Howdy all,
Today's blog is going to point you in the direction of one of my previously-mentioned everyday quaffers.
Annie's Lane winery in the Clare Valley has long been a more-than-safe bet for a reasonably-priced red - producing a very easy-drinking Cabernet Merlot and also a straight Shiraz.
The RRP on these guys is usually around the $20 mark, but, as we all know, you'd be downright stupid to ever pay the RRP!
The heads-up for this week is that the big, green, Irish-named bottle-o in my neighbourhood is selling the Annies Lane range for $9.90 per bottle (or $9.40 by the six-pack!) - I say Hallelujah to that!
Get in before Weds 3 September and snap yourselves up some of these babies, to use for those week-nights when dinner (preparation and consumption) requires just a little help from a crimson-coloured friend.
And on a final note, for those of you with a sweet tooth, I had the most more-ish dessert wine the other evening - a lovely little honey (and it did actually have some of this on the palate!) from a family-run vineyard in the Hunter Valley, the Margan Boytrytis Semillon. It retails for around $22 for a 375ml bottle. Chill well, and crack open for a post-prandial shared delight. And, if you are looking for a tool of seduction, and this don't do the trick, I suggest you check the other party for a pulse.
Get amongst it peoples!
Yours in Plonk,
The Plonker
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Its a Wynns-win situation!!
Peoples, get your skates on!
Two of the wines I mentioned in my recent red wine blog - the Wynns Shiraz and the Wynns Cab Sauv Merlot - are on sale for the insane price of $8.90 per bottle ($8.50 in a six-bottle buy) at the big booze shop just up the road from me. Considering the usual RRP on these guys is around $18, this is a veritable bargain!
Get busy, get buying and get amongst it!
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker
Two of the wines I mentioned in my recent red wine blog - the Wynns Shiraz and the Wynns Cab Sauv Merlot - are on sale for the insane price of $8.90 per bottle ($8.50 in a six-bottle buy) at the big booze shop just up the road from me. Considering the usual RRP on these guys is around $18, this is a veritable bargain!
Get busy, get buying and get amongst it!
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker
Monday, August 11, 2008
Give us this day our daily red.
Since Sydney is currently experiencing The Big Chill, today’s blog is going to point you in the direction of a few cheeky little reds that will return a rosy glow to your cheeks, warm the cockles of your heart, but not burn a stonking great hole in your bank account in the process.
A glass or two of these drops will go just as well IN your winter comfort food (I’m thinking slow-cooked lamb shanks, lasagne, spag bol, osso bucco and the like) as they will in you.
However, when procuring vino to add into your evening meal, don’t make the mistake of just grabbing the cheapest bottle of red in the shop (something along the lines of 'Chateau De Blotto,' ‘Vin De Paint Stripper’ or similar).
As the great Aussie wine legend Len Evans said:
'There is an awful lot of wine in the world, but there is also a lot of awful wine in the world. One person can only drink a certain amount in a lifetime.'
So, without further adieu, here are a few drops that are more than quaffable (and your slow-cooked sheep, veal or cow will also reap the benefits of bathing in!). With a bit of hunting, you should be able to pick these up for around $12-$15 a bottle:
- Robertsons Well Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Coonawarra region)
- Wynns Shiraz (Coonawarra)
- Wynns CSM (a Coonawarra Cab Sauv/Merlot blend)
- Annie’s Lane Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
- Wirra Wirra Church Block (a Cab Sauv/Shiraz/Merlot blend from McLaren Vale)
If you’re willing to fork out a little bit extra, you can get something really special (but I wouldn’t be sharing these ones with the cooked beasties):
- Majella ‘The Musician’ (a Coonawarra Cabernet/Shiraz blend) c. $17
- Zema Estate Shiraz (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Bowen Estate Shiraz (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
The prices noted above are the lowest I have ever been able to pick up any of these drops. I consider each of these wines to be excellent value-for-money at these prices.
As you will note, the Coonawarra region features heavily in my recommendations. I find the red wines from this region to over-deliver in the flavour and value stakes, and would almost guarantee that any purchase from Wynns Coonawarra Estate will not be met with regret!
I will leave you with one last pearl of wisdom from the great Len Evans:
“People who say, “You can’t drink the good stuff all the time” are talking rubbish. You must drink good stuff all the time. Every time you drink a bottle of inferior wine it’s like smashing a superior bottle against the wall. The pleasure is lost forever. You can’t get that bottle back.’
I couldn't have said it better myself!
So, go grab yourselves a heart-warming red, grab a special someone, rug up together, pop the cork and get amongst it peoples!
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker.
A glass or two of these drops will go just as well IN your winter comfort food (I’m thinking slow-cooked lamb shanks, lasagne, spag bol, osso bucco and the like) as they will in you.
