Filed under: wine

Tasting: The Joshua, 2008 - from @TeusnerWine

The Joshua 2008
produced by Teusner Wines in Barossa Valley, Australia,
Note: Amazingly rich, jammy, raspberry and strawberry nose with a tickling of black pepper, which then blossoms in the mouth, like supping on a deliciously smooth, slightly tart, raspberry coulis seasoned with crushed black pepper. Delicious, moreish and full bodied. This wine is very young and I look forward to see how it develops over the years - if I can hold on to my remaining bottles.
(Tasted on September 3, 2010)

Tasting: La Gramiere 2007

I've started posting some tasting notes again as I have been meaning to do for ages. I'm hoping this will go automatically in future, but here's last night's post:

La Gramière 2007
produced by Domaine de La Gramiere in Cotes du Rhone Villages region, France
Note: Looks young, with purple, red fruit in the glass, and the nose is dark and brooding. However, the first taste was bright - like a blast of cherry flavoured lifesavers, followed by a dusting of soft, ripe tannins and deliciously tart berry flavours. Still young, but vibrant and alive. A great tipple
Food pairing: lightly grilled lamb
(Tasted on August 29, 2010)

Kudos to @nakedwines for their customer service

I just wanted to thanks Naked Wines for some very good customer service.

I ordered an "Advance Purchase" case of wines from my friend @mroconnell's O'Vineyards thanks to their new association with Naked Wines

Or at least, I thought I had ordered one. I'm POSITIVE I did this as I went to the site as soon as I heard they were available and then immediately mentioned my purchase to Ryan, ... and even encouraged others to join me.

Unfortunately, after the cases were sold out (well done everyone!) I couldn't locate my order number and I realised it had not registered on their system for whatever reason. Darn!

Well, the friendly folks at Naked (especially Marie) sorted it by making up a special case for me and sending it to me at the price I SHOULD have paid, and it arrived this morning.

That is great customer service, and one of the reasons I think that Naked Wines has a great future.

I now have a very interesting range of wines from O'Vineyards, La Gramiere and Teusner, all friends in the personal as well as social media sense, in my wine rack ready to taste and enjoy (with more on the way).

I hope you do too!

Chasing dinner

I'm not one for recipes (I prefer to cook what I know or just "create") but it was my turn to cook tonight ... and I was asked to make something with the Haddock that needed to be used, and some open Parma ham ... and the results were pretty tasty.

But this is not a food blog. 

The point was to say that, as the last day of the holiday, after a great day with the family, after a productive day in the garden painting the kids' playhouse ... the dish of haddock fillets wrapped in parma ham, with asparagus and new potatoes, was a great partner to my Ocado-bought bottle of La Chasse Chardonnay Viognier 

I admit I am not usually fond of this blend of varieties. The Chardonnay is usually flabby and the Viognier used only for aroma, not body. However, this was very good, and in the circumstances, a great tipple.

It isn't about the points or ratings. It's about the context.