Red Wine

Veronica,

I highly recommend every wine starting with a "B", for example:

Brunello
Barolo
Barbera d'Asti
Barbera d'Alba
Barbera del Monferrato

Can't go wrong with one of those - the first two are quite expensive though ;! Try the Barbera d'Asti for a starter.

Rgds. Blfrst.

I do find that Tesco and Sainsburys seem to always do offers on wines that are pretty passable for less than a fiver if you can recognise what to go for. Sainburys were doing a Wolfblass Eaglehawk Shriaz, 2003 I think, for £3.49, and I grabbed six bottles before Christmas. Perfect for weekday evenings. They seem to have gone up to a fiver now and only have 2004/5, so not really quite so good.

Try this for size ... you'll love it !!

http://www.farehamwinecellar.co.uk/0/79e1404160b074d680...0046e267.html?price0

Veronika,

I'm a fan of Aussie Shiraz, and have been lucky to spend a fair amount of time in the Wineries around Adelaide.

My favourites:

Penfolds (Barossa)- Bins 28/128 Kalimna/Connawarra Shiraz, great full bodied red at a reasonable price (£10)...

Kay's Avery (McLaren Vale) - Hillside Shiraz, Block 6 Shiraz, amazing wine, but I've never seen it in the UK.

D'Arenberg (McLaren Vale) - Dead Arm Shiraz, named as some vines suffer a fungal 'infection' which can ruin the yield on one 'arm' of the vine. The grapes on the other arm yield amazing wine - ie Dead Arm!

Other stuff I like - Faustino V Rioja - nice drop at £10 a bottle.

Am generally not a fan of Merlot (bit 'dry'), and find Pinot Noir a bit thin (my palette is not refined enough for it!)...

Enjoy!

Phil

by the way Veronika,

Now I know you're half Hungarian, I can't help but picture you as Rachel Weisz.

I hope you don't mind

Phil

Hope nobody minds me joning in - I generally stand on the sidelines reading instead of actually posting a reply/opinion but being a red wine imbiber I couldn't resist...

For what I call "throwing wines",that's everyday sub-£5 bottles, I favour the new world, in particular Jacob's Creek Grenache Shiraz,(Australia and Cono Sur Pinot Noir,(Chile).

Over a Fiver gets me into Norton Malbec,(Argentina), Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon,(South Africa), Concha y Toro, Errazuriz and Valdivieso Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons from Chile and into Penfolds territory,(Australia - not fussy on the grape though their "barrel reserve is sublime.Last mention goes to Hermitage - lovely, smooth powerful Frenchy needing a bit of age.

Then there's the whites but this is a red wine post so I'll desist!

Have fun!
jon

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Cork:
by the way Veronika,

Now I know you're half Hungarian, I can't help but picture you as Rachel Weisz.

I hope you don't mind

Phil

I am a lot shorter and a touch skinnier. Browny/blonde hair. wish i had her boobs

I had a sorta cheapy bottle last night, was on offer for only £5.95. It was a chillian wine, San Pedro Reserva - Cabernet Sauvignon. Was quite pleasant for the money.

Going to hunt Swindon for a bottle of Brunello this weekend. A few of you have commented on this one. I have never tried it, so may well give it a go.

Veronika

quote:

Originally posted by Happy Chick:

quote:

Originally posted by Phil Cork:
by the way Veronika,

Now I know you're half Hungarian, I can't help but picture you as Rachel Weisz.

I hope you don't mind

Phil

I am a lot shorter and a touch skinnier. Browny/blonde hair. wish i had her boobs

I think if I had them I'd never leave the house...

Cabernet Sauvignon goes down well too, good and full bodied. Not quite as much as Shiraz perhaps, but good all the same.

Have you tried Pinotage? South African variation on the Pinot Noir grape, KWV do a bottle for 6-7 quid I think - worth a go.

Phil

quote:

Originally posted by Happy Chick:
wish i had her boobs

Wish I had her snake...

Me too, could you move it out of the way please?

Wish I was her snake.
In more ways than one come to think of it!

As for red wine I'll pass on my brief and basic experiences.
I enjoy a good Rioja and also Crianza and Chianti (followed by the obligatory Hannibal Lecter noise).
I bought a case of wine from Virgin Wines on the internet. It was a variety of wines, specially priced. I later got a call from them and was given my personal wine representative. He then guided me to my second case of wine based on my preferences from the first case. This case was enjoyed very much. The same thing happens with each subsequent order. It may be an avenue you feel you'd like to investigate. Happy experimenting anyway.

Regards,
Steve O.

PS
I have no connection to Virgin Wines and am at present teetotal due to a medical condition. Which means I can join in the chat but can't join in the fun!

I picked up a case of this recently(Vini Fondatore Domizio Barbaresco 2002), very nice.

This Tesco Barossa Shiraz is an absolute bargain. Without the Tesco label it would be at least twice the price. Shame there isn't a picture.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bardolino from the shores of Lake Garda, Italy. One of my favourites.

Julius Caesar always had a Bardolino at his table, apparently.

Try not to buy wine from supermarkets.

