Edinburgh Wine Meet Up Group

I've been to two events since joining the The Edinburgh Wine Meet Up Group. The first was a New Zealand tasting held at a members house. I guess it felt pretty daunting turning up at a strangers house, to meet a bunch of strangers..

However, from the first welcome it was clear that the people involved in the group are all just people interested in socialising with the added element of having an interest in wine. Alan the organiser provided a balanced selection of wines giving people the opportunity to try something they probably already knew and have easy access to purchase, along with something a little bit different. It's certainly wasn't an occasion for analysis of each of the wines, but then that isn't what this group is about. Alan is on hand to share his knowledge of the wine region and wine making process and answer any questions group members have in a really relaxed environment.

Tonight's event was different, labeled 'new members night' it gave new (and old) members the opportunity to have a larger get together. The venue, Whighams a place I seem to have frequented a lot of late. Appellation Wines of Dalry Road, Edinburgh (and on-line) provided a choice of red or white as a taster to the attendees. It's a freezing cold night in Edinburgh so I decided to stick with the red to warm me up. The red from Firmament, Minervois 2003 developed nicely as it warmed up in my glass. It's a deep red, a blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Carignan. It's just the ticket for a cold Edinburgh night. Black plums and pepper prominent on the nose and the palate. It's tannic which I like, some may prefer to leave this wine for another few years. It was certainly a winner for the more hardened red wine drinkers of the group.



This group gives me the opportunity to meet a great mix of people, the organisers have some interesting ideas for wine events, I'm looking forward to the "wine in the woods" event planned for next month...

January 2010 - Wine Round Up

January 2010 brought snow storms, journeys to my home town of Nottingham to visit hospital bound relatives and a day job that although I thought couldn't get any busier; did..

Fortunately there were some wine moments to get me through the Scottish winter, wine blogs to read, wine articles to ponder over and of course wine in the glass to contemplate.

Jamie Goode's blog about his trip to New Zealand made me feel nostalgic for the place that started my interest in wine. He's visited many an old haunt, such as the Martinborough Hotel where I spent Christmas 2006. This coupled with some reviews on some great wines and fantastic photos made for a really enjoyable read.

The Guardian Newspaper wine section provided some interesting articles. I've added links to my favourites below.

Victoria Moore offered an interesting take on wine selection in supermarkets, listing what not to select

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/30/what-not-to-drink-wine

Alistair Smith seemed to be on a mission to find drinkable wine in theatres, I have to agree with the article, only I've chosen an alternative solution, I drink beer when I go to the theatre.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2010/jan/26/theatre-wine-bar-drink

The wine of the month for me was a rather lovely Gewurtztraminer (2008) from Zarcillo winery in the Bio Bio Valley, Chile. An elegant wine with a floral, citrussy and spicy mix. This was in the case I received for Christmas, a gift from my husband, purchased from The Wine Society.

Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon Tasting

I'd enjoyed the Chateau Musar, Gaston Hochar, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cinsault, 2000 that I had at Cafe St Honore (my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh). When I received details of the Whighams Chateau Musar tasting event I jumped at the chance to attend.

The restaurant area of Whighams provides a nice (if not a bit noisy) setting for regular wine tastings. This one was clearly a popular event and very well attended.

Ralph Hochar (Grandson of the vineyard founder) shared the history of Chateau Musar. Although a winery has stood on the land since 1857 Chateau Musar was founded in 1930, although in the early days the winery produced enough wine for the family to have with their Sunday lunch. Over the years the vineyard developed and with French influence it grew into a more commercially viable outfit. The turning point for success in the UK was the attendance at the Bristol Wine Show (the wine of the time) in 1979.

