The title of this blog will mean nothing to you if you are not a Champagne drinker, however if you are the only thing I have to say to you is, get involved!

As the Pol Roger website states, “Sir Winston Churchill was Pol Roger’s most illustrious devotee and customer. This champagne is made in his honour” www.polroger.co.uk.

Having had the 1996 vintage I can say that it is now one of my favourites too and is rivalling my love for Bollinger. The same style can be seen in the two brands, a more mature biscuity nose and palate and with bubbles so fine that you would be hard pressed to see them in the glass. This champagne is a real winner. The NV is also a delight and after being left in the right conditions can mimic to some extent the characteristics of the Winston Churchill vintage however if you have a special occasion and can afford the upgrade, go for it and you will not be disappointed!

Pol Roger can be purchased at Majestic Wine, Oddbins and other online retailers.

The plan however worked a treat, well my feet were still killing me after being on them for 10 hours straight and I have blisters on my blisters, but the method was there and more to the point the shoes were pretty and really that is the most important thing!

For those of you who do not want your typical John Lewis wedding list for the toaster, or summer house (yes you can actually add one of those to your list – go on you know you want to!), Majestic Wine offers you something with a difference, a wine wedding list!

Majestic offers the following for all Bridal parties:
• Free expert advice available in all of our stores nationwide
• Free delivery either after or before the wedding, whichever is more convenient
• Full flexibility over your choices and the way you wish to manage your list
• Range of ways to let your guests know about your list
• Expert advice on choosing your wine

Wedding lists come in two different formats; firstly a list to start or expand a wine collection or a list that allows your guests to contribute to the wine for your reception, which leaves you with a little bit more money to spend on your dress – the most important thing about the whole day, apart from maybe the vows.

Collection Gift Lists:
Majestic offer a service which is simple and easy to use and generally your webpage is up and running in a matter of hours, they are very speedy!

Collection lists need to be tailored to both you and your guests. If you love a good bottle of Champagne but your guests don’t have a £100 budget choose something that is of slightly lower value but that you will enjoy and your guests won’t be bankrupt purchasing. However if you know your guests have a big budget why not treat yourself to a Fine Wine list and try those special bottles you wouldn’t normally buy yourself.

With all collection lists I say try something that you are not sure of, that grape variety you always avoid in a restaurant, or a style that you haven’t tried before. It is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and if you only want to try one then that is fine. Majestic ask that you set maximum quantities on each product – so that you don’t end up with 30 of a same wine. The best thing to do is to think about how many guests you are inviting, how much they are likely to spend and use this as a guideline to how many of each product you should have. For example if 50 people were coming to the wedding and your list consisted of 10 products ranging from £5-£30 we would say put the limits at around 6 per less than £20 product and 3 per £20+ product. That way you are likely to get a good spread of gifts and have wine to drink for nearly every occasion.

To see a sample collection list click on the link below, it is unfortunate that these people’s names are Molly Sample and Barry Giftlist, but someone has to be:

http://www.majesticgiftlists.co.uk/samplegiftlist/

Reception Gift Lists:
This type of list is perfect for a couple celebrating on a budget. You can select wines for your big day from Majestic’s vast selection and how many you would like in total. Majestic advise ½ a bottle of wine per guest but think about your guests, are they light / heavy drinkers, who will be driving and how many children you are inviting. For your toasting wine Majestic explain that you can get 6 glasses per bottle so you can gauge how many will be required. They can also include beers, soft drinks and spirits on your list so every taste bud is accounted for.

Majestic keep a close eye on these lists and let you know in plenty of time if you need to give your guests a little bit of a push to place an order and if you then decide you want to purchase more that is not a problem.

Majestic deliver these orders at a suitable time and straight to the venue if required so that is one less thing to worry about on your big day and you can hire chiller bins and ice to make sure that everything is at the perfect temperature for your guests.

So have I convinced you yet? If so drop an email to info@majestic.co.uk and they will give you more information. If I haven’t done a good enough job, why not check out the newly redesigned wedding gift list area on the Majestic website, click here, it might just twist your arm!

