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A friend recommends...

29/12/2012

I'm aware of the irony. I spend all day recommending wine to anyone who'll listen, and now I'm going to write on the perils of recommended wines.
So sue me!
When a friend recommends a wine, there is a lot of investment on their part. They probably love it, and they want you to love it too. Remember the horror when you discovered your first boyfriend/girlfriend didn't enjoy that book or LP/mixtape/CD/MP3 download (delete as age appropriate) you gave them? A little bit of their love just died... Wine is just as personal. We drink it because of how it makes us feel, and because of who it makes us when we drink it. Whether that's the fact that your dance moves improve, you are able to flirt more, or you think the sommelier will respect you for ordering a Bordeaux First Growth, wine is personal. So when we drink a wine that's been recommended, there are certain obligations:

Drink it in a timely fashion
Report back
Love it or risk me thinking badly of you

Back in wine school (HOW long have I been waiting for my results?), my colleague realised I loved Albariño. It wasn't hard to do. On "Spain" day I was positively ecstatic and the Cheshire Cat was taking smiling lessons from me. I've long loved Spanish reds, and finally, with Albariño, there was a white to cherish too. Wouldn't it be lovely to say I discovered it while on holiday in Galicia? But no, 14 years ago when I made that trip, I have no idea what I drunk and spent most of the time entranced by the fact people were playing bagpipes! In Spain! The actual introduction to this wine is now lost deep in the memory banks, but I feel sure it was a "sommelier recommends" type affair as Albariño is known as a grape which complements fish and seafood. It's very food friendly. But back to the story. Meghan mentioned that if you love Albariño then you must try the Fefiñanes. Oddly, and perhaps for the first time ever, I was able to say, "I think I have a bottle of that in my fridge". And on returning to investigate, there it was in my Christmas stash. I'd bought it from Waitrose Wine online for £15.99, thinking I'd be likely to be treating myself to some nice fish over the festive season. It didn't make the Christmas day choice, which I gave to Mr Purple Teeth, but was consumed during the Betwixtmas lull, and it certainly livened up proceedings.
If you love fish and you've not tried Albariño, then I'd recommend starting with this one. There's that irony again.
Yes, it's pricey, but it's absolutely what this grape is all about: refreshing acidity and minerality like Riesling but without the petrol or oily texture, medium bodied for a white but still light, peachy with crisp green apples for the fruit. It has real aromatic character but without this dominating in the way it can in a NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Alsace Gewurztraminer. This can only be Albariño. Other decent examples are available in the supermarkets for around half the price or so. After all, you might not want to take my word for it! But Meghan - well done! Now can you make me a mixtape?

This Banyuls is a completely different story. I bought it because our friends rave about Banyuls as a pairing for chocolate and chocolate based desserts and I do love chocolate. Who doesn't?
Again, it was meant to be opened on Christmas Day but last year. Or was it the year before? And to be fair, that might be part of the problem - it's lain forgotten in the fridge ever since, and we know that over a year of refrigeration is unlikely to be kind to any wine, let alone one with a cork. It's a 2006, but as a sweet red wine dominated by Grenache, that shouldn't be a problem as this kind of wine can keep easily for 10 years. It was unexpectedly tannic, very dark in colour, and not as sweet as I'd expected. The fruit was subdued. In the end, I paired it with cheese, and it matched pretty well with some rather pungent roquefort. Perhaps not quite what my friend had in mind, but let roquefort and banyuls be this this year's port and stilton. I'm having a very non traditional festive season! Should you wish to try one, the 2009 is currently available via the Wine Society at £17.99 for 50cl and may be a better vintage. My recommendation for chocolate pairing remains Quady "Elysium" Black Muscat (£10.50 for 37.5cl from Tanners). We served it at our wedding. Nothing personal about that recommendation at all!