Chateu Musar wines we tasted:
Mosaic White £10 (blend - Viognier/Chardonnay/Vermintino, no oak)
Mosaic Rose 2006 £10 - (Cinsault, 30-32 hours skin contact)
Mosaic red 2006 £10 - (blend - Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault/Syrah, no oak)
White 2007 £20 - (blend - Chardonnay/Semillon (native equivalent of))
Rose 2004 £18 - (blend - Cinsault/Obeideh)
Red 2002 £31 - (blend - Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault/Carignan)
Red 1997 £36 - (blend - Cabernet Sauvignon/Cinsault/Carignan)

Mosaic is a new easy drinking range from the vineyard and they are all fresh and clean on the nose. The rose is a really bright ruby red with fresh red fruit on the nose and on the palate, lovely. The red is smooth and balanced and light too, definitely easy drinking.

The Chateau Musar rose is interesting and reminds me of some Southern France roses. It's a pale/orange. On the nose it's fruity, but on the palate it's quite savoury, unusual and and interesting, I had to order some to try it again.

The 1997 & 2002 reds offer something different too, the fruitier 2002 and has hints of cherry oak. The 1997 is more earthy, nicely balanced tannins but some red current. I ordered some of the 1997, just my personal preference as they are both nice wines.

This event provided great insight into Chateau Musar; a family owned and operated vineyard where vintage variance still occurs and the wines offer a few surprises.

A huge thank you to Forth Wines for organising and to Whighams for hosting, a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

You can visit Chateau Musar (flight to Beruit and then a drive), they can only cope with small groups so don't all turn up at once...

Tour D' Argent auction update - real cost

Early last month the Tour D'Argent auction took place. Bidding was fraught with many bottles going for more than the guide price and for more than they were actually worth.

Tour D' Argent restaurant in the heart of Paris, established as far back as 1582 and with a cellar containing around 450,000 bottles of wine went under the happen.

Before the event (see previous blog entry for details) I gave myself an imaginary budget of about €2000, this is what I'd buy.

Lot 523 - because I've never tasted anything that old €900-€1000
1 bouteille CHÂTEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE, 2° cru Saint-Julien 1870 (SE, V, caps. de négociant
F. CAPDEVILLE)1 100 - final selling price €1100

Lot 164 - because it's one (of my many) favourite areas €550-€600
12 bouteilles CÔTE-RÔTIE "La Landonne", Rostaing 2000 - final selling price €1050

Lot 1223 - because it seemed like a nice mix €300-€350
Ensemble de 12 bouteilles
3 bouteilles BEAUNE "Domaine Hippolyte Thévenot", A. Guyon 1978
3 bouteilles BEAUNE "Teurons", Germain 1978 (2 TLB)
3 bouteilles BEAUNE "Grèves", J. Drouhin 1978
3 bouteilles BEAUNE "Epenottes", Parent 1978 (1 coll. manquante) - final selling price €600

Lot 1046 - because it's the vintage I was born in - €60-€80
3 bouteilles RIESLING "V.T.", L. Beyer 1971 (LB) - final selling price €280

Total actual cost €3030

What the BBC had to say about it.

FRESHCASE Part 2/Montegicchi Chianti Classico 4 years on

Montegicchi Chianti Classico - 4 years on
I purchased the 2001 Montegicchi, Chianti Classico Riserva back in October 2006, my tasting notes read:

Deep ruby red in colour with lighter red brick edge. Looks like a top Bordeaux. Dusty in appearance. Rich dark fruits on the nose, blackberries and vanilla. On the palate - smooth, fruity blackberries.

Three years on I'd say there is some black fruit on the nose and palate, but not rich, they're more subtle now. It's really lovely, I think I'll be opening the other 3 bottles in the not too distant future!

FRESHCASE at the end of week one
Still fresh and fruity wine

InterRhone Tasting on a Canal Boat in Edinburgh

I completed the WSET Advanced Cert in Wines & Spirits with the Case Studies Wine School in Edinburgh, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. When I received an invite for an evening hosted by InterRhone organised by the school I signed up immediately.



It was a truly atrocious evening in Edinburgh, driving rain and blowing a gale. Fortunately I only live a five minute walk from Edinburgh Quay where the Case Studies Wine School canal boat is moored.

