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Could have made a sort of Long Island IT if you had any Coke in the house. Not really a cocktail but when I lived in France they tended to drink Whisk(e)y/Bourbon with either coke or orange juice. Both truly disgusting.

Don't go so much for Tawnys but find that Madeira makes an excellent alternative. The Henriques & Henriques 10yo Bual is a good alternative (although I prefer the drier Sercial). As I manage to get through quite a lot of the stuff I am restricted to the 10yo otherwise I would venture into 15yos.

Does anyone know what Cadenheads Old Raj tastes like? I believe that it sells for about $50 a bottle!!! Do you have the "pleasure" of ahving UK Gordon's? This is the one that is bottled at 37.5% (for Duty reasons)? Fortunately a lot of pubs/bars have stopped selling this (despite new packaging) and are going for other stronger (40% +) gins. I am not sure if this is a price thing or whether UK consumers aren't as dumb as all that and are refusing the almost tasteless Gordons.

Belle Epoque is not the fizziest of champagnes (it has small bubbles, if you get my drift) and these are going to subside with age. To have none might be a bit suspect though. Having said that my father has quite a lot of Roederer 1975/77 which is fantastic and still has a very lovely gentle fizz. With reference to the colour, it is natural that it would be darker, and the oxidised taste is synonymous with older champagnes. Personally it is not something that I generally like and given the choice I would not really choose a champagne older than the late 80s. With the DP 1973, I presume this is part of the Oenotheque range and has been recently disgorged (in the same way as Bolly RD) and that is why there are plenty of bubbles.

I made my wife a G&T before going to the cinema using Plymouth 57%. It was a healthy measure and we then cycled about 2km. When we arrived she was a bit breathless from the cycling but also she went temporarily blind!! The last time she ever drank gin.

Blending is not as simple as all that: Let's say you blend X and Y in March to get Z and the same X and Y in September to get Z the two Z wines will taste different. The software may well tell you all the chemical components but is it going to tell you when to blend?

2003 Burgundy - I was at Ch. Fuissé and the owner was saying that 2003 was a year that no one had seen the likes of before and therefore people were not 100% sure on what the best thing to do was. I like Caremas analogy and think that he might be spot on. Without the acidity I am not sure how long the appeal will last for. I also think that when you get into regulating the acid levels, the wines become less pure.

This weeks Harpers had an interesting article about the 2003 Bordeaux vintage. They were quoting Christian Moueix as saying that there will be "some fantastic wines and some very dissapointing wines with no taste - completely cooked". He also warned that the en primeur tastings are going to be incredibly difficult to the high tannin contents - what joy I have tasted only 2 or 3 from Bordeaux, obviously as the producers think that they are incredible, but to be honest I was not overly impressed. I tasted a 2003 Volnay in the cask last week and was quite impressed by the concentration of fruit there. i suppose it is caveat emptor

1990 Ch. Beausite (Cru B.) St. Estephe Had with roast chicken. Seemed to have lost quite a lot of fruit since I last had it a year or so ago. Result was a quite nice bottle but lacking in any surprises.

you could. it doesn't mean you're right, but you could Ok so that's merlot out as well as pinot which leaves cab sauv the front runner, with syrah coming a close 2nd and cab franc 3rd

That's where my mind went as well... I would go with you part of the way. I feel more comfortable with Alsace so would go there and maybe choose a very fruity one with a fair bit of residual sugar. Porbably a gewursztraminer or TPG. Brad/Carolyn, as I don't eat a lot of really spicy food, do you think that your choice of acidity would work better than my fruit?

Had some Jackson Estate (NZ) wines in screw cap. Thought that they were disgusting but I think that they have won numerous awards so possibly they might be pallatable if you like that sort of thing.

No idea but my theory would be that producing bottles for the US is more expensive than elsewhere (due to the 75cl size), coupled with the fact that Lagavulin is seriously short of stock (especially the 16yo) that it might just cut you guys out! Oban is also becoming very short in supply so the same principles might be applied! Better stock up whilst you can! (or is that the whole idea of this rumour ?)

