Just a quick update, drank another Rosa Blanca tonight and even on a cold dull day (surely not in the UK !) this was just lovely. Imagine how refreshing it would be on a hot summers day. These days when a lot of what we drink seems to have less and less alcohol, most of the time losing out on flavour, not this Spanish beauty though! Ok, 3.4% abv is not really low alcohol, but it’s low enough to drink a few without any ill effects and best of all, it tastes bloomin’ good. I cannot understand those who say it flavourless and insipid, for me it has bags of almost pilsner ..read more

Finally, finally, the weather is picking up here in the UK, so it must be ice cold lager time, sitting in the garden. Must admit though anytime is ice-cold lager time but I have been drinking more of the amber nectar than usual in the last few weeks and enjoying them, especially the Pilsner styles, Czech, German, Belgian, Italian and Spanish. Up next to review is a Mediterranean beer (lager) from Spain. A relatively low alcohol lager from Mallorca called Rosa Blanca coming in at 3.4% abv. Think it was originally around 4.8% abv but now made in Spain by the Damm brewery in ..read more

Sometimes a wine just hits the spot and this bottle certainly did, not the first bottle I’ve had from this producer and it most definitely won’t be the last! Isn’t just great when you find something that you know will be consistently good no matter what. Finding a wine that doesn’t disappoint, is there anything better? Just happens to be Spanish as well, Am I biased? …… Well, maybe a little! Pinzellada Negre 2016 Had this bottle in my rack for a while now, and decided to open it up over an Easter Roast with family. As I said I bought this a while ago, and wh ..read more

Two white wines today are from two supermarkets that are so different, miles apart even, but, and it’s a big but they both sell some pretty decent wines. One from Lidl and the other is from Waitrose. Looking for anything in these stores is such a different experience, one you have to negotiate your trolley around boxes left in the middle of the aisles, nothing is labelled, and staff are hard to find and it’s so hectic. Must mention that the checkout guys seem to be trained by Formula 1 pit crews, I’ve never seen items scanned so fast. The other is like walking into a 5-star hotel, ev ..read more

Just a quick post…. Easter, one of my favourite times of the year despite the unpredictable weather here in the UK. It’s the time of year my shorts go on (bit of a tradition with me, every Easter out come the shorts and they stay on until around the end of October, not the same ones I must make clear! ) The Gazebo in the garden also goes up, then you can almost guarantee that it will rain for a few weeks after. So what wines are you breaking out with your Easter fare? Whether it’s Gammon, Lamb, fish or vegetarian, how about considering some of these? Dry sherry is always a ..read more

What a great name for a beer and what a beer! Opened a bottle of this not knowing what to expect but I didn’t expect this! I approached it with some hesitation as it was 7.2% abv, but my hesitance was unfounded as this beer was surprisingly easy to drink, in fact dangerously easy. If you didn’t know, you would never have guessed that this was high in alcohol. The story behind the label The name is taken from the regimental motto of the ‘Queens Royal Lancers’ and brewed every year on the 25th October to commemorate the anniversary of the ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ into th ..read more

Just a quick something to get those taste buds going….. Steak and chips, are always a highlight in our house, even better accompanied by a bottle of red. I know we should be cutting down on red meats but we do like a nice rump or Sirloin every now and then and to be honest, why not? First up though, as a starter was a plate of Cured meats Ibérico de Bellota selection, washed down with a delightful French ale — Biere Millésimée Cuvee Exeptionnelle. See my review here For the main event of Rump steak, chips, asparagus, courgettes, mushrooms, and spicy olives was a bottle of ..read more

People often ask me why I keep reviewing and writing about what I’m drinking. Well, the answer is simple, I enjoy drinking wine, I enjoy drinking beer and I like to share my thoughts with you, nothing more nothing less. I don’t write for financial gain, although if I did try, I probably wouldn’t make much anyway. What I do hope is, that some of what I write is beneficial, interesting, or just entertaining, I’ve said before if only one person reads my posts and enjoys it, that’s enough for me. So, for whoever has read this far and wants to continue, here are a couple of more ‘les ..read more

I’ve tasted and reviewed a lot of wine, and I mean a lot, ok, I’m far from being an expert, but I do have a WSET level 2 wine award with distinction, which I did for fun a little while ago, just to prove to myself I could do it. I could have progressed but I thought what for? I’m coming up to 66 and retirement age, what good are wine qualifications to me? all I need is a good book and a glass of red, white or rose, and a tune on the Ukulele. Blimey! now I know I’m getting old! But I do like to think I know a good wine when I taste it, I’ve drunk enough of the stuff over the year ..read more

New Zealand versus Wales, no not Rugby!! but a wine taste-off, and which is the most aromatic? Admittedly, they’re not similar grape varieties but where they do have similarities is they both have very full-on flavours. These two bottles were the only two white wines in my fridge that were chilled enough to drink when a few of our family got together. First up was a Sovee bee, my daughter's name for Sauvignon Blanc, from Marlborough, Wairau Valley, New Zealand, and second up was a Welsh white with a grape that is primarily grown in Germany ( Siegerrebe ) Now you’ve all heard of Sovee Bee (Sauv ..read more