It’s the most wine-derful time of the year and The Wine Tipster is armed with bottle recommendations to make your seasonal celebrations go off with a bang, or maybe a pop. With options for a tipple on Christmas Eve, right through to drinks to accompany the Boxing Day leftovers, there is something for everyone here and all are under £?. He’s made his list, he’s checked it twice, it’s time to find out which wines are nice!

Christmas Eve

A magical evening of log fires and mince pies calls for a warming glass of something, and The Wine Tipster is excited to try the Mediterranean Léoube Gin (Daylesford Organics £50). Known for their stunning Provence rosés, this new addition to the Léoube family is a wonderful treat at Christmas, distilled with olives and wild Mediterranean botanicals. A Winter Cocktail is perfect for sipping by a roaring fire and captures the magic of advent. To make your own:

• Place ice in a serving glass to chill it
• Fill a cocktail shaker with ice
• Shake together 40ml Mediterranean Gin by Léoube, 100ml organic almond milk, 5ml orange flower water, 5ml maple or cinnamon syrup
• Discard the ice from the serving glass and double strain the cocktail into it
• Try it hot – heat it gently on the hob after straining it

Christmas Morning

The excitement of Christmas Morning means all rules are out of the window. The perfect serve for Christmas morning is the Bottega Pink Gold Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato Brut 2019/2020 (Ocado £25.99 down to £21.99). This award-winning Prosecco DOC Rosé is elegant, truly memorable with soft fruit flavours of cherries and raspberries. It’s sure to get the day off to a cracking start.

Christmas Lunch or Dinner

Whether you have your Christmas meal at lunch or dinner, a bottle of Doña Paula Estate Malbec 2020, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina (VINVM £12.65) is the perfect accompaniment. Argentinian Malbec has rightly become very popular, and yet you need to study the form in terms of discovering the high quality, complex and beautifully balanced wines like this Estate Malbec from Doña Paula from the Uco Valley, where some of Argentina’s great red wines are produced. This wine has ripe black and red fruit flavours, is full bodied, yet not overpowering and matches with beef, your turkey roast and vegetarian Christmas roast. 

For a festive white, the Louis Latour White Burgundy 2020, Burgundy, France (Waitrose £14.99 on offer £11.99) is wonderful. This Chardonnay has been a popular choice throughout 2021 and is a classic with soft, ripe citrus fruit flavours, and creamy texture. Lovely to enjoy as an aperitif and paired with seafood and fish dishes.

Christmas Cheeseboard

A Christmas cheeseboard after the Christmas meal is a must for The Wine Tipster and pairs beautifully with a port. Port is very popular during the Festive period and is a great match with a range of cheeses including stilton. The Quinta Do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port 2015, Douro, Portugal (The Great Wine Co. £19.95) is a great option for any cheeseboard as the LBV style is the most popular port style. Quinta Do Crasto’s 2015 has beautiful dark fruit flavours, is full flavoured, with finesse and balance. This port is vegan friendly and bottled without fining and filtration so a light sediment may form in the bottle over time. Pour gently into a glass jug or decanter leaving the sediment in the bottle. 

Boxing Day

After a brisk walk, a bottle of Morgon Château de Pizay 2020 Beaujolais, France (Majestic £12.99 and £10.99 in a mixed case of six bottles) pairs well with a table full of leftovers. Gamay is such an underrated grape variety and this Morgon has lovely silky-smooth cherry and blackberry fruit character with friendly tannins. Perfect to enjoy on Boxing Day with turkey, stilton leek and celery tart, or on its own. 

For a white option, The Wine Tipster is a massive fan of the Gérard Bertrand wines and his Gris Blanc Gérard Bertrand 2020, Pays d’Oc, Roussillon, France (Strictly Wine £13.25 on offer £10.47) is outstanding. This is versatile, dry, and refreshing, with subtle red fruits which makes it great on its own, with fish and lightly spicy dishes. 

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However you are celebrating Christmas this year, The Wine Tipster wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Cheers!

Rosé is pink, Curaçao is blue, Happy Valentine’s Day from The Wine Tipster to you! Here are The Wine Tipster’s top 4 bottles of Rosé to make Valentine’s Day special however you choose to celebrate it.

As the quality of Rosé has continued to grow, the popularity of this pale pink wine has extended to an appreciation of the subtlety and celebratory nature of rosé all year round. With the 2020/21 addition of Prosecco DOC Rosé to the market, this popular choice really knows no limits.

