Let me put a scenario to you: You enter a lovely little restaurant, you know you are expecting a meal to die for, from starter to dessert. What you need is a perfect bottle of wine to match the menu. You grab the list and have a look at what is on offer. Scrolling down the comprehensive selection, you see all the same old names; Bordeaux, Loire, New Zealand, Chile...Don't you just crave for something different? Something eclectic? Something that would make the company who you are eating with marvel at your bravery, but also compliment you on an outstanding choice? Well, guess what...I have something that might just get you the wine-based brownie points you are craving!
 
Ever tried something from Lebanon? I present to you, Chateau Musar 2005... Winemaking here has existed well before Cloudy Bay knew how to turn on a fermenter. 6,000 years of making wine in this region means that it is ingrained within the DNA of people here.
 
Flanked by snow-covered mountains, and nestled at 1000m (3,000 feet) above sea level, the serenely beautiful Bekaa Valley is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, fresh mountain breezes and an average temperature of 25°C (encompassing snowy winters and hot summers). Remote and unspoilt, the Musar vineyards were ‘organic’ by default before the term was coined.
 
In the winery, ambient yeasts do the work of fermentation. The bare minimum of sulphur is used and the Chateau Musar wines are neither fined nor filtered. A hell of a lot of work goes into this wine for it to go unnoticed on the bottom of a wine list. So, we're giving you the opportunity to try something a bit 'under-the-radar' this weekend (15th & 16th June), by opening up this gem of a wine for you to try...and all for only £19.99 a bottle!
 
Come on down and pay us a visit and broaden your horizons...It pays to walk on the 'Arabian side', I can tell you...

As the days get longer and balmy, and the evenings cry out for something a bit more crisp and fruity than a pint of bitter, there is nothing better than a cool glass of cider to quench that thirst and while away the hours in the back garden. The problem is, there is a lot of synthetic and mass-produced cider out there that leaves you wondering if you've actually consumed the famous apple-based tipple, or you've just had a glassed of sweetened fruit juice.

So, we welcome with open arms (and mouths, naturally) Thorn Brook Cider, made on the border of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire! Locally produced cider is one of life's little pleasures and this is no different, showcasing the vast array of styles on show, including:

Thorn Brook Premium Craft Cider (5.4%)

Thorn Brook Strong Artisan Cider (7.2%)

Thorn Brook Fat Knight Cider (6.5%)

All are produced from 100% English apples, and all are 100% satisfaction guaranteed!

Not yet convinced? Well pop down to the store to sample each and every one of them in store, as we have them open to try, and you'll see that cider production is in safe hands with Thorn Brook

With our New Zealand Tasting weekend in full swing, it seems only right that I look a bit deeper into the boutique and finer options when it comes to wines made within the country famous for sheep, the Haka and Flight of the Conchords.
 
Areas like Central Otago on the South Island have already gained international acclaim for their Burgundian style of Pinot Noir, which has the crunchy fruit and silky tannins that comes naturally with the famous grape variety, but also provides much earlier drinking enjoyment. However, I'm going back to the area to which made New Zealand famous the world over; Marlborough.
 
This weekend, we have the chance to try a wine from an up-and-coming winery called Saint Clair, based in Blenheim, Marlborough. The owners, Neal & Judy Ibbotson, started up as a small operation, supplying grapes to local firms, until in 1994 they realised the potential of the land they owned. Saint Clair Family Estates was born.
 
Open to try from Saturday 1st June to Tuesday 4th June, we will be trying Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2012, one of the top wines from this fine estate.
 
I will try and describe to you what I get from the wine, but whatever I say can never do the liquid in the glass the justice it deserves. Starting with the nose, you will not get anything as powerful as this from anything in the Northern Hemisphere. Lush fragrances of tropical fruit, green leaf, and tingly nettle leap from the glass like an Olympic high jumper, so much so that I stepped back from the glass a few spaces and could still smell the wine!
Through to the palate, the intensity follows on from the nose, with a searing acidity which makes your mouth water and amplifies the fruit. The mineral nature of the wine cleans the palate and doesn't scale the enamel off your teeth like some cheap white wine can do. Mix in notes of mandarin, guava and green crisp fruit and I defy any Sauvignon Blanc lover not to want to take this home, grab some Dover Sole, pan fry it and dish out some buttered Samphire...
 
And the best thing? Its on offer at the moment in-store, until the start of September at £19.99 a bottle as part of the 'Buy any 2 New Zealand wines, save 20%' offer. So if that doesn't tempt you, then I'm Jonah Lomu's school bully...

Let me put a scenario to you: You enter a lovely little restaurant, you know you are expecting a meal to die for, from starter to dessert. What you need is a perfect bottle of wine to match the menu. You grab the list and have a look at what is on offer. Scrolling down the comprehensive selection, you see all the same old names; Bordeaux, Loire, New Zealand, Chile...Don't you just crave for something different? Something eclectic? Something that would make the company who you are eating with marvel at your bravery, but also compliment you on an outstanding choice? Well, guess what...I have something that might just get you the wine-based brownie points you are craving!
 
Ever tried something from Lebanon? I present to you, Chateau Musar 2005... Winemaking here has existed well before Cloudy Bay knew how to turn on a fermenter. 6,000 years of making wine in this region means that it is ingrained within the DNA of people here.
 