Majestic Wine:
Okay so I work for them and there will always be a little bit bias but I think that there are still things that can be improved upon. Firstly they offer two services, 12 bottle FREE delivery to mainland UK (£7.50 currently for Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands), or selected packs of less than 12 bottles which are courier delivered, the delivery charge is included in the price. The 12 bottle delivery although free is guaranteed within 7 days, a bit outdated in today’s fast paced world, normally a lot faster especially if you live locally to the store, however if you are miles away you may have to wait a long time, and sometimes that is just not enough. Gift Solutions is a great way to get less than 12 bottles delivered to you but it is on a very limited range, which thankfully has just increased to include a sparkling wine and a rose wine, both of which were sorely needed! Overall not really that bad a great range and you can mix and match your 12 bottle case without being made to purchase 6 or 12 of the same thing.

From Vineyards Direct:
Not a company that I have personally used but have heard some good things about them. They offer the ability to mix and match your case and prices are all-inclusive for deliveries to UK mainland and Northern Ireland. The minimum total order is 1 case (12 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for the UK and 2 cases (24 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for Northern Ireland, Highlands and islands. So not really appropriate for those who are looking for a gift of less than 12 bottles then.

Vintage Wine Gifts:
Perfect for those who want to give a bottle from a particular year. Great to search through and very easy to use, however not really that competitive on prices which could make them an expensive present maker. They also offer some mixed packs which could be of benefit to people. They offer a next day delivery service costing £6.99 per order where orders must be received by 1630 to go out on this service. That is a good service as Majestic have to have orders by 10am for next day Gift Solutions delivery. Orders over £39.99 that do not require next day delivery, will be shipped free of charge within five working days or on any date of your choice. Orders under £39.98 will incur a £5.99 delivery charge. They will also deliver internationally but at a cost of around £19.99 per bottle.

Sparkling Direct:
This service is not just for wine or champagne but also incorporates flowers, chocolates, gift sets, and other bits and bobs, therefore making it a perfect way to get anything you want. Prices include next day delivery and Premium Delivery services such as, Northern Ireland, AM before noon & Saturday are available at the checkout for an extra charge. AM before noon delivery £4.99, Saturday Delivery before noon £5.99, Northern Ireland - two working day service £17.50. However with those delivery charges on top they are not overly competitive on price.

Oddbins:
Oddbins offer gifts and cases and you can mix and match however you like. They charge £5.99 for deliveries of 1-11 bottles and £6.99 for 12 bottles and over. Next day/specified date delivery services are £8.99 for deliveries of 1-11 bottles and £9.99 for 12 bottles and over. Free Delivery is offered on cases over £100, so you have to spend a fair amount to get something free. They can also deliver to a number of other countries:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden! So quite a few then!

So over all who is best? Well I think it depends what you are looking for and what you are prepared to pay to get it, but I would still go for Majestic Wine for 12 bottles any time, but as I said, I am a little bit biased!

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!

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!

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!

I have been kind and donated some of the alcohol to my parents, and nicely sent my father home with a box of wine and Champagne for Christmas, including Pol Roger NV. However there are still far too many bottles which is causing problems not only for during the move but after as I only have a 14 hole wine rack! Nightmare!

So the decision is, do I drink them now and therefore relieve myself of this stress and probably other stresses as it would require at least 1 bottle a day for the next 5 days, or throw a packing party with wine and Champagne as the bribe - though I think that there would be less packing and more drinking.

New Zealand’s southernmost wine making region. The vineyard is relatively young as it was only planted in 1991, and then again in 1992 after a slight blip, courtesy of hard ground and very harsh rain killing the original vines. This planting actually doubled the amount of ground in the area under vine, to approximately 16 hectares.

