The Wine & Whisky Thread [Archive] - The Art of Sound Forum

Marco

01-05-2008, 10:45

I've been meaning to start a thread on this for a while but kept forgetting to do it, so here it is! It will be updated regularly (by me at least!) and made into a sticky to form an effective reference point for anyone looking for a decent bottle of plonk or some quality real ale :cool:

I'm sure there are many of us here who enjoy real ale or a glass or three of vino, so let's hear your recommendations. I've deliberately mentioned real ale and not simply beer because this is a thread for connoisseurs, not for lager louts or Lambrini drinkers! :lol:

So which wines or ales have you enjoyed recently that were superb and offered excellent value for money?

Please include the name of the beer or wine, its price, and a brief description of how it tastes, or even food you've enjoyed with it and consider as a good accompaniment.

Which wines would you recommend for a special occasion?

Where do you normally buy your wine or real ale?

I'll start the ball rolling with a recommendation for a superb St-Émilion Grand Cru which Aldi are selling at the moment for £7.99 a bottle. Yes that's right - it's a total bargain and a wine of this quality would normally cost in the region of £18 per bottle in somewhere like Oddbins.

The relevant details are...

Name: Chateau Grand-Pey-Lescours.

Type: St-Émilion Grand Cru (Appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Controlée).

Grapes: 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc.

Alcohol content: 13% vol.

Price: £7.99

Importers description:

From a family-owned estate since 1924, located in the foothills of Saint-Émilion known for creating wines with mellow, silky, tannins, red berry flavours and spicy notes. 75% has been barrel-aged for 20 months to make it a perfect match for grilled meat, duck or lamb.

My comments:

We enjoyed this wine recently and it has all the hallmarks of good claret at a very affordable price. Buy now before stocks run out! :glug: :cheers:

Also from Aldi I bought six bottles of Schöfferhofer Hefeweizen (yeast and wheat beer), 5% vol, and it's superb! Anyone who likes quality Weissbier (e.g. Stevie boy) will love it. I forget how much it was but it certainly wasn't expensive.

Right, who's next with a wine or beer recommendation? :smoking:

Marco.

Filterlab

01-05-2008, 11:11

Real Ale always reminds me of the water left after doing the washing up.

Marco

01-05-2008, 11:13

You heathen! :lol:

And there was me thinking you had class ;)

Marco.

Filterlab

01-05-2008, 11:15

I do, that's why I don't drink working man's gunk. :lol:

I'm not really good with wines to be honest, although I always enjoy wine regardless of price. I'm quite a fan of Rosé in particular, always seems very drinkable and enjoyable, my favourite is Gallo White Grenache.

Not really a wine pro as you can tell. :)

Marco

01-05-2008, 12:06

I do, that's why I don't drink working man's gunk.

Is that a subtle euphemism? :lol:

I enjoy a chilled rosé in the summer, and there are some decent ones available these days.

Basically, avoid the low-grade 'blush' crap at around 8% vol, which is like diluted Ribena, and go for something with a decent alcohol content (say 11 or 12% vol) over £5 per bottle, particularly New World varieties, and you should have a pretty decent rosé. Don't over-chill it, though, or you will kill the flavour. That's the mistake most people make with white and rosé wines. I've even seen some people put ice in their wine!! :mental:

If you like white Grenache, oops that a bit 'blushy' :eyebrows:, you should try some Viognier or Orvieto. Both are gently fruity like white Grenache, but slightly drier and obviously are full-blown whites.

I'm much more of a red man myself, especially the 'big' full-bodied variety!

But then I'm really into nice food, which red wine goes exceptionally well with, and you're not :)

Marco.

lurcher

01-05-2008, 12:08

Real Ale always reminds me of the water left after doing the washing up.

I guess you have never looked at a properly kept and presented pint of real ale then?

Marco

01-05-2008, 12:12

Nick,

Wait until Steve comes along, he's the member of admin with a refined and knowledgeable palette for real ale :cool:

Marco.

Tony Moore

01-05-2008, 12:19

Hi All,

20th Chester Charity Beer Festival at the Vicar's Cross Rugby Club!

15th to 17th May. I'll be going on the Sat! You've just reminded me to get to the Mill Hotel and get my tickets! :cool:

Fave beers? Struggling Monkey, Dent Aviator. Titanic Iceberg. Enville White. Most of the stuff that the Harker's in Chester have on!

Cheers,
Tony

Mike

01-05-2008, 16:16

Here's a good excuse to try many a real ale and stuff yer face with lots of nice food: :eyebrows:

http://www.whitbyfolk.co.uk/

Cheers,
Mike.

stupinder

01-05-2008, 16:44

Currently reverted to being a lager lout -kronenbourg - as the giving up drinking didn't seem to be working. Just no wine now!
Previously i was mostly drinking Italian Rose at 1.75€ plus tva for 2 Litres.
Pretty much any decent bordeaux from 1995 or 2000 should be good for special occasions - my faves -Pomerol, Lallande de Pomerol amd Fronsac.
For a good white try Chateau haut Smith -no really - it's the chateau that oz clark? and that geezer off topgeer stopped at in france and did the Spa thingy.
Dunno what you'll pay in the UK tho'.

Mike

01-05-2008, 17:13

Currently reverted to being a lager lout -kronenbourg -

MMmmmm.... nice stuff. I nearly pickled myself with it when I lived in France for a while.

:glug:

Filterlab

01-05-2008, 17:53

I guess you have never looked at a properly kept and presented pint of real ale then?

Mate, I only live a few miles from Wandsworth, so all the pubs are swimming in the stuff round here. Not for me though, I'd be more tempted by the drip tray contents.

So go on, this is a forum, say it; "Young's is a terrible brewery" - say it just to prove that I can have possibly only tasted stuff by a terrible brewery and that I am completely wrong.

Oh, and I grew up in Norfolk and used to go to The Fur and Feather pub which adjoins the Woodford's brewery. But surely not, surely that's not a terrrible brewery too?!

Filterlab

01-05-2008, 17:56

Is that a subtle euphemism? :lol:

I enjoy a chilled Rosé in the summer, and there are some decent ones available these days....

I must try some more out, thing is I have to be careful with some reds / rosé as it can bring on REALLY bad heartburn, usually lasting for a week and rearing its ugly head at 2am every night. :(

I must admit to being rather particular to Port, but oddly I only like Port once it's very chilled. :scratch: :mental:

lurcher

01-05-2008, 18:47

Mate, I only live a few miles from Wandsworth, so all the pubs are swimming in the stuff round here. Not for me though, I'd be more tempted by the drip tray contents.

So go on, this is a forum, say it; "Young's is a terrible brewery" - say it just to prove that I can have possibly only tasted stuff by a terrible brewery and that I am completely wrong.

Oh, and I grew up in Norfolk and used to go to The Fur and Feather pub which adjoins the Woodford's brewery. But surely not, surely that's not a terrrible brewery too?!

No, not at all, I am rather fond of some of the products of Youngs. My point was that the dishwater reference makes me think you mean a cloudy liquid, and if beer is cloudy, then its probably far from its best. It should be a nice shiny liquid, with a strong pure colour.

Steve Toy

03-05-2008, 16:16

I used to enjoy a pint or 5 of Youngs Special when I visited London quite a lot during the nineties. My favourite all time ale also comes from the Smoke - Fullers ESB, followed closely by London Pride from the same brewery in Chiswick.

Iain Sinclair

03-05-2008, 18:43

I can thoroughly recommend Ch. Tour St Bonnet, Médoc, currently on special offer at Berry Bros at £10.75 a bottle for a case of 12. You could buy ten cases for the price of a Nordost cable!

greenhomeelectronics

04-05-2008, 08:17

I love any beers by Wychwood, try a Goliath or Hob Goblin, perfect when served cold on a warm summers evening. Lots of teh supermarkets keep it now including Morrisons and sainsburys. The Hogs Back Brewery between Farnham and Guildford do some excellent brews as well. Don't know how well distributed they are but well wortha try if you enjoy a good pint and live in the area.

Marco

04-05-2008, 16:39

I can thoroughly recommend Ch. Tour St Bonnet, Médoc, currently on special offer at Berry Bros at £10.75 a bottle for a case of 12. You could buy ten cases for the price of a Nordost cable!

Hi Alex,

I wholeheartedly agree and have enjoyed this wine on a few occasions. It's excellent and great value.

Today we enjoyed a rather fine 2006 Dolcetto d' Alba from the producer Renato Fenocchio, which we obtained from Tanners for £8.49.

It was beautifully rich and full-bodied with a very intense black berry colour and subtly spicy overtones that linger on the palate. Thoroughly recommended!

It went very well indeed with a roast rack of Welsh spring lamb, cooked pink in its jus, and served with Dauphinoise potatoes, mange-tout, baby carrots and asparagus :)

Marco.

John

08-05-2008, 12:40

Love some of those strong bottled ales from Belgium Leffe is a good place to start but the Abbey beers like red Chimay and Wastemalle tripple are great.
Wines well tend to like whites rather than reds Hamilton Russel make some good wines ; if you get the chance visit where they make them just stunning
Of course Cloudy bay always goes down well
But for night of seduction has to be either some realy good Champangne but thats another story
For some reason Olde roger turns me into Marvin the parnoid robert

Marco

09-05-2008, 13:16

Nice recommendations. I'm with you on Belgian beers. I get my fix (and German stuff) from here:

http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/acatalog/

They're an excellent company with a mind boggling level of choice! :cool:

For some reason Olde roger turns me into Marvin the parnoid robert

You've lost me there, John! :lol:

:confused:

Marco.

John

09-05-2008, 17:12

Marco

09-05-2008, 17:24

LOL. No worries, John. I just haven't heard of Marvin The Parnoid Robot :)

Was he/it some cartoon kind of cartoon character?

Marco.

Prince of Darkness

09-05-2008, 18:13

LOL. No worries, John. I just haven't heard of Marvin The Parnoid Robot :)

Was he/it some cartoon kind of cartoon character?

Marco.

I think that should be Marvin The Paranoid Android, a character from The Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy.:)

Marco

09-05-2008, 18:33

Ah, Kevin, thanks for that... I didn't really follow The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy that much. I only watched it occasionally.

I can see where John is coming from now :)

Marco.

John

09-05-2008, 20:30

Ah Yes Sorry its Marvin the Parnoid Android

Marco

10-05-2008, 13:45

Well, I've just enjoyed a none too shabby bottle of Rioja from Tesco's 'Finest' range with some extra matured Welsh beef sirloin steak, griddled under charcoals, and served with a béarnaise sauce, green beans, sautéed mushrooms, 'proper' French Fries, and a side salad. Yum! :smoking:

The wine is called Vina Maria, and it's a 2002 Reserva. I'm buggered if I can remember how much it was, though... Probably just short of a tenner. But you can really taste the aged for (6 years), 'oaky' quality and rich tannins this wine has. It is also silky smooth with a ripe 'jammy' quality and the traditional vanilla notes associated with a fine Rioja. Slurp! :cheers:

Right, after a somewhat boozy lunch I'm off to chill out to some quality choons... :band:

Laterz!

Marco.

Beechwoods

27-05-2008, 21:36

Olde Roger is a dark strong ale I have not drunk in years but when I did I would turn me into Marvin The Parnoid Robot I suddenly start talking deeply about life and the universe so my friends banned me from drinking it hahaha

I was just going to extoll the virtues of 'Owd Rodger' (for it is he) 7.6% of the most amazing elixir ever... the wife treated me to a case of 12 from some internet emporium having come across a bottle or two on holiday, and I guess I'm about half way through the shipment.

Adnams Broadside is great. Sainsbury's stock it, Tescos recently discontinued their stock...

As a session ale I like Tesco's 3% 'Best Bitter'.

Old Peculiar is a regular favourite.

And Uley Old Spot on draught when I'm out in the country.

Oh yes :cool:

The Grand Wazoo

28-05-2008, 17:37

It was Owd Roger that nearly caused my death by alcohol as a student!

Nowadays, however, as a sophisticated adult in responsible employment, I nearly kill myself with far posher drinks than that.

Filterlab

09-07-2008, 21:16

Lately I've been trying many many Rosé wines, and whilst I love them all, I have found that some of them give me deadly heartburn. Typical for something pleasurable. :)

Marco

10-07-2008, 08:42

You're not supposed to eat the cork, too. That's where you're going wrong mate ;)

Marco.

Filterlab

10-07-2008, 08:47

The cork's not a problem, it's chewing the bottle that hurts the most.

Marco

27-07-2008, 23:20

Hi Daniel,

That would be great as I love wine but my knowledge of Spanish wines isn't on the same level as for example Italian and French wines so your expertise in that area would be much appreciated :)

I love big, 'powerful', rich full-bodied reds, hence why I mentioned Rioja. My favourites are Faustino Gran Reserva and Marques de Riscal. But if you can recommend me something of that nature which is outside of the mainstream, and providing I can get it, I would be very interested.

Perhaps you could contribute to this thread:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=506

Marco.

Daniel

31-07-2008, 15:03

I was in debt with you all and Marco reminded me that today.

I can suggest this spanish wines:

1.- Azpilicueta (Rioja, Crianza, 2005): made from Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo grapes. 12 month in wood cask and another 12 month in bottle. The character of a Rioja but with rounded edges. This wine is a best seller in my restaurant. You can find it in Spain for 7€ in a supermarket.

