What is the fuss about the New World Pinot-Noirs ? Who wants to drink young pinot-noir? Pinot should be a warm velvety flavour, 8 or nine years on a classic burgundy is hard to beat.
Well, a good burgundy is very hard to beat. They are fabulous. Sometimes, sadly they are quite expensive. Tonight I had some griddled meats for supper. A little bit of chicken and some sausages - a mixed grill is always a delight. We opened a Kiwi Pinot. The Montana South Island Pinot Noir 2007 to give it its full name and year
It was fabulous. Ok, it still is - I write this article at my kitchen table with a third of the bottle left. This wine is probably about 6 months old. It has been shipped half way around the world. It is fabulous.
Why are the New Zealand boys and girls making wine in Marlborough region so clever and darned good at their job ? They give us fabulous, almost unrivalled value for money sauvignon blanc's and now they are doing fabulously with pinot noir - and before the wine is out of nappies ! I am very tempted to hide a few bottles in the cellar to come back to in later years .. what do you think ?
Would really like to get another bottle out to open now !
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Wine from 99p per case - Virgin Wine Auctions
Wine from 99p per case. Ninety-nine pence. One penny less than a pound
Just thought I'd be clear so there is no confusion.
Yes, the clever chaps at www.virginwines.com have come up with a trump card.
Online Wine auctions - Virgin style http://www.virginwines.com/auctions/instructions.jsp
You enter your bid at a minimum of 99 pence. You work up in increments of £1 - so you only pay £1 more than the next lowest bid if tou win - even if say you bid £10 or £15 higher !
Right now the case of 'Australian Favourites' has had 5 bids and the highest bid is only £11.00 - eleven pounds for a case of fine Ozzie greats. Madness and less than a lot of people spend per bottle ! Check now as it expires in 13 hours - aproximately 930 am Thursday 17th January 2008 morning .....
Instructions as per link above.
Happy bidding and happy drinking
Remember - if you don't like the wine, you don't pay
Just thought I'd be clear so there is no confusion.
Yes, the clever chaps at www.virginwines.com have come up with a trump card.
Online Wine auctions - Virgin style http://www.virginwines.com/auctions/instructions.jsp
You enter your bid at a minimum of 99 pence. You work up in increments of £1 - so you only pay £1 more than the next lowest bid if tou win - even if say you bid £10 or £15 higher !
Right now the case of 'Australian Favourites' has had 5 bids and the highest bid is only £11.00 - eleven pounds for a case of fine Ozzie greats. Madness and less than a lot of people spend per bottle ! Check now as it expires in 13 hours - aproximately 930 am Thursday 17th January 2008 morning .....
Instructions as per link above.
Happy bidding and happy drinking
Remember - if you don't like the wine, you don't pay
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Virgin Wine Offers - Virgin Wine of the Month
Another great bottle brought to you by Virgin wines - their wine of the month this time comes from Chile
Yes, Chile. This little dynamite of a wine is from Tokerau and using the local grape carmenere.
This produces a well structured and lovingly made wine to pair with lamb, pork or beef - in fact any roast meats and goes fabulously with cheese - particularily a good chunk of mature cheddar
Carmenere is fast becoming the signature wine of Chile and touted by many as the new Shiraz, with a slightly less overpoweringness about it. A wine that has its roots in the vineyards of Bordeaux though using a grape equivalent to the most popular one from the new world
Try a bottle, mix it in a case or get a whole case - remember if you don't like the wine for any reason, you don't pay
Now that is something less to worry about.
Visit VirginWines.com/ now to see what else tasting fabulous right now
Happy Drinking
Yes, Chile. This little dynamite of a wine is from Tokerau and using the local grape carmenere.
This produces a well structured and lovingly made wine to pair with lamb, pork or beef - in fact any roast meats and goes fabulously with cheese - particularily a good chunk of mature cheddar
Carmenere is fast becoming the signature wine of Chile and touted by many as the new Shiraz, with a slightly less overpoweringness about it. A wine that has its roots in the vineyards of Bordeaux though using a grape equivalent to the most popular one from the new world
Try a bottle, mix it in a case or get a whole case - remember if you don't like the wine for any reason, you don't pay
Now that is something less to worry about.
