An eclectic group of actors, comics and reality TV stars gathered at Shoreditch House last night to launch ActionAid's Millione Rosé - the £7.99 wine of which £1 of each bottle sold will be used to build schools in Sierra Leone. Having drunk quite a few glasses of it, Hot Dinners can report that Millione is a very palatable blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.Jerry Lockspeiser, a long-time supporter of the charity who came up with the concept, explained that at every stage of the wine's production people worked for free or cost, helping them to keep the price of the wine down. Already 100,000 bottles have been ordered by the likes of Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Laithwaites.
Helping keep the party going was mixologist Paul Tvaroh from Lounge Bohemia, who created a special cocktail made with Millione for the night.
Hot Dinners buttonholed actress Fay Ripley who has worked with ActionAid for a number of years. 'This is a no-brainer,' she told us, 'It's fabulous wine. In this day and age being able to enjoy myself and drink great wine but feel good about myself, it's a winning combination. I'm doing something for someone and having a good time.'