2.- Muga (Rioja, Crianza, 2004): 70% tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano y Mazuelo. 24 month in wood barrel. A true classic Rioja lots of body. More expensive than the other one, maybe 12€ in a supermarket.

3.- Condado de Oriza (Ribera del Duero, Crianza, 2003): One of my favorite and pretty unknown Ribera. It has what I look for in red wine: long and elegant in mouth that you taste gently until the end. You don´t have to figth with it to undestand it and enjoy it. In a spanish supermarket: 6€.

My advice: Don´t waste lots of money on wines. There are "crianzas" that are pretty good for much less than "reservas". And don´t forget: take advantage of the broad competition in wine market.

Peter Stockwell

06-08-2008, 08:42

Daniel, Marco

I like spanish plonk too. There's some truly excellent wines in spain. I lived in pamplona for a while just after Franco.

But for a quick taste and to see if you want to go further, Yous should try a Taja, it's a Jumilla and it's not expensive. It should fit your base requirements.

I'll be going to andalucia in November and I'd likey to have an idea of what to look out for.

OTOH, I'd be really thrilled if someone would give me some vega sicilia ;)

cheers

Daniel

17-08-2008, 20:05

I'd be really thrilled if someone would give me some vega sicilia

Don´t waste your money on Vega Sicilias, instead try "Alión" a very good Ribera from the same wine maker.

Marco

17-08-2008, 21:12

Guys,

Some good tips here. I will come back to this thread later :)

Today we enjoyed a lovely bottle of 2004 Chateau Des Abeilles Saint-Émilion, so not Spanish, but very good nonetheless!

Marco.

Peter Stockwell

19-08-2008, 14:00

Don´t waste your money on Vega Sicilias, instead try "Alión" a very good Ribera from the same wine maker.

what kind of price ?

Daniel

20-08-2008, 08:41

what kind of price ?

The cheapest Vega Sicilia can be found in a spanish restaurant for not less 200€. Instead, Alión could be worth 60€.

Marco

20-08-2008, 09:30

200 Euros!! I like nice wine, Daniel, but I would never pay that for it in a restaurant.

I like to pay for wine, not people's expenses and overheads...

Forget restaurant prices - how much is it direct from a farm or vineyard in the area of production? ;)

Marco.

Mike

20-08-2008, 09:34

200 Euros!! I like nice wine, Daniel, but I would never pay that for it in a restaurant.

I don't think I'd pay that anywhere!

It'd be a waste if I did, rather like feeding strawberry's to a Donkey! :eyebrows:

Marco

20-08-2008, 09:49

Indeed, Mike. The point I was making was that if you were paying 200 Euros per bottle direct from a farm in Spain then it would have to be bloody good stuff!!

Whereas in a restaurant there is usually a 100-200% mark-up, so wine priced at 200 Euros a bottle has a true value of only a fraction of that amount.

I love Brunello di Montalcino, Barolo, Amarone, and the best Chianti, but when I'm in Italy I never order it at a restaurant. Instead I go to a vineyard in the area of production and buy direct - fortunately there are quite a few where our house is in Tuscany :)

Or we make our own cheap (but very drinkable) table wine from the small vineyard in our grounds.

The car is always overflowing with bottles of wine, bought in both Italy and France, on the journey back home to the UK! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Daniel

21-08-2008, 08:11

As I´ve told you before: "Don´t waste money in Vega Sicilias".

I think you will pay from 120 to 150 € for a Vega in a store.

I doubt it can be sold directly from the winemaker.

My experience advices me to look for the so called "cheaper" wines and really good ones you´ll find. I mean for "cheaper" no more than 5€ for a Ribera del Duero. There is too much competition due to production in the wine world.

Marco

21-08-2008, 08:27

I doubt it can be sold directly from the winemaker.

Of course you can if you're willing to buy a few cases. And if it's anything like in Italy you can even buy small barrels of wine (say Barolo) from farms in the local wine producing area, or something almost identical which doesn't have a 'prestige' label ;)

Marco.

Peter Stockwell

21-08-2008, 08:40

The cheapest Vega Sicilia can be found in a spanish restaurant for not less 200€. Instead, Alión could be worth 60€.

200€ is too rich for me! But I'll look for Alion at a Bodega.

Thanks for the tip!

Daniel

21-08-2008, 17:24

something almost identical which doesn't have a 'prestige' label

It might be possible. But you´ll never get a Vega direct from the winemaker, it´s like wanting to buy a Mercedes direct from the factory.

But I'll look for Alion at a Bodega

As I gave restaurant price for Alion I believe it´s possible to get one for 35 € in a store.

One more tip: Pago de Carraovejas, a "boutique" Ribera. Small quantities production. A fashion wine in Spain. It´s not what I like, too hard to swallow. It´s like you are being challenged by the wine instead of enjoying it slowly, piece by piece. Price: a little bit more than Alión.

Finally, I´m greatly surprised that all of you are very conscious when spending money on wine.You know, in wine are too many fashions -and fiascos- as in, let´s say, the audio industry. In the end is only wine, it´s not an elixir for eternal life or to stop losing hair. I put into practice the same assesment method when buying audio gear: it´s only audio gear and it can´t cost as much as a car for instance.

I´m sorry that this: "Hello from..." took the road of the wine market.

Now, I´m going to drink a Cinzano Rosso with Bombay Saphire with lots sof ice and keep enjoying Steely Dan.

Maybe, I´ll open a new thread on pure malt whiskies. I´m sure you have some precious tips to give.

Mike

21-08-2008, 18:47

I´m sorry that this: "Hello from..." took to road of the wine market.

Maybe, I´ll open a new thread on pure malt whiskies. I´m sure you have some precious tips to give.

There's actually a wine & beer thread round here somewhere! :scratch:

As for single malt, try 'The Balvenie - Founders Reserve'. http://www.thebalvenie.com/

Lovely stuff. :)

Marco

22-08-2008, 08:21

It might be possible. But you´ll never get a Vega direct from the winemaker, it´s like wanting to buy a Mercedes direct from the factory.

That's interesting, Daniel. I won't argue because you're much more familiar with Spanish wines (and Spain!) than I am :)

However in France and Italy, where I have lots of wine buying experience, it is possible to buy any wine (no matter how famous/prestigious the label) direct from the grower if you're willing to buy in bulk and can speak the language, although sometimes contacts and special introductions are useful or necessary.

If you're clever though you can obtain 'as near as damn it' the same quality of wine (minus the 'famous label') from small lesser known makers in the region of production and save an absolute fortune. This is certainly true, for example, in the St Émilion/Bordeaux area of France.

I like fine wine but I *HATE* (and won't) pay inflated prices!

Marco

Prince of Darkness

22-08-2008, 13:07

There's actually a wine & beer thread round here somewhere! :scratch:

As for single malt, try 'The Balvenie - Founders Reserve'. http://www.thebalvenie.com/

Lovely stuff. :)

Agreed, one of my favourites as well. Amazing to think that this is distilled literally next door to Glenfiddich, by the same company!:cheers:

Daniel

22-08-2008, 19:50

I like fine wine but I *HATE* (and won't) pay inflated prices!

I fully agree.

Today, I bought a "cabernet sauvignon", made in "El Penedés", Cataluña, for 6 €. Cabernet sauvignon is a kind of wine that I used to like a lot while living in Uruguay. The best cabernet sauvignon wines in that area are made by Chile, Uruguay and Argentina (in that "personal" order). In the other hand, they are not as popular in Spain as a Rioja. I´ll let your know how good or bad is this wine.

As for single malt, try 'The Balvenie - Founders Reserve'

I´ll try to find "The Balvenie" in Spain.

I really like "The Macallan". I love the delicate taste of wood -BTW casks made with spanish wood, I think oak, but not sure.

Prince of Darkness

22-08-2008, 21:26

I´ll try to find "The Balvenie" in Spain.

I really like "The Macallan". I love the delicate taste of wood -BTW casks made with spanish wood, I think oak, but not sure.

The Macallan is matured in sherry casks, they are made from oak, as is usual for for whisky maturation. Scotch whisky is usually matured in casks that have beeen used before, most commonly Bourbon (U.S. law prevents distillers using casks more than once, so it suits both Scottish and U.S. distilleries), though some use has been made of new wood. Other sources of casks have included Port, Madeira and various other wines, with varying results.
In the case of Balvenie, the Founders Reserve 10 year old has been discontinued, though it is still widely available (at least in the U.K.). This is a great shame, as it is superior to the 12 year old Doublewood (in my opinion), which is now the basic version.:(

Daniel

23-08-2008, 08:37

The Macallan is matured in sherry casks, they are made from oak,

That´s it: "sherry casks", and I believe some are made in Galicia.

Peter Stockwell

24-08-2008, 18:26

Finally, I´m greatly surprised that all of you are very conscious when spending money on wine.You know, in wine are too many fashions -and fiascos- as in, let´s say, the audio industry. In the end is only wine, it´s not an elixir for eternal life or to stop losing hair. I put into practice the same assesment method when buying audio gear: it´s only audio gear and it can´t cost as much as a car for instance

I agree with the basic sentiment of what you say, but, personally, I think a true enthusiast would pay much moe for their audio system than a worthless piece of junk that is a car. Afterall, if ity were possible, many of us would sooner use public transport than a car, no ?

Anyway, I was without a car for 18 years. I didn't have any use fpr one. Now I drive to work everyday, because it's quicker; but my audios sytem, if I were to pay new prices cost much more than my car.

I have to add tha the discovery of the bereford Dac and the Technics sl1210 has severely dented that rationale.

regards

Peter

P.S. Just downed some very nice 2002 Coteaux du Languedoc ;)

Beechwoods

13-10-2008, 17:56

Just enjoying a very nice glass of Marks And Spencer's Organic Ale, 6%. It really is top notch. I don't normally hold out much hope for own-brand beers, but this one is a real favourite...

:cheers: :cool:

Marco

13-10-2008, 18:45

Nice one, Beechy. I'll give it a go. I wonder if our resident expert connoisseur of fine ales, Mr Toy, has sampled that one? :cool:

Marco.

Beechwoods

13-10-2008, 18:52

I guarantee; if you like strong beers, you'll love it. Let me know how you get on!

Marco

15-10-2008, 19:54

Not tried the M&S beer yet but I can thoroughly recommend some excellent red wines on special offer from Sainsbury's:

Roc De Lussac - 2006 Lussac Saint-Émilion (appellation Lussac Saint-Émilion contrôlée), reduced from £10.99 to £5.99 a bottle.

This is a stonkingly good claret with bags of depth and finesse which one expects of a good Saint-Émilion, and represents extraordinarily good value. I've paid three times that amount and more for claret and it's been no where near as good; one to savour. Ideal with a nice Sunday roast!

Another in a similar category is a 2004 Chateau Blaignan Médoc (appellation Médoc contrôlée), reduced from £9,99 to £4.99 a bottle. It doesn't quite have the silky finesse of the Lussac, but plenty of full-on tanins due to some decent bottle aging from a 2004 vintage. Again, this is a real bargain if you like good quality claret.

Last but most certainly not least is a very fine Tempranillo from the La Mancha area of Spain called Castillo De Calatrava, reduced from £9.99 to £4.99. This is a 1998 Gran Reserva (no less!) and is big, bold and juicy in the way of a top quality Rioja, with similar oaky vanilla overtones; great with a curry or perhaps a nice beef Wellington.

Anyway, I'd advise anyone interested in these wines to get along to their nearest Sainsbury's and snap them up because at those prices they're bound to sell out fast! :cheers:

Marco.

Tony Moore

16-10-2008, 07:46

Last but most certainly not least is a very fine Tempranillo from the La Mancha area of Spain called Castillo De Calatrava, reduced from £9.99 to £4.99. This is a 1998 Gran Reserva (no less!) and is big, bold and juicy in the way of a top quality Rioja, with similar oaky vanilla overtones; great with a curry or perhaps a nice beef Wellington.

I'll go along with that! My wife Liz loves this particular red. It seems that Sainsbury's manage to do "1/2 price" reds that are really decent and yet the whites never really seem to measure up. I wonder why that is?

Cheers,
Tony

Cotlake

17-10-2008, 00:51

It's because all their bottle stoppers are taken up in your CDP and Dac :lolsign:

Historicus

28-10-2008, 21:15

As italian I must suggest a bottle of Amarone from Verona, a superb red wine. Price is high but worth.
Everyone says Montepulciano but there is even a cheaper Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo that isn't so bad. These are some red wine hints.

Rare Bird

05-12-2008, 07:14

Been downing Jacobs Creek 'Shiraz Cabernet' for the last fortnight.Does me at 14.0% but i frefer slightly weaker vol alchol..Used to 12-12.5% Vol.

Beechwoods

24-12-2008, 19:30

River Cottage Stinger Ale (a nettle ale, subtle citrus flavour) - in conjunction with Badger Ales, 4.5%. Very tasty and great aroma too. A smorgasbord for the senses ;)

Beechwoods

06-01-2009, 13:54

Mine's a pint of shandy. I'm driving :)

Steve Toy

06-01-2009, 15:51

Fullers ESB

Filterlab

06-01-2009, 16:17

Stella, and lots of it. :)

Beechwoods

06-01-2009, 16:26

Fullers ESB

I love ESB. Very much a fave in bottles. And McEwans Champion Ale... Friday evening nectar :)

I can't say I care much for the old 'wife beater' Rob! I'm definitely a fan of the dark stuff :)

Filterlab

06-01-2009, 16:51

Man, I love the Stella, but it goes down so fast. Not keen on ales to be honest, never really floated my boat.

