***The Wine Thread***

I am a massive Napa fan, so I am very jealous!

They produce, you could say a bit samey (everyone knows that Napa cab kind of flavour) but the good ones are, in my mind, fantastic.
When you consider the AOCs controlling over the French wine production (rules are different per region, but you cannot water your vines, protect them against rain, wind, frost or anything. You're left to the elements! Which obviously makes every year/ vintage different and each year you'll have a different blend of grape %, so you'll never have the same wine from the same vineyard!
Whereas with the rest of the world, like the US, they can be a lot more consistent with the production and blends of their wine. Each year is likely to different based on the grapes in general, but regardless you're going to have more consistency with more control.
 
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Was thinking of getting some wine, mainly as a 3 for £10 kinda thing. Any recommendations that would be in a 3 for £10 deal? Dont post if it isnt.

Not sure what i like, so a red and white and whatever else. Would like something that tasted like proper grapes and not green grapes but rather red ones if poss.

Used to just get a bottle of echo falls summer berries ltd edition ones but fancied something different than rosé.
 
bottom line is the 3 for a tenner isnt worth it..even if you dont want us to tell you that

but there are some bargains at a fiver a bottle..something like an asda extra special douro or Dao from portugal, or their primitivo from italy

either that or you are just trolling
 
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randomshenans said:
The cheapest one?
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Many places won't rent to you if you're going abroad.

You can bring back 120 bottles legally, per person for personal consumption without duty.
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Actually, you can bring back an unlimited number; it's just that after that amount you have to convince HMRC that they're for personal consumption.

What are you going to look for when there?
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Actually, I was thinking of bringing back 3-400 bottles. Enough to tide me over for several years, as well as wine for laying down, and to reduce the per-bottle cost of the trip. Getting to Burgundy is expensive! It's a 2-3 day trip from up here. And a 2-3 day trip back. It's not just a day-trip to Auchan or Cite Europe. Plus hotels in Burgundy aren't cheap. So the travel costs alone are significant. Even at 400 bottles, I'll still be looking at an overhead of ~£2 per bottle.
 
We're having Christmas as a family for once, as my sister is over from Thailand with her man and so will be in the mountains but I put it upon myself to select some wines to take.

I didn't want anything really over 15EUR, as we'll no doubt get through it, but also wanted decent quality, mostly reds. That was my remit.
I love this sort of thing...

I ended up going for:

- 6 x Alorna Marquesa de Alorna Reserva Tinto 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/quinta-da-alorna/wines/marquesa-de-alorna-reserva-tinto-2012) 4.1 rating @ 8.75 a pop is never to be sniffed at.

- 6 x l'Arco Rosso del Veronese 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/larco/wines/rosso-del-veronese-2012) 3.9 rating over 7 reviews, and other years get over 4 so I think it'll be a decent by at 11 euros.

- 2 x Seven Falls Cab Sav 2103 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/seven-falls/wines/4485066-wahluke-slope-cabernet-sauvignon-2013) Solid 4 stars and a bit of a US wine in the mix.

- 3 x Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial 2011 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/aba...duero-vinedos-propios-seleccion-especial-2011) a 4.2 at under 14 euros? Done.

- 3 x Terra Noble Gran Reserva Carmenere 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/terra-cl/wines/noble-gran-reserva-carmenere-20120 3.9 rating. Fruity Chilean, bit less body than some of the others to balance it out.

- 6 x Vigneti del Salento Primitivo di Manduria Zolla 2013 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/salento/wines/zolla-primitivo-di-manduria-2013) A very solid 4.1 for 8.50? 6 please. Thank you.

None of these break the bank in any way, which is the aim and there is a bit of variety in there as well.

I picked up some others recently, too, more expensive ones which are in the cellar, won't take those with me but those were...

12 x Nativ Eremo San Quirico 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/nativ/wines/eremo-san-quirico-aglianico-2012) 4.3 rating Italian full bodied, rich and delicious wine. This was on offer at 19 euros, couldn't resist.

4 x 689 Napa Cab (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/us-689-six-eight-nine/wines/2425405-napa-valley-red-2012) It's a great standard napa cab for 20 euros. Nice bold, full bodied wine. I had 6 bottles before, drank them, so thought I'd get some more when it was on offer.

