Buyer Beware.....

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pomp 'n circumstance
Kev the Kitman
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Buyer Beware.....

Post by pomp 'n circumstance »

......and NO, I'm not talking about 36 year old goalkeepers, but my well known penchant for the great god Bacchus and a decent claret that one can swirl around the old taste buds and realise that are most acceptable wines out there that deserve my attention.

Now, it's as well to remember that the lady of the household should not be allowed anywhere a wine list simply because they are better at the other things in life like cuddley bunny rabbits, making the tea and making the place look tidy. However, last week I found Ms P'nC trawling the Sunday Times wine list and drawing my attention to her latest 'Billy Bargain'. I watched in horror at an offer of a case of Merlot & Friends which club members could buy for £47 knocked down from £108 - now if they are giving you a case (12 bottles) for that sort of money then it is not only shi-ite, it tastes like shi-ite and is likely to do serious damage to your digestive system. I tried everything to dissuade her - balls of wool, knitting needles, going shopping with her but NO! She insisted I place the order - and it arrived here yesterday. It looks like wine and with some trepidation I opened a bottle of Chateau Du Prieur 2014 which is apparently the work of some French bloke in blending Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon which has received some dubious Gold Medal in Bordeaux. It is without doubt the worst experience of wine exploration I have ever tasted - it is a disaster of epic proportions and it stands in my kitchen mocking me!

So if you are ever tempted to pay good money for a bargain case of wine, get someone to lock you in the cellar until you come to your senses.......
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rumourmonger
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by rumourmonger »

Brilliant Pomp. You really should get a job as a critic .
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The Cincinnati Kid
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by The Cincinnati Kid »

Mrs Kid just came home with a case of something rated 84/100....not horrible..... but not great....priced very low...Spanish...obviously suspect.
Described in a positive review as having hints of "shoe polish and burned wood"???......strange hints for a positive review imo.....hints of work boots and old garden sheds perhaps.....anyhoo....not great.

Try some Pinot from Oregon Pomp...if you can find it......that seems to be the hot stuff here at the moment.
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eltorrro
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by eltorrro »

What was it Cinci? I probably know it and how much we can buy it for here in Spain!! 8)
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The Cincinnati Kid
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by The Cincinnati Kid »

eltorrro wrote:What was it Cinci? I probably know it and how much we can buy it for here in Spain!! 8)
i'll get back to you later on that....just left town!....begins with T about all I recall.....Not horrible...thing is for me, there is a difference to what I might drink at home with a daily glass or 2....and what I might take to your house as a guest or serve to guests at my house.
Even the lavish wealth of TCK cant afford to knock back a $25 bottle every day...especially if you toss in a $10 cigar!....so one looks for bargains and buys a case when something acceptable for the daily tipple is found!
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Berkshire Blue
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by Berkshire Blue »

I apologize if I am preaching to the converted, but I buy most of my wine from the Wine Society.

It is a long standing non profit organisation, and I have found that it delivers good value at pretty well every price point.
pomp 'n circumstance
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by pomp 'n circumstance »

Berkshire Blue wrote:I apologize if I am preaching to the converted, but I buy most of my wine from the Wine Society.

It is a long standing non profit organisation, and I have found that it delivers good value at pretty well every price point.
As I remember rightly, Billy Jo was a preacher man - not too sure if he had an interest in wine, but I accept your cheerful comment that the Wine Society delivers good value - although not at every price point! I'm willing to bet they have a few really awful bins in their cellars that you wouldn't wash your car with. Still, everyone has a 'table wine' that they can quaff without fear of injury.

Pretty much all the wines from the new continents were developed from vine cuttings from La Belle France - the new continents tend to do better with white wine and blush exports, not so well with claret. And interestingly, the Frogs make the best Champagne but don't drink much of it - the largest demands for champagne are the Brits and the largest importers of champagne to the UK are........pause.....drum roll...kerching.....British Airways!

And that bl**dy bottle of Chateau du Prieur is still mocking me from across the kitchen.......but I have plans for the little sod!
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Ziggy Sawdust
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by Ziggy Sawdust »

pomp 'n circumstance wrote:
Berkshire Blue wrote:I apologize if I am preaching to the converted, but I buy most of my wine from the Wine Society.

It is a long standing non profit organisation, and I have found that it delivers good value at pretty well every price point.
As I remember rightly, Billy Jo was a preacher man - not too sure if he had an interest in wine, but I accept your cheerful comment that the Wine Society delivers good value - although not at every price point! I'm willing to bet they have a few really awful bins in their cellars that you wouldn't wash your car with. Still, everyone has a 'table wine' that they can quaff without fear of injury.

Pretty much all the wines from the new continents were developed from vine cuttings from La Belle France - the new continents tend to do better with white wine and blush exports, not so well with claret. And interestingly, the Frogs make the best Champagne but don't drink much of it - the largest demands for champagne are the Brits and the largest importers of champagne to the UK are........pause.....drum roll...kerching.....British Airways!

