Here are some wines that are on offer now until the New Year that are certainly worth taking advantage of. For reds, pop in to Waitrose for some crowd pleasing La Piuma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2010, Italy, £5.99-£4.79 or if you are looking for some quality Rioja to enjoy with some hard cheese like Waitrose West Country Farmhouse Cheddar made by Denhay then Beronia Rioja Reserva 2006,Spain, £12.99-£9.99, Waitrose will do the job. There is no doubt that Beronia has been an upward path for several vintages and has returned to form. Before the Boxing Day Kempton Park racing kicks off The Wine Tipster will be enjoying with the cold turkey some Beaujolais Villages, Domaine des Nugues 2009, Beaujolais, France, £9.99, buy 2 bottles save £4, Majestic. Whites to be enjoyed over Christmas include the delicious, oaked Rioja Taste the Difference Vinedos Barrihuelo 2010, £8.99 – £5.99, Sainsbury’s, with the smoked salmon go forSauvignon de Touraine Thierry Delaunay 2010, Loire, France, £7.99 buy 2 bottles save £1, Majestic and Macon Villages ‘Les Pierres’ Blanches Cave de Lugny 2010, £7.99 buy 2 bottles save £2, Majestic to have some delicious, quaffable, soft Burgundy for the Xmas period. For further relaxation enjoy Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage Port 2005, £13.29-£10.29, Waitrose with the Stilton. Have a great Christmas and New Year and watch Kauto Star on Boxing Day attempt to win the King George VI chase for a record 5th time.

Had great fun today with Bill Buckley on his BBC Radio Oxford show. Bill and I worked together on the LBC Food Programme so it was great to link up again. Every Wine Tells a Story 2011 by Tara Devon O’Leary, £8.99, www.lulu.com and to use Tara’s blurb: ‘is a collection of the memorable, provocative and emotive wines as experienced by 39 international wine lovers’. My contribution focussed on the emotive element, featuring the late John Merriman, a man I greatly admired and respected, who died in April this year. The Rustenberg John X Merriman 2009 blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, South Africa,is full bodied with cigar box notes, accessible blackberry and damson fruit flavours, certainly the wine you need for the roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Stockist: Majestic at £13.99, buy two bottles down to £9.99.
The rest of my Christmas case on the show, included the lovely crisp, dry, citrus, well structured Champagne G.H.Mumm Cordon Rouge NV Brut, £25.99. Stockists: Sainsbury, Tesco, with Waitrose running a 20% off promotion. My two party suggestions were first, the floral, fruity, dry, 12% abv locally produced Brightwell Bacchus 2009,www.brightwellvineyard.co.uk, Waitrose, £9.49, with the Oxford Wine Company stocking most of the Brightwell range. Secondly, made from the Cortese grape, the dry, perfumed, grapey, 12% abv, Gavi Taste the Difference 2010, £8.29, Sainsbury’s, will more than do the job as a crowd pleaser. One of my party reds and a match with cold turkey on Boxing Day is Henry Fessy’s Brouilly 2010, Waitrose, £10.99 or as a party alternative not mentioned on the show today Les Dauphins Cotes du Rhone Reserve 2010, £6.97, Asda. Again not featured today, however if you are looking to treat yourself with a couple of class act whites to enjoy with fish and fish in cream sauces over Christams and New Year then Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 2007,Union des Viticulteurs de Chablis, £18.00, Marks & Spencer and Fattoria Michi’s Montecarlo Bianco 2010, £15.75,www.clubviniitalini.com a delicious, refined blend of Trebbiano, Rousanne, Sauvignon and Vermentino, is one of my wines of 2011. Remember for your Stilton or Christmas Cake, Sandeman Imperial Tawny Port, Stevens Garnier, Waitrose, £10.25. A premium, nutty, almond, smooth port, which can, once opened, last a month at least in the right conditions. Enjoy!

