The non steep way !!

Over Easter Tesco launched their Spring Festival - they had instore offers  but Wine by the Case (online) offered 25% off two cases of wine as well as free delivery over £50. I know many of the Wine Community members took advantage of such a great offer. There are still some great offers online if you pop over to Tesco Wine.

Anyway not one to miss out I bought some too, "what more" I heard my very full wine rack cry. Well yes, not French but some Australian favourites that are always good to give a gifts or take to friends when invited to dinner.  So we bought:




McGuigan Bin 736 Shiraz Vognier



McGuigan  Bin 218 Chardonnay

I have been keeping on eye on a mystery case that Tesco offer - A Case of Mystery Champagne and Sparkling Wine Mixed Case - and so to make my order up to the free delivery amount I just HAD to add a case. £50 for a mystery case of three champagnes and three sparkling wines. .. how could I resist any longer !!

Easter Monday dawned with 'knock, knock' Tesco calling - perfect start to the holiday week. My Australian wines were quickly stored in the garage before I opened my mystery case with anxious anticipation. I will just add at this point that another member of the Wine Community had also just purchased this case and had returned it - he wasn't happy with the contents (I agreed too when he posted his list) and Tesco accepted the return no hassle.

Knowing this I was quite nervous at opening my case - slowly I pulled each bottle out to reveal 6 bottles of very very acceptable fizz! Here's my mystery case:



Mystery Case

A. Carpentier - a brand we've never tried RRP £24 Tesco sale £14

Nicolas Feuillatte - whoo hoo - RRP £29.99 Tesco sale £14.99 

Lanson Rose in a beautiful girly pink bottle - RRP £35.00 

1551 Codorniu Rose - RRP £14 Tesco sale £6 

Montalto - another newbie for us - £14.99 

Invilla Prosecco - we love this - £9.99 

The total none sale price was about £128 and with Tesco sale just under £100. Hubby was very impressed, we will be ordering this again :-)

Hubby was actually so impressed we opened the A. Carpentier that evening - well it was a Bank Holiday !

Wine accompanied us on our three day getaway to our caravan in West Wales - we take wine with us for a couple of reasons; mainly we know we have wine we like as rural Wales has decreased variety with increased price.

This was our first weekend at the caravan this season (our last visit was to open up so involved cleaning not relaxing!) As a treat we took a bottle of Tim Adam's The Fergus - I cooked steak to accompany it - delicious on both counts !!!



Tim Adam's The Fergus

We had a very relaxing time; walking on the beach with Ruby but very wrapped up as it was a raw wind. There was snow still lying on the higher hills but inside we were very very cosy. Our last day had us venturing out on a walk we've been meaning to do for many years - Llyn Barfog, The Bearded Lake. It has many mysteries linked to it including one about King Arthur. 

We drove up Happy Valley - why that name we've yet to discover - to the Snowdonia National Park car park. The un-tarmacked road lead through a farm but then forked and we were unsure of the route. Maybe that's why the farm dogs barked and danced around us as if known the farmer's wife appeared and gave directions:

 'if you want the non-steep way it's left'

So we went left and.......

..... if that was 'non-steep' I'm NEVER turning right !!



The Bearded Lake

The Mountaineers

Top of the World

Wales always fills us with awe - so many spectacular views on high and low ground. I took these two from the car on my mobile as the scenery was stunning.

Aberdovey

Snow topped mountains

My blog will include many more trips to Wales this year - West for the caravan, South for our daughter's Uni - and many more ramblings about wine..... especially as Tesco have launched their Wine Fair dates for the Autumn - now there's a treat to look forward to :)

Just one final note - if you noticed the tablecloth in my champagne photo it is one of my creations - Aimetu's Stitching is my hobbies blog - you're welcome to pop by.