Beechwoods

06-01-2009, 18:49

When I was younger I had that problem. 5 pints of Stella and then I'd wonder why I got p---ed so fast! Then I realised. 4.7% versus 3.5% for a decent bitter :) Strong beers though are the best, and porters :) :) :)

Steve Toy

06-01-2009, 19:21

Rob,

You need to try some decent pils type beers. Stella aint one of them!

In the pubs you might be lucky to find Budvar from the Czech Republic. That's a step in the right direction. Then you've got a whole range of German stuff.

Veltins pils from Dusseldorf is one of my faves or Augustiner from Munich.

Beechwoods

06-01-2009, 19:27

Budvar Dark is a big favourite of mine... if you see it anywhere try it.

Steve Toy

06-01-2009, 20:09

I'm less keen on the dark versions of Czech/Slovak beers with one exception - Martinsky Porter from the Slovak town of Martin.

Beechwoods

06-01-2009, 20:21

I will keep an eye out for that. There's one other Czech black lager I like - by the Pivovar Herold Březnice brewery. Tesco sell it. Nice when I fancy something dark and smooth...

Steve Toy

07-01-2009, 02:13

I doubt you'll find the Martinsky pivo in the UK. I lived in Slovakia back in '94 and this was when I tried it - in Martin. It wasn't even widely available elsewhere in the Czech/Slovak republics.

Herold black is rather nice, come to think of it, and used to be on sale in Wetherspooons. The pilsner version is also rather refreshing.

Don't be put off decent pils type beers - with your eyes closed they taste like proper beer, unlike Stella Fartois. The Czech pilsners have a very distinct tangy hop aroma, all of them. In a blind sniff test I can definitely tell if a beer is Czech.

German beers vary widely despite the fact they are all brewed to reinheitsgebot purity (water, malt, yeast and hops only). Some are dry and crisp, some are quite bland (Karlsberg Urpils from Saarland being a prime example), some are distinctly yeasty - Bitburger. The very best to my tastes are malty with a bitter/sweet aftertaste like Bischoff from Winweiler in Reinland Pfalz or the southern beers in general from the Stuttgart and Munich areas.

Spaten Pils from Munich available from all Aldi stores is rather good too at £1.19 a 500ml bottle. The East German Wernesgruner also available from Aldi is also distinctive although such bottled versions do er on the side of being overly rich. Occasionally the 5 litre kegs for a tenner are to be snapped up.

Then there are the wheat beers. All are pleasnt with the exception of Erdinger - the most widely available which is overly smooth, sweet and slightly sickly. The better ones have more bite with a citrus/bitter finish. Franziskaner is probably my favourite.

Filterlab

07-01-2009, 11:32

It never fails to amaze me that when I state that my favourite lager is Stella, everyone assumes I've never drunk anything else! I've been right across Europe, from Czechoslovakia to Germany and sampled more beers and lagers than I care to remember, I've sampled so many ales that I'm surprised my urine isn't brown (I grew up in Norfolk remember) and I've sunk many odd concoctions that only barely resemble something fit for human consumption.

But, with all that drinking and sampling, I like nothing more than a cold bottle of Stella or ten. :) Just my preference.

Steve Toy

07-01-2009, 11:40

Fair enough. Have you also tried Maas, Jupiler and Loburg from Belgium? They are all on a par with Stella although my preference leans towards Jupiler.

Marco

07-01-2009, 12:34

I think that whilst Rob obviously knows what he likes and has sampled many examples of the breed at some stage in his beer drinking life, Steve is ultimately the lager/beer connoisseur amongst us ;)

There's nothing wrong with enjoying Stella, though, if that's what hits the spot! :cool:

Marco.

Beechwoods

08-01-2009, 19:08

Steve definitely knows his beer, you're right there. So where's the best ever pub for real ale, or the most interesting, at least :)

anthonyTD

08-01-2009, 19:34

Steve definitely knows his beer, you're right there. So where's the best ever pub for real ale, or the most interesting, at least :)
beechy,
how's your head after that strong ale you were sampling earlier on in this thread!:lolsign:

Beechwoods

08-01-2009, 20:01

Oooh I've had practice enough so I don't get headaches ;) at least I like to pace myself :lol:

anthonyTD

08-01-2009, 20:19

Oooh I've had practice enough so I don't get headaches ;) at least I like to pace myself :lol:

:lolsign:

shuggz

23-01-2009, 10:25

Beers to try

Punk IPA - brewdog company - tescos
Helter skelter - Oakham brewery
Atiila - Okham brewery (I think, couldn't focus)
Jaipur - Thornbridge Brewery
Supreme - Nottingham brewery
Nirvana - no idea if someone finds out let me know
Timothy Taylors Landlord
Blue Monkey - some mob in the wilds of Derbyshire
Bishops farewell - Oakham Brewery

Ciders

Moonshine - some crazy hick in Cornwall

Covenant

27-01-2009, 20:51

Over Christmas I opened a box of assorted wines received as a pressy and found a half bottle of white wine. I didnt pay much attention to the label at the time and sat down with it to listen to some music.
Now I am a red wine fan, this was a white dessert wine so I was amazed to be drinking one of the nicest and most complex beverages I have experienced.
All that stuff about hints of vanilla etc....
So try a half bottle of Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora for a change........

chris@panteg

28-01-2009, 00:43

A few real ale recommendations from me

Black sheep

Cameron strong arm

Sam smiths old brewery

London pride

Badger golden glory

Cains formidable ale

everards tiger

chris@panteg

28-01-2009, 00:45

OHH i almost forgot my local tipple brewed just down the road

Good old hooky norton bitter

jimdgoulding

28-01-2009, 07:57

Oh my God, Muscat? Don't imagine many California wines make it to merry old, you know, but an Innisfield '05 cab is a delicious little lil bit of grape and meditation if you can find one, promise. A month in London and Fuller's ESB was my delight. That make me a commoner? Of course, it helped that it was the house brew in my walkup hotel. And I'd stay there again next chance I get and resume my diet, you bet yer arse I would!

Covenant

28-01-2009, 09:36

Marco

28-01-2009, 10:10

Mike

13-02-2009, 23:52

Indeed. In general I'd rather have Californian than Australian wine (red or white), as I find the latter much too heavily 'oaked'. Argentina and South Africa produce some fantastic wines, too.

As a rule though I'm more of an 'old world' chap, and thus mostly drink French, Italian and Spanish wine, or sometimes even Greek. It appeals more to my palette :)

Marco.

Fanny!

I've just popped open an ice cold bottle of 'OP' :)

That's 'Theakston's Old Peculier (http://www.theakstons.co.uk/brewery/index.html)' for those that aren't familiar with the term. A real drink! ;)

Marco... You really MUST come to that pub in the dales' I posted about ages ago. They serve the best! :smoking:

Beechwoods

14-02-2009, 00:09

I've just popped open an ice cold bottle of 'OP'

... one of my all-time fave beers that, Enjoy! If you like an ol' Perc, you'll like Exmoor Beast (http://www.exmoorales.co.uk/ea_beast.html) too. Oh Yes :drunk:

Mike

14-02-2009, 00:11

OP is best served cool and by draft. But that's currently impossible, no way I'm driving! :lol:

Mike

14-02-2009, 00:13

Bah... 'Beast' is a porter, and far too young to be a serious contender!

'Invented' in 1992!... Pffffffffft! :doh:

Tolstoi

26-02-2009, 19:23

Ok, here is what I like to drink :) :

Svedka - great Vodka from Sweden, best when you drink it cold and pure.

Donne del Sole - red wine from Sicilly, about 3.75€ the bottle and it's wine for lets say every day use.
Primitivo - from Salento about 5 - 7€. Great wine.
Negro Amaro - Sicilly about 5€, also very good.

Unfortunately I've lost track of all those good spanish ones I used to like, heavy and rich red wines. I have to take a closer look next time in the wine shop and taste a few.

Beer - Hefe Weizen from Franziskaner, Maisels and Erdinger - can't wait for the good temperatures to come out when a cold beer tastes best.

Cheers

Joerg

sanchezxxx

26-02-2009, 21:31

I often drink wines from £5 to £50. Great everyday red's can be has easily at M&S. Try the Secano or Clocktower pinot noir's at £6.99 and £12.99 respectively, both are fantastic.

Steve Toy

27-02-2009, 04:08

Beer - Hefe Weizen from Franziskaner, Maisels and Erdinger - can't wait for the good temperatures to come out when a cold beer tastes best.

The Franziskaner is my wife's favourite beer. We often drink it at the Old Joint Stock in Birmingham. The pub backs directly onto another pub called the Wellington where you can get the Maisels which I prefer. I'm not terribly keen on Erdinger though as I find it overly smooth/sweet.

I do have to be in the mood for wheat beer (as you say, warm weather) otherwise it's a good robust pils like Bischof from Winweiler, Veltins, alt from Dusseldorf or kellerbier for me.

Spod

20-03-2009, 18:09

Can't let a thread on such an important topic as this fade away....

Favourite ale is Double Maxim, a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it beer, but I can't get enough of it. A definite drown-your-sorrows after the match pint. Pretty much unique taste, its big brother is Maximus which you can get from Tescos but at 6.5% is a bit much for a session.

For a golden summer beer I'd have to recommend Wylam Gold Tankard. Not easy to find but worth the search. I especially recommend travelling to the brewery for the tour - they complain if you don't drink enough!

Beechwoods

20-03-2009, 19:47

I'm currently enjoying a 7.3% McEwan's Champion. Absolutely delicious :)

Prince of Darkness

20-03-2009, 20:18

Favourite ale is Double Maxim, a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it beer, but I can't get enough of it. A definite drown-your-sorrows after the match pint. Pretty much unique taste,

One of the three classic North-east brown ales, along with Fed' High Level and the better known Newcastle Brown:drunk:
Brings back memories of the old Vaux brewery that used to brew Double Maxim and Lorimers Best Scotch (one of my main drinks at one time):)

Spod

20-03-2009, 22:50

One of the three classic North-east brown ales, along with Fed' High Level and the better known Newcastle Brown:drunk:
Brings back memories of the old Vaux brewery that used to brew Double Maxim and Lorimers Best Scotch (one of my main drinks at one time):)May be seen as a wimps drink but I love Scotch, such a shame its so difficult to find now. The archetypal drink all night, talking rubbish, no hangover pint.

But please, please, don't class Maxim alongside the evil "N******le" liquid manure. Completely different and superior ale - and now, after its Stockport sojourn, brewed again in Sunderland. Hoorah!

Marco

20-03-2009, 23:28

Hi Spod,

Can't let a thread on such an important topic as this fade away....

It won't because the thread is a 'sticky' :)

All this talk of alcohol is killing me as I'm off it for Lent! No wine or beer, or anything like that for six weeks. Only three more to go... :(

Marco.

Spod

21-03-2009, 00:05

Oh dear Marco, you disappoint me.

I googled. Proper adherence of Lent means one meal a day with meat, fish, milk products and eggs forbidden, marriages cannot be "celebrated", no dancing, no entertainment (i.e no hi-fi!)

But alcohol goes unmentioned.

i.e. no music, no "intimacy", no fry-ups, no chocolate. But beer=good.

Googled further. And further. And further. Apparently catholics are now allowed to eat lard (yum?!) but orthodox Christians have to avoid wine and oil.

I liked this: "One common theme is desserts, with sweet foods taking the place of meat."

And at no time and no religion is beer seen as a bad thing during Lent as far as I can determine.

And just to add to the fun.. http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2008/03/_we_stopped_by.php

Cheers! (go on Marco, you know you want to!!!!)

Beechwoods

21-03-2009, 06:50

no dancing, no entertainment

:scratch: surely... shoooreley... alcohol comes under the no entertainment category :) If it doesn't you're not enjoying it enough!

Marco

21-03-2009, 16:10

Hi Spod,

Not many people these days follow it strictly to the letter; normally it's just a case of doing without something you really enjoy (in my case nice wine - I'm less of a beer fan) or simply going to church and praying more! As I'm a nice, shy, quiet boy and never sin that would be pointless :eyebrows: :lol:

;)

Marco.

Beechwoods

21-03-2009, 16:17

It's why they invented Purgatory, Marco ;)

Spod

03-04-2009, 21:34

Just got back from Newcastle Beer Festival, so excuse any typos. Can I just say, for anyone who judges beer by the stink, aka bouquet, St George brewery's "Friar Tuck".

Worra utter gorgeous smell. Pint of caramel, yes please.

Marco

03-04-2009, 21:42

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later! :lolsign:

;)

Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

Haselsh1

03-04-2009, 22:08

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later! :lolsign:

;)

Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

Animals...!!!

Spod

03-04-2009, 22:14

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later! :lolsign:

;)

Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

One of the few advantages of age - experience, not only is my bed made but I have the "puking bucket" next to it along with with paper towels and a large glass of water. Oh yes, been there, done that, more than once!!!!

