Helen McGinn Well, here we are. Six weeks of summer holidays. Six. Whole. Weeks. I mean, there’s lots to love. No school runs, no last minute hunts for clean school uniform and no reading book guilt. This is all good. Not so good: the permanent canteen/washing/taxi service needed to keep things ticking over. But I have a plan – and I don’t mean simply ordering in more wine (although that is absolutely part of the plan). No, I’m talking about letting them get bored. Because apparently, that enables them to develop their ability to be creative. Now that’s what I call creative parenting.
Current white in the rack: The Wild Olive Chenin Blanc
Price: £7.75 - Buy From Oddbins
There is so much to love about South African wines at the moment. Quality continues to get better and better thanks to a bunch of inspired winemakers determined to make brilliant wines. This one’s made by a relative newcomer in the Paarl region, from old vine Chenin Blanc grapes. It’s gorgeously ripe, round and full of lemon peel and baked apple flavours. Plus, the screw cap reminds of my favourite childhood sweet, Pacers. Love it.
Current red in the rack: Bonavita Red
Price: £7.99 - Buy From Waitrose
This is a very jolly mash up of red grapes from vineyards not far from Lisbon. There are big hitters in there, including indigenous Portuguese grapes Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (another name for Tempranillo), along with Castelao and the better known Syrah grape. Juicy and bright, this is a great summer red: not too heavy but with enough flavour to stand up to anything that’s been overdone on the barbecue.
Amen to that! *chinks glass x
Exactly! *tops up glass* x
Great plan! 😉 chin chin to the cheeky monkeys getting bored / creative!
I know, great isn’t it?
I’m a shocked for being ‘bigoted’ re only drinking French wines, am off the sauce anyway as training for a 10k run in August – raising money for oral cancer research – my sis in recovery from tongue cancer.
These wines I will buy as offerings and YAY to being bored x
Love the website btw x
Wishing your sis a speedy recovery – and well done you!
Ps – thank you for kind words on website, thrilled you like it x
Hmnnn good luck with that one! Really hope you have a fab holidays….
Thank you! And you…
I love Chenin Blanc at this time of year and my favourite is Gavi. But English Bacchus is great too, goes well with BBQ fish!
So many wines, so little time…!