Linda Field from InterRhone, a resident of the Rhone Valley, took us through the classification system, appellations and terroir. She did a great job of picking out the pertinent facts of the 58 slide show provided by InterRhone, I learnt a lot.

It was a really interesting selection of wines too.

1) Domaine Magalanne Cote du Rhone AC Rouge, 2008
2) Domaine de Beaurenard Rasteau Cote du Rhone Village AC, 2007
3) Domaine la Monardiere Les 2 Monardes AC Vacqueyras Rouge, 2007
4) Terra Ventoux Terres de Truffes AOC Ventoux Rouge, 2007
5) Cave de Tain l'hermitage Fleur de Roc AC St Peray Blanc 2008
6) Domaine de la Pigeade VDN AC Beaumes-de-Venise Blanc 2008

The Cave de Train l'Hermitage Fleur de Roc, a 50/50 Marsanne/Rousanne blend and it's had some oak treatment. Peachy and spicy on the nose and a delicate buttery taste on the nose, a big wine that would be great with food, perhaps with pork in a creamy sauce.

The contrast between the Domaine la Monardiere and the Terra Ventoux was pretty dramatic. The first being savoury, earthy and spicy, the latter being packed with black cherries. My personal preference was the Domaine la Monardiere a great wine for the €11 price tag.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Domaine de la Pigeade lovely honey on the nose with grapy peaches and apricots on the palate, great length too.


Linda Field also offers accommodation and wine courses in the Rhone Valley at Auberge Du Vin

WiBF Wine Tasting Event with Great Grog, Edinburgh

I met a member of the WiBF (Women in Banking & Finance) at a recent wine tasting and figured their next event, a wine tasting, sounded my sort of thing. Just to give you an idea, the group is essentially a networking group which connects professionals from every sector of the banking and finance industry in London, Bristol, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Tonight Great Grog are running the tasting and I quote from their website We are an independent Wine Merchant in Edinburgh (Internet/Warehouse/Wholesale/Retail/Wine Bar/Educators), established in the last century (1999!). We peddle the thrifty... to the rare & ultimate drinking experience. We flog grog that we, as practised drinkers, like to glug, at the price we would like to glug it at.

I'm intrigued to see how this is going to work. Networking isn't easy in a standard seated wine tasting event. Great Grog adapt well and adopt a two pronged attack of Matt manning the tables and filling glasses and Simon pacing the floor with a bottle. This works really well and gives everyone the opportunity to try the wine and network/chat at the same time. Both Simon and Matt are also available to answer any questions about the wine and have a really good back ground knowledge of all of the wines on offer.

They've put on a varied selection too. From the Prosecco (becoming a popular choice for a starting point on many tastings) to the full fruity Murray River, South Australia Nebbiolo (nothing like the Italian Nebbiolo's I've tasted).

Prosecco Ca' Bolani Brut, Italy £7.99
Handmade Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2009 £6.99
Kahurangi Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, NZ 2008 £7.99
Las Corazas Rosado, La Mancha, Spain 2008 £4.65
Juan Gill Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain 2007 £6.75
Trentham 'La Famiglia' Nebbiolo, Murray River, South Australia 2005 £8.85

They're all pretty good, I like the Monastrell, a nice easy drinking wine, balanced with a savoury edge along with red fruits and a different grape from the norm. Generally the favourite amongst the group seems to be the NZ Sauvignon Blanc a great wine for a reasonable price. It's not too vegetal like some NZ Sauvignon Blancs and has nice white fruit flavours too. It's a great atmosphere and a great bunch of people.

I've been to the Great Grog shop but confess I have never attended one of their tastings, something I have to rectify as soon as possible. So many wines, so little time...

FRESHCASE Part 1

After a week of being out and about and a weekend suffering from a stinking cold tonight is the night to crack open the FreshCase wine. For those of you who don't know about FreshCase, it's a different way of transporting and dispensing wine, the key difference being it holds the equivalent of 3 bottles of wine, but the wine stays fresh for 6 weeks.



