We've been out and about this last week and our current purchases have been from both small wine stores and large supermarkets, as well as too additions being gifts. Our first purchases were from Slurp in Leamington Spa. I've been popping into this wine shop for many years when visiting the South Warwickshire town; previously S H Jones.
It was at one of their Wine Tasting Events we first met Matthew Jukes in 2013. A very good evening it was too, a tasting of his top 100 Australian Wines.
It's name may have changed but the shop is still full of wines you rarely find in the supermarkets but are still at reasonable prices. Laid out by country I try to avoid the pull of the French shelves: it doesn't work, I love looking at which wines and producers are available.
This visit however I was firmly drawn to the Australia reds and in particular Little Yering Shiraz. This is a wine we have only seen in All Bar One where it is a real treat as it's quite pricey.
I was almost jumping up and down in delight to find it retail; I cannot actually find it online any more. It isn't in All Bar One's wine library and isn't in Slurp's online shop, in fact it doesn't seem to exist anywhere but my wine rack!
If my memory serves me well it is a deep dark red wine, with a nose full of dark fruits, a hint of spice and an abundant mouth of sour cherries - tastings notes will be made when the cork is popped!
A great red at great price - £9.95
Our other purchase from Slurp was a Spanish red Hubby had seen in Penarth but thought the price a little high. With Cien Y Pico being on offer at £10.50 it seemed a shame to leave it behind and certainly worth a tasting.
This is Hubby's review posted on Cuvée Reserve Wine Forum -
From hundred and something year old Garnacha Tintorera vines, grown in hot South Eastern La Mancha region of Spain, this is a beauty. Deep red violet colour, huge dollops of fruit and intense grenache spicey nose. Taste is intense and multilayered too, lovely oakiness, smooth and silky, lots of blackberries damsons, concentrated flavours that seem to go on giving for ages. Might not be too all tastes but very nice in my opinion, worth every penny.
Not my style of wine but I did enjoy the small glass I had, it wasn't too oaky or tannic. I'm sure if we see it again Hubby will be tempted, especially if around £10.
It's always nice to receive wine as a gift and it doesn't have to be an expensive bottle. I know friends have said they shy away from buying us wine in case 'it isn't right' but whatever the gift it is a chance to enjoy and discover more.
The two wines we received this week were old favourites - firstly our son gave me a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet as part of my Mothers Day gift.
Picpoul de Pinet is one of my favourite wines from South France, last year we were actually staying in the area of Pinet and enjoyed discovering more about this superb wine.
We have been drinking it for many years, especially if having mussels for dinner but previously we had to bring it home from our holidays in France. Over recent years it has been discovered by the UK wine buyers and is now available in most supermarkets.
A great value white from Asda at under £7.00
Les Dauphins is one of our favourite red wines from the Cotes du Rhone region, again we have visited the region and in 2016 enjoyed a private tasting with the producers, Cellier des Dauphins.
So imagine our delight when the other gift received this week was a Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Reserve.
This Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre wine is a delight on it's own, superb with a rich meat dish and fabulous with cheese - in other words anytime !!
It's full of fruit with peppery highlights, a smooth medium/full bodied wine that always delivers a 'mmmmm' moment.
Over the last few years Les Dauphins wine has become easier to find with their white,red and rose being available in most supermarkets. Waitrose also stock Les Dauphins Blanc de Blanc a superb sparkling wine for the summer.
The final two wines to be added to our rack are both previously unknown to us. The first was spotted in Lidl on offer at under £6 - always draws the eye.
I have not tried many Greek wines and certainly not a Moschofilero so I am looking forward to trying this.
The other 'new' wine is this month's tasting recommendation on Cuvée Reserve - Terre di Faiano Organic Primivito. A Waitrose wine currently on offer at £7.49 that I am also looking forward to as Primivito is one of my favourite Italian grapes.
Each month one of our members nominates a wine that is under £10 and available from a main supermarket. It is great fun each month to try something new and read other's opinions on the same wine; reviews are posted after the 20th of each month.
I'm not sure which of the above wines will be opened over the weekend but whichever it is will bring enjoyment; either an old favourite or a new discovery.
The following weekend we will be discovering more about wine as we are staying in Guildford for a mini break and we have tickets for Love Wine Festival on Saturday 24th March.
I am very much looking forward to this event, especially after such a good time at their event in Birmingham last year.
I'm sure with our recent additons and a great weekend to enjoy we are quite safe from this awful condition - I sincerely hope you are too, cheers !
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