[Joepicalli]

Made the mistake of entering a fine wine shop today w/ only €20 in my pocket . . .  Came out w/ a Chilean (shut it!) C/Sauv called Equus 15.1% that tastes surprisingly OK considering it's rocket fuel.

I found some nice looking Swiss (!) pinot t'other day that looked great.  Anyone have any knowledge about Swiss wine?  I figure it'd be similar to Austrian (which I like) apparently it has one of the sternest quality control regimes in the winemaking world (probably changes made after its industry suffered a certain anti-freeze incident some years ago).  Austrian wine seems to be held in quite high regard in Germany. 

Northern (read Alto Adige) Italian Pinots are similar to but cheaper than Swiss. I like them, I find a slight "smokiness" in them which is attractive with winter comfort foods.

[Houdini]

We're filling gaps in our Italian knowledge the now - good Montepulciano being a recent favourite - I love this wine.  In fact, I'm flabbergasted why Joe pooh-poohs Italian, he obviously drinks Italian.

I picked up a bottle of C. de Seguin in duty-free recently, it'll be the last Bordeaux I'll try for a while:  I'm sick of merlot & c/sauv'.  It was opened after the Montepulciano died, ha ha.

Full steam ahead on German, Portuguese and Italian for the foreseeable future.

I expect to see full reviews of all your Xmas wines by New Year 

As for sticky whites    I don't know who you stomach it.  It's port season! 

[Joepicalli]

In fact, I'm flabbergasted why Joe pooh-poohs Italian, he obviously drinks Italian.
I certainly don't pooh-pooh Italian wines Houd. With a name like Picalli I'd be spanked at the Italian border for doing so. In fact I am a huge fan of Piedmontese wines and have just returned from Turin where many were drunk. I would recommend you getting your hands on some Dolcetto  d'Alba and any Nebbiolo you can get your hands on. At the expensive end of the market go for Amarone della Vallpollicello a dry wine made from air dried grapes.

[Sloper]

Just in case anyone else is after the bargain sauternes at Tesco I was told only the glossop shop had it (I could be wrong about this).

Anyway to save you the drive over the snake they don't, I've bought it all.  So if you want some let me know and it's yours for cost + £1 

[GraemeA]

Me and Joe were going to get another 6 bottles each, so at least you have saved me the hassle of calling in when I drive past tomorrow.

I am sure we can come to some deal regarding this extra quid per bottle Cappuccino sir?

[Sloper]

Capuccino is coffee for people who don't drink coffee, but yes we can come to an arrangement.

[Fiend]

Cheer for the phone call El Slopino - didn't get back to you cos I don't drink much wine, well except when other people have it (someone fed me a good Portugese the other night, no idea what it was but it was pretty nice).

P.S. I do drink cappucino. With plenty of froth, preferably.

[Sloper]

Fiend, you froth, never.

Did the Porotugese taste like chicken or pork?

[Houdini]

It's 8pm and I'm just about to nip out for cheese.

Anyone care to riff on the subject of appropriate cheeses to be eaten w/ wine?  Obviously, I can have any cheese I want except english cheddar . . .  Which thankfully is in short supply here.

Of the harder cheeses I'm fond of swiss Appenzeller.

[Sloper]

Vacherin mont D'Or, a good comte, tomme de chevre, banyon, bleau des causse.

By the way a real cheddar (i.e. unpasturised and 2 years old is a fine cheese up there with the best)

[Joepicalli]

Vacherin mont D'Or, a good comte, tomme de chevre, banyon, bleau des causse.

By the way a real cheddar (i.e. unpasturised and 2 years old is a fine cheese up there with the best)

we're a bit  here but:
Funny you should point out the fineness of good cheddar- some French friends who had only ever experienced plastic pre-packed stuff were dissing it to me; along the lines of "Ah Joe you know food...for and English man what about your shite cheddar- at which point I waxed lyrical about the real thing and promised to bring some over the next time I'm there: I feel a Neil's Yard Hit coming on.

[Houdini]

I went for a comte plus a couple of spanish (firm) goats cheeses (one w/ brennessel / nettle) and something swiss, mature & unpronoucable that you could build w/.  It's the best of the bunch.

[Houdini]

A good day today: my 1st 100% Carignan (not easily available).  Rather like my 1st 100% Touriga Nacional; something to remember.

[Houdini]

http://www.santaduc.fr/site/spip.php?article107

To accompany tonites meal.  Though quite strong @ 15% - delicious, mind.


Beautiful part of the world.  Will add a tour of the Cote du Rhone region (along w/ a tour of Portugal's Douro valley) to the list of things to do before I die.

[Richie Crouch]

Currently enjoying a relative bargain from Tesco - 6.99 down from 9.99 for a 1489 Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano 2004. Going down a treat after my 12 hour shift!

[Houdini]

Enjoying my 87 Parker points for €4.40 the now 


Vina Borgia, Campo de Borja 2006.  Indecently smooth for a young cheap wine.

[Yossarian]

transferred from the xmas foodie thread...



this was a present a few years back from an italian fabric mill.  annoyingly they have since stopped being quite so generous. 
it was almost indescribably good.  quite a mission taking the cork out though.



my girlfriend awarded herself this as an xmas present from her gallery's booze supply.  it's from the moet hennessy / cheval blanc project in argentina.  by the time we got to it on nye i had already put away a quantity of both sloe gin and champagne and as such my palate was somewhat compromised.  that said, it was still pretty good.  i don't think it's cheap though...

[tommytwotone]

Aha - a convenient moment for a wine punter like me to chip into the wine thread!

So, I'm a fan of your big hitting reds, but haven't ever really spent more than about £8 a bottle. Got a few mates over tomorrow, one is bring a chateauneuf de pape and I'm thinking of pushing the boat out and buying a bottle of barolo.

Can anyone hit me with some recommendations?

I'm happy to go up to about £20, and if it helps I'm serving up wild boar sausage stew.

Cheers word.

[Yossarian]

well, you've chosen the right wine.

there's a barolo that waitrose do for under £20 that's pretty good.  i was quite impressed anyway.

and there's one in sainsburys that was rubbish and had clearly sat on the shelf for months.

then again, if it's not melon flavoured alcopop it's not going to sell in hastings...

an independent shop might have something interesting.

other option would be a barbera d'alba...?

[tommytwotone]

Nice one - glad I'm on the money there. I'll be taking a trip to a conveniently located wine specialist near me to see what they can hook me up with.

Just noticed your bottle of barolo above is 3l...nice work, bet that was some good 

[Joepicalli]

Barolo is a great Idea and will work really well... but with wild boar sausage an Amaro della Valpolicella will really work and tescos have it. If its throwing a spanner in the works ignore me, Barolo will work fine, but the amarone is well worth considering.

[Joepicalli]

Just a quick heads up tesco are selling off A Masi Amarone 2003 (Good year, good producer) in their bin end sale at £20 something a bottle if you buy six, good deal. plus it will improve for ten years, well cellared.

[tommytwotone]

Nice one - went with Yoss' advice and hooked myself up with a bit of this, which was top drawer:



Never spent more than a tenner on a bottle of red, have to say I was a bit worried as to whether it'd be that much better but it didn't disappoint!

Like the sound of the amarone, will get a bottle for the next sanglier supper at twotone towers...

[Stef]

Can't you just be serious 1 minute and talk about real fine wines ??
 I mean french wines of course.

[Sloper]

Just a quick heads up tesco are selling off A Masi Amarone 2003 (Good year, good producer) in their bin end sale at £20 something a bottle if you buy six, good deal. plus it will improve for ten years, well cellared.

Which shop, do I have to drive over the snake again?