(p.s how come there's abusive and drinking smillies but no pukey smilies??)

Barry

04-04-2009, 20:46

Having mentioned wine as one of my interests in my introductory posting to the AOS forum, I notice that you already have a thread going that caters for this interest and other matters alcoholic, so I’ll add my contribution.

Like a lot of things, I know what I like, rather than why I like, so don’t expect any in-depth tasting notes (or any notes at all).

Beer

The following is a list, in no particular order, of the beers that I like:

Bass
Wadworth ‘6X’
Fuller’s ‘London Pride’ and ‘ESB’
Marston’s ‘Pedigree’
Burton IPA
Theakston’s 'Olde Peculiar’
Courage ‘Director’s’ (Don’t laugh, I was weaned on Courage)
Sharp’s ‘Doon Bar’
SA Brain’s ‘Reverend James’
Green King ‘Speckled Hen’
Ruddles ‘County’

When the Bass is on top form, it is ‘nectar’ and then my favourite beer.

I don’t know too much about Belgian beers, apart from thoroughly enjoying a couple of bottles of ‘Leffe’ a few months ago.

One beer that has become a particular favourite of mine over the last couple of years is
Conwy ‘Honey Fayre’.
This is a live bottled beer, 4.5% ABV, brewed along with a couple of other recipes by a microbrewery just outside Conwy, see www.conwybrewery.co.uk for details.

As for lagers, I like Czech Budwar and Italian Nastro Azzuro. I do tend only to drink lager in the summer.

Whisky

Laphroiagh (my favourite)
Aberlour
Lagavulin
Auchentoshan (not that I can afford it)

Whiskey (spot the pedant)

Bushmills

Armagiac

Janneau XO Royal

Most of the time I enjoy Tesco Armagnac VSOP 40%. At around £16 for a 70cl bottle this is a remarkably smooth brandy and good value for money.

Wine

I prefer red wine and tend to go for French wines. This is not out of any sense of snobbery; rather I have just drunk more of them, so know what I like.

Rhone region:

Chateauneuf du Pape
Cotes du Rhone

Burgundy region:

Nuits St George

Bordeaux region (my main interest):

St Emilion
Margeaux

Of these I have recently enjoyed, inter alia, the following:

Chateau Grand Saint-Andre, 2003, Bordeaux AOC
Chateau Gachon Cuvee Saint-Georges, 2004, Montagne Saint- Emilion AOC
Chateau la Fleur Blanchon, 2005, Lussac Saint-Emilion AOC.

I have half a case of the Chateau Castelbruck, 2004, Margeaux AOC and a whole case of the 2005 to look forward to.

Other reds that I like are Spanish Rioja, and Italian Barolo.

Of white wine, I like Chablis, white Burgundy and Pouilly Fumee from the Loire valley. One of my favourites (readily obtainable in Tesco) is the Italian Castel de Jesu Verdicchio.

All this is making me feel thirsty – I think I’ll go and open a bottle of the Conwy Honey beer.

Cheers

Barry

Haselsh1

04-04-2009, 21:10

I love whisky with my first choice being Port Ellen and my second choice being Ardbeg of around 1978 vintage. Then I like whiskey with my favourite being Woodford Reserve.

If I have to choose a good wine it would have to be a South East Australian Shiraz along the lines of a Hardy's or a good reserve Chardonnay from Hardy's also.

For beer it's gotta be a fab pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord served at the White Swan Hotel in Pickering, North Yorkshire.

Food to accompany these delights would be nothing with whisky apart from a seriously good music/hi-fi session on vinyl but some form of Tapas or Greek Salad with a white wine whilst sitting in the garden on a summers day. Red wine would be a rather nice cheese whilst enjoying the company of close friends. Beer...? A nice lunchtime session...!!!

Marco

12-04-2009, 14:36

Beechwoods

12-04-2009, 15:48

I always feel sorry for the baby carrots... :lol:

Marco

12-04-2009, 16:01

Whyz dat, shweety? :)

Marco.

Mike

12-04-2009, 18:01

Beechwoods

12-04-2009, 18:21

Hopback 'Entire' Stout. A Wiltshire local brewer of repute.

Plus a Porky Pie + Salad. Yum Yum!

Marco

12-04-2009, 19:23

It's all good :cool:

Marco.

Steve Toy

13-04-2009, 11:24

The Old Joint Stock and The Wellington after a curry in Brum beckon today. The first pub above sells all the Fullers beers including the venerable ESB and I will limit myself to one pint of that. The other pub serves up to 16 real ales, two German and a Czech beer on draught. No more than 2 ales in total before I move onto sugar free German beer.

Beechwoods

13-04-2009, 11:33

ESB. An extremely nice beer. Very tasty, but like you say, one to be taken in moderation!

Marco

13-04-2009, 13:01

Stevie boy, we must venture into Brum sometime when I'm down so I can sample the delights of these fine ales of which you mention...

There is a train service direct from Wrexham to Birmingham, so I could always meet you there and we could taxi it on to wherever is necessary :cool:

I presume that nice food is also available, as you know me, I never drink on an empty stomach.

Obviously driving is out of the question if we're going to have a sesh-ette :eyebrows:

Here's the website of that lovely little pub I was talking about where we had lunch on the way back from London last week (just off the M40):

http://www.thehalf-moon.com/ Click on 'Wine List' to see a bit of the interior. Unfortunately it doesn't show the bar with its fine selection of local real ales...

Bloody superb though in every way. It's probably the finest country pub I've ever been in. Exactly my kind of place - I just wish it was nearer!

Marco.

Barry

14-04-2009, 20:06

...and after 6 weeks without alcohol I can enjoy some nice red wine! :)

Currently slurping a rather lovely Haut-Médoc (Chateau Lanessan 2004) along with some roast Guinea Fowl wrapped in Serrano ham in a mushroom and Madeira sauce with Dauphinoise potatoes, asparagus and baby carrots...

:cheers:

Marco.

Nice choice.

Over Easter I was enjoying Welsh saltmarsh lamb with pommes Dauphinoise (snap!), chantenay carrots, peas and mushrooms, washed down with a Chateau Labat 2004 (also an Haut-Medoc). Later turned the left-over lamb into a shepherd's pie, this being accompanied by a bottle of Chateau Grand Saint-Andre 2003.

Salute

Barry

Marco

22-04-2009, 13:00

Barry

22-04-2009, 16:28

Barry, you are a man of some taste and discerning sophistication!

You bring a touch of class to the forum in more ways than one. Let's hope we can educate the ale supping peasants here to appreciate the finer things in life :eyebrows:

For lunch today I am enjoying some pan-fried organic chicken breast with garlic, sautéed in Marsala wine with champignons farcis, sliced sautéed potatoes, chicory, steamed cauliflower and thin green beans. Washing it down is a glass or two of a none too shabby Château de Fonsalette Côtes du Rhône Reserve 2005. I've got some rather nice Stilton and home-made walnut bread for afters.

In case you think that I eat (or drink) like this twice a day, I always have my main meal at lunch time and rarely eat in the evening, which I find much healthier. I have the odd glass of red wine for lunch if I don't have to go out afterwards. It certainly helps when you're self-employed and work from home! ;)

Marco.

Goodness - do you eat like this every day? You are making my mouth water! All that and an M3D as well!

I'm afraid my meal tonight will be far more prosaic: a simple tagliatelle carbonara with steamed brocolli, green beans and mushrooms. Haven't decided on the wine yet, maybe a Bordeaux: Chateau Grand Ferrand 2006.

Bon appetite

Barry

PS Now't wrong with (real) ale. Now the weather has improved, a lunch time pint, sat outside in the pub garden is looking very attractive.

Marco

22-04-2009, 16:49

Goodness - do you eat like this every day?

Heaven forbid, of course not. I was slumming it because we'd run out of venison! :lol:

;)

Nope, nothing wrong with real ale or even good lager (Pils). In the summer when it's warm (it happens occasionally) this is mostly what we drink, alcohol-wise, or perhaps some good quality Devon cider, nicely chilled. Red wine drinking is limited, with preference being for a nice chilled Chablis or rosé.

I love pasta (obviously coming from Italian parents) but I'm not a big fan of Carbonara. It's too creamy and a bit heavy for me. My wife makes her own fresh egg pasta in the form of tagliatelle, linguine (love this baked in the oven in tinfoil with fresh tomato, chilli and basil sauce with langoustine and clams - yum!) ravioli, lasagne, etc.

She also makes home-made gnocchi and pesto, which is lovely :)

Marco.

aquapiranha

22-04-2009, 21:03

Heaven forbid, of course not. I was slumming it because we'd run out of venison! :lol:

;)

Nope, nothing wrong with real ale or even good lager (Pils). In the summer when it's warm (it happens occasionally) this is mostly what we drink, alcohol-wise, or perhaps some good quality Devon cider, nicely chilled. Red wine drinking is limited, with preference being for a nice chilled Chablis or rosé.

I love pasta (obviously coming from Italian parents) but I'm not a big fan of Carbonara. It's too creamy and a bit heavy for me. My wife makes her own fresh egg pasta in the form of tagliatelle, linguine (love this baked in the oven in tinfoil with fresh tomato, chilli and basil sauce with langoustine and clams - yum!) ravioli, lasagne, etc.

She also makes home-made gnocchi and pesto, which is lovely :)

Marco.

I can confirm the tin foil method is a winner! :) and your wife is a fantastic cook Marco - I had the rest of the pasta and bread and it was yum! Ta.

I rarely drink these days, but will have the occasional grolsch or a malt.

The Grand Wazoo

22-04-2009, 21:43

For lunch today I am enjoying some pan-fried organic chicken breast with garlic, sautéed in Marsala wine..............
Marco.

I used to manage the forestry assets of a member of the aristocracy (or idle rich, depending on your point of view) who's family made their (very large) fortune out of exporting Marsala out of Sicily - one day Grandad woke up & decided that his house in Palermo had become over-run by grandchildren, so he bought each of their parents a country estate in England. Nice work if you can get it!

Ian Walker

22-04-2009, 21:53

I used to manage the forestry assets of a member of the aristocracy (or idle rich, depending on your point of view) who's family made their (very large) fortune out of exporting Marsala out of Sicily - one day Grandad woke up & decided that his house in Palermo had become over-run by grandchildren, so he bought each of their parents a country estate in England.

Bloody-ell that was Marcos grandad!!!:lol:

Marco

22-04-2009, 22:04

That's class!! Wrong part of Italy, though, for me. Tuscany is our zone :)

Marco.

Steve Toy

25-04-2009, 02:28

Bit late getting back to the subject of beers in Brum but the Old Joint Stock was closed on the Easter Monday. :( Fortunately the Wellington with the 16 real ales plus two German beers was open.

There were also a few interesting bars in Brindley Place by the Canal off Broad Street, not to mention fine eateries too including a fairly decent Indian. All Bar One sold Paulaner Original Munchner Pils on tap. :)

Marco if you fancy joining us from New Street station early one Monday evening and having a wander down it could be done. No need for a cab if the weather is decent as the 15 minute walk is actually quite pleasant and mostly pedestrianised.

Beechwoods

21-05-2009, 20:34

http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/photos/wickstation.jpg

Wickwar Station Porter. 6.1% but I can still drink 2 bottles of the stuff and not have a whiff of a hangover in the morning. Slips down lovely :) And very very tasty :)

Barry

24-06-2009, 00:54

This site seems to have become a little quiet on the oenophile front, so thought it was time to make a contribution.

I have lately taken delivery of half cases of the following clarets:

Château L’Eglise 2006, Puisseguin Sainte-Emillion AOC,
Château Bellvue Chollet 2006, Bordeau AOC,
Château Maison Blanche 2006, Médoc AOC Cru Borgeoise.

Turns out that 2006 was a surprisingly good year for claret, well rounded and fruity, and the above certainly taste good to me. All the above are around £9 a bottle

I have also recently enjoyed bottles of:

Baume de Venise 2008 Vacqueyras, Côte du Rhône. 13.5%. Approx. £11.50 a bottle. Again this is a full-bodied red with a spicy aroma. Reckoned to be as good as 2005/2006,

and another claret:

Margeaux La Petite Echoppe 2006. 3/5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2/5 Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 13%. ‘Vanilla top note with dark berry fruits’. Available from Marks & Spencer at £15 a bottle; so save for that special occasion.

Now that the summer has arrived we have of course been enjoying chilled whites: a mixture of Italian Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi and various French Chablis, all courtesy of Tesco and whose exact names I have forgotten to note. Will no doubt be buying some more, so will post on these later.

Barry

Barry

31-07-2009, 23:31

I promised I would post on some white wines I have been enjoying this summer. Apart from the ever perennial Tesco

'Castel de Jesu Verdicchio' , the thoroughly acceptable South African

'Thandi Chardonnay', 2007, 13% ABV can also be recommended.

For a little more (~£6), I can thoroughly recommend a white Cote Du Rhone

'Caves Sainte-Pierre', 2008, this and the Chardonnay are also available at Tesco

For claret lover I just have to mention:

Margeaux 'La Petite Echoppe' 2006. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 40% Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. 13%. Marks & Spencer (£15). Not cheap, but then decent claret isn't. Definitely one for a special occasion - so go on, buy a bottle and just make up any old excuse to drink it: birthdays, unbirthdays, the kids getting a University place, or anything!

