Latest news with #PinotGrigio
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
7 fab Aldi & Lidl wines from just €9.99 to try over August bank holiday weekend, including Rosé ‘with little bite'
CYNICISM, I have always believed, is a healthy trait in a good journalist. Whether writing about politics, sport, or wine, they need it at times to cut through the BS served up to them by officialdom, or marketing personnel. Advertisement 10 A selection of great bargain wines are reviewed below Credit: Getty 10 Matt was intrigued to read Sunny Hodge's The Cynic's Guide to Wine So, as a 'practising' cynic for over half a century, I was intrigued to read Sunny Hodge's The Cynic's Guide to Wine. His approach to wine education is coloured by science rather than the storytelling BS normally served up by many in and around the business. Hodge is certainly not afraid to go against what he refers to as 'well-established myths,' including those surrounding terroir, and our perception of flavour. And he crucially claims that the language used by many wine writers misleadingly gives their subject an air of mystery. Advertisement Read more on Wine Throughout the book the science of wine, from the vineyard to the cellar, is stripped back to help unravel the truth. He takes in elements of horticulture, soil science, botany and sensory science as well as oenology, in bite-sized, very readable chunks, to back his case over seven revealing chapters. A straightforward and eye-opening book for anybody who wants to question the stories told around wine but was afraid to ask. It has certainly changed my perception of many facets of winemaking and the business of it. Thoroughly recommended. Advertisement Most read in The Irish Sun The Cynic's Guide To Wine, from Academie Du Vin Library, is priced at €36.25 from all good bookshops. I POPPED into my local Aldi and Lidl stores and chose some wines that I suggest you should stock up for the August bank holiday weekend – and then pray for good barbecue weather. Five Lidl rosés you need this summer, according to a wine expert - a £6.99 buy is as light & crispy as £22 Whispering Angel Specially Selected DOC Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio 2024 (ABV 12.5%) 10 €9.99 @ Aldi Stores Advertisement Grape: Pinot Grigio UNFUSSY, straightforward, easy drinking Italian sipper, with a pale straw colour and nice aromas of lemon, pear and white flowers when poured. The palate is quite rounded, light, dry and refreshing, with notes of citrus fruits and green apple, along with a hint of grapefruit zest and a nice mineral backbone. Enjoy with: Fettuccini Alfredo Advertisement Irish Sun star rating: *** White Island Spanish Rosé 2024 (ABV 12.5%) 10 €9.99 @ Aldi Stores Grape: Garnacha, Bobal, Pinot Noir Advertisement At last… a Rosé with a little bite! A medium salmon colour when poured, the nose is all soft red summer fruit, dominated by strawberries, with a note of spice. The palate has good structure and is silky smooth, with vibrant notes of red berries, a hint of watermelon and nicely balanced acidity. Lingering finish. Enjoy with: Grilled shrimp and summer salad. Irish Sun star rating: *** * Advertisement Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2022 (ABV 13.5%) 10 €10.99 @ Lidl Stores Grape: Corvina THE refermenting of a 'standard' Valpolicella with used Amarone skins gives this wine a little more complexity, and texture. Advertisement A deep cherry red colour, it has enticing aromas of dried black and red fruits, leading to a smooth palate, layered with dark sweet fruits, a lick of vanilla, and toasted oak. The tannins are well integrated while the finish is long and silky. Enjoy with: Pan-fried duck breast. Irish Sun star rating: *** Advertisement Albariño D.O. Rías Baixas 2023 (ABV 12.5%) 10 €11.49 from July 24 @ Lidl stores Grape: Albariño AFFORDABLE Albariño that is a wonderful introduction to this exceptional white grape. It is a pale straw colour, with notable floral, citrus, and stone fruit aromas. Advertisement The palate is bone dry and super fresh, with great acidity and notes of citrus, peach, pear and green apple. Good length and finish. Enjoy with: Grilled black sole. Irish Sun star rating: *** Specially Selected Baron Amarillo Godello 2024 (ABV 13.5%) 10 Advertisement €11.99 @ Aldi Outlets Grape: Godello I ALWAYS see Godello as Albariño's 'big brother', generally more rounded on the palate and usually that bit more textured. This is certainly rounded, a deep straw colour, and with earthy and Granny Smith apple notes on the nose. Advertisement It has lovely acidity and intensity on a creamy palate, with peach, apple and citrus notes. Nice touch of minerality on a very satisfying finish. Enjoy with : Pasta with clams. Irish Sun star rating: **** Cepa Lebrel Rioja, Gran Reserva 2015 (ABV 13.5%) 10 Advertisement €11.99 from July 24 @ Lidl stores Grape: Tempranillo INCREDIBLE price for a 10-year-old Gran Reserva Rioja - and €2 less if you use the Lidl Plus facility. It has a wonderful brick red colour in the glass and a nose bursting with dried soft red fruit notes. Advertisement The medium bodied palate is complex and velvety, with melting tannins and still discernible ripe soft summer fruit flavours, complimented by a twist of oak. Enjoy with: Roast leg of lamb. Irish Sun star rating: **** Portuguese Sparkling Vinho Verde (ABV 11%) 10 Advertisement €12.99 @ Aldi outlets Grapes: Loureiro, Arinto, Arzal & Trajadura THIS is a pleasant surprise. Vinho Verde usually has a little spritzy effect, but this is a real sparkler. It's a combination of four white grape varieties that deliver a wine with a pale gold colour and aromas of tropical and citrus fruits. Advertisement The palate is light, fresh and quite zippy with good acidity and a nice citrus and melon note. Enjoy with: Light nibbles. Irish Sun star rating: *** 10 The book is priced at €36.25 Advertisement
