Life is good, and blogging has taken a back seat, but there are a few posts in the pipeline.
Last night, for reasons of Mr Purple Teeth's business lunch which included a £130+ bottle of Puligny-Montrachet, but not me, I opened a bottle of wine in our temporary abode on Great Portland Street. At around £16, I was surprised to see this Grand Cru Riesling from my beloved Alsace for sale in the food hall of Oxford Street's John Lewis. Most of the premium wine stores I've been visiting around town have had extremely premium pricing. Where it's possible to compare prices (because the wine or spirits are available elsewhere) the mark ups have been huge. Still, this is London. Luckily John Lewis' "never knowingly undersold" motto seems to extend to the fine wine section, so, boring as it may seem, I've picked up a few bottles there. Many of them will be for sale in larger Waitrose branches, or in the online offering, so I'll probably cover more of these later.
For a Grand Cru, this perhaps lacks some complexity, but that explains it's more affordable price point. If you've been avoiding Alsace wines because that flute shaped bottle implies sweetness to you, think again. Try this and let me know how you get on. For a Grand Cru, it's affordable. It really stood up to the challenge of the pungent flavours on my plate, and ensured the cheese didn't become cloying or sickly. You might want to get a bottle in to refresh your jaded Christmas palate.
Cheers!