An Evening of Wine Tasting at Shekelton Wines

In the beautiful town of Stamford, you'll find a gem of wine shop known as Shekelton Wines.

Located in Chapel Yard, this gorgeous wine shop stocks a variety of interesting and unique wines to buy and also try when booking a tasting session. Naturally Chris and I decided to get a group of us together to try our hand at tasting which I thought I'd share it with you!

The lovely owners of Shekelton Wines; Charlotte and John, host both online and in store events to cater for all needs with a variety of tasting packages available. From cheese and wine tasting to Italian wine tasting or English wine tasting; there's a taste for everyone. You can check out the upcoming tasting events in store or alternatively book a private wine session. Each event is guided by a tasting expert with 6 lots of 50ml servings for each person. We opted for a private classic cheese and wine tasting for a group of 10 within the shop which was a wonderful inviting space to be in. The shop is decorated in a beautiful red colour and lined with an array of wonderful wines, selected personally by Charlotte and John. 

We started the evening with welcome drinks of prosecco and an introduction to the shop which we discovered was launched in lock down! At each seat was a had a tasting sheet detailing each wine and cheese we were sampling and an area to write notes and score the selections. The first wine of the evening was a champagne, paired with Charouce cheese.

Having never been to a wine tasting event before, Charlotte guided us through this first glass with how to taste the wine; covering the glass with your hand and swirling the contents to release the flavours before smelling it. It really makes a difference and from there we were able to pick out the key notes. I also then learnt that when tasting the wine it's good practice to inhale a little before taking a sip to again get the aroma of the wine, prior to swilling it around your mouth and savoring the flavour. 

After enjoying a sip of wine, we were then encouraged to try the cheese (which took very little persuasion on my part!), before tasting the wine again. It was amazing how much the cheese enhanced the flavour of the wine and added a new dimension to the palate. This was especially so when sampling the Chianti Superiore with the Pecorino cheese as many of the group found it left a spicy, tingling sensation at the back of their tongue. With this classic cheese and wine tasting we were able to sample both red and white wines from around the world- from , Spain, Italy, Portugal, to South Africa, with each wine tasting different due to the climate, soil and other environmental factors involved. 

The majority of the group found their favourite pairing of cheese and wine to be the Cabernet Sauvignon and Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. I too loved this combination, especially with the cheese being local but the real under dog for me had to be Aged White Port! Firstly, who knew there was such a thing as white port and secondly, Ferreria Dona Antonia White Reserve  Port is just delicious! Teamed with the Colston Basset Stilton cheese it, had a wonderful mix of sweetness whilst being smooth too. Overall my favourite pairing of the evening was the Champagne Georges Lacombe, Grand Cuvee Brut NV and Charouce, so much so that I bought a bottle of the champagne to enjoy at home!

Once the tasting had finished we sat back and enjoyed a top up of our favourite glasses from the session whilst perusing the shop, with many of us picking up our favourite wines from the evening. 

Shekelton Wines is a wonderful place to sample wine as well as buy it, from a couple who have a true passion for wonderful tasting wine. We all felt so welcome and relaxed in their shop and would highly recommend everyone pay a visit when you're next in the Stamford area!

Opening times:

Tuesday 11:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 18:00
Thursday 11:00 - 18:00
Friday 11:00 - 19:00
Saturday 11:00 - 18:00

Finding Freddie's Flowers

I've always find that fresh flowers are the perfect way to add a finishing touch to your home and can take a room from bleak to chic. Not only that, they have an uplifting effect on your mood and can chase away those feelings of anxiety and worry so they're kind of good for your health too! With that in mind, I thought I'd try out Freddie's Flowers and treated myself to a beautiful bouquet sent straight to my door!

I signed up through a friend, which meant my first box was FREE! It also meant I could effectively try before I buy with my first bunch which I'm giving you the opportunity to do too! Use the code: KatherR121 at checkout to get your own free flowers. 

Excitedly I ordered my first bunch and specified the date for their arrival to suit me and voila, my seasonal stems were at my doorstep that day! 

I was pleasantly surprised that the packaging was all biodegradable and the flowers arrived beautifully fresh and in perfect condition but not only that, there was some arranging instructions which I hadn't anticipated.

I unleashed my inner florist with the step by step guide on how to arrange my flowers which was a lovely touch and contained information on each of the seasonal stems included for that week. I now feel like I have a better knowledge on how to arrange flowers properly and it was nice to do, rather than receiving flowers and plonking them straight into a vase! It's definitely made me look at bouquets differently and seeing what works well together. 

Each weeks bouquet is themed with this one being known as Lust for Life; focusing on passion and embracing love in all its forms. I loved the different blooms used for this arrangement and the fact I learnt a little about each of them too. The snap dragons had to be my favourite along with the lilies which certainly scream passion!

