Read this.



This got me thinking, at what point would you stop buying wine? When the average bottle price is £7 with £4 going to the Exchequer? £8/£6?, £10/£8?

Imagine having to spend £12 on a bottle of wine only to end up with something that tastes like Kumala because HMG want £8 in tax & duty. At what point do you say no more?

Even now I’m tempted to ratchet up my small scale home brewing and give Darling the finger.

Fortunately I have a well stocked 'cellar', I will only buy wine when the deal is too good to miss. Problem is, there are fewer and fewer of these genuine deals around these days (who remembers when Tesco gave you £10 off a £50 spend online almost every month?).

The wine-buying public need this forum more than ever.

It's the same with tobacco prods and petrol, even worse in fact. To earn the £5 for a gallon of petrol you paid a pound or so in tax.
Then you pay about £4 on the fuel. You paid £1 for the petrol and £5 in taxes.
Last time that I was in the US, the natives were complaining that "gas" had just topped $1 per gallon. I know that their gallon is a cut down version just like their billion but what a difference.

We need a revolution. And more bikes.

Was in France last week where Super U had a nationwide wine festival. Usually these festivals are meant to clear the shelves, but new stock was already there. I go to France for the range of choice and prices are lower than before.

First confrontations with the 2009 vintage were overwhelming.
Snapped up a very smooth Bergerac for €2.80 per bottle. The more expensive Bergerac (€3.60) Chateau du Moulin AOC was just as nice.
Fruit and berries prevail, tannins very light. What a delight with lamb...

Still to taste some Saint Chinian 09 (€4.40) and will go back when the 2009 St Nicolas de Boergueil comes on the shelves.
The 2009 vintage seems to be very promising across all French regions.
.

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Father Christmas = Bob the boozer

Hello, Greetings NFF,

Those deep Loire rouge's could be best since 89. Great choices, particularly given the '09 season.

Tell us what the '09 Saint Nic is like when you get it. These St. Nic's can go on for ages when full. You, may find it a bit rustic and slightly tannic immediately after release. Whole and perfect bunches of Franc were said to be like an artist's study in still life. No table de trie necessary for the grand vins de Loire at all.

'89 and good '00 Bergerac was sumptuous for only pennies

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Duncan