I don't know about you, but there are certain little things that signal the start of the festive period chez Tom. For me, it's the first time I hear a Christmas song on the car radio, the initial few cards that arrive in the early December post, and the sights of twinkling tinsel and fairy lights emanating from the front rooms of households in the street. In the last few years however, a new tradition has joined the repertoire of pre-yuletide indicators: that of the big Christmas supermarket wine shop!
Last
year, both Tesco and Marks & Spencer shared the honour of being my
Christmas supermarkets of choice, with Tesco's delightful Cambucha Carménère
2011 and M&S' intriguing Rincón del Sol Bonarda-Shiraz 2012 grabbing
the headlines. However, my 2014 star supermarket for wine has - by some margin
- been Sainsbury's, and considering their very generous 25% off any 6 bottles
offer and their consistently fabulous own brand wines, it seemed fitting that
this year's supermarket foray would be to the UK's third largest grocer.
Feeling
festively jolly and adventurous, I selected what I thought was a good mix of
styles, regions and grapes. Aside from my mum's customary reserve port, my
choices were:
- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Verdicchio Classico 2013
- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Chilean Pinot Noir 2012
- Sainsbury's Winemaker's Selection Riesling 2013
- Kanonkop Kadette 2012
…as well
as a nice little Côte de Beaune burgundy (Bouchard Aîné & Fils Côte de
Beaune Villages "Les Abbesses" 2010) which I will cellar until
Christmas 2015/16.
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