Thanks. 😊
Little ole wine drinker me (us?)
- Thread starter Joey Shabadoo
- Start date
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Teamfixed
Tim Lewis
We subscribe to 'Naked wines'.
We have a box of red wine, gin and other nice stuff that they throw in arriving this week. We have always been impressed by the standard of wine (all comes from smaller independent producers)
However if Aldi are still doing Cote du Rhone villages for 5.99 it's a massive bargain!
We have a box of red wine, gin and other nice stuff that they throw in arriving this week. We have always been impressed by the standard of wine (all comes from smaller independent producers)
However if Aldi are still doing Cote du Rhone villages for 5.99 it's a massive bargain!
figbat
Slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
I am also a Naked Angel and have the Xmas box coming this week too. I’ve been a member for several years now and have not yet had a bad bottle - some I have preferred over others but they’ve all been decent examples of their type.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
About time I posted again, so here are a couple of examples of an appellation every wine-drinking cyclist should be familiar with!
The Terrasses was bought in the UK (£10.50), is from an excellent producer with a good visitor operation. The Ferme St Pierre was bought at the winery (€11), a Grenache, Syrah and Carignan blend, a good producer yet a more rustic set-up with no visitor facilities, down to earth, yet happy to welcome visitors.
Again, because Ventoux is not widely known to the general UK populace as a wine region, they are bargains. Both of these were excellent, full-bodied, earthy and smooth. Both would have kept for a few more years no problem if I had not been so thirsty. Perfect fare for this time of year with food like beef casserole.
The Terrasses was bought in the UK (£10.50), is from an excellent producer with a good visitor operation. The Ferme St Pierre was bought at the winery (€11), a Grenache, Syrah and Carignan blend, a good producer yet a more rustic set-up with no visitor facilities, down to earth, yet happy to welcome visitors.
Again, because Ventoux is not widely known to the general UK populace as a wine region, they are bargains. Both of these were excellent, full-bodied, earthy and smooth. Both would have kept for a few more years no problem if I had not been so thirsty. Perfect fare for this time of year with food like beef casserole.
Attachments
mistyoptic
Vintage
- Location
- A parallel reality
Another very important label for us
OP
OP
Joey Shabadoo
My pronouns are "He", "Him" and "buggerlugs"
While in France a few months ago, I discovered a place called Bordeaux where they make wine apparently. T'was a wonderful visit - every cafe served a vin rouge better than the last one. So I've been experimenting since I came home. These are some of my favourites -
The Pitray is very nice. Very more-ish. Unfortunately, it's caused my fingertips to go numb.
Both available from Majestic wines.
The Pitray is very nice. Very more-ish. Unfortunately, it's caused my fingertips to go numb.
Both available from Majestic wines.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Umm, debatable. The bordelaise make some of the finest wines in the world but it is a huge region producing vast quantities, a lot at the bottom end is dross. There are plenty of folk in other regions who would argue their wine is the finest!
Always good to have options!
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Roast Pork served at the weekend, so decided to go for a pinot noir:
Spatbugunder is German for Pinot Noir. Decent pinot noir from almost anywhere, especially Burgundy, is now sadly out of my price range and I find inexpensive pinot noir either too sweet (e.g. Chile) or too thin and acidic (e.g. Romania)* and tend to be one dimensional. This cost £14.50, astonishing value for such a good wine. If you like pinot noir, Germany can be a good hunting ground.
If you are prepared to pay £20 -25 for tasty pinot noir then south africa and canada both have excellent producers, although the latter can be a little difficult to find in the UK.
*this applies to my changing taste; if you enjoy pinot noir and want something inexpensive, chile. romania, moldova and south of france are all areas worth exploring.
If you are prepared to pay £20 -25 for tasty pinot noir then south africa and canada both have excellent producers, although the latter can be a little difficult to find in the UK.
*this applies to my changing taste; if you enjoy pinot noir and want something inexpensive, chile. romania, moldova and south of france are all areas worth exploring.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
And to follow, a new recipe for apple cake, accompanied by a dessert wine from the Loire Valley:
Fesles is the producer, Bonnezeaux is the appellation, Chenin Blanc is the grape. Now 23 years old, originally bought while in france about 20 years ago, it had matured beautifully. The whole bottle had been consumed before being able to take a picture of it - a deep, deep golden colour. Very sweet obviously with layers of flavours coming through, balanced with a streak of acidity making it refreshing. On and on the flavours stayed in the mouth. I have had the fortune to drink some astonishingly good dessert wine over the years e.g. d'Yquem, Klein Constantia's Vin de Constance, ice wine from Canada, Tokaji from Hungary and this was the best I've ever had. Bliss.
