Most popular food reviews from the last 30 days
Domaine de la Grande Bellane Organic Côtes du Rhône Villages 2006 Review
SmartPlanet judgement: Although wine expert Chris Stroud did eventually get some flavours out of this wine -- and liked it -- we could practically only taste the alcohol. There isn't a lot of information about the vineyard it comes from, but we like the sound of its biodynamic methods and its Ecocert certification. We'd happily try out other vintages from this wine-maker.
Waitrose Italian Organic Bianco Moncaro 2007 Marche Review
SmartPlanet judgement: If this wine were a person, it probably wouldn't be pleased to be called "nice, but nothing special". But it is a wine and we don't mean it in a negative way. We appreciate there's a time and a place for this kind of dry, fresh, bog-standard wine and we just really like the fact that it's made from organic grapes. A little more specific information on the green and ethical aspects on vineyard and workers wouldn't have gone amiss.
ASDA Organics La Mancha Blanco 2006 Review
SmartPlanet judgement: We know we can't expect too much of a cheap product and let's face it, four squid for a wine is not a lot. Especially considering it's made from organic grapes. Taste-wise, we would buy this wine for kirs and the likes, but learning about ASDA's unethical ways of achieving low prices made us considerably less thirsty for this drink.
Marks & Spencer Organic Botteghino Chianti Review
SmartPlanet judgement: The wine is good and very drinkable but not extraordinary. We wouldn't pick it over a wine that comes with more specific information on the label or more details available online.
Valrhona Cao Grande Lait Review
SmartPlanet judgement: Good God, this tastes good. We think it's well worth the price, too, especially if you prefer milk to dark but still want to enjoy cocoa flavours. It's beautifully smooth, too, and the organic certification means GMs, chemicals and pesticides are kept out of the picture. We don't know much about its greenie creds, though, and wouldn't mind more info on the company.
Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate Review
SmartPlanet judgement: Green & Black's has its fans, and it's easy to see why. This Soil Association-certified organic milk chocolate is a cut above the bog standard ones out there and it doesn't taste fatty or burnt. The MD claims the company pays well for the cocoa beans it buys, which is great, but it doesn't carry the Fairtrade Mark or have any independent auditing, which is not so great. The taste is sugary and fairly flat, too, which is why we like G&B's bars with bits in them a lot more.
Choco-Lisa Classic Goat Milk Chocolate Review
SmartPlanet judgement: This isn't the kind of niche product that's only tolerated because there's no alternative, like the early days of gluten-free bread. It has its own, delicate taste -- the flavour comes from the sugar and the milk, not from the cocoa. We wish we knew more about how it's made.
Marks & Spencer Organic Fairtrade Milk Chocolate Review
SmartPlanet judgement: Marks & Spencer is rapidly becoming an option when we don't want to have to think too hard about the food shopping -- its green initiatives seem relatively sound to us. The Fairtrade Mark is an added reassurance on a product that may ride roughshod over delicate palates. Still, it has its own cocoa-rich character.