<<rant: ON>>

Supermarkets want/need/are/can't help inexorably doing to wine what they have done to every other 'product sector': lessening choice, consolidating range, limiting suppliers, maximising profit.

This is great for the consumer short term - acceptable wines at bargain prices. Have you noticed how much wine is from America (home of the currently weak currency v sterling) or Australia: mega-vineyard tracts producing identikit wines-with-sugar-in?

One bottle of wine in every three purchased in the UK is now sold by Tesco. One in three.

This gives Tesco the colossal buying power necessary to squeeze their suppliers - often passing the savings (or some of them) onto the consumer. Whoopee. You may think.

But they list only 700 lines, and really sell only 200 of those in any great quantity.
9, yes 9, have "Blossom Hill" on the label.

There are now only two or three 'brands' of many consumer items. The supermarket accountants would LOVE that to be the case with wine, too. As a wine drinker, I would hate it.
So might you.

Visit Majestic, Oddbins, even Thresher (improving), or preferably your local independent wine merchant. You may pay 50p per bottle more, and fail to see the "Buy 1 Get 1 Free" offers. But you will be buying a wine from someone who knows and cares what is in the bottle, and they will relish your feedback.

Just as with vegetables, fish, meat and cheese purchased from greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers and cheese specialists, the contents will be better, less bland, made by someone who also cares, and not in a factory somewhere in a hot place to hit a price point that artificially ends in -.99 and delivers precisely 38% margin with two promotions per year.

Wine cannot be made that way, only grape-based alcopop.

I am of course happy to pass on specific recommendations when I find them (someone for example mentioned Brunello - coincidentally also my desert island wine - try the example from Gianni Brunelli available in Majestic - if there's any left. Worth every penny of its very large price tag, which is £25. And I'll wager that a far greater percentage of the £25 has actually gone into making that wine than the same percentage of some seven quid Gallo nonsense)

More important however is to make friends with a wine merchant, let them discover your tastes and recommend wines for you that they will have tried first, and will care about your reaction to. No Somerfield shelf will ever do that.

Almost by definition you do the above with hi-fi equipment. Try it with wine too, you will not regret it.

<<rant: OFF>>

Cheers

Rod

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
I do find that Tesco and Sainsburys seem to always do offers on wines that are pretty passable for less than a fiver if you can recognise what to go for. Sainburys were doing a Wolfblass Eaglehawk Shriaz, 2003 I think, for £3.49, and I grabbed six bottles before Christmas. Perfect for weekday evenings. They seem to have gone up to a fiver now and only have 2004/5, so not really quite so good.

I had a bottle of the Eaglehawk Shiraz 2004 last night, and there was nothing going on at all with it. Scrub it off the list. It wasn't worth the fiver.

Tonight I am drinking, Nautilus Pinor Noir 2002 Marlborough New Zealand.

Very interesting this one, slighty spicey and a wee kick in the finish.

Spock

I get a good drop of Marborough Sauvignon Blanc from from my local off li..., er liquor store

Apologies, it's not red I know, but good.

Phil

Hello again Phil,

Thnx for your comments, I'll use this thread now. I was interested to read your post on the Aussie wines you experienced while out there. By the same token, I am equally enthusiastic about South African wines, having visited the Cape Winelands on several occasions. Now drinking a Spier 'Inspire' Cabernet Sauvignon which is rather nice. Not overkeen on Spier though, found it a bit too 'commercial' when I was there, compared to some of the smaller wineries. Lucky enough to have stayed at a couple as well. If you ever see some wine from 'Zevenwacht' then give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Mark

Here's a Barossa Valley red worth committing homicide for: Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. Made from grapes reluctantly yielded by old, gnarled vines grown in dry, barren soil beaten by the harsh sun. Result: an intense and spectacularly flavoured red you won't forget in a hurry.

Expensive and impossible to obtain, but I recommend you drop everything immediately and start searching NOW!

Steve

For an everyday easy drinking wine i love Blossom Hill's California Red, about £3.50 from most uk supermarkets.

quote:

Originally posted by markah:
Hello again Phil,

Thnx for your comments, I'll use this thread now. I was interested to read your post on the Aussie wines you experienced while out there. By the same token, I am equally enthusiastic about South African wines, having visited the Cape Winelands on several occasions. Now drinking a Spier 'Inspire' Cabernet Sauvignon which is rather nice. Not overkeen on Spier though, found it a bit too 'commercial' when I was there, compared to some of the smaller wineries. Lucky enough to have stayed at a couple as well. If you ever see some wine from 'Zevenwacht' then give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Mark

Thanks Mark, will keep an eye out for Zevenwacht! Need to get to SA at some stage, wine's as good a reason as any!

phil

quote:

Originally posted by Yo-yo Master:
Here's a Barossa Valley red worth committing homicide for: Rockford Basket Press Shiraz. Made from grapes reluctantly yielded by old, gnarled vines grown in dry, barren soil beaten by the harsh sun. Result: an intense and spectacularly flavoured red you won't forget in a hurry.

Expensive and impossible to obtain, but I recommend you drop everything immediately and start searching NOW!

Steve

Am in Adelaide in Feb - will try and pick some up. Thanks for the recommendation!

phil