The Taste of Christmas Ryvita Cheese and Wine Seminars were a huge success last weekend, with all 21 workshops oversubscribed. The Wine Tipster would like to thank the cheesemakers, wine importers and most of all the fun, lively audiences for making this a great show. Aside from deciding on some wine choices for Christmas, I selected my cheese board of three: Philip Stansfield’s 2010 World Champion Cheese Cornish Blue, Denhay’s delicious Waitrose West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Butlers’ Tasty Lancashire Cheese, available in Tesco. On the vino front, Cattunar’s Chardonnay 2009, Croatia, £18.00, is a medium bodied, super fresh, stylish white with ripe fruit flavours of limes, peaches with vanilla hints backed by crisp acidity. Stockist: Pacta Connect www.pactaconnect.co.uk. Chat-en-Oeuf impressed with their Languedoc Roussillon wines, including Chat-en-Oeuf Rose 2010, £5.99, a well priced Syrah and Grenache blend, with soft, ripe red fruits, attractive spice, which makes a surprising match with hard cheddar. Stockists: Waitrose, Morrisons. Tasting wines from Uruguay was a new and popular experience for some, with Juanico’s dry, golden coloured, vanilla, peachy, and barrel fermented Bodegones del Sur Viognier Reserve 2009, £9, winning plaudits, whilst the full bodied, barrel fermented Tannat Libero 2010, De Lucca, £12, packed with flavours of plums, liquorice, chocolate introduced many to Tannat. Stockist: www.winesofuruguay.co.uk.The Quinta da Fata Touriga Nacional 2009,Dao, Portugal, £17,is a quite delicious, full bodied, flag bearer for 100% Touriga Nacional, herbaceous, spice, brambly character, deep damson fruit and a fine match for a full flavoured hard cheddar or game over Christmas. Stockist: www.incewines.co.uk. Staying in Portugal, The Taylor’s Port Sessions introduced many to tawny and single quinta ports and if you are looking for Xmas indulgence with stilton or simply to enjoy a high quality port then Taylor’s stunning, refined single quinta Quinta de Vargellas 2001, £26.99-£31.99, does the job. Stockists: Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, Majestic, Tesco, Waitrose.

The Wine Tipster will be presenting The Taste of Christmas Ryvita Cheese and Wine Seminars with Jeremy Bowen from Paxton and Whitfield Friday 2nd-4th December. The Ryvita Cheese and Wine Seminars will be every 30 minutes starting at 11am and finishing at 5.30pm. Daily “Taste of Christmas and Taylor’s Port” sessions will feature a selection of excellent cheeses and four Ports from Taylors, including the refined Quinta de Vargellas 2001. Also, staying in Portugal, Ince Wines have selected the Castras De Melgaco Alvarinho 2010 and the 100% Touriga Nacional Quinta Da Fata 2009 which are real favourites of mine for the “Cheese and a Taste of Portugal” seminars. Chat-en-Oeuf’s good value wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon are featured in “The Cheese and Winemakers Art” masterclasses each day. Pacta Connect Wines are specialists in Wines from Croatia, with their limited edition Roxanich SuperIstran 2007 and Clai Ottocento red 2009 to be included as part of the seminars. Moving away from Europe, I’m looking forward to featuring the Marchial Pinot Noir/Tannat Reserve 2008 and Bodegones del Sur Viognier Reserve 2009 from Wines of Uruguay.
With some excellent cheeses, wines and Ports there is no reason not to join us at The Ryvita Cheese and Wine Seminars. See you there!

Thanks to friends and francophiles Jean Adams and Richard Cocks for setting up a 2009 tasting on Friday night for a few mates. The 2009 theme stemmed from a discussion Richard and I had in between saxophone solos at a local jazz gig regarding our enthusiasm for Beaujolais and this particular vintage, which has been described as the best in living memory. Jean and Richard as regular visitors to France decided to include 2009 wines from other regions and producers they had called upon, however the stars were the Chiroubles. Eric Morin’s Chiroubles Cuvee Vieilles Vignes 2009 made from 50 year old vines and older was initially quite firm, then relaxed with appealing fruity and herbaceous character. Definitely a style I’d like to cellar for 2-3 years. Chiroubles La Precieuse 2009, Emile Cheysson was more forward with delicate red fruit flavours,lovely drinking now, although will keep 2-3 years. The 2009 Beaujolais vintage has recaptured my enthusiasm for this region and with a good 2010 vintage in the market there is plenty to enjoy ahead. Unfortunately neither Eric Morin’s or Emile Cheysson’s Chiroubles are available in the UK so if you are looking for the ideal match with your cold Boxing Day turkey or to have a crowd pleasing red for Christmas then buy the always reliable Georges Duboeuf Chiroubles 2009, £9.99, Waitrose. Some of the Waitrose stores will have moved to 2010 but definitely worth asking if they have any 2009 available.
Thank you Jean and Richard for an excellent vino and foodie evening, including a stunning artichoke amuse bouche with truffle oil made by Jean from a Daylesford Cookery School recipe.

