I weakened..and had a bottle of .....
24 March 2003, 01:12 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
....Beajolais Villages over the weekend 
..... I know of some very influential and sensible people who are very serious about boycotting anything French just now. Will it last?
..... I know of some very influential and sensible people who are very serious about boycotting anything French just now. Will it last?
24 March 2003, 01:54 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
PC..Couldn't agree more. Great British public have got to be second only to the Americans in believing marketing hype.
Only now are people beginning to realise that..<generalisation mode on>...Aussie whites look like urine and taste curiously of liquorice, wood and ...urine. The Reds are similarly concentrated and go well with a meat Vindaloo (and little else) so I'm told. <generalisation mode off>....There are exceptions, though I have yet to experience them.
NZ wines , now what a contrast...They are definately a very good substitute for French.
joni
Only now are people beginning to realise that..<generalisation mode on>...Aussie whites look like urine and taste curiously of liquorice, wood and ...urine. The Reds are similarly concentrated and go well with a meat Vindaloo (and little else) so I'm told. <generalisation mode off>....There are exceptions, though I have yet to experience them.
NZ wines , now what a contrast...They are definately a very good substitute for French.
joni
24 March 2003, 01:59 PM
#5
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"generalisation mode on"
Always dangerous...
Tim Adams produces some excellent wines in Australia. Granted, he's a Brit making wine in Oz using French methods, but it's cracking stuff!
Cheers
Always dangerous...
Tim Adams produces some excellent wines in Australia. Granted, he's a Brit making wine in Oz using French methods, but it's cracking stuff!
Cheers
24 March 2003, 01:59 PM
#6
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well it's kindof inevitable that Australians think hitting something with a lump of wood is the height of sophistication. With cricket, they turned out to be extremely good at it. When it came to making "lightly" oaked chardonnay in the burgundy style they turned out to be feckin useless... 
24 March 2003, 02:01 PM
#7
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Toonman - there are some great australian wines, and also great american and NZ wines, but they tend to be no cheaper than an equivalent quality french wine. Someone told me the other day that there are some great english wines - i think he was just joking 
Trending Topics
24 March 2003, 02:06 PM
#9
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,404
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Charlie
I buy the wine I like, regardless of its country of origin, although I must confess to placing a temporary block on the purchase of Italian wine after all the fouls and cheating by Inter Milan recently! I had to make my annoyance felt somehow...
Cheers
Mike
I buy the wine I like, regardless of its country of origin, although I must confess to placing a temporary block on the purchase of Italian wine after all the fouls and cheating by Inter Milan recently!
I had to make my annoyance felt somehow... Cheers
Mike
24 March 2003, 02:18 PM
#13
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The definition of over-rated:
Chateaux Neuf Du Pape.
Chateaux Neuf Du Pape.
Works for me in any case.
24 March 2003, 02:24 PM
#16
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Anywhere they sell overpriced coffee
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Propoer Charlie, i can only go from experience i guess. The biggest wine let-down i ever had was at the Chop House near Tower Bridge, who have a fairly impressive CNDP list. We ordered a 1988, which at £180 per bottle, i'd have expected to be right up there on my wine experiences list.
But in my opinion it showed typical French qualities - slightly chalky, strong borgering on overpowering tannins, and only effective as an accompaniment to food. Which is all very well if you like that sort of thing, but personally i prefer to drink wine on it's own, which is why i've never really hit it off with French wines.
But in my opinion it showed typical French qualities - slightly chalky, strong borgering on overpowering tannins, and only effective as an accompaniment to food. Which is all very well if you like that sort of thing, but personally i prefer to drink wine on it's own, which is why i've never really hit it off with French wines.
24 March 2003, 02:29 PM
#18
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: London
Posts: 4,797
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
£180? 
At that price I would have expected it to be pretty special. I thought I was pushing the boat out with a £75 bottle of bordeaux I had at Rules a little while ago (incidentally I was pretty annoyed as i was on my 4th!! choice of wine, they were 'out off stock' of the other three. The waiter even had the cheek to suggest that if I ordered one of the house wines at least they'd be sure to have it). It's true that French wines are often best with food, and tey can be a bit of an aquired taste, but at thier best they are pretty awesome IMO.
