Prize Winning Roses

Tomorrow morning, things might just get a bit stress-y round here. After six weeks of not having to say shout ‘I’M LEAVING IN FIVE MINUTES AND IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE CAR YOU’RE WALKING TO SCHOOL’, we’re back to the old routine. Alarm clocks, rushed breakfasts and the obligatory last minute missing shoe searches (sometimes mine). Then there’s the bit when you get back from the school run and the house seems so very quiet. Not entirely dreading that bit, tbh. But still, to help ease us back into the new term, I thought wine might help. At last month’s Camp Bestival wine tasting, one of the most popular wines was a rosé made by an Englishman called Stephen Cronk. Together with his wife Jeany and three children, he moved to Provence back in 2009 (sigh) and set about creating his idea of a perfect rosé. Five years on and not only has he created an award-winning wine that’s stocked in Waitrose (£8.99), he can also open a bottle with nothing but a shoe. Stephen’s kindly donated a case of Mirabeau Rosé worth over £100 and all you need to do to make it yours is leave a comment on the blog below or on the KMWC facebook page. We’ll do names in a hat as usual next week.

Nice melons.
Current white in the fridge: Saint Mont 2012, £7.99, M&S
Gorgeous wine this, from a little corner of Gascony, southwest France. Made from a blend of fabulously named local grapes including Gros Manseg, Arrufiac and Petit Courbu, it tastes of citrus and pear, with a squidge of peach in there too. It feels ripe; perfect late summer drinking. Just add simply done grilled chicken and a big green watercress salad. 
Current red in the rack: Tesco finest* Colchagua Carmenere 2013, £7.99, Tesco
I know I’ve done this one before but it keeps appearing in my wine rack because it is just so bloody good. Maybe it’s because it tastes of bramble fruits (of which I can’t get enough at the moment; I’ll be attempting Diana Henry’s apple and blackberry cake at the weekend) but whatever, it really is delicious. Big, bold and beautiful from Chile’s Colchagua Valley. 
For great videos and more information on Mirabeau, visit their website or facebook page. 
T&Cs:
1.  Competition closes on 8th September 2014 at 11.59pm. 
2. The prize draw is open to any UK resident over the age of 18.
3. My mother will pick out a name at random and her decision is final (it’s her hat). 
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22 Comments

  1. Hi Helen,

    Aaaaargh !, schools are back, not because I have to rush around getting the kids ready (way past that stage !) but because I have a driving job and the roads have been brilliant for the last 6 weeks or so. Now I have to squeeze my bus (getting passengers to breathe in) between cars parked directly opposite each other outside school gates etc.

    Sorry, rant over. On the wine front I also love the big flavoured Colchagua Carmenere

  2. Fantastic prize, just what I need to help me unwind!

  3. Stacy Fenemore

    My son does not start school for 2 weeks 🙁 I feel that the wine tasting will start tonight 😉

  4. Tomorrow it's all systems go for us, fabulous prize and gorgeous photo, like you say nice melons 🙂

  5. I love my kids being at home but hate the arguments between them so tomorrow will be bittersweet!

  6. I want to see a video of how to open a bottle of wine with as shoe – it could be very useful in a wine-related emergency! I must make a note of the Tesco Carmenere too because it's one of my current favourite grapes

  7. Wine wine wine wine wine – great prize oh knackered one. I think I am *just* about ready to start drinking wine again post-Camp Bestival!

  8. My girls were so excited about going back to school this morning that they set their alarm clocks early. I expect the novelty will wear off by…oh about tomorrow ! Back to work for me, new job for hubby so some rosé would be the ending to what will probably be quite a tough week for all.

  9. Definitely need a case of rosé in my life 🙂 xx

  10. My little one was up before me this morning, uniform on and ready for breakfast, very excited that she wont be the youngest in school anymore

  11. It was surprisingly calm in our house this morning. And we were on time for school….all of these things were probably for the first and last time.

  12. Ooh yes please! Definitely need to restock with a case of Rosé after the summer we've had. LOVE the 'open a bottle of wine with nothing but a shoe' – had to share it 😉 x

  13. Given that the other rosés you have 'recommended' recently have ALL BEEN SOLD OUT when muggins here went to market, I feel that I should, by rights, be awarded the prize.
    No contest.

    Oh, and the shoe-vs-corkscrew tip saved me from using my teeth btw. Or resorting to old uni technique of pushing the cork into the bottle.
    Yeah, I know. Pure class.

    LCM x

  14. My eldest has been back at school for two days and already feels ill with stress and nerves, her new shoes are too big and 'noticeable' to wear despite being ok'ed by the teachers, she's worried about getting on the bus and sitting on her own at lunchtime….I worry so much for her. My youngest couldn't be more excited, to the point of annoyance bless her lol !!

    By the time we get to Friday we're frazzled and ready for wine time !!

  15. Ah..I first drank Rose with a man called Jose,
    whilst travelling southbound on the Pacific highway.
    Now a superior plonk (by UK vitner Steve Cronk), would definitely brighten my day!

    Count me in for raffle please!

  16. Thanks for linking to my review of your fabulous wine tasting! Funny how the return to school has immediately made me think of wine, would love to win!

  17. My daughter still isn't school age but starts preschool in January, so I still have all that to look forward to! Lucky me eh? Winning some good wine would certainly help take my mind off it though!

  18. already a favourite this rose – winning a case? Oh my!
    thanks for great talk @ CB

  19. Thanks for reminding me of those times, some rose wine to reminisce with – perfect.

  20. The wine looks fab, and so do the melons!

  21. Introduced to Rose, in a big way, by a friend, in Portugal this summer. A bottle or two, or even a case, to share and reminisce would be grand

  22. Our daughter isn't school age yet but when she stays over at her grandparents my wife will often comment on how soooo quiet the house is without her. I'm very tempted to say "Yes isn't it bliss?" (but I don't). A cold glass of Rose would be better appreciated I think !

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