The instructions are straight forward and easy to follow (no cork screw required) and I'm pouring the wine in no time. The wine is clear and clean on the nose. It's now sitting on the side in the kitchen, let's see how we go over the next few weeks.

Highlights of today's surfing

I try and have a 'wine-surf' of an evening, checking out the RSS feeds I've set up and links I've followed from websites I like and newsletters I've signed up to receive by email. I don't get chance to read them all everyday, but I'd like to share with you now and again the highlights of an evenings surfing.

So as I sit with my feet up, mac book perched on my lap, Spooks followed by True blood on the TV and a glass full of 2001 Glorioso Gran Reserva Rioja purchased from Oddbins on my way home from work, here goes.

There's a lot of chatter of Twitter from the US for Thanksgiving preparations and Enobytes followed this theme with quite a nifty little slide show to help guide you through the trials and tribulations of wine and food pairing to make the event as stress free as possible (@enobytes).

A link from the Decanter website led me to the Colchester Wine Company and New Scientist Experience, a short article but I found the scientific overview for each of the wines really interesting, definitely learnt something here.

I also get sent various links from friends and family today Monsieur Vin sent me a link to Fledgling Wine a great way for those of you in San Francisco to combine wine drinking and charity, a rather lovely idea and a great cause too.

A must read for any wine enthusiast comes from the oldest blogger on the block (not in age I hasten to add, but years of service to the blogging world), today the Wine Anaorak introduces me to Chilean cold climate Sauvignon Blanc, now on the hunt to purchase and try...(@jamiegoode)
And as I start to feel sleepy...

The Tasting Note blog were truly desperate to celebrate the 40th birthday of Sesame Street but couldn't find a wine link, so used the Muppets instead, the clip of Steve Martin as the wine waiter is priceless and an excellent note to end the evening's surfing on.
Also realised I'm not following them on Twitter (@thetastingnote) so put that right.

Thanks all and good night.......zzzzzzzz

The Wine Experience - Italy

It's been another one of those weeks at work, I'm exhausted. Leaving the office at 7pm I head into the city, I'm off to a wine tasting, a last minute decision and one at this point in time I'm beginning to regret. Queen Street is bumper to bumper and my taxi driver opts for sitting in the traffic rather than taking an alternative route, I ask him to take the quicker route and he turns at the next junction, two minutes later I'm there. The Royal Scots Club, Abercromby Place, Edinburgh is housed in an amazing example of Georgian architecture, spread across numerous floors there's a restaurant, meeting rooms and accommodation, all in traditional Scottish style. I make my way through the bar and down two flights of stairs to the Dumbarton Room.
Ian (@thefinewineman on twitter) offers a warm welcome and I take a seat. I instantly spot a bottle of Masi Campofiorin Rosso del Veronese rowed up for us to try, excellent one of my favourites.

It takes to half way down the rather large taste of Prosecco we have first for me to start to wind down and relax.

It's a really good selection of Italian Wine, I like all of the reds:
Masi Bardolino Classico 2008 DOC
Serego Alighieri Pssessioni Rosso 2005 IGT
Itynera Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2008 DOC
Tomaresca Neprica 2007 IGT
Masi Campofiorin Rosse del Veronese 2006 IGT
Tasca d"Almeria Camastra 2005 IGT

The Serego Alighieri a Valpolicello blend with Merlot and aged in cherry oak is quite unlike anything I have tried before, it has lovely black cherry aromas and taste. The Masi Campofiorin (an old favourite of mine that I first tried when living in New Zealand) a wine that seems to have black fruits, red fruits, spices......... every time you take a sniff it seems to change.

The cold meats and cheese provided are just right for making a great combination for the palate.

The well thought out selection of wine underpinned an evening that provided a good grounding about Italy and it's wine regions. Ian's enthusiasm and knowledge of wine also made the evening informative but not too serious.

By the time I left the Royal Scots Club to make my way across the city towards home I was really glad that I went and made a mental note to check out the other events the wine experience have on offer.

