This is the thread for those who wish to discuss wine. It can also be the thread for those who have been drinking wine and want to discuss any old bollocks under its influence. Please keep most of your wine debate to this thread, so that those who are interested know where to find it, and those who aren't won't have to read it. I'll get the ball rolling: If anyone can really explain the intricacies of Italian wine (some of which is awesomely good) I'm all ears. You can keep your branded New World wines - flattering for the first glass but lacking complexity and subtlety and often over-oaked.
As a rough guide, I spend not less than a fiver a bottle and not more than a tenner.. Happy to help.....
I'm with you on the Italian wine thing Glid: Montepulciano is a favourite red, or a Barolo if you're splashing out. And for whites, a bottle of Gavi is hard to beat. I have no idea why they are so good - I just put it down to the italians being good at ALL the important things in life: motorbikes, cars, food and wine. The whole lifestyle thing in fact...!
I only drink red wine,on the strict instructions of my cardiologist. Preferably a nice Malbec, or Nuit St George .
£5 a bottle! You must be rich, our local supermarket has a choice of about 1000 different reds and there are not many of them that are that expensive. But there again I live just down the road from Bordeaux here.
Did I mention my free prescription of red wine,how can anyone complain about the NHS. In all seriousness, my cardio said a good glass of red every night helps control cholesterol, white wine does not work. Lucky I like red then!
The problem with Italian wine is that it's a minefield. Things with impressive names may be very so-so, stuff that calls itself table wine might be astonishing. French wine is way easier to understand, but then I've been drinking it frequently for decades and speak the language. I don't really speak Italian and have consequently spent little time in Italy - to my shame and regret.
Here in the UK it seems to be French wine that is the minefield: often pricey, but less often particularly good. I know the French do make good wine though - in French Supermarches you can pick up very drinkable reds for two or three Euros... It just seems that they keep the good stuff for themselves. Can't argue with that mind you!
Having lived here for ten years now, I still find French wine a minefield. I know most of those that I like, but sometimes get a surprise. about three years ago I went to a small vineyard about 15 kms away to get some wine, the owner is only small scale so does not bottle, but the whole product goes to the local co-op to be mixed with other to make a cooking wine. I ended up tasting the four different reds that he had made that year and was most impressed with the 80 cents per litre stuff. I ended up getting hold of a 20 litre winebox for him to fill up for me. Every year since he has just had cooking wine.
Because the New World has invade UK wine, you guys don't have the choice of French stuff we have. Anything that says Bordeaux is likely to be disappointing, because the expensive stuff (like, super-expensive) is way over-priced and scarcely affordable, and the cheap stuff is playing on the name. There's a fairly similar situation in Burgundy. Minervois is normally cheap and very drinkable, and for good bottles I really like Rhône Valley wines. Côtes du Rhône Villages is often very good, Gigondas (a bit pricier) is superb. Languedoc isn't bad either. There are other things, but it's not a bad start. The Hugh Johnson book is invaluable.
Give me a bottle of Pecharmant any day, don't bother looking for it in the UK though, we keep it for around here.
Yes indeed. More accurately, I'm talking about Cortese di Gavi (Cortese being the grape variety, Gavi the region, which apparently will be labelled 'Gavi di Gavi' if it comes from the even smaller 'commune' of Gavi itself. There - I've learnt something already... Bloomin' lovely stuff. And generally I'm not a white wine fan.
I think best value and easy drinking Is Cotes du Rhone. Not as sophisticated as the Bordeaux or Burgundies,but very nice all the same. And yes, in general the better wines stay in France,same with champagnes too. I NEVER see a french person drinking Dom or Mumm etc,never! Being half french, our family used to drive to champagne region, and go tasting in small producers. A lot of french do this, we did it with other things,like honey and cheese too. Ah those were the day's.
For something a little different a bottle of Brachetto d'acqui. A sparkling red. Recommended. I have a bottle of Ruffino winking at me from the queue of bottles in the kitchen. I love Chianti, but don't have a sufficiently good nose to be able to tell you the difference. I like what I like. At 20 quid, I'll let you know how that went. (Ignore my 5quid 10 quid rule in this instance)....
