY

Broadwoods Folly, Rosé Brut, NV (as seen on talkTV with Helena)

Broadwoods Folly Rosé Brut

This peppy pink made by the famous Denbies Estate and named after the mock gothic tower overlooking the vineyards, shows that English sparkling wine doesn't have to cost the earth to be good. Crisp and refreshing, this is a sherbety pink with notes of crunchy raspberry and rosehip, a touch of brioche and a quintessentially English lafiness on the finish. Its bright acidity and touch of flintiness would make this a winner with smoked salmon. 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£15.99
Find here:
Lidl

HAMPSHIRE

Hambledon Classic Cuvée NV (as seen on talkTV with Helena)

Hambledon Classic Cuvee

Established in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon is England’s oldest vineyard and can be found nestled in the home of Cricket at Hambledon in Hampshire. Their Classic Cuvée is again, a blend of all three traditional grapes, (56% Chardonnay, 27% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Meunier). Grapes are handpicked on the estate and this cuvée uses the 2017 harvest as a base with 20% reserve wines added, giving it the characteristic toasty richness that Hambledon has become famous for. Hambledon also does fantastic tours, tastings and events. 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£34.99 (or £23.99 as part of a mixed 6 case)
Find here:
Majestic

SUSSEX

Ambriel, English Reserve, Single Vineyard, Demi-Sec, NV (as seen on talkTV with Helena)

Ambriel Demi-Sec

People can be sniffy about wines they perceive as sweet and the term ‘demi-sec’, which means ‘semi-sweet’, has been left somewhat in the eighties and early nineties. What’s wonderful about this demi-sec, which is a single estate wine made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes and made in the traditional method, is that when you taste it, you just perceive that extra dash of sweetness simply as fruit and flavour. This extra fruitiness beautifully counters the salt in cheese and is an absolute cracker with wedding cake! 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
11%
Price:
£33.95
Find here:
Corney and Barrow

others to try

OXFORDSHIRE

Doe Eyed Queen, Single Estate Vintage, English Sparkling, 2017

Doe Eyed Queen 2017

Where fine wine meets fashion, Doe Eyed Queen came from its founder Amy spending years exploring restaurants across London and realising the significant impact that the aesthetic appearance of a restaurant and its food had on taste. Amy wanted to create a wine that was as sophisticated and unique on the outside as the inside bottle. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the 2017 vintage, it’s vegan, organic and sustainably made. Peachy and rich in flavour with notes of red fruit and brioche, it certainly tastes as good as it looks. 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£40
Find here:
doeeyedqueen.com

HAMPSHIRE

Hattingley Valley, Classic Reserve

Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve

Hattingley Valley winery is found in rural Hampshire where the first vines were planted in 2008 and the first wines released in 2013. Made by multiple award-winning female winemaker Emma Rice with 53% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir and 16% Pinot Meunier grapes, the Classic Reserve is Hattingley’s most widely available and most loved wine. A non-vintage sparkler based on the somewhat challenging 2015 vintage, this is the wine that gives you a true flavour of the Hattingley house style: Golden with fine bubbles, elegant notes of brioche, nougat and a touch of oak with a characteristic hedgerow note on the finish.

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£30
Find here:
Waitrose

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs 2018

Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Noirs

Rathfinny has an enviable position on the sunny, south-facing slopes of England’s South Downs in Alfriston, Sussex. It has quickly made a name for itself as one of England’s finest wine producers. Blanc de Noirs is a sparkling wine made only from black /red grapes which in this case are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and these wine grapes came from just one single harvest in 2018, which has been dubbed the vintage of the decade. Rathfinny has a style that is rich but precise with a fantastic, lean, mineral character. Seriously elegant and will keep for a while. Rathfinny is another great place for a vineyard picnic too!

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£38.95 (or £36.95 when in a case of six) 
Find here:
Lea & Sandeman

Wild Rose, Black Chalk, 2018

Wild Rose Black Chalk 2018

If a wine style can be described as ‘precise’, then Black Chalk are the masters of it. Made in tiny batches from grapes grown on the chalky soils of Hampshire and using the traditional method, this rosé is at once rich, crisp and pure. Think raspberries and strawberries with elegant effervescence and a brilliant balance of fruit and acidity. 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£40
Find here:
blackchalkwine.co.uk

KENT

Balfour Brut Rosé 2018

Balfour Brut Rose

A renowned winery located on the Hush Heath Estate in Kent, the Balfour sparkling brut rosé was the first ever English wine to win a gold medal and the Trophy at the International Wine Challenge. This 2018 vintage wine is only ever made in tiny quantities from a single vineyard and it has a special story. The estate has belonged to the Balfour-Lynn family for three generations, but it was Richard and Leslie’s idea to plant vines at Hush Heath in 2002, with a view to making a pink sparkling wine like their favourite ever Champagne: Billecart Salmon Rosé. Their thinking was “If we can’t sell it, we’ll drink it”. But they did sell it and the rest is history. It’s a great place for lunch and a tasting with a lovely walk around the vines and the apple trees too. 

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£39.99 (£33.99 at time of publishing)
Find here:
Waitrose

Balfour Blanc de Noirs 2018

Balfour Blanc de Noirs 2018

Another stunning sparkling wine from the Hush Heath Estate, this Blanc de Noirs made from the superb 2018 vintage is a prime example of English sparkling wine at its best. It has notes of orange, citrus and pear and gentle notes of red fruits on the finish. Pair this with meaty fish for a match made in heaven!

Size: 750ml
ABV:
12%
Price:
£40
Find here:
www.balfourwinery.com