Graziadaily
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Graziadaily
The Viral Shorts Trend Taking Over Instagram And IRL
On the cusp of jorts, bermudas, and every tailored short in between, a quieter trend is rising: the return of the white culotte short. Breezy, wide-legged, and cut just below the knee, they're giving refined throwback energy and fashion people are taking note. Gwyneth Paltrow wore a crisp pair on holiday recently, styling them exactly how they're meant to be worn: like you're on the Italian riviera, Pinot Grigio in hand. It makes sense. Fashion is deep in its recycle era. Think: T-bar sandals, printed trousers, even pedal pushers (yes, really). Culottes sit perfectly in that wave of comebacks, offering the nostalgia we love with a 2025 refresh. The new wave is sleeker and more structured - fitted linen, crisp cotton, and even denim versions that feel less 'school uniform,' more 'quiet luxury'. There's something satisfyingly grown-up about them. They float in that space between shorts and a skirt, making them an easy go-to when it's too hot for trousers but you want something a little more elevated than cut-offs. And they're flattering too. Styling is simple: keep it clean and cool. Try a pair with ballet pumps and a white tee or lean into Euro summer energy with leather slides and a ribbed tank. Add a basket bag, and you're practically on holiday, even if you're just heading to brunch or the office. You'll spot them at garden parties, city lunches, and airport lounges alike. And if you're not wearing them already, you soon will be. Scroll down to shop the best white culottes of the season. 1. H&M, Tailored Bermuda Shorts 2. Nobodys Child, White Linen-blend Bermuda Shorts 3. Hush, Linen Blend Lya Bermuda Shorts 4. Brora, The Shorts 5. Free People, Lucca Culotte Shorts Price: £40 Renee Washington , Grazia's digital fashion and beauty writer, lives online. With a penchant for wispy lashes and streetwear, she writes about the worlds of fashion and beauty from the viewpoint of the modern fashion girlie.. Main Image credit: @lindasintonen @indyrodz @gwynethpaltrow @katawii @lindasintonen
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
We try the decadent caviar menu at Chennai's ITC Grand Chola
Caviar. There is something about the word. It sounds like it tastes: decadent, smooth, buttery. At ITC Grand Chola's Ottimo Cucina Italiana, Chef Zubin Writer, Chef Culinaire, presents these pearls of luxury while highlighting the complexity of flavours. The Chef's Special Caviar Menu that was recently introduced at the Italian restaurant, keeps updating itself with newer dishes where caviar plays the lead role. Think fettucine with seafood and caviar; pan seared salmon, Pinot Grigio emulsion, basil oil drizzle, caviar; white asparagus, citrus emulsion, seared scallop and caviar... 'Earlier, before coming up with this menu, I used to source caviar for a few guests who I knew valued the luxury,' says Chef Zubin. He was incorporating truffle in his dishes and wanted to introduce something new and decided to take it a notch up with caviar. 'I thought why not pair it with scallops and white asparagus. Caviar highlights the other ingredients in the food,' he adds. While there is a steady stream of guests who want caviar, the chef says he requires prior intimation — a couple of days — for these dishes. 'Not everybody would probably understand or appreciate caviar. It's an acquired taste,' says the chef who loves the burst of caviar and the subtle fish flavour that comes from it. For now, the restaurant uses Ossetra caviar, which comes from the Ossetra sturgeon, and is known for its dark, rich eggs. It is considered one of the world's most prized caviars, alongside Beluga and Sevruga and sometimes takes up to a week to import. While coming up with these courses, Chef Zubin says the most important thing was to make sure that the caviar complements the creation rather than overpower it. Flavours were balanced out during the trials. New but unusual food friendships were forged, like gnocchi with pumpkin puree and caviar; parmesan panna cotta with caviar and pecan nut crumble, red pepper relish and caviar. And which is Chef Zubin's favourite? The Fettucine Alla Scoglio E Caviale, and the lobster tortelli with a basil and aged parmesan emulsion with caviar, he says. The chef is also excited about the wines he has paired with the dishes. A lot of thought has been put into the grape chosen for each dish, he says, adding that they made a bold decision to pair red wine with the seafood fettucine instead of the traditional white. It works, since the wine is smooth and the fettucine has clear, vivid flavours. His perfectly seared salmon with a crisp skin is paired with a rosé. 'The rosé's acidity compliments the buttery sauce and the salmon. A little sweetness from rosé, saltiness from caviar and earthiness from salmon was the combination I had in mind,' he explains. One would assume the dessert would be devoid of caviar. But no. Here, gleaming little balls of coffee caviar add drama to a serving of creamy tiramisu. He serves it with a shot of Limoncello. 'A match made in heaven,' he smiles. Prices start at ₹3,050 plus taxes. For reservations, call: 044 2220 0000.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Keen sense of scents brings deeper appreciation
