Supermarket wines, this week Aldi

Un-deterred, my wife had chosen the "Supermarket wine of the week" and again it comes from the very glamorous Aldi.
She chose a "pink" from Australia, with a pretty lizard on the front, say no more!

The wine was actually a very nice rose, which we enjoyed on Friday, one of the warm evenings we had this weekend.
The wine is made from a blend of dark grapes.

The skins have extra contact, during maceration, giving a darker rosé. The colour is

The Man in the Iron Mask

A friend of ours had a significant birthday this weekend. She organised a masked ball, for this weekend, in the local Town Hall. It said on the invite, that masks were obligatory, so a babysitter was booked and we got dressed up.

The sun was out and it was a warm evening, as we  processed to the Town Hall. We were met by a crowd of bystanders, probably wondering who all these masked "Chippy Set" people were. There was a fire eater, who kindly offered to switch places with me, I think he was enflamed, when I refused.

Supermarket wines,this week Budgens

So, I had the kids yesterday, while my wife worked. I wanted them to help me wash the car, or rather I wanted to wash the car and needed them supervised.
Easter holidays are great fun, but once the chocolate has gone and the bickering starts, you find yourself on a slippery slope.

I thought it would be a change from the naughty step, if I took them into a Cotswold town.
I could run some errands and they could stop firing cap-guns at each other, it sounded a plan?
Also, I owed them an Easter egg each, which I had failed to buy in time.

This was my real reason for ending up in Budgens. Easter eggs securely in the basket, I had a wonder into the wine section, which looked full and varied.
I picked out a Chenin Blanc from South Africa, it was reduced by £3.00 and it looked good.

Cellar of the Devil

On Saturday, we were invited to freshen up the local cricket club. Paint was applied, things were built and the wicket was rolled; the club started to look ready for the new season.  As a thank you I was given a bottle of wine, along with a bacon sarnie.

The bottle that I was given, was a Chilean red, made from Carmanere grapes. The wine is called Casillero del Diablo or Cellar of the Devil.

The story goes,100 years ago Don Melchor de Concha reserved for himself, the best bottles of a batch of wine, he had made. The Don was worried that these bottles would get taken.
To protect his investment, he spread the rumour that the devil lived in his cellar. It is a good job, that the Devil didn't have a penchant for good Chilean wines either?

The wine is dark red, almost blackcurrant. The nose is one of bitter quality chocolate, blended with coffee beans and blackcurrant jam.
The jammyness comes out in the initial taste, along with a bramble greenery and a toasty oak flavour.

A very good wine, made with Chile's very own grape, Carmanere. I just think a stronger cellar would have been in order, rather than a scary rumour, that must have been the kiss of death for the marketing department at the winery?
 

Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2012

Oyster Bay, has been dubbed the poor man's "Cloudy Bay". I think this a little unfair. Pound for pound, Oyster Bay offers better value for the price.

I once had an interview, for a job in a hotel, in the New Forest. The Sommelier was overjoyed to show me a palette full of cases of Cloudy Bay, in the hotel cellar. I think he was saddened by my lack of enthusiasm.
I had heard stories of signs announcing the new vintage, out in New Zealand, with just the words " its here". This is followed by the disappointing sign of "its gone".

Does a wine merit this adoration? There are wines and vintages that I get excited about. Cloudy Bay is just not on this list. The vintages just don't have the diversity and variation that Bordeaux reds can offer.

Step in Oyster Bay, a humble Sauvignon from Marlborough, New Zealand. It can always be found and normally costs less than £10.

Turner Road; an interesting blend?

I found a stray bottle, that I was given as a "gift for the host". It comes from California and it was the blend that caught my eye.
When  there is more than one grape, the dominant grape is listed first on the label. If there are more than two grapes, then the next dominant comes next.

This is hugely important to know because, personally I adore Cabernet / Shiraz, but find Shiraz / Cab a little too much.

The blend in Turner Road is Cabernet / Zinfandel, an unusual pairing that seemed to work rather well.

The wine is plum red in colour and it goes right to the edge of the glass.