No, I don’t mean that sense of “ahhhhh” as the first mouthful of wine hits your tongue at the end of a long week. I mean Wine Relief from Comic Relief.
There seems to be nothing that Comic Relief don’t have a paw in (by the way, have you heard the speaking clock? Dial it from your landline, 10p goes to Comic Relief). And Wine Relief is just a brilliant way of raising money for this great cause. Since Jancis Robinson and her husband Nick Lander started it in 1999 it has raised over £4 million. Jancis was kind enough to tweet me recently when I asked her if she was doing a fund raising similar to one my folks had attended last year. Sadly not, she said as she is in Australia on a book tour.
I was chuffed though when that gorgeous Helen over at the Knackered Mother’s Wine Club tweeted me and said “psst, have you seen what is happening for Wine Relief this year”? Something that couldn’t be more simple.
A donation from various retailers on selected bottles of wine. Buy one of the bottles from one of the retailers who have signed up and you can make a donation just like that. There is a list of all the bottles and retailers here: Wine Relief list so please do see if you can grab one next time you are passing Marks and Spencers, Waitrose, Majestic or Selfridges (I appreciate that last one might not be happening any time soon for the majority of us but hey, you never know). At least 10% from these sales go to Comic Relief so for us it will soon add up. <cough>
We were lucky enough to receive a mixed case from Laithwaites with a selection of the wines to try (and as this is a charity even we have donated the 10% that Comic Relief would have received had we bought the case to them). Life has been so busy that we haven’t had a chance to yet but when Mr B looked through the case there were some definite “oohs” and “aahs” and some nodding as he looked at the labels. I will certainly do a review when we have drunk them all.
You might also notice when you sneak over to Helen’s blog that her book came out earlier this month. A book I have been so excited about because it is, quite simply, brilliant. It removes all the guff and bunkem from wine and tells you all you need to know. From the best fizz to have at a children’s party (to keep the parents happy) to which you should off load on the school raffle. How to choose wine to go with a Sunday Roast and finally a “Knackered Mother’s must have nothing to do with list”.
I love Helen’s approach to wine. She has a phenomenal knowledge, having been in the industry for years but doesn’t make you feel like an idiot for not knowing your Syrah from your Chardonnay.
Her book is now available from all good book stores priced £12.99. Please buy it. Twice. One for you and one for a friend.