5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE
It’s the Oscars this weekend, so why not pop the cork on something trophy-worthy, says Sam Wylie-harris
Blossom Hill Pale Rose, spain (£6, Tesco)
Californian wine brand Blossom Hill romped home with Product of the Year Award 2019 in the wine category (voted for by the British public) for their Spanish dry rose - showing how our rose romance is far from fickle and we love to sink this holiday pink whatever the season.
“As the uk’s number one rose brand, we decided to create a new style of wine for Blossom Hill, tapping into the popularity of less sweet styles of rose wines. With the awards being voted for by consumers, it’s all the more meaningful to see how many people have been enjoying the refreshing taste of our fantastic pale rose,” says a spokesperson for the winery.
martini Prosecco, italy (£10, asda)
Who doesn’t love a prosecco party? To mirror this sparkling occasion, you may as well go for gold and pick this star serve, which the judges took a shine to at the International Wine and Spirits Competition 2018 where it won gold. It also scooped a silver at the San Francisco International Wine Competition 2018. Floral, fruity and fresh enough to complement a long acceptance speech.
Waitrose Gruner Veltliner 2017 niederosterreich, austria (£7.99, Waitrose)
It may be a dark horse on the grapevine, but gruner veltliner is Austria’s most important wine and this big-name gruner veltliner tastes the part. An A-lister from the Weingut Huber estate, award-winning Markus Huber won a Decanter World Wine Awards 2018 gold for this mouthwatering white, with a beam of bright citrus and greengage fruit, hints of white pepper and a fragrant finish.
champagne delacourt Vintage BRUT 2004, France (£35, marks & spencer)
Excitingly, according to a study by the International Wine Challenge (IWC), bottles of wine labelled with one of their foil stickers can sell seven times more than an identical bottle of wine with no sticker.
Made for M&S by one of the world’s top winemakers - Elisabeth Sarcelet, winner of Champagne Cellar Master of the Year 2017, and Reims-based champagne house, Castelnau - you can always lie it down if your film doesn’t sweep the board. An outstanding champagne for the price, the gold presentation box adds extra pizzazz, and vintage bubbles have the capacity to age further for a number of years.