The Wine List

[Nick Armstrong]

... much too early to be drinking 2006 château yquem - I'm only just starting on the 1988!

Would you allow me to quote from 'Withnail & I" ?

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.... Perfumed ponce!!!!

[vinteuil]

Would you allow me to quote from 'Withnail & I" ?
Perfumed ponce!!!!

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[handsomefortune]

was that remark made about richard griffiths, or his cat?

[Nick Armstrong]

was that remark made about richard griffiths, or his cat?

Neither, it was made by a rough-looking local in the London boozer as "I" ("Marwood" in the script) goes to the loo.

I'm appalled to find that the location for that scene - a pub not far from me in Notting Hill, to the north on Tavistock Crescent up near the Westway - was demolished about a year ago. I went there a few times in the 90s when it was one of the Firkin chain, but it's been through several incarnations since then, none of them a success: and now I see from this website that it's was reduced to a hole in the ground at the end of 2010 There's also an earlier pic where you can see how it corresponds to the scene in the film:

http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/w/withnail.html

[cloughie]

[COLOR="#0000FF"]Neither, it was made by a rough-looking local in the London boozer as "I" ("Marwood" in the script) goes to the loo.

I'm appalled to find that the location for that scene - a pub not far from me in Notting Hill, to the north on Tavistock Crescent up near the Westway - was demolished about a year ago. I went there a few times in the 90s when it was one of the Firkin chain, but it's been through several incarnations since then, none of them a success: and now I see from this website that it's was reduced to a hole in the ground at the end of 2010

Obviously no firkin good!

[Nick Armstrong]

Obviously no firkin good!

Seemed to me no worse than any other London boozer... Maybe it was about the vagaries of where it was situated, not enough passing or local trade... and a history as a film location not enough to keep bar receipts up.

[amateur51]

I'd like to second (or third issit?) Globaltruth's mention of The Wine Society. They produce a very readable quarterly list, full of old favourites AND many 'finds' from all over. They're not really weakl in any of the world's wine-making regions but they did go cool on the USA for a while when the £/$ differential made US wines rather expensive.

Two current joys from the basic list is the Picpoul de Pinet (white) and Hochar (red),the second wine of the fabulously eccentric Chateau Musar from Lebanon. I was going to mention the Marcillac (red) but that appears to have been sold out

Happy Imbibing to All Board Members

[Lateralthinking1]

Not an expert. Prefer rose. Don't like sparkling. Numbers of glasses per year can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare.

[Don Petter]

Not an expert. Prefer rose. Don't like sparkling. Numbers of glasses per year can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare.

These days, it seems, rosé has to be called 'blush'. Bah! Humbug!

[ahinton]

These days, it seems, rosé has to be called 'blush'. Bah! Humbug!

Well, I still call it rosé - except when it's not French - and, wherever it comes from, I've never used the term "blush" to describe it!...

[Don Petter]

Nor would I, but the term seems to be increasingly invading the menus/wine lists of establishments trying to be trendy.

[DracoM]

Chateau d'Arche Sauternes.

Can anyone give me a steer on prices for the 1989?
Worth a bottle?

[vinteuil]

Chateau d'Arche Sauternes.

Can anyone give me a steer on prices for the 1989?
Worth a bottle?

googling suggests about £20.

I quite liked the description of this wine "Wonderful nose with layers of sweet, velvety aromas, liquid apricots, fruit syrup; wonderful in the mouth; lighter than many but with very good fruit concentration; seems to gain strength in the glass, dominant flavors are apricot with a hint of pineapple and perhaps some green apple in the background; neither too sweet nor dry, this wine has very good balance; lacks the assertion of a ch yquem, but not a slouching wine either. "

[cloughie]

Well, I still call it rosé - except when it's not French - and, wherever it comes from, I've never used the term "blush" to describe it!...

And as for White Zinfandel and White Grenache (Usually American down market stuff), as well as being nastily sweet, the producers must be colour blind!

[vinteuil]

To get down to specifics, I am mainly a red wine drinker. It takes something special in the white department to make me enthuse. One such recently (a suggestion by the sommelier at Gordon Ramsay's main restaurant) is the fantastically good value Verdejo from a Spanish winemaker called José Pariente. At £7 - £8 a bottle, this is as delicious a white wine as I have ever had.

Good Spanish whites are a recent discovery for me - and, like Calabresse, I am indebted to restaurants for steering me tothemwards - (tho' nowhere near as swanky as Caliban*'s usual haunts, the Gordon Ramsay empire... ) - But I have become completely persuaded, and have come to like various albariños - rias baixas very much indeed : highly recommended!

* no perfumed ponce he, o no...