The Mount Difficulty vineyard includes 80% Pinot Noir, slightly under the 85% average in the Central Otago area. The vineyard is named after the Mountain which overlooks the area and in the 1860’s, when the area was a desert, caused untold problems to farmers and their livestock. They attempted to move their herds to the other side of the mountain but were thwarted and had to go the long way around rather than through the pass. Having the mountain presence creates a very unique macro climate protecting the area from heavy rains. The soils of the area are also very diverse and this can be differentiated among the various wines, especially the Pinot’s.

We started off tasting three aromatic white wines which was a pleasant surprise as the area is better known for its Pinot Noir. Starting off with the Estate Pinot Gris, this wine was not a disappointment and is the fastest growing popular grape variety. It exuded elegance which is great but I am more of a “party on the nose and rave in the mouth” kind of wine-lover and this was just a bit more like a slumber party on both. There were definite hints of green apple and citrus and possibly even a hint of warm apple crumble on the nose, however the flavours were more pronounced when accompanied by the food, cold smoked salmon & lemon crepe terrine. If salmon isn’t your thing, maybe try this with a pan seared scallop drenched with lemon juice.

The Estate Chardonnay followed and I have to say as a Chardonnay enthusiast I was not let down. This was more complex and could easily stand up to a traditional Burgundy Chardonnay if they went into the ring together. The Chardonnay had been barrel fermented using wild yeasts and 100% French oak, 20% of this being new oak which could be detected both on the nose and the palate. The tropical fruit notes went beautifully with both a mini (actually very mini) chicken salad and a chicken and sun-blushed tomato wonton ravioli.

The final white wine of the event was the Estate “Target Gully” Riesling and this lovely little number was divine. Some would say that you could replace my blood with Riesling and you wouldn’t know the difference and to be honest that is probably true, I cannot get enough of the stuff! This delightful style would match Asian foods beautifully and we had the pleasure of tasting this with Salt & Pepper Squid with lime and coconut aioli. It is fermented using stainless steel so no oaky tones come into the wine, just pure petrol and citrus which is a delight on both the nose and palate.

Then we moved onto the main event, the big guns of the Central Otago region, Pinot Noir. Now this could have made me come a cropper as I am a full bodied hitting all your senses, pow, biff, Batman and Robin style, red wine drinker. However I may have to backtrack and jump on board the Pinot loving ship as I really enjoyed them, and not only because they came with cheese!

We started with the Roaring Meg which had a lovely mix of black and red fruits on the nose and palate but not in too much of a softly softly way. It was made in 100% French oak with 20% again being new. This really showed but didn’t overpower the fruit in the wine. 4.5 tons of this wine can be produced per hectare and I would suggest buying a good few bottles from each hectare as once you try this, especially with sticky pork belly with seared scallops: you will not be leaving room in your wine rack for much else! The name Roaring Meg came from the river which runs close by; the local gorge and New Zealand’s first hydro electric power station are also named Roaring Meg in a local girl’s honour!

Don’t be shy!The Mount Difficulty Estate Pinot Noir followed the Roaring Meg and is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. It could easily be laid down and left to develop for another 7-8 years to bring out the forest floor flavours. This wine actually ages in a charred oak barrel and some new French oak, both of which impact on the flavour. We had this lovely little number with bacon wrapped New Zealand green shell mussels and a beautiful piece of New Zealand lamb rump!

We finished off with the Single Vineyard Pipeclay Terrace which as its name suggests comes from a very clay based soil and is site specific. This wine is rare and is only produced in good years where enough fruit can be harvested. This was a big wine that came up said hello and shook your hand, and that was all before you even tasted it. It is left in oak for 18 months then in bottle for a further 10 months to really show off the wine’s potential. It was paired with seared Kangaroo and I have to say I was intrigued, both by the wine and the meat. Being Northern, the opportunity to taste Kangaroo is sparse as they don’t often hop that far up the country.

We ended the night with a cheese selection and Quince paste, making the night heavenly in my eyes.

I walked away from the tasting with a full stomach, my eyes opened to the realms of Pinot Noir and needing to create space in my already overflowing wine rack for some Roaring Meg!

You can also read this blog here, at Majestic Wine’s Grape for Glass new look blog!