Opinion Humans tend to only pick up five tastes on our tongues — sour, bitter, sweet, salty and umami — leaving our olfactory system to do a lot of heavy lifting in teasing out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in wine (and everything else we consume). While some people can rattle off descriptors about the smell of a wine with ease, others might sniff a Merlot and simply say, 'It smells like wine.' But there are ways you can train your nose (and your brain) to unpack what's in your glass. PEXELS Get specific about what scents you're detecting in your wine. If you're picking up a floral note, try to determine what flower you're smelling. Get specific about what scents you're detecting in your wine. If you're picking up a floral note, try to determine what flower you're smelling. Here are five ways I've honed my olfactory senses over the years that have helped me in my craft, and in the process have provided a deeper appreciation of wine, beer and food. Author Malcolm Gladwell said (to paraphrase) that if you put 10,000 hours of time into working on anything, you'll become an expert in that field. I've been sticking my nose in wine glasses professionally since the mid-1990s, first working at wine stores and then as the Free Press drinks writer. I have no idea how many hours that amounts to, but I'm certain that my ability to pick out subtle aromatic elements in wine and other drinks has improved — and continues to improve — with practice. One of the best workouts for your nose is at the grocery store. The produce department's a great place to sniff your way through many of the core aromatic components found in wines. You might discover the peachy notes you're picking up in an Aussie Chardonnay are actually nectarine, and that yes, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc does in fact bring elements of green pepper and grapefruit. Closer to home, give your nose a workout in the kitchen cupboard. Give that bottle of vanilla and jar of cloves a sniff, then keep those smells in mind the next time you taste an oaky white wine. Stick your nose in a box of black tea bags, then look for those same aromas in a tannic red wine. Explore the differences between savoury and baking spices (carefully, lest you collapse into a sneezing fit). Picking up primary plum, blueberry and violet aromas is normal when sniffing a Merlot — but what if you had three or five or more Merlots in front of you? How would you describe the differences? Trying multiple wines made from the same grape or region is the easiest way to suss out subtle differences between wines, often a result of how they were made, the climate/soil in which the grapes were grown, etc. So you're picking up floral notes in a Pinot Grigio: is it a rose? A violet? Baby's breath? Is that apple note you're smelling more like a red or green apple, or a tart crabapple? Is it the flesh of the fruit, or its skin and seeds? Or is it more like apple candy? Drill down and see where it takes you. First impressions go a long way in my own assessment of a wine and tend to be some of the most specific descriptors — primarily because they tend to be associated with a memory. Descriptors such as Tootsie Roll, beach ball, chalk, banana candy and the like are common in my notes, and more than once I've picked up hints of the Nonsuch in an Old World red aged in oak. Then there are the oddballs including (but not limited to) finding notes of pleather, or dirty diaper, or armpit (or, conversely, Speed Stick), petting zoo or black forest cake. Always leave enough room in your glass to give your wine a vigorous swirl before shoving your nose in — it helps release the aromatic components in a wine and goes a long way in the enjoyment of what's in your glass. And make sure a wine isn't too warm or cold. Explore the ways a chilled wine's aromas change as it sits out on the counter and warms up. Or give a red wine a sniff and taste at room temperature, then pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (as I almost always do) to see/smell/taste how it changes. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. uncorked@ @bensigurdson OTU Wines 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand — $20.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Pale straw in colour, with grapefruit pith, gooseberry, tart lime and bell pepper aromas. Light-bodied and bone dry, with bell pepper/grassy notes alongside tart grapefruit and modest gooseberry flavours, hints of lime juice, bracing acidity and, at 13 per cent alcohol, a brisk finish. Fresh and lively, but could use a touch more ripeness. 3/5 Penley 2021 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, Australia — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Inky purple in colour, with fresh violet, eucalyptus, cassis, blackberry and subtle dark chocolate aromas. Dry and full-bodied, brimming with fresh red currant, blackberry and eucalyptus along with secondary cracked pepper and black licorice, modest acidity and tannins and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a slightly warm finish. Delicious — drink or hold for two to three years. 4.5/5 Leaning Post 2022 The Fifty Chardonnay (Niagara Peninsula, Ont. — $26.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Made by former Winnipeggers Nadia and Ilya Senchuk in the Niagara Peninsula, this wine is pale straw in colour and aromatically brings fresh red apple, peach pie, lemon zest and hints of chalk and toasted nuts. It's dry and light-plus-bodied, with a creamy texture from having been aged on lees in concrete tanks for nine months. Brilliant red apple, peach, pear and lemon candy notes, with a hint of spice lingering on the modest finish (it's 12.5 per cent alcohol). Elegant and exceptional. 4.5/5 Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
New Statesman
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Whither the whitebait?