FreshCase arrived today

As a bit of a geek with an interest in innovation when I had the opportunity to check out a new style of packaging I jumped at the chance, FreshCase arrived today.

As a brief introduction to FreshCase, it's a combination of card and plastic packaging that holds the equivalent of 3 bottles of wine. The packaging keeps the wine fresh for up to 6 weeks.

I'll be putting it to the test over the next 6 weeks with regular updates on my blog how things are going.

"Meet Up" Wine Group Edinburgh

After signing up for the group at the weekend I attended the first "Meet Up" this evening. Whighams Wine Cellars in the heart of the city, just off Charlotte Square is probably the most well known wine bar in Edinburgh. With its semi dark nook and cranny seating it's an ideal spot for a wind down after work or a secret assignation.

Tonight Liberty Wines, T.M. Robertson Wine Cellars and Forth Wines showcase a selection of 50 wines.

The restaurant area is set up for the tasting and the crowds scramble forward, tasting glass in hand. Around the tables conversations with numerous people, all of whom seem to be here as part of the "Meet Up", so I'm guessing it's a good turn out. Not surprisingly I meet someone who works for same company as me, but she also works in the same office building and only one floor away, I can probably see her from my desk........is there no escape! She's a lovely lady and I get an invite to a Women In Business wine tasting evening - fantastic!

I try numerous wines a Lebanese Chateau Musar, A Mano Bianco from Italy and a Beaumont Mourvedre from South Africa. The Mourvedre is good, but at £30 a bottle a little pricey for what I'm after tonight.

I'm looking to get a few bottles of something white, dry and packed with citrus to fill a gap in the rack and something Monsieur Vin will like too. I plump for the Schloss Vollrads Castle Riesling (Germany), at £12 a bottle and a convenient time for me for delivery. It has the great citrus punch I'm looking for and will go well with the numerous fish dishes we have of an evening.

I also made an impulse buy tonight - A Winter's Tale Amontillado sherry, a great nutty aroma, smooth sweetness on the palate and a lovely warming feel. A great aperitif and winter warmer for the coming winter and festive season. Should have checked the prices on my iPhone before ordering as readily available on the Internet at a cheaper price - you can't win 'em all............

Joining a group of wine lovers Edinburgh

I was having lunch in Henrick's yesterday, a quick club sandwich and pint of Belhaven Best before getting back to the day job - yeh I know - on a Sunday........

Anyway I spotted an advert for The Edinburgh Wine Meet Up group, sounds like my cup of tea/glass of wine.

Off to my first event on Thursday at Whigham's Christmas Wine Fair, with 50 wines to taste.......watch this space...........

Check out the website here

The earth, vine and wine

I've long been a believer that climate change is fact not fiction. I know people have their doubts, but I look at it like this,
if it's not true and we find in the future that temperatures drop again, water levels don't rise and deserts don't appear across the globe, what have we lost? So we've all cut our fuel bills, we drive smaller cars and businesses have spent something extra to run more environmentally friendly buildings. If it's true and environmental catastrophe ensues, well at least I can say I did my bit to try and save the planet for future generations.

At the current rate it won't belong before the UK may have the temperatures to sustain a wine industry to compete with the very best producers (although increased rain may be on the cards too). They certainly seem to be anticipating great wines for the future and taking innovation firmly in hand by using cutting edge technology such as the Oenoview system as detailed in a recent BBC article. The system "analyses the images to determine vine leaf density, soil water content and grape bunch sizes"

So as the UK gears up for great vintages of the future what of the wine regions where the risk of the vineyards becoming arid wastelands? Spanish winemaker Torres are taking it very seriously, even going to the lengths of purchasing land in the Pyrenees "just in case", reducing CO2 emissions and taking the time to talk to environmentalists about the issue. The Guardian article goes into further detail about the man behind the Torres label. I think it makes for interesting reading for wine producers, sellers and consumers alike.

Hotel Du Vin, Edinburgh

It's been a long time since I visited the Hotel Du Vin in Edinburgh. Another summer and festival has passed since my last visit. That's the trouble with living in a city like Edinburgh, too many places, not enough time.

