Latest news with #Merlot
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
This place is like Disneyland for wine-lovers
The Californian wine makers have this remarkable way of producing the richest jammiest reds you can imagine and while it's normally the cabernets I aim for, their merlots are exquisite. They are almost fat and full on the palate with rich but creamy tannins, intense fruits and a velvety mouthfeel. In all honesty, I've never tasted a bad one or even an average one from the Napa, but the pricing does tend to make them special occasion wines these days. I found it amazing at the vineyards to watch just how many tourists thought nothing of spending between $100 to $200 per bottle. One can dream. Eshcol by Trevethlen, Napa (Image: free) Eshcol by Trevethlen, Napa A stunning blend with Merlot and several other classics, bursting with blackberry fruits and cherries. Soft but present tannins and a really good mouthfeel. Ideal with rich foods or a selection of cheeses. Harris & Co £22 Duckhorn Decoy Merlot, Sonoma Okay, it's not from the Napa but I love the ground these guys walk on and this is one of my favourites. Black cherry, autumn fruits and hints of cocoa with a velvety feel to the palate. Majestic £30 per bottle or £25 mixed 6
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
This Boozy Ice Cream Will Actually Get You Tipsy and It Could Be the Next Big Thing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A startup from Macedonia is bringing a new kind of ice cream to the United States, hoping to change the way people think about dessert and happy hour. Wice, which blends real wine with ice cream, has announced it will open its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas as it expands into the American market. The company says its ice cream contains up to 50% actual wine, using a proprietary method that keeps the alcohol content intact while maintaining a creamy texture. 'A simple question' "We saw an opportunity to combine two beloved indulgences—wine and ice cream—into a new experience that feels both sophisticated and playful," Wice founder and CEO Sofija Daceva told Newsweek in an email. "It all began with a simple question: Where can I buy wine ice-cream? Then this curiosity became a mission." Unlike typical wine-infused ice cream that loses most of its alcohol during processing, Wice says it has developed a process that reconciles wine's low freezing point with the structure of traditional ice cream. The result is a frozen dessert that apparently retains the alcohol content of the wine, allowing customers to enjoy a dessert that can actually deliver a mild buzz while offering the flavors of Riesling, Merlot and other wine varieties. Stock image: Servings of ice cream in rows. Stock image: Servings of ice cream in rows. Photo by Foodandstyle / Getty Images What's Different Wice is attempting to set itself apart in the crowded alcohol-infused ice cream market by using a proprietary process that retains up to 50% actual wine content, far exceeding the alcohol levels typically found in other alcoholic ice cream products. While most boozy ice creams contain between 1% and 5% alcohol by volume—often requiring multiple servings to feel any effects—Wice's method aims to preserve wine's alcohol while achieving the consistency of ice cream. "That's the secret of Wice," Daceva said. "Although the combination of wine and ice cream, or creation of wine sorbets seems attractive, the process is complex." The founder added that Wice doesn't compromise ice cream's texture to maintain 50% wine. "It took years of experimentation to strike that balance and we're proud that we've came up this far," she said. What To Know Wice is a portfolio company of The International Accelerator, which supports foreign entrepreneurs establishing operations in the U.S. Daceva said that was what brought the company to Austin. "What's more, Austin is strategically located near the headquarters of industry leaders like Whole Foods and just an hour away from H-E-B—two retail giants that set the tone for food trends across the country," she added. "While we're not yet on their shelves, being in their backyard inspires us to think big and be bold in execution." Wice ice cream flavors include Riesling/vanilla/raspberry and Merlot/chocolate/sour cherry. The company also offers two sorbets: Lemon Spritz (Chardonnay and lemon) as well as Mimosa Sorbet (Riesling, orange and mint). What People Are Saying "We're not just creating a new dessert—we're building a new category," Daceva said, adding, "Wice is about pushing boundaries in both wine and ice cream industries. "What's unique about our product is the taste. I would describe it as a dynamic taste, where with every spoon you feel an explosion of various flavors." What's Next Wice will "immediately" begin seeking strategic distribution partnerships, retail entry points and licensing opportunities across North America, according to a release from the company.
Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Tesco shares warning to anyone who buys avocados
Avocados are a popular fruit that is used in many dishes but they don't last long once they are ripe and turn brown quickly, but Tesco has shared a hack to stop them going to waste Tackling food waste has become increasingly vital as UK households attempt to stop binning produce that comes with rapid sell-by dates. As the cost of living crisis goes on, savvy Brits strive to keep their supermarket hauls fresher for longer, with Tesco stepping in with a game-changing tip for avocado fans. Granted, the struggle of enjoying a ripe avocado before it becomes a mushy fate can be a real race against the clock - an issue that sees countless avocados discarded. Admit it, we've all been there, tossing food when preserving it just seems too tricky; yet, every little action can lessen our waste footprint. According to Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP), the UK wastes around 9.52 million tonnes of food each year. WRAP estimated that "70% of food waste comes from households (6.7 million tonnes), 16% from manufacturers, 12% from hospitality and food services, and 2% from the retail industry." However, there are various ways to combat food waste. The avocado, a brunch staple and salad enhancer, often gives us a narrow window to indulge its creamy goodness post ripeness, reports the Express. Tesco's website is now sharing a crafty life hack - freeze your avocados to halt them at their 'peak condition'. Simply peel, chop and chuck those avocado chunks into the freezer, then blitz them up in a smoothie or thaw to whip up some fresh guac, suggests the supermarket giant, turning the tables in our fight against food waste. The supermarket has also revealed that eggs, bananas, potatoes, and yoghurt can take a chill too. And it's not just food that benefits from the big freeze. It's quite the eye-opener to discover that even a bottle of Merlot can be popped in the freezer to avoid wastage. Tesco's campaigns manager Courtney Pallett commented: "Your freezer is your friend when it comes to reducing food waste and avoiding throwing food away. "Most of the foods that often end up in the bin such as avocados can be saved by freezing them to use later."
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Keen sense of scents brings deeper appreciation
Opinion Humans tend to only pick up five tastes on our tongues — sour, bitter, sweet, salty and umami — leaving our olfactory system to do a lot of heavy lifting in teasing out the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in wine (and everything else we consume). While some people can rattle off descriptors about the smell of a wine with ease, others might sniff a Merlot and simply say, 'It smells like wine.' But there are ways you can train your nose (and your brain) to unpack what's in your glass. PEXELS Get specific about what scents you're detecting in your wine. If you're picking up a floral note, try to determine what flower you're smelling. Get specific about what scents you're detecting in your wine. If you're picking up a floral note, try to determine what flower you're smelling. Here are five ways I've honed my olfactory senses over the years that have helped me in my craft, and in the process have provided a deeper appreciation of wine, beer and food. Author Malcolm Gladwell said (to paraphrase) that if you put 10,000 hours of time into working on anything, you'll become an expert in that field. I've been sticking my nose in wine glasses professionally since the mid-1990s, first working at wine stores and then as the Free Press drinks writer. I have no idea how many hours that amounts to, but I'm certain that my ability to pick out subtle aromatic elements in wine and other drinks has improved — and continues to improve — with practice. One of the best workouts for your nose is at the grocery store. The produce department's a great place to sniff your way through many of the core aromatic components found in wines. You might discover the peachy notes you're picking up in an Aussie Chardonnay are actually nectarine, and that yes, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc does in fact bring elements of green pepper and grapefruit. Closer to home, give your nose a workout in the kitchen cupboard. Give that bottle of vanilla and jar of cloves a sniff, then keep those smells in mind the next time you taste an oaky white wine. Stick your nose in a box of black tea bags, then look for those same aromas in a tannic red wine. Explore the differences between savoury and baking spices (carefully, lest you collapse into a sneezing fit). Picking up primary plum, blueberry and violet aromas is normal when sniffing