JANCIS ROBINSON MW gives a list of 50 great-value reds' to FT readers, taken from literally thousands tasted in the last few months'. She says the best value today is in the 8 to 15 range and notes that the big easy-to-find retailers' are not always cheaper than Britain's many excellent independent merchants'.
JOANNA SIMON also provides her pick of the wines for the festive season. She suggests not leaving it to the last minute, otherwise readers will end up with boring brands and tired old names'. She commends Thresher's three-for-two deal and Majestic's reduction on two bottles. Simon touches on alcohol levels, saying that in allowing a half to three-quarters of a bottle per person, a host should bear in mind that the average alcohol level in a bottle of wine is 13% and that wines from hot climates, such as most New World countries and the Mediterranean are generally more alcoholic. She recommends: 2005 Ayler Kupp Kabinett Margarethenhof (8.5%, 5.99; Majestic); 2005 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett (9%, 9.99; Marks & Spencer); and 2004 Finest Denman Vineyard Semillon (11%; 7.99 Tesco)
MATTHEW JUKES also warns Mail readers not to leave wine purchases too late. His WoW' is the 2005 Pillar Box, Padthaway, South Australia (8.99 or 5.99 when you buy three; Thresher).
Sweet sensations to suit puds, is JAMIE GOODE's brief. His recommended wines include: 2005 Ernst Loosen Erdener Treppchen Vineyard Riesling Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.99; Marks & Spencer); Harveys Orange Aperitif (7.19; Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Tesco); Cockburns Fine Tawny Port (8.49; Morrisons); 2005 Brown Bros Orange Muscat and Flora (5.43 per for 37.5cl; Asda); and 2003 Chteau Bergeron Sauternes, Bordeaux (9.60; Asda).
Supermarket fine wine ranges are not all they are cracked up to be,' says JANE MacQUITTY. Tesco doesn't flag up its Finest' selection enough and its Premium Range is a disgrace, full of subsitutes and gaps'. Somerfield is cramped and confused', while Asda's Extra Special' bottles fail to live up to the name'. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range is given the thumbs up, but its wine aisles are muddled and poorly stocked'. The only one to receive a proper slap on the back is Waitrose, thanks to its superior supermarket wine run-around, with helpful staff familiar with the Inner Cellar racked-up range'.
English wine is coming on a treat, says JOHN DOWNES. He concedes that Bordeaux and Burgundy probably don't need to lose any sleep, but Champagne may be a different story. He comments: The chalk soils so important to Champagne's unique style also line the Sussex coast. Add Blighty's marginal climate, the same grape blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier together with "methode champenoise" production, and the recipe for a world-class sparkler becomes a reality.' His recommendations include 2003 RidgeView Bloomsbury (15.95).
SUSY ATKINS makes a few suggestions for party season wines and urges her readers to trade up to at least a fiver. According to Atkins, the best red wines for about 5 come from reliably warm spots like Languedoc or Sicily', and the top whites for the same price come from the Loire. One of her particular suggestions is 2006 Co-op Argentine Pinot Grigio, Famatina Valley (4.99).
Now that liquid is forbidden in airline hand luggage, the wine choices on board have assumed considerably more importance, says TIM ATKIN MW. The business class wine list is definitely an improvement on economy, but a recent tasting proved that the overall level of quality is still disappointing'. Fruity examples came out a lot better than tannic wines, due to the dulling of the senses at altitude, and Atkin says: Apart from a good glass of Champagne, the wines that taste good are softer reds and richer whites.' One such example he gives is 2004 Coney Pizzicato Pinot Noir, Martinborough (11.99, each if you buy two; Majestic).
VICTORIA MOORE is the first to admit that, as a wine writer, she is sent heaps of samples'. However, this is not necessarily something to be jealous of, she explains: Most of the bottles I'm sent are not fine clarets and Burgundies, but the wine equivalent of airport paperbacks.' As an experiment, she spends two weeks choosing wines to buy with her own money and her highlights include 2005 Saint Mont, Ctes de Saint-Mont (5.79; Marks & Spencer).
It's time to get stuck into autumn says SUSY ATKINS and crack open some vanilla-scented whites' and spicy, earthy reds'. For the ultimate indulgence, try a very sweet, almost syrupy pudding wine with home-made blackberry crumble and a dollop of thick cream'. She recommends 2002 Tesco Finest Botrytis Semillon, Australia (5.49 for 37.5cl).
