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With the rash of spring tastings in full swing, ANTHONY ROSE compares the offerings from Waitrose, Oddbins and Majestic: 'Waitrose has always taken wine just that bit more seriously than the other supermarkets. There's a sense in which the if it ain't broke, don't fix it mentality could be playing to its disadvantage.' He notes a sense of dj vu with the Australian, Argentinian and California wines, but praises the retailer for its Austrian Grner Veltliners and German Rieslings. Oddbins fares better with its 'strong' South African, Australian, New Zealand and Chilean ranges, as well as its new range of white Burgundies. And Majestic 'looks in better shape than ever', with a 'young but experienced wine-buying team and the sort of enthusiastic sales staff that once characterised Oddbins'.
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JANCIS ROBINSON MW is impressed at the progress made by Spain in such a short space of time: 'It was not long ago that good-quality Spanish wine meant Rioja. Then Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Then Priorat had to be added to the pot, plus Albario from Galicia for white-wine drinkers.' She then adds a dozen names to this list, including Campo de Borja, Navarra and Peneds. But the hottest new red wine region, in her eyes, is Toro, which has seen a quadrupling of producers in the past seven years. She recommends 2003 Muruve Roble Toro (3.99, down from 5.99; Sainsbury's); 2002 Garnacha Vias Viejas Baltasar Gracin (6.99; Adnams); and 2003 Tempranillo La Serrana Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Lon (2.99; Majestic).
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With the VE Day celebrations fresh in our minds, JONATHAN BRACEY-GIBBON reports on how French winemakers did their utmost to stop the onslaught of German weinfuhrers during WWII. He says: 'The French efforts to thwart the Nazis are reminiscent of the greatest tales of the Resistance.' For instance, a Parisian restaurant owner frantically built a wall to hide his finest 20,000 bottles; certain winemakers draped cobwebs over their cheaper wines to give the impression they were more desirable; and Nazi wine-transporting trains were successfully sabotaged. Bracey-Gibbon says that in time, many of the weinfuhrers realised that 'to plunder and pillage was self-defeating, and, for many, was an affront to their professional, rather than political, ethics'. In terms of vintages, he says that 1940 was a good year, 1941 and 1942 were fairly poor, 1943 was good, 1944 was average, but 1945 was 'the vintage of the century'.
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ANTHONY ROSE's recommendations include 2004 Cono Sur Viognier (4.24 each when two are bought; Majestic); 2003 Vergelegen Chardonnay (7.99; Oddbins, Majestic); and 2003 The Chocolate Block (14.99; Waitrose)
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GILES KIME picks his favourite dry and spicy malt whiskies. First up is Bruichladdich 10 Year Old (24.99; Oddbins), 'pronounced "brook-laddie", or simply "the Laddie" if you wish to sound like an expert'. He also chooses Highland Park (24.24; Tesco), a 'quirky beauty from Orkney with a wonderful heathery aroma created by drying the barley over peat from nearby Hobbister moor'. Finally, he goes for Bowmore Legend (19.99; Waitrose): 'If you associate Islay with the austere character of distilleries like Laphroaig and Lagavulin, then try this richer malt from Bowmore on the shores of Loch Indaal.'
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If you spot a delicate hint of wet dog, mouse or sticking plaster in your wine, then it's a fair bet you've had your first encounter with Brett, says TIM ATKIN MW. 'Brett can be difficult to spot,' he says. 'For certain wines - such as Napa Valley Cabernet, traditional red Bordeaux, northern Rhne reds and oak-aged Australian Shiraz - Bretty characters are almost part of the style.' He adds that with the trend towards unfiltered wines and riper styles, Brett 'may make cork taint look like a comparatively minor problem', seeing as reds made in hot climates, where natural acidity is low and a little sweetness is not uncommon in the finished wine, 'are asking for a visit from Mr Brett'.
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The multifaceted joys of Riesling are examined by VICTORIA MOORE, who says she was a little perturbed when a friend tried one and asked her: 'Is it meant to smell slightly like a stairwell or public toilet?' Moore admits that Riesling is a 'startling grape to encounter for the first time'. Her recommendations include 2003 Margarethenhof Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett (5.99; Majestic); and 2000 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Hochgewachs Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium (5.49; Majestic).
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JANE MACQUITTY despises the 'ugly pink charge' of Mateus Ros and ros d'Anjou, and considers it 'apt' that the former was Saddam Hussein's favourite wine. Instead of these offerings, she recommends heading to the south of France: 'One of the advantages of cracking open a dry, tasty and pretty jewel-pink ros is that this is one of the few wine styles that is guaranteed to put you in a summery mood, even if it's pouring with rain outside. The good news is the arrival of the fresher, crisper 2004 European ross, with heaps more fruit and finesse than the sunburnt and sometimes flabby 2003 pinks.' She opts for 2004 Chteau Guiot Ros (5.29; Majestic) and 2004 Domaine de Pellehaut Vin de Pays des Ctes de Gascogne (4.49-4.99; Booths, Waitrose).
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To celebrate the launch of its 1966 vintage, Dom Prignon invited members of England's World Cup-winning team to a slap-up meal in London - and JONATHAN RAY went along, too. He asked fullback Ray Wilson if any Champagne was drunk after the final, and Wilson replied: 'I can't remember what we were drinking. But there must have been plenty of something, because I didn't sober up for about a week.' Fellow fullback George Cohen is related by marriage to Alsace producer Andr Ostermann, and he tells Ray that he's moved on from his 'Piesporter Michelsberg and jellied-eel days'.
