Buying wine on-line can be a scary thought and many people are put off as they are not sure of the hidden charges that might be there for delivery. As everyone is wanting something different - some want 1 bottle of Champagne, some want 12 bottles of the same whereas others don’t really know what they want. So I decided to look at a few different companies that sell wine on-line and here are the facts. Continue reading ‘Buying Wine Online, Who Does What?’
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for 2010
Booze cruise with a difference.
Majestic Wine has just brought out their new price promise for their French sites, aptly named Majestic in France.
The promise of wine being £2 cheaper in France than in the UK is definitely going to pull in the crowds, as well as their pre order discounting scheme where if you pre order £300 you get £20 off, £500 you get £40 off and £1,000 you get £90 off. This almost makes it worth planning that booze cruise slightly better than turning up at the Euro Tunnel exit at Calais and going “Hmmm now what did I want again?”
It also means that you are not likely to be disappointed if you have an idea of what you would like to buy whilst over there. So as Majestic say, Parlez vous France save, corny but true, so pass me the ferry booking broucher please I have a date with a van load of cheap wine!
Shoeaholic hits the sales!
I know it wasn’t my finest idea to go sales shopping, and it was even less of a good idea to go into the shoe department in shops and it was definitely the worst idea to go straight into a shoe shop, but hey ho you only live once and well a girl can never have too many shoes right?
After all the Christmas fun of wine, wine, food, wine, cheese and more wine I decided it was best to leave the nest and go into the big bad snow filled world. However I also decided it was a good plan to go to the Harlequin Centre in Watford, and to Newcastle - I do release there is almost 300 miles between the two but what can I say, once a shopper always a shopper.
I felt like I was in heaven! I visited far too many shops and saw far too many pretty things, and that is why I came home with half a new wardrobe, the things jumped into my basket, I didn’t put them there, honestly!
However whilst on these little trips I managed to find some great bargains which included a very sensible pair of work shoes, which therefore meant, in my head, that it was okay to buy the pretty shoes as I had ticked the practical box. And so I shopped! After trying on what probably equated to 50 pairs of shoes and wanting pretty much every pair, I whittled my choice down to just a few, including some beautiful black heels, a pair of Ugg boots and a pair of crazy coloured shoes. I then went one step further and removed the Ugg boots from the mix as I am off to New York in the Spring and lets put it this way, I am taking an empty suitcase that had better be full on the return journey!
So really 3 pairs of shoes wasn’t too bad. However I do have my eye on another few pairs and when my flat mate is showing off her new fabulous heels and my best friend has just bought herself some Jimmy Choo shoes for work temptation is going to call me.
The only decision left is, shoes or wine!
Champagne Festivities
I do love champagne, and over the festive period I have had the opportunity to try a number of different ones with my loved ones.
Firstly lets start with Bollinger Grande Année, a fantastic moving present from my other half. This was an amazing champagne, granted I do love the Bollinger style, whether it be their vintage or their Special Cuvée. This was my second trying of the Grande Année and it is just as special as the first. This champagne has an amazing structure to it and has a beautiful yeasty nose which just begged the drinker to top up their glass!
I then moved onto another vintage champagne, Perrier-Jouët Vintage 1998. This was for another lovely occasion, a rugby Ice-Ball, and again although I love the Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV it is worth upgrading every now and again to the vintage just to try it. The vintage has zesty citrus and apple fruits on the nose and because of the age it has developed a honeyed complexity.
In the run up to Christmas and after a very long day at the office my flatmate and I decided it would be a good idea to celebrate the end of an 11 hour day with a lovely cold bottle of Heidsieck Gold Top Vintage, a total steal at £18.99 on a multi buy offer at Majestic Wine until the end of January 2010. Although we had the 2002 not the 2004 currently on offer if you lay it down for a year or so it will develop into an amazing champagne. It certainly put a smile on our face after a very long day and really is a bottle of elegance, well worth a try!
As most people in the trade would agree to start Christmas day properly champagne needs to be opened as soon as possible. At my house a bottle of Pol Roger Réserve NV was opened and enjoyed by all! This was a surprise, especially as it had been laid down in an under the stairs cupboard for 6 months, moved house and left under a bed for a few months then finally found its resting place in the garage at my parents house until the big day. It has some amazing zesty flavours on the palate and nose and is perfect for any sort of occasion.
Between Christmas and New Year just so that we didn’t go into withdrawal and decided a combination of Lindauer, well you can’t live off champagne, and Piper-Heidsieck Brut NV. Then New Year came round and we went for Taittinger Brut Réserve NV, a champagne that I haven’t tried today. It’s a consistent crowd pleaser and perfectly matched with delicately flavoured food or just by itself at midnight.
So all in all the festive period led to far more champagne being consumed than what should really be by 3 people. Oh well, I am sure January is supposed to be for detox!
Missing In Action
I have been really busy recently with the Christmas period at work and have been neglecting my poor blog. However now that it is January and there are still dark nights I am going to make up for this and as there has been such a gap it has given me a good chance to buy shoes and drink far too much wine, so I am able to write away!