Wine, food, cooking and accessories

Excited by the arrival of Chocolate Wine the shop elves have been busy creating other gifts around this fabulous concept (chocolate and wine together – we still can’t believe our luck).

Our new chef Brian Thompson has created a truly stunning range of handmade cookies including Chocolate Chip and Shortbread which feature alongside the Chocolate Wine for just £19.80

The second gift features our Tiger J Grab bags (Truffles and Honeycomb Crunch) alongside the Chocolate wine for £21.14.

Our final gift features a bag of Chocolate Chip Cookies, Tiger J Truffles and the bottle of Chocolate wine for £22.49.

All gifts are packed into our straw-lined wooden gift boxes with rope handle with message cards.

View the full range of Chocolate Wine Gifts online

A new Thai cookery course has just been launched by Janet Coghlan. This is a 3 hour course run in the evening from 6.30pm to 9.30pm at a coast of just £55.00 per place.

Book online or further details from Janet on 01246 453131

Master of Malt announce the official release of the World’s Oldest Whisky Liqueur, made with whisky aged for a staggering 55 years! This rare, limited edition liqueur was created with single malt drinkers in mind, and rather than masking the core whisky with sweetness, just a little natural sugar and spices were added  to accentuate the rich, sherry flavours and malt notes.

The whisky was sourced from one of Scotland’s most legendary distilleries, and it was aged for 55 years in sherry casks, resulting in a rich palate redolent of calves leather, sultanas and mahogany. It was then bottled non-chill-filtered, and not diluted in any way save for the addition of natural sugar and spices.  Whiskies of this age and rarity command price tags of several thousands of pounds, and it is extraordinary to see one used to make a whisky liqueur!

The 55 year old whisky liqueur, which has a price tag of £999.95 a bottle, is available from Master of Malt here.

Janet Coghlan is running another of her cake decorating courses on Wednesday 29th February 2012.

Spend time with Janet learning the art of sugar paste work, royal icing and marzipan features and a 2 course lunch on this full day cake decorating course.

Further details from Janet on 01246 453131 or online

Master of Malt is proud to finally announce the release of the blended whisky, St Isidore, created entirely by whisky bloggers. To make this blend, the spirits retailer called upon the great and the good of the whisky industry including names such as Whisky Magazine, Edinburgh Whisky Blog, CaskStrength.net and Whisky Cast.

Master of Malt started by sending blending kits to 10 prominent whisky bloggers, and asked them to create the best blended whisky they could using the ingredients provided, whilst maximising its value for money. The bloggers’ recipes were made up and sold in sample sets, and Master of Malt asked the public to vote for which recipe should be made into the brand’s next whisky.

The votes were counted (using the AV system) and a rather smoky, Islay-inspired blend was chosen as the winner, before the bloggers agreed on a name for the blend, calling it St Isidore after the patron saint of the internet. For the final stage, Master of Malt called on graphic designers to submit label designs for the bottle, which summed up St Isidore, the blend, and the whisky blogging community, making them as creative as possible.

The winning designer, who was awarded a £250 spending spree at Master of Malt, was English artist Ben Sowter, who created a psychedelic, larger-than-life depiction of St Isidore enjoying his namesake blend. The label features numerous computer and internet in-jokes, for example a monitor lizard represents a computer’s monitor, and there is a bag of coins, representing a “cache”. In total, there are around 20 different hidden internet-related jokes and Easter Eggs!

You can buy a bottle of St Isidore from Master of Malt.

Tasting Notes for St Isidore

Nose: Sweet creamy aromas that meld well with a cool, oily, almost coastal wood smoke. It instantly transports you to Islay, whilst offering just a hint of plum wine, wood shavings and lapsang souchong tea. Time in the glass brings out notes of guava, warm custard and rhubarb crumble.

Palate: Thick, warming and balanced as it hits the tongue, it offers notes of really good vanilla ice cream, black pepper, and rum spices, whilst retaining a solid backbone of sweet woodsmoke and freshly-sawn timber. Hold it on the tongue for just a touch of salty popcorn and crème caramel.