The Christmas Sauce

27/12/2012

There's a lot of pressure at Christmas to get it right. Everyone wants to have the perfect Christmas day, and we all wish for a "merry" Christmas, right?
As a wine student, blogger and wannabe sophisticate, I imagine the perfect December 25th to go something like this... Wake up to a chilled glass of Asti to accompany the fresh fruit salad breakfast. Someone cooks a nice bacon sandwich. The dry cure is washed down by a super-chilled Manzanilla. We merge seamlessly onto Vintage Bollinger while we await the main event. The wines are paired perfectly with the 3 courses which require zero washing up. We finish up with a range of sweet treats paired with sweet sherry, Banyuls, Sauternes, or Tokaji Eszensia. If we're peckish later there will be Port and cheeses galore.
It's never worked out like that in all the years I've been in charge of my own kitchen. Do such picture perfect Christmases exist? It goes a little differently at my house. Firstly, no-one else is going to prepare breakfast, and all pretensions to health go out of the window so we forget the fruit salad. The manzanilla wasn't in the fridge and the fino was accidentally opened and drunk when no-one was looking during the final of Strictly Come Dancing. Champagne isn't to Mr Purple Teeth's taste and we'd drunk our only chilled fizz on Christmas Eve. (See above - a rather fabulous Cava from the cellars of Ell Bulli no less).

But this is no sob story. It's become a tradition to visit our local hostelry for a beer or two around noon at Christmas and this is the scene of the first drink of the day. I'm not quite sure what part of "sophisticate" orders a pint of Guinness, but in my defence, your honour, the landlady of said establishment is Irish.
We return home already "relaxed" and ready to do battle. But this is where my lack of cookery prowess turns positively advantageous. Our meal is courtesy of two executive chefs I know well: Mr Marks and Mr Spencer.

A 20 minute stint in the oven sees a perfectly grilled Lobster Thermidor. Meanwhile, our aperitif becomes the white to pair with the seafood. Txakoli (pronounced Chacoli) is not a wine you're likely to come across much outside of the Basque region of Spain. I'd managed, fortuitously to get the last bottle on offer at Waitrose Wine (online). We became fans of this delight through foodie holidays in San Sebastian where it's poured from extreme heights, but we've never had to pour it ourselves. As such, we've not quite mastered the art of pouring it from on high. Even without the flashy pour and despite this being a rather aged 2010, this was fresh and vibrant with the slight spritz that's usual in this wine, it gave a celebratory feel but with a relatively low alcohol 10.5%, making it easy to drink. The food may not have been Arzak standard but the wine was perfect. We had a hard time not finishing the bottle, but I fancied keeping some to see how it would go with the cheese. If you fancy some, it appears the Wine Society have the 2011 on sale for £10.95 a bottle. Or you could fly to San Sebastian!

Next up was a red meat based dish, requiring a red wine. But Christmas seems to bring out everyone's sweet side, so we piled on the honeyed parsnisp, the red cabbage etc. I felt that it would be good to pick a red with some residual sweetnes (or at least the appearance of sweetness) but gave the ultimate choice (from a much narrowed field) to my other half. Well, he likes to contribute. The selection was Amarone della Valpolicella, and was perfect. Again, this one had come from Waitrose.The Cantina di Negrar is £17.99 - a bit pricey for a Tuesday. But then it was Christmas day. Although the name Amarone means "the great bitter" in Italian, you'll find nothing bitter about this wine. Ripe, soft, almost velvety in texture, full bodied and brimming with fruit, chocolate, raisin and dark fruits, it matched perfectly with the steak pie, gravy and all those sweet vegetables that fill the plate at this time of year. It also went on to compliment the rather hefty and pungent cheese board. We tried both wines with cheese and both worked relatively well, though the variety and strength of our cheeses would challenge most wines.

And that was it. Christmas was over. We didn't even manage a pudding! In a total disgrace to wine-lovers and epicureans everywhere, I managed to pair a ginger tea with my mince pie later in the evening.

On the plus side, there were no hangovers and no heartburn to contend with, and we had plenty of nice bottles left for another day. Christmas is just another day in the Purple Teeth household, and with only 2 at home for dinner, I reckon we got the balance right. I'd love to hear how your festive wine pairings went. Do feel free to mention in the comments below.