Visit VirginWines.com/ now to see what else tasting fabulous right now
Happy Drinking
Monday, 14 January 2008
Win your weight in Wine with Virgin Wines and the Virgin Wine Club
VirginWines.com have been running their 'Win Your Weight in Wine' competition' and it expires on the 31st January 2008
Here is a link to the Virgin Wines competition
They will ransomly pick an entrant and remember - you will have to declare your weight !
In addition, there is a £40 voucher for all new entrants for the Virgin Wines wine club
Remember - VirginWines.com have a no quibble guarantee on all of their wines - if you don't like it - you don't pay for it
http://www.virginwines.com/
This offer was brought to you by LollyMax.com the latest cashback, voucher codes, discount and offers website.
Here is a link to the Virgin Wines competition
They will ransomly pick an entrant and remember - you will have to declare your weight !
In addition, there is a £40 voucher for all new entrants for the Virgin Wines wine club
Remember - VirginWines.com have a no quibble guarantee on all of their wines - if you don't like it - you don't pay for it
http://www.virginwines.com/
This offer was brought to you by LollyMax.com the latest cashback, voucher codes, discount and offers website.
More Expensive Wine taste better than their cheaper rivals ?
Expensive wine tastes the best ? Why ?
Some research at the California Institute of Technology has found people enjoy a wine more if they are told it costs more. This and the creative headlines have been picked up on by the weekends press - The Sunday Times picked up on it and also the free newspaper Metro
Well. The headlines are a little misleading. The research doesn't say it actually tastes better, it says you get more enjoyment out of it.
This does make sense. The pop of a champagne cork at a party sets off the mood. A special present will be anticipated (and hopefully lived up to)When you get beyond buying a bottle of wine because it is the cheapest or the colour, develop your palate and understand what you like or prefer - some of us go a step further.
We get 'into' it. It becomes a hobby. Then an obsession. The knowledge of either the love of crafting the garagiste bottle or the majesty of a top wine from a great vintage lends to the occasion. You are in front of greatness, you want to know what the fuss is about. It is almost like art - In the remake of 'The Thomas crown Affair' a teacher is speaking about a painting to some bored school children. She then announces it is worth 'Over a 100 million Dollars' That gets their attention and I'd bet they might not forget that painting in a hurry.
Same with wine. No matter how it actually tastes - after all - a great wine has been made to be drunk (I think) and shouldn't be in the sterile conditions of a laboratory . It deserves, no Demands an occasion, friends to share, food - well that is how I tasted my first Petrus.
It was a half bottle of the '92, not a fab year and some may accuse me of infanticide here as was drunk in 2002. It was a friends birthday and there were 3 of us - I can't remember the food, though I remember starting with a bottle of nv Bolly (it had a year or so's lying down for a bit of extra badabing) followed by a 1996 Conseillante. Then we had a 1986 Leoville Barton drank with the Petrus - we had a small glass of Petrus and polished off the Barton - we let birthday boy drink the lions share of his Petrus. Why do I remember -well, it was my first time drinking this legendary name, the lights were dimmed and pompously we played Mozarts Requiem. We were drunk, merry and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I am sure some will call us philistines for the rack and order of these wines - please don't - It was a 30th Birthday and we wanted to try these bottles - you have to drink them sometime
There is the otherside of this. Most people I know think they know a little about wine, though everyone gets their enjoyment from wine in different ways. Some like to scan the supermarkets for the bargains and offers, knowing what they like. Others may scour their local off licenses for new untasted wines, from lands we didn't know made wine, with grapes we have never heard of. A lot of people snarl at the big Burgundy and Bordeaux names .... that is fine, just when I open a particularily 'special' bottle from the lands either side of the Gironde, I will be less reticent to share it with those who won't also appreciate the majesty of what is in their glass
Happy drinking
Some research at the California Institute of Technology has found people enjoy a wine more if they are told it costs more. This and the creative headlines have been picked up on by the weekends press - The Sunday Times picked up on it and also the free newspaper Metro
Well. The headlines are a little misleading. The research doesn't say it actually tastes better, it says you get more enjoyment out of it.
This does make sense. The pop of a champagne cork at a party sets off the mood. A special present will be anticipated (and hopefully lived up to)When you get beyond buying a bottle of wine because it is the cheapest or the colour, develop your palate and understand what you like or prefer - some of us go a step further.
