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Christmas Wine

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eternumviti said:
If you're holding swish dinner parties the Vinums are lovely because they have longer stems, better 'presence' in the table dressing. But they retail at £25 a shot, which is a bit toppy for me.
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I’ve snagged a box of five (yes, one empty space) NOS 1998 Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glasses (nowadays called Riesling/Zinfandel, oddly) for £44 all up on eBay. Riedel tell me the only difference will be that they are heavier than the current ones, apparently because they are lead crystal rather than crystal glass. Fine by me, I can say I am drinking wine for the exercise. However I don’t hold, nor am I invited to, swish dinner parties - I’m sure that will come as no surprise to anyone here. Please advise.
 
^^ nice shape/size that can be used for any wine IMO.
At that price you could have a Greek themed swish dinner. Exclaiming "Xinomavro" as you throw one over your shoulder would be suitably dramatic.
 
Depends what you mean by swish ?
If it means swish wine and swish food what's the problem ? I even don't mind dressing up for that if I have to and the ladies do too ;)
Live music ? Unusual but yes please if it's good and appreciated.
Snobbish people are insecure, same as racists. Real top level are neither.
We're not talking 'Come Dine with Me' are we ?
 
Marchbanks said:
I’ve snagged a box of five (yes, one empty space) NOS 1998 Riedel Vinum Chianti Classico glasses (nowadays called Riesling/Zinfandel, oddly) for £44 all up on eBay. Riedel tell me the only difference will be that they are heavier than the current ones, apparently because they are lead crystal rather than crystal glass. Fine by me, I can say I am drinking wine for the exercise. However I don’t hold, nor am I invited to, swish dinner parties - I’m sure that will come as no surprise to anyone here. Please advise.
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They’ve arrived - only one problem, they are not Chianti Classico, or Vinum, or Riedel. So three problems, in fact. Refund in the offing. The swish dinner parties will have to wait - in the meantime I’ll have to cope with my dozen (definitely kosher) Restaurant Ouverture Red Wine and pair of ginormous Ouverture Magnums.
 
eBay would drive me mad. My capacity to deal with nonsense like that is lower the older I get.
Not sure about 2017 Rhone: it can't be as good as 2016 can it ? It is a good price but still...
 
wacko said:
eBay would drive me mad. My capacity to deal with nonsense like that is lower the older I get.
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Well, the seller was very apologetic and the matter was sorted in minutes - it seemed like a genuine mistake to me, so I didn’t get annoyed on this occasion except for yelling ‘Xinomavro!’ very loudly.

wacko said:
Not sure about 2017 Rhone: it can't be as good as 2016 can it ? It is a good price but still...
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I know you shouldn’t be swayed by the number-merchants, but when people with good, concise, no-nonsense names like Joe and Jeb say it is good... and I could buy three rather than six or twelve, which suits me right now.
 
Ahh that Joe and that Jeb. Well perhaps Beaucastel have defied the rain and hail and done it again. Can't go wrong with 3 bottles. I don't have space for even 3 but in 20 days time I will... Sometimes I think I like buying them almost as much as drinking them and that is not good. I resist what I cannot change.
 
Funny thread, actually, for me.

Since we produce a lot of affordable and pretty good wines, why look anywhere else?
Xmas wines, like the rest of the year, will always be French and relatively cheap.
That includes champagne of course.

I think you are much more open over the channel than us regarding wines, due to your lack of local production!
 
chartz said:
Funny thread, actually, for me.

Since we produce a lot of affordable and pretty good wines, why look anywhere else?
Xmas wines, like the rest of the year, will always be French and relatively cheap.
That includes champagne of course.

I think you are much more open over the channel than us regarding wines, due to your lack of local production!
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When you look at our prices remember there is at least £3.40 per bottle tax, rising higher with VAT.
I visit France and Italy and the choice is pretty limited to regional wines unless you are in Paris, Rome or Milan. Bit boring for a whole lifetime.
I couldn't drink any more wine if it was cheaper so I prefer the fantastic choice available in the UK.
If I had to choose wine from only 1 country it would be France but, fortunately, I don't.
A lot of French people have very closed/arrogant minds on the subject but it is their loss.
And by the way English champagne is as good as French like Moët, Veuve etc not quite Krug level but who can afford Krug anyway. And us over the channel played a very significant role in the development of the Bordeaux wine industry to the extent that many older Brits still have a fixation on Bordeaux today.
 
chartz said:
I don’t like Claret. I’d like to taste English sparkly!
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Look for Chapel Down, Exton Park, Gusbourne, Hambledon, Langham, Nyetimber, Raimes and Sugrue. And there are several more !
Remember it is very similar soil with the climate conditions Champagne had 40+ years ago.
 
chartz said:
Since we produce a lot of affordable and pretty good wines, why look anywhere else?
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I’m of much the same opinion - while French wine is easily accessible to me I haven’t bothered looking elsewhere. But once our post-EU membership trade ‘deal’ is agreed with T***p we probably won’t be allowed to drink anything but American wines, so I’ve bought a few to try and get used to them. Not that we will be allowed any decent stuff of course - it will be Blossom Hill all the way unless there is an national celebration in the offing, for example the President of the USA&K coming over to spend some time in his holiday home T***p Palace, London SW1.
 
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I seem to be conducting a monologue at the moment, but no matter. This one looks to be worth a punt to me, especially as I still have a £12 off £60 spend voucher to ditch before Friday, when I intend keeping my head under the duvet all day lest I should hear or see any news. When I finally surface (with any luck I can stay under there and also miss the 12 days of bloody C*******s) I will need a restorative or two.


https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/produ...qui-valley-salta-argentina/027552-13411-13412
 
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