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Vingt offer new fine wine course

Vingt, the independent wine merchant on Northcote Rd, Clapham, London is offering a new fine wine course to the general public on the 24th April 07.

The format will be as before with the course running over 4 weeks on consecutive Tuesday evenings from 7:30 pm.

The focus of the course is fine wine but no former knowledge is required and there are certainly no exams or written tests to distract you from enjoying the main event. Cost for the four week course is £300.

20 Northcote Road
London SW11 1NX
T: 020 7924 6924
E: info@vingt.co.uk
W: www.vingt.co.uk

Choosing Sauvignon Blanc

Here is a good rule of thumb when choosing Sauvignon Blanc in a restaurant or supermarket - drink youngest available.

This is especially true of New World Sauvignon, which should be very clear and very crisp/citrusy - as it ages it becomes more yellow and loses its zing.

My advice would be to only choose bottles from the present or previous year to ensure that they are fresh and zesty.

Pouilly Fumé Les Chaumes 2005 Loire

This is a very good wine and this is a great deal.  Sainsburys are offering a case of 6 bottles half price for only £34.17 - that's only £5.70 a bottle.

Sainsburys describe it as:
Elegant notes of peach, acacia and flint. Great with seafood.
Delicate floral and mineral aromas.
Food suggestion: Enjoy as an aperitif or with seafood or goats cheese dishes

I would agree - this sums it up nicely.

Get it before stocks run out here.

Cheap Champagne

Majestic Wine has a cracking special offer on Champagne in the run up to to Easter.

50% off some of their best selling Champagnes such as:
Heidsieck Gold Top Vintage 2001
Nicolas Feuillatte 2002

The Canard-Duchêne 2002 is great value at only £15.99 when you buy 2 bottles and the Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV is also worth stocking up on at £18.49 a bottle when you buy 2 - I served this up at my wedding a few years ago  -delicious!

You can get the full Champagne special offer listing here.

Lagunilla Reserva Rioja 2001

I served it at a dinner party we had last Saturday.  Upon opening, it tasted past its best, so my first thought was the Sainsburys were clearly offloading it a little too late.  But I decanted it for about 2 hours before serving and the result was much improved.

It still tasted a little watery but was much much smoother and so I have given it the benefit of the doubt and rated it a 6.5 out of 10 (before decanting it would have been a 3/10).

Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2006

I popped into Majestic the other day since I had run out of decent white wine and found this absolute gem.

I find a good rule of thumb for new world Sauvignon is to drink youngest available.  This one hits the mark for me - citrusy, sharp without being acidic and the perfect wine to drink on its own or with fish or chicken.  It gets a 10/10 from me and should be drunk up in the next 12 months to enjoy it at its best.

Majestic have it on offer at the moment - £8.99 reduced to £7.49 if you buy more than two bottles.

More details can be found here.

I would get it while you can.

Welcome to Pocket Vintages

Welcome to Pocket Vintages, the wine review site that cuts to the chase and provides the regular wine drinker with wine facts, wine reviews, details of special offers, top wine tips and reviews of wine merchants around the UK.