Rose's Shop Watch-December '14: Clare Valley Riesling Wine and Smoked Salmon

Clare Valley Riesling Wine and Specially Selected Applewood and Oak Smoked Salmon

Aldi

Why?
Two of your Christmas essentials sorted.

I like to buy my Christmas wine early, so there is one less thing to do. With wine, I want something a bit special that will go with the Christmas meal and any entertaining I do. The easy option is a Chablis for my white wine choice, but it is a bit predictable, so I am recommending this Australian Riesling wine from the Clare Valley, which is THE region for Riesling in Australia.

I am lucky enough to have visited Clare Valley for a magazine article some ten years ago, which began “If you want to be at the cutting edge of wine, serve a screw top bottle of Australian Riesling at your next dinner party”. At the time, this was a rather startling statement on two counts: screw top was virtually unavailable and associated with wines that were cheap and nasty; whilst Riesling was widely perceived as sweet and floral. However the Clare Valley wine was a revelation : dry, subtle, elegant, delicious. Aldi are stocking it and, even better, it comes at a modest £6.99.

It is also worth a return trip to Aldi after the 19th to buy your smoked salmon, especially if you are having lots of friends round. Their Specially Selected Scottish Smoked Salmon has been cured with salt and Demerara sugar and then smoked over applewood and oak. It is beautifully cut to be paper thin and I found it needed neither lemon or black pepper to enhance its flavour. A snip at £2.49.

Conclusion:
A double whammy from Aldi.

Product Details
The Exquisite Collection: Clare Valley Riesling 2014 75cl 12%abv
Price £6.99 (nationwide, excluding Scotland)

Specially Selected Applewood and Oak Smoked Salmon
Price: £2.49, 100g pack
(available nationwide from 19th December until stock lasts)

Contact:
Aldi Customer Service
Tel: 0800 042 0800
Email: customer.service@aldi.co.uk

Check stock is available at your local store to save a wasted journey.

Products available at the time the article was written (December 2014).

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