Here are The Wine Tipster’s top celebratory Rosés perfect for Valentine’s Day:

Château Léoube Rosé de Léoube 2019 – £18.99 Daylesford

Provence in Southern France is the obvious place to go for classic pale pink, lighter styles of rosé. Château Léoube’s Rosé de Léoube is superbly delicate and elegant. This dry organic rosé is lovely on its own or with some salmon, seafood or cheese.

Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019 Astoria Extra Dry Gerrard Seel £13.95

Astoria produce a range of excellent Prosecco DOC wines, including their Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019 Extra Dry, which has attractive redcurrant fruit, with tangy notes, hints of white pepper and a creamy texture. A winner!

Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019 La Gioiosa £11.99 – £13.99 with offers Waitrose, Majestic, Ocado

La Gioiosa is a very known and highly respected Prosecco DOC producer. Their Prosecco DOC Rosé Millesimato 2019 has a lovely balance of soft strawberry fruit, with floral and creamy notes and a long elegant finish. No wonder Prosecco DOC Rosé is so popular

Mirabeau Pure Rosé Provence 2019 – £14.99 Waitrose

Mirabeau’s ‘Provence in a Glass’ is inspired by summer days on the Côte d’Azur, just the bottle to lessen the February chill. With a crisp finish and delightful aromas of peach and lychee, this bottle is beautiful enough to be a present by itself!

However you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, share your Rosé pictures with The Wine Tipster on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and subscribe to get blogs directly to your inbox.

As one of the major highlights of The Newmarket Gold Season, The Cambridgeshire Meeting is 3 days (September 24th, 25th and 26th) of superb horseracing on the Rowley Mile. Unfortunately, racing will remain behind closed doors so let The Wine Tipster guide you through the history of The Cambridgeshire Meeting and his tips for celebrating at home.

Coming up as part of The Gold Season will be the Dubai Future Champions Festival on 9th and 10th October. The Wine Tipster is hugely empathetic to the wonderful team at Newmarket who have dealt with the changing restrictions for The Cambridgeshire Meeting but will no doubt have a fabulous meeting in spite of it all.

Cambridgeshire Thursday – Thursday 24th September 2020

For the first day of the Meeting, Cambridgeshire Thursday sees a range of impressive stakes to get things going. The Wine Tipster is especially looking forward to:

3:00 TATTERSALLS STAKES (REGISTERED AS THE SOMERVILLE TATTERSALL STAKES) (COLTS & GELDINGS) (GROUP 3) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4

• The Wine Tipster is watching La Barrossa from trainer Charlie Appleby who has a great chance today

3:35 JOCKEY CLUB ROSE BOWL STAKES (LISTED RACE) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4

• The Wine Tipster is excited by the 7 year old Withhold who has leading claims to take the race today

Shadwell Day – Friday 25th September 2020

Friday, also known as Shadwell Day, boasts two Group contests, the Group 2 Shadwell Rockfel Stakes and Shadwell Joel Stakes (both on ITV4). It’s a hot card for the day, so check out all of the races featured:

1:15 DERRINSTOWN IRISH EBF MAIDEN STAKES (COLTS & GELDINGS) (PLUS 10 RACE) (Class 4) (2yo) Racing TV

1:50 TASLEET BRITISH EBF ROSEMARY STAKES (LISTED RACE) (FILLIES & MARES) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• Previous Newmarket winner Alnaseem will be having her 13th horse race with her 13th different jockey aboard! Jockey Adam Kirby is having a go today. (Courtesy of Andy Stephens of Racing TV)

2:25 PRINCESS ROYAL MUHAARAR STAKES (GROUP 3) (FILLIES & MARES) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

3:00 SHADWELL ROCKFEL STAKES (GROUP 2) (FILLIES) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The Wine Tipster is looking forward to seeing Isabella Giles in this race, trained by Clive Cox who’s been having a great year with his 2 year old.

3:35 SHADWELL JOEL STAKES (GROUP 2) (Class 1) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• This is a belter of a race because we have Benbatl against Kameko who are the top two in the market and should make for a cracking race. Kameko has finished 4th in his last three starts in big races following a lot of bad luck, so things will be interesting between the runners.