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According to RICHARD EHRLICH, 1.6 billion units of wine packaged in Tetra Pak have been sold around the world. And while Ehrlich admits that it's 'easy to sniff and sneer', he says that the medium has a number of benefits: 'Tetra Pak offers the possibility of packaging wine in a range of convenient sizes'; 'it is perfect if you value ease of storage over elegance of presentation'; 'it's a pleasure to open if you don't require the popping of a cork or even the turning of a screwcap'; and 'it makes it easy to store leftovers without exposure to oxygen'.
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ANTHONY ROSE was on the same trip, but admits that tasting unfinished wines makes predicting their future only a little more reliable than a village fte palmist'. But he does believe that the vintage has tended to favour chteaux with the best locations and resources', adding that prices need to be cut to 2002 levels or below.
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Completing her round-up of 2004 Bordeaux tasting, JANCIS ROBINSON MW recommends her pick of dry and sweet white wines. She says that 2004's 'prolonged growing season, unplagued by tropical temperatures, together with increasing skill in white winemaking, has resulted in some delicious dry white Bordeaux which combine wonderful freshness with real intensity of flavour'. On the sweet side, she says that the vintage lacks consistency, and the weight of the past couple of years. However, most wines display 'very refreshing acidity', and a 'good level' of botrytis.
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VICTORIA MOORE recommends a Lambrusco - 2003 Ermete Medici Concerto Lambrusco Reggiano (7-10; Booths, Les Caves de Pyrene, Harrods, House of Fraser, Valvona & Crolla) to be precise - and gives readers a fascinating insight into her psyche at the same time: 'I'd like to open the bottle on the first properly warm Saturday in spring. On such days, my cousin and I used to scramble through her kitchen window on to her tiny balcony, sip a cool beer, and gossip and watch everyone walking up and down the street and wonder again whether the two men in the flat opposite, very clearly naked from at least the hip up, ever wore clothes when at home.'
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JONATHAN RAY seems to be making up for lost time. Despite giving up booze every January, he ended up in a 'bit of a haze' during a recent stay in Venice to sample Prosecco, and this week, throws his heart and soul into a cocktail class in Brighton: 'With regular sampling, I get confused as to which cocktail is being made. I am not alone.' Ray passes his multiple-choice exam at the end of the class, although he admits that it 'is not exactly conducted under exam conditions... one student raising his hand, not to ask how much time we have left, but to order another strawberry and balsamic Mojito'.
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JANE MacQUITTY's weekly selection includes 2004 Hardy's Stamp Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc (down 1.64 to 3.82 until 10 May; Tesco); 2004 Chilean Chardonnay (2.99; Asda); and Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne (down 4.20 to 16.79 until 8 May; Waitrose).
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GILES KIME's pick of wines to suit beef dishes includes 1998 Navajas Reserva Rioja (7.99; Morrisons); 2002 Marqus de Casa Concha Merlot (7.99; Sainsbury's); and 2003 Leaping Horse Shiraz (4.99; Waitrose).
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JOANNA SIMON explores the 'minefield' that is choosing a wine to take to a dinner party: 'If you play safe with something achingly familiar, such as Chablis or Chardonnay, you'll look unimaginative. If you go for something more esoteric, you risk your host not knowing what to serve it with: anyone for Monbazillac with herrings?'
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Stella brewer InBev has drawn to a close its acquisition of Budweiser manufacturer Anheuser-Busch with a $52 billion offer being accepted early this morning (July 14).
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The most valuable bottle of wine in history, says JONATHAN BRACEY-GIBBON, was a 1787 Chteau Lafite, which sold at auction in 1985 for 105,000. He also informs us that a 'butter-fingered New York waiter' dropped a bottle of 1787 Chteau Margaux in 1989. Thankfully, insurers paid the 141,000 bill. If you think you have a bottle in your cellar that could be worth a small fortune, Bracey-Gibbon has the following advice: 'The bottle must have a label; the label should not be faded (indicates exposure to sunlight); the level in the bottle must not have dropped significantly; the label should show no signs of "weeping" (where wine has dribbled out due to poor storage); and the cork should not be dry (push downwards on the cork - if it drops, drink it now).'
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MATTHEW JUKES' recommendations include 2003 Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Shiraz (down 2 to 8.99 until 7 May; Waitrose): 'This wine gets a liberal dunking in very smart new oak barrels, giving it luxury and breeding.' Next up is 2003 Cruz de Piedra Garnacha (4.95-5.50; Great Western Wine, Mason & Mason Wines, Michael Jobling Wines): 'This wine is a stunner, and the value for money afforded by its price tag is tremendous. Made from old Grenache bush vines, it is dark, meaty, spicy and herbal.' Jukes' Wine of the Week is 2004 Domaine Bgude Chardonnay (69.33/case; Goedhuis & Co): 'This is a wondrous wine, which typifies Chardonnay's grace and style. You would have to trade up to a Chablis, at a tenner, to compete with this delightful, crystal-clear, refreshing, apple- and pear-scented beauty.'
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