Spiltwine

I write this post amidst the lunacy and carnage bestowed on this great nation every year.  As our American cousins get set for the biggest shopping day of their year, I am crouched behind the scenes in UK’s own hub of blood sucking deal finders – the BBC Good Food Show Birmingham at the NEC – six days of consumer heaven and wine pourer’s hell.

They're heeeerrrrreeeee - Thriller Zombies coming for my wine

As the metal gates rolled up to begin today’s odyssey the background sun silhouetted the waiting crowd just enough to give an effect of zombies doing their Thriller shuffle to our stand.  I was able to steal away a few precious minutes from the sea of decrepit raised hands clasping plastic tasting cups, backed by anonymous cries “I’ll have the red one.” “Do you have anything sweet?”, to bring you this report…I am a blogger on the front-line.

the bunker

All joking aside, as an aspiring blogger and journalist talking directly to the people who I hope one day read this very blog it would be an injustice to not interact with the public.  It makes me wonder if high profile wine people treat their platform as an opportunity to preach rather than interact.  It’s amazing how very quickly wine trade people, when put in front of the drinker they are targeting  get  uppity, slightly confused and almost nervous.

What am I trying to say? Be nice, when and if you are in the opportunity to deal directly with public have some patience…lets call it grapetience (actually no, lets not do that). Wine already has the snob label stuck to it…all it needs now is the conscientious few to break away from that barrier and be wine Samaritans of sorts. That’s all, nothing complicated.

With that here are two wines that I’ve tried recently…they’re good.

Wines that I’ve tried

Ch Aydie, Madiran, 2006 – 100% Tannat – £12.99 Waitrose

New World, dark berry nose and almost cooked (not jammy) cranberry fruit; surprisingly fresh and tangy palate with grippy tannins – berries all the way through the palate.  A drink now wine from SW France…  I like it but would prefer less fruit and more earthy, grippy Old World style from this part of France.

Ravenswood – Teldeschi – Dry Creek Valley 2006, Zinfandel £24.99 (Majestic, Harrods, Wholefoods, The Wine Society, Direct Wines) – part of the sample package from Constellation via Westbury
Octane nose, backed by blueberry and some interesting spice.  Typical bramble and a savouriness on the that makes this wine that bit more different.  It’s on the palate where this wine excels, there’s a smooth kid leather finish that lasts.  This wine has another ten years on it (and at that price it should).