***The Wine Thread***

Pinot Grigio can be good but it is generally a bit hit or miss. Piesporter is a German table wine which I, perhaps unfairly, avoid due to poor experiences with cheap German wines in the eighties. Never heard of Neirsteiner, sorry
 
I'm looking to get a present for a friend who did me a favour, not looking at silly money. Maybe 6 wines at a 10er a piece. A mixture of the best I can afford really. Is there a particular place I should be looking to purchase from?

Or alternatively would it be better to buy 2 - £30 bottles or 1 £60. Does wine really take on another level at those prices or is it just overhyped overpriced grape juice?
 
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ChroniC said:
Or alternatively would it be better to buy 2 - £30 bottles or 1 £60. Does wine really take on another level at those prices or is it just overhyped overpriced grape juice?
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My take is wines in the £10 range are often inoffensive and taste nice but they often lack character or anything that would have you looking to buy them again. £20-£40 seems the sweet spot for me, above that you are into serious diminishing returns. If your friend knows their wine they would certainly appreciate 2 good bottles from decent vineyards/regions vs 6 bottles of cheaper stuff.

Waitrose have 25% off if you buy 6 right now, waitrosecellar have some good wines on their website.
 
ChroniC said:
I'm looking to get a present for a friend who did me a favour, not looking at silly money. Maybe 6 wines at a 10er a piece. A mixture of the best I can afford really. Is there a particular place I should be looking to purchase from?

Or alternatively would it be better to buy 2 - £30 bottles or 1 £60. Does wine really take on another level at those prices or is it just overhyped overpriced grape juice?
Click to expand...

I can help if you want to trust me.
 
ChroniC said:
I'm looking to get a present for a friend who did me a favour, not looking at silly money. Maybe 6 wines at a 10er a piece. A mixture of the best I can afford really. Is there a particular place I should be looking to purchase from?

Or alternatively would it be better to buy 2 - £30 bottles or 1 £60. Does wine really take on another level at those prices or is it just overhyped overpriced grape juice?
Click to expand...

I'm a little cheaper that @200sols but also perhaps have a less refined palate. I usually find £10-£20 being the sweet spot. There's very few wines i've had beyond that price point which have made me believe they were a considerable step up from something <£20. Unless we're talking Champagne.

I guess the main question would be do you have any idea what wines your friend likes as a starting point?
 
Martynt74 said:
I guess the main question would be do you have any idea what wines your friend likes as a starting point?
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This is spot on if you do know or they've told you anything about what they consume then this can shape what you give them.

If you don't know anything about their tastes at all I'd probably suggest 4 @ £15 each for that budget. 2 white 2 red. In which case I would be looking at a Loire Sauvignon (Fumé, Sancerre, etc.) as it's recognisable enough SB for the Marlborough crowd, generally oak free (or v light) and doesn't need food while generally being good at that price point. A decent Rioja Reserva is a safe bet for the red but I'd also look at Pinot Noir or similar (Kiwi / Burg) for this if a younger recipient. Claret for a traditionalist. For either of the latter you can get decent and very bad wines at this price level.
 
Laithwaites are doing a half price deal on their unlimited service. £12 gets you a year of free next delivery for any amount, even just one bottle.

When you consider usual delivery charge is £7.99, £12 is an absolute steal!
 
Note to self, when going to buy wine, it's best not to take the wife along or she'll know how much was spent....

Had put a Majestic order in, but then fancied something a little different so cancelled it and headed to a wine shop around 25 minutes away. In my Majestic order i was happy to have been able to get Nyetimber for £27 a bottle, the wine shop didn't have any so ended up with Ruinart bdb. It's been years since i've had it and now i feel like a small child getting excited to open it!

Also it's good that when you ask for recommendations for Southern Italy and he immediately picks up a bottle of 62 Anniversario!
 
I picked a nytimber clsssic and the rose from majestic myself, looking forward to them. Also tried Ridgeview Bloomsbury that waitrose had been pushing, honestly I was expecting more, not worth the £22 offer price. I'm hoping to visit some English vineyards this summer, there are more near me than I realised.
 
Also going to tag them as i can't remember the names and i'm sure it was one of either @taB or @Tuppy_Glossop that mentioned an English sparkling wine place that had been really heavily touted in some recent magazines. I'm probably thinking late last year/early this year. I recall them even posting a link to the publication

I had thought it was this thread but can't see anything and whilst i accept this isn't much to go on if either read this and know what i'm talking about i'd appreciate a reminder. I recall there only being very few expressions.



EDIT - Went further back in the thread. It was Breaky Bottom.
 
Martynt74 said:
Also going to tag them as i can't remember the names and i'm sure it was one of either @taB or @Tuppy_Glossop that mentioned an English sparkling wine place that had been really heavily touted in some recent magazines. I'm probably thinking late last year/early this year. I recall them even posting a link to the publication

I had thought it was this thread but can't see anything and whilst i accept this isn't much to go on if either read this and know what i'm talking about i'd appreciate a reminder. I recall there only being very few expressions.



EDIT - Went further back in the thread. It was Breaky Bottom.
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3 new cuvées being released very soon I think.
 
Yea, used to get some of that in a primi selection from Silkes wein place in germany. It's not bad, but nothing to blow you away. I think it gets a 3.8 or something and comes up on the lighter side of a primi compared to the heavy 62.

For the money I would always go: https://www.vivino.com/FR/en/vigneti-del-salento-primitivo-di-manduria-zolla/w/1926947

It's a bit richer and price point is spot on! It's the sort of wine you can take to someone's house and feel like you've given them something really nice without spending a fortune :P
 
Ah shame, the shop owner was pretty complementary about it, and i was optimistic, but as you say the reviews aren't great.


I've a feeling i bought a case of that once from Vivino and was a little disappointed. Although it may have been another bottle.


EDIT - Yep, i was wrong it was this i bought, that Zolla is something i always look at but never buy
https://www.vivino.com/GB/en/montedidio-san-domino/w/7334207
 
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