Centenary Wines for December 24th

[Suffs Profile]

You'll be fine with ordinary wines, Clive.
As we tend to just have one bottle, there's no point going mad in our house. We've got about 10 bottles unused from previous years.
I hope they are OK.

One bottle of fizz has been in the fridge door taking up valuable real estate since last year.

Sounds like our garage and garage fridge Gill ... due to my late Pa's propensity for being taken ill and carted off to hospital at Christmas, and my brother's prediliction for being a convivial host there have been several Christmas Days when I was either at Pa's trolleyside in A&E on The Big Day, or expecting to be called there imminently ... so we have an accumulation of 'special wines' chosen specifically to go with turkey, goose, rib of beef etc.

Now I am an orphan and I am hosting a small family Christmas Day lunch ... however DS is teetotal and MIL only drinks the occasional Baileys nowadays ... I suppose it'll be up to OH and moi to empty the stash in the garage ..............

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Don’t keep them too long and Gill, I’d treat with great suspicion anything that has been standing to attention for a year, anything with a real cork should be laid on its side so that the wine is in contact with the cork and keeps it damp - if the cork is above the liquid level then it tends to dry out, then shrink, then let in air which ruins the wine Good wine cellars are slightly damp for that reason , central heating an issue

Most of the Argentine and Chilean wines around in the UK are delicious but everyday wines, the sort of thing you’d routinely drink in a wine bar. There are of course some splendid wines, but they take some tracking down

Been drinking Torres wines for years, first from Penedes then from Chile too, and the flagship Chilean wines are amazing, she is a great wine maker. Not very keen on the basic Sangre de Toro, a little phenolic, but the Grande is more to my taste

I often go for South African Wines, I know my way around and they are fairly well priced in the UK. Waitrose’s wine buyer has good South African contacts. Anyone who wants a white wine that will stand up to turkey could do worse than a South African Chenin blanc from Stellenbosch. Ken Forrester is the star winemaker in this style and some of his are definitely premium priced but there are other makers and even his less pricey ones are sound.

[Binky Profile]

Sangre de Toro - that's the wine with the little plastic bull around the neck, isn't it? We drink a lot of that. Also Marques de Caceres Reserva.....introduced to both over 25 years ago in Barcelona.

I agree about the S.African wines - they stand out in quality and price. We did the Garden Route a couple of years ago and were very impressed with the lovely wines at all places. I think our favourite was Ricketty Bridge at Frenschoek (going on memory and haven't seen it on sale in the UK).

[Joanbunting Profile]

When we lived in the UK we had such an amazing choice of wines at our disposal. it also helped that one of our best friends is a Master of Wine and also a wine writer (as well as being a vicar!!)

Our main expertise, such as it is, is French wine though especially the wines of the Rhone Valley and Provence - this even before we came to live here.

Now we live here we do sometimes long for some of the glorious wines we have tasted in the past from other countries, even ones quite close like Spain and Italy. I don't know if these countries are the same as France but unless you can find a specialist merchant - which tend to be prohibitively expensive - there are very very few wines available from anywhere other than the home country.

I know I shouldn't complain because of all the goodies we do have available and we also are fortunate to own a cellar whci has the odd bottle or three however , at our age we rarely bear wines these days which will need a long time before they are ready to drink. Why lay them down for someone else to drink!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’m thinking now of a fun wine tasting, provably only possible in the UK and a few other countries

1. Sangre de Toro (Penedes, Spain)
2. Sangre de Toro Grande (Penedes, Spain)
3. Egri Bikaver - Bull’s Blood of Eger (Eger,Hungary)
4. Bull’s Blood from former Yugoslavia (if still available)

I think the hangover would require ranitidine for the tum as well as paracetamol for the head

[Alexandria Profile]

Sue,

There are many of the consistently very good to excellent reds of the Miguel Torres Winery in Penédès, Barcelona that are also quite exemplary ..

Torres Coroña
Torres Reserva Real
Torres Más Plana
Torres Celeste

Torres Sangre de Toro Reserva is a well rounded velvety red with amazingly supple black cherry fruit aromas and chocolate nuances .. Definitely one of the best of this brand and label ..