ANTHONY ROSE was reminded of French wine's capacity for excellence' at the recent Absolutely Cracking Wines from France tasting and observes: One of the surprises was the resurgence of Muscadet.' Of those at the tasting, he recommends the characterful' Bruno Cormerans Muscadet de Svre et Maine (5.75; Stone, Vine & Sun).
JOANNA SIMON thinks Thresher and Wine Rack could have been a touch more adventurous with the new Gordon Ramsay slogan, Wines you can swear by': It would have been more in character - surely? - to have had Ramsay saying, "You'd have to be effing mad to buy a bottle of wine at Thresher".' She quickly points out here that there should be a necessary emphasis on a bottle of wine' in this sentence, making reference to the considerable difference in the price to quality ratio when customers take advantage of the ongoing three for two offer..
PETER GROGAN advises on buying wine at auction and reports on the pitfalls. It's vital to read the small print. Wine that sells for 200 "on the hammer" can end up costing very close to 300 if it is offered "in bond",' he comments. His pointers include: Buy wines from great producers in less-than-great vintages.'
There is nothing more comforting than hearty, no-frills cooking,' confesses MATTHEW JUKES. His wines to match include the classy, wintry' 2004 Harrowgate Shiraz, Goulburn Valley, Central Victoria, Australia (7.99; Marks & Spencer). This week's WoW is 2005 Sandpiper Reserve Merlot, Vin de Pays d'Oc (7.99, down to 3.99 from 13 November to 7 January; Morrisons).
Eating out in the modern era might be fun and varied, says ANTHONY ROSE, but are there too many options? To help deal with the wine side, one possibility is to go to a restaurant with a decent by-the-glass selection, which removes the problem of having to settle for a boring generic bottle'. But failing that, is there really one wine that suits all?
If it's Indian food on the table, Rose finds that a bland' ros such as 2006 Kumala Ros (5.49; Tesco) can work surprsingly well', but in general he concludes that it's horses for courses', when it comes to choosing the right bottle. For those who fancy splashing out, he recommends Bricout Champagne NV (12.49 from 24.99 until 10 October; Tesco).
To avoid a case of pre-party panic', as well as saving a bob or two, JAMIE GOODE suggests buying a pre-selected mixed case of wine. Recommendations include the Marks & Spencer Dinner Party Mix (12 bottles for 85 - 7.08 per bottle).
Read more...SUSAN LOW tells readers to be more adventurous and visit their local independant wine merchant to check out new grape varieties.
Read more...'I came late to wine, after years of vodka and cocaine,' novelist and part-time wine columnist Jay McInerney tells JONATHAN RAY. Sitting in Greenwich Village, New York, McInerney says he used to despise California wines but now 'loves this stuff', referring to a glass of 2003 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay. In his book, A Hedonist in the Cellar, a collection of his wine columns, he describes Blue Nun and Black Tower as 'the vinous equivalent of Dunkin' Donuts', and Pinotage as smelling 'like nail polish remover au poivre'. Ray's wines of the week are: 2004 Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Alsace Gewurztraminer (6.99); 2006 Stormhoek 'The Siren' Sauvignon Blanc (7.99; Define Food & Wine, Harrogate Fine Wines), 2005 Honeywood Tempranillo (5.99; Somerfield) and 2004 Climbing Merlot (8.99; Majestic).
Read more...Don't lose your bottle, says JOANNA SIMON, advising readers on how to spot the best and the bargains on a restaurant wine list. Over two pages she gives a good account of what to look out for. She recommends avoiding 'the big names' and says that 2005 was a good vintage almost everywhere. On mark-ups, Simon says Ransome's Dock in south London and Arbutus in London's Soho are two of the more enlightened restaurants when it comes to lower margins on more expensive wine.
Read more...Australia's Clare Valley produces some of the world's finest dry Rieslings' says Joanna Simon. One of her favourites is the mouthwatering' 2005 Knappstein Hand-picked Riesling (6.99-7.29; Majestic, Oddbins).
Read more...JANCIS ROBINSON MW states her case for the 2004 vintage in Bordeaux. She says: 'No matter how many times a right bank producer might reiterate how much better they felt 2001 was than 2000 for them, or how inexpensive the 2002s were, or the doubt expressed by so many producers about the effects of the 2003 heatwave summer - the market has decided that 2000, 2003 and 2005 are the vintages to buy.' She describes the best of the 2004s as 'delicious, even if they may not have the intensity of of the 2005s, and offer refreshment rather than opulence'. She also flags up the '04 Sauternes and Barsacs as 'impressive indeed'.
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