Another memorable claret I have drunk recently is

Margeau 'Chateau Martinens' Cru Bourgeois 2005, 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Around £18. Oh, if only I had bought another bottle!

2007 was a very good year for Rhone, so keep an eye out for these in the near future.

Barry

05-08-2009, 23:56

Tesco's are having a bit of an offer on white wines. Three that I have tried recently and can recommend are:

'Les Pierre Blanches', 2007, disributed by Andre Tremblay. £8 reduced from £12,

'Les Armes de Chablis', 2007, again £8 reduced from £12,

'Cuvee Claude Dominique', £8 reduced from £9,

and

Tesco's own Chardonnay 'Macon Village Blanc', sorry can't remember the price, but not expensive.

Finally my recent trip to Conway, North Wales, allowed me to stock up on the Conwy Brewery 'Honey Fayre'. A bottle conditioned ale 4.5%. Whilst I was at the brewery, I noticed that there was a version with a new label. Upon enquiry I was told that it was for Marks and Spencer. I thought that it might only be the local Marks that would stock it, but it seems that it might be tried out nationwide. It certainly travels well, as I have proved on numerous occasions having carted a dozen bottles in the boot of my car 200 miles, so you might find it coming to a supermarket near you. Look out for it, as it can be thoroughly recommended ! :cool:

Marco

06-08-2009, 07:02

Finally my recent trip to Conway, North Wales, allowed me to stock up on the Conwy Brewery 'Honey Fayre'.

Hey, Barry, you should've given me a shout and we could have hooked up. Conwy is only about 50 mins away from me :)

Some good wine recs there, so will probably try a few :cheers:

Marco.

Barry

06-08-2009, 12:41

Hey, Barry, you should've given me a shout and we could have hooked up. Conwy is only about 50 mins away from me :)

Some good wine recs there, so will probably try a few :cheers:

Marco.

Hi Marco,

I did give it a thought, but didn't feel I knew you well enough to burden myself upon you. Anyway my 'little black cocktail dress' was at the cleaners and my high heels at the cobblers!

I am up North Wales way four to five times a year, so maybe next time.

Regards

Marco

06-08-2009, 13:05

Hi Barry,

Our door is open anytime to (reasonably) sane hi-fi and music nutters - even those without the necessary accoutrements to flounce around in frilly fashion ensembles, hahahahaha............ :eyebrows:

;)

Next time you're due to visit the area, dude, PM me :cool:

Marco.

Barry

06-08-2009, 13:48

Marco

06-08-2009, 17:37

Please do, Barry. Feel free to bring a bottle of Le Piat D'or ;)

Marco.

Barry

06-08-2009, 18:15

Please do, Barry. Feel free to bring a bottle of Le Piat D'or ;)

Marco.

Think I might be able to do a little better than that! I have in mind some local plonk I drank in Albania in 1992. Totally indescribable! :(

Marco

09-08-2009, 14:48

Sounds interesting, Barry - a bit like Chateau Musar, perhaps? :)

Incidentally, Tesco have got some rather cheeky vino at the moment on sale at half-price (and some less than that!):

Caves Saint-Pierre Vacqueyras 2007, which we've just polished off with the Sunday roast (today it was roast haunch of venison with a Burgundy wine jus with carmelised challots, baked fennel in a (light) cream sauce with nutmeg, steamed asparagus and Anya potatoes), reduced from £14.99 to an amazing £5.99 a bottle. It is quite superb. All I can say is buy it now whilst stocks last!!!

We also picked up a rather nice Chateau Lussac St-Émilion, reduced from £13.99 to £6.99, a fabulous St Joseph 2006 (which we've already enjoyed recently) reduced from £13.49 to £6.49, and lastly a perfectly 'gluggable' 2007 Prestige & Calvet Bordeaux, reduced from £11.99 to £5.99.

Run along and nab 'em while they're available, folks, because these are serious bargains! :cheers:

Marco.

The Vinyl Adventure

10-08-2009, 23:57

Barry

13-08-2009, 19:03

Hi Marco,

Popped into my local Tesco to see if I could pick up some of the offers you mentioned. Well it would seem that you may be getting a better deal at your branch.

The 2007 Caves Sainte-Pierre Vacqueyras is not reduced and still costs £14.99. I bought the 2005 for £6.50.

I bought a 2006 Reserve Saint-Clair Puisseguin Saint-Emillion for £6.99. Is this what you meant by the Lussac? Tesco seem to think so (that's how it's itemised on the bill), but whilst close, I'm not sure if they are the same region. Maybe I'm being being pedantic.

The 2006 St Joseph is not available, and the 2005 costs £12.99.

No sign of the Prestige & Calvert Bordeaux at any price.

However I did pick up a 2008 Caves Saint-Pierre Cotes-du-Rhone red for £5.99 and the 2007 white for £5.95.

Still going to be on the lookout for that 2007 Vacqueyras at £5.99!

Cheers

Barry

29-08-2009, 19:48

Marco,

I still can't get that 2007 Vacqueyras at my Tesco, they're useless!

Whilst I don't normally drink dessert whites, we do occasionally serve wine with each course if holding dinner parties. Recently we did so, and served a nice little Bordeaux:

'Le Criox 'St. Vincent'. More a demi sec than a dessert wine, but fine with summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or in this case Picota cherries.

Have also enjoyed (following your recommendation) a chilled 2008:

'Prospetti Rose', Pinot Grigiot and Sauvignon.

Tonight, it has been a Cotes de Luberon, 'La Tour de Marrenon', 2008. Grenache Blanc and Vermintino. "Fresh and citrussy but has the richness of ripe grapes with the hint of nectarines". Hmm - just about, but at £4.49 from Tesco, not a bad slurp.

Regards

StanleyB

29-08-2009, 20:11

DaveK

29-08-2009, 20:34

The strongest wine I know of is called High Wine. It's produced in Guyana ( of Demerara sugar fame and land of the caiman and El Dorado.). It's over proof and will ignite if you put a flame to it:eyebrows:.

Hi Stan,
That's not wine, it's bloody rocket fuel - you could run your Bugatti on that stuff, and it's probably cheaper than petrol where it's concocted ;) .
Cheers,

Beechwoods

29-08-2009, 20:45

its the camra beer festival in worcester this weekend.... i can recomend it whole heartedly
although the main preoblem is you have to buy tokens and then pay with them... its to confusing when the beer starts taking its inevitable effects

I went to the Bristol one a good few years ago and had a great time. Thing is though that with a penchant for strong porters, even supping them in half-glasses can soon make rational activities that little bit more challenging!

Barry

20-09-2009, 09:32

Some more wines recently enjoyed and to be recommended:

Bordeaux

2006 Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, ‘Château L’Église’
2006 Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, ‘Reserve Saint-Clair’

2003 Côtes de Blaye, ‘Château La Bernarde’ Cuvée Blavia
2006 ‘Château Moulin de Pillardot’

2006 ‘Château Bellevue Chollet’,
Concours de Bordeaux Vins D’Aquitaine 2007 Médaille D’Or

2005 Margaux’ ‘Château Castelbruck’

2006 Médoc, ‘Château Chantemerle’ Cuvée du Moulin
2006 Médoc, ‘Château Maison Blanche’.

Rhône

2008 Côtes-du-Rhône, ‘Caves Saint-Pierre’,
This is another bargain from Tesco along with the 2007 and an excellent Rhône.

I might have mentioned the Conwy Brewery ‘Honey Fayre’ beer was going to be distributed by Marks & Spencer. Well bottles have appeared in my local Marks way down here in sunny Essex. There’s a good chance they are awaiting you in your local Marks. Go on give it a go; sold as ‘Welsh Honey Bitter’, a bottled conditioned beer 4.5% ABV.

Regards

The Vinyl Adventure

04-10-2009, 15:54

I went to the Bristol one a good few years ago and had a great time. Thing is though that with a penchant for strong porters, even supping them in half-glasses can soon make rational activities that little bit more challenging!

ha yeah I know that story!
I was drinking one of brakspears beers the other day, realy strong flavours, very fuity - very tasty! I didn't realy pay any attention to the abv until I'd had 3 pints and felt a bit unstable ... I was bloody 7.1!

.......

I haven't posted any recomendation here before, but here goes

brakspear 7.1 stuff (forgot it's name)

hooknorton brewery's 'hooky gold' - very very easy to drink pale ale

Oxford landing Chardonnay - £4.99 from my local corner shop - cheap and tasty!

Cono sur viognier - £5.99 from scummerfield - cheep and mega tasty!

(I'm into my cheap n tasty wine!)

The Vinyl Adventure

04-10-2009, 15:57

Can I recomend a cider? - thatchers katy! It's like squash very clear, easy to drink! But not for the faint hearted, gets ya right old cider pissed with it's 7.4(?) abv!

Themis

04-10-2009, 16:44

I recommend the Champaign Blondel (http://www.champagneblondel.com/uk/home/). Any year. Any type.

Impressive quality/price ratio.
You must try the Rosé, it's outstanding.

(I've been buying exclusively their Champaign since 1994)

Marco

04-10-2009, 19:32

Looks very interesting, Dimitri. I'll bear it in mind for Christmas :)

We're not really massive Champagne drinkers, preferring instead a nice Claret, Rioja Gran Reserva or, say, an Amarone, Barolo or Brunello di Montalcino (yes you can tell we're definitely of the 'old world' school of wine!)

My view is that a lot of Champagne is vastly overpriced for the quality on offer. One usually has to go for vintage to get the requisite genuine quality, and then you're talking mega bucks!! In fact, I find that often some of the English sparkling whites are just as good at a fraction of the price!

However, the Blondel intrigues me as it appears to be one of the smaller, more specialist Champagne houses, therefore one would hope for more 'flavour-per-pound' than with, say, an often rather non-descript Moët.

Marco.

Barry

15-10-2009, 19:53

Some more vino making its way chez moi:

Rhône

Cuvée Du Vatican, 2007, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. 15% ABV.

“Powerful berry, spice and pepper aromas … oozes old-vine, intensity, with blackberry depth of fine vintage. Smooth, spicy complexity from barrel aging”.

Laithwaites, c. £17 bottle; only supplied as whole cases of 12. Share a case with a friend. Available December 2009.

Rioja

Finca Las Rejas, Vino de Mesa

This cuvée is made from Tempranillo grapes from the Rioja Alavesa. DOC rules state that a cellar may only produce a certain amount of wine labelled Rioja each year, so excess grapes are ‘declassified’ and labelled Vino de Mesa (table wine). Still a Crianza style Rioja.

“… bright berry aromas and juicy redcurrant, blackcurrant and clove flavours with tempting peppery notes”.

Laithwaites, £7 bottle.

Bordeaux

Château du Plantier, 2006, Appelation Bordeaux Contrôlée. Médaille de Bronze, Paris 2007. 12% ABV.

Vignoble: Gironde.
Terroir: Agrilo-calcaire.
Cépage: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc.
Dégustation: Arômes fruités, vin ample et bien structuré aux tannins souples.

Available from your local Sommerfield, £7 bottle.

À votre santé

Marco

25-10-2009, 13:15

Guys,

Sainsbury's have once again got some cracking deals on quality wine.

I picked up a 2003 Rémy Gauthier Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, reduced from £12 to £8.99 a bottle, which we're going to have today for lunch with some pan-fried pork fillet with carmelised apples in a Calvados and crème fraîche sauce.

I'll let you know what the wine is like once we've sampled it later! :cheers:

I also got a 2008 Blason de Bourgogne, Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Bourgogne, reduced from £13.99 to £6.65 a bottle, and a superb 1995 Chateau Simard Saint-Émilion, Appellation Saint-Émilion Contrôlée, reduced from £30.00 to £12.00 a bottle!

The latter will be put aside for having with the goose on Christmas Day ;)

Hurry now while stocks last!!

Marco.

Marco

26-10-2009, 00:29

Well, having polished off the 2003 Rémy Gauthier Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, I can say that it's quite superb and a veritable bargain, so run along chaps and don't miss out! :)

Marco.

Themis

26-10-2009, 06:44

Well, having polished off the 2003 Rémy Gauthier Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, I can say that it's quite superb and a veritable bargain, so run along chaps and don't miss out! :)

Marco.
I'm not amazed, I tried a Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits last week, it was very very good.
Keep in mind that they sould be kept for 8-10 years. Which means a "2003" bottle is almost perfect. :eyebrows:

Rare Bird

26-10-2009, 06:45

Crikey i'm out on this topic, i'll buy any dry red wine so long as it's not below 12% ABV..Other than that it's down the club at the weekend for a dozen pints of Larger.

Marco

26-10-2009, 07:49

LOL - oi lurves it! :lol:

Marco.

Barry

27-10-2009, 14:26

Reckon you must have a better class Sainsburys in Wrexhan than we do down here Marco, either that or I missed the offer!

The 1995 Chateau Simard cost me £19.99, still 1995 was a reasonably good year for St Emilion. And if it really was on sale for £30, then 1/3 off is still worth having.

As compensation I picked up a bottle of 2005 Chateau Colombier-Monpelou Paullac, for £15.99. Now 2005 really was a good year for Bordeaux.

http://www.cellartracker.com/labels/90153.jpg

Wasn't able to find any 2003 Rémy Gauthier Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits, but I did find the 2006 for £11.99; another good year.

