Thursday Club with Talk Radio: Celebrity wines part 2!

Everyone from pop stars to presenters, cricketers to chefs are having a go at making wine these days and they just keep coming! It’s fair to say that they don’t physically make it exactly, but in most cases, the big names will have been involved at some stages of the process, from choosing which grape type and country, to the final style of the wine as well as the look and feel of the bottle. You can also tell when they really know their stuff... and when they don’t! 

Here are four new releases to try: 

Gary Barlow Organic White

Gary is a self-confessed wine-lover, so I was a little surprised to see his first white. It’s a perfectly nice drop, well-made and inoffensive. It just feels a bit like ‘I Found Heaven’ when what you were expecting was ‘Back For Good’ or ‘A Million Love Songs’. A blend of local white grapes from Castilla in Spain, have this as your aperitif. It’s crisp, refreshing and well-priced.

Find it for £8 at winedelivered.com

Gordon Ramsay Vibrante Bianco

Made in partnership with renowned winemaker Alberto Antonini, Gordo’s wines are, unusually,  a blend of grapes from Tuscany and Abruzzo. I must say, he’s smashed it with this white. Easy going and food friendly, it has a bit of everything, from exotic fruit to zesty citrus and pretty aromatics. Lots of personality, great balance and, somewhat surprisingly given the man himself, not shouty. 

Find it for £10 at winedelivered.co.uk

Banks Brothers Syrah Mourvedre 

Another chef takes to wine and he’s done an incredible job. Chef Tommy Banks, owner of Michelin-starred gastro pub The Black Swan at Oldstead has teamed up with his brother who is also a chef to launch a limited edition range of premium wine in cans. While many cans can give off a sulphurous smell when opened, these don’t at all. This South African red is meaty and powerful and with a lovely nose. More pricey than most cans but still half the price it would be in a pub. The Chardonnay is to die for too, but I drank all that so I couldn't show it!

Find it for £7 per 250ml can from banksbrothers.co.uk 

Splash Out - Ian Botham 78 Series Pinot Noir

This gorgeously cosy, central Otago Pinot is brought to us by cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham.  Silky, spicy and packed with morello cherry notes, plum and earth, it’s a great wine for food (think lamb or duck). A little on the high alcohol side, it will at least warm your cockles in the cold - and and it’s a winning choice to bring to a dinner do.

Find it for £15 at winedelivered.co.uk

The Best Proseccos for £15 and Under

Special occasion coming up? Why not go Italian with your fizz and pop a bottle of prosecco! It’s super trendy, delicious as ever, and it won’t have you parting ways with family heirlooms to get your hands on it! To aid you on your prosecco journey, we’ve gathered our favourite bottles under £15 that guarantee you a great night.

In case you’ve fallen victim to the years of bashing prosecco has received, a) we’re really sorry you had to go through that, and b) fear no more. This guide will make you a prosecco enthusiast before you can say, ‘Mamma Mia’!

Best Pink Prosecco: Montresor Prosecco Spumante Rosé Millesimato - Extra Dry

Rosé? Brilliant. Fizz? Also brilliant. Rosé prosecco? Best of both worlds. With its delicious strawberry flavours and citrus tones, Montresor slips down very easily - blink and the whole bottle is gone! It looks beautiful in the glass and feels beautiful in the mouth: if you’re looking for something pretty that gets you bang for your buck, you can’t go wrong with this bottle!

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £9.99 (on offer from £10.89)

Best Organic Prosecco: Pianeta Organico Organic Prosecco D.O.C. Treviso- Extra Dry

With notes of green apple, pear and citrus -  this bottle is perfectly balanced and excellent value for money. The grapes used are organic and it’s produced without chemicals, a process that’s supposed to steer you away from those awful bubbly hangovers (yay!). A big winner amongst prosecco fans (and prosecco haters) - Aldi has done it again!

