The Wine Teacher

30/04/2019

WOTW: Saint Mont 2016 Tesco Finest
We’ve recommended this before but it’s an even better buy whilst on offer.
It’s a really crisp, light, dry French wine, with flavours of citrus and white peaches. Try with white fish or soft cheese. 12.5%. Great for Summer drinking so stock up now.
Tesco £6.50 - reduced to £5 until 6 May

15/03/2019

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/183472115860/awesome-wines-selected-by-awesome-educators

TWT is a member of the Association of Wine Educators www.wineeducators.com. AWE members are dedicated to helping everyone find out more about wine, and get more enjoyment from it, and for the last...

29/01/2019

WOTW: Peumo Carmenere 2017 Finest
This wine is made in Cachapoel Valley in Chile. It has a lovely deep colour, is fruity and has rich berry notes. 13.5%. Easy drinking, it’s good with hard cheese, grilled meat and burgers.
Tesco Finest Wine £9.00

11/01/2019

WOTW: Les Pionniers Champagne Brut
If you didn’t get chance to try this over the festive season, find a reason to treat yourself now. Made by Piper Heidseick, it’s a great blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay. It consistently beats other supermarket champagnes and is a bargain at the price. Plus it’s suitable if you’ve started a Vegan diet. 12%. Co-op Food£18.99

07/01/2019

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/181810773805/wine-into-water

We all know the story of Jesus and his first miracle: turning water into wine but what about the opposite. TWT is a regular buyer of Dark Horse Chardonnay, an inexpensive commercial Californian wine...

12/12/2018

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/181042549170/good-news
Happy Christmas

Wanting to escape the BREXIT gloom, we set off to spend a few days in the Loire valley. Great food and wine as ever, but “Gilets Jaunes” blockades at Dieppe Port and Rouen Bridge reminded us that...

26/11/2018

WOTW: Castrum Douro 2016, Portugal
A rich red blend of four Portuguese grape varieties that often make their way into Port wine too. Quinta do Crasto produces good value reds.This rich red is great for hearty food. 13%
Co-op Food £10

08/11/2018

WOTW: Saint Mont 2016 Tesco Finest
Made from local rare grapes Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, Arrufiac, and Petit Manseng, this is a really crisp, light, dry French wine, with flavours of citrus and white peaches. Try with white fish or soft cheese. 12.5%.
Tesco £6

25/10/2018

WOTW: Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Reserve 2016
A blend of grenache, syrah, cinsault, mourvedre and carignan grapes give a complex red from the Rhone Valley in Southern France.
With fruity aromas and spicy notes it will work well with steaks and stews.13.5%.
Award-winning and a real bargain.
Aldi UK £4.29

01/10/2018

WOTW: Parcel Series Washington State Riesling 2017

Wines from Washington State are not widely available so try them when you see them. This is a crisp, light white wine with flavours of apples, citrus and peach. Good with Thai food but the beauty of Riesling is that it goes with pretty much anything. 12%.

Majestic £8.99 (in a mix six deal)

12/09/2018

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/178013293890/mornington-peninsula

Mornington Peninsula is one of Australia’s best wine regions for winemakers to express the terroir of their diverse sites. [[MORE]]Situated south of Melbourne and surrounded by Bass Strait, Port...

10/09/2018

WOTW: Parcel Series Washington State Riesling 2017

Wines from Washington State are not widely available so try them when you see them. This is a crisp, light white wine with flavours of apples, citrus and peach. Good with Thai food but the beauty of Riesling is that it goes with pretty much anything. 12%.
Majestic £8.99 (in a "Mix Six" deal)

25/08/2018

Such a great winery. Thank you for a brilliant tasting. We love your wines.

02/08/2018

TWT actually likes Heston's Lazy Citrus Gin but agrees that Aldi's Oliver Cromwell and Lidl's Hortus are pretty good. Well done to the supermarkets... again!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/29/hestons-25-waitrose-gin-beaten-aldis-10-brand-bottle/

A £25 gin made by Heston Blumenthal for Waitrose has been beaten by Aldi’s £10 own-brand gin at a prestigious awards ceremony.

20/07/2018

Great value and great taste, well done Lidl UK

15/07/2018

Fantastic food and hospitality at Au Fil du Zinc. Great evening, thank you

14/07/2018

Superb tasting with Alain - we really would recommend a visit if you’re coming to Chablis

09/07/2018

Fantastic visit to Christian Peligri - great wines and lovely family. Thank you.

30/06/2018

This blood orange gin is fab. Marks & Spencer £40

25/06/2018

WOTW: Côtes de Provence Rosé Exquisite 2017

Rosé wines are back in fashion and this award winner is a good one to try. There is a good balance of sweetness and acidity and lovely aromas of peaches, strawberries and raspberries. Try it as an aperitif or with fish and salads. Given the weather, it’s selling out fast!
Aldi UK £6.69

15/06/2018

Tis the season to drink rose. Some good ones for under a tenner here:
http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/174909793790/think-pink

Sales of pink wine continue to soar – pink Champagne up by over 5% in the last year and still wine even higher. We’ve come a long way in the last 10-15 years from a time when most French winemakers...

