Bag Lady

I love a good handbag. And given that most of the armful I own are old vintage, I especially love the ones built to last. No mean feat when it's not uncommon to have a bottle of wine stashed inside (for work purposes, obviously) along with the usual wallet/keys/sunglasses combo and any number of squashed sweets. So when I was asked to road test a bag made by Village England, I was delighted. Founded by Julia Dobson, ex-manager at Céline and her friend Eddie Knevett, former head of accessories at House of Fraser, Village England was created to fill a gap in the market - namely beautifully made, practical bags at a fraction of It bag prices (so last season, it's all about slow fashion now: do keep up). This is me with the Beamish, which I love because it's big but not too big, has pockets with zips and different length straps depending on how many hands you need free.

Photo: Juliette Neel
If you like the look of the Beamish, Julia's got one to give away to a KMWC reader (it's worth £250!). Just click here to visit Village England's website and leave your details. Usual T&Cs apply. In the meantime, we'll do wine. 

Current white in the fridge: Valdo Oro Puro Prosecco, £9.99 on offer (normally £13.49), Waitrose
I've tasted a lot of Prosecco wines recently (and wrote a piece on it for the paper here). This one is from the smart DOCG region of Valdobbiadene where some of the best Prosecco Superiore wines can be found. Made from the Glera grape, this one tastes of apples and pears but with a bit more weight to it than most. Simply gorgeous. 

Current red in the rack: Exquisite Collection New Zealand Pinot Noir 2013, £6.99, Aldi
The wines in Aldi's smart own label range are usually pretty good value for money but this one's outrageously good. Made in the south of the North Island, in a region called Wairarapa. And the fairly fussy Pinot Noir grape (it won't ripen properly unless the climate's just right: not too hot, not too cold, not too wet) seems to love it here. Ripe and juicy with plum fruits and a smoky kick, it's a bargain for Pinot. And you can fit two in the Beamish. 

Chin chin x

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