February 2022 Newsletter

My Vegan Valentine...

What better gift to bestow on the one you love this St. Valentine's Day, than one of our utterly wonderful bottles of pink, vegan bubbles!

Choose from either the Champagne Drappier Rose Brut: "A beautifully balanced style of rosé: elegant yet full of character. Pretty red berry aromas lead to a delicate palate of summer fruit and herbs, finishing crisply dry and refreshing." A truly luxurious champagne to have chilled and ready to enjoy at 7 degrees, for only £39.50.

Or the ever-popular Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Rose 2019: "The aromas of rose petals and red berries dominate the nose and reveal its red grape origins. The mousse is fine and enthusiastic and brings out the floral and yeasty aromas in the mouth. A mouthfilling roundness on the palate shows ample fresh fruit intensity and body which is perfectly balanced by a subtle acid structure that leads to a crisp and refreshing dry finish. A wine to celebrate your most romantic moments."  This is exceptionally good value at £15.50 - a bottle of vegan fizz that punches far, far about its weight.  

Join us for a different night out...

If you live in the Edinburgh vicinity we do hope you can join us for one of our popular wine tastings. You will learn about and get to enjoy 6 bottles throughout the evening, accompanied by some vegan snacks of course!

It's great fun, and a different way to spend an evening.  

Book early to avoid disappointment as these events always sell out in advance.  The event runs from 7pm to 10pm, and takes place at 9 Maritime Street, EH6 6SE.  The next event is 4 February, with further events on 4 March and 2 April.  £12 per person.  E-mail susan@vegantipples.co.uk to secure your place. 
 
International Furmint Day - 1 February 

It's International Furmint Day on 1 February, a perfect opportunity to enjoy our Mád Dry Furmint, St Tamás, 2017.  

István Szepsy of St Tamás is intent on putting Dry Furmint on the world map and in its collective glass. Based in the village of Mád, in the heart of the Tokaji region, he works with vineyards shaped by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. World famous for the exquisite sweet wine that is produced here, István knows that this volcanic terroir is his key to proving that his dry wines are just as good. He creates wines with unique flavours somewhere between Loire Chenin and Chablis in style, that are refreshing with an underlying minerality that feels like it comes directly up from those ancient volcanic soils.

This gorgeous wine is perfect with vegan roasts and vegan rice dishes:

"Want to be a bit different? Somewhere between Loire Chenin and Chablis in style, this refreshing white wine expressing both the varietal character of the Furmint variety and the typical minerality of the vineyards of Mád village. Well structured and well balanced, wonderfully elegant blend of apricot and peaches with a warming, ginger spice. Just off dry in style with great structure and minerality. Great!"

£14.99 a bottle. 
 
Pickering's Gin
Pickering's Original 1947

Pickering's make Pickering’s Gin in the distillery they built themselves, from scratch, in the heart of Edinburgh.

When they opened Summerhall Distillery, it was the first exclusive gin distillery to be established in Edinburgh for over 150 years.

Pickering's Original 1947, as the name suggests, is made precisely to Pickering's original recipe, as it was written down in Mount Mary, Bombay, in 1947. Here the botanical mix includes cinnamon, which adds a decidedly warming and spicy kick to the spirit.

We recommend you service with ice, tonic and a wedge of orange. For a more warming drink, substitute tonic water for ginger ale.

"Spicier, sweeter and more intense, it’s a decadent trip back to the last days of the Raj. Cardamom, coriander, clove and cinnamon spice lead to a crisp, refreshing and long finish."

£31.99 a bottle. 

Pickering's Gin with Scottish Botanicals

This tartan-clad Pickering's Gin with Scottish Botanicals is distilled with four indigenous Scottish botanicals- heather, milk thistle, bog myrtle and Scots Pine which lend sweet, earthy and floral notes to their Bombay recipe, for a smooth and stirring spirit.

This complex gin has been wowing crowds and collecting medals since it was released back in 2017 as the Official Gin of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

"Delicately floral with a definite punch of lemony citrus. Dominant pine notes flood the nose with earthy heather follow on and underpin the energised juniper. Emerging sweetness shines through to reveal a delicately smooth finish."

