Bringing together the film Mondovino, terroir, snobbery and mentioning that we live in a golden age for wine...

Reason.com
"Aime Guibert, a cantankerous and eminently likable French vintner, as a force against those conspiring to put a box of Pinot Grigio on every table in America.

"Let's be clear; wine is dead," Guibert declares amidst a damp row of vines. A hero of wine-antiglobalists..."

Heavy rain is causing a headache for Marlborough's wine growers, with split fruit, disease and delayed harvest all impacting on the vintage.

Stuff.co.nz
"Today's cold rain is easing concerns about botrytis, a vineyard fungus that thrives in wet, warm weather, but is delaying a harvest already predicted to be 10 days behind a normal year, says Marlborough Wine Research Centre science leader Mike Trought."

Another superb array of wines put on by the Ultimate Wine Company on the 19th March. None of these wines will disappoint - individualism, character and food-friendly drinkability combine in a range of wines expressing the great diversity that Italy has to offer. The evening began with a superb aperitif - Campodelsole Pagadebit di Romagna, 2003. No details of price unfortunately but the grape and wine name - Pagadebit literally means 'pays the bills' - set the session off on a humourous tone. The grape is also known as Bombino Bianco and was a new one to me.

Vesevo Greco di Tufo, 2003, Campania, Italy.
Ultimate Wines£�11.16.
Floral notes to the nose make this very inviting. Plenty of flavour packed away in the golden hued wine - pears coupled with a nutty complexion and more than an edge of white pepper. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Cantone del Barone Fiano di Avellino, 2001, Campania, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £11.75.
Small production from a small estate that began bottling their own wine in 1998, after years of selling their grapes to other producers. This has more than a hint of almonds and a distinctive mineral edge that proved to have a great affinity with food. Alcohol 12.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

Pieropan Calvarino Soave Classico, 2002, Veneto, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £13.51.
Weighty, rich, elegant, layers of flavours combine into a fresh, herby wounder. Goes to show that the Trebbiano grape can produce wines of distinction and class.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Cantina di Venosa Dry Muscat, 2004, Basilicata, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £TBC.
Excellent floral aroma - sweet peas, grapey, distinctly Muscat. Dry with similar flavours on the palate. A gorgeous aperitif but some discussion failed to resolve whether this would be good with food - it failed to meld with the generous cold meats and cheese buffet we were tucking into - but some thought that Indian or Thai food would be a good match. I wasn't convinced (lacking in body and sweetness to stand up to most dishes) staying in the 'on its own' camp. 13% Alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

Vajra Dolcetto d'Alba, 2003, Piedmont, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £11.75.
A savoury touch to the nose, rounded, quite smooth full of dark, brooding fruits but retaining a lightness indicative of Dolcetto. Alcohol 14%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Gozzelino il Sciorio Barbera d'Asti, 2000, Piedmont, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £10.58.
This stood out to me as one of the better reds in this tasting - a richness that immediately captivates leading on to an array of berries and black fruit jam underpinned by a generous tannic structure. Great with food. Alcohol 14%.
Scribblings Rating - 96/100

Santa Lucia Riserva Label

Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo Langhe, 2002, Piedmont, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £9.11.
A superb aroma here. All savoury/tomato and herb depths with an underpinning of ripe strawberry fruit. The palate is equally as generous with flavours of cherry laced with pepper. Quite tannic so needs food. Alcohol 13%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Aliante Negroamaro di Puglia, 2001, Puglia, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £7.05.
Made by award winning Californian winemaker Mark Shannon. Lots of tannin here on the finish, perhaps too much for my taste but the high acidity cuts through this. Again a food wine - think rustic and hearty. Distinctive. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Girolamo Dorigo Schioppettino, 2001, Friuli, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £14.10.
Friuli native Schioppettino, also known as Ribolla Nera, is an obscure grape rescued from extinction by EU intervention. Lighter on the palate than the deep colour would indicate, dark berries, a spiciness and a tarred rope edge with more than a hint of leather. Very interesting. Alcohol 13%.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

