Drink

August Degustabox

September 7, 2016 by Erica Hughes 10 Comments

Lots of lovely treats in this month’s Degustabox. I have been enjoying the latest Nutripots for my lunches while everyone else is out at work or school. They are the perfect size for me and are very tasty. I like the fact that they are nutritionally balanced and contain plenty of protein to keep me full for longer. this time we have been trying the Moroccan Couscous flavour and the Aromatic Thai Noodles variety. Cooking for the family has taken on an Indian flavour this month with Geeta’s Curry Pastes: packed full of exotic flavours. Mexican food has been up there too as we have been trying Tabasco Sweet & Sticky Barbecue Sauce & Marinade, as well as Capsicana’s Chilli & Honey Mexican Cook Sauce.

For breakfast I have been indulging in a trip down memory lane remembering my time in Switzerland working in a hotel. I had Bircher Muesli every day for breakfast and it’s been nice to try out Dorset Cereals Bircher Muesli, which has been super easy to prepare and very tasty indeed. Snackwise we have had Rakusen’s Snackers which are great served with dips or cream cheese. Also for those who like olives, Oloves are a good way to eat them on the go as they have no stones and come in a handbag friendly snack pack.There was also Willy Chase’s Fit Corn to try which went down very well with the troops here.

To drink we’ve had Clipper Tea which is a favourite brand of mine, but we have been trying the Lime & Ginger Green Tea which adds a bit of zest to the usual green tea flavours. On the alcoholic front there has been Mahou Cinco Estrellas, which is an international premium lager from Madrid. I’ve drunk Get More Multivitamins quite a lot over the last few years, so was pleased to get sent one of their bottles and the chance to try out a new flavour (to me).

Wines From Ardesio DiVino

September 6, 2016 by Erica Hughes 5 Comments

My husband brought home a small selection of his favourite wines from Ardesio Divino. They were very carefully chosen as he had limited luggage space and weight. So these were the very best of those he sampled over his weekend.

Tenuta Della Fonda Moscato

The Tenuta Della Fonda estate is situated south of the river Po, within the Oltrepo Pavese area, in the Province of Pavia which nestled between Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna. Their moscato is a sweet wine that isn’t at all sickly or cloying. In fact, this is a sweet wine for those who usually prefer dry wines as it has a freshness which makes it very refreshing. Made from muscat grapes harvested by hand in a late harvest, this wine has a straw yellow colour with golden highlights. The fresh, almost appley aroma and sweet taste make it a good aperitif, but it also works well served as a dessert wine. We served this chilled, but got it out of the fridge a little early to warm slightly. Highly recommended.

Tenuta Belvedere Bonarda

This red wine comes from Oltrepò Pavese in Lombardy. The Bonarda wine is a vino frizzante meaning it’s a sparkling wine. It is a red wine and it isn’t as bubbly as champagne, prosecco or cava. It’s best served a little chilled without being totally cold I think. With a clear fruity taste this is a great wine for a summer lunch to drink on its own as it’s quite a light taste.

Calatroni Antonio Buttafuoco

From a small family producer, there’s no website to link to and I haven’t been able to find the wine for sale in the UK, which is a real shame as it was delicious. It’s a ruby-red wine with excellent structure and depth. There are lots of fruity notes and this wine really slips down.

Ardesio DiVino

August 10, 2016 by Erica Hughes 15 Comments

Recently my husband was lucky enough to go to the Ardesio DiVino wine festival thanks to a competition win. This post is written by him based on his experiences.

What could be better on a summer’s day than to sit outside and share a glass of wine with friends? Well, for sale why not throw in spectacular Alpine scenery and some traditional Italian food? And why restrict yourself to just one glass, mind when you could sample from hundreds of the best that Italy has to offer? In fact, why not do all that, without having to give your wallet a hangover?

Less than 2 hours on RyanAir from Stansted takes you to Begamo in the shadow of the Alps in Northern Italy. A 40 minute drive up into the stunning mountain scenery brings you to the small, picturesque town of Ardesio. Normally a haven for mountain hikers, on the 1st weekend of August the town plays host to an annual wine festival, Ardesio DiVino.

This year, the festival’s 12th, saw 38 producers set up stalls in the winding streets and historic courtyards. They are mostly small, often family run vineyards, making sometimes just a few thousand bottles a year. Each is only too happy to talk (often in varying degrees of broken English) about the wines they make, what gives each one its own unique character and to share their passion. And though these are small businesses, there is no shortage of quality as the smattering of international wine awards (and my own taste buds) can confirm.

Now, I’m no wine expert. Though I know a lot more now than before I went. So if you don’t know your Spumante from your Frizzante, then fear not. Ardesio DiVino is not a cliquey get-together for the wine elite. Of the 3,000 or so visitors, many are locals who come just to enjoy some good wine in the celebratory atmosphere (which extends on the Saturday night to a big party with live music in the town square). There are also craft stalls and a dedicated food festival section to tickle any taste buds that the wine hasn’t reached.

Entry to the festival costs 20 euros per person per day. For that you get your own glass, a map to navigate around the stalls dotted through the town and the chance to sample at least 2 different wines from each producer. And by sample, I mean a generous taster portion that will give you chance to appreciate more than a few brief sips while you channel your inner wine critic. And there will be plenty left in the glass for you to check out your friends’ selections too.

Make sure to take some water with you, to keep hydrated. And a pen is handy too; with so many wines to try, it can be hard to remember where those favourites were, so it’s useful to make a few notes as you go. Especially since, with most bottles selling for comfortably under 10 Euros, you will definitely be wanting to bring some back home. The only decision harder than which wines to buy, is whether you can get one more in your suitcase without having to pay excess baggage.