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Did you know....
Colli Senesi, Rufina and Colli Fiorentini are all sub regions of Chianti.
Chianti wines are from the Tuscany region of Italy.
According to Pocket Vintages, look out for Chianti wines from 1997 and 1999 which were both excellent vintages.
Did you know....
Soave Italian wine is from the Veneto region. According to Pocket Vintages, there were no excellent years for the Veneto region between 96 and 05, although 2003 and 2004 were very good vintages.
Did you know....
Spanish red wines spend varying amounts of time ageing in oak. If you see 'Crianza' on the label of a Spanish wine from Rioja then you know that it has spent at least 12 months ageing in oak. Other Spanish reds only need to spend 6 months ageing in oak to be classified as Crianza. However, all Crianza reds must spend a minimum of 24 months maturing in total.
Confused yet? Want something even smoother? Then look for a Reserva, which must mature for at least 36 months or a Gran Reserva, which must spend 60 months ageing.
Did you know.....
Pinot Noir is the most widely planted black grape in New Zealand.
Berry Bros has a special offer on their range of Pol Roger champagnes - 20% off when you buy 6 bottles or more.
Their range starts at around £21 per bottle (including discount) and goes up to more than double that if you really want to splah out.
Did you know.....
That Champagne is one of the very few white wines to be made using red grapes.
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are often used in the blend - both are red grape varietals.
I just got off the plane from London and Seattle and wanted to give the low down on the BA wines in Club.
Jancis Robinson has helped create their 'award winning selection' and I have to admit, it's a good list.
Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve is the house champagne, made from a classic blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Majestic are currently offering a third off the vintage 2003 Charles Heidsieck here (if you're interested).
The two whites on offer were:
Benzinger Los Carneros Chardonnay 2004 - I didn't try this one but it is described as a complex blend of green orchard and ripe tropical fruits by the BA team.
Pouilly Fume 2005 Jean-Claude Chatelain - I did try this one and it was delicious - classic French Sauvignon Blanc - it was dry but rounded, showing its class, without too much fruit to ruin the zestiness.
There were three reds on offer:
Avila Syrah 2004 from Santa Barbara - I almost went for this one since I knew it would be nice and blackcurrenty with a touch of spice, but I stuck with the Old World wines and went for the...
Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2004 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret - from the southern Rhone valley this was another classic wine drinking very well. It went down a treat with my steak but was light enough to glug on its own. According to the booklet, 2004 was a very good year for Rhone wines and that helped me decide. I chose well and had three glasses of it.
The final red was Chateau Fourcas Hoston 2003 Cru Bourgeois Superieur Listrac - what a mouthful! Just the name put me off but the description on the list did no better, starting off with '2003 was a very awkward year for winemakers in Bordeaux'. Well I disagree in part. The better chateaux did a very good job with what nature brought them but the not so clever winemakers did not. But Jancis knows her stuff so I'm sure this would have been a worthy complement to the BA steak as well.
I had an email from Majestic today featuring some new deals.
The one that caught my eye was Les Cailloux 2000, Pauillac for only £8.99 when you buy two or more.
I consulted my Pocket Vintages booklet and apparently 2000 was an excellent year in Medoc, so I have ordered a case. I will you know what it's like when I open the first bottle in a couple of weeks. I reckon it is mature enough to drink now but will hopefully keep another 10 years or longer.
You can order it from Majestic here.
Tesco.com is worth looking at occasionally. This week they have a great champagne offer - half price Perrier Jouet at only £12.50 per bottle.
You can see the details here.
Only annoyance is that they charge you £5 for delivery, which bumps the price up to £80 for the case of 6, but this is still a good deal.
Did you know....
That under UK wine rules, only wine made from grapes grown here in the UK can be labelled as English wine. British wine is wine that is made here but the grapes are imported from somewhere else.
English wine is really starting to take off, helped by a great 2005 climate and technology improvements that have helped English wine producers scoop a range of awards recently.