Costanza Malfatti Morellino di Scansano, 2001, Tuscany, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £18.51.
Superb aroma, rich but soft bursting with ink and coffee notes, perfectly balanced acidity and tannins. Ample, sweet fruit densely packed into the glass. Stunningly good. 14.5% Alcohol. A blend of Sangiovese (95%) with a splash of Alicante and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Scribblings Rating - 96/100

Cantina di Venosa Aglicanico del Vulture, 2001, Campania, Italy.
Ultimate Wines TBC.
This improved immensely while in the glass - so decant before drinking. It is a powerful, 'funky' wine with plenty of flavour in an initially mellow, then punchy wine. Finishes with a delicious inkiness to the flavour while notes of 'mocha covered berries' was mentioned. 14% alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Santa Lucia Riserva le More Castel del Monte, 2001, Puglia, Italy.
Ultimate Wines TBC - £13 approx.
This has a superb and highly interesting aroma - it certainly had the tasters stretching their vocabularies - edging towards flowers, nectarines, certainly floral, almost a herbal fruit tea but deep and red berry led. An excellent array of flavours too but subtle and intriguing. Herbs. A big, generous mouthful. Wonderful. 14% Alcohol. Made from the Uva di Troia (80%) grape with Malbec making up the difference.
Scribblings Rating - 96/100

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, 2001, Veneto, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £14.10.
Produced by adding partially dried grapes to the normal fermentation - which adds a depth and enrichment. This is superb. Very juicy, great berry, currant and spice depths to the flavour. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 94/100

Morgante Don Antonio Nero d'Avola, 2001, Sicily, Italy.
Ultimate Wines £17.63.
Don Antonio is a selection of grapes made from the estate's oldest Nero d'Avola vineyards. Plenty of tannin but this underpins the complex ripe fruit flavours superbly. Generous, delicious with a good fresh finish. Lovely ripeness to the blueberry and raspberry fruit. Alcohol 14%.
Scribblings Rating - 96/100

DrinkOn.com are a hugely popular Scottish merchant with a great range of wines and spirits. They have just emailed me with details of a competition to win a cocktail party for 20. UK only.

Drinkon.com
"Drinkon has teamed up with Blackwood Distillers, the Shetland-based producers of award-winning spirits, to offer you the chance to win a Cocktail Party at home, for you and up to 20 friends! We will send a professional bartender to your home to mix delicious cocktails using Blackwood's Nordic Vodka, Vintage Dry Gin and Jago's Vanilla Vodka Cream Liqueur. Drinks, mixers and glasses will all be provided as part of this amazing prize! How do Sweet & Smoky Martinis, Silk Stockings and Pineapple Devils sound? Suddenly, staying in takes on a whole new dimension!"

Found via a technorati wine tag search - TalkingAboutWine.com. Podcasts for each entry - includes a 15 part Chilean wine tour, interview with winemaker Ian Merchant of Omaka Springs, New Zealand and, just posted, Duckhorn Vineyards and Winery part 1. Been going a while I guess! And spookily run by Henry - who has the same surname as me! Henry's background is in broadcasting and was the morning news anchor on a Miami radio station before retirement.

I am Andrew Barrow writing about Henry Barrow.

Smithfield Wine: screenshot

Some eclectic offerings from this Manchester based retailer - Smithfield Wine. Chinese Wine anyone (previous tastings of these left little impression)? Or how about a Chilean sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and infused with strawberries? More mainstream offerings cover most of the world. A bit light on France, not so bad with Spain and better with New World countries. Prices are all in the sub-£10 bracket. Free delivery in Manchester will be a boon for those Mancunian residents.

Villa Maria Pinot Gris Label

Wine Tasting Note: Villa Maria Seddon Vineyard Pinot Gris, 2004, Marlborough, New Zealand. Available from Oddbins for £9.99.
A mass of cinnamon-sprinkled, apple and pear flavours. Star Anise adds to the complexity. With a touch of sweetness this has a full rich texture, fat almost, but with a blancing streak of minarality. If you like your whites weighty, packed full of ripe flavours, this will delight. A heady 14% alcohol completes the package.
Scribblings Rating - 94/100

Villamaria.co.nz
"The Seddon Pinot Gris Vineyard is perched high on the southern bank of the Awatere River. A warm site, it is cooled by evening winds off the slopes of Mt Tapuae-O-Uenuku. The Pinot Gris is planted on free draining sandy silt loams, overlaying aged gravels on a papa base. The Seddon Pinot Gris is grown at very low yields and harvested at full ripeness ensuring the production of an intensely aromatic and richly full bodied wine."

