Fizz, Bang Pop!

 

Want your party will go with a bang this year? Then try this wintery fizz to ease your guests in from the cold...

Mulled Wine Bellini

We discovered this cocktail on a fact finding mission to The Gilbert Scott, Marcus Wareing’s restaurant dedicated to Great British-ness, situated in the palatial Renaissance Hotel, St Pancras.

Marcus makes a reduction of mulled wine which he cools, and then adds to a Champagne flute; finally he tops up the glass with a chilled sparkling wine.

Here’s how you can make your own:

First - make a batch of your favourite mulled wine recipe.

When it’s ready, carry on simmering your creation to reduce by half

To serve – pour 25ml of your chilled reduction into a flute and top with bubbles.

Champagne is a luxurious choice for the effervescence, but if catering for a large New Year party, why not try this with your favourite Prosecco or Cava?

Pow!  A punch with a twist...

 

Make your New Year’s Eve party a hit this year with a retro punch with a twist. Dust off the punch bowl, and get ready for a Winter Sangria Punch that celebrates all those festive flavours of cranberry, clementine, apple and spice, melded with red wine and soda.

Take 2 bottles of red wine and add 250ml each of brandy, orange juice and cranberry juice. Add orange liqueur to taste and 125ml of sugar syrup. To this mix add sliced clementines, apple and pear, along with cranberries, pomegranate seeds and a stick of cinnamon. Leave the flavours to marry overnight if possible.

To serve - add soda or lemonade to taste - making sure you reduce the amount of sugar syrup if using lemonade.

“Hola” Winter Sangria Punch!

Smokin’!

 

A real trend this winter is outdoor eating – why not fire up the barbeque for some smoky flavours of sizzling beef, ribs and hotdogs? For the less adventurous - or cold weather adverse - get the barbeque ribs in the oven, and serve with some smoky reds or whites.

Morgenster, Lourens River Valley 2003

South African reds are renowned for their inviting smoky wafts - try this mature Bordeaux-blend of grapes from top producer, Morgenster.

Now over 10 years old, this 2003 provides a rare opportunity to sample an aged South African red made up of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc. This is a complex wine that has developed hints of leather, cedar and cigar box that overlay the dense raspberry and blackberry fruit core.

Etna Bianco DOCG, Planeta 2013

Or you could try this volcanic white, made by Sicily’s Planeta: The grapes for Etna Bianco 2013 are sourced from vineyards on the northern slopes of Mount Etna, with their mineral-rich soils derived from weathered lava. Volcanic wines are known for their crisp, mineral notes, giving fresh layers of complexity and refinement to the palate. To this, the local Carricante grape adds fragrances of white peach, yellow plum and herbs, as well as some softness from a short spell in warming oak.

Happy New Year from the Great Western Wine team!