We get 'into' it. It becomes a hobby. Then an obsession. The knowledge of either the love of crafting the garagiste bottle or the majesty of a top wine from a great vintage lends to the occasion. You are in front of greatness, you want to know what the fuss is about. It is almost like art - In the remake of 'The Thomas crown Affair' a teacher is speaking about a painting to some bored school children. She then announces it is worth 'Over a 100 million Dollars' That gets their attention and I'd bet they might not forget that painting in a hurry.
Same with wine. No matter how it actually tastes - after all - a great wine has been made to be drunk (I think) and shouldn't be in the sterile conditions of a laboratory . It deserves, no Demands an occasion, friends to share, food - well that is how I tasted my first Petrus.
It was a half bottle of the '92, not a fab year and some may accuse me of infanticide here as was drunk in 2002. It was a friends birthday and there were 3 of us - I can't remember the food, though I remember starting with a bottle of nv Bolly (it had a year or so's lying down for a bit of extra badabing) followed by a 1996 Conseillante. Then we had a 1986 Leoville Barton drank with the Petrus - we had a small glass of Petrus and polished off the Barton - we let birthday boy drink the lions share of his Petrus. Why do I remember -well, it was my first time drinking this legendary name, the lights were dimmed and pompously we played Mozarts Requiem. We were drunk, merry and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. I am sure some will call us philistines for the rack and order of these wines - please don't - It was a 30th Birthday and we wanted to try these bottles - you have to drink them sometime
There is the otherside of this. Most people I know think they know a little about wine, though everyone gets their enjoyment from wine in different ways. Some like to scan the supermarkets for the bargains and offers, knowing what they like. Others may scour their local off licenses for new untasted wines, from lands we didn't know made wine, with grapes we have never heard of. A lot of people snarl at the big Burgundy and Bordeaux names .... that is fine, just when I open a particularily 'special' bottle from the lands either side of the Gironde, I will be less reticent to share it with those who won't also appreciate the majesty of what is in their glass
Happy drinking
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Burgundy 2006 to be released soon - Corney and Barrow Recomendations
Taken from an email from Corney and Barrow
"Every January sees the British wine trade paying homage to the most recently released Burgundy vintage. It is a time-honoured tradition which focuses the mind after the festive season and launches a new year. "
Well, Burgundy, home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay the way it (imho) tastes the most fabulous. The futures (en primeur) campaign will be out soon and the citys wine brokers will start one of their more profitable seasons
The feeling from some of the C&B people is that the Whites are more superior this year and worth looking out for - though as ever - apart from in the most fabulous of years cherry picking your producers and growers will be paramount
Who to look at ? Top picks from CC - all are 'delicious'
Chablis 1er Cru "Les Lys", Vincent Dampt
Bourgogne Chardonnay, Thierry Matrot
St Romain, Thierry Matrot
Meursault 1er Cru "Les Charmes", Thierry Matrot
Bourgogne Blanc "Vieilles Vignes", Francois Labet
Bourgogne Blanc "Cuvee des Forgets", Patrick Javillier
Meursault "Les Tillets", Patrick Javillier
Meursault "Tete de Murger", Patrick Javillier
Nuits St Georges Blanc 1er Cru "Clos de l'Arlot", Arlot
and the pick of the reds
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Varoilles", Varoilles
The Trapet Grand Crus
Gevrey Chambertin, Rossignol Trapet
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Petite Chapelle", Rossignol Trapet
Chambertin Grand Cru, Rossignol Trapet
Chateau de la Tour Grand Cru "Clos de Vougeot" VV
Nuits St Georges 1er Cru "Clos des Forets St George", Arlot
Volnay 1er Cru "Champans", D'Angerville
Pommard, D'Angerville
Blagny 1er Cru "La Piece Sous le Bois", Matrot
Time to keep an eye out on the prices now
Written by Lolly and Max from LollyMax.com
Sign up with http://www.lollymax.com/ for cash back on wine and 1000's of other online shops
"Every January sees the British wine trade paying homage to the most recently released Burgundy vintage. It is a time-honoured tradition which focuses the mind after the festive season and launches a new year. "