I think Planet of the Grapes was launched just a few days ago. Design-wise it is great, smooth, clean, easy to navigate. No 'full' search facility though and the range is a little small. Looks like they are concentrating on France with a small range of spirits too. Prize draws, storing of your own tasting notes, restaurant and pub reviews complete the picture. Delivery is free within London; outside the capital you are going to have to stump up a heafty £15 delivery fee.

UPDATE: I signed up for the newsletter the first of which has just arrived in my inbox.

Planet of the Grapes
"Every order placed between now and the 7th April will qualify for an entry into our Grand National Sweepstake competition. Each customer will be allocated a horse in the National and the owner of the winning horse plus all placed horses will win a prize. It couldn’t be simpler, so get ordering."

1st Prize - A specially selected case of wine
2nd Prize - £40 off you next order
3rd Prize - A bottle of Champagne
4th Prize - Planet of the grapes corkscrew

More from the California trade tasting shindig.

Vineyard Cellars are the only American specialist retailer in the UK. While they predominantly supply the trade – restaurants and other retailers – they operate a website for public sales. Sadly not all the wines below are currently listed on the website (you could try emailing them). Prices, where listed, are approximate retail price.

Hendry Pinot Gris, 2003, Napa Valley, California.
Approximate Retail Price £10.99.
A superb richness to the aroma – ripe peaches and vanilla. A richness to the palate too, lovely weight, and a very clean finish. Superb. 14.1% Alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

Hendry Blocks 19 & 20 Chardonnay, 2003, Napa Valley, California.
Approximate Retail Price £14.99.
Very lemony, especially on the finish, this small production wine (800 odd cases) is full of complex spice and pear flavours. Rounded, some oak, 13.8% alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Hendry Block 7 Zinfandel, 2002, Napa Valley, California.
Approximate Retail Price £15.99.
An excellent cherry bright Zinfandel. Lots happening on the palate – chocolate, creamy edges, touch of treacle. Oak, French, well integrated. Delicious. 15.7% alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Peter Michael L’Esprit de Pavots, 2001, Sonoma, California.
Approximate Price £36.99.
Stunningly gorgeous and complex aroma there are hints of cherry, spices, berries in abundance. The palate too does not disappoint. Velvety richness explodes with flavours of blueberries, cherry, and more. Expensive but just so good. The tannins are very evident on the finish; a touch on the young side still perhaps. A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Alcohol 15%.
Scribblings Rating - 94/100

Rosenblum Cellars Kathy’s Cuvee Viognier, 2003, Santa Barbera, California.
Approximate Retail Price £10.99.
Fresh, tropical fruits abound here. Peaches, apricots on both the aroma and palate. There is melon too, honeysuckle, a touch of cinnamon, and a hint of oak – 20% was fermented in oak, the rest in stainless steel. A killer! The rear label recommends this with grilled scallops in a pineapple marinade, sounds stupendous! Alcohol 14.8%.
Scribblings Rating - 94/100

Easton Terre Rouge Mourvèdre, 2000, Sierra Foothills, California.
Approximate Retail Price £12.99.
A full-bodied wine but one with a pale colour. Blackberry flavours are enhanced with a touch of gaminess resulting in good complexity. A touch abrupt perhaps.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Read: Part 1

Monday night… after a bottle of Pelorus Sparkling an impromptu meal out. Henley is blessed with a range of restaurants a great many Indian, several Pizza joints, a couple of hotel eateries, an expensive looking gastro-pub, plenty of Chinese plus dedicated Greek and Spanish outlets. The latter is where we ended up.

La Bodega is based in the former Brakspear Brewery Shop, the distinctive bow fronted shop on Hart Street. It has a Tapas Bar at the front with a more formal eatery at the rear.