Let's get Naked...

22/12/2012

Naked Wines have been on my radar for a while. I'd never really felt like ordering based on the money off vouchers that came through with every Amazon delivery. But, they are marketing masters! I eventually cracked when I was sent an email with a £40 voucher from a friend. Their "recommend a friend" scheme really is genius. I couldn't believe how my marking a wine as "buy again" resulted in a free bottle for another friend along with another £40 voucher for them. I've since done this 3 times and each time been offered a voucher for a friend.
Fortunately, they are good at more than marketing. Next day delivery as standard is a real bonus and it's free if you spend more than £80. (£4.99 or £6.99 for Saturdays if not). The minimum purchase is 6 bottles and if you become an "angel investor" the wines are discounted by 25%. From the samples I've tasted so far, the angel price is actually what the wines are worth rather than a hefty discount, but let's see... They also claim that if you don't like a wine they'll refund the money in full. I'm hoping you won't need to test that claim but have heard from friends that they've fulfilled this without question, in the past.

And what of the wines? That's what you're all here for. My delivery arrived on a chilly December day and was left in a safe place as requested. When I brought them inside, the whites were chilled to perfection, so despite the weather (and perhaps because of the vegetable curry on the hob) I selected a Pinot Gris from Hawke's Bay (New Zealand) to start the tasting. It's £11.99 (£8.49 Angel price). It's refreshingly crisp, yet rich and fruity. And, it's good with the spicy food I love so much :-)
If you're looking for something as a change from your usual whites, you could give this a go. It's not perhaps as aromatic as an Alsace version, but it's easy to drink and very refreshing.

Jen Pfeiffer's The Hero Shiraz was my next tipple from the box. Regular readers will know I have a soft spot for Shiraz and as I spent nearly 30 years as a red-head so this one, with its "rock it like a red-head" label, just had to find it's way onto my shopping list. The Angel Price is £10.99 (normally £14.99), putting it in the same price bracket as some of my most frequently consumed wines eg The Hedonist and D'Arenberg's Footbolt. My first taste was a surprise. There was no smack in the mouth that can sometimes come from Australian Shiraz. In fact, this wine was restrained, elegant, and perhaps more aptly named Syrah. There's fruit, and there's the usual peppery spice, but its not in your face in any way. This is a serious wine, despite the frivolous label. It says drink now to 2018 and I'd imagine keeping it would serve it well. My opened bottle was left for 3 days under vacuum seal and I reopened it with some trepidation. Not many wines do well after 3 days. In this case, the pepperiness came to the fore and the flavours a little riper. Not just a relief that it was drinkable, actually very nice!

Lunate Fiano from Sicily was next on the list. It paired perfectly with a lightly flavoured fish pie. Fiano is an Italian grape variety which I discovered only recently and each time I've tasted it, there have been differences. This example has a good citrus backbone, but it's not tart or overtly acidic as other citric wines can be. It's softened by some honeyed notes (but don't worry, it's still dry). There may be some almond in there. It's definitely very ripe as you'd expect from Sicilian wine. It was a resounding "buy again" from us, and we'll definitely take it out of the fridge half an hour before drinking, as the super-chilling seemed to take away some of the complexity and elegance in the wine. I'm sure this would be fabulous as an aperitif on a summer's afternoon. Meanwhile, pair it with fish pie and you won't be disappointed. For those who care about such things, it's 13.5% and you can buy it for £7.99 if you're an Angel and £10.99 for a regular mortal.

