Right, this wine a Barbera D'Asti comes under the Tescos Finest label, however it has been made by the same large cooperative producer as Canti which can't be too bad, as most of the Canti wines come out as modern, fruit forward, technically sound and clean wines. They do however lack character and any serious appeal, but they are drinkable and would fall into the party wine category. So, this wine, produced from the same stable as Canti, has been bought and then marketed by Tescos, under a different label. I've got to say, Tescos has done well, for the price point there's some pretty good packaging around a wine that is definitely something different. It really delivers on that Northern Italian richness without being chunky or too over-ripe. The tannins, are very user friendly, leaving your palette with the subtle sensation of dryness. The balance of the alcohol is good. Being a 2005, its drinking really well now, good integration, a little oak, some dark slightly under-ripe blackberries and leather on the palette. The best thing about this wine is that it is under £6 at Tescos (during their Half-price wine sale) my advice, go buy as much as you can carry, this is a stand up wine at a really great price.
So, this week, the London International Wine Fair, a great big trade show that was there to allow buyers to make deals, producers to showcase new wines and give the trade a feel good moment for the rest of the year. It will have given wine buyers a lot to think about over the next couple of weeks, especially as Decanter so optimistically told us that the leading names in the UK have a pessimistic outlook for the future. What a surprise, have they failed to realise that since being British it's in our bloody nature to be reserved and demure. I can't ever imagine self-important "leading names" in the UK wine industry ever jumping over backwards and giving each other high-fives when asked how the industry is doing. It's one of the problems with the recession, no one wants to be seen to be doing well or having a optimistic outlook. Saying that, I can appreciate how some of the high-end more luxuryry wines have taken a battering. I wouldn't like to be a Champagne producer right now, having sales drop by some 30% over the past year. We should now try to be more selective in the wine we drink. Lets buy wine by the case (12bottles) as nearly all retailers give a discount on a case or more. Lets stay away from the big brands. It's not the end of the world guys, we can still source wines from anywhere in the world, we still control the wine worlds strongest global market and we can still have a jolly good time doing it. This recession will hit most of us in someway or another, like a threat to our way of life we can't let it compromise our ideals or happiness. We'll get over it, and to that a toast, Prost!
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