FIRST EVER TUSCAN ROSÉ HITS UK STORES
New Old - World Italian Rosé Launches Into the UK

Wine drinkers are toasting the late arrival of Summer this year with a glass of new Gabbiano IGT Toscana rosé. Made from 100% Sangiovese, the classic red grape of Tuscany’s Chianti region, new Gabbiano IGT Toscana rosé is the first rosé from Tuscany to go on sale on UK shelves.

Available at £5.99 exclusively from Sainsbury’s, Gabbiano has a pedigree to die for. The Castello di Gabbiano has been producing wines for nearly a millennium – from its 12th Century Medieval fort and surrounding vineyards.

Wine expert Angela Mount says; “With its vibrant pink hue, this deliciously moreish Tuscan rosé has upfront aromas of ripe, sweet strawberries, with a twist of lemon zest. Flavours of vibrant red fruits, and zesty citrus mingle with an underlying creaminess to give this wine a soft, elegant, and stylish edge. This is a traditional, dry Tuscan rosé, to be taken as such, and provides a refreshing antidote to the many sweet rosé s currently on the market.”

The wine is made in the traditional dry style of the region where it is a partner for antipasti and salads, or drunk as an aperitif. Gabbiano Toscana rosé is produced on the estate of Castello di Gabbiano, a 12th century Castello in the heart of Chianti; covering 102 hectares, of which 31 ha are in the heartland of Chianti Classico. Giancarlo Roman, the winemaker, has focused on delivering a top quality rosé, in the traditional Italian style, made to be enjoyed, chilled on its own, as an aperitif, or ideally as an accompaniment to food.

Nestled in the beautiful Chianti countryside, the Medieval Castle of Gabbiano dominates the local countryside, and offers history, authenticity, and modern comforts all at once. The Castello has been renovated to an elegant, luxurious, yet traditional standard, and offers accommodation and also top cuisine in its restaurant, to visitors to the area.

The rosé market in the UK has soared over the last 2 years, moving from 4% to 7% of total wine market. Tyler Psarras, NPD Concept Leader at Foster’s EMEA says; “Rosé is currently under-represented in Italian wine in the UK, with Italian wines constituting only 4% of total rosé sales, versus Italy’s 12% share of total still wine. Additionally, there are very few premium varietal or regional rosés on the market from Italy.

“It is Gabbiano’s goal to demonstrate to UK consumers how premium Italian rosé can enhance people’s wine drinking experience, with or without food – it’s a wonderful wine as an aperitif, but more importantly, we all need to start thinking about rosé wines, as food wines too – this is a dry rosé and it is just fantastic with grilled prawns, seared tuna, and also richer dishes such as seafood risotto, and some light oriental chicken dishes.”

The Castello di Gabbiano has been a winemaking property in the heart of Tuscany for many centuries. It was built in the 12th Century and was purchased by Foster’s Group in 2000 as part of a plan to diversify the company’s international portfolio of wine assets.

PERCOL – NOW OFFICIALLY THE UK’S HOTTEST FAIRTRADE AND ORGANIC COFFEES

At the 2007 Great Taste Awards, Percol, the Fairtrade and Organic coffee brand has been awarded more gold medals than any other coffee. With a historic 5 individual gold awards this year it takes the total number of Percol awards for quality and taste to 27 since 2002.
Regarded as the industry Oscars, The Guild of Fine Food’s annual Great Taste Awards are the UK’s largest independent evaluation of fine food and drink.
Each year, almost 4,500 foods are blind-tasted by up to three separate teams of experts before the awards are made. Since May there have been nearly two weeks of tasting by over 400 independent judges including Charles Campion and Alex James.

Bob Farrand of the Guild of Fine Food, said: “These awards have been running for 14 years now and are a recognised mark of excellence that consumers can trust and rely on. The winning products have been through a thorough judging process and we are able to assure consumers that the Great Taste logo, which all award winners can use, signifies genuine, proven fine food. It’s not just a supermarket premium marketing slogan that bears almost no relation to the quality of the food in the packet.
Brian Chapman, Founder, Percol said; “The Great Taste Awards are synonymous with excellence in taste, texture and flavour. These are the things which we believe in and have driven us to find the best coffees available for our customers over the last twenty years.”
Percol Coffee works with wine expert Angela Mount to explore the similarities between coffee and wine and the ‘terroir’ – the situation of soil, climate and plant variety in relation to taste. Here’s what she says about the 5 gold winners:
· Fairtrade Organic Latin America, 2** Star Gold rating – A complex range of inter-woven flavours and aromas; treacle toffee, cocoa, liquorice and grapefruit deliver a well-balanced coffee full of character.
· Fairtrade Organic Espresso, 1* Gold rating – Intense and assertive. An attractive bitterness with hints of cream and exotic fruit. (strength 5) RRP 250g at 2.49
· Fairtrade Decaffeinated Colombia, 1* Gold rating - A rich aroma with a hint of nuts. Complex flavours creating a smooth full-bodied coffee with attractive citrus notes on the finish. It tastes so good you’d never know it’s decaf! (strength 3) RRP 250g at £2.49
· Fairtrade Honduras, 1* Gold rating - An appealing sweet fruity aroma. Very well-balanced, good acidity and body with attractive citrus notes on the finish. (strength 3) RRP 250g at £2.49
· Rainforest Organic Colombia, 1* Gold rating - Deep, rich brown flavours in abundance. Delicate smokey notes fused with aromatic spices and chocolate can be detected in the taste and aroma. (strength 3) RRP 250g at £2.49