Finish: Beautifully warming and spiced. It fades away on freshly grated cinnamon and sugared peels. A faint flutter of pear juice on the very tail.

Overall: A perfect smoky blend. This is a very old-school whisky, combining the smoke of Islay, and the rich, honeyed tones of the Highlands. A superb winter fireside dram if ever there was one.

The combination of wine and chocolates has long been established as one of natures intended luxuries for mankind. Relax in a bath or in front of your favourite TV show with a glass of wine in one hand and the other picking out a favourite chocolate truffle on auto-pilot.

So here it is. The ultimate in human achievement – Chocolate Wine. Forget the internal combustion engine, space flight and computer processors – this is the pinnacle of ingenuity. The benchmark for all things perfect “sliced bread” is even on rocky ground.

There’s now no need to wait for a special occasion next time you fancy a bit of sheer indulgence. With its unique fusion of fruity, full-bodied red wine and rich dark chocolate, Chocolate Shop is the last word in palate pampering. The chocolate infused wine offers inviting aromas of black cherry and dark cocoa, complemented by a soft vanilla and creamy mocha finish.

Chocolate wine provides an indulgent wine experience that can be enjoyed with friends, with your favourite dessert, on a special occasion, or simply on your own with a good film or ‘can’t put down’ read.

Buy Chocolate Wine online now and give someone the joy of chocolate

Coonawarra, SA: Hollick Wines’ iconic Cabernet Sauvignon took centre stage last week, being served to US President Barack Obama as he toured Australia.

On November 16th Mr. Obama and Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, were joined by 600 guests in Parliament House’s Great Hall, enjoying a showcase of Australia’s best food and wine.

Founder and Managing Director of Hollick Wines, Ian Hollick, was humbled by the honour.

"We obviously have come to realise our Cabernet Sauvignon is much loved, but we hope an endorsement of this magnitude really elevates the status of the wine in the eyes of the trade and consumers," he said.

"Our understanding is that the wine was matched with lamb on the night – so a perfect combination to impress the visiting President."

This latest endorsement of Hollick’s Cabernet Sauvignon comes just as the brand has enjoyed a number of award wins, including the Intercontinental Adelaide South Australian Wine of the Year Awards, People’s Choice for "The Nectar".

I am writing to thank you for providing an excellent day on the butchery course.

The experience far exceeded my expectations and I am delighted with the skills I learned.  The course was varied and interesting and Simon and Bryan were first class tutors.  Always happy to discuss, explain and answer questions. 

The lunch that Bryan cooked for us was delicious, and the variety of meat I was able to take home was impressive.

This was a present for me, and I am aware there are cheaper courses available, but I am certain they do not represent the value that this course did.  I was delighted and hope to return soon.

I would be delighted to be kept updated of future courses.

Thank you very much for such a wonderful experience.

Regards,

Rick Webb.

Having found, located and tasted some of the best food in the region we have launched the first of our wine and food hampers for Christmas.

Our classic wine hampers offer a mix of 6 bottles in a luxury cream and black hamper. Suitable for enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs alike each themed wine hamper contains 6 bottles of perfectly balance and imminently drinkable wines. From the New World wine hamper at £58.63 to the Classic wine hamper at £70.85 they all have something different to offer the recipient.

Our Christmas wine and food hamper is packed to the gunwales with Champagne, red wine, white wine and food treats to keep everyone happy over the festive period. Packed into our straw-lined cream and black luxury hamper box for just £104.95 this makes a great treat for someone special or as a reward to yourself for being such a cool frood.

Wine Schoppen have just introduced a new range of Christmas themed wine gift boxes ready for the important gifting season.

Available in 1 bottle, 2 bottle and 3 bottle designs the new range of boxes are festive, bright, fun and above all super-strong quality and beautifully finished – they are designed to do their job of presenting and delivering your wines to their best.

A selection of the new 2 bottle Christmas designs are shown beneath with a lot more available to order directly online

View the full range of wine gift boxes for Christmas on our website or visit www.wineschoppen.co.uk to view all our packaging options in card, wood and gift bags in all designs, styles and sizes to suit all your needs.