Flanked by snow-covered mountains, and nestled at 1000m (3,000 feet) above sea level, the serenely beautiful Bekaa Valley is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, fresh mountain breezes and an average temperature of 25°C (encompassing snowy winters and hot summers). Remote and unspoilt, the Musar vineyards were ‘organic’ by default before the term was coined.
 
In the winery, ambient yeasts do the work of fermentation. The bare minimum of sulphur is used and the Chateau Musar wines are neither fined nor filtered. A hell of a lot of work goes into this wine for it to go unnoticed on the bottom of a wine list. So, we're giving you the opportunity to try something a bit 'under-the-radar' this weekend (15th & 16th June), by opening up this gem of a wine for you to try...and all for only £19.99 a bottle!
 
Come on down and pay us a visit and broaden your horizons...It pays to walk on the 'Arabian side', I can tell you...

As the days get longer and balmy, and the evenings cry out for something a bit more crisp and fruity than a pint of bitter, there is nothing better than a cool glass of cider to quench that thirst and while away the hours in the back garden. The problem is, there is a lot of synthetic and mass-produced cider out there that leaves you wondering if you've actually consumed the famous apple-based tipple, or you've just had a glassed of sweetened fruit juice.

So, we welcome with open arms (and mouths, naturally) Thorn Brook Cider, made on the border of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire! Locally produced cider is one of life's little pleasures and this is no different, showcasing the vast array of styles on show, including:

Thorn Brook Premium Craft Cider (5.4%)

Thorn Brook Strong Artisan Cider (7.2%)

Thorn Brook Fat Knight Cider (6.5%)

All are produced from 100% English apples, and all are 100% satisfaction guaranteed!

Not yet convinced? Well pop down to the store to sample each and every one of them in store, as we have them open to try, and you'll see that cider production is in safe hands with Thorn Brook

With our New Zealand Tasting weekend in full swing, it seems only right that I look a bit deeper into the boutique and finer options when it comes to wines made within the country famous for sheep, the Haka and Flight of the Conchords.
 
Areas like Central Otago on the South Island have already gained international acclaim for their Burgundian style of Pinot Noir, which has the crunchy fruit and silky tannins that comes naturally with the famous grape variety, but also provides much earlier drinking enjoyment. However, I'm going back to the area to which made New Zealand famous the world over; Marlborough.
 
This weekend, we have the chance to try a wine from an up-and-coming winery called Saint Clair, based in Blenheim, Marlborough. The owners, Neal & Judy Ibbotson, started up as a small operation, supplying grapes to local firms, until in 1994 they realised the potential of the land they owned. Saint Clair Family Estates was born.
 
Open to try from Saturday 1st June to Tuesday 4th June, we will be trying Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2012, one of the top wines from this fine estate.
 
I will try and describe to you what I get from the wine, but whatever I say can never do the liquid in the glass the justice it deserves. Starting with the nose, you will not get anything as powerful as this from anything in the Northern Hemisphere. Lush fragrances of tropical fruit, green leaf, and tingly nettle leap from the glass like an Olympic high jumper, so much so that I stepped back from the glass a few spaces and could still smell the wine!
Through to the palate, the intensity follows on from the nose, with a searing acidity which makes your mouth water and amplifies the fruit. The mineral nature of the wine cleans the palate and doesn't scale the enamel off your teeth like some cheap white wine can do. Mix in notes of mandarin, guava and green crisp fruit and I defy any Sauvignon Blanc lover not to want to take this home, grab some Dover Sole, pan fry it and dish out some buttered Samphire...
 
And the best thing? Its on offer at the moment in-store, until the start of September at £19.99 a bottle as part of the 'Buy any 2 New Zealand wines, save 20%' offer. So if that doesn't tempt you, then I'm Jonah Lomu's school bully...

The last few days of our superb Bank Holiday offers are fast approaching! The offers on the following products will be finishing as of 3rd June, so get in touch if you like:

Prosecco Corte Alta,  was £7.99, NOW £6.99 a bottle

Taittinger NV, was £35, NOW £25 a bottle

Cotes du Rhone Belleruche, Michel Chapoutier, was £8.99, NOW £7.99 a bottle

Macon Lugny, Louis Latour, was £9.99 a bottle, NOW £7.99 a bottle

So get in touch, before it all goes flying out the door!

The Ned Pinot Noir 2012, Marlborough, New Zealand £9.99, buy any 2 New Zealand wines and save 20%  (single bottle price £12.49)

We all know how good The Ned Sauvignon Blanc is because we can't sell it fast enough it's so popular!! However, did you know The Ned is available as a red wine made with the Pinot Noir grape? No, well this weeks Baggers Bottle is The Ned Pinot Noir. Coming from 3 districts of Marlborough, each with a different soli structure, the grapes are hand picked and aged for 12 months in French oak.

There are aromas of cherry and blackberry on the nose and on the palate, the flavours fill the mouth again with cherry and blackberry with a hint of smike. The wine is warming too and has a long, smooth finish.

So if you want a red from a favourite name, come and get a couple of bottles and enjoy it with roast chicken, turkey or duck.

Cheers!

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