When ALDI requested we review products from their ALDI Christmas range, we were all like ‘yeah, sure!!’ and then all like ‘but we can’t – there’s no ALDI in South Australia!…yet!’
So our good friends at ALDI sent us a little gourmet hamper. Obviously their lobster and prawns wouldn’t courier too well so we tried a selection of their non-perishables from their festive range of special buy-ins which, by the way, also includes Christmas decorations, a range of capsule coffees, and a three bird roast!
Bel and I decided to split the goodies down the middle. Bel took the cherry liqueurs, gingerbread house and French Champagne. I took the fudge, the truffles and the pinot noir.
First up let me just tell you a couple of things about me before I give my ‘review’. I don’t ‘do’ big discount stores unless I need toilet paper. It’s just not somewhere I would even think to visit for anything gourmet. I’m a local deli kinda girl. Secondly, my husband is in the wine trade so I am a total wine snob. I have been known to tip a whole bottle down the gurgler [or serve it to my in-laws] after just one sip if it doesn’t rate.
I am NOT easily impressed.
But the ALDI hamper did, in fact, impress me.
The Vinatero Wairarap Pinot Noir is delicious. Pinot Noir is one of my favourite wine styles and I drink a lot of it, so I reckon I know the good from the bad. This New Zealand wine has all the right flavours and is dangerously easy to drink. My husband, who was equally impressed, was quick to read the label to see if he could go direct but was disappointed to find out that it is made exclusively for ALDI! This vibrant drop is a steal at $14.99 and I would proudly serve it with Christmas lunch or anything really! Well played ALDI.
After enjoying such a sensational surprise wine with dinner, I served up the Salted Caramel Truffles ($7.99) and Clotted Cream Fudge with our regular, end-of-day cups of tea. They were the perfect accompaniment and just the right levels of sweet. With such smooth consistency and rich flavours, I confess to only putting a few out and hid the rest away for me to indulge all on my own for my daily 3 o’clock sweet cravings!
Bel was equally impressed with her goodies! As mentioned before, she claimed the French Champagne (and for those of you who know Bel, there’s no surprises there!), the DIY Gingerbread House and of course the clotted cream fudge and cherry liquers.
She was really impressed with the bright fruity flavour of the Monsigny Champagne Premier Cru ($29.99) and told me she found it really hard to stop at just one glass. Yeah right Bel, like you need an excuse. Not that champagne ever goes flat with Bel, but this one really impressed with the fine, persistent bubbles, and gorgeous fruity flavours. Now we’re not advocating the consumption of alcohol here, but when it tastes this good and you have an empty glass… and it went down really easily.
Bel’s kids at 3 and 5 are much younger than mine, and never having built a gingerbread house before, she claimed this one to test it out. Master 3 was super keen to help her put the house together so she decided to film the fun to show you just how much fun (and how easy) it was.
Now you know what they say about never working with kids or animals. Bel learnt first hand just how tricky filming with a 3-year old can be! So much so she created this very quick but funny outtakes video – take a minute to check it out below.
So now to the real thing! Watch how in 2 minutes we have created such an incredible looking gingerbread house- it was so quick and easy! The detail was amazing, the little people were named in under 30 seconds (Grandma, James & Alex of course!) and the whole thing was surprisingly easy, even Bel felt like she had it in the bag!
Best of all, master 3 was so proud of his achievements he didn’t want to devour the house as soon as it was finished, rather waiting for dad and big brother to return to ‘show off his achievements’. Such a gorgeous moment, over too soon, before he started to devour his handywork!
All in all, we were pretty impressed with the ALDI Christmas range we received. Given ALDI has a strong reputation for discount shopping, we were pleasantly surprised to receive such premium quality products. Well played ALDI, well played!
Merry Christmas!
Tan & Bel
xx
