The Wine & Whisky Thread

my Dad's favourite after dinner tipple, with a splash of water, divine

Tesco and Waitrose sell it for £41.50, but now and again they discount to £35

aged in sherry casks, drink neat with a little drop of water, I used to drink more expensive single malts, but now I don't bother since my Dad got me onto this one, enjoy !

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Originally Posted by Marco

Ok guys,

Just a 'heads up' if you weren't aware of the above. There are some top-notch wines available at very good prices. Knowing Italian wines (and others) in depth, here are my recommendations - indeed I have just returned from Lidl and bought these myself:

Italian (white) :

Roero Arnesis, Cascina Valentino 2013 - £7.99.

This wine is from the Piedmont area of Italy, using a rather unusual grape variety, and is superb served chilled, with some chicken dishes, fish and seafood. Very unusual to see it in this country!

Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Corte alle Mura 2013 - £5.99.

This wine is a Tuscan classic, beautifully fruity and flavourful. Gorgeous, served chilled, even as an aperitif! Also, very nice with risotto, veal, grilled chicken or pork dishes.

Italian (red) :

Fortezza dei Colli, Chianti Classico D.O.C.G Riserva, 2009 - £6.99. This is big, bold, juicy, fruity lusciousness to the max, and probably one of the best Chiantis you can drink south of £25.00 a bottle! This is a MEGA BARGAIN, folks and should be snapped up immediately!!

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, 2011 - £7.99. Another mega bargain. Think Brunello di Montalcino on the cheap: big, powerful and jammy, but instead of £20-30 a bottle, you're getting it for £7.99 :eek: Awesome with all red meats and strong cheeses!

French (refreshing rosé for summer) :

Corbières Rosé, 2014 - £4.99.
Côtes du Rhône Rosé, 2014 - £5.49. This one will be a little more full-bodied and 'intense' than the Corbières.
Cabernet d'Anjou Rosé, Domaine de Terrebrune 2014 - £5.99. The driest of the three, but still nicely fruity. Great with pan-fried scallops!

French (red) :

One for Barry... An outstanding Bordeaux (Fronsac), Les Sources du Château de la Riviére, 2012. Should be up there with some of the nicest Médoc you've had, but at around half the price you'll pay per bottle from Laithwaites! ;)

Enjoy, folks :cheers:

Marco.

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Some nice ones there....A trip to lidl is on the cards.

If nothing else, Grant, make sure you grab a bottle of the Fortezza dei Colli. Trust me, it'll blow your mind! ;)

If I may suggest a few tips for serving.... It's essential that wines like this are served at the right temperature. Simply lifting it up from the kitchen table (or wherever it's been stored) and opening it, will mean that you'll not be enjoying its full potential.

Do you have a wine thermometer or some other way of measuring temperature? Chianti Riserva should be served at 17°C. Any cooler than that, and it will taste more acidic than it should, and you will lose its inherent richness. The difference really is noticeable!

Also, wines of this quality should be decanted before they're served, in order to aerate the wine. You don't need a fancy decanter - simply pour the existing wine SLOWLY into a clean spare wine bottle, or similar container, using a little plastic funnel (to prevent spillage).

When done, simply transfer the wine back into the original bottle (I doubt that there will be any sediment to remove, but if there is, swill it out with warm water before pouring the wine back in), doing it SLOWLY (you don't want to see any froth accumulating). This is a much better process than simply uncorking the wine and leaving it to 'breathe'!

Once done, ensure that the wine has reached the correct temperature (as specified earlier) and serve it inside a lovely thin, tall-stemmed wine glass, such as this, ensuring that the glass is only a quarter full at any one time, so that you can swill the wine around the glass and enjoy its full bouquet:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/912/6ioIuG.jpg

Trust me, if you go to a little effort like that with good wines, you'll appreciate them far more!

:cheers: :cocktail:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Very nice indeed, Bev, and a bit of a bargain indeed for a Chianti Riserva! I'll look out for that one in Asda :)
Marco.

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Just purchased a couple more bottles of this lovely wine and it was reduced today to £5.97... bargain indeed... :D

Good stuff, Bev! Do you have a Lidl near you? If so, grab a bottle of the Chianti Riserva I've recommended. I think you'd love it! :)

Marco.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05...cb9c955c08.jpg

Been slurping this cheeky chappie...woof

Lol - did you read my previous post, daftee [the big long one for your benefit]? :D

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Good stuff, Bev! Do you have a Lidl near you? If so, grab a bottle of the Chianti Riserva I've recommended. I think you'd love it! :)

Marco.

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Yes I have a Lidl not too far away... I'll try the Chianti Riserva you mention... thanks ... ;)

Nice one. I think you'd also like the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano :)

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

Lol - did you read my previous post [the big long one for your benefit]? :D

Marco.

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ah yes. I have an aerator and a decanter, and a thermometer. My kitchen counter in corner is usually about that temp as it doesnt get any sun.. If I bag any I will follow your instructions then drink frae the bottle :eyebrows: