Amateur Wine Enthusiast and Bargain Hunter
From the outset, it is important to understand that I am absolutely not a wine expert. I probably don't even have that good a palate. But I'm interested. I've tried to explore the world of wine a bit, but I'm barely scratching the surface.
I had my wine awakening in 2006. I lived in a flat with a buddy, and we routinely bought wine from our local petrol station. Stowells Tempranillo for a fiver. Then one evening we fancied a second bottle, and I opened one I'd been given by my sister - a 2004 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon called Montes Alpha (about £10 from Waitrose at the time). It was revelatory. Big flavours, complexity, aroma... Just so much better than the trash we'd drunk up until then. So I started paying a bit more attention to what I was drinking, and inevitably spent more per bottle. But not much more. And that's what this is all about.
The sad reality is that wine does get better the more you spend on it. Tragic, I know. I haven't drunk very fancy wine at all - the most expensive bottle was probably about £50 - but I've had enough of a variety to know a £30 bottle will almost certainly be better than a £10 bottle. But £6 to £10 is my regular price range for wine, so that's what I'll talk about most often here. And you can definitely get decent wine in that bracket.
A couple of last things about me and wine. Like everyone I have my likes and dislikes. I'm definitely more old world than new, and prefer Italian and French to Spanish. I'm not a fan of sauvignon blanc, generally (although I'll make an exception for Sancerre). As for red grapes, I can't say there's a grape I don't like, but I tend not to buy much pinotage or shiraz. I'm mildly obsessed with Bordeaux reds and am developing a passion for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - a prime variety for a bargain boozer...
So please check out my blog where I'll expose my lack of knowledge but boundless enthusiasm with some ramblings about wine. Get in touch if there's anything you'd like me to write about, or to engage in a lively discourse about why you can't get decent Pinot Noir for less than £15 (really, you can't). I hope you enjoy the site, and find some delicious wine while you're at it.
I had my wine awakening in 2006. I lived in a flat with a buddy, and we routinely bought wine from our local petrol station. Stowells Tempranillo for a fiver. Then one evening we fancied a second bottle, and I opened one I'd been given by my sister - a 2004 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon called Montes Alpha (about £10 from Waitrose at the time). It was revelatory. Big flavours, complexity, aroma... Just so much better than the trash we'd drunk up until then. So I started paying a bit more attention to what I was drinking, and inevitably spent more per bottle. But not much more. And that's what this is all about.
The sad reality is that wine does get better the more you spend on it. Tragic, I know. I haven't drunk very fancy wine at all - the most expensive bottle was probably about £50 - but I've had enough of a variety to know a £30 bottle will almost certainly be better than a £10 bottle. But £6 to £10 is my regular price range for wine, so that's what I'll talk about most often here. And you can definitely get decent wine in that bracket.
A couple of last things about me and wine. Like everyone I have my likes and dislikes. I'm definitely more old world than new, and prefer Italian and French to Spanish. I'm not a fan of sauvignon blanc, generally (although I'll make an exception for Sancerre). As for red grapes, I can't say there's a grape I don't like, but I tend not to buy much pinotage or shiraz. I'm mildly obsessed with Bordeaux reds and am developing a passion for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - a prime variety for a bargain boozer...
So please check out my blog where I'll expose my lack of knowledge but boundless enthusiasm with some ramblings about wine. Get in touch if there's anything you'd like me to write about, or to engage in a lively discourse about why you can't get decent Pinot Noir for less than £15 (really, you can't). I hope you enjoy the site, and find some delicious wine while you're at it.