Top new products: November

Maison Rigal orange wine

Cahors-based wine producer Maison Rigal has released an orange wine made with Gros Manseng. According to the traditional practice, the grape skins are kept in contact with the juice during fermentation, replicating the process usually used for red wine. This production method lends the wine its orange colour and intense flavours of white peach and citrus fruits, with savoury notes coming through. Julien Touboul, general manager and oenologist at the French company says it’s time for the producer to “think outside the box” and “go beyond a mere trend”.

RRP: €5.50.

Contact: Maison Rigal, Olga.Belobrova@rigal.fr

Cotswolds Distillery Peated Whisky

The Cotswolds Distillery has launched its first whisky matured in peated casks. The spirit is made by using locally grown, floor-malted barley that is mashed then fermented for over 90 hours before being double distilled. After being diluted to 63.5% ABV, the spirit is then put into ex-peated quarter casks from Scotland. Having taken on “light smoked peat flavour”, the whisky is bottled at 59.3% ABV. The limited-edition whisky has been produced in a run of 2,950 bottles.

RRP: £64.95.

Contact: Cotswolds Distillery, info@cotswoldsdistillery.com

Two Tribes Powerplant Lager

London brewery Two Tribes has launched a gluten-free, unfiltered lager called Powerplant. Brewed with water, malt, hops and yeast, a natural enzyme is added to the beer at the end of the process to remove the gluten. Made with Pilsner malts and German yeast before being lagered for 42 days, the beer has “subtle floral and herbaceous flavours” from the Saaz and Mittelfrüh hops. The brewery says it hopes the beer will be a welcome addition to the global gluten-free beer market, which is expected to be worth a whopping £4.8 billion by 2021.

RRP: £3.30.

Contact: Matthew Clark, 0844 822 3901

Frapin Cognac Multimillésime N°7

Frapin’s Multimillésime is the new release from the Trésors du Château collection. It is a blend of three vintages – 1989, 1991 and 1993 – chosen for their specific sensory and flavour profiles. Sourced from Frapin’s 240 hectares of vineyards in Grande Champagne, the Cognac is described as having “lime, floral, orange and dried fig aromas” with “apricot and voluptuous vanilla” on the palate. The first impression in the mouth is floral, then lime aromas develop and finally gourmet fruity notes, made up of orange, citrus fruit and dried fig scents.

RRP: £235

Contact: Louis Latour Agencies, +44 (0)20 7409 7276

Hattingley Valley Rosé 2015

Hampshire’s Hattingley Valley has launched a vintage rosé fizz made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Meunier. Approximately 12% of the blend spent time in old white Burgundy barrels “to soften the wine’s natural acidity”. The blend is completed with the addition of 2% of Pinot Précoce, adding extra colour, body and flavour. It has a dosage of 9g/l. The English sparkler then spends over three years ageing on its lees before being disgorged. The result is “bright red fruit and summer berry aromas, with flavours of toast, and strawberry coulis”.

RRP: £36.

Contact: Hattingley Valley, office@hattingleyvalley.co.uk

Amigo de la Tierra red 2018

North South Wines has announced the launch of its Amigo de la Tierra range of keenly priced, organic and vegan-friendly Spanish wines. The first two wines to be released are zingy Verdejo and a blend of Tempranillo (70%) and Syrah (20%), both from La Mancha. The red blend has aromas of dried herbs and black pepper, and is made without oak ageing, with the grapes sourced from bush vines in Corral de Almaguer, near the ancient hilltop city of Toledo.

RRP: £7.50.

Contact: North South Wines, 020 3871 9210

Hawkshead Lighter Times

Recognising the trend for low- and no-alcohol beers, Kendal-based brewery Hawkshead has released its first expression in the category, an 0.5% ABV pale ale called Lighter Times. Using a balanced combination of speciality malts and American hops, it is available in can and keg. Matt Clarke, head brewer at Hawkshead, said the aim was to create a beer that he would be happy to drink himself. “This was certainly a challenge with low-alcohol beer, but we have worked really hard to pack as much flavour into this beer as possible and I am really happy with the result,” he said of the brew.

RRP : £1.50.

Contact: michelle@hawksheadbrewery.co.uk

Seedlip Nogroni

Seedlip Drinks has launched its latest brand extension: a non-alcoholic twist on the classic Negroni called the Nogroni. A blend of Seedlip Spice 94, Æcorn Bitter and Æcorn Aromatic, it has flavours of “orange, grapefruit, allspice and gentian”. Born in the founder Ben Branson’s garage, the mocktail was served at The World’s Best Bar Awards in London in 2017, and has been a popular listing in bars around the world. Now Seedlip has bottled it to be sold the retail market. Each 20cl bottle serves two, and it is recommended to serve it over ice with an orange twist.

RRP: £10.

Contact: Selfridges, customerservices@selfridges.com

Braastad Cognac liqueur

Cognac brand Braastad has released its first cream liqueur, having initially had the idea for the decadent product over 20 years ago. With the tagline ‘when the richness of the Cognac region meets the creaminess of Ireland’, the liqueur can be drunk as an apéritif and also as an after dinner digestif with coffee. It is a mix of Cognac from Petit Champagne, fresh cream and chocolate and caramel flavouring, combined by master blender Richard Braastad, with a 17% ABV.

RRP: £20.

Contact: Braastad, e.braastad@cognac-tiffon.com

Bonterra canned wine range

Concha y Toro has launched canned versions of its organic Californian Bonterra wine range. Available in 250ml can four-packs, the wines are: a rosé, a white made from Sauvignon Blanc, and a ‘young red’ blend. Concha y Toro stressed the can’s environmental credentials, which suit a wide range of different consumption occasions, and targets the millennial traveller demographic. Claiming the innovation is California’s first organic canned wine, Rachel Newman, director of marketing for Bonterra, said: “Perfectly portioned and portable, our cans deliver the same quality as our 750ml wines in a gorgeous, Instagram-ready package.”

RRP: US$19.99 for four.

Contact: Bonterra, 1-800 826 5092