The best gins and wines for Autumn
As the crisp cosiness of Autumn sets in after Summer, the darker evenings have us reaching for warming gin cocktails and comforting wines.
To celebrate the wonderful fruits of the season, our testers have tried out some of the finest craft gins and welcoming wines to encapsulate the best of the season.
Here’s a roundup of our faves.
Wolf Blass House Of Dragon Wine, £14
BO’s House of the Dragon is the hotly anticipated prequel to one of the most-watched TV series in history – Game of Thrones. To gear up for this exciting launch of Treasury Wine Estates’ award-winning premium wine brand, Wolf Blass, and Warner Bros. Consumer Products have partnered to launch a limited-edition wine which will be available in August, timed to the launch of House of the Dragon.
The Wolf Blass Fire & Blood Cabernet Shiraz is a deliciously fiery, classic Australian red blend to be enjoyed through every exciting moment of the new series. Launching in three distinct, fire breathing, limited-edition labels, the Wolf Blass Fire & Blood Cabernet Shiraz features the franchise’s most feared protagonists – The Dragons.
A cabernet sauvignon and shiraz blend, with aromas of dark fruits, blackberry and ripe plums, this well-balanced wine is voluptuous but fruity.
Brockman’s Intensely Smooth Premium Gin, £34
As well as loving the decidedly dark and vampy packaging of this premium spirit, this ‘Properly Improper Gin’ is unlike any you’ve tasted before.
Crafted with delicious wild blackberries and blueberries and notes refreshing citrus and coriander, this gin is perfect served as a G&T and sumptuously smooth on the tongue.
A well-balanced tipple from start to finish.
Blue Aurora Blueberry Wine, £11.95
For those looking to try something a bit different this Autumn, Blue Aurora is a lip-smackingly sweet wine made from blueberries.
Deliciously fruit and bursting with flavour that lingers, this medium dry, medium-bodied wine has a strong destinctive flavour.
The perfect pairing for cheese, this is designed to impress guests.
Amarula African Gin, £28
Our favourite of the lot, this African gin is the only one in the world to be made from marula fruit spirit, giving it a distinctive and exotic taste.
Ever so slightly tropical and tangy, this offers a sweet orange flourish with a spicy backbone which is perfectly complimented with gentle juniper notes
With every litre of Amarula African Gin sold, £1 goes to the Amarula Trust – supporting elephant conservation and local communities which harvest this special fruit once a year.
Sold exclusively on Amazon, you’ll want to keep this addictive tipple on your radar.
Cascina San Vincenzo Ripasso 2019, £24
Championed by award-winning, premium Amarone producer, Pasqua, this delectable organic wine boasts rich and generous flavours with herbaceous notes.
On the palate, there’s hints of red berry fruits and strawberries. The light toasting of the wood gives the wine softness, floral and vanilla notes which make for easy drinking.
It’s ideal for accompanying Italian savoury dishes or briased beef and grilled meats.
Bullards Eco Bottle and pouch, prices start £35
Sustainably packaged in bespoke Bottles for Life, this earth-friendly gin can be refilled with Bullard’s Eco Pouches.
Choose from a variety of flavours including London Dry, Strawberry and Pepper, Pinapple, Ginger and Lime, and many more.
Created in collaboration with Teracycle, which are turned into new products, this crafy initiative ensures no part of the Bullards product results in waste.