Photo by Debby Lewis-Harrison / Getty Images It's off to the Regency again, Brighton's venerable fish and seafood restaurant, for the second time in a week. The first time was with the editor of a local mag for whom I write an occasional column, and the reason it is occasional is because I don't get paid for it because they don't have any money, and sometimes I am busy, and sometimes I am uninspired, and there is something about a cheque for £0.00 that fails to make the synapses dance, so what I try to do is get this editor to buy me lunch or at least a pint, for goodness' sake. Unfortunately, now he has retired from his full-time job as a lecturer, he doesn't have any money either. But he is a very lovely person, and so I found myself paying 50 per cent of the bill and that's my finances blown for the next week or so. This time, today, it was on someone else's dime: the licence-fee payer's actually – ie yours – for I am lunching with a radio producer who happens to be in town for the day. 'Hope you've got ideas!' messages a friend I mention this to. (This friend is one of those strange people who doesn't like being named in this column, so I will keep his or her identity secret except to say we are finally going through our divorce settlement, with, I hasten to add, unusual amicability.) Ideas? Oh God, I had forgotten about the ideas. There is something about being asked for an idea that makes the brain seize up and the jaw open slackly. There are times, of course, when one absolutely fizzes with them, but it's never when someone has just asked you for some. In my case, my ideas most often come at about two in the morning and I have learned not to try to write them down in ink because for some reason they never look exactly legible in the morning, however full I was of the divine fire when they occurred to me. I decide in the end to wing it. And anyway, all I can think about at the moment is whitebait. Let me explain why. A few weeks ago, I still had some funds in my account and, as is my habit, strolled down the hill to the seafront for a plate of whitebait and a glass of the house Pinot Grigio. If you ever want to see me drinking white wine in the wild, this will be one of your rare opportunities. There is something about a crisp, cold, cheap but tolerable white wine that sets off the Regency's whitebait, which are dipped in breadcrumbs and deep fried, but are never in the tiniest bit greasy: they're like the most exquisite fish fingers you've ever had, except, you know, fish. And then the food arrived, and it seemed to me that the world had turned upside down. For instead of the little crunchy animals from heaven, I found instead a plate of small nude fish dusted in what was probably paprika. While I am a fan of paprika, it is not in my view an acceptable substitute for breadcrumbs. Totally different textures. I had a few mouthfuls and gave up. 'Excuse me,' I said to the waitress, 'what's this? Have you changed the recipe?' But the Regency seems to hire its front of house staff on the basis of friendliness and general keenness rather than command of the language, which is fine by me, because they pick it up soon enough. But in this case it took about ten minutes of sign language and pidgin to establish that, yes, they had changed the recipe. Two days ago I asked another waiter what the whitebait situation was. Had they reverted to the original recipe, which had been pleasing the punters since the Chamberlain administration, or were they doubling down with the miserable, modern alternative? I didn't put it like that. It turned out that not only were they doubling down on the change to the recipe, but I was assured that this was by popular demand. 'It's what people want,' he said. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Excuse me? I know we are living in the worst timeline, but really? The only reason I could think of was that everyone in Brighton had suddenly gone coeliac and had said enough is enough. (Although as it turned out, the scampi were still becrumbed and there were still pasta dishes on the menu.) Now, I like to think that the press still has some influence even in these degraded times, so I here make my plea to the Regency to reconsider. If I am alone in preferring the old whitebait, then so be it. I will take defeat on the chin. But until then, here I stand, like Martin Luther, and can do no other. So I arrived for my lunch with the BBC producer and we had a perfectly pleasant conversation – until he asked me if I had any ideas. I pushed my prawns in garlic butter around my plate. Their beady eyes looked up at me in silent mockery. Had I ordered the prawns because I still wanted something crunchy on the outside yet yielding on the inside? I had found the scampi the other day only so-so. Anyway, my brain froze up again. I dabbed at the garlic butter on my chin with a napkin to buy some time. My whole future could depend on my answer. 'Whitebait?' I said. [See also: What's wrong with Sarah Vine?] Related