Anyway the 2008 Blason de Bougogne Hautes-Cotes de Nuits were there at £6.65, so I picked up a couple of bottles.

Doubt if I'll drink any by the time we meet in London at the 'MAD-fest', so will have to compare notes at a later date.

Cheers

Themis

27-10-2009, 14:42

As compensation I picked up a bottle of 2005 Chateau Colombier-Monpelou Paullac, for £15.99. Now 2005 really was a good year for Bordeaux.
This is one one of my favorite Pauillac... Congrats. ;)

Alex_UK

27-10-2009, 20:42

All the Suffolk Sainsbury's don't stock anything nicer than Meths - I couldn't find those either when I tried on Monday. :confused:

Rare Bird

28-10-2009, 11:16

Whats up with Meths! All the posh tramps down town sup it, they never complain..Some people eh never satisfied

Marco

28-10-2009, 11:38

LOL! Maybe you could do a taste trial on various vintages of meths?

Marco.

Rare Bird

28-10-2009, 11:48

LOL! Maybe you could do a taste trial on various vintages of meths?

Marco.

Don't do meths i'm above that, i do however like to dabble in a couple of LSD & Magic Mushroom potions of varied strengths tho, rather yummy they put a who new perspective on things

:)

Marco

28-10-2009, 11:49

Nice one, Barry. At least you got some good stuff :)

I think the thing about Wrexham is that because it's the unofficial 'capital' of North Wales (there is quite simply nothing remotely resembling a very large town anywhere else in the whole of North Wales) we get the biggest and best varieties of the supermarkets, i.e. they're all 'Superstores', as opposed to just standard outlets, and people travel from many miles around to shop there.

The Tesco here, for example, is almost the size of a small village!!

Sainsburys isn't much smaller, nor is Asda. We don't have a Morrisons, unfortunately, but we do have a huge Marks & Spencers (and Debenhams).

Consequently, the Sainsburys, Tesco and Asda here are stocked full of all their top ranges of merchandise, and bargains galore are available when things are reduced! ;)

So, apart from the beautiful scenery, lovely fresh air, and lack of hustle and bustle compared to similarly large English towns, the quality of shopping here is superb, which makes it all-in-all a rather cool place to live :cool:

Marco.

Marco

28-10-2009, 11:55

Don't do meths i'm above that, i do however like to dabble in a couple of LSD & Magic Mushroom potions of varied strengths tho, rather yummy they put a who new perspective on things

:)

LOL - I used to be partial to some mushy tea, and omelette ;)

In fifth year in secondary school we used to dog class and go round to the local park and pick mushies, putting them inside crisp bags to 'concoct' into something later... Often though, we'd just eat them raw - bloody hell, they tasted rank!! :bog:

Later, English or French used to take on an entirely different perspective! :eyebrows:

I haven't done any of that shit though for years.

Marco.

Barry

28-10-2009, 18:35

Hi Marco,

“So, apart from the beautiful scenery, lovely fresh air, and lack of hustle and bustle compared to similarly large English towns, the quality of shopping here is superb, which makes it all-in-all a rather cool place to live” ………Marco, you ought to be working for the North Wales tourist board!

I have some good friends in North Wales (Conway) whom I visit regularly. About eight years ago I was thinking that I might relocate there when I retired (the aim was to do that in three years time). At that time I could have easily bought a four bedroom detached property, and paid cash for it. Not so any longer; the property prices have shot up in the last five years, thanks no doubt to people who work in Manchester and are willing to make a reasonable commute. Well I am now retired (fortunate enough to do so at the age of 57), but property prices have increased to the point where I am obliged to stay here.

Anyway to return to the subject of supermarket offers - we have a very large ‘out of town’ Sainsbury’s as well as two Tesco's. The thing is I don’t believe that offers made by these places are necessarily available nationwide. There have been a couple of occasions where some wine offers has been mentioned by Alex (UK), not all of which have been available at my Tesco branch. And the same has just occurred, following your recommendations at Sainsbury’s.

Mustn’t grumble – tonight’s meal will be lamb's liver and bacon with boiled potatoes, green beans and a carrot and swede mash. It will be enjoyed with a 2005 Vacqueyras Rhône.

Cheers

(Look out for that 2005 Château Colombier-Monpelou Pauillac in your Sainsbury.)

Themis

28-10-2009, 18:50

Perhaps you can find some Pauillac 2005 (Colombier-Monpelou or Puy la Rose or others) under 18£ on the web... don't know well British e-shops. :)

Beechwoods

01-11-2009, 18:28

I am currently enjoying a new imported US beer immensely - the Gonzo Imperial Porter, by the Flying Dog Brewery (of Denver, Colorado / Frederick, Maryland). It's a strong (8.7%) peppery, slow sipping, Porter with a definite American angle to the flavour. Tesco's have it at the moment, £2.50 for 355ml - cheaper than online sources.

http://www.flyingdogales.com/images/beer-gonzo-bottle.gif

http://www.flyingdogales.com/Beer-Specialty-Gonzo.aspx

Barry

02-11-2009, 18:17

Guys,

I recently mentioned the following Bordeaux:

Château du Plantier, 2006, Appelation Bordeaux Contrôlée. Médaille de Bronze, Paris 2007. 12% ABV.

Vignoble: Gironde.
Terroir: Agrilo-calcaire.
Cépage: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc.
Dégustation: Arômes fruités, vin ample et bien structuré aux tannins souples.

Available from your local Sommerfield, £7 bottle.

Well I have just drunk this and have to say that I was disappointed. I found the tannins were not 'supple', nor were they 'subtle'. A wine that proved not really to be to my taste and one that I cannot wholehartedly recommend.

Apologies to anyone who may have bought a bottle based on my posting and found it wanting.

Oh well, you win some and you loose some.

Regards

Themis

02-11-2009, 18:57

"Chateau du Plantier" is what we call here a "Coopérative" at Sauveterre de Guyenne. In other words, it assembles wines from the whereabouts... There are plenty of small local "Coops", at least one in each village in France, which can produce good wine, but : not every year and not any type (sometimes it's the red that's it's ok, sometimes the rosé). It's hard, you have to try and decide for every type and year. ;) But the coops wine is cheap.

Nothing to do with :
- Château Plantier Rose (Cru Bourgeois, Layssac, Saint-Estèphe)
- Château Vieux Plantier (Côtes du Bourg) , or
- Château Grand Plantier (Bordeaux de culture biologique), or
- Château Roc Plantier ( Côtes du Bourg)

When you buy wine, you should try to find the phrase "Mis en bouteille au château" ou "Mis en bouteille à la propriété" : These phrases, legally, in France, mean that the wine is not made by a coopérative. ;)

Barry

02-11-2009, 19:10

Themis

02-11-2009, 19:24

Thanks for that Demitri.

My bottle was marked: "Mis en bouteille a la propriete par SCV Sauvettere a U.S.V. 33420 - Gironde - France". What does that say about it's pedigree?

Regards
Well, it says that it is made by a SCV : Société Coopérative Vinicole...

The problem is that sometimes, the producers (of the roundabouts) owe the Coopérative : in such a case they can write "Mise en bouteille à la Propriété". It's still a wine made by any grapes around, of various qualities.

So when you have "Mise en bouteille à la proriété" you must not have "par..." (produced by...). If there's only one producer, there's no need for a company name. If there's a company name ("par ....") then it's most probably a Coopérative. ;)

Please note, that the wine made by Coops is not bad. It's simply not of constant quality.

Barry

02-11-2009, 19:38

Well, it says that it is made by a SCV : Société Coopérative Vinicole...

The problem is that sometimes, the producers (of the roundabouts) owe the Coopérative : in such a case they can write "Mise en bouteille à la Propriété". It's still a wine made by any grapes around, of various qualities.

So when you have "Mise en bouteille à la proriété" you must not have "par..." (produced by...). If there's only one producer, there's no need for a company name. If there's a company name ("par ....") then it's most probably a Coopérative. ;)

Please note, that the wine made by Coops is not bad. It's simply not of constant quality.

OK, I think I understand - my bottle was bottled by a cooperative. Perhaps I bought a poor sample.

Don't want to belabour the point; I was just concerned that members might have followed me and been disappointed as well.

Thanks for the clarification.

Regards

Barry

08-11-2009, 20:12

Have been enjoying a bottle of 2005 Château Lafaye, a Côte De Blaye Merlot from Bordeaux (Mis en bouteille au Château).

http://www.sundaytimeswineclub.co.uk/DWBase/images/products/39710.jpg

“…Deep ruby, with enticing berry aromas and layers of sumptuous redcurrant and blackberry.”

Drunk this with today’s Sunday roast: beef, potatoes and parsnips and winter vegetables: sprouts, cauliflower, carrots and French green beans.

Now finishing-off the bottle with supper: Manchego cheese with a freshly baked French baton.

Marco

08-11-2009, 20:45

Nice one, Barry; sounds good! :)

We enjoyed rather a 'newbie' today - a bottle of 2008 Château David Beaulieu, Appellation Bordeaux Supérieur Controlée. However, it had the jammy intensity of a more mature classic Bordeaux, with nicely defined tannins and excellent 'length'.

We quaffed it with some grilled local Welsh lamb cutlets, marinated in lemon and garlic, with a rosemary and mint herb crust, light red wine jus, and accompanied by rosti potatoes, spinach and baked fennel.

No supper here, as I'm still full from lunch! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Barry

08-11-2009, 23:45

That too sound good Marco. Where did you buy it?

Talking of Welsh lamb, are you able to get the Welsh salt-marsh lamb? Not cheap but well worth the extra.

Haven't eaten fennel for a long time; I would imagine that the slight aniseed taste would go very well with lamb. How long do you bake it for?

Regards

Marco

09-11-2009, 00:16

Hi Barry,

I think it was Sainsbury's - in fact, I'm pretty certain it was. It was only £6 or so, but it certainly punched well above its weight, as it were.

I'm not aware of having tried Welsh salt-marsh lamb; however I could've eaten it inadvertently, as we get most of our lamb from a local farmer. He gives us the best he's got :)

I'll check with the 'chef de maison' as to how long the fennel is baked for; it's baked in a little cream with some nutmeg added - delicious! We're also rather partial to chicory, done 'au gratin'.

Marco.

Rare Bird

09-11-2009, 01:21

Another skin full of Château Coors Larger this afternoon..Was a nice vintage..

:eyebrows:

Marco

09-11-2009, 01:33

I thought you'd be into real ales, being a Yorkshireman! ;)

Marco

Rare Bird

09-11-2009, 01:54

I thought you'd be into real ales, being a Yorkshireman! ;)

Marco

I used to sup Beer once upon a time but got fed up with it being warm in pubs, so turned into a fat Larger guzzler..a nice one tho. ;)

Steve Toy

09-11-2009, 03:35

Lager for the larger man? There are some good ones out there including Freedom brewed near me.

Steve Toy

09-11-2009, 03:37

Come to think of it Coors is brewed near here too.

Rare Bird

09-11-2009, 04:09

Lager for the larger man? There are some good ones out there including Freedom brewed near me.

Steve:
I've seen that Freedom Pils Larger, it's in a bottle, never seen it on tap..I used to sup LCL (5% ABV) at our boozer till they took it out, i used to get hammered on that, they put in this Coors (4.9% ABV), not quite as good but still does the damage..Up Sheffield i'll sup Tuborg (5% ABV)..Leave all the Carling & Fosters shit not even worth drinking. i like a meaningful session :eyebrows:

Marco

09-11-2009, 11:50

I find lager too gassy, and also lacking in flavour compared to good real ale. Fortunately, where I live, there is no shortage of locally produced real ales, all served in rather nice country pubs.

However, on a hot summer's day nothing else hits the spot than an ice-cold pint (or pints!) of Pils/lager :)

My favourites include Peroni (Nastro Azzurro), Moretti, Jupiler, and almost anything German :cool:

Marco.

Rare Bird

09-11-2009, 12:21

However, on a hot summer's day nothing else hits the spot than an ice-cold pint (or pints!) of Pils/lager :)

Aye the central heatings always on full throttle in our boozer

:lol:

Alex_UK

09-11-2009, 12:33

:cool:Pint of Belgian Hoegaarden wheat beer for me please if you're in the chair Marco!

Steve Toy

09-11-2009, 13:15

Hoegaarden is rather sweet. German wheat beer is better and purer. Try Franziskaner or even the one brewed by Grolsch.

Alex_UK

09-11-2009, 13:21

Thanks for the tips Steve. Prost!

Rare Bird

13-11-2009, 23:52

10 pints of Touborg Larger tonight. Yum Yum...Of to my pit early doors..Being dentist early this morning no time for brekfast or dinner, not a good idea with the Amber nektar

Barry

15-11-2009, 18:59

A bottle of this:

http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/images/products/60165.jpg

2003 'Château La Bernarde', Côtes de Blaye. A 100% Merlot Bordeaux.

Cuvée Blavia:

Le Domaine étend son vignoble sur un terrain agrilo-calcinaire complanté de cépages nobles Bordelais. Blavia est une cuvée spéciale 100% Merlot. Issu d’une sélection rigoureuse, le vin est élevé pendant 12 mois en fûts de chêne merrain. Blavia (ancient nom latin de la ville de Blaye) fait réfrénce au camp Romaine construit en 25 avant J-C à l’emplacement de l’actuelle citadelle.

