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The Oxford Times Wine ClubNew Zealand — a glass act
The smiley man from DHL has just delivered an unusually large load of wine to me this morning. By the time he'd deposited the last of the cases at my back door he was a bit puffed out and in need of a breather.
It gave us enough time to catch up on the Christmas news and for him to establish that I'd been lucky enough to spend the last few weeks sunning myself in New Zealand, far away from the crazy Christmas and New Year sales crowds.
"You'll have been doing lots of wine drinking out there, I bet" was his beaming response. And, of course, he's quite right. I did taste a phenomenal number of wines - many of them excellent.
That said, I'm actually pretty sure that despite trying a huge number, many of them at meal times, I'd guess that my overall wine consumption was actually down.
Why? Because the New Zealanders have a firm grasp of the delights and benefits of serving wines by the glass.
From cafés to restaurants and swanky hotel dining rooms, a huge number of wine lists offered everything from sparkling to rosé, white, red, sweet and fortified wines in single serving offerings. It was fantastic.
There is no question that you pay a premium when you opt for a refreshing glass of something pink to start followed by a bit of pinot or a splash of riesling to follow - but who cares?
The advantage of not being forced to wade through a whole bottle every time you sit down to eat is that you're more likely to enjoy a sip of something with pretty much every meal, rather than feeling as though you'd better not after the previous day's excesses.
I get so bored by the dull and limited selection of wines that are so often the extent of wines by the glass at establishments here in the UK that I more often than not find myself having nothing at all.
Maybe if we were all to start demanding a more exciting selection at our local eateries, the choices would improve. I have my fingers crossed.
I will be honest with you, though. It is always possible to have too much of a good thing and I have to tell you how pleased I am to be back in the UK where I can revel in the diversity of wines that are, once again, at my disposal.
Four weeks of nothing but New Zealand (and a teeny bit of Australian) wine is all well and good but come the last few days of my trip, my nose was itching for the aromas of something altogether more European.
Beaujolais might strike you as something of an odd choice when we are still in a season that requires us to get out of bed at least five minutes earlier than normal to put on layers of insulation against the bitter winds and freezing temperatures.
Well, yes, I do understand; but there's something about the freshness of these wines that I find endlessly appealing - and that is to say nothing of the grander, more sophisticated crus' Beaujolais.
There are ten crus altogether; distinct areas, producing wines of clear, individual characteristics and of greater quality than standard Beaujolais.
The two crus in the case this week are the Chiroubles and the Morgon. Chiroubles is the highest of the crus and delivers refreshing, fragrant wines.
Morgon wines are by far the richest and most powerful of all the Beaujolais wines and you'll not fail to notice the difference.
So, if you're thinking that there's no diversity in the wines of this humble region, don't be fooled. There's a lot more to Beaujolais than you might think. Enjoy by the glass, or the bottle!
Click here for The Oxford Times Wine Club offers.
1:40pm Thursday 10th January 2008
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