Well, Burgundy, home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay the way it (imho) tastes the most fabulous. The futures (en primeur) campaign will be out soon and the citys wine brokers will start one of their more profitable seasons
The feeling from some of the C&B people is that the Whites are more superior this year and worth looking out for - though as ever - apart from in the most fabulous of years cherry picking your producers and growers will be paramount
Who to look at ? Top picks from CC - all are 'delicious'
Chablis 1er Cru "Les Lys", Vincent Dampt
Bourgogne Chardonnay, Thierry Matrot
St Romain, Thierry Matrot
Meursault 1er Cru "Les Charmes", Thierry Matrot
Bourgogne Blanc "Vieilles Vignes", Francois Labet
Bourgogne Blanc "Cuvee des Forgets", Patrick Javillier
Meursault "Les Tillets", Patrick Javillier
Meursault "Tete de Murger", Patrick Javillier
Nuits St Georges Blanc 1er Cru "Clos de l'Arlot", Arlot
and the pick of the reds
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Varoilles", Varoilles
The Trapet Grand Crus
Gevrey Chambertin, Rossignol Trapet
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Petite Chapelle", Rossignol Trapet
Chambertin Grand Cru, Rossignol Trapet
Chateau de la Tour Grand Cru "Clos de Vougeot" VV
Nuits St Georges 1er Cru "Clos des Forets St George", Arlot
Volnay 1er Cru "Champans", D'Angerville
Pommard, D'Angerville
Blagny 1er Cru "La Piece Sous le Bois", Matrot
Time to keep an eye out on the prices now
Written by Lolly and Max from LollyMax.com
Sign up with http://www.lollymax.com/ for cash back on wine and 1000's of other online shops
Prosecco is better than Cava and Champagne ?
In the last four or five years I have been drinking more and more Prosecco than Cava and it also seems to be an awful lot cheaper than Champagne .. quelle surprise !
Currently, a great bargain can be had in some of the supermarkets. The bottle I have opened right now is the La Marca Prosecco - Extra Dry. The label says 'Vino Spumante Aromatico di Qualita' 11% vol and a 75 cl bottle all for £5.99 from my local waitrose. Bought this afternoon - it travelled fine and was put into a freezer bag/wine chiller to chill it to perfection for 5-10 minutes (these things are invaluable for that bottle you want to drink *now* ) Leaving bottles in the fridge for too long does them no good at all.
Some experts have recomended a quick 30mins in the fridge is all that is needed. Well, I am not so sure - if your fridge is relatively empty it may take longer to chill and I didn't want to wait.
So - back to the wine. Prosecco to me seems to be slightly less fizzy than the other sparkling wines out there and maybe just ever so slightly sweeter for its class. It is also generally super cheap and a great celebratory fizz to buy in a restaurant.
So - the La Marca Prosecco is going down ever so well and if it wasn't for my large lunch I might be devouring bowl of olives with it
Happy glugging
The Lollymax team writing about discount wines offers
Lolly and Max
Check Lollymax.com for cashback offers and discounts on wine and 1000's of other types of shops
www.lollymax.com
Currently, a great bargain can be had in some of the supermarkets. The bottle I have opened right now is the La Marca Prosecco - Extra Dry. The label says 'Vino Spumante Aromatico di Qualita' 11% vol and a 75 cl bottle all for £5.99 from my local waitrose. Bought this afternoon - it travelled fine and was put into a freezer bag/wine chiller to chill it to perfection for 5-10 minutes (these things are invaluable for that bottle you want to drink *now* ) Leaving bottles in the fridge for too long does them no good at all.
Some experts have recomended a quick 30mins in the fridge is all that is needed. Well, I am not so sure - if your fridge is relatively empty it may take longer to chill and I didn't want to wait.
So - back to the wine. Prosecco to me seems to be slightly less fizzy than the other sparkling wines out there and maybe just ever so slightly sweeter for its class. It is also generally super cheap and a great celebratory fizz to buy in a restaurant.
So - the La Marca Prosecco is going down ever so well and if it wasn't for my large lunch I might be devouring bowl of olives with it
Happy glugging
The Lollymax team writing about discount wines offers
Lolly and Max
Check Lollymax.com for cashback offers and discounts on wine and 1000's of other types of shops
www.lollymax.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)