As the days went on, the arrangement burst into bloom and revealed its true beauty and really filled my home with cheer. The only flowers that didn't last were the iris' however I knew this was normal as Freddie's Flowers stated they wouldn't last as long as the rest of the blooms. The overall bouquet lasted beautifully for a good two weeks before it was time for them to be composted so I'm really impressed with them, especially as they were free! 

Overall I'm really impressed with Freddie's Flowers. I loved the convenience of having flowers delivered to my door. There's flexibility with opting in or out of bouquet deliveries each week so I've chosen to have fortnightly deliveries sent to me. I also love that the flowers are grown to order, making Freddie's flowers a sustainable choice and the bouquets really do look like the pictures featured on the website. 

Will you be trying Freddie's Flowers? Don't forget to use my code KatherR121 for your free bouquet!

Walks Away and a Cotswold Stay | Dog Friendly

It's been a while since I did a travel or holiday type post but I'm back and this time I've been to the Cotswolds!

Me and the mothership decided earlier this year to book a girly break away and take my two pooches: Harry and Olive. When looking for an area to go walking, with quaint villages and pretty scenery the Cotswolds popped up and looked ideal!

 

The accommodation we chose is Parys Lodge (because, how cute does it look right!?), situated within the grounds of the owner's home with walks on your doorstop, it's beautifully secluded and set within miles and miles of beautiful rural countryside with quiet bridleways and footpaths. It's equally in a convenient spot to walk to the village pub! 

The lodge itself is beautifully decorated with modern amenities that include wifi, wood burner, bbq and Nespresso machine to name a few and we instantly felt welcome, cosy and at home when we got there.

The kitchen and living area are small but cosy and the perfect amount of space for the two of us. We both loved the way the lodge was decorated; being fresh, light and inviting. We definitely made the most of the wood burning fire and Nespresso machine during our stay too!

Another thing that was great about the lodge is that you could have two dogs. A lot of places will only take one but thankfully Parys Lodge will accommodate two and as you can see, Harry and Olive very quickly made themselves at home!

Another thing to note is the lodge can sleep 4 with one double bed and two single beds. Naturally I opted for the single bed and gave mama the double! We also hadn't realised that the master bedroom has an en suite which meant mum and I had our own bathrooms each. Result! We also discovered the the beds were equipped with electric blankets which we also utilized, turning off the heating and enjoying the heat from the log burner before coming down to lovely cool bedrooms to sleep in but with the added cosiness of warm bedding. It felt like such a treat to get into and certainly helped us get a good nights sleep.

The lodge was the perfect space and size for the two of us and the dogs to retreat to and relax after a long day of walking. We'd pop the log burner on and listen to it crackle away and enjoy a glass of wine or two whilst our pizzas cooked in the over. On one of the evenings however we did frequent the local pub; a short walk away and enjoyed a hearty meal with drinks; somewhere I'd recommend going if you choose to stay here!

As previously mentioned there are walks literally on your doorstop from the lodge, so we were able to ditch the car and head out for the day on beautiful walks. 

This enclosed field is a 5 minute walk from the accommodation and was perfect for letting the dogs off to run and stretch their legs before a day of walking began. During our stay we did part of the Wychavon Walk and were able to explore the beautiful Worcestershire countryside with its peaceful waterways and scenic views with a sheep or two. 

This is the route we ended up taking and could have walked further but with it being February time the light was soon lost by 4:30 pm. Wychavon Walk is in fact 40 miles in total and starts in Holt Fleet by the River Severn so there's plenty of parts to pick up and do on various visits- something I definitely want to do with my husband Chris!

Another place that's well worth a visit and just a 20 minute drive is Broadway. A lot of people had recommended this place and for good reason. It's incredibly quaint and the epitome of what quintessentially English means to me. I felt like I was on the set of the film The Holiday!

Broadway is often referred to as the "jewel of the Cotswolds" and I can see why! Both mum and I fell in love with how quaint the properties were and cooed over the cute detailing of each house. 

The main street is lined with lots of independent shops, hotels and restaurants as well as plenty of antique shops. It's definitely a place to come for unique gifts or a memento from your holiday. 

It was also very dog friendly which for me was a huge tick and because of this it only seemed right that we popped to The Swan for a beverage with the pooches!

This lovely pub is set in the heart of the village and had a a lovely relaxed feel, with plenty of seating to choose from. 

Here mum and I toasted to a successful mother daughter trip away and before we knew it, it was sadly time to come home!

I adored this trip and definitely want to explore more of The Cotswolds now so if you have any recommendations on places to visit, do let me know! 

I can't recommend our accommodation enough too so if you're looking for a cosy little retreat, definitely check out Parys Lodge.