“Freedom!” cheer the children, while parents and grandparents everywhere lovingly look towards six weeks of wonderful sunshine filled days…
Of course I am delighted at the prospect of not having to drag my daughter out of bed for a good few weeks and squeeze in some quality time, but my head isn’t completely in the clouds. I know it may have some challenges along the way – so as my duty to parents everywhere, here are a few tipple tips to help the summer holidays fly by smoothly as smoothly as they can!
First up, obviously as customary these days, is gin! Our gin range now resembles something very similar to Pandora’s box (with only positive results once opened though) and it seems to be expanding every week. If I had to choose just one, I’d give Jarrolds a try. Handmade in Chichester, their tagline tells you all you need to know: “refreshingly simple, beautifully balanced”. Local, thirst-quenching and delicious so all boxes ticked! If you like something a little different to your gin I’m still a diehard fan of all the Warner Edwards range; they’re all well worth filling up your glass with ice and getting out into the garden with.
Regarding wine, there is clearly a wonderfully huge range to choose from, pop into any of our shops or go on our website and you’ll too feel like a kid in a sweet shop. Better still if you pop in at the weekend all of our shops have wine open for you to taste throughout the summer.
My summer wines of choice this year, all seem to be hailing from Portugal, my fab colleague in Chichester, Hannah P has written a great article in our Grapevine outlining some of the super tasting and great value Portuguese numbers we have on offer at the moment including the brilliant Vila Nova Vinho Verde – it’s summer in a bottle! Of course if bubbles are more your thing then you can head over to my little entry in there, where an awesome selection of sparklers awaits you. The Domaine du Landreau Crémant de Loire Morin puts many a Grande Marque Champagne to shame – it’s brilliant stuff and under £15 for summer.
The biggest secret here is, as my very own wine Wednesday evening is in sight, it’s not any of the afore mentioned that is actually waiting for me in my fridge this evening. Tonight’s treat to kick off the summer holidays is a bottle* of Gonzalez Byass La Copa. Produced by one of Jerez’s Sherry masters, this Vermouth is made from a base of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherries; it is bursting with aromatic flavours of clove, orange peel, nutmeg, angelica and quinine, alongside a sumptuous little kick of sweetness. I’m certainly looking forward to heading out into the sunshine to enjoy a very large glass of this on the rocks with a slice of orange thrown in for good measure – is it my hometime yet?! Cheers to the summer!
*disclaimer, I might not actually have the whole bottle, a nod to responsibility and all that…
