The Wine & Whisky Thread

[Alex_UK]

Trust me, even at £6.99 this is a very good Rioja, especially if you like oak and vanilla flavours - yep, a bargain - enjoy!

[The Grand Wazoo]

Wine and Real Ale Recommendations ???

Well I recommend you don't try to by wine or real ale at Asda!!!!
Yahoo news, just now

English teacher Amanda Ackroyd was trying to buy a couple of bottles of wine and cider when checkout staff asked her young partner and 17-year-old son for ID.

As neither was able to prove their age, Ms Ackroyd was told she couldn't purchase the alcohol because she "couldn't guarantee she wasn't going to pass the alcohol on to someone under age".

"It was very embarassing," she said. "Even if my son had ID on him, he's only 17, so they wouldn't have served me anyway.

"Am I not supposed to take my son shopping with me any more?"

Ms Ackroyd added that she thought the chain's approach did not make sense.

"If I'd been buying crates and crates of beer, I could understand, but the amount and type of alcohol I was buying was clearly not for giving to someone who was under age," she said.

An Asda spokeswoman has since defended the supermarket chain's 'Challenge 25' policy, which requires staff to ask to see the ID of anyone who looks under 25.

"Although it seems mad, we don't blame our colleagues for being over-cautious," the spokeswoman told Sky News Online.

"We support them in making the right decision using a common sense approach."

After the incident at the Newton Abbot store in Devon, Ms Ackroyd abandoned her shopping and did it at a store that did not hesitate to sell her wine.

"I won't be returning to Asda again," she said.

[Barry]

I have just slurped a couple of glasses of Alex's latest recommendation from Tesco:



The 2005 Reserva Berberana 'Etiqueta Negra'.

The 'three for two' offer makes it the bargain of the year (£4.66 a bottle). It really is good. Don't hesitate - go out and get three bottles tomorrow!

Good call Alex. Thanks

Regards

[Alex_UK]

Glad you approve Barry! Off to get one breathing, I think - well, Thursday's nearly the weekend!?

[Barry]

I was so impressed by this Rioja (and the staggering value for money), that today I bought three more bottles.

Regards

[Marco]

Must try some of this, chaps! I'm doing some shopping later so will pop into Tescos

Marco.

[Barry]

Must try some of this, chaps! I'm doing some shopping later so will pop into Tescos

Marco.

You won't regret it Marco. At the price it's an excellent mid week slurp!

Have you and Del tried the Chateau Castelbruck Margaux (or the 'La Petite Echoppe') yet. What did you think?

Regards

[Barry]

Just drunk half a bottle of this:



A 2004 Château Belgrave Haut-Médoc. Château bottled. Not cheap at ~£19 a bottle, but an absolute delight. Bought from my local Co-op (of all places!)

Regards

[Barry]

My local Tesco have discontinued the ‘3 for 2’ offer on the Rioja Berberana, Reserva 2005. Damn! - I only managed to get 12 bottles at that price.

Instead I thought I might give this a try:



Rioja Torre Aldea, Reserva 2005. (The image is of the 2001; the best image that I could find. The 2005 vintage has a parchment-cream coloured label.)

“…Nutty aroma with vanilla and leather. Potent at first but pleasant and persistent on the finish ……”

At the moment it’s half price at £4.99 a bottle. I have just tried a couple of glasses and can thoroughly recommend it. Alex, this is my way of thanking you for your excellent recommendations by returning the favour.

Regards

[Alex_UK]

Sounds right up my street!

I'm sending the butler out straight away, thanks Barry! (I've only got 1 Berberana left, so will need "something for the weekend!" )