Chocolate Opal Wine Review (M&S)

Every time I visit my sister in Cardiff and we go shopping there's a couple of musts on the to-do list. Firstly I have to pop into the Lego store and buy a Star Wars keyring for Bert's extensive collection. Secondly we have to visit the Rubis stand for a free sample of their chocolate red wine. 

Chocolate red wine you cry! That's disgusting! Maybe to your more refined palate the combination may sound abominable, but my sister and I think it's utterly delicious. The trouble is, it's not exactly a cheap bottle of plonk, and seeing as we're both students the closest we get to enjoying a bottle is the snifter we receive when detouring via the Rubis stand. 

A few weeks ago I was perusing M&S' wine section when buying our 'Dine In for £10' meal deal when I spotted not one, but two chocolate infused wines on their shelves! They're selling a red Chocolate Ruby (currently £7, reduced from £9) and a pale Chocolate Opal (half price at £4.50). I debated between the bottles, deciding to pick up a bottle for Christmas Day -it wasn't in the Dine In offer- before opting for the cheaper Opal wine of course. 

'Aromatised white wine with chocolate flavouring.' 

My mum-in-law looked extremely dubious when I offered her a glass of Chocolate Opal on Sunday afternoon post Christmas pudding with double cream and Biscoff Cheesecake, but it didn't take very long to persuade her to try "just a little glass." 

A little glass quickly turned into a couple of full glasses each, which should give you an indication of how delicious this wine truly was. It's a drink for sugar addicts only  though I'm afraid, it's so very sweet and tastes borderline liqueur-esque. M&S' Chocolate Opal is much more refreshing than Rubis though thanks to the white wine background that the chocolate flavour sits proudly at the forefront of. Talking of which, there's no doubting it's a chocolate flavour, and it's extremely moreish at that. 

A gentle word of warning, the wine is fortified (15%) and swiftly made me feel rather squiffy -although admittedly that might've been caused by the champers beforehand.

I loved the Opal so much that I returned to the store this afternoon to pick up a bottle (and contemplate the Ruby version) but they've completely sold out. If you're a wine loving, sweet toothed chocoholic with a generously stocked M&S nearby I suggest you pay a trip and stock up post-haste! 

9/10