The sommelier I met early in the year is still there and his enthusiasm hasn't wained. I always take his recommendation, he knows I'm interested in widening my palate and loves to share his enthusiasm for all things wine.

Hotel Du Vin also offers a fantastic rib eye steak and I'm looking for a wine to match.

We have the 2004 Languedoc "Les Bastides D" Alquier" Faugeres Grenache/Syrah blend. The Languedoc seems such a varied region I find it hard to know what's good and what's not. I'm glad to say this one is good. A bright ruby red in colour it's got really meaty tannins with plenty of red fruit - raspberry and a smoky smoothness and a punch of black pepper. Really lovely wine that goes well with the steak. I think it would keep for a few more years too.

The Faugeres appellation within the Languedoc in the south west of France has schistous soil and high altitude and gained a good reputation due a number of quality minded wine growers as the Alquier family.

As the nights draw in and the weather starts to turn the Hotel Du Vin, Edinburgh is the perfect escape.

The wine doctor also has some further information on this Domaine Alquier

What would you bid for - 18,000 to choose from?

I can think of numerous reasons to visit Paris, but an opportunity to buy that special bottle of wine or even bag a bargain, from a selection of 18,000 bottles, where every region of France is represented, seems like a pretty good reason to me.

Tour D' Argent restaurant in the heart of Paris, established as far back as 1582 and with a cellar containing around 450,000 bottles of wine has a sale on.

The history behind this restaurant fascinates me, with its tradition, many famous visitors and numbered ducks it's a fascinating story. If you order a duck it is numbered (the 1,000,000th duck was sold in 2003). For the famous the duck will become a personality in its own right: in the visitors' book of famous ducks, no. 328 was served to King Edward VII in 1890, no. 40,312 to King Alfonso XIII in 1914, no. 53,211 to the Emperor Hiro Hito in 1921, no. 667 998 to Thierry Luron and no. 938,451 to President Mikhail Gorbachev. You can find out more on the restaurant website (flying ducks not to be missed)

The wine cellar survived WWII, the proprietor at the time walled up the majority of the cellar, keeping it hidden from the occupying German army. Now, it's getting over crowded and space is needed giving the public the opportunity to bid on some interesting lots.

I've given myself an imaginary budget of about €2000, this is what I'd buy.

Lot 523 - because I've never tasted anything that old €900-€1000
Lot 164 - because it's one (of my many) favourite areas €550-€600
Lot 1223 - because it seemed like a nice mix €300-€350
Lot 1046 - because it's the vintage I was born in - €60-€80

It will be interesting to see what they actually sell for!

The Independent newspaper provides an insight in to the sale and the lot list is here too.

Another sign of the recession

Whenever my colleague the Queen of Am-dram is under the lights of showbiz a group of us get together to support and cheer her on. This time it's a production of 'Return to the Forbidden Planet' at the usual venue - the Church Hill Theatre in Morningside, Edinburgh.

It's a small group of us tonight, perhaps the first sign of the recession (and redundancies) impacting the significant financial services business in Edinburgh. I'm excited about eating at Peckham's Underground, buy a bottle of wine at retail price from the shop and drink it with your meal, no corkage. But not any more I'm afraid, you can still buy a bottle from the shop, but it's £5 corkage - real shame and perhaps another sign of the recession. A good home made lasagna accompanied with a mediocre Sauvignon Blanc and a nice piece of Salmon accompanied by a mediocre Chenin Blanc, the remaining members of the group opting for Isle of Arran blonde and soft drinks for the drivers.

Then on to the theatre. I'm not sure why most theatres are unable to think about the wine they buy, maybe they think they don't have to if they think people, not being allowed to take a glass in with them, never have more than ten minutes to drink a glass.

Despite this or as a result of this (I'm not sure) the appropriate audience participation was performed (identities disguised to protect the innocent)





The Queen of Am Dram performed brilliantly.