a Merlot — but what if you had three or five or more Merlots in front of you? How would you describe the differences? Trying multiple wines made from the same grape or region is the easiest way to suss out subtle differences between wines, often a result of how they were made, the climate/soil in which the grapes were grown, etc. So you're picking up floral notes in a Pinot Grigio: is it a rose? A violet? Baby's breath? Is that apple note you're smelling more like a red or green apple, or a tart crabapple? Is it the flesh of the fruit, or its skin and seeds? Or is it more like apple candy? Drill down and see where it takes you. First impressions go a long way in my own assessment of a wine and tend to be some of the most specific descriptors — primarily because they tend to be associated with a memory. Descriptors such as Tootsie Roll, beach ball, chalk, banana candy and the like are common in my notes, and more than once I've picked up hints of the Nonsuch in an Old World red aged in oak. Then there are the oddballs including (but not limited to) finding notes of pleather, or dirty diaper, or armpit (or, conversely, Speed Stick), petting zoo or black forest cake. Always leave enough room in your glass to give your wine a vigorous swirl before shoving your nose in — it helps release the aromatic components in a wine and goes a long way in the enjoyment of what's in your glass. And make sure a wine isn't too warm or cold. Explore the ways a chilled wine's aromas change as it sits out on the counter and warms up. Or give a red wine a sniff and taste at room temperature, then pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (as I almost always do) to see/smell/taste how it changes. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. uncorked@ @bensigurdson OTU Wines 2023 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand — $20.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Pale straw in colour, with grapefruit pith, gooseberry, tart lime and bell pepper aromas. Light-bodied and bone dry, with bell pepper/grassy notes alongside tart grapefruit and modest gooseberry flavours, hints of lime juice, bracing acidity and, at 13 per cent alcohol, a brisk finish. Fresh and lively, but could use a touch more ripeness. 3/5 Penley 2021 Phoenix Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra, Australia — $22.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Inky purple in colour, with fresh violet, eucalyptus, cassis, blackberry and subtle dark chocolate aromas. Dry and full-bodied, brimming with fresh red currant, blackberry and eucalyptus along with secondary cracked pepper and black licorice, modest acidity and tannins and, at 14.5 per cent alcohol, a slightly warm finish. Delicious — drink or hold for two to three years. 4.5/5 Leaning Post 2022 The Fifty Chardonnay (Niagara Peninsula, Ont. — $26.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) Made by former Winnipeggers Nadia and Ilya Senchuk in the Niagara Peninsula, this wine is pale straw in colour and aromatically brings fresh red apple, peach pie, lemon zest and hints of chalk and toasted nuts. It's dry and light-plus-bodied, with a creamy texture from having been aged on lees in concrete tanks for nine months. Brilliant red apple, peach, pear and lemon candy notes, with a hint of spice lingering on the modest finish (it's 12.5 per cent alcohol). Elegant and exceptional. 4.5/5 Ben SigurdsonLiterary editor, drinks writer Ben Sigurdson is the Free Press's literary editor and drinks writer. He graduated with a master of arts degree in English from the University of Manitoba in 2005, the same year he began writing Uncorked, the weekly Free Press drinks column. He joined the Free Press full time in 2013 as a copy editor before being appointed literary editor in 2014. Read more about Ben. In addition to providing opinions and analysis on wine and drinks, Ben oversees a team of freelance book reviewers and produces content for the arts and life section, all of which is reviewed by the Free Press's editing team before being posted online or published in print. It's part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Time Out
04-07-2025
- Time Out
Mother Sippy: Vusi Dalicuba
