Publix have become our general shopping centre, we’ve used them for over 12 years and have watched them grow from a ho hum operation to a very nice caring one where staff seem to be treated well which reflects in the quality of service provided (although they will keep running out of their own brand of seltzer water – very annoying).

 Anyway, back to the wine. Adam, you may remember this one? A smooth wine with berries, spices and vanilla nicely complementing each other. Over the years we have noticed very little difference between the vintages which makes it a very reliable Plonk.

4 out of 5

This is a label specific to Sam’s and what interested me was the “Organic” qualification (are we better off consuming the pests or the pesticides?). Very pale and initially quite acidic, however after a while the acidity disipated and we are left with a dry wine, slightly fruity, slightly steely, quite refreshing. Drink cool not cold for best flavour. Price $10.20 including tax.

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3 out of 5

Great wine. Very drinkable, spiced cherry is the best way I can describe it. Almost like mulled wine. Guess that means nutmeg and cloves.

Quite potent, it claims 14% but it seems more. It definitely didn’t taste alcoholic just felt it by the second glass.

4.5 out of 5

Not as steely as some Sauvignon Blancs, it has enough fruit and zestiness to make it interesting.

It’s on offer in Sainsbury’s at the moment for £5.99, bargain.

4 out of 5

I appreciate at your age once the bottle has gone you’re pretty much useless for the rest of the evening. Can I suggest

a) you make notes as you’re going along

b) you share some with Mum

Adam

At £8.99 it was cheaper than the last one so I thought why not. I wasn’t disappointed.

I made sure I ‘decanted’ first. Not having a decanter this involved pouring into a Pyrex jug and letting it breath before pouring it back in the bottle.

This was a great, easy drinking wine. I was expecting something a little heavier, but this was smooth and fruity it went really well with the gammon joint we had for dinner. Definately one to have again.

4 out of 5

Ribera Del Duero borders the Rioja region an apparently this means you get Rioja style wines without necessarily the high price tag of a decent one. The vines are old which apparently suits the Tempranillo grape this is made from.

Traditionally Rioja is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with ~20% Merlot/Grenache but this one is 100% Tempranillo.

It does taste like a good Rioja, nicely oaked from the barrels but unlike a cheaper Rioja the aftertaste is smooth without any harshness. Given this is a 2006 and therefore quite young, I think this is unusual. Wikipedia as a good entry on Rioja Wine which covers this.

Of course being a Spanish red, it went very well with a bit spicy Chorizo sausage.

4 out of 5

I would pay a fiver for it. It’s OK once you get into it. Lots of red fruit to it, blackberries, blackcurrants, etc but it’s also just a little rough. The 14% alcohol level means you get past that quite quickly.

This is probably a good wine to have with curry. Full of flavour for a palate that has other things on it’s mind.

3 out of 5

Apparently Lussac St Emilion is an appellation on the border of St Emilion, so similar in style but less pricey, if a little more ‘rudimentary’.

This is unmistakeably French. New World wines don’t challenge in the way French wines do. My first taste was a bit of a shock. Thought I’d make a big mistake. Couple more sips and I started to understand what was happening.

There is an unmistakeable rustic feel to this wine, you can almost taste the vines and vineyard. Once you get past that you get blackcurrants and good depth of flavour. It’s not too heavy, the guy in Oddbins told me to expect that given the Merlot content being higher than other Bordeaux’s.

3 out of 5