Tesco PR sent through a list of Valentines Day Sparkling Wine Offers yesterday. Now WHY, you might ask, would I be doing Tesco PR work for no return? A question that keeps coming back at me time and again. Why allow others into your blog when they are not giving you anything at all? The answer is a simple one. When it suits me, and when I want to, I just exercise my true status as an independant, and objective, wine blogger and do what I WANT TO DO!! There.
Tesco PR sent through a list of Valentines Day Sparkling Wine Offers yesterday. Most of them don't excite me too much regardless of how decent and reasonable value they are. I'm a fan of Taittinger (€45.00) and Jacobs Creek sparklings (€15.00 to the 10th Feb); not so much McGuigans (€13.00) and I don't know anything much about Tesco's Georges d'Albot Champagne at €25.00 so I can't comment. I do know, however, that I'm a great fan of Tesco's Finest Cremant d'Alsace - and it's a steal at €10.00. Valentine, watch out .....
Cremant is quality sparkling wine from France. Champagne is not allowed the designation! Of course that's a backwards way of looking at this as the term Cremant came from the 'others' not being allowed to use the protected term of Methode Champenoise. The pity is we are just not au fait enough with the term Cremant. These are wines made with excellent grapes in the same way as the big C is made ie the Traditional Method of Sparkling wine making where secondary fermeantation takes place in the bottle. They offer regional, varietal and climatic distinction and, in general, very good value also. Other regions that produce Cremant in France include Bourgogne, Die, Loire, Limoux, Jura and Bordeaux
Tesco's Finest Cremant d'Alsace made with Riesling grapes is vintage dated and produces an ocean of lean, tight and bracing fruit of a citric nature leaning heavily towards limes and a medley of other ripe fruits. Its a crunchy and delicious wine where the fruits and wine making combine to reward the palate with an intense and memorable experience.
At a tenner I'd buy one each. Now there's a Valentine talking! There's a Valentine hoping!
Retailing for a tenner, that's only €2.56 after VAT and excise......any wonder the Independent Wine Trade is dying a slow and painful death!
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the sentiment. Aldi, however, has an Everyday Low Price on its (very excellent) Cremant de Jura at less than a tenner! It's a problem alright and not one that's going to go away soon. What to do? Independents could club together and get a collective decent price. Best not to take the supers on though. Promote Excellence, Quality and Service as meaning something in wine - that's somthing the supermarkets seem incapable of delivering. But they will always be able to deliver the lowest price.
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