‘I could probably die happy with a cheeseboard and a glass of French red wine’ – Deirdre O’Kane
*We received a complimentary annual wine subscription in return for honest quarterly reviews*
Dave and I have always said that we’re not a couple that needs for much so when it comes to gift giving. We’re always happy to receive anything consumable. Therein started a tradition of always being bestowed with our favourite chocolates and bottles of something fancy come Christmas time.
What would be a better gift to give this Christmas than the gift of wine?! I’ve teamed up with Le Petit Ballon again to show you what show you’d be bringing someone if their hand selected wine was to be delivered once a month. Here’s a look back at the last 3 months we’ve received:
September
We had a fantastic holiday to Nice at the end of September but since we only had hand luggage were unable to bring any wine back with us. So it was great to have two bottles of red waiting for us to help us extend our holiday that little bit longer and pretend we were still people watching on the Cote D’Azur. Since we were going round to my parents for a post holiday de-brief dinner party we thought it would be the perfect accompaniment to our charcuterie board.
We started with the Sarro-Bello. As it marketed itself as a BBQ wine and thought it would go best with the meat we were having. It was quite possibly one of the smoothest reds I’ve ever tasted. It’s definitely a red for non-read drinkers as it wasn’t sharp or tannin-y in the slightest and full of fruity flavour.
The Château les Amoureuses was definitely best left for after dinner as the heavier texture and smokey after taste went perfectly with our strong cheese. Plus the fact that it is 15% ABV, possibly the strongest wine I’ve ever drank, means it really packs a punch. We definitely slept well that night!
October
Now that the nights are getting darker and the fires are getting warmer we’re well and truly into red wine season. We saved October’s box for the very beginning of November so we could have it at our little bonfire party, because what warms you through from the inside out more than wine?!
It was nice to have a white this month with having two reds last month and the Chateau de Malijay mayt well have invited something I never thought possible; a ‘session’ white wine. By that I mean it’s a wine you can drink a lot of (in moderation of course) without getting bored of it. For example I love a glass of prosecco as much as the next girl, but after a glass or two its far too dry and your pallet needs something else. This light, peachy flavoured white is something I can’t imagine I would ever tire of. And rates a solid 0 on the fairy liquid scale. It served as the perfect aperitif as we sat by the bonfire in our garden and basked in it’s autumnal glow.
First of all can we take a moment to appreciate the epicness of this wine bottle please? If anyone tells you they aren’t attracted to a wine by what’s on the bottle then that person is lying to you and you don’t need them in your life. If I saw this dapper Panda in the wine aisle of my local supermarket I would be snapping it up by the caseload. Thankfully the dapper Panda delivers on taste too with a lovely fresh fruity smell and is thick, full and juicy on the mouth with no sharp after taste. It felt like a great ‘pudding wine’. I imagine it would taste absolutely great with some dark chocolate truffles or some tiramisu.
November
One the best things about Le Petit Ballon is they put a lot of effort into making the wine as varied as possible each month and I was delighted that they included a bottle of sparkling wine in the November box. November is a quiet month for us as we gear up, rest up and try and be as good with our diets a possible, before all the indulgence of December arrives. Since we also seem to have only had one week of Autumn then gone straight into winter, we’ve very much battened down the hatches and hygge’d up this month.
I took the opportunity on a dark Thursday night to sit in front of the fire and get my creative juices flowing by updating the blog. And by creative juices I of course mean indulging in half a bottle of Château de Beaulieu 2006, which is described as a ‘retro’ wine – doesn’t that make me feel old! This red is best enjoyed on it’s own, and by that I don’t mean drinking by yourself, I mean without food. It’s super strong and has a spicy kick to it so I think it would overpower whatever you were having it with. It wasn’t my favourite red from what we’ve been sent to far if I’m completely honest, it’s a little too dark and heavy for me, but anyone who’s a fan of a deep merlot would love it, I’m sure!
Being sent the sparkling wine was opportune because as it happens we had lots to celebrate. My brother-in-laws birthday, an edition to family in the shape of Jack, my new great cousin and a successful and exciting month on the blog (can’t talk about that right now though!). Naturally, you know me, so you know I know my Cava from my Prosecco from my Champagne however I’ve not much experience with sparkling wine. It’s described as ‘thirst-quenching’ which isn’t something you normally associate with fizz however I totally get it. I mentioned before how dry prosecco can be after a few glasses but this Antech Limoux is a lot sweeter which makes it much more drinkable. It would be the ideal addition to any Christmas dinner table offering the perfect pre or post turkey dinner accompaniment.
So if you’re struggle this year with what to buy that elusive ‘person who has everything’ I would highly recommend giving the gift of wine. All the deets you need are below:
