I’m visiting my local merchant later to spend the voucher given to me at Xmas, plus a few quid of my own no doubt.

The little one is off to her Gran for a few days from tomorrow, we adults are having a night out, table is booked at our fave Italian. They do a lovely Gavi for £17, I don’t begrudge them, the food & service is excellent.

Sunday / Monday, weather permitting we plan to do a spot of walking in the Peaks, probably follow the river along Dovedale, see where it takes us.

Re. wine merchant, I was thinking of trying something different, what ya fink of these-
Drink Me, Dirk Niepoort, Portugal.
Loosen Villa Wolf Pinot Noir. Germany
Adobe Organic Cabernet, Chile
Sepp Gruner V, Weingut Sepp Moser, Austria

In tonight. I'm cooking Dover Sole and new potatoes in a herby sauce suggested by the legend wot is Rick Stein.

When it comes to recipe books I usually just look at pictures of Nigella but I do like a good sauce with me fish and i'm not very good at making up my own.

As Mrs G once said at a dinner party...' So, you got up at the crack of dawn to drive all the way to Swansea and back to buy the freshest salmon money could buy only to completely bollocks it up with the worst bloody sauce in history '



We shall have the Menetou Salon that I have just brought back from Oddbins. It should be a match made in heavon.

Saturday Wales v The Haggis Munchers...a few pints and home to watch Chelsea V Cardiff in the FA Cup on video ( S4C so bleedin Welsh commentary )

Sunday

Long walk read papers watch the rugby not sure if it's France/Ireland or Italy/England open the Dashwood and then open some more Dashwood

Luvverly Jubberly ( nobody mention Valentines )

Hey GK, your shop has one of those tasting gadgets. Saw it on O & J but not in this country. Must be fun.
Big tourney in Cwmbran this w/e but I'm free (as they say). Might steel myself to do a bit of tidying up and *!&?#~% cleaning...or not !
Maybe some winter olympics.

Indeed, and they give you a free sample 'credit' when you spend over £25, this gives you access to most of the wines in the sampler. The credit runs out quicker if you go for the more expensive stuff but you generally get to try 6+ for free.

Surely an esoteric mix there GK - bright s

There is an '05 1er Beauroy Chab on the Worth list which is great value, cos not trendy.
"La Motte's wine is rich and rounded with hints of toasty oak, buttery fruit and classic mineral tones. The perfect foil for seafood & shellfish"

Yes - a change in primary mid palate flav will occur around 2012 - where the fuller deeper chard from Beau' becomes v. classy meursault and minerals. This wine then should become a head turner, and will knock over a load of grip-pipe-thin trendy ones at £25 or more. Dinner guests will say - Wahhh - yak, yak , yak . '05 is the one to go the distance, and then on for a while more.

GK - Ask how it's drinking and evolving - if the guv is there, and you have an opportunity.

The week-end for me is new grand daughter & family related.

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Duncan