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Cheap as chips

20/5/2016

 
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Returning from Chicago (blog post in the works), where we spent a lifetime's holiday budget in a week, this weekend was all about economy.

At least until tomorrow night's cocktail club!
Mr Purple Teeth was cooking while I was teaching late and as there was a hefty whack of garlic involved, I reached for the cheapest wine on my rack.

​Meet Lidl's Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (£5.99 from memory).


Until I met the Master of Wine responsible for the Lidl List (he happens to be a near neighbour), I'd shied away from our newish local store. But when economy is called for, Lidl is an interesting place to explore.



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Coonawarra is world renowned as the best terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia and the terra rossa soil is said to be ideal for this grape. It was an easy wine to take a punt on. Mr Purple Teeth is a huge fan of Cabernet, but I don't often indulge him because it can be harsh and drying when young or cheap.
One cannot drink good St Juliens every day.

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At £5.99 I tend to expect wines to taste like "red wine" rather than expressing real varietal character. This is a pleasant surprise. Good acidity, medium body, drying tannins yes, but they smoothed out as we progressed to the second glass, and good black fruit flavour, along with that hint of green eucalyptus. Describing it as "a great utility wine" and "a lot smoother than a claret at the same price", Mr PT added this to my "buy again" list.
I'd very much expected to taste a glass then leave the rest to him, but I happy helped him polish off the bottle.
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If you like Cabernet, it's worth a £6 punt.
​Cheers!

Lovely Lirac

1/5/2016

 
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Ah, Bank Holiday Sunday and the sun has shone... But I was in the mood for a red. Mr Purple Teeth had all but fainted when he saw the price of the fillet steak I was proposing for dinner, so I decided against my planned Malbec Taste Off...
Instead, we enjoyed a glass of last night's Albariño then moved swiftly onto this Lirac. Les Closiers 2013 Lirac is currently £7.50 if you buy 6.
Yet another International Wine Challenge Silver Medal winner, but this time, from Marks and Spencer.
(You won't have to look too far down the blog to pick out 6 bottles which is the minimum purchase to score a fabulous 25% discount. At full price, this is £10.)

Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault - think of this as Chateauneuf-du-Pape's twin brother. Lirac is right next to CdP and a whole lot better value. Grown-up, red berry fruit that abounds with spicy, mineral and leather notes despite the absence of oak, it's an interesting tipple.
Mr Purple Teeth was impressed by my frugality. He loved the chewy tannins and declared this "very complex for its age".
Even at a tenner, this shouldn't disappoint.
​Cheers!

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    Purple Teeth

    My name's Heather and I've been enjoying wine for over 20 years. I'm the 2013 winner of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Rhone prize for oustanding students at the advanced level.
    My mission is to share my passion for the myriad varieties of fermented grape juice, hopefully inspiring you to try something new, or to host  a Purple Teeth wine party in your own home or business.

    My blog mainly features wines you should be able to find on your local high street or online, and occasionally, I will review restaurants, travel and other forms of alcohol, since my qualification covers spirits too.  I believe it's important to enjoy the calories and the cash we spend on alcohol, and I hope my guidance can help you reduce the risk of making a bad buy.
      
    When I'm not drinking wine, you'll find me on the dance floor where West Coast Swing is my dance of choice. Socialising with the friends I've made there from all over the world has also brought me new adventures in alcohol!  And just in case you're interested, I also write a blog called Confidence Within.  You'll find it at heatherharrison.weebly.com


    Remember to enjoy wine sensibly...
    For a woman, 2-3 units per day is the recommended maximum allowance.  This equates to around one standard "pub measure" glass of wine:
    175ml of 13% alcohol wine is 2.3 units (and a scary 140 calories).  
    You'll find all the facts you need about safe, moderate drinking at the www.Drinkaware.co.uk site. 
    Purple Teeth supports safe drinking. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking alcohol.

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