Christmas Wine

[twotone]

Crikey who would have thought we would become a nation of wine lovers. Anyone remember when Mateus Rose and Hirondelle where the flavours of choice

I started drinking red wine when I was about 18 back in 1978, we, (me and my wife/then girlfriend) used to buy a bottle of petit bordeaux from odd bins for about £3.50 and a 'french stick' and some cheese for Saturday night watching TV when we were saving up to get married.

 

[misterdog]

Speak for yourself! When we were students we thought Soviet era Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon was the bees knees. Actually it was pretty good.

Bulls Blood is all I can say.

Washed down after the pubs had shut at 10.30 with Elvis Costello in Sheffield's most eclectic wine bar Mr Kites. Not sure who benefitted most.

 

[TheDecameron]

Bulls Blood is all I can say.

What did you think of it?

 

[Conan]

For me Port is the wine for Christmas

 

[misterdog]

What did you think of it?

Incredibly dry, but good value on the rather pricey menu. Elvis and the music of 76/77 more than made up for it .

Few places were playing such as it had yet to 'catch on'.

I saw Dire Straits supporting Talking Heads the following year.

Probably cost £ 5 admission.

Good Times Bad Times, saw them too.

 

[Bob McC]

We start with pre dinner cocktails, then a premier cru Chablis with the starter, a premier cru maranges with the main, a Bortoli pudding wine accompanies the pudding then port with the cheeses. I don’t do cognac but bourbon is available with coffee.

I find one bottle of each between four suffices.

 

[TheManWhoBuiltTheMoon]

This year we shall be having something Nova Scotian.

And something from the New World.

I really hope that's made from grapes.

 

[gassor]

We start with pre dinner cocktails, then a premier cru Chablis with the starter, a premier cru maranges with the main, a Bortoli pudding wine accompanies the pudding then port with the cheeses. I don’t do cognac but bourbon is available with coffee.

I find one bottle of each between four suffices.

Can ye no get Buckie where you stay?

 

[Bob McC]

Stay?

I live in Cheshire’s golden triangle dear.

More champers bought there than anywhere else in the UK.

 

[misterdog]

I don’t do cognac

Surely Armagnac at christmas.

Time to dispense with the sommelier methinks.

 

[twotone]

Can ye no get Buckie where you stay?

 

[TheDecameron]

My vintner in Lanarkshire. Snapped last year. I sent it to a friend and she had it made into Christmas cards

The chap also sells laughing gas I believe, so you can have it sparkling.

 

[stevec67]

What do you feel the minimum price is now for French wines of tolerable quality? I realised that some will always command high prices but outside of that? Weekly stuff.

Like ev says, it's hard to say. The Aldi & Lidl s of this world buy up large parcels for loose change and sell them at minimal margin. I remember when I lived in France my oenologue mate advised us all to buy the local Bourgeuil st Nicolas at Eu2 in Lidl. His company was bottling the stuff. He knew the vigneron, if you bought it at his gate it was twice that and 5 in the shops. We bought loads, it flew out of the shops. If you can get a similar deal in the UK it defies logic.

 

[eternumviti]

Surely Armagnac at christmas.

Time to dispense with the sommelier methinks.

I am probably going to embarass myself now, but why Armagnac rather than Cognac?

I'm actually taking an Armagnac, Alain Loubere Vieille Reserve, and a bottle of Calvados too, 2009 from a family called Hubert in the Pays d'Auge.

Merry Christmas all.

 

[NeilR]

We have a Sassosolo 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon to look forward to today.

We are eating beef fillet, not turkey in case anyone was wondering why we are drinking red wine!

 

[eternumviti]

Yes this scenario crops up occasionally and usually fall back on a nice Fleurie, but not this year as there are only three of us. Good news for the wine selection, a Pommard. We banded together for a barrel with friends back in 2010, going very nicely now.

Fleurie can be fun, light and easy, and there are more than a handful of good growers who trade on more than just the name, but there's a patch of soil at the foot of the commune, abutting Moulin-a-Vent, that has a high content of granite and makes some seriously ageworthy wines. For those lighter wines that present a real sheen of red fruit Chiroubles is worthy of consideration, the highest Beaujolais Cru, just above Fleurie.

There'a a real renaissance taking place in the Beaujolais, some fantastic young growers playing the low-intervention, organic/biodynamic, open-vat (Burgundian) fermentation, low sulphur card and making some thrilling wines, the most ageworthy of which 'pinotise' as they mature in bottle. A terroir to keep an eye on is Morgon Cote de Puy, essentially a volcanic plug which generates some very serious, ageworthy wines. I stumbled on a domaine called Bonne Tonne the other day, very impressed, though I don't know where you can find it yet.

Cru Beaujolais is a fantastic choice for the turkey, as is red Burgundy/Pinot Noir.

From which producer did the barrel of Pommard come?

 

[Stunsworth]

Like ev says, it's hard to say. The Aldi & Lidl s of this world buy up large parcels for loose change and sell them at minimal margin. I remember when I lived in France my oenologue mate advised us all to buy the local Bourgeuil st Nicolas at Eu2 in Lidl. His company was bottling the stuff. He knew the vigneron, if you bought it at his gate it was twice that and 5 in the shops. We bought loads, it flew out of the shops. If you can get a similar deal in the UK it defies logic.

There’s a new Lidl near to some friends place in France. That’s where I filled the car boot with wine when I was there this summer. Excellent value for money.

 

[Space is the Place]

Stay?

I live in Cheshire’s golden triangle dear.

More champers bought there than anywhere else in the UK.

When i used to live near Knutsford i was alawys amazed that they had foie gras for sale at the Esso garage.
And that reminds me, better nip and get some presents, antifreeze and Ferrero Rocher anyone?

 

[stevec67]

When i used to live near Knutsford i was alawys amazed that they had foie gras for sale at the Esso garage.

Surprised it hasn't been burned down. Most shops won't go near the stuff at any price, the bad publicity is enormous.

 

[SteveS1]

Cru Beaujolais is a fantastic choice for the turkey, as is red Burgundy/Pinot Noir.

From which producer did the barrel of Pommard come?

The result from a group of friends on a well refreshed birthday weekend in Levernois.