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,


Thank you for all your feedback ..


There are uncountable French wines from a vast variety of Designations of Origin in Barcelona and Madrid at:

El Corte Ingles Department Stores: Wine Department

Lavinia Wines: Barcelona and Madrid ( French Owned )

To name two of the most well known, however, there are numerous others where one can purchase Italian, French, Spanish, Hugarian, Slovenian, Lebanese, Israeli, South American, Romanian, South African, Australian, Portuguese, New Zealand Wines and Californian Wines etcetra .. ( can be ordered special Online and sometimes the Winery shall deliver when in your vicinity making other deliveries too ) ..

None the less, most Iberians are veered toward their local best appellations ( We have 75 Designations of Origin ) for top quality close to home, ease of obtaining, and fair price ..


Have a lovely evening.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Will do, Sue.
Suffs, sounds familiar here too.

Tony has a longing to buy gins. Whenever we go away, he sees a bottle of gin. And has to buy it. But we don't drink gin at home.
Latest acquisition on my bookshelf gathering dust, is Nordes Gin from Galicia.
I believe we have 16 bottles of gin, unopened.

Our main selection criterion for wine, is no more than 12% abv. At a push 12.5.
We had a meal out ruined as the waiter brought us a bottle that was 14.5% claiming it was 12. It made me feel ill with the alcohol content.

I like New Zealand Tindall wines.

[Suffs Profile]

Will do, Sue.
.... I believe we have 16 bottles of gin, unopened.
...

Worry not ... help is at hand ... we’re on our way

[Joanbunting Profile]

Worry not ... help is at hand ... we’re on our way

Wait for me!!!!

[Alexandria Profile]

Gin is not a wine, so perhaps starting a separate thread on Gins could be a cool idea ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

You would both be absolutely welcome.

[Suffs Profile]

Gin is not a wine, so perhaps starting a separate thread on Gins could be a cool idea ..

Surely a little meander during a discussion ... a mere aside can be permitted ... not changing the subject of the thread ... I'm relatively new here but I'd understood that this was a friendly forum where good natured conversations on foodie subjects took place ... not rigorously policed didacticism ... I shall have to beware ...

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Hi Suffs.
It's marvellous to have you here.
We will be having a gin on 24th when we get back from our traditional film.
Which answers the question, what will you be drinking.

It won't be wine, no.

[Suffs Profile]

Hi Gill ... thanks

Christmas Eve used to mean meeting with friends in the village local before singing in the choir for Midnight Mass so the drink of choice would have been a couple of pints of Adnams bitter

Nowadays we're likely to be tucked up in bed before midnight ... this year we'll have MIL with us ... I've a feeling she'll be happy with a snifter of Baileys ... a G&T https://norfolkgin.co.uk/ may well be on the cards for OH and me before supper ... probably a creamy fish pie.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Careful Suffs…………

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XwHmOkNUhw




And you're far from new - I remember you well from the Beeb board!!

[Suffs Profile]

Hi LL Yes, I was around back then, and I'm on Wildfood, but haven't been here much until recently ... got a bit more time nowadays now that I'm retired and am an orphan

[Pampy Profile]

[Binky Profile]

there has been a veritable explosion of gin making in the UK.

One of my favourites is CopperHouse Gin made by Adnams.

The next one is Tanqueray. Both must be drunk with Fevertree Tonic.

Gill, there seems to be a bit of a rush to get to your place; I would love to help out with the surplus gins, but fear being crushed in the stampede

[Suffs Profile]

there has been a veritable explosion of gin making in the UK.

One of my favourites is CopperHouse Gin made by Adnams.

The next one is Tanqueray. Both must be drunk with Fevertree Tonic.

Gill, there seems to be a bit of a rush to get to your place; I would love to help out with the surplus gins, but fear being crushed in the stampede

Well, being a Suffolk girl I have to agree with you re the Copper House (and the Feverfew) ... but as OH used to work for a stockist of the Norfolk Gin, we still have some of that left ......... but not for long,

Re the stampede ... perhaps we could organise a rota?