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15 MILLION BRITS PANIC ABOUT DINNER PARTY WINE

Aldi launches Sommelier Dinner Party Pack to help solve hosts’ wine worries

• Nearly 15m Brits will host dinner parties this Christmas and choosing the right wine is their top problem, according to new research
• Around a third fear being judged for price of their plonk – while one in ten admit pouring cheap wine into expensive bottles in bid to impress guests
• Supermarket Aldi is teaming up with a leading Sommelier behind some of the UK’s top Michelin star restaurants to create a great value premium dinner party wine pack
• Made up of six top restaurant-quality wines, the £98.44 pack would cost OVER £800 if enjoyed out of home*

Festive Brits will attend over 44million gatherings this Christmas, with 14.8million playing host – and serving the right wine is the top concern, according to supermarket Aldi.

New independent research reveals that dinner parties are on the rise, with choosing the most suitable wine named as the main worry for a third (28%) of hosts – while a similar number (30%) fear being judged for the price of their plonk.

A third (31%) of 25–34-year-olds say they have pretended a wine is pricier than it is – while one in ten (10%) have admitted pouring cheap wine into a more expensive bottle in a bid to impress guests.

The Aldi research also reveals that millennials aged 25-34 are the biggest culprits when it comes to dinner party wine slip ups:

• 25% have mixed different wines together in the same glass or decanter
• 12% have lied about the wine and then been embarrassed by being found out
• 26% serve red wine before white
• 10% have fallen out with guests after arguing about the wine

Furthermore, 37% of dinner party hosts worry about choosing wine that complements the food, but only a small minority (14%) know how to pair wine and food – and to avoid making an error, 27% stick to serving the same wine all evening.

Now help is at hand from Aldi – the UK’s favourite supermarket^{^} – as it has teamed up with top London Sommelier Ronan Sayburn to create a fool-proof dinner party pack, curated from its most premium winter wines including the new Winemasters Lot range.

Ronan has worked at several Michelin starred restaurants including Gordon Ramsay’s 3 Michelin-starred restaurant in Chelsea, the Savoy and Claridge’s.

And the pack is sure to impress guests as the wine selection would cost more than £100 per bottle if purchased in a restaurant – while it’s also designed to take guests on a flavour journey.

Ronan said: Starting a dinner party with a crisp, fresh, high acid wine such as sparkling or a Sauvignon Blanc will get tastebuds going, making guests hungry and hopefully helping them to enjoy the food more. By changing the wine as you move through the courses you can gain flavours in both the food and wine. At top restaurants we advise moving from lighter and fresher whites to rich whites, light reds, full reds and finally sweet or fortified wines.”                                                                                                            

Aldi’s Sommelier Dinner Party Pack of wines makes this easy to do, as it includes:

Winemaster’s Lot 2020 Pouilly-Fumé: A classic, zesty, and lively Sauvignon Blanc from France’s Loire valley. Lemon, with fresh-cut grass asparagus aromas. It makes the perfect aperitif or is great served with smoked salmon or oysters.  A bottle of Pouilly-Fumé would set you back £215 at Dinner by Heston.

2020 Chablis Premier Cru: One of the classic wines of France, from the Northern part of Burgundy. This crisp and lean chardonnay reflects its cool climate and limestone soils with tangy saline freshness and steely finish. A perfect accompaniment to smoked salmon or shellfish.  A bottle of Chablis Premier Cru costs £105 at Rules.

2019 Specially Selected Priorat: This mountainous region, not far from Barcelona, produces full-bodied, concentrated, and elegant wine with dark berry, herbs and meaty chorizo spice. An excellent wine for BBQ meats and slow-roasted beef ribs.  £178 is the cost of a premium Priorat at Dinner by Heston.

Winemaster’s Lot Amarone: From hillsides close to Lake Garda in Northern Italy, this wine is deep and concentrated but as smooth as silk, coffee, figs, dark morello cherry fruit and a touch of raspberry. A must with classic Italian pasta ragu and meatballs.  Amarone is popular at Madison London, where they charge £90 per bottle.

2018 Le Moulin Teyroud, Châteauneuf-du-Pape: A classic wine produced in France’s Southern Rhône. Grapes are grown in the Mediterranean sun and ripe and full, with a generous warming palate of black pepper, strawberry and a full meaty, spicy palate. A big wine that works well with hearty stews and rich meats such as lamb and oxtail.  A favourite at Michelin-starred restaurants, Châteauneuf-du-Pape costs £105 per bottle at Rules.

Ronan Sayburn added: “The best thing about this pack is it’s ready-made for hosts so they don’t have to worry about buying a selection of wines that will impress – and it’s all incredible value. My top tip is to prepare glassware in advance too. It means they don’t need to rush around on the night and can focus instead on finishing their food and enjoying the party.

“The only concern then is for guests, as 5% of dinner party hosts admit that they hold good wine back because they felt their guests were too ignorant to appreciate it.”

Shoppers should head to Aldi.co.uk to purchase the Dinner Party Pack now. Available while stocks last.

-ENDS-

For further information, images or to request a sample, please contact the Aldi press team on: aldidrinks@clarioncomms.co.uk

020 7479 0910

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Please contact the Aldi team at Clarion to confirm product details and availability prior to print.

*Scottish and Welsh customers are not able to buy products that fall below the MUP. Any orders placed to Scottish and Welsh addresses which do not meet the requirements of MUP will be refunded.