IN THE DRINK

BY PAUL ANTROBUS In the drink With Paul Antrobus

Cowes Week is back and set to start with a welcoming party for competitors for the fi rst time on 31 July.

SlimLine Wine, an Isle of Wight-based company, has joined the sponsors group as the offi cial party sponsor with its Cuvée 450 brand. This is an interesting supporting sponsorship as previous drinks sponsors have included a single brand with a single product like Talisker whisky, Mount Gay rum and Opihr gin, but Cuvée 450 brings a range of wines and gins to the party.

The wines are all about zero sugar and low carbs, but retain a decent 11 per cent abv and are totally vegan friendly.

Paul Anthony Gidley, CEO of SlimLine, said: “My team and I are delighted to sponsor the Cowes Week parties, and we look forward to offering everyone a good time on us! Gin lovers will be pleased to know we will have four on show, fi zz lovers have Cuvée 450 Sparkling White and Pink to enjoy and, of course, our best-selling Pink Prosecco DOC Rosé too.”

They will also be providing a magnum to each boat in the winning team of the Cuvée 450 Solent Three Boat Team Trophy, an impressive blanket coverage approach to their sponsorship involvement. The artisan wine So that takes care of the parties, but what of the wines themselves?

The fi rst thing to remember is the ‘zero’ claim on all their wines is about the zero sugar and carb content and not the alcohol per cent abv, which comes in, as said, at a modest 11 or 10 per cent. Just enough to preserve the taste. And the geographical source, Piedmont Italy, is critical to the style too.

The company says: “SlimLine Wine is a true artisan wine made from our own very special ‘Chateau Zero’ World Heritage Site vineyards in Piedmont. Our wines were planted by us, they are cared for by us and are always picked by our own hands. Every bottle can be traced back literally to its roots. We set out to create a great tasting, zero sugar wine, and we have created one that not only delivers but has been awarded for its taste against thousands of other wines.”

As a self-declared ‘artisan’ wine, the best way to source will likely be online. I found links to online traders such as Drinks Well or Amazon. Expect prices to be around £14 per 75cl bottle, although Tesco has the Pink Sparkling for £12 and White Sparkling for £10. New Aldi gin mixes After winning another fi ve silver medals at the Spirits Business Gin Masters, Aldi has added three new gin fl avours to its botanical Haysmith’s range.

The supermarket’s Seville Orange & Persian Lime, Mango & Passionfruit and Peach & Orange Haysmith’s gins all picked up silver medals at the awards, and Aldi is treating customers to three new fl avours to celebrate. With many people choosing to drink at home this summer, these new £14.99 70cl gins could not have come at a better time.

First up is the classic London Dry. Offering an ‘elegantly smooth and complex’ taste, this gin is made up of bright citrus and juniper fl avours. Next is the Raspberry & Redcurrant Pink, a delicate sweet, fruity taste and a lasting citrus, raspberry and redcurrant fl avour. Last up in the new range is the Rhubarb & Ginger Gin. It has an initial sweetness with a tart crisp edge, while ginger extract warms the palate for a fullbodied fi nish. We had this one at home to try,. Served with ginger ale rather than tonic, it was voted a refreshing hit.

Haysmith’s gins are 40 or 37.5 per cent abv, £14.99 for a 70 cl bottle, and available in stores and online at aldi.co.uk.

Editor Jane Hyde 079 402 403 90 editor@allatsea.co.uk

Art Editor Mark Hyde design@allatsea.co.uk

Contributors David Henshall Simon Everett Paul Antrobus

John Baggaley - 07740 118 928 john@allatsea.co.uk

Publisher Sue Baggaley - 07949 203 424 sue@allatsea.co.uk

Ellie Baker Gray ellie@allatsea.co.uk 01442 820580

accounts@allatsea.co.uk

john@allatsea.co.uk

01954 583617

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