Established in 1792, Bodegas Hidalgo is one of the oldest Sherry producers in the world. It is quite rightly regarded as the definitive Manzanilla house, using only grapes from their own vineyards.
images Douro Valley (c) Gilly Pickup Made in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Manzanilla is a light, delicate, dry sherry which makes a fabulous aperitif. It can also be matched to almost any dish and is ideal to accompany tapas, mild cheeses and nuts. I love it with fish and chips! It isn't expensive either. And the name? The picture on the label shows a ‘gitana' or gypsy woman who, so the story goes, worked in a bar. Her looks captivated Eduardo Hidalgo, an ancestor of the present owner. Now to the Tasting Notes: Very dry, refreshing, with apple, straw and nutty flavours. Light herbal notes underscored by a salty tang from the sea breeeze. Subtle, balanced. In fact, the perfect introduction to sherry. The Manzanillas, premium and aged Sherries produced by the Bodega, are seen as benchmarks of quality worldwide. Using the best Palomino Fino grapes grown in bright albariza soils, gradual biological ageing via the solera process produces the saline, fresh Manzanillas of Sanlucar. Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla RSP: £11.19 (75cl), £8.00 (50cl) Stockists : Waitrose (75cl) Sainsburys, Majestic & Tesco (50cl)
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The clean waters around Wick in Scotland's far north provide perfect conditions for nutrient-dense seaweed to thrive. Seaweed is a source of prebiotic fibre, protein, magnesium, antioxidants and iodine, an often forgotten mineral which is essential for both minds and bodies. A superfood, in fact. Makes sense then to turn the local seaweed into delicious snacks and food. Win win situation - good for you and good for the planet. SHORE is the Scottish seaweed company who produce delicious snacks and food. They kindly sent me samples of their Seaweed Chips in Lightly Salted, Asian Peking and Sweet Sriracha flavours as well as a jar of Black Kale and Seaweed Pesto. Besides the taste, I love the fact that they are healthy - it's all down to that that seaweed again, packed with more minerals than almost any vegetable on earth, as well as macro and micro nutrients, antioxidants, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals - all of which mean your diet is boosted whenever you eat it. SHORE tell me that because the abundant complex carbs in seaweed are slow to digest, you feel full for longer and of course, that helps cut your calorie intake. All natural flavourings complement a umami seaweed base, making these seaweed crisps deliciously crunchy and exceptionally more-ish. SHORE's dedicated harvesteers live in some of Scotland's most remote communities. They are out in all weathers hand harvesting the best seaweed the shores have to offer. You can buy the goodies at various outlets listed here shoreseaweed.com/where-to-buy/ Want a taste of Italy without the hassle of getting there? The answer is Canvino, a fabulous new sparkling vegan wine which comes in recyclable cans. Easier to transport than bottles, the cans are lightweight and the wine stays sparkly and cooler for longer! image (c) Mike Pickup
The wine comes from grapes sourced from a family-owned vineyard which has produced wine for a century using the traditional Charmat or tank method. In case you're wondering, that is the main process used for Prosecco and Lambrusco wines. Canvino comes in two flavours, Rosé and Bianco, ideal for indoor or outdoor celebrations. Sparkling Bianco is a crisp and dry white wine, medium bodied, easy to drink. Although dry is style it is fresh and fruity with light floral notes. Rose is medium-dry, lightly sparkling and refreshing with well balanced fruit notes. Launched in 2021, all natural Canvino is the perfect companion for any event and is 100% vegan too. Marc Laventure, Co-Founder of Canvino, said; “The canned wine market has soared in popularity over the past few years in the UK, so we are delighted to launch Canvino as the perfect new addition to your favourite portable tipples. We’re proud to deliver crisp and refreshing Italian sparkling wines that are as easy on the eye as they are to drink. Whatever the occasion, add some fizz to the party this year with a Canvino.” Can I recommend it wholeheartedly? Yes, definitely. Gets a big 10 out of 10 from me! Canvino is available at £3 per can with free shipping on packs of 12 or more from houseofcanvino.com, Amazon and other selected retailers. The team launched in July with two award-winning sparkling wines (Bianco and Rosé), which are both refreshing, medium-dry and very easy to drink. Following this they will launch two Italian and wine-based cocktails, their take on an Aperitivo Spritz and a Raspberry Bellini in 2022. (I was sent some cans of Canvino to try in return for an unbiased review, which all of my reviews are!) Luxurious range of Christmas gifts include beautifully boxed natural face and skin care sets for men and women . Prices from £40.00 Shop the exclusive Dr Jackson’s Gift Sets now at: www.drjacksonskincare.com ECO BRAND OF THE YEAR 2021 @BEAUTYSHORTLIST Give the gift of great skin this Christmas with the best selection of luxury skincare gift sets from award-winning brand Dr Jackson’s. Producing natural, scientific and sustainable skincare formulas for your face and body, Dr Jackson’s have launched three Christmas gift sets, offering duos of their best-selling products which include moisturisers and oils, all battling dry, oily and aging skin. Combining meticulous research with the finest ingredients nature has to offer, Dr Jackson’s products are developed for all skin types. Gift sets include: Dr Jackson’s Day Cover £40.00 The ultimate combination for nourished, radiant and glowing skin on-the-go: 01 Day Cream nourishes and delivers a smooth, clear complexion, as well as protecting skin from environmental pollutants; 03 Everyday Oil, for moisturising and calming the skin every day, everywhere. For All Skin Types. Vegan and Cruelty-Free. Dr Jackson’s Day into Evening Set £60.00 The perfect duo to keep skin hydrated day and night: 01 Day Cream delivers a smooth, clear complexion and protects skin from environmental pollutants and the 02 Night Cream deeply hydrates and helps reverse the signs of ageing, reducing fine lines in your sleep. For All Skin Types. Vegan and Cruelty-Free. Dr Jackson’s Night Cap - £40.00