The Taste of Christmas Press Safari Dinner equals one course at each restaurant with a wine match selected by The Wine Tipster. First up, Asia de Cuba in The St Martins Lane Hotel for their Asia de Cuba Tunapica, a delicious, fresh tuna starter which included black currants, olives, almonds and coconut, matched with Quinta da Sequeira Rabigato 2010, Douro, Portugal www.incewines.co.uk Rabigato was disappearing as a grape varietal in the Douro because of low yields, however winemakers are thankfully returning to Rabigato with Quinta da Sequiera producing an impressive mid- weight, fresh, creamy, crisp white. At Roast, Chapel Down’s Bacchus Reserve 2009 (especially made for Roast) had grassy, subtle Sauvignon Blanc character, with elderflower, real intensity and balance. A fine piece of winemaking, proving what Bacchus can do in this country at a friendly 12% abv. Roast’s signature slow cooked pork belly was outstanding. Dessert at The Cinnamon Club was a delicately flavoured, light, not overly sweet Christmas pudding with garam masala and thandai custard, enjoyed with the honeyed, high quality late harvest Chenin Blanc Vignoble Gelineau Coteaux du Layon 2009, Loire, France www.griffinwell.com. Cheese was still to come from Paxton and Whitfield with Chat-en-Oeuf’s 2010 £5.99 well priced Grenache and Syrah blend followed by Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2001, Douro. Vargellas is a refined single-Quinta port that will certainly be in my Christmas shopping basket. Stockists: Majestic, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Tesco and Waitrose £26.99 – £31.99.
Asia de Cuba, Roast and The Cinnamon Club will all be featuring these dishes at Taste of Christmas 2nd-4th December at Excel, and the stellar double act of Jeremy Bowen, Paxton and Whitfield and The Wine Tipster will be presenting The Ryvita Cheese and Wine Seminars. Come and join us!

Yesterday The Wine Tipster was to be found at The Boisdale in Canary Wharf for The Boisdale & Wright Brothers Oyster Tasting Championship 2011. The judges including Tom Parker-Bowles, Bill Knott, Henry Deedes, Douglas Blyde and Richard Harden had 13 oysters to taste, which were split into 5 Native – have the best flavour in the cooler months with the letter ‘R’ in them – and 8 Pacific – breed differently and can be tasted all year. When you taste oysters you are encouraged to chew and let air over the oyster as you would for a wine. There were of course really distinct differences in the tasting, with the judges awarding Loch Ryan from south west Scotland first prize in the Native and Dorset Brownsea Island, Poole winning the Pacific.
A high quality Boisdale lunch included an excellent game consommé followed by a cutlet of feral partridge, seared foie gras, liquorice and creamy savoy cabbage. During lunch there were some lovely champagnes served from G.H. Mumm including Mumm de Cramant and a very good 2005 claret Chateau Rahoul, Graves.
It is worth noting that Oyster production in the UK has increased by 45% in the last two years so support this industry and next time I taste oysters I will be chewing.

In the last two weeks The Wine Tipster has experienced fine dining at Sketch, The Ritz twice, some very fine VIP hospitality at The Dunhill Open Links Championship and enjoyed some good value, quality dining at Little Italy in St Andrews, Pizza Express in Bloomsbury, Plateau in Brighton and the The Hoop in Stock in Essex. At Sketch Pierre Gassadin’s produced some stunning dishes and matches including Foie Gras with Mumm Cuvee R Lalou 1999, whilst The Ritz’s three course menu at £46 per head (some gastro pubs are around £40 for three courses) is real value given the quality of the dishes, ambiance, decor and the wines, of course, including Crozes Hermitage Delas. Last Thursday I was back to The Ritz for The Perrier-Jouet Bi-Cententaire Champagne Dinner hosted by Herve Deschamps, Chef De Cave for Perrier – Jouët. All the range was showing well, particularly the Belle Epoque Jeroboam 1996 nicely matched with Roast Loin of Veal and Morels and the recently released Belle Epoque Rose 2004 with Mille Feuille of Raspberry Parfait and Sorbet. Keeping the Italian theme, the retro furnished Little Italy in St Andrews produced the best lasagne I’d had since dining at the award winning Babbo Restaurant in London. The following morning Louise and I walked the course at St Andrews enjoying the quality of amateur and professional play at The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Saturday. What a great course to enjoy some quality food and vino hospitality, including the super impressive, refined Waterford Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and creamy, lightly oaked Cape of Good Hope Serruna Chardonnay 2010. Whist St Andrews may have been cloudy over the weekend I had the previous weekend experienced bright sunshine and a walk along the seafront in Brighton. In Brighton, the recently opened Plateau has a super impressive range of wines including Pinot d’ Alsace Metiss Domaine Bott Geyl 2007 and Priorat Gine & Gine, Bull & Gine 2008. Now it’s time for the cycle machine and a lime and soda.