ABV: 11.5%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £7.49 (on offer from £7.99)

Best Celebrity Prosecco: Kylie Minogue Prosecco Rosé

I’m sure you’re wondering why this isn’t under best bottle design, and trust me it was a really  strong contender. Tiny hearts on a prosecco bottle? Now that’s dedication to style…

With the release of yet another wine, it seems there’s nothing Kylie Minogue hasn’t decided to create (rosé, cava, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, prosecco…). Her massively successful collection has led to this crisp prosecco rosé chock full of strawberry and raspberry flavours. Who knows what Ms Minogue will make next? Perhaps a champagne...?

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £12.00

Best Brut Prosecco: Mionetto Prosecco

If a sparkling wine is labelled as ‘Brut’ rather than ‘Extra Dry’ or ‘Dry’, it means it’s a much drier wine containing less residual sugar. This is great for those who like some bubbly but aren’t really into sweet wines. Mionetto is a classic pick, with light notes of peach, pear and citrus that go down well on any occasion. The lingering fizziness and dry finish makes Mionetto a tasty and great value choice for a mimosa.

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £8.00

Best Bottle Design: Freixenet Prosecco

Another popular pick, Freixenet’s iconic bottle is one you’ve definitely pointed out on the shelves. The cut glass finish makes this prosecco stand out from the rest, but it’s what is inside the bottle that really counts. The green apple, citrus and honey flavours jump out on the palette and the elegant lightness makes it extremely drinkable. Despite being the largest producers of Cava, it seems Freixenet’s standout bottle design and zingy flavour have made this prosecco their funkiest product yet.

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £10.00

Best Extra Dry Prosecco: Giusti Rosalia Prosecco Treviso Extra Dry

One of our favourites on the list, this Extra Dry has a beautiful light golden colour and offers a perfectly balanced level of sweetness and acidity. Giusti carries the usual orchard and citrus notes of a prosecco, albeit with a hint of honey on the finish. Wonderfully pleasant to sip and a great affordable fizz, when it comes to Extra Dry - Giusti is there for you.

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £15.00

Best Frizzante Prosecco: Giol Prosecco Treviso Frizzante Organic

A Frizzante prosecco has a gentler fizz to its counterparts, more of a semi-sparkling wine. The fizz is so little that most Frizzantes are stopped only by a regular cork and a piece of string, rather than a full crown cap. The subtle bubbles make for an interesting change from the usual carbonation of a prosecco, and Giol’s citrus and pear flavours give it a wonderful fresh taste. Another organic wine (yay for our non-existent, eco-friendly hangovers), Giol Frizzante is a great value entry into semi-sparkling wines.

ABV: 11%
Size: 750 ml
Find it here: £12.00

If you would like to read more about prosecco then check out our Guide to Prosecco and our Top Pink Proseccos for Under £10!

Sip Like a Celeb: 13 Celebrity Wines Available Right Now

Words by Helena Nicklin

Perfume lines and clothes ranges amongst A-listers are so 2018. It’s all about launching a wine brand nowadays; preferably something that says ‘down to earth sophistication’ that you don’t need a new mortgage to buy. While Cameron Diaz’s ‘clean wine’ and Snoop Dog’s ‘Cali Red’ make their way across the pond, here are some of the best celeb sippers you can buy right now.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Invivo X Sarah Jessica Parker, Sauvignon Blanc, £12 Sainbury’s (UK), $ 18.99 wine.com (US)

Classic, Kiwi Savvy B, this is ‘girls’ night in’ kind of wine with punchy, tropical fruit aromas, but smooth on the palate and not too tart. You can drink this alone or it will sing with salty snacks and goats cheese. 

Invivo X, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosé, $19.99 from wine.com. Coming soon to the UK!

From the sun drenched coast of Saint Tropez, SJP’s pretty pink is a blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah and is an elegantly perfumed, softer style of pink with lots of ripe strawberry and red fruit flavours. Great alone, but it would work very nicely with fruit salad.

Graham Norton

Graham Norton's Own Sauvignon Blanc, £8 Tesco

Also made by Invivo, the same producer as SJP’s wine, Graham’s Sauvignon has less upfront fruitiness and more savoury, smoky, saline notes while still rocking that classic, grassiness the grape is famous for. A good picnic wine this and a great crowd pleaser. 

