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If you follow this column regularly, you may have noticed that I veer between gratifying readers who want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with as much razzmatazz as possible and those who just wish it would go away. This year, it’s the former – and, thankfully for me, there are for once some interesting new drinks to write about.
First, gin. Well, of course: when don’t you drink gin these days? And the perfect one for diehard romantics is Pinkster (£31.75 31dover.com, £35 Ocado; 37.5%abv), which is pink, has a heart on the bottle (in case you miss the point) and is flavoured with raspberries. It’s not as icky as you might think, either: it’s still quite ginny and makes a very nice G&T (garnish with a raspberry and a sprig of mint, if you’re doing the Pinkster thing).
Then there’s Camel Valley’s Sparkling Red (£22.50 Vinoteca; 12.5% abv), made in Cornwall with rondo grapes, which, you might like to inform your beloved, is a cross between saperavi servernyi and St Laurent. It’s drier than many fizzy reds, and looks suitably celebratory, so would be best sipped with antipasti or seared duck breasts.
Returning to pink but staying with English wine, I also really like Hambledon’s Classic Cuvée Rosé (12% abv), from one of our up-and-coming sparkling wine producers. This knocks spots off many big-name champagnes and, interestingly, is a fair bit cheaper to buy from Fareham Wine Cellar, which has it for £29.99, than direct from the winery, where it’s £35.
Old favourites I tend to trundle out at this time of year and that reliably hit the spot include Sainsbury’s delectably creamy Champagne Brut Rosé (12% abv), currently on promotion at £20 instead of the usual £23, and Devaux’s classy Oeil de Perdrix (12% abv), which is £18.99 at Majestic on its “mix six” deal, or £23.99 if you buy a single bottle. It actually tastes more like regular champagne than a rosé (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and comes in a particularly pretty bottle. If you don’t want to spend that much, Marks & Spencer has Graham Beck’s fresh, fruity The Rhona Brut Rosé (11.5% abv), from South Africa, which at £12 may not be quite the bargain it once was, but is still pretty decent value.
Finally, there’s an absolutely cracking little red from Lidl, the exuberantly juicy Côtes du Rhône 2014 (13.5% abv) from Château des Séraphin. Sure, it’s not champers, but at least you’ve made a gesture. And, with its angelic label, it looks and, more importantly, tastes considerably more expensive than the £5.99 price tag might suggest.
(The Guardian)