We are now into the generic wine tasting season, with the Wines of Chile tasting last week and the Wines of Argentina Tasting at Lords earlier this week.A few years ago I had a brilliant wine trip to Argentina and experienced stunning scenery, exciting wine styles and a fantastic couple of nights out in Buenos Aires.There was much to look forward to and Argentina didn’t disappointment. First up, Gran Lurton Corte Friuliano 2010 Uco Valley, Francois Lurton, £14.95. Stockist: Roberson. Made from 96% Tokay, with a tiny amount of Torrontes, Chardonnay and oak, this was the most elegant and refined white I tasted all day with floral, lemon, mineral character, restrained oak and beautifully balance. A wine to savour now in its current style, although apparently it will age up to 8-10 years. Also from the Uco Valley, Salentein’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011. Stockist: Matthew Clark and only available in restaurants. Although there were some grassy Sauvignon Blanc hints, this sophisticated white is dominated by pear drops and lime flavours. Salta in the north of Argentina is home to high quality Torrontes, with a really good example Terrazas de Los Andes Selection Torrontes 2010, Cafayate, Salta, £12.50. Stockist: Tesco Wine by the Case, Slurp.co.uk £14.85. Dry, grapey, floral and spicy, with hints of apricots, backed by crisp acidity – a requirement for quality, thirst quenching Torrontes. Other Salta Torrontes’ to impress included Familia Zuccardi’s Serie A Torrontes 2010, Cafayate, Salta, £9.99, Hennings Wine Merchants and Etchart’s Privado Cafayate, Salta 2010, Matthew Clark and only available in resturants. Away from Salta, Norton’s Torrontes 2011 from Mendoza, £6.99, Nicolas is well priced, fresh and crisp.
The reds were in fine form; however as a general comment it is hard to discern the quality/pricing relationship at the premium level, with some wines easily outshining other reds at twice the price. Kicking off with the value end of the premium market, Clos De Los Siete 2008, Clos de Los 7, Michel Rolland, Mendoza, £13.29, Waitrose is an oak aged blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. This full bodied, dark, complex, stylish wine with blackberry/blackcurrant fruit is a high quality red that needs decanting for a few hours. Norton Privada 2008, Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza, £17.99, Waitrose is a Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend which is well structured, subtlely oaky and delicious, with plummy, damson fruit flavours and a long finish. Other reds to impress included: Paisaje de Tupungato Finca Flichman 2008 Mendoza, £15.99, Stevens Garnier, Michel Torino’s dark chocolaty, refined Altimus 2008, Cafayate, Salta, £25, with the 2007 available from Slurp.co.uk at £22.70 and I’m assuming they will move on to the 2008.

The wine trade went back to school this week with The International Wine Challenge Dinner on Tuesday night and the Wines of Chile Annual Trade Tasting yesterday. Here are some of the wines I really enjoyed at this tasting.
Anakena’s Chardonnay/Viognier 2011, Valle Central, £5.99 rates

as one of the best value whites at the tasting and really is a delicious dry, fruity quaffing wine that will always be a crowd pleaser. I have enjoyed the 2010 available in the Co-op on many occasions, with the 2011 in store soon. Concha y Toro are rightly highly respected for their range of wines with Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada Sauvignon Blanc 2010 £9.99 from the Limari Valley a good example of how to produce subtle, elegant Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruit flavours and mineral character.Contact Concha y Toro UK. Other impressive Sauvignon Blancs were the Fairtrade Miguel Torres Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc 2011, Curico £7.99, contact J Fells, the very classy Valdiveso of Chile Single Vineyard Wild Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Leyda,contact Bibendum Wines and Santa Rita’s Gran Hacienda Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Valle Central, contact Berkmann Wine Cellars – both of these wines are available in restaurants only. Moving on to Chardonnay with the Errázuriz Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2010, Casablanca £10.99 which is dry, medium bodied, spicy, with refined oak and an appealing freshness versus some of the richer, fuller Chardonnays on offer from Chile. Stockists: Majestic, Wimbledon Wine Cellars, Cambridge Wine Merchants.
There was a sensational Syrah theme included in the tasting, and one I really liked was the well-priced Viña Tabalí’s Reserva Especial Syrah 2008, Limari £9.75 which is minty, earthy, integrated, well structured, with softening tannins and just really very good. Stockist: The Wine Society. In contrast, elsewhere at the tasting I enjoyed the light – medium bodied, brambley, soft red and dark fruits and subtle backbone of Montes’ Alpha Pinot Noir 2010, Casablanca £12.99. Stockist: everywine.co.uk . The Los Boldos Sensaciones Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Alto Cachapoal £9.99 is medium-full bodied smooth and delicious has herbaceous, damson fruit, spicy and vanilla character. Stockist: Stevens Garnier Shop.