A Bargain!!! About Time I Hear You Say

Every now and then we all buy that "special" bottle of wine that costs just a little bit more than we would normally like to pay then put it away for a "special" occasion. There is absolutely nothing wrong that of course but, what if it is the only bottle you have and friends or rellies drop by unexpectedly? Never fear BWS is here!!! Okay so they are everywhere which means you can grab an excellent bargain they have on offer until Tuesday. They are Penfolds Rawson's Retreat and Lindeman's Bin Range for $5.00 a bottle (6 or more) which is better than half price. Both of the ranges are very reliable wines and represent excellent value. My only advice would be, if you are looking at the Lindeman's Bin 45 Cabernet, try and find the 2009 vintage. Don't get me wrong the 2010 is good too but, if you are thinking of buying a dozen, the 2009 has two or three years cellaring potential. 'Till next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

Additives or Alcohol? The Truth About Those "Wine" Headaches

I read a very good article today in the Weekend Australian written by Max Allen regarding wine additives.  In the article he quotes some of his readers stating they ended up with a headache from drinking wine because of the preservatives or additives.  Some were honest and said it was because of how many glasses of wine they had to drink to really appreciate the wine. I have deliberately included the following paragraph from the article to assist you with forming an opinion about wine additives.
"Creina Stockley, health and regulatory information manager for the Australian Wine Research Institute, hears similar concerns all the time. And she points out that while a few people are genuinely allergic to some wine additives (primarily sulphur dioxide), by far the primary cause of adverse reactions is - ahem - the alcohol, present in far higher concentration than any other component in wine. In other words, she says, it is highly unlikely that processing aids or additives are the wicked culprits they're often made out to be."
I can't put the whole article here, obviously, but another very interesting point Creina Stockly goes on to say is, "...you'll find more (preservatives) in supermarket sausages or burgers, and much more - 10 times the amount - in dried apricots or sliced apple".
Interesting don't you think?  I would really like to hear what you reckon.  'Till next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

Sparklings!! Get Your Sparklings!! New Years Eve is a Comin'

As is well known amongst the wine, beer or spirit drinking community, the drink to see out the old year or see in the new one is of course, sparkling wine. I'm not one for Champagne normally but, with BWS currently having a 25% sale on sparkling wine (for 6 or more) it is the perfect time for me to purchase something different to squeeze in between the Shiraz, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. In all honesty, I reckon there could be a sparkly red cracked at lunch & dinner. Oh and ladies, don't forget to try a Moscato with your breakfast instead of a sparkling white. They are a little bit sweeter with a slight spritz instead of the acidic full on fizz of the other brekky wine. And please, please, please buy Australian. There are some very good Aussie sparklies at half the price of Moet and Billecart-Salmon (French stuff). Happy New Year and remember live simply,laugh often, wine alot.

Extolling The Virtues of Tasmanian Pinot Noir

I realise it has been a while since I posted a special, well anything for that matter but, I have been pretty darn busy of late and time was an issue. Unfortunately, there haven't really been any great, or even good, specials to crow about.  As we get closer to Christmas and New Year I'm sure there will be plenty.
Anyway, this time around I want to bring to your attention the under-rated, regularly forgotten but very rewarding Pinot Noir (that's pee-no nwah) variety.  It may come as a surprise to you but Pinot has been cultivated in Europe for at least 2000 years and, it first came to Australia in 1831 with the first cuttings planted in the Hunter Valley.  Let's just say, it was not successful and as such, other areas of the country were tested and the cooler areas proved to be ideal.  Tasmania's renaissance began in 1956 at the Providence vineyard east of Launceston with Claudio Alcorso starting Moorilla Estate in 1956 on the outskirts of Hobart.  Since then a number of areas of Tasmania now grow Pinot and is rapidly asserting itself as the best region for this variety.  Don't get me wrong, I love my Barossa Shiraz and Coonawarra Cabernet but cool climate Pinot is just as interesting and cellar-worthy.  At the recent Royal Hobart Wine Show, there were a record number of entries for the Pinot classes with Tassie drops being awarded 8 Gold, 21 Silver & 40 Bronze medals.  To top it off, a Tassie Pinot from a winery called Blustery Banks took out the Wine Show Trophy and top gold medal in it's class.  Okay, so they can be expensive sometimes but, wait until the bottle shops have their pre-Christmas sales and buy some and give them a try. You will not be disappointed.  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

The Best Shiraz In The World...Cheap!!!!

How would you like some of the best shiraz in the world?  What if I told you it has a RRP of $220 a bottle.  That would surely put you off I reckon.  But, Get Wines Direct have it for $30 a bottle (plus delivery).  To quote their website, it beat "...9632 wines submitted from 1487 producers out of 36 nations".  It is called The Colonial Estate Exile 2009 Barossa Shiraz.  I have some of this, tried it and believe me, it is a big wine.  You definitely need to decant it for a couple of days.  Okay so that was an exageration but it will need some air before you drink it.  If you don't have the time to decant it, grab a knife and fork to "consume" it with a rich osso bucco.  Stop the Press!!!  My advice is to decant it while the osso bucco is cooking.  How's that?  Sometimes I surprise myself.  Might have a drink to celebrate.  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

Chardonnay, Yes, Chardonnay for $45 a Dozen

Okay, Okay.  Don't panic.  I realise I have said the Chardonnay word.  There you go, I said it again. But at $45 a dozen plus $8 postage I am sure you have become a little curious.  I know that chardonnay has become a little old fashioned because New Zealand Sav Blanc is so trendy but the good ole Chardy is so, so bloody reliable.  The bloke who made this has only been in the wine industry since 1995 but has worked in some pretty shmick places which gives him some vineyard cred as far as I'm concerned.  This normally retails for $168 a dozen so, at this price makes it a nice cheap summer white to have on the deck (or other outdoor entertainment area you have) with some BBQ scallops with a fresh rocket, roasted pine nuts and parmesan salad. Oh, and by the way, there ain't much of it.  Log onto Winemarket.com.au/WHITES/AU-SEA-CHARDONNAY-2009-12 to pick up some of this classic Aussie white.  Go on. You know you want to.  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.

Wine Is Good For Weight Loss

Here we go again.  Scientists and their "studies".  Results say...  What is going to be next?  Wine is not good for you.  Wine is good for you.  Wines is good for weeds.  Somebody please sort this stuff out.  What we need is a scientist or a school teacher or a pilot or a tribal elder to tell us something else.  For pete's sake, what next?  So many studies.  I reckon it is just a "scientist" coming up with an excuse to check out what wine does to us.  No doubt he has a "couple" of bottles so he can have a glass or two every day during the 20 year study to qualify the study.  What the?????  The only thing that has been proven is that wine, or for that matter alcohol, in moderation is good for us.  If it is of any help, they say that one standard drink for females and two standard drinks a day for blokes is what is deemed to be good for us.  A little bit of advice.  It doesn't count when you save them up for a rainy day.  When they say, "a day", they mean a day.  The only way I can see that it contributes to weight loss is because you have a glass of wine in your hand instead of a cheese and chilli hot dog.  I don't do studies, I don't do research into studies.  I enjoy wine, and beer, and, well...the liberating beverage called alcohol.  'Til next time and remember to live simply, laugh often, wine alot.