i heart Halloween Cocktails!

For our final instalment of our Cocktail Month feature it would be simply foolish of us not to include some Spook-Tacular Halloween Cocktails and this week our drinks are brought to us by…

i heart Wines…

…because you don’t just need ‘spirits’ to create a spooky cocktail… get it?? 

What we heart about i heart Wines is that their approach is simply honest in that they want to bring to you a great tasting wine at a reasonable price. That sounds pretty good to me. What’s more, with such distinct and recognisable branding, you may have seen their products in a fair few supermarkets even extending to vendors around the Globe, impressive. Their range is pretty diverse too and includes select wines from Spain, Italy, Hungary and Argentina. So diverse in fact that i heart Wines also heart gin too with both a traditional gin and a pink gin. Quite simply i heart Wines brings to you all the things that people love from their heart to yours. 

So… if you’re planning on a little Monster Mash, Ghost-busting or Zombie Zoom call we have just the tipples to trick or treat. 

i Heart Pinot Noir Halloween Sangria

Ingredients

·       750ml i heart Pinot Noir

·       1 orange (cut into wedges)

·       1 lemon (cut into wedges)

·       30g sugar

·       500ml ginger ale

·       A handful of gummy worms to garnish

·       Mint to garnish

Method

·       Firstly, pour the red wine into the pitcher

·       Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons into the wine then toss the wedges into the punch

·       Add the sugar and stir thoroughly until dissolved

·       Optional: if you’re that bit extra chill over night for flavours to fully develop

·       Just before serving, add the ginger ale and a handful of gummy worms and mint leaves to garnish

 

i Heart Merlot Halloween Punch

Ingredients

·       750ml i heart Merlot

·       750ml Rum

·       150ml lime juice (fresh)

·       150ml triple sec

·       170g simple syrup

·       2 limes (sliced into thin wheels)

·       2 red oranges (sliced into thin wheels)

·       Handful of raspberries and blackberries

Method

 ·       Firstly, gather all the ingredients together

·       In a large punch bowl or pitcher, combine the i heart Merlot, rum, lime juice, triple sec, simple syrup, lime, oranges, raspberries and blackberries

·       Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for two hours before serving (overnight is better)

·       Serve over ice in punch glasses and enjoy!

For an extra spooky punch, why not decorate the punch bowl with fake spiders or cobwebs? Maybe even some floating eyeballs.

The i heart Wine collection is available from various stockists including but not limited to Amazon, Tesco, Ocado, Nisa and Spar. 

To find out more about the brand please visit;

iheartwines.co.uk

Christmas Gift List For The Wine Connoisseur

These bottles of wine are perfect as presents, or just for serving to guests.

Christmas Gift List For The Wine Connoisseur

Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2013 £12.99

Has ripe red fruits of red plum and cherry notes with a lingering spice.

 

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 £12.99

Aged for 9 months in lightly toasted French oak barrels. Has tastes of dark red fruits, spice and a touch of fresh mint. Has smooth raspberry and cherry flavours.

 

Brancott Estate Terroir Series Sauvignon Blanc 2013 £12.49

This is a special wine. Has tropical fruits complemented by hints of freshly cut herbs. This is elegant, delicious and refined. From majestic.com and tesco.com

 

Brancott Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Gris 2013 £10.49

Goes well with salmon, has a slight sweetness. Has ripe notes of nectarine and pineapple with underlying hints of fennel. Available from tesco.com, ocado.com and asda.com

 

Jacob’s Creek Twin Pickings Pinot Grigio 2013 £7.49

This is the perfect aperitif. Has a wonderful hidden sweetness and a dash of Moscato Bianco. Vibrant and fresh with flavours of pear, crisp apple, honeysuckle and hints of lemon. From tesco.com

 

 

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Wine Review

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, vibrant and high-quality wine. It is right in the middle between light and full. This blended wine of merlot and cabernet sauvignon has flavours of plum, red fruits and dried herbs. It has a delicious finish and soft tannins. Has aromas of black cherry and chocolate. It has a long and smooth finish. This is a wonderful wine that can be drunk at any time.

Villa Maria Private Bin Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon

Drink now or enjoy for up to five years.

Enjoy with grilled and roasted red meats, grilled and roasted white meats, pizza, pasta, mature strong cheese, duck and pasta with lemon sauce.

Available from Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s

 

Have a Spook-tacular Halloween With a Blood Berry Cosmo

 

To celebrate Halloween Barefoot Wine has created a spook-tastic and hauntingly delicious cocktail, the Barefoot Merlot Blood Berry Cosmo.

 

Combining the rich berry flavours of boysenberry and cranberry with the sharp tang of fresh lime juice, this dark take on the traditional cosmo cocktail is guaranteed to bring out the ghoulish in guests and make any fright night celebration a spook-tacular occasion.

 

Barefoot Merlot is the perfect rich red for this devilishly tempting cocktail, blending cherry, plum and chocolate flavours for the ultimate blood-like brew.

 

Follow the recipe below to create your own fang-tastic Halloween cocktail:

 

Barefoot Merlot Blood Berry Cosmococktail recipe , halloween

 

2 measures Barefoot Merlot

1/2 measure raspberry syrup

1Ž2 measure blackberry syrup

1 1Ž2 measure cranberry juice

1Ž2 measure fresh lime juice

 

·       Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.

·       Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or skewered cranberries.