I would agree with Episyd re: NZ pinots. If you can find it one of my favourites is Isabelle Estate although I am not sure the price will be right although I think that you should eb able to get it sub $25

Craig, Here in London I come across so many wines that sell for £5 in the shops but are £15 in restaurants. Too many to list!! However the argument supposedly goes that a restaurant doesn't make any money on food but it is the drinks that make the profit!! (and if you believe that....) Wine being marked up 3 times pales into insignificance when it comes to water. How often have you seen a bottle of Hildon selling for about £3 when it costs about 50p?

2001 Mercurey, Colin Deleger. Mercurey is not a village that particularly has ever caught my attention but this wine was drinking really well. Still had a lovely acidity and a good amount of buttery tones. Perfect with wild (rather than farmed) salmon.

1993 Ch. Malescasse (Cru B.) imported through my old company and think was selling for about £10. Never was a great fan of this wine but as my old boss gave it to me for doing him a favour I am not going to complain. having said that of the 7 bottles that I have had this was by far the best and really quite enjoyable.

Sammy, I think that you have hit the nail on the head. It seems a lot of people (in th UK anyway) who ask for Pinot Grigio just want the variety and have no interest what so ever in the producer. With attitudes like that why should any restaurant/bar really bother with a more expensive and better producer? Your post about "editing for ignorance", was that aimed at me? All I said is that I liked French Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio whatever you want to call it. You asked whether Pinot Grigio is only Italian. I suppose it is in name only but as it is a grape variety rather than a DOC.... It reminds me of a news item I once saw. There was an Australian producer going on and on about how wonderful his chardonnay was every year and that the Burgundians could not match him for consistency. Cue to a Burgundian who says in a very French way (surprise that!!) that he USES chardonnay to make a Puligny Montrachet (ie he doesn't make a Chardonnay)

I think that Pinot Grigio is one of the most under-rated wines and I must confess that it is one of my favourites. There is only one proviso and that is that it should be French rather than Italian.

Andre, I agree that the "leader" should probably have the last say if everyone is equally knowledgable/ignorant. I usually get the list with my friends and family as I work in the trade. But when I am out with others who know as much/more I am more than happy to let a man or woman make the decision. Also when I am out with people who are not so into their wine as me (ie are not prepared to spend as much) I am more than happy to let them make the choice, again regardless of sex PS I have always greatly appreciated women

BTW the wines from Boyer-Martenot and Bertrand Ambroise were fantastic. If you do not know these producers it is well worth keeping an eye out for them. Apparently at B-M, the sons of the owner have been abroad and have incorporated "new" techniques. Whether this is true I don't know and don't care as the wines are lovely. One of the best wines for value for money was the Bourgogne Rouge Vieilles Vignes by Bertrand Ambroise. It was a lot cheaper, fuller and more sophisticated than the Emotion de Terroirs by Girardin. The winemaker also said that it should be good for 15 years (although they do tend to exagerate a wee bit !!!). Not sure if you can get this easily in the US but it is an excellent entry into Burgundy for those not happy spending a fortune!

Gato-mato, here is a link showing the bottle. Is this the same one that you are talking about? http://www.rum.cz/galery/eur/es/bacardi/img/es~6.jpg