The i-Latina Syrah (14% abv) from Colchagua Valley in Chile was an Angel bargain - £9.99 versus £19.99 for those without wings. That probably influenced my decision to buy it. Wine bargains are rare! This is definitely a purple teeth kind of wine. Rich, dark, full-bodied with good black fruit and the lovely oak flavours of vanilla and spice. The 5% Carmenere in the blend means it's definite tongue stainer, but perhaps that's not the only reason why it was good for me to drink it alone... Despite using my favourite, reliable corkscrew, the cork broke. A second attempt broke it again. I switched to another corkscrew, by this stage somewhat more in need of a drink than before I started... Sadly to no avail. I was frustrated and the cork was crumbling. Eventually I decided on the radical solution of an apple corer, but instead of removing the piece of cork I'd imagined, the cork was pushed into the wine resulting in an impromptu wine spa treatment for me and a purple shower for my kitchen. By this stage, I was going to have to be seriously impressed for it to have been worth all of this effort... and fortunately, I was! If you like your wines full bodied, full flavoured and ripe, you will want to try this one, but go gently when opening it.
The full horror of the situation was revealed only the next morning. The wine spray had achieved greater heights than I thought possible and my kitchen walls and ceiling now resemble a bloodbath in an abattoir. Looks like that wine bargain turned out to be more expensive than I thought. How much is a can of paint these days?

This was my 4th bottle of Naked Wine and they've all been pretty good. I'll definitely buy at least 3 of them again. Should you shop Naked?

Do you spend mind spending £8-10 a bottle?
Do you spend more than £20 per month on wine?
Do you prefer something a bit different from the supermarket brands?
Do you find it difficult to get to a good independent wine retailer?
Are you happy to buy at least 6 bottles at a time?
Do you like shopping naked (or at least in your pyjamas?)

If you can answer yes to these questions, then getting Naked is probably going to be good for you.
Cheers!

Bordeaux Fans? Treat yourself!

21/12/2012

It's not too late to treat the Bordeaux lover in your life to the gift of a lifetime... Weekend of 18-19 May gives unprecedented access to wine fans and amateur drinkers with no previous experience to get into some the top Chateaux. You'll also have access to tasting nearly all of Bordeaux's Grand Cru wines in one day. I've been to this event before and if you love Sauternes, Barsac, Bordeaux whites or of course those serious Clarets, this is the weekend for you. For anyone without industry contacts, getting into a chateau on the right bank is virtually impossible - except for one weekend a year. That's when the Union of Grands Crus put on their show. You'll taste wines from as many Grand Cru Chateaux as your liver can handle and you can even arrange to have dinner at one of the chateau on the Saturday evening. For the 18-35s there's a special evening in the city with a buffet, music, dancing and of course, fine wines.
On the Sunday there's the opportunity to tour chateaux and even a golf tournament. This is probably the ultimate fine wine tasting event that's open to the public. If you love Bordeaux, don't miss it!

J. Sheekey

19/12/2012

Visiting J. Sheekey is like stepping back in time. It's a London institution and part of Caprice Holdings (of The Ivy fame) with walls lined with black and white photos of the great and the good who've dined there. If you're looking for a drinking spot before visiting, you could do a lot worse than visit the Cork and Bottle just off Leicester Square. This part of London has a real dearth of decent wine bars with plastic chains and fake "ye olde" taverns in abundance, so it was a treat to find this subterranean gem with over 300 wines on the list, and many affordable greats. Their menu looks good too, but that's getting off topic...

Back to the main course, or, the starter in this case! Famed for it's seafood, J. Sheekey's is a fish-lover's paradise. We started with a deliciously creamy, yet light cauliflower soup with tortelloni of prawn and scallop. It's sadly not very photogenic, though, so you'll have to imagine... This was followed by a somewhat decadent main of whole lobster thermidor. The lobster was fresh, with a good creamy sauce, enriched with all the right ingredients. Oddly though, the standout part of the dish was the side of chips! Can it be that these were rated my highest potato dish of 2012? They're certainly in the top 3 and number one for chips.

My other half's main of Loch Duart Salmon was somewhat more restrained. Perfectly chargrilled, and a giant portion, with some steamed spinach on the side. Don't worry, though readers, he had wrestled with this beast of a whole crab as a starter, so it's not like he was missing out! (And he stole half of my chips. It must be love to have lived to tell the tale).
The crab and salmon both screamed quality ingredients, as did the dover sole and monkfish and prawn curry our friends chose. It bears repeating - if you love fish, you won't be disappointed!