At that price I would have expected it to be pretty special. I thought I was pushing the boat out with a £75 bottle of bordeaux I had at Rules a little while ago (incidentally I was pretty annoyed as i was on my 4th!! choice of wine, they were 'out off stock' of the other three. The waiter even had the cheek to suggest that if I ordered one of the house wines at least they'd be sure to have it). It's true that French wines are often best with food, and tey can be a bit of an aquired taste, but at thier best they are pretty awesome IMO.
24 March 2003, 02:36 PM
#20
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 626
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try a Loire red for a light easy drinking affordable slurp with or with out food.It is getting quite trendy, but you can still pick up a Saumer or Borgeuil for under a fiver....Nice but not before the boycott is lifted
24 March 2003, 04:26 PM
#23
Scooby Senior
I have to say I've never been one for Spanish reds, but that was VERY drinkable!
I guess you can't have proper Champers without it being a bit French. I'll assume it was bought before the current contretemps and we were doing our bit by consuming it.
I guess you can't have proper Champers without it being a bit French. I'll assume it was bought before the current contretemps and we were doing our bit by consuming it.
24 March 2003, 07:18 PM
#24
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ahhh wine snobs fantastic-
the facts are this the French are THE MASTERS of vineculture
the sheer variety and volume produced means an intelligently chosen French wine will be amongst the best the in the world.
New world wines are very overrated- I enjoy listening to people talk nonsense about how much they like "chardonnay"- usually lowest common denominator crap for people with more money than sense.
the facts are this the French are THE MASTERS of vineculture
the sheer variety and volume produced means an intelligently chosen French wine will be amongst the best the in the world.
New world wines are very overrated- I enjoy listening to people talk nonsense about how much they like "chardonnay"- usually lowest common denominator crap for people with more money than sense.
24 March 2003, 07:41 PM
#25
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sunny BELFAST
Posts: 19,408
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bottle of mundies tawney for me every time m8. £3.50 - does it get u blattered? yep same as the £175 bottle of vintage red except you don't feel as if your wallet/purse has been raped!
as you can tell i am not a wine connosir....eh conneysur...erm wine drinker
cheers
big sinky
as you can tell i am not a wine connosir....eh conneysur...erm wine drinker
cheers
big sinky
24 March 2003, 09:55 PM
#28
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Its amazing how many people think "chardonnay" is actually a brand of wine.
FYI its a grape and the only time chardonnay is acceptable is when one is drinking a Champagne which is made using only that grape. Also anything that isn't made in the Champagne region shouldn't be called "champagne"- nothing worse than cheapskates serving bad fizzy wine and asking "would you like a glass of champagne?"
FYI its a grape and the only time chardonnay is acceptable is when one is drinking a Champagne which is made using only that grape. Also anything that isn't made in the Champagne region shouldn't be called "champagne"- nothing worse than cheapskates serving bad fizzy wine and asking "would you like a glass of champagne?"
24 March 2003, 10:01 PM
#29
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 1,866
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems to be a lot of snobbery surrounding wine; "If it ain't Frnech, it's no good" kind of thing. I don't profess to know much about wine and try to be open minded as to where it comes from. Got to admit though some years back I avoided French wine like the plague, a kind of reverse snobbery perhaps - I've grown up now
So, basically, I'll try most wines but tend to favour New World stuff. I've developed a liking for Western Australian wines, Margaret River area in particular (nothing to do with having been there twice, honest). Got to say I like Spanish and Portugese reds too.
I don't tend to favour 'labels', if I like I'll buy it. One exception may be Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc. Its made out to be the world's greatest of it's type. Has anyone tried it?
Where do you guys buy your wine online? I've tried a few; Laithwaites, Virgin, Mad About Wine. Any others worth a go?
Mark
So, basically, I'll try most wines but tend to favour New World stuff. I've developed a liking for Western Australian wines, Margaret River area in particular (nothing to do with having been there twice, honest). Got to say I like Spanish and Portugese reds too.
I don't tend to favour 'labels', if I like I'll buy it. One exception may be Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc. Its made out to be the world's greatest of it's type. Has anyone tried it?
Where do you guys buy your wine online? I've tried a few; Laithwaites, Virgin, Mad About Wine. Any others worth a go?
Mark
24 March 2003, 10:16 PM
#30
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: here
Posts: 10,641
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've developed a liking for Western Australian wines, Margaret River area in particular (nothing to do with having been there twice, honest)
Awesome scenery.