Chanel N˚5

You will be hard pressed not to notice Marilyn Monroe’s advertising campaign for Chanel N˚5 this festive season. When asked what she wore to bed, the Hollywood bombshell did not want to say nude, so she famously replied that she only wore Chanel N˚5, because , in her words, it was the truth. 

Now over 50 years since her death, she is the face of what is arguably the world’s most iconic fragrance. 

Introduced in 1921, Gabrielle Chanel is said to have described it as a “women’s perfume with the scent of a woman.” 

Like most women, I have a wardrobe of fragrances, but Chanel N˚5 has always been a firm favourite. Each concentration has it own twist on the original theme and seems to smell different depending who is wearing it. I never tire of this powdery floral. One squirt and I am transported into another world. It always makes me feel glamorous. 

On a cold winter's night, there is nothing like having a shower using the N˚5 Bath Soap (£21) followed by the N˚5 Body Lotion (£42). It’s a lovely way to spoil yourself.

By Daralyn Danns

Food and wine pairing

Bovey Castle, a five-star hotel set within the spectacular Dartmoor National Park in Devon, is the epitome of an English country house hotel, renowned for its fine dining. I asked Ahmet Ucar, the sommelier for some tips on pairing wine with food.

“Our guests tend to be more traditional and prefer old world wines,” he said. “They like wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as Italy and Spain.” Particular favourites, he told me, are wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the largest and most well-known appellation in the Southern Rhône. These complex, full-bodied rich, spicy wines are a blend of several grape varieties and work well with beef. Whites from the Loire such as sancerre and sauvignon blanc are other popular wines, especially when people are eating fish.

From Italy, reds from Barolo, in the Piedmont region are popular. Made from the nebbiolo grape, they tend to be deliciously powerful and well-structured.  Also popular are the fragrant tangy wines from Chianti.

There is also an interest in Spanish wines. Catalonia, known for cava, is now producing some great reds.

Portugal also has started to produce some wonderful wines that offer exceptional value for money. “Vinho verde, a fresh and zesty wine is great with seafood,” says Ahmet . “While there are some good reds from Douro and Alentejo.

The Edwardian Grill, Bovey Castle

Suggestions from Ahmet that work with dishes from Bovey Castle’s menu, which you can try with similar recipes of your own.

To go with Scallops Bath chap, mustard and apple (a dish on the menu) he suggests a pinot gris such as Ernest Loosen “Villa Wolf” 2011 from PFALZ region.

“Pinot gris is not normally associated with Germany (where it is known as Grauburgunder ),” says Ahmet. “This wine shows a peachy, fruity flavour with a lovely creamy texture.

“It has a gorgeous mineral structure too. The spare, tense texture of the wine is a wonderful foil for the pan-fried scallops, while the moderate alcohol respects the delicate flesh and can handle the bath chap (braised pork cheek ). The 2011 vintage is a true classic with crystalline notes of white fruit and hawthorn. It is classy and has just the right persistent minerality – the true expression of its terroir.”

 Ox cheek, beech smoked, cauliflower, maple, carrot

“This tasty dish begs for a concentrated, gourmand red wine that is robust and hearty,” says Ahmet. “I suggest this quite original wine from Lebanon, Chateau Musar 2002. It is a blend of cabernet-sauvignon, carignan, cinsault  – the wine-making expression of a country where vines have been cultivated for 6,000 years – produced in the high altitude of the Bekaa valley. 

“Château Musar has a rich and dense tannin texture, with intense spiciness and baked fruit flavours. The wine’s freshness contrasts nicely with the texture of the braised ox cheek.”

By Daralyn Danns 

Bovey Castle, for more info visit www.boveycastle.com

Alentejo wines – what grapes to choose

Portugal has hundreds of grape varieties. Here are some of the most popular in Alentejo.

Beja, Alentejo

Reds

The majority of Alentejo wines are blends of different local grape varieties. Here are a few favourites.

Touriga nacional
This highly-regarded blue-black grape used in the making of port is now being used in dry red wines. It is laced with blackberries and plums with a hint of bergamont.  Gives structure and texture to a wine. It zings with strong tannins and has plenty of acidity. Increasingly being planted in Alentejo.

Trincadeira,
Bursting with rich raspberry flavours with the right amount of acidity. On the nose it is quite vegetal.

Aragonez
Think plums, strawberries and blackberries with a hint of pepper. It adds richness and complexity to a wine.

Castelão
Spiced with tangs of redcurrants and plums, it produces structured wines with plenty of tannin and acidity. 

Alicante Bouschet
A black, inky grape with herbaceous and red fruit aromas that gives plenty of oomph to a blend.

Alfrocheiro
From the north of Portugal, this grape is increasingly being planted in this region. Oozing red berry flavours, has a good balance of tannins and acidity.

White 

Antão Vaz
One of Alentejo’s main grapes. Brimming with tropical fruits with an injection of citrus.  Works well in a blend to give the right amount of acidity.

Arinto
A melange of lime, lemon and green apple, tinged with vegetal aromas. This sharp citrus-flavoured grape is high in acidity and is frequently added to blends.

Roupeiro
Delicately floral and fruity, this wine has overtones of citrus, peach and melon and is rather elegant.

By Daralyn Danns

I will be taking a look at some Portuguese wines from the Alentejo in another post.   

Getting there

TAP Portugal (0845 601 0932, www.flytap.com) flies from Manchester, London Heathrow and Gatwick to Lisbon up to 9 times a day. Return fares start at £116 including all taxes and surcharges. I’m a fan of this airline. A friendly crew that delivers good service

I stayed at the Pousada de São Francisco, Beja, Largo D. Nuno Álvares Pereira
7801-901, Beja, tel: (+351) 284 313 580
Double rooms including breakfast from €90
For more info and special promotional rates visit www.pousadas.pt
Where history and the present collide. Staying here is a wonderful experience

For more info on Alentejo visit Turismo do Alentejo, www.visitalentejo.pt/en

For more info on Portugal visit visitportugal.com/en