Welcome to Mother Sippy, where we shine a light on the talented winemakers, brewers, distillers and mixologists that make sure the Mother City never goes thirsty! From new wine releases to taprooms pouring perfect pints, Mother Sippy is your guide to all that's good and great in Cape Town's world of drinks. What do you get when you blend the iconic cultivars of Bordeaux, False Bay breezes and a winemaker with something to prove? Welcome to Vergenoegd Löw, which is enjoying an ongoing revival in the vineyards and cellar. Since its founding in 1696, Vergenoegd has been a quiet presence along the N2 outside of Stellenbosch, an estate for years best known for its historic Cape Dutch homestead and waddling army of Indian Runner ducks. In 2015, German entrepreneur and heritage specialist Prof Dr Dr Peter Löw acquired Vergenoegd and set about transforming the 160-hectare estate. Renamed Vergenoegd Löw, the farm underwent a full restoration of its 18th-century Cape Dutch buildings, now a national monument, and the hospitality offering was transformed with the addition of two restaurants by Bertus Basson, and a choice of luxury accommodation. He also restructured the cellar for low-intervention winemaking, and assembled an expert team to replant the vineyards. With detailed soil analysis, a major replanting project and the arrival of winemaker Vusi Dalicuba, this estate is fast becoming one of the most exciting producers on the coastal fringes of the Stellenbosch Wine Route. 'We have a range of soils on the farm, and we are very flat; only about 12 metres above sea level, which has a big influence on our terroir,' says Dalicuba, who joined the farm in 2021 and now leads winemaking with mentorship from industry heavyweight Abrie Beeslaar. Vergenoegd Löw's MD, Corius Visser, also sees parallels between Vergenoegd Löw and the French wine region of Bordeaux: 'Of course, we are very much closer to the sea, but if you think of the farm's Eerste River estuary that is marked by periodic flooding, there are similarities with the Garonne River. Ours is also a flat, low altitude terrain with very old soils.' With around 52 hectares under vine – 70% red, 30% white – the replanting effort, completed in 2022, was no small feat. Hundreds of soil pits were dug to analyse conditions and match the right cultivar to the right parcel of land. The result is a patchwork of terroir-driven blocks – including limestone-rich soils rare in Stellenbosch – that now support a focused selection of varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. 'When we replanted, we focused on Cabernet and Merlot,' adds Dalicuba. 'These are the oldest varieties planted on the farm. The grapes used to go to KWV, so we wanted to keep with the tradition of what was grown here.' But that doesn't mean the new wines are playing it safe. From skin contact to new fermentations, Dalicuba is experimenting with style, structure and texture. 'We found that a slightly warmer fermentation works for us, with the right skin contact ratio,' he says. 'We want to show the terroir, to capture what's on the farm inside the bottle so we can show what we are.' Climate is key to the Vergenoegd signature. Set just four kilometres from False Bay, the site benefits from cooling ocean breezes that slow down ripening and preserve acidity. 'We've started talking about our 'merroir' rather than terroir as it underscores the sea's influence,' says Visser. 'We see our location as lending freshness, restraint and even salinity to our wines.' 'With the wind we get here, the vineyards are planted in line with the south-easter, not against it, otherwise your bunches are going to fall off,' Dalicuba explains. 'That has a big role in the ripening of the grapes, especially for Merlot. Unlike many other farms, we have Merlot with small berries and nice concentration.' It's this careful attention to the nuances of the estate – the interplay of topography, soil, and wind – that's shaping the style of Vergenoegd's latest releases. 'Our vision is to capture the terroir. Because we are still working with young vines, it's a process of experimentation, and we have to adapt as the vines mature,' Dalicuba adds. 'For now, we aim for a drinkable New World style of wine. We want wines that are enjoyable now and have some ageing potential. So, it must have fruit and structure, but not so big that you can't enjoy a glass today. Nice, soft tannins, round and juicy, but you can also taste the wines that have the potential to age eight or 10 years.' If there's one white to watch, it's the Chardonnay: a bold yet mineral-driven expression shaped by those limestone soils. 'It's more of a Chablis-style of Chardonnay, with quite a bold mouthfeel. We are the only farm in Stellenbosch that has limestone, so we planted Chardonnay on those soils which produces fantastic wines.' As the estate settles into this new phase, it's clear that the wines – and Dalicuba – are just getting started, carving out an exciting new vinous identity for this historic Cape estate. Pair it with a visit: Vergenoegd Löw offers a choice of tastings at the elegant 1773 Homestead Wine Lounge. Choose between classic flights or the uniquely local Indigenous Experience, featuring wine paired with amasi, bokkoms and spekboom.
