ITs Food

Quickly following on from my latest wine review is the news that I’ve started the revamp of my reviews. All the wines I review will all be rated on a colour coded (red/white) 5 star scale where 1 star is very bad and 5 stars is great.

So far the revamped scores look like this…

Tempus Two Pewter Merlot 2004

The Lucky Country Shiraz/Cabernet 2004

Cloudy Bay Te Koko 2002

Hardys Stamp Riesling Gewurztraminer 2005

Peter Lehman Barossa Clancy’s 2003

There will be more reviews to come very soon (even though I’m off the booze for a month)!

Sorry about the long gap between wine reviews, there’s a couple of reasons. First of all I’ve been learning how to Scuba dive with the Cambridge Dive Centre (CDC). Well now I’m PADI Open Water qualified. Second of all, sit down before you read this, I’m off the booze for a month! Crazy I know but I do this once a year just to prove I can. Anyway, back to an excellent wine…

I picked up Peter Lehman Barossa Clancy’s 2003 from Oddbins. It’s an interesting blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and you should be able to get it for ~£7.50/$15 a bottle. It’s a lovely mix, you have the fruity smoothness of the Merlot mixed with the robust tannins and sharpness of the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. As ever it’s best the day after you open it, served at room temperature. I’m 50/50 whether this can be enjoyed as much on it’s own rather than with food… I’d say “yes” for red wine fans but keep it with food if you’re serving it to “non-wine” people.

Okay, it looks a bit wet I know. It was stored in slightly too cold conditions and I brought it into a very steamy kitchen thus the condensation.

A good wine, I’m really wanting to give this three and a half stars but I’ll be cruel and give it three out of five.

What is the term for a wine fan? Winey? Wino? Grape-fiend? Let me know your suggestions.