La vin signé Mähler-Besse, est dense, puissant et complex, laissant percevoir le fruits mûr.

Enjoyed this evening with chicken Kiev, with a garlic, cheese and bacon wrap in breadcrumbs, with mushrooms, braised celery hearts, tender-stem broccoli and sugarsnap peas.

Marco

15-11-2009, 19:44

Chicken Kiev, Barry? How very 70s! I wholly approve :)

As we have our main meal during the day, and eat very little at night, today for Sunday lunch we had...

...some Gravadlax with dill sauce, accompanied with a cucumber salad, to start, followed by pan-fried rib-eye of Welsh Black beef in a rich red wine, herb and caper sauce, served with griddled red peppers, champignons farcis, mange-tout and sautéed potatoes, washed down with a bottle of:

Château Dubois Gramont 2007, Appellation Bordeaux Contrôlée - £6.99 from Sainsburys, and quite incredible value.

This wine showcases the quality available from les petits châteaux of Bordeaux, often only a few miles from the famous domaines of the region, and of course, as a result, a mere fraction of the price!

Think deep, rich, intensity of flavour with blackberries and damsons to the fore overlaying cherry and a hint of fig. The Merlot contributes the ripe, soft summer fruit character, while the Cabernet Sauvignon brings with it classic structure and body.

This is a wine that can compete favourably with some St-Émilion and Médoc, as it has a similar level of finesse.

Rush now while stocks last! :cheers:

Marco.

Rare Bird

16-11-2009, 01:18

Sunday afternoon 10 Pints of Coors Light darn the boozer, Beef Stew on coming home before an few hours kip

No hairs & graces with me

:lolsign:

Now i'm wide awake.. :scratch:

Marco

16-11-2009, 01:20

Beef stew? Yum yum! :)

Marco.

Rare Bird

16-11-2009, 01:21

Aye slow cooked in slow cooker for 4 hours, the beef fell apart yum yum

Marco

16-11-2009, 01:34

Sounds awsome! Glad to hear that it was home-made and none of yer supermarket ready meal pish! :cool:

Marco.

Themis

16-11-2009, 13:34

Aye slow cooked in slow cooker for 4 hours, the beef fell apart yum yum
well done, Andre !!! ;)

Barry

16-11-2009, 18:00

Is Chicken Kiev a '70s meal? Hadn't though about it. Maybe I should have done the job properly and followed it with a butterscotch Bird's instant whip (! :lol:). Also keen on Beef Stroganoff - is that '70s?

Talking of the '70s, maybe I should ressurect my pork with apricot recipe. It used cheap belly pork; useful when you are an impeccunious postgraduate student.

Andre's use of a slow cooker again reminds me again of my postgraduate days living in a garrot. Great thing about slow cookers is that you can use cheap cuts of meat and end up with a delicious 'melt in the mouth' meal. The only disadvantage is the extra washing up! Perhaps after 10 pints of Coors you don't worry! Anyway it sounded delicious. Did you have dumplings with it Andre?

Château Dubois Gramont 2007, Appellation Bordeaux Contrôlée - £6.99 from Sainsburys, and quite incredible value. Marco - looks like another vist to Sainsburys for me then.

Salut

PS Tonight it's a (home made) chicken korma with Basmati rice and a bottle of Nastro Azzurro lager.

Alex_UK

16-11-2009, 21:16

What a coincidence - we had chicken kiev tonight!

Wanted to follow it up with a chocolate fondue, but I was too drunk after downing a Watney's Party Seven! :lol:

Marco

17-11-2009, 07:48

You'd have dribbled it down your cravat, along with the prawn cocktail, anyway... :eyebrows:

Marco.

DanJennings

17-11-2009, 09:22

What a coincidence - we had chicken kiev tonight!

Wanted to follow it up with a chocolate fondue, but I was too drunk after downing a Watney's Party Seven! :lol:

and so did I!
bizarre

Barry

25-11-2009, 19:38

Some more Claret recommendations

Tonight it has been a Côte de Castellon (a domaine immediately to the east of Sainte-Emilion):

Château Castegens ‘La Croix’. (2006)

“This wine has a deep, intense crimson colour with red fruit overtones. It is well balanced, generous, and a very round on the palate with silky tannins and a long after taste”. (Translated, lest I appear disagreeably pretentious.) 13% ABV. Laithwaites, around £7 a bottle.

Just bought:

Chateau ‘Les Arqueys’, Bordeaux AOC (2006) Château bottled.

http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/images/products/37955s.jpg

Cabernet based blend. A good year for short term drinking; best consumed by end of 2010. “A charming cherry-fresh claret with expressive aromas of blueberry, candied red fruits and floral notes. Oak maturation adds cedar and toasty richness to the palete”.

Laithwaites, ~ £7 a bottle.

Château Marzin, Première Côtes de Blaye AOC (2007) Château bottled.

A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, from a terroir situated at the same longitude as Margeaux.

“A deep intense ruby colour. The nose develops aromas of ripe red and black fruits with notes of spices and a floral character. Full bodied on the palate with ripe sot tannins, it has a lingering finish”.

Recommended decantation: 1 hour before serving
Laithwaites, ~ £8.50 a bottle.

Château Labadie Cru Bourgeois, Appellation Medoc Contrôlée (2005) Château bottled.

http://edge-images.snooth.com/wine/8/2/4/wine_1863909_full.jpeg

Apparently a standout vintage for Bordeaux, this vintage has “yielded reds with a great balance, intense fruit and firm tannins”.

Only just beginning to ‘open out’, so will benefit from keeping where it will gain in complexity, but drink by end 2012.

13.5% ABV. Laitwaites ~ £11.25 a bottle.

Marco

30-11-2009, 21:40

I've just ordered a couple of mixed cases of top-notch German and Belgian beers for Christmas from my favourite on-line supplier:

http://www.beersofeurope.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

I'd thoroughly recommend this company for quick, efficient, service and high quality products.

These weißbier are particularly fab:

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9697/paulanerweissbierkrista.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/i/paulanerweissbierkrista.jpg/)

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/705/paulanerweissbierhell.jpg (http://img267.imageshack.us/i/paulanerweissbierhell.jpg/)

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7905/schneiderweisseoriginal.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/schneiderweisseoriginal.jpg/)

As is this Kölsch (beer exclusively from Cologne):

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/396/kuppers.jpg (http://img339.imageshack.us/i/kuppers.jpg/)

:cool:

Marco.

Rare Bird

01-12-2009, 01:49

Marco

01-12-2009, 08:29

Haha... That's head-rot material, and I'm daft enough as it is! :lol:

Marco.

Rare Bird

01-12-2009, 12:52

Haha... That's head-rot material, and I'm daft enough as it is! :lol:

Marco.

Not as daft as i :eyebrows:

Themis

01-12-2009, 21:47

We used to mix this with vodka when I was in Moscow...:eyebrows:

Rare Bird

01-12-2009, 23:28

We used to mix this with vodka when I was in Moscow...:eyebrows:

Every Christmas Day this is my potion to come around from the night before.

One Pint Pot. 50/50 mega strong larger/dry red wine mix. You have to woof this down in one as the larger reacts with the wine, causing lumps like mushy Rubarb...:lolsign:

Marco

01-12-2009, 23:46

LOL... I thought it was this that 'brought you round':

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/6489/14101.gif (http://img686.imageshack.us/i/14101.gif/)

:eyebrows:

Marco.

Rare Bird

02-12-2009, 00:34

Marco

13-12-2009, 19:37

Guys,

For anyone into a bit of quality fizz, run along to Sainsbury's and pick up a bottle of Etienne Dumont Vintage 2004 Champagne.

It's absolutely top-notch (superb depth of flavour that you only get with vintage Champers) and is reduced from £29.99 to £19.99. It's Del's birthday today so we're just enjoying a bottle now with some canapés... :cheers:

Marco.

Rare Bird

13-12-2009, 19:45

Happy Birthday...Sagittarius & Leo eh!...Enjoy twennty quid, you nuts? :lol:

Marco

13-12-2009, 19:47

Cheers, matey! :)

Aye, Sag and Leo - a fine match, albeit a passionate and firey one! :eyebrows:

;)

Marco.

Alex_UK

13-12-2009, 21:22

Happy Birthday Del, hope you are both having a nice evening!

Barry

14-12-2009, 22:10

I have just spent a couple of weeks in Syria, where, somewhat ironically, I enjoyed several bottles of Lebanese wine. I did of course try the Syrian wine but the Lebanese is definitely the better.

Should anyone be in that part of the world, you might look out for the following. They are all from the one wine maker: Ksara in the Bekaa valley.

First my favourite

2003 Cave Kouroum ‘Petit Noir’

50% Cinsault, 15% Granache, 25% Carignan and 10% Syrah. A beautiful deep fruity red with a long finish.

My next favourite:

2007 Ksara ‘Le Prieuré’

30% Carignan, 30% Cinsault, 20% Nourvedre and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007 Ksara ‘Cuvee de Printemps’, 12.5% ABV

75% Gamay and 25%Tempranillo.

2007 Ksara ‘Reserve du Couvent’, 13% ABV

(no information on the blend of grapes)

Cheers

Marco

14-12-2009, 22:26

Interesting, Barry. Have you tried Chateau Musar (pref late 80s vintage)? That's my favourite Lebanese wine (so far) :)

It's a real stunner!

Marco.

Rare Bird

25-12-2009, 01:19

Dunno about all these fancy wine names but i got home tonight to sniff out a couple bottles of Dry Red ozzy wine in the corner the mother-in-law dropped off. Made for Tesco so it says :lol: taste alright anyway deffo as strong as the 12% says..on well i tried.. were's mi coat :cocktail:

I did promise i wouldnt booze this Christmas but i'm like a magnet to it. :lol:

Marco

25-12-2009, 23:08

LOL - just neck it and shut it! :lol:

We had a bottle of this today with some smoked salmon to start:

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/508/lalw002.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/lalw002.jpg/)

http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/TannersSite/product/French+Wines_Alsace+and+Savoie/JW00508.htm

And this with the goose (Château Bel-Air, Lussac-St-Emilion 2006):

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8127/bordeaux480002.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/bordeaux480002.jpg/)

Bloody lurvely they were too! :cheers:

Marco.

Rare Bird

26-12-2009, 00:40

LOL - just neck it and shut it! :lol:

Aye. i bought some great big wine glasses so i could get half a bottle in one go :lol:

Marco

26-12-2009, 10:37

Quality, ma man, quality - some of those buggers are so big you could have a bath in them! :lolsign:

Marco.

Marco

26-12-2009, 14:07

Today it's a bottle of this with the leftover goose:

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/1425/lbxr063.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/i/lbxr063.jpg/)

Link here: http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/TannersSite/product/Bordeaux_Red/CR06308.htm

Then some vintage (1988) Fonseca port with Del's home-made mince pies and Christmas cake... Yum yum!

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/8918/fvintage2000.jpg (http://img63.imageshack.us/i/fvintage2000.jpg/)

http://www.fonseca.pt/index_.htm

Yes, Tanners is our favourite wine merchants and we're currently going through the two mixed cases we got for Christmas and New Year! :)

Marco.

Rare Bird

26-12-2009, 20:21

Couple bottles of the wives Chardonnay Pinot Grigio :lol:

Marco

26-12-2009, 20:27

Hope yer leavin' some for her! ;)

I'm on Drambuie (with ice) at the moment... :eyebrows:

Marco.

Rare Bird

26-12-2009, 20:33

Hope yer leavin' some for her! ;)

She's not one for drinking in house..No wonder supping this shit :lol:

Jonboy

26-12-2009, 22:04

Today it's a bottle of this with the leftover goose:

http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/1425/lbxr063.jpg (http://img684.imageshack.us/i/lbxr063.jpg/)

Link here: http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/TannersSite/product/Bordeaux_Red/CR06308.htm

Marco.

I saw this in Super U in France ealier this year but i don't think it was £8.40 a bottle, i find that Bordeaux can be on the dry side so i try before i buy,

We Buy a fair bit from Lidl over there as it is good value and ok for a glass with your dinner during the week.
we're drinking Pinot Noir at the moment but it from Jacobs creek and not a couple of quid a bottle like Lidl

The Grand Wazoo

27-12-2009, 09:59

LOL - just neck it and shut it! :lol:

And this with the goose (Château Bel-Air, Lussac-St-Emilion 2006):

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8127/bordeaux480002.jpg (http://img69.imageshack.us/i/bordeaux480002.jpg/)

Bloody lurvely they were too! :cheers:

We've just run out of our stock of this - they always sell wine in those little bottles, don't they? The ones that don't have quite enough in them for that last glass you must have before bed. Then you have to open another.........& red doesn't keep so well, so you feel obliged to finish it............for health & safety purposes...................

That is a fantastic wine Marco, but rather variable from bottle to bottle, I've found. I bought a dozen (uncased) bottles back in November.

Marco

27-12-2009, 19:17

Hi Jon,

I saw this in Super U in France ealier this year but i don't think it was £8.40 a bottle, i find that Bordeaux can be on the dry side so i try before i buy...