There was a selection of both red & white Bouzereau - as I had alrready tasted the Meursaults I didn't do so again and only had the Aligoté and Beaune 1er Cru Vigne Franches. The Aligoté had a butterscotch nose, with excellent soft lightly buttery fruit on the palate. Good soft acidity. Was quite impressed albeit that the wine was a little light but then I suppose it always is with Aligoté. The Vigne Franches had fantastic burst of berry fruit and was a really good soft easy drinker with medium & soft tannins Rion - The NSG 1erC Les Terres Blanches was a 100% Pinot Blanc. Overall it was a little light compared to the Chardonnays. Coffee and toast on the nose and palate. Rounded and soft. My colleague tasted the reds (as these were at the end of the tasting and I was waning!). Cotes de Nuit Villages Le Vaucrain had a vegetal nose. Soft and sweet with a touch of pencil shavings. Tannic and well structured. NSG Les Grnads Vignes - boiled sweets on the nose. Quite floral. Soft but firm tannnis. Yum (!!). Vosne R 1erC Beaux Monts - Gorgeous nose, sweet, full fruit. Red berries with a touch of cream. Luscious. Carillon straight PM - I know that this might be sacriligious but I am not a fan of Carillon or Puligny for that matter!!!! My colleague wrote Lovely - really gorgeous - almost too good! Very well balanced acidity, length, structure etc. Spice, citrus. d'Angerville - The Meursault 1erC Santenots wasn't showing well. The nose was very closed with only a rather acidic/antiseptic note coming through. On the palate the fruit was very soft, with not a huge amount of acidity. Wasn't very well structured and I think that this needs to be tasted again. The Volnay Clos des Ducs had a really earthy nose which was carried through to the body. Very soft tannins and again not showing well so think that this needs to be tasted again. Serville - only tasted the straight Chambolle Musigny. There was a lovely sweet, red berry fruit on the nose which was carried through onto the pallate. It had great length. Did they possibly fermnent at too high a temperature? Trapet - passed on this one and so did my colleague as I have some samples to try in the near future Boillot - Louis B's Chambolle Musigny I found far too sweet and extracted for me but then I do have perculiar likes. Lucien GevreyC & Les Evocelles were much more to my liking. Both were made in a forward and easily approachable style with plenty of fat rich, ripe Pinot. The Evocelles had much firmer tannins and was rounder and fuller with exceptional length. A really good wine. Girardin: There were only 15 of his 70 or so wines here, so I will keep it brief. - Savigny Les B les Vermots Dessous (white). Floral, sweet, spicy. Excellent acidity. A really good wine. - Santenay 1erC Clos des Tavannes (white). Toasty oak nose - big. Quite oaky on the body but well inegrated with plenty of sweey fruit and acidity. - Beaune 1erC Pertuisots (white) less oaked than the Santenay. Touch of bitterness but good none the less - Mersault Narvaux - Closed nose but what's there was very elegant rather than powerful. Good sweet fruit and fine acidity. - PM Vieilles Vignes - Less sweet than some of the others. Longish length but best not to ask my thoughts on PMs! - Chassagne M 1erC Morgeot - Really good. Creamy, plenty of toasty oak, honey. Sweet fruit, excellent acidity & length. - PM 1erC Folatieres - Very toasty nose. Sweet fruit almost pears on the nose. Spicy and warm on palate. - Corton C - a big big wine. sweet fruit on nose alomst appley. Honey and pears on the body. Well balanced. _Bienvenues BatM - Quite a bit of oak but perhaps the best integrated. Spicy and a little toasty on palate. Elegant and sexy. The reds: - Emotion de Terroir - don't bother. Expensive for what it is. Quite an average Pinot, with a Girardin label. - Santenay 1erC Gravieres VV - Possibly a little tough but what was there was lovely. Not excessivly ripe fruit. Tannins firm with good acidity. - Vosne R VV - Lots of red berries on the nose/body. Sweet full fruit. Excellent acidity and length. - Volnay 1erC Santenots - a big forward chewy wine. Blackbnerry on the nose and spicy in the mouth. Loved this style. - Echezeaux - Fantastic. Rasp/blackberries. Quite austere. Firm tannins and acidity should age very well. - Charmes Chamb - Excellent fruit concentration bith red & black fruit. High glycerol, firm tannins. Balanced. Good length. Good prospects for aging.

PS. I was talking to one of the producers who told me that his usual production of Bourgogne Blanc was 10,000 bottles but due to the climatic affects in 2003 this would be down to 1,500. So you might want to stock up whilst you can.