However, when procuring vino to add into your evening meal, don’t make the mistake of just grabbing the cheapest bottle of red in the shop (something along the lines of 'Chateau De Blotto,' ‘Vin De Paint Stripper’ or similar).
As the great Aussie wine legend Len Evans said:
'There is an awful lot of wine in the world, but there is also a lot of awful wine in the world. One person can only drink a certain amount in a lifetime.'
So, without further adieu, here are a few drops that are more than quaffable (and your slow-cooked sheep, veal or cow will also reap the benefits of bathing in!). With a bit of hunting, you should be able to pick these up for around $12-$15 a bottle:
- Robertsons Well Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Coonawarra region)
- Wynns Shiraz (Coonawarra)
- Wynns CSM (a Coonawarra Cab Sauv/Merlot blend)
- Annie’s Lane Shiraz (Barossa Valley)
- Wirra Wirra Church Block (a Cab Sauv/Shiraz/Merlot blend from McLaren Vale)
If you’re willing to fork out a little bit extra, you can get something really special (but I wouldn’t be sharing these ones with the cooked beasties):
- Majella ‘The Musician’ (a Coonawarra Cabernet/Shiraz blend) c. $17
- Zema Estate Shiraz (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Bowen Estate Shiraz (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
- Wynns Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon (Coonawarra) c. $22
The prices noted above are the lowest I have ever been able to pick up any of these drops. I consider each of these wines to be excellent value-for-money at these prices.
As you will note, the Coonawarra region features heavily in my recommendations. I find the red wines from this region to over-deliver in the flavour and value stakes, and would almost guarantee that any purchase from Wynns Coonawarra Estate will not be met with regret!
I will leave you with one last pearl of wisdom from the great Len Evans:
“People who say, “You can’t drink the good stuff all the time” are talking rubbish. You must drink good stuff all the time. Every time you drink a bottle of inferior wine it’s like smashing a superior bottle against the wall. The pleasure is lost forever. You can’t get that bottle back.’
I couldn't have said it better myself!
So, go grab yourselves a heart-warming red, grab a special someone, rug up together, pop the cork and get amongst it peoples!
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
The Ned - a seriously good sub-$20 Savage John.
Hello again fellow winos!
In only my second blog on grape-related matters, I am again singing the praises of a sauvignon blanc - or, 'Savage John' as my good friend, Chainee-Gai, calls it.
Some of you may be asking: 'Will the real wine Plonker please stand up?' as I have always been one to extol the virtues of chardonnay and would not entertain talk of any other variety of white wine. In fact, I was an intensely passionate and fully-paid-up member of the 'NBC' Club (Nothing But Chardonnay, thank you very much!) until very recently.
However, of late, I have begun to appreciate a good Savage John, and am slowly expanding my mind, and palate, to discover more about this drop.
NZ's Marlborough region is widely regarded as the world's top spot in which to grow savvy blanc (although some Francophiles, I am sure will dispute this claim)... About 12 months ago my Dad recommended a savvy from this region called The Ned, which I initially thought sounded more like an Aussie drop, than a Kiwi one. However, I have since discovered it is in fact named after the summit of Malborough, and not the infamous bushranger.
The man behind The Ned is Brent Marris, the same chap who produced the divine Wither Hills sauvignon blanc. The Ned retails at about 7 bucks less than the Wither Hills, however quality is not compromised one little bit.
Keep your eyes posted and you should be able to grab The Ned for around $16 a bottle (and even less if buying 6 or more) – unheard of for a better-than-average Marlborough savvy. (In fact, prior to my introduction to Ned, the only Marlborough savvies I could find in this price range were uninspired and generic-tasting, with appalling names such as ‘Crouching Kiwi, Hidden Flavour’ or ‘Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc’ or something similarly unoriginal.)
The Ned kicks all these crass pretenders to the kerb, and back again! In Brent Marris own words: ‘I have created this amazing wine, packed with ripe herbaceous notes, underpinned with a striking hint of citrus.’ I absolutely second that!
So, do yourself a favour, grab a bottle or three, chill to perfection, and get amongst it!
Trust me - this Ned will ‘have you at hello.’
Yours in Plonk
The Plonker
In only my second blog on grape-related matters, I am again singing the praises of a sauvignon blanc - or, 'Savage John' as my good friend, Chainee-Gai, calls it.
Some of you may be asking: 'Will the real wine Plonker please stand up?' as I have always been one to extol the virtues of chardonnay and would not entertain talk of any other variety of white wine. In fact, I was an intensely passionate and fully-paid-up member of the 'NBC' Club (Nothing But Chardonnay, thank you very much!) until very recently.
However, of late, I have begun to appreciate a good Savage John, and am slowly expanding my mind, and palate, to discover more about this drop.