£31.95 a bottle. 

National Drink Wine Day -18 February

We think this is one of the best Awareness Days in the calendar, for obvious reasons!  

So in honour of basically drinking wine on this particular day, we thought we would remind you about some of the fantastic wines which are organic as well as vegan, that we have available for you. 

Blanco, Campo Flores, Vinos Más Buscados, 2020 is an absolute bargain at £7.99.  Despite the cheaper price tag there is no reduction in quality of this wonderful, organic wine. "A bright straw yellow wine. Vibrant fresh but intense pear, peach flavours with citrus fruit and a hint of grapefruit. Quite floral and aromatic."


Gatito Loco, Blanco Organic, Rioja, Spain, 2020 is a little bit pricier at £10.99 but you won't be disappointed with this crazy kitten of a bottle!  "A bright fruit-bursting wine that emphasises vineyard over bodega, which discards the hackneyed image of Rioja, everything about this wine is intentionally provocative to challenge your view on what Rioja is. Careful. This kitty has claws. Clean and crisp, intense yet fresh, the stone fruit, peachy notes are supported by tropical passion fruit and mango with citrus undertones. A long complex finish."


Organic Beaujolais, Domaine de la Couvette, 2020 is worth every penny of the £14.99 a bottle.  This winery put working with respect for the environment at the heart of their operation.  "Garnet-coloured with purple highlights. This organic wine contains a large range of fruit aromas dominated by ripe red berries. Some spicy and earthy notes as well. Fruity and well-balanced with a smooth minerality and excellent structure making this very easy to drink."
 

Wine of the Month...
Every Friday at 5pm, we reveal the wine awarded the highly coveted title of 'Vegan Tipples Wine of the Week'! (Check out our social media - see below - to keep up to date with the weekly selections!)  
 

Here we select the very best of the best as our Vegan Tipples Wine of the Month! 

This month we present to you Rioja Royal Tinto 2020.  The birth of Bodegas Franco-Españolas is due, indirectly, to one of the unhappiest incidents in the wine history of France. A phylloxera plague in the second half of the 19th century almost completely ruined the French vineyards. Because of this, the Bordeaux wine makers decided to leave the country. Frederick Saurat Anglade Bordeaux came to Spain in search of the best soil and climate, where he could continue to grow and age wines.

Bodegas Franco-Espanolas winery was founded in 1890 as a merger between Frederick Saurat Anglade Bordeaux and Spanish partners. After 125 years it is now one of the largest wineries in Rioja and has an exceptional location on the banks of the Ebro River. Bodegas Franco-Espanolas has been in the capable hands of the Eguizábal Family since 1983.

Today, Franco-Espanolas perfectly combines a respect for tradition with technological innovation to create award winning wines.

This wonderful Rioja goes well with vegan roasts, stews and aubergine dishes:  "Matured in American oak casks for 6 months. It is elegant on the nose with Tempranillo fruity flavours and very soft wood and spicy tones."

£10.35 a bottle. 

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A vegan taste of Spain...

If you feel like dreaming of days full of sunshine and warmth, let us help take you there with some of our favourite Spanish offerings...

Castillo De Monseran, Barrel Aged Garnacha 2018
This pairs beautifully with spicy vegan foods and Tapas: "An easy drinking, fruit-driven wine. Herbal aromas on the nose. Bursting with ripe berry and plum fruit typical of the Garnacha grape. Soft and round on the palate with gentle, well-integrated tannins making it suitable to be enjoyed while young. Lingering red fruit flavours on the finish."  Just £8.95 a bottle. 

I Think Manzanilla En Rama, Equipo Navazos Sherry , Equipo Navazos, 2021
Or perhaps a tipple of sherry is more to your liking?  If so, this won't disappoint!  Another obvious choice to pair with Tapas: "A fine Manzanilla that's powerfully aromatic. Fresh, with a salty tang, with plenty of acidity together with a very satisfying lemon twist to the finish. A natural Product with plenty of colour, weight and concentration."  £11.99 a bottle.