By the end of this feast, all 4 of us were completely beaten. But then the dessert menu appeared. Try as we might, we failed to order nothing. Instead we shared a creme brulee with Yorkshire rhubarb. The consensus of opinion was that the rhubarb was an affectation (all the more for me then!), the crispy coating could have been thicker, but the creme anglaise inside was at exactly the right level of sweetness and thickness.

In terms of the wines, as you'd expect, the Albarino was great and went perfectly with all the fish. Given it's fashionability, it was £41, which is a bit more than I'd like to pay for it. So for our second bottle we scaled back to Picpoul-de-Pinet which was a very different proposition, but pleasing all the same. J. Sheekey has a decent wine list, and it also sells meat dishes, but you're really here for the fish. Let it shine.
It's also worth standing a while at the bar for a glass of something fizzy as an aperitif just to soak up the vibe of old-fashioned formal (but not too formal) service, and fantastic presentation. The way the tonic is decanted into a jug for the G&T is a touch of class.

Verdict? A lovely treat. It's London. It's an institution. It's Caprice group. It's not cheap. But you can enjoy the ambience and 3 courses for less than £50 each by ordering carefully. Sadly that does mean you've got to avoid whole crabs and lobster thermidors...
Merry Christmas and Cheers!

Shop Local

13/12/2012

Here at Purple Teeth, we're keen to review wines that anyone can get their hands on, which is why we've tended to focus on supermarket fare. There's nothing more frustrating (in wine writing) than recommendations of wines that are out of your price range and only accessible through specialist London stores or merchants.
There is a problem with supermarket wine, however. They need large volumes to guarantee consistent stock for all their stores throughout a season and this can to lead to a reduced capability to offer alternative and unusual wines. So doing all your wine shopping in one supermarket will mean that you may miss out on interesting wines which may have more character, yet don't always cost more.
The beauty of a local wine store (assuming it's not just another big chain), is that the staff will most likely be passionate and knowledgeable about wine, and they'll take the time to discuss what you like and make useful recommendations. Try asking the guy in Tesco or Sainsbury's which three wines you should pair with your upcoming dinner party menu, and you may get an interesting reaction. Your local merchant however, will leap at the chance to ease you out of your comfort zone and suggest a few alternatives to meet your budget.
Over time, your local store will get to know your preferences, and again, can recommend newly arrived wines for you to try. Often, these stores organise tasting events, creating plenty of opportunity for you to try new and exciting wines, and to meet with your fellow drinkers. It may even be possible for them to get something in that you love and can't find anywhere else.
The other key advantage is that you're keeping your local high street alive, and hopefully helping these businesses stay around for the long haul.
You might be thinking that it's not quite as easy to browse in a local store and you feel under pressure to buy something. If you're reading this, buying something isn't going to be a problem as you'll most likely be drinking a bottle of wine in the next week or two. And, if you're clear on your budget up front, then there's nothing to worry about. It is really is okay to "just have a look". These people don't bite and they'll be glad you popped in.
I'd love to hear (using the comments) about your favourite local wine stores and what makes them special. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favourites, which can hopefully become your favourites too, as they all also offer online sales.

Alfred the Grape (Marlow, Bucks), is a lovely little store with friendly and knowledgeable staff that's relatively new in town. I regularly go a few miles out of my way just to browse round and see what new delights they've got in. They often have in-store tastings and also collaborate with a local restaurant occasionally to offer more specialised tasting evenings. They offer a great selection of every day and special occasion wines and I wish it was on my local high street.

Tanners Wine Merchants (Shrewsbury, Bridgenorth, Hereford, Welshpool, Llandudno) is a larger scale operation with a 170 year history. I've only had the pleasure of visiting their cellar store in Shrewsbury and it's a lovely environment to browse around if you're in the area. Being a small chain and with a strong on-line presence, Tanners also offer some own label wines, as well as a range of reasonably priced to luxury wines. They also have an advice line giving that local feel even if placing an internet order.

