Okay, okay - with that title, I’ve just let slip I like Big Brother. Please don’t judge me too harshly - at the end of a long day parenting my two munchkins, I need to watch something that doesn’t require too much thought. I also need deserve a few glasses of wine to kill off the stress of the day.
In fact, wine isn’t just my friend, it’s something I’m obsessive about. I love discovering upcoming vineyards, touring regions, and continuing on in my quest to find a Chilean wine that doesn’t give me a migraine. We’re signed up to wine subscription boxes, receive regular e-newsletters from vineyards, and have a wine rack brimming with vintage wines we seem to never have an occasion to open. Yep, I’m an unapologetic wine snob.
Craig enjoys a good bottle too - but he’s more partial to red (and could bore you to death with what he know about Rioja, and little else!). He’s pretty clueless on his whites though and dreads me asking him to grab a bottle on the way home from work. He’ll call me at least 3 times from the alcohol aisle to query the labels, and comes home biting his lip when I take the first sip. It’s because I’m fussy. Even worse, I’m fussier depending on my mood.
I heart wines is an exciting new range of great quality, fruit-driven wines in standout, innovative and iconic packaging. Currently stocked at a number of selected retailers and public houses (such as Tesco, Hungry Horse, NISA and Sainsbury’s) they’re quickly gathering momentum as the new kids on the block. A mid-priced range at around £6.49 per bottle, they’re taking on brands such as Stowells, Hardy’s and Echo Falls.
I was recently asked if I’d like to try a sample, and it took me all of 10 seconds to say yes. Perhaps selfishly, I plumped for I heart Pinot Grigio because I love it, and Craig doesn’t (so he wouldn’t get a look in).
Why do we ♥ our Pinot Grigio? True to style showing delicate citrus aromas and lemon and lime flavours it is light, dry and crisp making it perfect to drink on its own. We think you will ♥ it as much as we do!
Vintage: 2013
Wine of Hungary
Alcohol 11.5%
This was a bit of grower for me. First sips were powerful and zesty, almost bitter. With time however, this wine made a hell of a lot more sense. As my palette acclimatised to it, it was fresh, pleasing and finely balanced. It’s a tricky thing describing wine, but the most notable thing for me is that the grapes tasted riper and fuller than other mid-priced Pinots I’ve drank. Going one step beyond chilled and adding a few ice cubes to the mix, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were sipping pummeled white grapes fresh from the Nutribullet.
This is pretty typically of Hungarian Pinots. Chalky soils in the Eytek region, combined with fertile forest brown soils (with high clay content) from the South part of Lake Balaton culminate in crisp and fresh wines. The Hungarian climate is well-suited to vines, with a long growing season ensuring perfectly ripe fruit. The result is a more mature tipple, with grapes sill retaining their vibrancy long after fermentation.
It doesn’t get boring mid bottle either. You’re constantly hitting new aromas and the citrus makes your palette cartwheel a little as it comes into contact with more of your tongue. I enjoyed mine with a chicken salad and the combination was pretty much perfect - I’d also recommend it as an accompaniment to sushi as it can hold its own against stronger flavours.
My verdict? - I LOVED it. Whether you’re basking in the summer sun, need something light to partner with lunchtime dishes, or just gossiping with the girlies - it won’t be a disappointment. I can’t wait to try more of the range and see if they deliver half as well as this.
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