When a restaurant offers ‘specials’ should it not be easy for the patrons to dwell on the offerings? When a specials list – for starters and main courses - as long as the standard menu is trotted out in quick succession how the ‘ell are you suppose to remember what they were? That annoyed me. What is wrong with a separate printed list or blackboard?

And shouldn’t wine glasses be checked for cleanliness before being put on the table? For the red to be poured into a glass ‘with bits in’ was not terribly professional and a waste of wine. The bottle wasn’t replaced after this wastage nor the dirty glass removed. Did they think we would drink it?

I did pick up that one of the starter specials was a plate of meats and cheeses – and to be fair it was superb. Other starters included a bountiful seafood platter and some delicious potatoes in tomato sauce. All were pronounced superb.

The wine list was not as good as I remember from a previous visit a year or two ago. Vega Sicilia is still listed at £300 a bottle if you are tempted. Champagnes have good coverage at not-to-bad mark-ups while most of the Spanish regions have an array of wines averaging £35 a bottle. Our Reuda Sauvignon Blanc was excellent (I neglected to record the name) and a Navarra Red was equally good.


After the starters the main courses were terribly disappointing.

A generously sized grilled sea-bass was fine if a little soft (frozen, not fresh?), the lamb was slightly overcooked for my taste and served with a gloopy, tasteless red wine sauce. But it was the side serving of vegetables that really let the side down. Broccoli is supposed to be green all over I believe and not yellow and brown on the top. Carrots are supposed to taste of something and not have the texture of sludge and onions are not supposed to be slimy. Well not if you expect me to eat them at any rate!


Really, really disappointing and basically inedible. We should have sent it back (and not sure why we didn’t). Even the green beans that came with the fish were out of a tin and brown on one side. On the back of this we skipped dessert.

Bill for three was a shade under £100. Doubtful I would venture back for a full meal – but if the tapas are as top quality as the starters we consumed then these I can recommend.


La Bodega, 38 Hart Street, Henley-on-Thames. RG9 2AU

01491 578611.

Except those selected for long term storage I never buy full cases of the same wine; there is far too much diversity out there to drink the same thing day in day out - however good it is!

New Zealand specialist Kelvin McLeod (New Zealand House of Wine) emailed to say that he is now opening his 100-odd wine list to full pick-your-own status. You still have to buy a case of 12 (which shouldn't be a problem). Kelvin is also keen to mention that Saturday and Evening deliveries are also now possible.

There are all kinds of things that wine shouldn't be made from. Fish, for example.

Modbee.com
"Sun Keman from the Chinese port city of Dalian has formed the Dalian Fisherman's Song Maritime Biological Brewery... The company intends to clean, boil and ferment fish for making wine. The product is said to be nutritious and low in alcohol."

Not since Agincourt has there been such a threat to French culture from across La Manche. A British institution will this week rubbish France's perennial claim that its unique soil and climatic conditions are responsible for producing some of the world's finest wines.

Guardian Unlimited
"academics compared environmental conditions and wine-making techniques across 100 vineyards, including those owned by such revered wineries as Mouton-Rothschild, Latour, Lafite-Rothschild and Margaux, with the prices the vintages fetch at market.

Their findings will not make pleasant reading for those who argue truly great wine is a result of mystical synergies between the earth and the vine."

Wine Tasting Note: Casa Santos Quinta das Setencostas Branco, 2003, Alenquer, Portugal.
Available from Oddbins £5.49 (currently 2 for £10).
Setencostas White (meaning seven hillsides) is a marvellous mix of indigenous varieties (35% Fernao Pires, 30% Arinto, 15% Vital and 10% Rabo de Ovelha) with a splash of Chardonnay; the latter adding to the overall weight and balance. The wine is fresh, crisp and flavoursome - bursting with lime and herbs on the nose. The palate has plenty of complexity (orange pith and unripe apples) and ends with an individual mineral feel. It is a food wine really - shellfish, baked trout, salads - we had a delicious herby, chicken and sweetcorn risotto which went superbly. 13% alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100

Wine giant Allied Domecq is to reveal why grapes of the same variety taste different according to which area of Marlborough they are grown.

New Zealand Herald
"The company - formerly Montana Wines - has commissioned researchers to find out nuances in the taste of the hugely popular sauvignon blanc variety.