Graham Norton’s Own Prosecco, £11 at Sainsbury’s 

The first celebrity Prosecco, Graham has gone for a classic ‘Extra Dry’ style which, ironically, means it has a decent dollop of sweeter fruit rather than actually being dry. Go figure. In any case, these are brilliantly balanced bubbles with indulgent notes of ripe pear and baked almonds. Fantastic party fizz.

Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue Rosé, currently £7 down from £9 at Tesco until Aug 10th.

Pale, pretty and perfectly packaged, this easy-drinking pink is from Southern France, but not the usual Provence. Made from a beefier blend of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, it’s grippy enough for cold cuts, but light enough to enjoy alone. Think crunchy, red fruit flavours and a summer berry scent. Cracking value, Kylie! 

Phillip Schofield

Philip Schofield Benvenuto IGT Falanghina, £24.99 (2.25 litres. Equiv £8.33 per 75cl) from Waitrose

Philip went to Italy for his pair of premium, bag in box wines and has produced two delightfully different drops from native Italian grapes. This eco-friendly white, made with fabulous Falanghina from the South of the country, is easy to love: citrusy and crisp with stone fruit and pear notes, it’s an easy going, summer sipper that’s perfect for parties. 

Phillip Schofield organic Nero di Troia IGT Puglia, £24.99 (2.25 litres. Equiv £8.33 per 75cl) from Waitrose

Earthy, smoky and rustic, like grandma’s homemade jam, this is a great little holiday, red wine, made with grapes native to Southern Italy. Serve it slightly chilled with some grilled meats or cold cuts to get the best out of it. 

Bon Jovi

Hampton Water, South of France Rosé 2019, £19.51 from Winebuyers.com

Made in Southern France’s Languedoc with the help of superstar winemaker Gérard Betrand, Bon Jovi’s super cool pink was voted the ‘best rosé in the world’ by a top wine magazine when it first arrived. A brilliant balance of fresh peach, strawberry and citrus with a cool slick of saline, this bottle is well worth the price tag. The only question is, why did he not call it ‘Le vin on a prayer?!’ Lolz.

Sir Ian Botham OBE

Botham & Balfour, English rosé 2018, £12 from Tesco

Is this the first celebrity wine made in England? Produced by renowned winery Hush Heath in Kent, this collaboration with one of England’s greatest cricketers, Sir Ian Botham OBE, is delicate and aromatic with crunchy red fruit flavours, an apple skin tang and a quintessentially English leafy note. 

Botham 80 Series Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, £7 down from £11 at Tesco

Sir Ian Botham is a huge fan of the grape and named his ‘80 Series’ wines in homage to his greatest year in cricket: 1980. This classic Coonawarra Cabernet packs a punch with juicy blackcurrant notes and a mouth filling, minty finish. Smooth enough to drink alone but ideal with beef at your barbecue. 

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt

Miraval Rosé,  £19.99 (£14.99 mix six price) from Majestic (UK) or $21.99 from wine.com (US)

Angelina and Brad loved this winery so much, they bought it. As beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside (and we are still talking about the wine here), this cool and elegant rosé set the benchmark for celebrity wines. It’s a beautifully balanced blend that manages to capture that seductive Provençal salinity so well. 

Studio by Miraval, £9 at Tesco

The baby sister of Miraval above, Studio does a smashing job of offering similar glamour and quality at a much more attainable price. Named as a nod to the recording studio still on site where Pink Floyd recorded their iconic albums, this dreamy drop is smooth and dry with subtle notes of peach and melon. For the money, it’s magic.

Sting & Trudie Styler

When We Dance Chianti, il Palagio, 2018. £12.99 from www.vintageroots.co.uk

A classic Chianti that’s light to medium-bodied with tangy, sour cherry notes and a characteristic whiff of sage and dried herbs. Made with organically grown grapes in the heart of Tuscany at Sting and Trudie’s very own Il Palagio estate, this vino is romantically rustic. A great wine for a picnic and perfect with cheese and salami on focaccia.

Have you tried any celeb wines recently? Let us know over Instagram @TheThreeDrinkers. If you liked this, try hilariously unfortunate drinks names and 6 cracking canned drinks for summer.