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MacDonald's of wines Jacobs Creek, Blossom Hill, Harry's etc
- Thread starter Live by the sea
- Start date
Wasn't a bad pub - I remember it as the Sackville late 60s when it was separate bars - the back one where you accessed it from the car park was a disco called BooBoo's.
GoldWithFalmer
Seaweed! Seaweed!
It is a good job I don't know where you live
I know your
the former,the latter too? Maybe?Machiavelli
Well-known member
I'm a wine snob, but Jacob's Creek make damn good wines. Blossom Hill and Echo Falls are just dreadful, cynical nonsense.
Aldi and Lidl have a fine selection.
FWIW, you'll get the best 'VFM' in the £7-15 price point. Because of fixed costs (duty, VAT, shipping, bottles, labels, stoppers, profit for retailers, producers, middle-men etc), the amount of money spent on a £4 wine is a few pence, but £5 you're probably getting 10p-20p spent on the bottle. By £7, you're getting to or even above £1 and then swiftly upwards of that. Beyond £15, you're paying for rarity, novelty and market pressure.
Aldi and Lidl have a fine selection.
FWIW, you'll get the best 'VFM' in the £7-15 price point. Because of fixed costs (duty, VAT, shipping, bottles, labels, stoppers, profit for retailers, producers, middle-men etc), the amount of money spent on a £4 wine is a few pence, but £5 you're probably getting 10p-20p spent on the bottle. By £7, you're getting to or even above £1 and then swiftly upwards of that. Beyond £15, you're paying for rarity, novelty and market pressure.
I know of it, but it was before my time there.
Monkey Man
Your support is not that great
Once you're up in the luxury end of the market the prices lose their relationship with quality. You're really paying for the scarcity factor or the perceived prestige of a big name in a great vintage.
I personally don't know of anything below £15 or thereabouts that could be called a really good wine, but at around £10 a decent independent merchant will normally have something worth trying. My advice would be to ask them to recommend. That's their job and they love doing it, regardless of the customer's level of knowledge.
Some countries and regions are just inherently overpriced in UK terms. So for example you can buy an amazing California Chardonnay for £40 or £50 but if that's the style you like, you may find something at half that price from, say, South Africa, or perhaps even Bulgaria - where a few producers are starting to make really excellent wines. Portugal is looking like good value at the moment. Greece is another country where some world-class wine is being made and although you might pay £15-£20 or so for much of it, you're getting a good deal quality wise. The best value wines in the world are possibly sherries - pay £15 for a manzanilla or a fino and that's an awful lot of quality for the money. Assuming you like those styles, and if you don't ... work at it! They're amazing.
Southern France is still relatively affordable at the quality end too.
nicko31
Well-known member
All disgusting stuff masquerading as quality wine. How they have the front to do this is beyond me. Like the Blue Nun andTower of the 80's
Toilet cleaner
These aren't really real wines, they are like alcopops really, just made up for the taste. They are in the UK what the mass market demands, the big brands hold 70% of the market
GoldWithFalmer
Seaweed! Seaweed!
Interesting reply,insightful and helpful,thank you-To be honest i think the maximum i have ever spent on wine was about an £18 bottle and even i could tell the stuff was decent,i also understand Chile is another quite a strong producer of quality wines,although i'm not sure how the compare price wise.
Superphil
Dismember
At least that much is duty, it's higher on stronger wine I think. Once you go over £10 a bottle then the percentage cost of tax on a bottle reduces, but a £5 bottle is typically over 50% tax, e.g., a £6 bottle of 15% red is 52.7% tax, so you're getting £2.84 worth of wine.
Last edited:
- Jul 7, 2003
- 47,221
I'd genuinely love to try a (say) £500 bottle of wine, just to see how it compares, taste wise, to something considerably less expensive.
Well, I say that: I've love to try a £25,000 bottle of wine for the same reason, but for research purposes, I'm willing to stick to something ever so slightly more realistic
Well, I say that: I've love to try a £25,000 bottle of wine for the same reason, but for research purposes, I'm willing to stick to something ever so slightly more realistic
Monkey Man
Your support is not that great
There's more interesting stuff coming out of Chile these days and it's not usually too expensive, but an awful lot of so-so stuff that is not that exciting, personally speaking.
Some £18 wines are amazing (like I say, try S Africa, Greece, Portugal, Southern France) but at that level you'd probably get a mediocre Chablis or a very uninspiring Napa Cab. (Of course there are exceptions if you're lucky enough to find them.)
My advice is, always ask for advice ... and talk to some of our brilliant independent merchants.
I know your
Yes. Very both (in enthusiasm if not skill). Mrs Tackle and I pay a weekly visit to Majestic, Canterbury, where I spend a full hour talking The Albion to Nick, the Arsenal supporter and Colin, the Charlton supporter, and 5 minutes with Mrs T, whizzing round the store to stock up with various pneumatic sirens from the boudoir of the grape. Heavy reds are my thing. Frankly I shop at Majestic because some of the wine is decent and I don't have the time or money to cater fully to my appetites. I had some of this in San Diego a few years ago (below). It is pure nectar. Mrs T imported a bottle for me last year, bless her. I'm no expert but I can tell poop from clay, as my old man used to say. My old boss' daughter is wine buyer for Air New Zealand, and makes a good living teaching massive audiences in China about wine. She took a few of us out to the Oxford and Cambridge club a few weeks ago, and picked some top slurp. Not as good as this, though:
ps, I see your having a laugh
Publius Ovidius
Well-known member
This is my favourite wine at the moment. Along with denbies Surrey gold English white and Chapel Down Bacchus!
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Agree about Portugal, Greece, sherry and Southern France. Haven't had one for years, but Madeiras can be great value too, and some of the greatest wines in the world.
GoldWithFalmer
Seaweed! Seaweed!
Yes. Very both
ps, I see your having a laugh
Excellent stuff.. Thought so....
carteater
Well-known member
Jacob's creek is okay. But Blossom Hill is ****ing disgusting, it's vile, and I downed a bottle of it once.
But the worst wine I've ever tasted, if you can call it that, is BUCKFAST.
But the worst wine I've ever tasted, if you can call it that, is BUCKFAST.
GoldWithFalmer
Seaweed! Seaweed!
I suppose its all about pushing boundaries and experimentation,will try South Africa as i normally play safe...
Superphil
Dismember
If you can, get yourself some Stopham wines whites, the Pinot Gris is excellent, and their Bacchus is pretty good too, as is Nutbounes Bacchus. You can get the Stopham wines in Hennings, and possibly Quaff. Another one I think is pretty good is the Albourne vineyard range. English whites are so good at the moment, and will only get better I'm sure, might even come down in price a bit too.
Your favourite english wines are from Kent and Surrey? Hang your head in shame.