The research, to be released next month, was commissioned to prove that differences do exist in the flavour of wine made from the same grapes by the same methods but grown in different climates, soils and topography - an idea the French call 'terroir'."

California based freelance writer Carolyn Tillie has just launched a wine blog - Ultimate California Wine Blog - that is to chronicle the life of a mountain-based Napa winery over the coming year. (Bud burst has just anounced the arrival of spring!) I for one are fascinated by the work that goes into the growth of vines and the various actions (wooly weeders!) that are undertaken to produce wine. It is just an agricultural product afterall. This weblog promises to be a great read over the next few months. Subscribed!

The next theme for the rolling Wine Blogging Wednesday is 'Sicilian Reds'. Now I have no problem with this apart from it being RED wine again! ;-) April 13th is the date. The theme was selected by Ron at loveSicily. Ron has combined the invite with a visit to a vineyard; a couple of photographs provide a real sense of place.

The Scots can now join the Irish in their toast to St Patrick’s Day (that's today!) with the world’s first multi country malt whisky - created from a mix of Irish and Scottish malts by the industry’s award winning company Jon, Mark and Robbo’s Easy Drinking Whisky Company.

The recipe produced by combining 70% Cooley’s Single Irish Malt and 30% Bunnahabhain Scotch Single Malt brings out the best of these Celtic classics to create a super smooth and super sweet malt – hence its simple name The Smooth Sweeter One.
http://www.jonmarkandrobbo.com/which_one/smooth.html

The Wine Institute of California’s annual trade tasting brought together a wide range of retailers, importers and wineries in London’s Royal Horticultural Halls last Thursday.

The Institute is keen to demonstrate California’s ability to offer quality, value and diversity in the £5-£10 bracket and did so by putting together a range of 16 Benchmark Wines. The criteria for entry is a low price point and a listing in a major multiple. There were 331 entries in the competition headed by Matthew Jukes.

Three stood out for me.

Hahn Estates Monterey Chardonnay, 2003, Monterey, California.
Oaky vanilla buttery nose, quite pronounced. The wine was fermented in 80% new French oak and 20% one year old French oak; so you would expect the results to be on the oaky side. Plenty of lees stirring too which imparts a creamy quality to the palate backing up the pear and pineapple flavours. 13.5% alcohol.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100

Concannon Vineyard Central Coast Syrah, 2002, Central Coast, California.
A full-bodied wine with distinctive packaging. Big rich ripe nose, blackberry and spice dominate. Rich and ripe on the palate too, smooth and silky with lovely ripe berry flavours. 13% alcohol. This is a blend of 95% Syrah with 3% Petit Verdot and 2% 'other'.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Dry Creek Vineyards Chenin Blanc, 2003, Clarksburg, California.
Good sherbet nose with edges of orange and lemon zest. Richness to the palate with a touch of sweetness but plenty of apple and pear flavours edged with pineapple. Let down a tad by a sharp finish and obvious acidity. Alcohol 12.5%.

Scribblings Rating - 90/100

Continue Reading: part 2.

Are rankings or scores on wines important? What rating system should be used - 100 point, 20 point, 10 point? Tom at Fermentations has started a discussion prompted by new wine blog Swirl and Sniff using a 16 point scale.

Not something I ever write about is sherry probably because I never drink it. I just don't like it; dry or sweet. However according to this article it is on the up with increased sales in the supermarkets. The article contains a brief run through of the various styles while Amontillado Chicken Liver Salad recipe sounds delicious.

News.Scotsman.com
"Sherry’s image certainly seems to be experiencing a shift, no doubt due in part to a raft of cosmopolitan British restaurants and prestigious chefs championing its cause. The other factor could be the increased interest in the vibrant home of sherry as a travel destination. In Andalusia their national wine doesn’t suffer from the fuddy-duddy image that predominates in Britain. Quite the contrary: in Jerez, sherry is what the beautiful people drink, the variety of different styles suiting every palate and personality."

Flagship Wines, from their base in St.Albans, offer a range of wines from across the world with emphasis on Australia and other new world countries. Prices are generally in the £6-£8 mark - where we generally look for our regular tipples. There are some great wines listed. While the descriptions are a little short every wine has a picture of some sort and a few lines of details. I am sure an email will elicit further recommendations or details. Local delivery is free, nationwide is £7.50, which is about average.