But the wine disappointed.........................

What's on your doorstep

It never ceases to amaze me how some things can be on your door step and you just don't realise it. I dashed back from work tonight to catch the early showing of The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. I arrived at the Cameo cinema a few steps from my front door with enough time to enjoy a quick glass of wine. Time's short so I ask for a dry white, not even a glance at the wine list.
Monsieur Vin arrives, whilst waiting for a coffee he spots the wine list and throws it over to me. There's some interesting wines on the list including Dinastia Vivanco Rioja, a wine introduced to me by @thirstforwine.
They call the start of the movie, I enter the auditorium with a mental note to pop back as soon as possible.

As for the film, a fairy tale for adults, the wonderful imaginarium of Terry Gilliam.

Claim to fame note - I once sat next to Terry Gilliam on a Rynair flight to Ancona, Italy.

Tomorrow - off to Pekham's Underground, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh where you can purchase your wine from the shop upstairs at retail prices and you can have it with your dinner downstairs and no corkage!

A Night of Fizz & Red from Down Under

This time of year I usually start my blog with “it was a cold, windy, rainy night in Edinburgh” but on this occasion, that’s just not true. It’s been an absolutely stunning day in Edinburgh, feeling almost summer in warmth (Scottish summer I hasten to add).
We’re expecting J&J for dinner, they’ve been numerous times before, you may remember J1’s comment I posted on my blog back in September last year when we had a Sauternes with desert.
"It's like drinking apricot juice but boozy with honey"

J1 lived in Spain for a number of years and she loves Rioja (red Rioja) and although she would like to try other wines, she finds the choice overwhelming and has found it difficult to find alternatives she likes. Now, when she’s out buying red wine, she spends 10 minutes looking at the shelves but still ends up picking a Rioja...!

I sent out an SOS on Twitter asking for suggestions of alternatives to Rioja. @thefinewineman suggests a Tempranillo, a safe bet sticking with a Spanish grape. @WineUnearthed comes back with the suggestion of a New World alternative, perhaps a Barossa Valley Shiraz from a good producer, which gives me an idea.

There’s a knock at the door, they’re on time. I open the door and a bottle of red is thrust into my hand, for once it’s not a Rioja! J1 grins and says “I took your advice, so you can blame the guy in the off-licence if it’s awful. He recommended it.”


I’ve picked up a bottle of Lindauer (on offer in Waitrose just now) to go with the crab cake starter, this goes down well, but it’s not red and therefore we can’t compare it to a Rioja. Cava is mentioned once or twice.



We discuss the importance of having a good wine merchant. J1 is a great cook and believes in sourcing the best ingredients for her culinary experiments, using the knowledge of a local butcher or fishmonger to enhance a menu. Buying wine should work in much the same way. Small independent wine merchants are able to offer a more diverse selection of wine, and like the butcher, give background and provenance on the producer, whilst at the same time opening you up to more interesting flavours.


We’ve got neck of lamb stack for the main course in a light fruity jus. I’ve got a bottle produced by @teusnerwine called Joshua (2005) it’s a Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz blend, I’ve been saving it for just this type of occasion.

Although it’s less fruity and more full bodied than a Rioja, J1 likes it. It’s a food wine and a great match for the lamb. The aromas of red current and green pepper give way to more black fruit flavours on the palate, but the black pepper persists through out. I tracked this wine down after coming across @teusnerwine on Twitter. Spotted in Harvey Nichols one Saturday afternoon at £18, but this is probably not the best price on the market.

Over the main course the conversation turns towards how with a bit of practice and help you will learn what you like and what you don’t, what to look for on a label (and what to avoid) and how to be smarter in your wine choice.

There are film and book critics that I agree with and some that I don’t, I view wine critics in much the same way.

J1 doesn’t have the time to invest in gaining expert knowledge about wine, so I suggest she finds a good wine merchant and to give them a chance to learn what she likes, if they’re good they’ll move on to challenge her palate. J1 spends a lot of time on-line so by reading reviews in the press, bloggers online and tweeters alike to share their knowledge and listen to recommendations.

