Red Wine - Talk to me

[EnthusiastOwned]

Thanks for your help so far guys.

The wine society looks really really good. Definitely worth a try. I couldn't find the one mentioned above with 12 of their own bottles / label stuff? Only this: http://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/ProductDetail.a...

I would fancy trying 12 different wines to get a taste!

In the mean time I managed to get 25% 6 bottles at Waitrose Cellar and went for a few recommendations including a Cairanne, Barbaresco and Barolo.

I have asked for a wine tasting experience for a christmas gift, so let's see what santa brings!

[rsbmw]

Anyone got a recommendation for something decent from Northern California? I'm not really familiar with the region.

[Davey S2]

Rich

Here's the link

https://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail....

There are loads of mixed case options. You also get regular details of offers and mixed cases sent to you as a member.

For £20 it really is a no brainer.

[EnthusiastOwned]

Davey S2 said:

Rich

Here's the link

https://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail....

There are loads of mixed case options. You also get regular details of offers and mixed cases sent to you as a member.

For £20 it really is a no brainer.

Thanks for this! I'm going to get one. But looking at the membership, I'm failing to see what the £40 is for/covers?

Also, it asks if I've been introduced by an existing member? Happy to put you down if it gets you some credit or freebie. Might as well, right!

[JimM169]

EnthusiastOwned said:

Thanks for this! I'm going to get one. But looking at the membership, I'm failing to see what the £40 is for/covers?

Also, it asks if I've been introduced by an existing member? Happy to put you down if it gets you some credit or freebie. Might as well, right!

The £40 is just an entrance fee although as has already been mentioned you get £20 off your first order so in reality it's a £20 fee. It's well worth it, they cater to all tastes and budgets. I've been a member for a couple of years and have tried some cracking wines.

[tomw2000]

JimM169 said:

The £40 is just an entrance fee although as has already been mentioned you get £20 off your first order so in reality it's a £20 fee. It's well worth it, they cater to all tastes and budgets. I've been a member for a couple of years and have tried some cracking wines.

Also factor in that the Wine Soc membership gives you free delivery.

[Davey S2]

EnthusiastOwned said:

Davey S2 said:

Rich

Here's the link

https://www.thewinesociety.com/shop/productdetail....

There are loads of mixed case options. You also get regular details of offers and mixed cases sent to you as a member.

For £20 it really is a no brainer.

Thanks for this! I'm going to get one. But looking at the membership, I'm failing to see what the £40 is for/covers?

Also, it asks if I've been introduced by an existing member? Happy to put you down if it gets you some credit or freebie. Might as well, right!

Thanks. Not sure I get anything but my name's David Marshall.

[Blown2CV]

amarone

[IanA2]

21TonyK said:

Best advice...

http://www.thewinesociety.com/

£40 for life and you'll save £20 on your first order.

Never had a bad wine from them.

And for a couple of quid a used copy of this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-Atlas-Wine-6th/dp/1...

Edited by 21TonyK on Sunday 20th November 09:44

Absolutely spot on. I tried many different "clubs" over the years but http://www.thewinesociety.com/ really does stand out head and shoulders above the rest. The wines span a huge price range and the quality even at the lower end is quite remarkable. On top of that is is highly informative. You'll drink well and learn plenty. Enjoy.

[Blown2CV]

shawbury vintners. They only sell through food shows and have no Internet or shop presence. The guy that runs it is a lifelong friend with one of the hairy bikers. They will get you free tickets to whatever food and drink show you want to go to, whenever you want to go and buy something from them. Great wines, a reason to go away for the weekend somewhere, eat nice food and it's a bit different than the usual mail order/internet commerce tedium. I found them at the BBC good food show in harrogate. I'd only been there half an hour and was £500 lighter... argh

[IanA2]

Blown2CV said:

shawbury vintners. They only sell through food shows and have no Internet or shop presence. The guy that runs it is a lifelong friend with one of the hairy bikers. They will get you free tickets to whatever food and drink show you want to go to, whenever you want to go and buy something from them. Great wines, a reason to go away for the weekend somewhere, eat nice food and it's a bit different than the usual mail order/internet commerce tedium. I found them at the BBC good food show in harrogate. I'd only been there half an hour and was £500 lighter... argh

Errr....: https://www.shawburyvintners.co.uk/

[robmarrs]

Discovered Parilla Malbec from majestic last Christmas, very good, £10 iirc
Sainsbury's have a nice Brunello in the premium wine section. About £23, can't remember the name as we drunk it last week.
Aldi have a tasty californian old vine zinfandel for only £7.99
You should also look out for wines from Gigondas, Seguret and Sablet in France, these are villages close to Château neuf de pap and are the less well known premium Cotes du Rhone, went to this region in the summer and learnt a lot about wine! I have to say though for me these wines are best with food. Sainsbury's do a Gigondas in their taste the difference range about £10-12 iirc

I categorise our wine drinking in to two distinct camps, great wine that needs to go with food, and then I have "glugging wine" for drinking anytime and that does include £5 supermarket wine from Hardy's. Etc, if you like the taste nowt wrong in my book, everybody's pallet is different, and that is what makes the journey great.

