Party Time - Drinks Party .....................................................................................................................................................................................................
A drinks party will usually include some food - often canapés or finger foods. Something with fizz is always popular at such events but bear in mind that some people will prefer red or white as well.

Merlot, 2005 - Cornellana Estate, Viña La Rosa, Rapel Valley, Chile - £5.76 per bottle This is a wonderfully smooth red wine which can easily be drunk without food. A brilliant Merlot from an area that is producing some of the best Chilean wines.A deep red wine with classic Merlot characteristics; soft with concentrated ripe fruit in particular cherries plums and blackberries. Viña la Rosa was founded in Chile at the end of the 18th century by the Ossa family, who left Spain in search of new horizons. Don Gregorio Ossa travelled throuhout the country, looking for the most abundant land, and bought the Hacienda La Rosa, situated on the banks of the Cachapoal River..In 1824 Viña y Bodega La Rosa was founded, with vinestocks brought from France. In 1930, Don Recaredo Ossa Undurraga took over the administration of the haciendas, and is still in charge today. The Cornellana vineyard is situated in the valley of the same name, and enjoys exceptional exposure to the sun, which, together with its hill slopes and valley plains, means an optimal ripening of very healthy fruit, which reaches the cellars within an hour of harvesting, thus preserving all their freshness and aroma. LAMB/BEEF/DUCK/PASTA ..................................................................................................................................................................

Sparkling Pinot/Chardonnay Brut, NV - Brown Brothers, Milawa, Victoria, Australia - £10.28 per bottle On the palate this wine has a wonderful creamy mouth-feel and complexity, along with subtle lemon flavours, balanced by a crisp, fresh finish. The blend of the different wines used to make sparkling wine is called the cuvée. Premium cuvée for sparkling wine is made from various combinations of the grape varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. When grown in areas that experience cool ripening conditions like the King Valley and the high country Whitlands vineyard, the varieties produce sparkling wines of finesse, elegance and delicacy of flavour. The ultimate factor that determines overall quality in the production of traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wines is the grape varieties represented in the various parcels of wine for blending. Chardonnay from cool regions provides finesse, lightness and elegance and on tasting is detectable initially due to its aromatic lift and relatively high fruit intensity. On the other hand, Pinot Noir, the backbone to many sparkling wines, provides fullness, weight and length to the palate while Pinot Meunier adds fruitiness and roundness. APERITIF/SHELLFISH/THAI FOOD ..................................................................................................................................................................