Eton Vintners (Windsor, Berkshire) is another "not quite local" store for me. Around half of the store is devoted to premium wines, classed growth Bordeaux and other specialist (read expensive) or iconic wines. There's still something for accompanying a bowl of pasta though, with decent wines from £6.50. They claim they have the most extensive selection of wines outside of London and a wine finder service dating back to 1900, so if you're looking for that extra special bottle for a birthday, anniversary or other gift, chances are, they might just have it, or be able to get it.

Once again, I'd love to hear a shout out for your local wine merchants, and look forward to visiting some of them on my travels. Cheers!

It's "that" time of year...

11/12/2012

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”
― Ernest Hemingway

Why say it yourself when you can get Hemingway to say it for you? If you're like most people in the UK, you're probably running yourself ragged right now, wondering what to buy your friends and relations for Christmas, cursing yourself for not getting organised sooner, and perhaps even wondering why you bother since you can't recall the last time you set foot in a church.
Fear not, Purple Teeth is here with a range of wine and alcohol related gift ideas to keep everyone happy...

“The worst gift I was given is when I got out of rehab that Christmas; a bottle of wine. It was delicious.”
― Craig Ferguson

Do remember that not everyone will appreciate a bottle of wine hastily selected from the supermarket. But with a bit of care and attention, the supermarket can still be your friend. Even so, it's not quite too late to provide gifts with just a little bit more thought for the drinker on your gift list.

For the serious wine drinker, lifetime membership of The Wine Society is a great gift (£40). And there's a tempting offer right now where all new memberships before 31st December get £20 towards their first case - so it's almost two gifts for the price of one.. Or perhaps even one you want to buy for yourself? Why join? You can't buy Wine Society wines anywhere else, and as it's a non-profit making cooperative, you'll find they have great deals on offer. Wines can be ordered in any multiple, and delivery is free on orders over £75 or of 12 bottles or more. It's usually delivered in around 4 working days, and so far, we've never felt a wine wasn't good value for money. They also have over 200 wines under £7.50 so you can rest assured that it's not just pricey wines on offer. If you're not sure whether your friend is already a member, they've checked for me in the past...

For the sparkler, there's always Champagne. Sometimes it's nice to be less than predictable, and now's your chance to impress with English Sparkling Wine. (Yes, they really do need to come up with a better name for it!) Nyetimber Classic Cuvee is currently on offer for £23.99 at Waitrose and £22.99 from Majestic. Made from the same grape varieties as Champagne, this wine has been rated by many critics, and even royalty, as one of the world's best sparkling wines. It's won the Best WorldWide Sparking Wine and the International Wine and Spirits Competition three times. Different vintages are around so double check what you're getting. It's worth noting that Waitrose Wine are offering £20 off any case worth £120 or more until midnight on 12th December. If you're splashing out for the season, then take advantage by buying your Nyetimber using this offer.

“He knew that Hop-Frog was not fond of wine; for it excited the poor cripple almost to madness; and madness is no comfortable feeling.”
― Edgar Allan Poe, Complete Stories and Poems

Heaven forbid that you have to buy a gift at the last minute for someone who doesn't drink wine. Sadly, though, there are some who have yet to be converted to the joy of wine and prefer to drink their alcohol in the form of distillates.
For the serious boozer, I've got a couple of suggestions. Chase English Potato Vodka has been voted the best in the world, beating the Russians and Polish at their own game. From the producers of Tyrells potato crisps, this smooth brew is available in a number of formats including Union Jack presentation boxes, and at a number of prices. Just under £30 via Amazon.co.uk and currently on offer at Waitrose for £26 without the fancy packaging.

