All I had to do was make something for the middle son's nursery charity cake stall on Saturday. Good people made glorious cakes, chutneys and jam. I, however, made my step-mother an offer she couldn't refuse: a bottle of robust red wine for a pile of fairy cakes. Sometimes the work/life balance doesn't work and isn't balanced. That's when I improvise/exploit a weakness for Rioja...
Talking of robust reds, this week's red on the side is:
Gran Conte Biferno Riserva DOC, normally £9.49, currently HALF PRICE at £4.74, Tesco
A big Italian red from the Molise region, this is thick with damson fruit flavours and must by law be drunk with red meat. Well, not really, but I think it should be.
The white in the fridge is:
Tesco Finest Guentota Estate Chardonnay Viognier, 2008, normally £7.59, currently £4.75, Tesco
This is a gorgeous Argentinian number, full of citrus fruits and a punch of peach flavour given by the addition of the Viognier grape in the blend. Drink from big glasses to save you making trips to the fridge.
Happy baking/faking xxLabels: 2008, Argentina, Chardonnay, Italy, red wine, white wine