One of my favourite reds, always a decent drink. Not sure how it’s priced overseas but it’s become rather expensive here.
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It’s getting pretty expensive here too Pete. I bought this at release back in 2017. With taxes and delivery etc. it worked out at about £65 a bottle. I think a 2014 now would retail at well over £100 a bottle. (Vivino says £150 a bottle for the 2015).
Long gone are the days when you could pick it up for £20 in Tesco…!
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When I first started drinking it was easy to get under $50, it’s now over a $100. I did grab a few on special a few months ago for $70. Lovely drop that goes well with a thick steak. 
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Agreed - evil incarnate!
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Catching up after being off the thread for almost a year – a few distractions, but all good. Your post on the fellow who spent most of his career in HK and collected wine over the period, but had waited to drink it resonated. Had a significant B-day mid-2023 (60) and one decision was to do less buying and start to enjoy (with friends and family) what we had been storing.
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Where in Canada?
Can you share where that pub is? Sounds like a place that might be worth putting on the list. Thank you!
Sure, it was The Blue Lion at East Witton (Leyburn). Proper country pub: open fires, great food, beer and wine. We stayed over - lovely rooms and the breakfast wasn’t half bad either!
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In December, I decided to pivot my beer consumption to the 0.0’s in an attempt to prioritise my alcohol units to wine (not anal about it, but was given some motivation). Will see how long I stick with it, but some of the “bleifrei” beers I tried over Christmas weren’t too bad. Much better than what my father in law had to start drinking 50 years ago after a triple by-pass – to his credit, he drank the stuff for the next 47 years!). Helps that I am a Pilsner fan which lends itself to the lead-free beer. And yes, more cycling in 2024 is in order.
Thanks #BobbyYork. Will keep an eye open for a local cycling sportive. We live in London and I’ve been doing various sportives as a way to explore the countryside.
The best non-alcoholic beer that I’ve found is Erdinger, a 500 mil bottled lager-style beer from Bavaria. I persuaded my local pub to start stocking it a few years back, and sales (not just to me) are going up all the time - particularly this month with many people having a ‘dry January’.
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Injecting myself into this discussion. I was at a La Paulée dinner last year (brought a Diamond Creek Gravelly Meadow bottle). I mentioned I was slowing my wine purchases down as I felt a cellar of 3500-4000 bottles for personal consumption (I rarely sell what I have purchased) would be more than sufficient and I would do periodic “fill-ins” and opportunistic buys when I spotted something worth grabbing. A fellow at the table asked how many bottles a year we consume – I didn’t have a clue. He said he takes about 500 bottles a year out of his cellar (personal consumption and friends and family) and I would regret slowing down now (@60). Aside from wondering how I could get invited to one of his dinners, he did make me think about what is the optimal size of a cellar (both what we have in our Canadian cellar and what we have in bond here in the UK). Either way, I am continuing with the pivot to running down the cellar a bit and being more targeted in my purchases.
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I know Erdinger (partly because my last name is very similar to the name of the beer – only two letters different!). Will look for their 0.0 version. Thank you Graham55 for the recommendation!
It was meant to be BC but those plans are on hold.
Let me know if the plans get back on track. I’m from Ontario originally but know the Sea to Sky (Squamish/Whistler) area well and can give some recommendations if needed.
Been there a few years back and loved it, the people were fantastic and scenery was amazing. Ended up on Vancouver Island for a few days as well, we are still hoping to get back but it depends on a few things.
We also fell in love with it, and it is now the second home. And decent wine, for Canadian wine…
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This is very nice, a white Crozes Hermitage made from Marsanne and which we bought in Chantilly last month. At 13.5% it’s a bit stronger than we really like, but it is incredibly good. We have a salmon and beetroot en croute thing for dinner, so it should go very well. We bought it for Christmas - the wine not the beetroot, which comes in our organic veg box and we have to think of ways to eat the bloody things - but forgot we had it. A nice surprise.
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A (very) nice Barolo. Purchased as part of a clear out sale from Justerini’s. Paired with a mince turkey bolognese with our now 9 year old parmesan.
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I never really mind when the ollection gets a bit low, as I get such a kick out of locating, qualifying and purchasing wines. I enjoy the acquisition as much as the consumption. So, in buying mode, I’m a happy guy. Its almost frustrating when I’m stocked up, espaecially when I see some inviting purchases (which is really, all the time).