4:10 EQTIDAAR GODOLPHIN STAKES (LISTED RACE) (Class 1) (3yo+) Racing TV

4:45 SHADWELL FARM HANDICAP (Class 3) (3yo+ 0-90) Racing TV

Juddmonte Day – Saturday 26th September 2020

The finale to The Cambridgeshire Meeting is Juddmonte Day on Saturday – a true spectacle to behold with some top races and great horses to look forward to in all races:

1:15 BLANDFORD BLOODSTOCK MAIDEN FILLIES’ STAKES (PLUS 10/GBB RACE) (Class 4) (2yo) Racing TV

1:50 JUDDMONTE ROYAL LODGE STAKES (GROUP 2) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

2:25 JUDDMONTE CHEVELEY PARK STAKES (GROUP 1) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• An interesting race – Alcohol Free for an each way bet, and Happy Romance should make this race interesting having previously raced in this race with trainer Richard Hannan

3:00 JUDDMONTE MIDDLE PARK STAKES (GROUP 1) (Class 1) (2yo) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The Wine Tipster likes the look of Method with Frankie Dettori

3:35 CAMBRIDGESHIRE HANDICAP (HERITAGE HANDICAP) (Class 2) (3yo+) ITV4 & Racing TV

• The famous Cambridgeshire Heritage Handicap was established in 1839 at the same time as The Cesarewitch. The two races are known as the historic Autumn Double, with the second leg of this pair being run at the Dubai Future Champions Festival (9th and 10th October). The Wine Tipster can’t wait to watch around 30 horses thunder up The Rowley Mile!
• The Wine Tipster’s excited for his old friend Sir Busker who he’s been tipping up endlessly – they won at Royal Ascot but have been unlucky in other races. Sir Busker is a really good each way selection.

4:10 BRITISH STALLION STUDS EBF ‘JERSEY LILY’ FILLIES’ NURSERY HANDICAP (Class 2) (2yo) Racing TV

4:40 BENTLEY MOTORS HANDICAP (Class 2) (3yo+ 0-105) Racing TV

At Home – Where To Watch

Racing TV will be showing every race live which you can watch on your TV, tablet or mobile. Race Replays will also be available 20 minutes after the winner crosses the line. ITV Racing and ITV4 will be showing a number of races too, with details of the fixtures and broadcasters being available on The Cambridgeshire Meeting website.

At Home – To Do

There are a number of interactive and fun activities to get involved with at home during The Cambridgeshire, don’t forget to follow all the Social Media for Newmarket Racecourse and The Wine Tipster to share your #AtHome celebrations!

• Calling friends and family to enjoy the day with? Why not use a Video Background from The Jockey Club and feel as though you’re really there.
• The Raceday App is a must for the At Home experience. Get your own digital racecard, exclusive content, and access to the Raceday 5 Game with a chance to win a bottle of Coates & Seely Rosé NV and £10,000!
• Decorate your home with The Jockey Club Bunting which can be used throughout The Gold Season At Home.
• Need to brush up on your racing knowledge and jargon? Check out Racing Explained for all the confusing terms!
• Colour and fill in your own Sweepstake Sheet for each of the races.
• Put your knowledge of Newmarket to the test with Raceday Quizzes.
• Don’t forget to keep up to date with the fantastic Competitions available.
• Set the scene for the Meeting with your very own Spotify Playlist.
• Get inspiration from others’ At Home Celebration creations here!

At Home – What To Wear

Feel like you’re spending a day at the races but from the comfort of your own home. Why not put on a fancy dress or a three piece suit and enjoy the day safely at home.

Racing At Home Inspiration Gallery to inspire your creativity and fashion for the meeting. Don’t forget to share your raceday outfits with us on Social Media – Newmarket Racecourse, The Wine Tipster.

At Home – What To Drink

The UK is the biggest market for Prosecco DOC, so what better wine to pop when you celebrate The Cambridgeshire Meeting At Home? The Wine Tipster recommends Ruggeri Argeo Prosecco DOC Brut from Treviso which is available across The Jockey Club Racecourses and from The Great Wine Co. It is a Gold Medal winning bottle with vibrant lemon aromas making this a refreshingly crisp bottle. Prosecco DOCG La Gioiosa Valdobbiadene is seriously elegant and bursting with apple notes – definitely worth a try, available from Majestic.

Why not try Prosecco DOC in a simple cocktail – an Aperol Spritz or Bellini, depending on what you have in the cupboard, go down a treat with these bottles. Don’t forget to check for the Prosecco DOC Certification by looking for the sticker on the neck of your bottles – you’ll be sure to have a quality bottle of Prosecco that way.

For a touch of class at The Cambridgeshire, Coates and Seely’s delightful English Sparkling Wines are a must. The Wine Tipster especially loves their Brut Reserve NV which is a Gold Medal winner and full of depth and complexity.

For those on a budget, The Wine Tipster also recommends 6 wines under £10 as The Jockey Club Catering’s resident wine and food pairings expert. All 6 are smashing on a sunny day and with picnic food.