23/05/2018

WOTW: Viňas del Rey Albariňo 2016
Rias Baixas in North West Spain is noted for its production of Albariňo grapes. This dry white has floral aromas and spicy notes and will work well with tapas and seafood. 13%
Tesco £8

29/04/2018

WOTW: Heggies Vineyard Eden Valley Estate Chardonnay 2015
Grown high up in Australia’s rugged Eden Valley. Because of the cold growing season, the grapes reach optimum ripeness. After wild fermentation, the wine is kept in oak barrels for 11 months. A complex, elegant white. Great with smoked salmon or on its own! 13%.
Majestic Wine £15.99 (Mix Six)

04/04/2018

Wine of the Week: The Fire Tree Sicilian Riserva 2013

Nero D’Avola - the king of Sicilian red varieties - is complemented by a dash of Merlot and Syrah to add spice and body. Having been matured in oak and bottle, the wine has developed rich berry flavours - the ideal match for hearty meat dishes or mature cheeses, or perfect with roast chicken. 14%.

£7.99

05/03/2018

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/171554252805/malbec

TWT’s latest event was a tasting of 6 Argentinian wines exploring the whites and reds of Mendoza. The most popular wine was a Cabernet Franc which beat a Malbec into second place. A rather surprising...

28/02/2018

The Association of Wine Educators (AWE) has just released it's annual list of 100 AWEsome wines. It's a great list of wines available in the UK that come highly recommended... best of all it's free. You can download it here: http://www.wineeducators.com/100-awesome-wines/

We are pleased to introduce our fourth release of 100 AWEsome Wines Why 100 AWEsome Wines? Sometimes when you are faced with row upon row of enticing wines from faraway places and with meaningless names, a little bit of guidance can be helpful. You’ll find this a useful guide for your wine shoppin...

08/02/2018

WOTW: Cave de Lugny Chardonnay, Macon-Villages

A popular choice from one of the region's top-performing co-operatives. It’s very good value for white burgundy and has classical tropical fruit flavours of honey and melon and a rounded, buttery mouth feel. 13.5%.
Good with chicken or soft cheeses.

Waitrose £8.05 reduced to £6.69 (offer ends 20/02/2018)

24/01/2018

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/170088834685/australian-wine-tasting

On a wet and typically melancholy English winter’s day I couldn’t imagine anything better than spending a day tasting Australian wines. What a treat. I started with a masterclass on Margaret River -...

22/01/2018

WOTW: White Burgundy Tesco 2016
This crisp white is from the classic Southern Burgundy area and is made by one of the best producers in the region. It is an elegant, crisp white with fresh apple flavours.
Goes well with fish - sea bass salmon etc. Not top class Burgundy but great value at the price.
Tesco £8.00

11/12/2017

Six inexpensive wines for Christmas

If you need some good ideas for Christmas wines, look no further...
http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/168430266580/6-inexpensive-wines-for-christmas

Matching food and wine at Christmas can prove challenging because so many different flavours can be on one plate, particularly for Christmas dinner itself. So, unless you are determined to treat...

07/12/2017

WOTW: Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva 2013

Red fruit flavours with hints of blackcurrant and cherry, and vanilla and oak spices. This is a classic Rioja Reserva, which has been aged for 3 years in oak barrels - an ageing process that helps develop the aromas and flavours so characteristic of this Spanish wine region. Very versatile – grilled red meat, roast lamb or casseroles. Stock up before it disappears. 13%. On-line, Aldi offer free delivery on 6 or more bottles of wine regardless of cost

Aldi UK £5.79

11/10/2017

WOTW: Eden Valley Hill-Smith Estate Chardonnay 2015
From the family estate high up in the Barossa, this is a creamy, citrus Chardonnay with hints of oak and melon. 13.5%. Good as an aperitif or with food.
Waitrose £10.99

27/09/2017

Is this the end for Barolo?

http://blog.thewineteacher.co.uk/post/165807526755/is-this-the-end-for-barolo

This year’s heatwave in Italy, named Lucifer, has had a devastating effect on crop yields across the country. This has led to further debate about how global climate change will impact on the wine...

13/09/2017

WOTW: Reserve des Hospitaliers Cairanne
This is a good example of a Cotes du Rhone village wine. It is smooth, easy-drinking, well-rounded with nice oak flavours. Pairs well with many dishes - chicken, lamb, casseroles, cheeses.
Waitrose £9.99

06/09/2017

WOTW: The Wine Foundry Godello 2016
Don’t be put off by the quirky label, this is a lovely fresh Spanish white. With lemon and peach notes, it goes well with shellfish or tapas. 13%. Aldi UK £6.49