This April weather is really starting to get on my tits. That’s right, no poetic opening this time. My British tan is fading and I’m afraid 20 minutes of boiling sunshine this weekend just doesn’t cut it. Yes, I know that you need to learn to dance in the rain to appreciate the rainbow, or something along those lines but frankly, it’s August, not flipping April and one has danced quite enough. I long to lay lizard like on the slabs in my back garden as my skin prickles in the heat, drink rose with ice for the perspiration couldn’t possibly stand another glass of red. But alas, here I am sat in a terribly attractive pink Regatta fleece drinking a Cabernet Sauvignon, it may as well be bloody Christmas, only the peonies betray that it is in fact summer.

Despite my frustration with the weather, I have had a delightful weekend thanks to my pal Emily Meredith, a fantastic friend in more ways than one. It’s Em we can thank for Ascot and Em we can thank for a fabulous weekend in London, she has a knack of getting me out of Rutland and trying new things.

I zoomed to the city on Friday evening via the fantastic Virgin Trains service; remarkable that you can be in Kings Cross in 45 minutes from Peterborough really isn’t it?

We met at Gordon’s Wine Bar (Embankment) which is renowned for it’s great selection of wines, cheese and cosiness. After a glass we went sort of next door to an Italian where we had a delicious supper. Saturday saw us at The Longines Global Championship Tour watching some seriously impressive show jumping and now it is Sunday, I’m back in Rutland and have found a nice easy screw top to satisfy a Sunday evening.

I shall review the wines tried over this time, but after trials and tribulations, over the next week I will be looking into the art of wine at the perfect temperature as I have found it SO important as of late.

Let’s go:

On the Full Bodied red wines page of Gordon’s Wine Bar you will find

Swartland Founder Pinotage, South Africa, 14%, £6.20 a glass

This wine is really earthy and raw. It was served to the brim and also quite chilled really for a red but I’m assuming they know that they’re doing as it’s a wine bar… I probably would have chosen something different for a second glass as it was just a tad on the sharp side for me but refreshing after the rush nonetheless.

Gordon’s on the other hand is charming, the cheese warm, the wine a plenty and the people not too vexing. The setting is perfect and takes you back to an older London, without being forcibly authentic, I’d like to go back.

Italian restaurant down tut road

Merlot DOC, Veneto, 12%, £6.95 a glass

So the DOC doesn’t really mean a lot if you didn’t know, it’s an Italian term for the government guaranteeing the wine is from Italy and have been through quality control to make sure they’re aren’t crap.

This wine was served quite warm and it was delicious! So sweet, tasty, fruity and quite simply the perfect accompaniment to my pizza, washed it down brilliantly. I think the warmth of the wine made an enormous different, who knows, but it was fab.

Various other drinks were consumed before we headed home including an all-time favourite of mine, The Porn Star Martini from All Bar One.

Longines Global Championship Tour

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee, West Sussex, 12%, Usually around £30 a bottle

I am a big fan of Nyetimber so it was a delight to see they were at the event, but they do seem to be cropping up everywhere these days. If you haven’t tried this sparkling wine yet, get your hands on some because it’s really impressive, much better than Moet. It has quite a complex flavour, deep and complex and definitely not one to just guzzle down.

Sat watching Harry Potter somewhere in Rutland

Las Mulas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile 2015, 14%

First thing to note about this wine is that it is certified as organic, second thing to note is that upon pouring, it is a satisfying deep ruby red and thirdly, it’s quite perfect. I didn’t know if I’d enjoy it after researching and discovering that Cabernet Sauvignon’s should be served slightly cooler. After that warm Chianti experience I have wanted all of my wines warm. However, straight out of the cellar has served this wine well. It’s incredibly rich in flavour, full of hedgerow fruit flavours and because it’s organic does it mean I can drink the whole bottle?

You can buy it for £6.79 currently in Waitrose, click here.