RAISE A GLASS

I’m chilly, even wearing two cardigans. And the dog is getting loads of cuddles because she’s furry and warmer than me.

Yes I’m cold. How long can I delay putting on the heating?

It hasn’t helped that two days ago I returned from the south of France (more on that another time) where I enjoyed sunshine and T-shirt weather.

The warming supper I really, really craved on my first night back in cold Blighty was a cottage pie. Oh my it was good! And much better with a sip or two of red wine.

We opened a brace of reds from Asda; and it wasn’t until later in the evening that I realised we’d been sipping wines which shared a heritage.

Asda Extra Special Primitivo (£7) and Asda Extra Special Zinfandel (£7) are at a perfect price point now we’re watching our pennies even more than we ever did. The good news is that both of these sippers are ripe and moreish and drinkable. The primitivo hails from Puglia, the main Italian region for this grape. It is aged in oak, which brings a touch of vanilla and spicy crunch to soft blackberry and bilberry flavours.

And the Zinfandel is crafted from grapes grown in Lodi, California. Old gnarled vines donate their concentrated grapes which in turn donate their ripe black fruit flavours to our glasses. With a touch of spicy toast, from oak.

And the heritage? Well, primitivo and zinfandel are the same grape variety.

Also in my glass …

A quick cocktail go-to in my fridge has been some canned drinks from Mix Up (£1.25 for 250ml, at the Co-op).

They’re a collection of gin and vodka-based drinks and include Mix Up G&T Diet, Mix Up Pink Gin & Tonic, Mix Up Vodka, Lime & Lemonade and Mix Up G&T.

Those final two have recently won gold awards in the International Wine & Spirit Competition readyto-drink (RTD) category.

One of the judges said, “People are really putting a lot of thought and effort into RTD’S, thinking about how to give consumers a high-quality cocktail in a way that they can have at home or on the move”.

I’ve certainly been on the move a lot recently! The Mix Up G&T was a welcome pick-me-up as I slammed home with my suitcase after a long journey from France.

I sat down and said “phew”.

Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.