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On your Marks!
There's never been a better time to stock up on wines from Marks & Spencer than now. Not only have they just won the 2009 International Wine Challenge award - 'Supermarket of the Year' but they also currently have 25% off their entire wine list!
25% off award winning wines
And of course, we wouldn't want you to buy just any wine....why not have a look at their list of winners from the Decanter World Wine Awards or the International Wine Challenge.
Here's a few top Magpie picks to get you going:
Prosecco Raboso RoseWas: £8.99, Now: £5.24, SAVE: 42%
Bronze Medal - International Wine Challenge 2009
''...Typical, light prosecco mousse. Attractive strawberry fruit with a creamy finish, drink with Charcuterie, salad....'' The Guardian, September 2008
"An unusual pink prosecco with juicy strawberry fruit, a hint of cream and a clean, pure finish. Goes well with food, especially prawns and light charcuterie " Suzy Atikins, The Telegraph, March 2009
Average Marks and Spencer customer rating: 5/5 (based on 7 reviews)
Margaux La Petite Echoppe 2006Was: £14.99, Now: £11.24, SAVE: 25%
Bronze Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009
"...blend of cabernet sauvignon plus merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot is bright and modern, a discreet layer of vanilla oak enhancing the dark berry fruit." Anthony Rose, The Independent, May 2009
"....has an especially beguilling aroma. Blackcurrants and ripe plums are enhanced by touches of vanilla provided by a year in oak barrels." Chichester Observer, September 2009
"Margaux La Petite Echoppe 2006 (M&S, £14.99) is an absolute classic, with the red wine scent we love; blackcurranty with a hint of tobacco and damsons, plus a manly fine-boned body." Amy De Vine, Mail Online, September 2009
PX Pedro Ximenez Was: £4.99, Now: £3.74, SAVE: 25%Bronze Medal - International Wine Challenge 2009
Bronze Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2009
"....floral and a hint of honey aromas. Fresh, crisp acidity. Good structure and good length." Award winning wines for under £5, London Lite, August 2009
"...Unoaked, it tastes almost salty, and has a serrated edge to its breezy character - its one to accompany fish stew, razor clams or grilled sardines." Victoria Moore, The Guardian, June 2009
Introductory Offers – how to milk them
Introductory offers are great money-savers for online wine buyers. At the moment, there’s almost a dozen introductory offers out there – if you were to buy a case of wine from each then it would take you a couple of years to drink your new stocks! This week though we wanted to show you how to save up to 60% with the Averys introductory offer!
1) Do you qualify for the introductory offer?
Averys introductory offer is a great no-strings deal, all you have to do is spend £71 and you will receive £25 off your order. No strings attached….you are not obliged to purchase again from them, you just have to be a new customer.
2) Choose your wines
Why not also combine the introductory offer with wines already on discount? And then combine that with recognised wines that have been independently rated and you’re definitely onto a stellar Wine Magpie deal.
Have a look at Magpie's Top Picks:
Rosemount Orange Shiraz 2001, New South WalesWas: £14.99, Now: £8.99, SAVE: 40%
This wine has been rated as 91/100 in Wine & Spirits Magazine and is a great buy at this price. This wine is drinking well now but will also reward cellaring until 2015.
Willows Vineyard Semillon 2002, Barossa ValleyWas: £10.99, Now: £7.99, SAVE: 27%
3) Let Wine Magpie show you how much you can save
Ok, so not many people buy 9 bottles of wine....but that's how you save the most money! See Wine Magpie's delivery table for details of extra charges.
Go and take advantage of this cracking offer now!
Tesco Wine Fairs 2009
Tesco wine fairs are a brilliant way to save money on wine. You pay between £6-10 for ticket but you’ll save this many times over if you’re smart.
Exclusive Fair Discounts
First of all, if you place an order at the fair then you’ll get a discount on your order. So if you’re planning on buying a case of wine then you’ll probably save your entrance fee in the discount you receive and as an added bonus you’ll already have tasted the wines you buy and therefore know that you like them.
Unlimited Tasting
Secondly, you have the opportunity to taste as much wine as you want. This is definitely not to be missed as wine tasting can work out quite pricey normally. Make sure you use the spit bucket though.
Save money all year
Thirdly, if you make notes on the wines you taste at the fair then you can save money throughout the year as the different wines come up on offer. Make notes as you taste at the fair and use a consistent rating such as scores out of ten. Trust me, you soon forget what you were thinking about wine number 5 when you are tasting wine number 45.
The 2009 wine fairs will be held in London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Manchester throughout September and October. Tickets on sale now
Curry and Wine? Gerwurztraminer!
Gerwurztraminer is a bit of a mouthful to say, but should definitely not be overlooked for your wine rack. This is the perfect wine to bring out when you are eating spicy food such as Thai and Indian.
The wine has a classic giveaway taste characteristic – lychees. If you are not very familiar with this tropical fruit, Wine Magpie suggests that you buy a tin of lychees from your local supermarket and you will be amazed at the distinctive smell that both this and the Gerwurztraminer contain. This will be the key to you identifying this wine in future.