Fancy a gin? The Wine Tipster enjoys Salcombe Distillery’s multi-award winning ‘Start Point’ Gin with Fever-Tree’s Premium Indian Tonic Water over ice. Delicious.

For a non-alcoholic option, why not enjoy a Luscombe Hot Ginger Beer which really packs a punch worthy of The Cambridgeshire.

At Home – What To Eat

The weather has been spectacular, and what better way to enjoy the racing and the late sunshine than with a picnic at home? Gather your favourite picnic treats such as scones (jam or cream first?), sausage rolls, sandwiches, sweet treats such as flapjacks and lemon drizzle and snacks such as Taste of Game Crisps and local Pork Pies from the Butcher’s. If you’re looking to impress with your picnic, why not try The Jockey Club Catering’s moreish Rosemary Focaccia and Baked Camembert. The Wine Tipster sees this At Home Meeting as another great opportunity to support local and stay safe.

The Wine Tipster is looking forward to enjoying the Powters Original Newmarket Pig Sausages in a delicious casserole, or for a Full English Breakfast to get the raceday off to a cracking start. Dating back to the 1880s, the family run business are still producing their distinctly peppery sausages with a blend of secret spices in small batches for punters.

Did you know? The Newmarket Sausage is a protected food name and has to be made in the vicinity of the town!

For more food inspiration, check out The Jockey Club’s Autumn Inspired Recipes from Midsummer House.

The Wine Tipster hopes that you and your families can stay safe this meeting, and enjoy The Cambridgeshire Meeting At Home. To keep up to date with The Wine Tipster’s blog, subscribe here, and don’t forget to follow him on Social Media for updates and coverage.

With Summer in full swing, what better way to relax and enjoy the sun than with a cool glass of Prosecco. Luckily, SPAR is currently stocking two fabulous and well-priced bottles: SPAR Extra Dry Treviso DOC Prosecco (£9.00) and SPAR Superiore Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco (£12.00).

The Wine Tipster does not seem to be alone in his love of Prosecco, as the UK currently accounts for 33% of Prosecco exports, making the UK the largest global importer. Following record exports to the UK in 2016, Prosecco DOC continues to grow across key markets – led by the UK returning an average of 30-40% growth over the past few years alone.

Production of DOC (designated area of origin) wines has risen from 1.5 million hl in 2011 to a huge 3.5 million in 2016. You’ll be pleased to hear that o ur thirst for quality Proseccos has led to the Prosecco DOC Consorzio increasing the area under vine. As of July 2009 Prosecco can only be produced in the regions of Veneto and Fruili-Venezia-Giulia in North-East Italy, but thankfully, there are lots of suitable vineyards areas across the nine provinces in the Prosecco region.

It should also be noted that Prosecco is never produced on tap, only in bottle, with the driest style being brut, then extra dry and dry. Prosecco DOC is also a perfect summer pairing with Grana Padano PDO (protected designation of origin) cheese from the North-West and North-East of Italy, as well as complimenting sushi and shell fish.

The two Proseccos available at SPAR are both easy-drinking and elegant, with the DOC Extra Dry excelling in its citrus fruit character and crisp acidity, and the DOCG Valdobbiadene (which is a famous town in the hills of the Prosecco region) has wonderful floral notes. Both are excellent pairings with Grana Padano cheese.

These SPAR stocked bottles are a must this summer, and next time you pop into a SPAR why not have a look at the rest of their wine selection too!

With the recent warm weather teasing us into summer, it’s the perfect time to relax with a glass of cool Prosecco.  Luckily, The Wine Tipster is already getting ready to entertain and educate punters about this classic summer beverage at this year’s Foodies Festival, and Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival.

Prosecco has been known and enjoyed since the Roman times, made from the Glera grape which gives the wine a fresh and light flavour. The DOC (Origin Controlled Designation) production covers two regions of North-Eastern Italy: Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, including nine provinces, Treviso, Venezia, Padova, Vicenza, Belluno, Pordenone, Udine, Gorizia and Trieste. The DOCG notates the more challenging growing regions within Prosecco DOC, giving its wines a rarity and speciality. It seems only fitting that such a delightful wine comes from what is considered one of the most beautiful areas of the whole Italian peninsula.

As you will learn if you attend one of The Wine Tipster’s events, Prosecco can be either “spumante” (sparkling), “frizzante” (semi-sparkling) or “tranquillo” (still), but all, nonetheless delicious!