In France it was probably half that! We never managed to go over this year, unfortunately, so didn't stock up for Christmas there as we usually do. It is a rather nice claret, though.

You're absolutely right about Bordeaux - it can be as dry as an Arab's sandshoe, which is one of the reasons why we like it, as it goes exceptionally well with food, particularly lamb, which we eat quite a lot of. Well, the Welsh stuff is rather good! ;)

We rarely drink wine unless it's accompanied with food.

The other reason we enjoy (decent) Bordeaux is because it's richly flavoured, full of ripe tannins, and generally full-bodied. We're predominantly into 'old world' wines (France, Italy, Spain, etc), and only very rarely venture into 'new world' varieties. The former simply suit our palates better, although we love big powerful Chilean reds, or indeed most good wines from South America.

We Buy a fair bit from Lidl over there as it is good value and ok for a glass with your dinner during the week.

Lidl and Aldi are an excellent source for good quality value-for-money wine. Occasionally one can also find some truly excellent high-quality examples at bargain prices, such as the Château Grand Pey Lescours St Émilion Grand Cru at £7.99 a bottle:

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3185/winepd21.jpg (http://img199.imageshack.us/i/winepd21.jpg/)

Link here: http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/product_range/2744_5999.htm

This is absolutely fantastic value for money, as a similar quality St Émilion Grand Cru in the likes of Tanners, Oddbins, Nicolas, etc, would cost at least double that amount. Aldi must have secured a very special price on this wine.

Another case in point is the truly superb Cave De Monterail Châteauneuf-Du-Pape at £6.99 a bottle:

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/3999/winepd24.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/i/winepd24.jpg/)

Link here: http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/product_range/2744_6292.htm

And if you like dessert wine (great with Christmas cake, mince pies, Panettone, etc) there is the St Amandus Beeren Auslese at £4.99 a bottle:

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5397/beenerauslesewk4763.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/beenerauslesewk4763.jpg/)

Link here: http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/product_range/2744_4210.htm (note that this shows the price in Euros). I got it for £4.99 a bottle in the Aldi in Wrexham.

This is a superb dessert wine; not as sickly and sweet as Sauternes or Tokaji Aszú, but 'fresher' on the palate, with bags of honey and raisin-like flavours - a veritable bargain for a quality dessert wine.

Nope, there's nowt wrong with Aldi (or Lidl) for all sorts of quality wine! :cheers:

Marco.

Marco

27-12-2009, 19:40

Hi Chris,

We've just run out of our stock of this - they always sell wine in those little bottles, don't they? The ones that don't have quite enough in them for that last glass you must have before bed. Then you have to open another.........& red doesn't keep so well, so you feel obliged to finish it............for health & safety purposes...................

That is a fantastic wine Marco, but rather variable from bottle to bottle, I've found. I bought a dozen (uncased) bottles back in November.

I didn't know you were into wine! Nice one, mate :)

Where do you get the Château Bel-Air, Lussac-St-Emilion 2006 from? We got ours from one of the branches of Nicolas in London when we were down there for JJ's MAD dinner.

Continuing through our Tanners Christmas selection, today we had a bottle of this rather excellent Burgundy-style wine from the southernmost tip of France, near to the Spanish border (Domaine de la Rectorie Les Séris, Collioure 2004):

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/1224/lsfr087.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/i/lsfr087.jpg/)

:cocktail:

Link here: http://www.tanners-wines.co.uk/TannersSite/product/French+Wines_Southern+France_Red/FR04104.htm

...and enjoyed it with Welsh rib of beef in a red wine and caper sauce, accompanied with Chanterelle mushrooms, thin green beans, buttered white asparagus and rosemary and garlic potatoes - yum yum! Just finishing the rest of the wine off now with some cheese and biscuits. I'll post the details on the cheese thread later!

Marco.

Jonboy

27-12-2009, 21:21

Heres one i have found on the shelves of Super U at around £2 a bottle it is a veritable bargain, very smooth and Fruity

http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp272/jonboy_01/DSC_0119.jpg

The Châteauneuf-Du-Pape in France tends to be expensive in bottles i have found, but if you visit local cave you can buy it as table wine at starting at around £1.50 a litre

We drink Bourdeax but usually with cheese and also left on the window in the sun for a wee while to take any chill out, Gamay or Beaujolais as it is better known is a nice light drink for lunch times, a make by the name of Pisse-Dru is not bad, but don't buy the very cheap Gamay a certainty for a headache

Marco

27-12-2009, 21:41

Hi Jon,

That looks like an excellent quality table wine. French 'country wines', such as those, are often very good value and sometimes better than wines from the more 'celebrated' areas of France.

When we're in France we tend to buy wine direct from the vineyard where you can also taste it first, as we're usually there with the car so there's no shortage of space. We buy as many bottles between us as our quota will allow! :eyebrows:

We also sometimes buy wine from small supermarkets/off-licences in little villages way off the beaten track when we're touring a particular area, as quite often you can pick up some phenomenal bargains there.

I once found a 1990 Pomerol for 10 Euros in a little village not that far from Calais... Needless to say, I bought a few bottles!

Marco.

Jonboy

27-12-2009, 22:03

I once found a 1990 Pomerol for 10 Euros in a little village not that far from Calais... Needless to say, I bought a few bottles!

Marco.

I have bought a few bottles of Pomerol, you need to pick a good year as they do vary in taste a bit :cool:

Marco

27-12-2009, 22:08

Damn right, and 1990 is a very good recent vintage for claret :)

It's not quite a '63, though, nor a Chateau Petrus! ;)

Marco.

The Grand Wazoo

28-12-2009, 00:45

Hi Chris,

I didn't know you were into wine! Nice one, mate :)

Where do you get the Château Bel-Air, Lussac-St-Emilion 2006 from? We got ours from one of the branches of Nicolas in London when we were down there for JJ's MAD dinner.

Well, I do like to drink a nice one, but I've always thought scoffing it's more important than talking about it!

I completely agree with your Aldi recommendation above by the way - I'd be happy if that were the only wine I were ever allowed to drink for the rest of my days - I'd say it must be the equal of wines costing £17 -£20.

The Ch. Bel-Air, we got from Booth's supermarkets - one of the better supermarket traders.

Marco

28-12-2009, 01:01

Hi Chris,

Well, I do like to drink a nice one, but I've always thought scoffing it's more important than talking about it!

I hear what you're saying. Interestingly, I often feel the same way about music in terms of listening to it and talking about it... Let's just say that I'm as passionate about talking about wine (and food) as you are talking and writing about music! :eyebrows:

However, I certainly enjoy indulging in both regularly in an active sense (listening to music and eating/talking about nice food and drinking/talking about nice wine) ;)

For me though, wine and nice food go together hand-in-hand. I simply couldn't enjoy good claret, such as we're discussing, without the right food to go with it. That's why you'll often see me talk about the food I'm enjoying with the wine I'm drinking. Oh, and "the right food" doesn't necessarily mean expensive or 'fancy'; just home-cooked using fresh good quality ingredients.

I completely agree with your Aldi recommendation above by the way - I'd be happy if that were the only wine I were ever allowed to drink for the rest of my days - I'd say it must be the equal of wines costing £17 -£20.

I presume that you're referring to the Château Grand Pey Lescours St Émilion Grand Cru?

I've never heard of Booth's supermarkets... I doubt there are any near me. I'll Google it and find out.

Marco.

Marco

28-12-2009, 01:24

Just checked... The nearest Booth's to me is in Knutsford, Cheshire (about 40 miles away), so not exactly practical! :(

I'll check it out though next time I'm out on business in the area...

I like their ethos on wine (from their website):

We pride ourselves on searching out wines from smaller producers who do not have the capacity to sell to the larger supermarkets. For example we stock a number of biodynamic and organic wines.

We offer tastings in store to give you the opportunity to try something new and different and we hold an annual Wine Fair in the autumn to highlight our award-winning range.

Our knowledgeable staff will advise you on your choice and help with any questions you may have be it a wine for a special occasion or a food recommendation.

Quality - and a world apart from bloody Asda or Tesco! :)

Marco.

The Grand Wazoo

28-12-2009, 19:24

Marco,
While you're there you should check their cheese counter too! I'm like you - I hate the poncey new cheeses with everything from fruit to Marmite chucked in to make it appealing to folks who don't actually like cheese. They have some fantastic produce.
More generally, each store has a range of core items they stock but the managers have to buy a large proportion of their stock from local sources, so you can get some really fantastic stuff.
I reckon they're perhaps the best supermarkets I've ever been into in the UK - fantastic!

Marco

28-12-2009, 20:05

Hi Chris,

While you're there you should check their cheese counter too! I'm like you - I hate the poncey new cheeses with everything from fruit to Marmite chucked in to make it appealing to folks who don't actually like cheese.

I guess it's a personal taste thing but it does nothing for me whatsoever - I don't even like garlic or herbs in cheese, never mind some of the other bollocks they put in it now! :rolleyes: :eyebrows:

They have some fantastic produce.
More generally, each store has a range of core items they stock but the managers have to buy a large proportion of their stock from local sources, so you can get some really fantastic stuff.

I don't doubt it, matey - it's just a pity there isn't a branch nearer me... More supermarkets should operate with the same ethos :)

Marco.

Alex_UK

28-12-2009, 21:14

...never mind some of the other bollocks they put in it now! :rolleyes: :eyebrows:

Crikey, they put THOSE in cheese now! :eyebrows: Camemballs? :lol:

Had some very nice wine over Christmas - although I try lots of different countries and varieties, my favourite is still a decent Rioja - it is the oak-ageing I think that does it for me. Anyway, last night we had a lovely 2005 Bodegas Primicia "Mazuelo" - I learned something buying this wine, because I always thought a Rioja was made from Tempranillo grapes, but this is from the Mazuelo variety. Very nice, and good value, for a treat. As the link below says, "full of smouldering black fruit swathed in creamy oak" - perfect!

http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/article~id~60796~brand~LAIT~mscssid~65C6D302EEF043 B1B48720AA380D80A7.aspx

Marco

28-12-2009, 22:11

Nice one, Alex - I'll check that one out :)

If you like Rioja, have you tried Marques de Riscal? It's one of my absolute favourite Riojas... Massively powerful and full-bodied (a real mouthful of fruit!), with that vanilla-like creamy 'oakiness' that you love!

Check it out (available in most good independant wine stores):

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4722/spanishwinerymarquesder.jpg (http://img689.imageshack.us/i/spanishwinerymarquesder.jpg/)

More interesting info here: http://www.cellartours.com/spain/spanish-wineries/marques-de-riscal-winery.html

Marco.

Alex_UK

28-12-2009, 22:32

Cheers for that Marco - I do recognise the label, but can't recall trying it - Majestic carry it, so I'll give it a whirl and report back! :)

Marco

28-12-2009, 23:24

No worries, Alex - let me know how you get on :)

Another one you'll love, if you haven't tried it already, is Faustino I Gran Reserva:

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5030/bw49470122568b598bc3141.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/bw49470122568b598bc3141.jpg/)

More details here: http://shop.purewines.org/1996-faustino-1-gran-reserva-rioja-13-571-p.asp

Don't mix it up with ordinary Faustino - the Gran Reserva is something a bit special, especially the 1995 or 1996 vintage. I love it to bits! :cheers:

Marco.

Alex_UK

28-12-2009, 23:52

Thanks Marco - Yep, Faustino is a fave, especially the Gran Reserva - I used to frequent a Spanish restaurant in Norwich, knowing the owner very well (sadly now passed away) and he and my then father-in-law introduced me to good Spanish wine in the late 80's. One of the Rioja stalwarts I still love is the famous Siglo Saco in it's hessian bottles - the Crianza is amazingly quaffable and great value... http://www.ndjohn.co.uk/siglo-saco-rioja-crianza-3052-0.html

Marco

29-12-2009, 00:07

Yep, I know of that one and like it :)

Another of our favs from Spain is Condado de Haza Reserva Selección:

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9325/dibujohe.jpg (http://img707.imageshack.us/i/dibujohe.jpg/)

That is a really beautful wine.

Marco.

Barry

06-01-2010, 18:16

Wines quaffed over the Christmas period

In no particular order (since I can’t remember) it has been:

FamiligiaTerraccia, 2006 Chianti Riserva, Tuscany Sangiouvese and Canailo grape.

Maison ‘de Michel’, a Bordeaux from Tesco.

Château Marzin, 2007 Premières Côtes de Blaye AOC, Merlot.

http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/images/products/35651.jpg
Château Moulin de Pillardot, 2006 Bordeaux Supérieur AOC.

http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/images/products/39651.jpg
Château Castelbruck, 2004 Margaux AOC,

Château Castelbruck, 2005 Margaux AOC.

http://www.cellartracker.com/labels/81102.jpg
Château Mayne Guyon, 2004 Côtes de Blaye AOC.

http://edge-images.snooth.com/wine/1/5/6/wine_1867975_full.jpeg
Patrizi, 2005 Barolo.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6287/2024/320/Ch%3F%3Fteau%20Simard%201995%20Bottle.0.jpg
Château Simard, 1995 Saint Emilion.

Château Blason, 2008 Hautes Côtes de Beaune AOC, Pinot Noir.

Cuvée du Vatican, 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC.

Castel di Jesi, Verridiccio.

Regards