Gerwurztraminer also has floral character – generally rose petals. The wine also contains spice and has an oily texture, which provides vital backbone, to allow it to stand up to the chilli within Thai and Indian dishes.
Gewurtztraminer is a cool climate grape, typically grown in volume in the Alsace, but has grown in popularity and is also now grown in Germany, Austria, Oregon & Washington, Chile and New Zealand
Current good deals to build up your Gewurztraminer stock with guaranteed quality......
Villa Maria Private Bin Gewürztraminer 2008, Was: £8.65, Now: £7.45, SAVE: 14%Gisbourne
BobsWineReviews.com: 86/10 – “Flavoursome, floral wine with gentle, exotic flavours. Very soft textured Gewurztraminer showing great purity. Great value at this price.”
Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2008 – Silver Medal
Liquorland Top 100 2008 – Silver Medal
Casillero del Diablo Gewurztraminer, Maule Was: £6.64, Now: £4.74, SAVE: 28%
Wine Advocate: 89/100 – “Offers up an expressive bouquet of rose petals, lychees, and spice box. Off-dry on the palate, it has terrific intensity, unusual focus and delineation for its humble price, and superb length. It is an awesome value.”
Jancis Robinson: 14/20
International Wine Challenge: Commended
Matthew Jukes, The Daily Mail, 12/07/08 – “This is for those of you who are heavy-handed with the chilli and like your cooking nice and spicy. Chill this exotic, opulent wine down to ice cold, let it bathe your palate in tropical notes...”
Vinoptima Gewurztraminer 2006, Gisbourne Was: £24.95, Now: £21.95 SAVE: 12%
Robert Parker: 94/100 – “The 2006 Gewurztraminer Reserve has 7-18 grams residual sugar. A very tight nose of ginger, mandarin zest and a touch of honey. Very good definition, blossoms in the glass, unfurling to reveal touches of beeswax and frangipane. The palate is beautifully balanced, very well-defined with good acidity (though not as much as the 2005.) Spice, honeyed fruit, touches of ginger, pineapple and dried apricots. Off-dry on the finish. A very natural sensibility to this wine but it needs considerable ageing.”
Jancis Robinson: 17/20 – “Completely different colour from the 2005 - straw. Very nice rose petal aromas with a bit of bacon fat and a nice tight structure. Racy and nicely tightly laced”
Robert Joseph, Daily Telegraph – “Made by Nick Nobilo in Gisborne, a region best known for its Chardonnay, this is a lovely example of a grape variety New Zealand does really well. Fresh and fragrant, with the spice of pepper, the fruit of lychees and the perfume of violets.”
Domaine Dirler-Cade Gewurztraminer Kitterle Was: £21.95, Now: £17.95, SAVE: 18% 2005, Alsace
Robert Parker : 91/100 – “The 2005 Gewurztraminer Kitterle is all about polish and refinement. High-toned rose petal and mint aromatics lead to a “cool” palate that also favors herbs and flowers, and a finish of juicy refreshment, distinct minerality, and subtlety of smoke and spice too seldom present with this variety. And even with 26 grams of sugar, it only tastes subtly sweet as well. This will never give chase to the Saering but will certainly offer enormous satisfaction over at least a decade.”
Stephen Tanzer: 89/100 – “Pale, bright yellow. Nose dominated by spiced meats. Sweet, supple and on the gentle side, with pliant fruit and spice flavors nicely framed by ripe acidity. A distinctly easygoing wine with moderate sweetness (about 25 g/l r.s.). Noteworthy more for its balance and early appeal than for any particular complexity. Finishes with a suggestion of licorice.”
Cono Sur Gewürztraminer 2007/08; Bio-Bio Valley Was: £6.99, Now: £5.59, SAVE: 20%
Jane Macquitty, The Times, UK – “An old stir-fried friend, with all the elegant, exotic, peach and stone-fruit Chilean flavours you’d anticipate from Cono Sur, plus sufficient sweetness to offset oriental dishes’ heat and spice.”
Waitrose food illustrated, Matt Skinner, UK – "This is a curvaceous dry Gewürztraminer charged with scents of lychee jasmine and musk, followed by a beautifully structured mouthful. At this price, it should capture the attention of more than a few curious Alsatian producers."
Anthony Gismond, Pique News Magazine, Canada - “I could have chosen a number of Cono Sur labels for this slot, from the viognier to the pinot noir, but my pick is the Cono Sur Gewürztraminer Limited Release 2007. Much like last year, the ’07 is made from fruit grown in the cold Bío Bío Valley. It opens with big floral orange peel notes with bits of honey and spice. The flavours are fruit forward with ginger, orange, nectarine and grapefruit all with splash of minerality. Perfect for turkey, but just as versatile with Indian or Thai food.”
Ribeauvillé Gewurztraminer 2007; Alsace Was , Now £4.99, SAVE: 23%
Gault Millau Wine Guide 2009: 15/20
