Supermarket giant, Tesco, announced this week that they have teamed up again with Jamie Oliver to be the exclusive retailer for a range of three wines, which will be available both in store and online. The new white, rosé and red join the Jamie's Italian Prosecco NV which was the first of the range to be launched earlier this year.
Back in April at the Tesco Wine Spring Press Tasting, Laura and I were (unexpectedly) delighted by Jamie's Prosecco, which had been available in the Jamie's Italian restaurants for some months, but new to Tesco. If I'm honest, I wasn't wowed by the label, and the very fact it was marketed under a celebrity chef's name had me questioning just how good it was going to be. Crisp and fresh, with flavours of green apple and peach, it was everything we expected from a Prosecco and at just 11% alcohol, makes for the perfect apertif. Currently on offer at 20% on Tesco Wine by the Case, it's the equivalent of just £7.99 per bottle - a bit of a steal for a good quality sparkler which I initially dismissed as a bit of a marketing gimmick.
Whilst I am yet to try the new wines to the range, they sound promising, and given the success of the Prosecco, am sure that they will be flying off the shelves, even at £7.99 per bottle. The Bianco, Rosato and Rosso have all been on sale within the Jamie's Italian restaurants for some time, and are now available for us to try at home. All three wines are blends of a number of grape varieties and have been created to be enjoyed with food and friends - easy drinking and uncomplicated - and encourage people to create a restuarant experience at home. There's no serious food and wine matching to be done, just strip it back to basics - white with salads, fish, poultry, rosé with just about anything, but lovely with tuna, salmon or pasta, and red with pizza, pasta and meats.
Whilst many may argue that this range might be gimmicky and marketing driven, it's a great way to engage new wine drinkers with a famous name that they associate with good food and good times. The labels aren't too tacky and with a gaggle of celebrities plastering their name on a bottle of plonk - Madonna, Gerard Depardieu, Francis Ford Coppola and Cliff Richard to name a few - Jamie has no reason not to try as well. As a long-time Jamie fan I am willing to give these wines a go, though I can't say the same for the Drew Barrymore collaboration....
Look out for them in Tesco stores and online at Wine by the Case soon...
Have you tried any of the range in a Jamie's Italian? Let us know, we'd love to hear from you!
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