Although it’s common to ask for a glass of Prosecco rather than a brand, the huge variety in producers is not to be overlooked. Here are a few of The Wine Tipster’s favourite Prosecco DOC producers at the moment:

 

La Marca

La Marca represents nine different wineries, 7 within the Prosecco DOC region, and 2 within the Prosecco DOCG region. With knowledge handed down through generations, La Marca is one of the most representative wineries in the Prosecco region.

http://www.lamarca.it/PROSECCOWINE/proseccoDOCspumantiMillage/Prosecco-DOC-Millage.aspx

La Marca’s Prosecco DOC Millage Extra Dry, originating in Treviso, is recommended by The Wine Tipster for its smooth and balanced flavour, with delicate citrus notes and a lovely fresh fruit character making it a perfect pairing with nibbles and starters.

You can find La Marca wines in Majestic: https://www.majestic.co.uk/Prosecco-La-Marca-Treviso-Extra-Dry-zid23305

 

CABERT

CABERT, established in 1960, is an acronym that identifies the Cantina di Bertiolo winery, with vineyards that have covered the land since ancient times, now renowned as one of the most renowned grape-growing zones of the DOC.

http://www.cabert.it/en/component/content/article/26-cabert-wines/sparkling/92-prosecco-spumante

Another favourite of The Wine Tipster’s is CABERT’s Spumante Prosecco Extra Dry with its notes of red apples and white flowers, elegant, refreshing and creamy flavour making it an excellent aperitif, or paired with Grana Padano.

Cabert Spumante and Frizzante are available from South Downs Cellars: http://www.southdownscellars.co.uk/shop_detail/Sparkling+Wine+%3B+Champagne/Prosecco+Spumante/A50P5026

http://www.southdownscellars.co.uk/shop_detail/Sparkling+Wine+%3B+Champagne/Prosecco+Violino+Frizzante/A50P1219

 

Montelliana

Found in the heart of the Treviso region, Cantina Montelliana is a cooperative of growers associated with Prosecco DOC and DOCG, dedicated to making the best wines from their favourable growing conditions.

http://www.montelliana.it/eng/products/prosecco-montelliana/spumanti/prosecco-spumante-doc-treviso-extradry.html

The Wine Tipster recommends Montelliana’s Prosecco Spumante DOC Treviso Extra Dry for its delicious rounded appley and stone-fruit notes with a lovely length of finish.

Available from their website.

 

Cantina Progettidivini

“The yellow-gold canteen” has been produced in the ancient Brandolinin d’Adda Villa by the Masiero family since 2008. Harvesting the grapes exclusively by hand ensures the certified quality the Masiero’s are so dedicated to providing for their customers.

http://www.progettidivini.it/en/prosecco-d-o-c-treviso-brut/

Cantina Progettidivini’s Prosecco DOC Millesimato 2015 Brut is a favourite of The Wine Tipster, renowned for its elegant and harmonious aroma, with a hint of lemon and pear notes. This smooth and well-made wine is creamy and citrusy in flavour. An excellent Prosecco!

Available from their website.

 

So next time you fancy a glass of Prosecco, perhaps retrain your brain and your taste buds to appreciate exactly which Prosecco you really want.

The Wine Tipster will be back in action on Friday 10th March at Chadlington Memorial Hall near Chipping Norton at 7.30pm for an evening of wine tasting, horse racing tips for the Cheltenham Festival and opera with Clare Bradshaw, Mezzo Soprano and Richard Coxon, Tenor.

A selection of wines from both the New World and Old World will be available to taste. Neil will feature the ever popular and successful Prosecco specifically from the DOC regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In addition, you can try the quintessential Rioja, Beronia. The winery was founded in 1973 by a group of business who enjoyed the gastronomic delights of the Rioja regions when they were on holiday.

In the build up to The Cheltenham Festival, you can follow Neil’s top racing tips in his Racing Plus column and daily during Festival week. We will also get the latest news on the chances of our local trainers Charlie Longsdon and Ben Pauling. This meeting is truly the highlight of the Jump season which takes place from 14th to 17th March. Over 260,000 people enjoy the electric atmosphere at The Festival epitomising everything that is great about Jump racing. Watch the finest horses, jockeys, owners and trainers battle it out for the highest racing honours, their reputations and over £4.1 million of prize money.

Local opera singers Claire Bradshaw  and Richard Coxon, Festival Director for the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival  will provide the musical entertainment.

Light bites will be provided by Café de la Post and Chadlington Quality Foods. Tickets are available from Café de la Post and Chadlington Quality Foods or contact Judi Parker, judi@phillips-hill.co.uk or tel: 01608 676 830. Tickets are priced £10 each with all proceeds going to the Village Hall Project.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

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