I cannot vouch for these, but an Orange Marmalade version is also available, and there's Herefordshire Apple Gin which is served in Heston Blumenthal's establishments. There's a recommendation for you. There's also a Seville Orange version. The Gins a little bit more expensive at around £35.
And just in case my Scottish readership is becoming concerned at the over-promotion of English produce, my supermarket pick for Malt Whisky is Glenmorangie's Nectar D'Or. I'm fairly sure there is a heavy discount on this at Sainsbury's right now though I'm not sure if it is the 12 or 15 year old. What makes this special (and appropriate for wine loving gift givers) is that it's extra matured in Sauternes casks, giving it a rounded sweetness. Your whisky drinking friends will love you for this, or others in the range matured in port (Quinta Ruban) or sherry (La Santa) casks.

“There are thousands of wines that can take over our minds. Don't think all ecstasies are the same!”
― Rumi

Finally, for the fusspot, that person who has more expensive wine taste than you can support, or who seems very particular about what they like, there's a great selection of wine glasses and other wine related gifts available for direct shipping from Wineware. Orders placed by midnight on Thursday 20th December are guaranteed for delivery in time for Christmas, so if you're a little late, then some Riedel glassware, a Vinturi aerator, or perhaps a generous Laguiole corkscrew might save the day.
Whatever you're buying and drinking this Christmas, cheers!

The Flying Winemaker and The Flying Drinker

2/12/2012

Three nights into my trip to Hong Kong and I finally managed a night out in Central. After strolling round a couple of malls and not finding the inspiration to shop in a shoppers' paradise, there was only one solution.
I met my friend and we set off for dinner with no particular place in mind. As we mounted the hills of Lan Kwai Fong, we were becoming disheartened by the sights of chains such as Hard Rock Cafe and other such soulless establishments. When suddenly, like an oasis, appeared something unique. Yes, we were looking for dinner, and yes, this looked suspiciously like a wine bar, but get two Scottish girls together and when there's music and drinking to be had, food can always wait...
Eddie McDougall, Flying Winemaker is a small shop-cum-wine-bar which also boasts a wine school and acts as a wine club. To enhance our experience, a jazz duo (flute and guitar with occasional vocals) churned out the standards, and even offered to play our requests. Sadly, they didn't appear to know "Donald, where's your troosers?" but they didn't mind us singing along and directing their choreography.
Tastefully served in Riedel O glasses to prevent spillage and breakage, there were around 8 whites and 8 reds available, with the wine of the day at around $70HK. Purple Teeth selected a delicious Pinot Noir from New Zealand while my friend had the white of the day.
And so the decision was sealed... The music enchanted, and the very helpful Simon suggested we might enjoy a wine by the bottle. (How quickly he knew us!)
We were by now hungry at 10pm, and Simon indicated the small food menu. Nothing looked like it was going to sustain us for a hard night of drinking ahead so he kindly nipped across the street to Wooloomooloo (an Australian steakhouse) for a menu so that we could order whatever we fancied. Now that's service you just don't get everywhere.

Decisions, Decisions... What to choose from this cornucopia of delights? Sticking with the New World theme, I spotted a Hawkes Bay Syrah (Shiraz) from the famous Gimblett Gravels. An area, I'd read about but sadly not experienced as part of my WSET education, I was keen to understand a bit more about what's reputedly New Zealand's finest terroir for reds. We were delighted by the choice. At around $260HK (~£22) for the bottle, this was rich and ripe, yet elegant in the French Syrah style, rather than the sometimes over-powering Ozzie Shiraz style.
If only I was based closer to Central during my stay here, Eddie McDougall's would have been seeing a lot more of my business this week. Elegant wines, reasonably priced, within a deliciously intimate setting, it provides a haven of sophistication amidst the rabble. Purple Teeth recommends a visit to any wine lovers in Hong Kong. From what I could see of the rest of the wines on offer, there's a good selection of new and old world wines including sherries and sparkling with prices from around $200HK upwards. In addition, Eddie has his own wine range, and looks set to expand having been named Number 1 of the Top 10 Wine Retailers in Hong Kong by The Drinks Business Magazine. I was left wishing that such a store could succeed in my local market, and intrigued when my Chinese Fortune Sticks revealed a couple of days later that my future held singing, dancing and drinking parties! Perhaps a franchise?
Its nice to have a dream.
Cheers!

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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