Ah, new year’s resolutions. Mine remain pretty much as they did last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. Basically, be healthy-ish and only shout when absolutely necessary. Usually, I’m an everything-in-moderation-including-moderation kinda girl. Except this year, for the first time ever, I’m going dry for January. No booze will pass my lips until the end of the month. Actually, it’ll have to because I taste wine for a living but I’ll be spitting everything out. It’s for a feature for the paper and involves having my face scanned, a kind of before and after so that we can see the effect that having no wine for a month has on the skin. Or rather, my skin. Deep breath.

Current red in the rack: Tesco Finest Kuyen Carmenere

Price: £6.00 - Buy From Tesco

Thanks to the success of the German discounters like Aldi and Lidl, Tesco recently changed its pricing policy so that most of the wines in the range are now held at a constant price. Before, wines would yo-yo between their normal and promoted price, leaving it up to us to spot the offer and fill boots accordingly. Anyway, good news is wines like this one are now really good value. All the time. Made from the coffee-like Carmenere grape, this is a bit of a beast but deliciously smooth with it. Loaded with black fruits and topped off with a kick of pepper. Better wear big boots.

(Visited 1,408 times, 1 visits today)

Current sparkling in the fridge: Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Prosecco

Price: £10.00 - Buy From Sainsbury's

Just before Christmas, I did a big tasting of all the current Prosecco wines on the supermarket shelves at the moment for a piece for the paper. I know, selfless. Anyway, this one came out as one of the best, thanks to its properly frothy (almost creamy) character and fresh lemony flavours. It’s rated as DOCG, meaning it comes from top quality vineyards in the region. Also: available in a magnum if you’re really thirsty.

(Visited 1,137 times, 1 visits today)