NZ's Marlborough region is widely regarded as the world's top spot in which to grow savvy blanc (although some Francophiles, I am sure will dispute this claim)... About 12 months ago my Dad recommended a savvy from this region called The Ned, which I initially thought sounded more like an Aussie drop, than a Kiwi one. However, I have since discovered it is in fact named after the summit of Malborough, and not the infamous bushranger.
The man behind The Ned is Brent Marris, the same chap who produced the divine Wither Hills sauvignon blanc. The Ned retails at about 7 bucks less than the Wither Hills, however quality is not compromised one little bit.
Keep your eyes posted and you should be able to grab The Ned for around $16 a bottle (and even less if buying 6 or more) – unheard of for a better-than-average Marlborough savvy. (In fact, prior to my introduction to Ned, the only Marlborough savvies I could find in this price range were uninspired and generic-tasting, with appalling names such as ‘Crouching Kiwi, Hidden Flavour’ or ‘Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc’ or something similarly unoriginal.)
The Ned kicks all these crass pretenders to the kerb, and back again! In Brent Marris own words: ‘I have created this amazing wine, packed with ripe herbaceous notes, underpinned with a striking hint of citrus.’ I absolutely second that!
So, do yourself a favour, grab a bottle or three, chill to perfection, and get amongst it!
Trust me - this Ned will ‘have you at hello.’
Yours in Plonk
The Plonker
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
A very savvy drop
So... I was fortunate enough to score an invite to the Family of XII winetasting soiree last evening, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
This involved 12 NZ-based wineries sharing their (very fine) wares with some lucky Sydney winelovers.
It was literally cheek-to-cheek for the first hour, but I managed to squeeze thru the masses and sample some mighty fine drops from such esteemed vineyards as Pegasus Bay, Lawson's Dry Hills, Fromm La Strada, Ata Rangi and Craggy Range.
I can report the absolute standout wine of the evening was the 2007 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc. Delishimo!
I find a lot of Marlborough savvies resemble a liquid form of grass cuttings (both on the nose and in the mouth) but which, strangely enough, I still quite fancy! However, the first taste of this little baby brought to mind a punnet of ripe gooseberries exploding on the tongue and filling every part of the mouth. This is a most divine drop, and for me, it was love at first sight (and this from a sworn chardy drinker!).
The RRP for a bottle of this heaven-sent elixir is $29.99, however I have discovered it at Dan Murphys (Alexandria) for the bargain basement price of $22 per bottle (single bottle price). Grab some while you can!
In other news: Dan Murphys is currently selling a lovely red from the Barossa - the Pepperjack 2006 Shiraz. You can currently pick this up for $12.90 a bottle (RRP $19.99) but there is a 6-bottle limit per customer. My advice is to grab half a dozen, nip outside, throw on a wig, glasses and hat, and repeat, ad nauseum.
And finally in bubbles news, Dan's has the Montana Deutz Brut on sale for $17.80 per bottle (or $16.90 if buying 6 bottles). This is a lovely drop from NZ's Marlborough region and at this price, it won't last long. Get cracking!
Actually, I'm off right n0w to grab me some.
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker
This involved 12 NZ-based wineries sharing their (very fine) wares with some lucky Sydney winelovers.
It was literally cheek-to-cheek for the first hour, but I managed to squeeze thru the masses and sample some mighty fine drops from such esteemed vineyards as Pegasus Bay, Lawson's Dry Hills, Fromm La Strada, Ata Rangi and Craggy Range.
I can report the absolute standout wine of the evening was the 2007 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc. Delishimo!
I find a lot of Marlborough savvies resemble a liquid form of grass cuttings (both on the nose and in the mouth) but which, strangely enough, I still quite fancy! However, the first taste of this little baby brought to mind a punnet of ripe gooseberries exploding on the tongue and filling every part of the mouth. This is a most divine drop, and for me, it was love at first sight (and this from a sworn chardy drinker!).
The RRP for a bottle of this heaven-sent elixir is $29.99, however I have discovered it at Dan Murphys (Alexandria) for the bargain basement price of $22 per bottle (single bottle price). Grab some while you can!
In other news: Dan Murphys is currently selling a lovely red from the Barossa - the Pepperjack 2006 Shiraz. You can currently pick this up for $12.90 a bottle (RRP $19.99) but there is a 6-bottle limit per customer. My advice is to grab half a dozen, nip outside, throw on a wig, glasses and hat, and repeat, ad nauseum.
And finally in bubbles news, Dan's has the Montana Deutz Brut on sale for $17.80 per bottle (or $16.90 if buying 6 bottles). This is a lovely drop from NZ's Marlborough region and at this price, it won't last long. Get cracking!
Actually, I'm off right n0w to grab me some.
Yours in plonk,
The Plonker
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