An evening with Lisa McGuigan Wines at the Goucho Restaurant

by

image

There’s a new range of wine hitting the shores of the UK in 2015, courtesy of a very lovely lady called Lisa McGuigan.  Lisa is a fourth generation wine maker from one of Australia’s most famous winemaking dynasties.  The two wine ranges being introduced to the UK are her ‘Silver’ range comprising a robust Shiraz and a delicate Chardonnay along with her ‘Wilde Thing’ range which introduce us to her Cabernet Shiraz and her blend of Chardonnay with a Pinot Grigio.  All of Lisa’s inaugural wines are from the Southern Australian region.  They are blended with her innovative winemaking approach which she perfectly blends with her iconic style and design to bring you not just a beautiful looking bottle, but an incredible tasting wine.

image

We were introduced to Lisa at the Goucho Restaurant in Charlotte Street, not far from the iconic BT Tower, in the Fitzrovia district of London.  Step inside to be surrounded by a calm atmosphere with chic and contemporary black and white styling; where you leave the hustle and bustle of the London street to continue outside whilst you enjoy all the styling of Buenos Aires.

image

image

When you meet Lisa, you see the venue chosen to introduce the UK to her wines is a perfect match with her stylish appearance. She too is very chic and her personality is one that lights up a room with the warm welcome that she affords to all those there.

image

The ‘Wilde Thing’ Range (RRP £7) takes its inspirational name from the ‘wild’ yeasts that are found on the skins of the grapes and introduced into the wines, and has been blended with the British palate firmly in mind. The pale coloured Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio was my favourite of the evening; a delicate white wine with just a touch of oak introduced on an element of the Chardonnay. The Cabernet Shiraz is a medium bodied, deep ruby red with silky tannins.  (I brought a bottle of this one home and it didn’t last long when my husband opened the bottle, I can tell you!).

image

Lisa’s Silver Range (RRP £9) introduces us to a Chardonnay which is fermented for 20 days to add colour and flavour intensity, whilst her Shiraz is fermented with the skins on and has an oakiness introduced into it.  Both of these are incredible tasting wines and are very drinkable.

The wines were served in pairs along with a tasting menu, perfectly matched by Lisa and the Goucho Restaurant.

image

image 

A testament to Lisa’s hard work, skills as a winemaker, and her dedication to her art, sees her wines being served in Business Class and in Economy on both Jetstar and Quantas Airways in Australia.  She has won awards from Australia, London, Spain and France in recognition of what she is brining to the market.

Lisa’s wines are distributed in the UK by Copestick Murray Wine Solutions.

Lisa, thank you so much for letting me share your amazing wines.  I wish you so much success; you truly deserve it; Cheers!  (And yes, I did rather like the reds in the end!) xxx

The wines were so good that not only did I miss my first train home, but I then missed my second (and last train home) and had to catch the third alternative to a neighbouring town and ask my husband nicely to come and collect me from there! OOPS!)

image

I was invited to Lisa’s wine launch in the UK by her PR company in the UK along with 9 other food bloggers.

Easter cocktails, mocktails & chocolate?

by

The clocks have changed to British Summer Time which means the days are getting longer, the nights are getting lighter and the weather is getting warmer. This weekend sees two bank holidays in celebration of Easter, giving us a long weekend, so what better way to enjoy and celebrate than with a cocktail, a mocktail or a drink with friends and family? (Not forgetting enjoying some chocolate of course!).

Aldi sent me a hamper full of goodies with which to celebrate the season.

A dark, rich Pinot Noir (£4.49) which went beautifully with our lamb roast on Sunday.

A lovely, creamy white chocolate Easter Bunny that I couldn’t help but nibble on as I took my photos (oops!)

Another nibble on the bunny’s ears and I was ready to assemble all the ingredients to prepare a cocktail from their dark Hopking Rum (£9.99) and the Cocobay Caribbean White Rum & Coconut blend (£4.99).  Shaken (not stirred) with some ice and fresh double cream in my new cocktail shaker. Wow! What a combination.
For those that don’t like either cocktails or spirits, why not try a bottle of their Orchard Cider (£0.99) served cold and poured over ice for a refreshing, longer drink? Or a glass of cold, fresh sparkling Chardonnay (£6.99).

However you celebrate the Easter season; I wish you & your family good weather, good friends, happy families and amazing memories. Cheers!
The Aldi hamper and contents was sent to me free of charge from their PR company.  I was under no obligation to review the contents.

Aldi Wine Review

by

There’s nothing better than being sent a bottle of wine, other than being sent 4 bottles of wine that is! Thanks to Aldi’s PR company, that’s exactly what I was sent; two bottles of red and two of white to review.

Aldi has long been a ‘go to’ place to buy our wine and I know several of our friends rate their wines highly too, so it was lovely to be sent 4 different ones to try.

The first to be opened was the Bordeaux Supérieur 2011 at £4.99 a bottle. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from the Bordeaux region of France.  Hubby is the red wine drinker in the house and found this to be both richly fruity and well rounded; a perfect accompaniment to a roast beef dinner, perhaps. Though it’s equally enjoyable after a long day at work.  The tasting notes detail this wine as having the aroma of raspberry & blackberry with spicy notes and a tannin structure. 

The white I chose to open first was the Chardonnay from the Limestone Coast of South Australia at £5.99 a bottle. This was a 2013 What Food/What Wine winner that they matched with a Chicken Korma. In my opinion, it’s certainly a light, crisp and well balanced wine which is very drinkable when nicely chilled, with your feet up & relaxing after a day in the office. What comes across initially from this wine are the flowery scents followed by a light fruity taste. The tasting notes actually tell you that these come from honeysuckle, white peach and pineapple.
It’s my birthday this Sunday, so, as I’m sure you can imagine, a glass or two will be enjoyed with family and friends and a toast raised to the generosity of Aldi and their PR company who kindly sent me these wines to review.  I’ll let you know how we find the Rioja at £6.29 and the Sauvignon Blanc-Viognier at £5.99.

These wines were sent to me free of charge by Clarion Communications; the PR company for ALDI UK. I was under no obligation to provide a favourable review of the products that I was sent. The opinions stated are those of myself and my husband.