Mr Gladstone's Curious Emporium Rhubarb & Custard Wine Review (Tesco)

It feels very odd to be writing about wine at 10am, especially whilst en route to a fitness convention. Actually, scrap that, the man opposite me on the train  just cracked open a Strongbow so I figure it's more than acceptable. Plus, it'll be evening by the time this is published, and you might be needing wine to get you through the Sunday blues. Convinced yet? I am.

Now I'll also start by admitting that I'm certainly no wine connoisseur but my preferences usually lie with either a full-bodied Rioja or zesty Pinot Grigio, depending on what I'm having for dinner. I've left the rosé with my teenage years and early twenties; despite my chocoholic tendencies I find it too sweet now. That was at least until I spied this rhubarb & custard wine on fellow sweet-toothed foodie Siân's instagram and then promptly found it on offer in Tesco. Argh it's pink, it's likely to be sweet but it's new, novel and rhubarb & custard flavour. If you've been following this blog for a while you'll know that I can't resist the call of anything rhubarb. At £3.50 (normally £4) it wasn't about to break the bank and so I treated myself to a bottle in the wake of finishing my second year at uni. 

"Expertly crafted with 100% natural flavours to create a refreshingly delicious treat, bursting with the traditional confectionary flavours of Rhubarb and Custard. Perfect served chilled or over ice."

Chilled it was. Siân suggested that I smelt it before I tried it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intermingled aromas of both wine and rhubarb and custard. Whilst I was concerned that it would smell odd and artificial, it reminded me of summer days during my a-levels and having BBQs in the fields by the river with my friends. Now I don't imagine that that's what it would bring up for you, but I hope you get the picture.

It wasn't syrupy and slipped down my throat with ease. The rhubarb and custard flavour is surprisingly strong, but not overwhelming and works weirdly well with the rosé. I thought I'd balk at the sweetness, but it's not half bad. I wouldn't serve it alongside dinner but the Curious Emporium Rhubarb and Custard wine makes for a good sunny afternoon drink with friends (it's much lower in alcohol at 9%) or alongside a tub of Ben & Jerry's strawberry swirled.  

8/10 

Mulled Wine Fruit Loaf (M&S)

I was my normal scroogy, scrimpy, student self and bided my time when buying this fruit loaf from M&S. At £2 it seemed a little on the steep side, and if I was going to treat myself to full-priced goods from their bakery section you can bet your bottom dollar that it was going to be their boobie buns (sorry Christmas Pudding Buns). Yesterday afternoon though I popped back into my local branch -second attempt at buying another bottle of Chocolate Opal -this time successful- and detoured via the bakery on the way out where I spotted a single loaf reduced to just 70p. The packaging informed me that it was freezable, so I hastily nabbed the pack and added it to my basket. 

"Spiced fruit loaf with port soaked dried vine fruts, sour cherries, citrus peel and ginger."

The first thing I noticed about the bread was its density. For a fruit loaf it wasn't very risen or fluffy -but then I told myself that perhaps it was meant to be more like a stollen. The pale dusting on top marked a further stollen similarity, and I kept everything crossed that it would be as tasty as Lidl's luxury chocolate version. 

The bread was shockingly tough to slice into, revealing a very compacted interior with a plethora of fruits -the only plus point thus far. The packet suggested toasting the slices, so I popped both of mine in for a minute so that it just begun to tan. I slathered both slices in butter, and got stuck in.

Eurgh. All I could taste was burnt fruit. If you've ever made raisin flapjack or rock buns at home and caught them in a fierce oven then you'll know how awful burnt dried fruit tastes. The thick crust round the edge of the bread made it very chewy too, so much so that I almost gave up eating it. I'm very determined however, and hate wasting food, so I gave the second slice a generous coating of apricot jam -which I hoped would inject some much needed sweetness and counteract the acrid burnt raisin taste.

Nope. The second slice also felt like a punishment, and the rest of the loaf went in the bins -even the poor birds shouldn't suffer this.

I'm really hoping that I got the worst of a bad batch, so I'm extremely eager to know if any of you have tried M&S' Mulled Wine Fruit Loaf this Christmas, and if you're experience was similar or vastly different! Be a dear, and leave me a comment to let me know...

2/10 

Chocolate Opal Wine Review (M&S)

Every time I visit my sister in Cardiff and we go shopping there's a couple of musts on the to-do list. Firstly I have to pop into the Lego store and buy a Star Wars keyring for Bert's extensive collection. Secondly we have to visit the Rubis stand for a free sample of their chocolate red wine. 

Chocolate red wine you cry! That's disgusting! Maybe to your more refined palate the combination may sound abominable, but my sister and I think it's utterly delicious. The trouble is, it's not exactly a cheap bottle of plonk, and seeing as we're both students the closest we get to enjoying a bottle is the snifter we receive when detouring via the Rubis stand. 

A few weeks ago I was perusing M&S' wine section when buying our 'Dine In for £10' meal deal when I spotted not one, but two chocolate infused wines on their shelves! They're selling a red Chocolate Ruby (currently £7, reduced from £9) and a pale Chocolate Opal (half price at £4.50). I debated between the bottles, deciding to pick up a bottle for Christmas Day -it wasn't in the Dine In offer- before opting for the cheaper Opal wine of course. 

'Aromatised white wine with chocolate flavouring.' 

My mum-in-law looked extremely dubious when I offered her a glass of Chocolate Opal on Sunday afternoon post Christmas pudding with double cream and Biscoff Cheesecake, but it didn't take very long to persuade her to try "just a little glass." 

A little glass quickly turned into a couple of full glasses each, which should give you an indication of how delicious this wine truly was. It's a drink for sugar addicts only  though I'm afraid, it's so very sweet and tastes borderline liqueur-esque. M&S' Chocolate Opal is much more refreshing than Rubis though thanks to the white wine background that the chocolate flavour sits proudly at the forefront of. Talking of which, there's no doubting it's a chocolate flavour, and it's extremely moreish at that. 

A gentle word of warning, the wine is fortified (15%) and swiftly made me feel rather squiffy -although admittedly that might've been caused by the champers beforehand.

I loved the Opal so much that I returned to the store this afternoon to pick up a bottle (and contemplate the Ruby version) but they've completely sold out. If you're a wine loving, sweet toothed chocoholic with a generously stocked M&S nearby I suggest you pay a trip and stock up post-haste! 

9/10

NEW Cocoa & Orange Echo Falls Fruit Fusions

Echo Falls have recently launched three new winter flavours into their fruit fusions range: Winter Spice, Orange & Cranberry and Cocoa & Orange. 

Chocolate flavoured wine sounds unusual, but I bought a chocolate infused red wine from Tesco last year at Christmas in the bargain bin, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately however I haven't been able to find it since (and I've forgotten the name now). So with this in mind, I thought I'd give Echo Fall's Cocoa and Orange fruit fusion a go. 

Looking at the label, it doesn't actually mention any wine content- it simply states that it's an 'alcoholic mixed fruit drink', oo-er. The second alarm bell went off when I read that it should be served chilled or over ice.  Echo Falls have the following to say:

I could smell a strong orange scent when I unscrewed the bottle, with a faint nod to chocolate.. The liquid was more translucent than red wine, and tasted... Well.. Different. It's kind of similar to a very watered down mulled wine, and so I couldn't help but think it might be more enjoyable warm. Orange is by far the most prevalent taste and it is palatable, however the barely detectable cocoa felt like an afterthought, and was rather synthetic- despite Echo Fall's claims to natural flavouring. 

It wasn't unpleasant,  just different, and I think I'd buy the winter spice version if I decide to try any more of the new fruit fusion range.

6/10