A powerful combination of botanicals to moisturise and regenerate skin while you sleep or on-the-go: 02 Night Cream deeply hydrates and helps reverse the signs of ageing reducing fine lines in your sleep; 03 Everyday Oil, for moisturising and calming the skin every day, everywhere. For All Skin Types. Vegan and Cruelty-Free. More on Dr Jackson's Skincare here image (c) Dr Jackson's skincare Fascinated by native plants and their use in traditional medicine, Dr. Simon Jackson travelled the world seeking out innovative and ethical natural ingredients. This science-led brand not only produces fabulous skincare, they also sell herbal teas. Dr Jackson's Skincare Vegan, sustainable, non-toxic, all-natural and - here's the most important bit for me - not tested on animals. Besides that, this company avoids plastics as much as possible and use only recyclable boxes. Products are packaged in lovely minimalist, lab-inspired bottles and jars. The company decided from the start that beauty products should be clean, safe and of course effective, so to this end, their meticulously researched products use the finest natural ingredients and are suitable all skin types. Night Cream It is a pleasure to use this cream, it feels so lovely, rich and luxurious. It hydrates, smooths and softens skin while you snooze and is full of botanicals that work in synergy to regenerate dry skin and help diminish fine lines. Kigelia fruit extract helps to firm and even skin tone, baobab seed oil contains vitamins and antioxidants that protect against environmental pollutants and then there's fabulous frankincense, known to calm and soothe the complexion. That leaves the mango seed butter which goes deep into the skin to nourish and helps protect against environmental contaminants. Suitable for all skin types including very sensitive, dry and combination, it provides long-lasting hydration. Face Oil Enriched with 100% natural ingredients including Baobab and Marula oils - oh and did you know that the Baobab fruit contains six times as much vitamin C as an orange? - with extracts of Calendula and Arnica flowers, this delightful oil is rich in antioxidants and acids which improve firmness and elasticity, helps to even skin tone and soothe inflammation. To use, all you do is massage a couple of pumps into your skin. Remember, it's always best when trying new ingredients to do a patch test first. Day cream/ Moisturiser I love this lightweight moisturiser that keeps skin hydrated throughout the day. This nourishing formula is packed with nutrient-rich botanicals that work in synergy to deeply moisturise, regenerate and smooth the appearance of fine lines. It is suitable for all skin types, whether yours is sensitive like mine, or dry and combination, it provides all-day hydration for those who prefer an everyday moisturiser without SPF. Dr Jackson was a melanoma specialist during his time at King's College Department of Dermatology where he researched ingredients that had special healing properties for the skin. This is why his skincare products are based on the principles of pharmacognosy: the study of natural medicines derived from plants and their traditional uses. Makes sense then, that the products bearing his name care for skin in a natural, effective way and are beneficial for sensitive and problem skins. Click here to read about Dr Jackson's Christmas Gift Sets Formulations are free from parabens, sulphates, artificial fragrances or synthetic ingredients that are not kind to your skin. Natural ingredients are sustainably harvested in collaboration with rural communities worldwide, nothing used is rare or endangered. See DrJacksonskincare.com for more During Dr Jackson’s academic career, he held research positions at King’s College, University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Even more influential though was his time spent learning from tribal communities around the world, where he learned under knowledgeable shamans and healers in the Amazon, Indonesia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Deliciously different, definitely. For some reason, I had in my head that Zag was an alternative to beer but when I tried it, this tasted nothing like beer. Which was good. Great even, because I'm not a beer drinker. This had a minty, cucumber-y, citrus, lime, lemon, green tea flavour. Strong and oh so lovely! Now to get down to the nitty gritty - it contains NO artifical sweeteners, NO alcohol and only a tiny amount of added sugar. Every can is just a meagre 54 calories. That's more than okay then. The can itself stands out in a crowd. It has a distinctive colour and a look-at-me ZAG logo on the front which unfortunately I can't replicate here as I can't do the upside down 'A'. It smells a bit like mint leaves mixed with orange. When poured, it looks like a light beer. Zag is refreshing, full of flavour, great for quenching a thirst and very more-ish. Unlike beer, you can drink lots of it without any after effects! imageZag complements strong flavours, so go on, eat your spiciest, curriest, fire-iest meals and you'll love Zag even more. Another thing, ZAG contains Kombucha which is good for the digestive system and - so they say- helps weight loss and rids the body of toxins. Alcohol free - vegan - no artifical sweeteners - low in calories. 12 x 330ml bottles £17.49 - £1.45 per bottle A big thank you to the lovely people at ZAG who sent me not one, not two, but a case of 12 bottles of ZAG! images (c) ZAG & G Pickup |
AuthorI'm Gilly, award winning journalist /author of 13 books. Credits incl: Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, CNN, BBC mags, The Scotsman, Daily Express, Country & Town House, Metro, Countryfile, Tatler, trade & consumer cruise titles etc. Lifestyle Categories
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