1 x L'Aventure Optimus Estate 2014 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/l-aventure/wines/optimus-2014) Heard good things, never tried it.

1 x Napa Angel Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/napaangel/wines/napa-angel-cabernet-sauvignon-2007) - I love Montes Purple Angel, wanted to give the Napa Angel a shot.

1 x Montes Purple Angel 2013 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/montes/wines/purple-angel-2013) I couldn't get the 2010 anymore, or I would. Or the 2012, but the 2013 is as good, just. The 2010 is probably a favourite of mine. Just a stunning wine. Superb.

1 x The Prisoner Wine Company Saldo Zinfandel 2013 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/us-prisoner-wine-company/wines/saldo-2013) Never tried, but I like wines out of the company, and a solid rating.

1 x Ventisquero Vertice Carmenere / Syrah 2011 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/ventisquero/wines/colchagua-valley-apalta-vertice-2011) Thought I'd give this Chilean a go, see what it's like.

1 x Isole e Olena Cepparello Red 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/isole-e-olena/wines/cepparello-2012) This is a corker of a Tuscan red. Had a couple of bottles before and it's just fantastic.

1 x G.B. Crane Que Viene el Coco 2012 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/gb-crane/wines/jue-uiene-el-coco-2012) Same guy (David Finney) who did the Prisoner Wine company (then sold it) did this. It's a pricey one, but gets really decent ratings.

1 x Eos Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/eos-estate-winery/wines/central-coast-cabernet-sauvingon-2013) Cheaper, under 20euros and a solid score.

1 x Castello Banfi Aska Bolgheri Rosso DOC 2013 (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/castello-banfi/wines/aska-bolgheri-rosso-2013) It only gets a 3.8, but liked the description, and I like a good Bolgheri, and it didn't break the bank.

Lastly, I like to pick up some bubbles for Christmas, and my go to being Louis, I was looking around at the usual haunts to pick some up from and cheapest is about 35 a bottle. No matter what I did, including tax and getting it to me was always the same.
Then I found, on amazon.co.uk what was descibed as a case of 6 75cl bottles of Louis Roederer, for 58quid... only 2 left. 45quid postage. I checked it all again. Says 6 bottles in description too. All seems right there. Naturally I bought both lots, 198 euros it came to inc postage, which is 16.5 euros a bottle... I don't know if it'll come, or what, but hey. If it does then, bonus!
 
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randomshenans said:
We're having Christmas as a family for once, as my sister is over from Thailand with her man and so will be in the mountains but I put it upon myself to select some wines to take.

I didn't want anything really over 15EUR, as we'll no doubt get through it, but also wanted decent quality, mostly reds. That was my remit.
I love this sort of thing...

I ended up going for:
wine

more wine

even more wine
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Some interesting looking wines at great prices there. Shame I can't find many available in the UK.

Went to the Decanter Fine Wine tasting at The Landmark Hotel on Saturday. Spent 4 hours drinking some lovely wines, some of them having a retail value of £130+, so not ones I'm likely to buy unfortunately. Too many to remember or list, but one of my favourites was La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890 2005. Just beautiful!
 
I couldn't find any of them in France, they're coming from all over lol some from Italy, Portugal and Germany.

Sounds like a good night! Some cracking Spanish wines. I'm interested to see what these Portuguese wines I've ordered are like. I'm not very clued up on my Portuguese wines.

Two countries that are apparently producing some corkers at the moment are Lebanon and Greece. I've wishlisted some great looking wines.
 
Could any of you kind Gents/Gentets point me toward one of the more favourable wine clubs?

Only really drink reds so preferably one that offers them exclusively.
 
So I recently dug in to the Wine Society, as it's my step brother's wedding in December and we wanted to get them something that they liked, wine being a great choice.
It's going to be 7 wines to have on different occasions throughout life. My Mum mentioned the Wine Society (http://www.thewinesociety.com/) and I was like meh, it'll be crap wine... but I went through a lot of the wines to pick them out for him/ them and there were some great ones on there and from all over.
Worth a look as it's much better range than supermarkets.
 
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