In return the least they can do is provide an honest and independent view on the wines they have tasted/write about.

For you chance to meet UK wine bloggers why not attend The Wine Gang Christmas Fair, November 7th, 2009 at Vinopolis. Check out the blog entry for this too.

You can learn what motivates bloggers to go to the efforts of maintaining a blog, usually for no reward (except appearing at wine tastings) and what their particular passion is. It is an easy way to find some great new sources of wine information to complement your own wine buying research and maybe even new friends to share experiences with.

Perhaps you'll find that special wine for the festive season.

If your a UK wine blogger and would like the chance to be a part of the Wine Gang's Christmas Fair then check out the competition on the Wine Conversation blog

A few suggestion of wine merchants in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Wine Merchants (part of Cambridge Wine Merchants)
30B Raeburn Place
Edinburgh
EH4 1HN
Tel: 0131 343 2347
Twitter: @halwilsonuk

The Great Grog
GREAT GROG Retail Shop
2 Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 667 2855

For a good selection of Italian wines:
Valvona & Crolla
19 Elm Row
Edinburgh EH7 4AA
Tel: 0131 556 6066

For a good selection of Californian wines:
Sideways Wine
91 St. Leonards Street
Edinburgh EH8 9Q
Tel: 0131 668 4207

Henderson Wines
109 Comiston Road,
Edinburgh EH10 6AQ
Tel: 0131 447 8580

Madame Vin - Tweeting Up with Rioja

The phenomena of Twitter has some people hooked (Stephen Fry/Philip Schofield) and some people who claim that they do not understand it as a medium, stating the thought of sharing their thoughts and ideas with virtual strangers is just too much.
I think it's a great way for like minded people to connect, to share their experiences, ideas and opinions. I've been Madame Vin since January, but Twitter was created back in 2006.

I spend a lot of time on-line, but not as much as I'd like (the day job interferes somewhat), but I never thought I would go and actually meet people I had met on line. The horror stories of love affairs gone wrong are all too evident in the papers (and on line). My meet up/tweet up, I'm glad to say was a positive experience.

I'd enlisted the support of my Aussie Mate. You'll have come across her in other blog entries, it's also her hands who, on many occasions have held bottles at the appropriate angle for photo taking.

I received the twitter update from @thirstforwine" confirming they would be tasting Rioja at Bond No.9 on The Shore, Leith. A relatively new bar that has an amazing cocktail list and award winning staff to boot.

I'll admit at first it was strange having read numerous 140 characters tweets from @thirstforwine, @thefinewineman and @whiteandred we were now standing in a bar talking about the Dinastia Vivanco Rioja we were tasting.

Tweets were soon being twittered about the evening and I even got chance to wear my Madame Vin T-shirt!

@thirstforwine provided the chance for us try five wines from the Dinastia Vivanco vineyard. All were quality wines, my Aussie Mate particularly liked the rosé (Tempranillo/Garnacha blend) because on the nose it was quite sweet and fruity, but on the palate it surprised you by being more savoury.
The white Rioja was interesting too and provides and excellent,more interesting alternative to many whites on the market at the moment. The adding of Malvasia giving it that extra something.
The Crianza and the Reserva were good examples of Rioja. I've been disappointed with a number of Riojas of late, it's nice to find a couple of good ones. The Crianza being fruity, sharp and rustic easy drinking wine. Followed by the smoother fuller bodied Reserva for special occasions.



And then something very interesting and a blend that truly works
70% Tempranillo
15 % Graciano
10% Garnacha
5% Mazuelo

Red fruit, black fruit, dark toffee (bonfire toffee) and I think this will change and develop over time too.

Only 14,000 bottles produced, I'm hoping some will make it to Edinburgh............

Conclusion - more Tweet Ups needed!

Twitter - sign up and join the fun

To find out more about the wine
For more from the @finewineman
For more from @redandwhite
For more from @thirstforwine
To check out the venue Bond No.9