I think chenin blanc is hugely underrated. It makes some of the driest wines you can taste to some of the sweetest and everything in between. The labels should make it abundantly clear what the sweetness level is. Its home is the Loire Valley, while excellent examples may be found in South Africa too. All good examples will have its signature acidity - this is a good thing - and this is what makes it able to live for so long, including dry ones too.
I think chenin blanc is hugely underrated. It makes some of the driest wines you can taste to some of the sweetest and everything in between. The labels should make it abundantly clear what the sweetness level is. Its home is the Loire Valley, while excellent examples may be found in South Africa too. All good examples will have its signature acidity - this is a good thing - and this is what makes it able to live for so long, including dry ones too.
Profpointy
Legendary Member
Not sure about that. I can drink maybe 5 pints of beer and be reasonably OK (obviously not fit to drive nor attend a business meeting) but if I drank 5 pints of wine I'd be totally blotto
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Next up, an expensive white:
Plain, classy label but it tells us nothing about what's in the bottle apart from where it originates (Ventoux in the Rhone Valley), not even its colour!, so turn it around :
where we learn it is white, capable of ageing. Stuff about independent estate and made in small quantities can be taken with a pinch of salt. But happens to be true in this case! Made from Roussane and Clairette, two of the usual Rhone white grapes although latter is not used much nor in great quantity in a blend. I drank this about 2 weeks ago which is only another 6 years beyond its ageing capability! It was very tasty with roast chicken and was as described, showing no sign of fading or deterioration.
From autumn through winter, sometimes a full-bodied, full flavoured white is a good choice with certain food or folk who are not keen on full reds. Rhone whites do this. As would an oaked chardonnay or an oaky white rioja too.
Plain, classy label but it tells us nothing about what's in the bottle apart from where it originates (Ventoux in the Rhone Valley), not even its colour!, so turn it around :
where we learn it is white, capable of ageing. Stuff about independent estate and made in small quantities can be taken with a pinch of salt. But happens to be true in this case! Made from Roussane and Clairette, two of the usual Rhone white grapes although latter is not used much nor in great quantity in a blend. I drank this about 2 weeks ago which is only another 6 years beyond its ageing capability! It was very tasty with roast chicken and was as described, showing no sign of fading or deterioration.
From autumn through winter, sometimes a full-bodied, full flavoured white is a good choice with certain food or folk who are not keen on full reds. Rhone whites do this. As would an oaked chardonnay or an oaky white rioja too.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Today's tipple:
Attractive label but tells us nothing about what's in the bottle except it's an Italian red! Turn it around:
and we don't get much more beyond all the legal stuff. But this caught my eye "made from slightly dried grapes". This is indeed used to increase flavour complexity - a case of a little knowledge goes a long way, so I bought it. This technique is used in more expensive wines, the most well-known being Amarone, a big, strong, multi-faceted wine from Veneto, basically a super-supercharged valpolicella.
Drank it with lasagna and thought bloody hell this is good. It would work well with any spag bol type dish, grilled red meats and rich casseroles.
Digging into their website, I discover this is a very clever, modern wine. Under new-ish rules, it is a multi-regional blend, hence "Rosso d'Italia" on the label as opposed to a specific region. Nero d'Avola from Sicily, Merlot from Veneto, oak aged Montepulciano from Abruzzo and part dried Primitivo from Puglia. There is no vintage indication so grapes could also come from different years.
An absolute bargain at £8.00 from Sainsburys, Morrisons (£8.50) and Tesco in the UK. A stonking steal when on offer - e.g. now at Morrisons for £6.50!
Attractive label but tells us nothing about what's in the bottle except it's an Italian red! Turn it around:
and we don't get much more beyond all the legal stuff. But this caught my eye "made from slightly dried grapes". This is indeed used to increase flavour complexity - a case of a little knowledge goes a long way, so I bought it. This technique is used in more expensive wines, the most well-known being Amarone, a big, strong, multi-faceted wine from Veneto, basically a super-supercharged valpolicella.
Drank it with lasagna and thought bloody hell this is good. It would work well with any spag bol type dish, grilled red meats and rich casseroles.
Digging into their website, I discover this is a very clever, modern wine. Under new-ish rules, it is a multi-regional blend, hence "Rosso d'Italia" on the label as opposed to a specific region. Nero d'Avola from Sicily, Merlot from Veneto, oak aged Montepulciano from Abruzzo and part dried Primitivo from Puglia. There is no vintage indication so grapes could also come from different years.
An absolute bargain at £8.00 from Sainsburys, Morrisons (£8.50) and Tesco in the UK. A stonking steal when on offer - e.g. now at Morrisons for £6.50!
