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Wine expert reveals best fizz, Champagne alternatives, wine and trending spirits you need to buy now Food and Drink

Wine expert reveals best fizz, Champagne alternatives, wine and trending spirits you need to buy now

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Metro’s drinks expert Rob Buckhaven gives his recommendations for every pre-Christmas drink (Picture: Natasha Pszenicki)

I get it, I’m all Mariah wants for Christmas. Every year around November she won’t let me forget it, belting it out of shops, radio stations and car stereos.Flattering, but a bit excessive if I’m honest. And don’t get me started on Bing and Bublé, having the nerve to tell me it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas when we’ve been basking in a heatwave for most of October.

Let’s put this into perspective, Christmas day is in eight weeks’ time, that’s a lifetime in Christmas shopping years.

There’s huge pre-festive potential in the month of November, a dry run of a month, in a wet way, to get us primed and in full swing for the merriment of Christmas parties and New Years Eve.

Let’s use November as the practice run to get our boozy ducks in a row, without the December pressure that comes with it.

Don’t forget, many of us are fresh off the sober October wagon, myself not included, I was never on it.

So, let’s pace ourselves by using key party calendar dates like Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, Bonfire Night and the rise in winter weddings to raise our festive sipping game.

Join Metro Drinks Club and save on wine
Fancy regular access to delicious drinks at tasty prices? Then welcome to the brand new Metro Drinks Club, brought to you in association with Naked Wines.

To mark this exciting occasion, Metro’s wine expert Rob Buckhaven has selected a series of cases from the Naked Wines range – offered at a very special price to Metro Drinks Club members.

Choose between a red, white and mixed 12-bottle case, or splash out on all three, to gain access to the Metro Drinks Club.

For £64.99 per case, including free delivery, you’ll get a best-in-market deal and save over £100 off the market price.

How to join – and save over £100 on your first casePurchase any Metro Drinks Club case and you’re in the club, though you can opt out at any time.

Read more here.

Follow the link to Metro Drinks Club at Naked Wines to join and purchase your case.

So, wherever there’s a need for a welcome drink or refreshing tipple, red and whites for the meal or bubbly to raise a toast, there’s a drinks suggestion from me.

Any excuse to rummage through the Naked Wines cellar, and anyone else’s really, to try out a plethora of wintery drinks.

Sparkling

Martial Richard Crémant de Limoux Extra Brut is class in a glass

For the love of bubbly, let’s get the fizz right as it’s the cornerstone of, well, everything. No pressure then.

I’m over expensive Champagne prices when there are so many outstanding alternatives around, here are two bottles that are more than capable of toasting up a storm at any gathering:

Martial Richard 2020 Edition Crémant de Limoux Extra Brut, £15.99, Naked Wines (non-member’s price, £19.99)

A frothy showstopper from a renowned Languedoc producer, helmed by a brother and sister team.

With crunchy green apple, apricot yoghurt and almond notes, this is one classy glass.

It’s made from Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, and a whole lot dryer than their regular bubbly hence the extra Brut in the title.

Asquith Gardens English Sparkling, £16.00, Asda

Asquith Gardens is a five year aged bottle of fizz at an affordable price point

While we’re all aboard the English sparkling train, there’s no denying it can also be spendy.

Not on Asda’s Asquith Gardens’ watch, aged for a whopping five years in bottle, for a biscuity bubble bath at under £20.

The name is a tribute to Asda’s founding Asquith brothers, made by a big-name English producer that shall remain nameless, mainly because I don’t know which one it is.

White

Winter whites don’t have to taste like the inside of a log cabin, like running your tongue along a reclaimed oak floorboard.

Fresher styles are also great for autumn/winter, no matter what the weather’s doing, or go for something more textural if you want a food pairing partner.

Arabella Sauvignon Blanc is an affordable crowd-pleaser

Arabella Sauvignon Blanc, £7.99, Naked Wines (non-member price, £11.99)

Meet a knock-out wine for a knock-off price, you know what I mean. A word to the wise, South Africa delivers bang for buck like no other when it comes to fermented grapes. With supreme growing conditions and a favourable exchange rate, as in weak, it’s an Aladin’s cave for winos.

Case in point here, it’s tropical meets herbaceous, it’s crowd pleasing, it should be in your basket.

Rod Easthope Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris pairs excellently with warm winter soups

Rod Easthope Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris, £11.99, Naked Wines (non-member price, £13.99)

Speaking of food pairing, this is a winner with warm stews and winter stoups, perfect winter wedding fodder.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still stuck on winter soups and a textured white with peach and ginger notes to wash it down.

Also, when the winemaker is nicknamed ‘Rod the God’, you know you’re onto a good thing.

Red

Artelan Rioja Tempranillo has a fruity, dark chocolatey finish

Artelan Rioja Tempranillo, £9.99, Naked Wines (non-member price, £12.99)

On first tasting this with the Naked Wines Buyer, I assumed it would be over £15.

It’s the definition of that non-existent term, a sock-knocker-offer, overdelivering on everything you’d want from a youthful Rioja.

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It’s as smooth as a baby bat, with juicy notes of damsons and black raspberries leaving a velveteen, dark chocolatey finish. Truly scrumptious, this wine is a highlight of their range.

Refreshing Tipple

Wine isn’t for everyone and refreshing spirit-based snifters and a low/no option shouldn’t just be an afterthought. Luckily, we’re a drinks club, so we’ve got you covered.

Engine Gin, £26.00, Ocado

Engine Gin has sage and lemon notes for an uplifting G&T

If you’re not a fan of novelty packaging when it comes to drinks, you’ve got charcoal for a heart.

This one is next level, designed as a retro tin of engine oil. The stuff inside tastes significantly better than engine oil, I learnt that the hard way.

Produced in Piedmont, Italy, it majors on sage and lemon for a mood-lifting G&T. Also, you have to check out their website.

Savoia Orancio, £21.95, The Whisky Exchange

Savoia can bring a dash of orangey bitterness to your G&T

This is hands down my new favourite discovery.

It’s a botanical infused orange wine, white wines left on their skins which then turn amber in colour.

Flavours of this aperitivo include bitter orange, lime, bergamot, pomegranate, ginger and saffron, which make it a tad Aperol-like in profile, only more floral and delicate.

Slug a measure into your G&T to bring in a dash of orangey bitterness.

Cocktail

Mexican Martini

A Mexican Martini is ideal for Halloween or Día de Muertos

Essentially a Dirty Martini/Margarita mash up, ideal for Halloween or Día de Muertos.

45ml Blanco Tequila, 0.5ml Dry Vermouth, 30ml Cointreau, lime wedge, olive garnish, salt

Rub a lime wedge around and salt the rim of a chilled martini glass, fill shaker with ice and shake, pour and garnish with the olives.

Low/No

Botivo Non-Alcoholic Aperitif

Caption: Botivo Non-Alcoholic Aperitif

If you’re cutting down, or not, I urge you to try Botivo.

It’s the most delicious alcohol-free option I’ve tried, for those who like their drinks herbal with a delicious kick of bitterness.

Orange zest, wormwood, gentian, thyme and rosemary are layered over a base of apple cider vinegar and honey.

Recommended with soda, ice and an orange wedge, but I like mine with tonic.

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