[Blown2CV]

IanA2 said:

Blown2CV said:

shawbury vintners. They only sell through food shows and have no Internet or shop presence. The guy that runs it is a lifelong friend with one of the hairy bikers. They will get you free tickets to whatever food and drink show you want to go to, whenever you want to go and buy something from them. Great wines, a reason to go away for the weekend somewhere, eat nice food and it's a bit different than the usual mail order/internet commerce tedium. I found them at the BBC good food show in harrogate. I'd only been there half an hour and was £500 lighter... argh

Errr....: https://www.shawburyvintners.co.uk/

well, they never used to anyway. Not like it stops you going to the shows.

[Matt_N]

Rather than start a new topic I thought I'd piggy back onto this one.

I've won a bottle of Hospices de Beaune 2008 Pommard Cuvee Billardet in a work raffle.

Is this a drinker or a keeper?

Details online are scant, found a few tasting notes, seems to be worth around £40 a bottle and that it's a Pinot Noir.

[Hosenbugler]

Matt_N said:

Rather than start a new topic I thought I'd piggy back onto this one.
I've won a bottle of Hospices de Beaune 2008 Pommard Cuvee Billardet in a work raffle.
Is this a drinker or a keeper?
Details online are scant, found a few tasting notes, seems to be worth around £40 a bottle and that it's a Pinot Noir.

The 2012 vintage of this wine has a drink by date of Dec 2020 . So going by that, it seems prudent to drink now, rather than letting it stand and possibly spoil. Pinot Noir is not as robust as some grapes , so tends to have a fairly narrow cellar life compared to some.

[Wombat3]

Fastchas said:

I do like a bottle of Chateauneuf Du Pape (£14-20) but I've just come across Cairanne which I bought from Aldi for £8 but also saw in Waitrose last week but didn't notice the price. On Winelovers.com they said it was very 'Chateauneuf-like' which would explain why I enjoyed it!

At £14-£20 it may say C N De P on the label but its most likely very young. Good C N de P will be not less than 10 years old (and cost a lot more than that). If you ever come across it then a bottle of Lirac is also very close to CN de P (its right next door but a very small area).

If you like it (C N de P) then you should drink it but there's probably much better stuff around for the same money. As you have found , you can buy 10 year old Malbecs & Gran Reserva's for less than that.

(Good) Barolo is always a treat, stuff from Margaret River in WA is worth a buying a bottle. As has been said, Gigondas is also yummy :-)

[DuncanM]

...its just alcoholic ribeana IMO.

Made me smile

I like Majestic, because you get to walk around and take your time, online just doesn't do it for me.


French daily drinker, unbelievable for the price imo:

Domaine Tranquillité 2010 Bernard Magrez, Vin de Pays d'Oc £6.99
https://www.majestic.co.uk/Domaine-Tranquillite-zi...

My Favourite wine:

Esprit de Pennautier 2013 Cabardes £15.99
https://www.majestic.co.uk/Esprit-de-Pennautier-zi...

I'd recommend both to you OP, as you like heavy reds. The Tranquillite needs some sediment removing from the top of the bottle when uncorking, but it tastes like a wine, twice its price!

[Matt_N]

Hosenbugler said:

The 2012 vintage of this wine has a drink by date of Dec 2020 . So going by that, it seems prudent to drink now, rather than letting it stand and possibly spoil. Pinot Noir is not as robust as some grapes , so tends to have a fairly narrow cellar life compared to some.

That's probably why it's been offered up as a prize then!

Will give it a go on Christmas day.

I've never really gone over the £10/12 a bottle and tend to stick to Rioja, Malbec, Barolo or Chianti so will be interesting to try.

[Blown2CV]

DuncanM said:

...its just alcoholic ribeana IMO.

Made me smile

I like Majestic, because you get to walk around and take your time, online just doesn't do it for me.

and taste The older I get i think it's the only way i want to buy wine... really focus on the ones i know i love and discover ones that i do too.

[DuncanM]

Blown2CV said:

DuncanM said:

...its just alcoholic ribeana IMO.

Made me smile

I like Majestic, because you get to walk around and take your time, online just doesn't do it for me.

and taste The older I get i think it's the only way i want to buy wine... really focus on the ones i know i love and discover ones that i do too.

I feel the same way, I really do think Majestic offer a good selection, at decent price points

Tried Laithwaites, a few good bottles, but mostly overly sweet heavy reds (big reds selection), and nothing tasted like it was worth more than ~£8. Much the same with 'discounted' supermarket wines ime.