Bud-burst in California - pictures on
http://fermentations.blogspot.com/2005/03/winegrowing-season-has-begun.html

"The wine comes in a bottle labeled in elegant script on a gold background. Fuggiasco, it is called."

Free New Mexican.com
"But this wine was not produced in an ocher Renaissance palazzo peopled by doddering aristocrats. This wine is made within the whitewashed walls of Velletri prison, a few miles south of Rome, and is put out by thieves and murderers. Fuggiasco means fugitive. A sister vintage goes by the name Seven Turns of the Key, an Italian expression for the depressing finality of imprisonment."
http://www.freenewmexican.com/artsfeatures/11528.html
See Also
http://www.initaly.com/travel/life/prisoners.htm

Found via Boing Boing the 'worlds first' laptop made 'out of an old case of precious Sicilian wines, given to my father years ago by the Baron Antonio Pupillo di Contrada Targia near Siracuse".

Zaverio.net
"Other materials use were leather, pine wood, oak and beech veneers, mahogany, shammy leather, silk and iron and brass screws, every element of which has a story to tell. The colouration was created with handmade walnut tinctures diluted in spring water applied in three layers. The transparent topcoat was created with 7 layers of special boating varnish, knowingly diluted with pine spirit with threee days' drying time for each layer, followed by sandpapering and polishing. Every single wooden part is signed and numbered."
http://www.zaverio.net/laptop/index-en.php

Yapp Brothers are a long established firm offering select wines from across France with a smattering from Australia. A member of `The Bunch` - a group of independent merchants who all offer the same high levels in quality of service – home delivery, guarantees and storage for the customer.

They have recently relaunched their website - and have constructed a lovely site which is easy to use and easy to find all the info you could need. No bottle or label pictures though. I do so like to see what I am buying...

In what would have been an excellent entry to WBW#7 the Las Vegas Review-Journal takes a quick look at the Italian Aglianico.

Las Vegas Review Journal
"In little more than 15 years, Feudi di San Gregorio has emerged into the international limelight as a great success story from the heart of Campania in Southern Italy, a region that, for many years, was going nowhere fast in the wine world."
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Mar-09-Wed-2005/living/25973268.html

Sorry that I have had to split this overview into three - there are so many entries and I wanted to give each an adequate write-up. To think that at one point on Wednesday I emailed Lenn to say that I had less than 10 entries and, being the old-woman I am, was worried that this would have been the worst WBW ever. How wrong was I! Right, on with the show -

Who is next on the list? We have Maona who supplies our only Argentine entry in the form of Terrazas de Los Andes Reserva Malbec, 2002, Mendoza, Argentina. I am so glad someone took a plunge into the delights that are Argentine Malbecs - I keep raving about them and luckily, Alan, that enlightened chap behind the site agrees with me. 'If the flavor were as intense as the initial oak smell, it'd be like chewing on a tree branch, but instead the oak taste recedes. The wine feels round and smooth on the tongue, with both the tannins and flavors I associate with nearly ripe plums', he writes.

Crossing the Andes we can pop in to see what Fatemeh thinks about the Apaltague Carmen�re, 2002, Colchagua Valley, Chile. On Gastronomie she writes that the wine, if it were a person, would be 'The loud office manager with smoker's voice who has led such a fascinating life that you end up asking another question when all you really want to do is walk away.' Not a great recommendation but then she continues with a Zweigelt and Blaufrankish blend in the form of Paul Lehrner Claus, 2003, Mittelburgenland, Austria.. This is 'The mousy doormat-type colleague whose work is faultless but you can't stand to be in the same room with.' Which means. This wine has a lot of "integrity" - it's well made, well-balanced and fairly easy to drink. Unfortunately, it's just not that interesting. I wouldn't buy it again, especially at $18.

Chile again - zipping into my inbox came a note from Viv at the Seattle Bon Vivant but currently residing in Paris. Her choice was another Carmen�re - Baron Philippe de Rothschild Carmen�re Reserve, 2001, Rapel Valley, Chil