And that bl**dy bottle of Chateau du Prieur is still mocking me from across the kitchen.......but I have plans for the little sod!
Pedant alert: I had to put down my knitting to point out that the French are the ONLY country to make champagne.
pomp 'n circumstance
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by pomp 'n circumstance »

Ziggy Sawdust wrote:
pomp 'n circumstance wrote:
Berkshire Blue wrote:I apologize if I am preaching to the converted, but I buy most of my wine from the Wine Society.

It is a long standing non profit organisation, and I have found that it delivers good value at pretty well every price point.
As I remember rightly, Billy Jo was a preacher man - not too sure if he had an interest in wine, but I accept your cheerful comment that the Wine Society delivers good value - although not at every price point! I'm willing to bet they have a few really awful bins in their cellars that you wouldn't wash your car with. Still, everyone has a 'table wine' that they can quaff without fear of injury.

Pretty much all the wines from the new continents were developed from vine cuttings from La Belle France - the new continents tend to do better with white wine and blush exports, not so well with claret. And interestingly, the Frogs make the best Champagne but don't drink much of it - the largest demands for champagne are the Brits and the largest importers of champagne to the UK are........pause.....drum roll...kerching.....British Airways!

And that bl**dy bottle of Chateau du Prieur is still mocking me from across the kitchen.......but I have plans for the little sod!
Pedant alert: I had to put down my knitting to point out that the French are the ONLY country to make champagne.
Sorry to interrupt the knitting Ziggy - but glad to see that it features on your daily chores! You are of course correct that champagne can only be called champagne if it is produced in France since they own the copyright/patent for the name - any other similar product can only be referred to as Methode Champagnoise. Froggies 1 Tous La Monde 0.....or call it champagne and we'll sue your cotton pickin' hides down to your last centime or hectare that you own.
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Earl Grey
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by Earl Grey »

pomp 'n circumstance wrote:
Ziggy Sawdust wrote:
pomp 'n circumstance wrote:
Berkshire Blue wrote:I apologize if I am preaching to the converted, but I buy most of my wine from the Wine Society.

It is a long standing non profit organisation, and I have found that it delivers good value at pretty well every price point.
As I remember rightly, Billy Jo was a preacher man - not too sure if he had an interest in wine, but I accept your cheerful comment that the Wine Society delivers good value - although not at every price point! I'm willing to bet they have a few really awful bins in their cellars that you wouldn't wash your car with. Still, everyone has a 'table wine' that they can quaff without fear of injury.

Pretty much all the wines from the new continents were developed from vine cuttings from La Belle France - the new continents tend to do better with white wine and blush exports, not so well with claret. And interestingly, the Frogs make the best Champagne but don't drink much of it - the largest demands for champagne are the Brits and the largest importers of champagne to the UK are........pause.....drum roll...kerching.....British Airways!

And that bl**dy bottle of Chateau du Prieur is still mocking me from across the kitchen.......but I have plans for the little sod!
Pedant alert: I had to put down my knitting to point out that the French are the ONLY country to make champagne.
Sorry to interrupt the knitting Ziggy - but glad to see that it features on your daily chores! You are of course correct that champagne can only be called champagne if it is produced in France since they own the copyright/patent for the name - any other similar product can only be referred to as Methode Champagnoise. Froggies 1 Tous La Monde 0.....or call it champagne and we'll sue your cotton pickin' hides down to your last centime or hectare that you own.
Pedant alert: I don't knit but if I did I'd have put it down to alert you to the correct form, 'tout le monde'.
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This Time Next Year
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by This Time Next Year »

Pedant alert, champagne only from the champagne region of France, not France. Its not copyright, it's a regional product thing, like brie, port or cornish pasties.
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The Cincinnati Kid
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by The Cincinnati Kid »

eltorrro wrote:What was it Cinci? I probably know it and how much we can buy it for here in Spain!! 8)
Back in and its called Tarima...made with organic grapes......of course once its pumped ashore from the super tanker to the mobsters New Jersey tank storage facility it could be anything!
Anyhow...point here being this was obtained from Costco....now Costco generally has a limited supply of items in the wine dept. and things priced at $10 per bottle are generally worth it....things reduced from 10 to $5 are generally reduced to make room for new product and not so much because they are poor quality or not selling.....so I find Costco a good source to buy wine by the case for daily tipple consumption. This one was ok....we've done better though
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past memories
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by past memories »

eltorrro
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by eltorrro »

Cinci - only available here in bodegas and not superstore so difficult to find away from region where produced. Average price of €5.50 so middle of range for us. Will try and find some and see what it compares to. 8)
BlueinPLtwenty
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Re: Buyer Beware.....

Post by BlueinPLtwenty »

[quote="This Time Next Year"]Pedant alert, champagne only from the champagne region of France, not France. Its not copyright, it's a regional product thing, like brie, port or cornish pasties.[/quote]


Many Countries & the French in other parts of France make "sparkling wine" exactly the same way the French do in a Champagne defined area in Northern France. Except the French call that sparking wine, Champagne and have patented the name. When one of my Daughters got married we went to Vouvray just outside Tours and bought their sparkling wine for less than half the price of a reasonable Champagne. Nobody knew the difference, in fact the Waitress was asking guests if they wanted another glass of Champagne on the day!
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