Fern Bay – Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Malborough

I did say I was looking forward to this one, so I am pleased that it did not disappoint. A nice crisp and fruity wine, but also subtle with it. There were lingering citrusy notes and dare I say, it reminded me a little of freshly cut grass!!
This would be a great wine for summer afternoon drinking. Still it’s also OK for a dark October evening. Well worth the money.

Available from Tesco - £4.99 (12.5% ABV)

The Southern Hemisphere Selection

I have been out and about today to find some wines that look interesting and hopefully tasty. Geographically, this selection could not be more distant from where I am sitting right now (that’s just outside Glasgow by the way). We have two from Mendoza region at the foot of the Andes. Then it is over to the renowned Malborough region in New Zealand. I am looking forward to this one as it was a sub £5 bargin.

If I was collecting these and earning air miles I would be Platinum for life!

I am still in search of the illusive Palatium pinot blanc so if you have seen it please let me know where.

Stormhoek Re-visited

I have decided to re-visit the Stormhoek I tasted on Sunday. It certainly seems to have the same fruitiness as it did a couple of days ago. Yes, it does grow on you but there still isn't much subtlety about this one.

Also read about an interesting German Pinot Blanc called Palatium. I don't normally go for these but it has captured my interest so I will see if I can track down a bottle.

The first batch, here we go!

As the clocks have changed and its not stopped raining, it truly feels like winter. My choices therefore might have something to do with thoughts of sunshine and keeping warm. I might also be playing save on my first outing at sticking to what I know. Hopefully these two reds will not disappoint and help keep the wintery thoughts at bay.

The first is from South Africa, a Stormhoek 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. I chose this as I usually enjoy South African wine. It also had its website on the front of the label (www.stormhoek.com); so in the spirit of a virtual community, I thought I would check out the site and see if the wine lives up the makers’ claims.

The second participant is a nice looking young (2008) Italian from the Villa Lucia vineyard - D.O.C. Chianti Colli Senesi. No website this time but I will see what Google comes up with.

I have created discussion groups on my Facebook page for each wine. If you have tasted the wines too, then please let me know your thoughts.

The Adventure Begins

What is the grape adventure then? Well as we are still in the midst of a credit crunch, I thought I would try and find the best wines on a budget.

So here is the deal, all the wines I taste will be less the £6 and available in your local supermarket (no end of shelf promotions). I will just post my opinion, feel free to post yours too.

Right then, I'm off to buy some wine, let's see what we find....