Vine of the Times

Ballantynes' Christmas Wine Tasting 29th November

Yes, it's that time of year again! Save yourself from the traffic and queues and do all of your xmas shopping in one store - ours!

The tasting is at our Cardiff shop 211/217 Cathedral Road and will run from 12pm - 9pm.

We have a range of 16 wines which have been hand selected for your delight. No real theme here except that most of the wines are new to the range and there is a Champagne to start, and fortifieds to finish. This is not a formal tasting and there is no tutorial, just come along and taste some really interesting wines, many of which are exclusive to us.

We'd love to see you here, but please RSVP richard@ballantynes.co.uk

To make it really interesting, we are offering extra case discount (10%) for orders placed on the day.

The list of wines follows.

Ballantynes' Champagne Beats Bollinger in 'Wine Spectator' Blind Tasting

The Wine Spectator, America's leading wine magazine, has held a blind tasting of non-vintage Champagnes in which Gardet Cuvee St Flavy, the same cuvee as our 'Special Selection', beat Bollinger at nearly twice the price. Also receiving the same score as Billecart Salmon, Taittinger, Perrier Jouet and Heidsieck Monopole Diamant Blanc which retails in the States for $100.The tasting note is on the subscribers section of the site, but here it is below.

"Firm and harmonious, featuring peach, apple, honey and spice notes. Picks up some citrus accents toward the long, mouthwatering finish. Drink now. 2,000 cases imported. 91pts"

The wine is made from a blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 45% Pinot Meunier and 10% Chardonnay, and 20% is composed of reserve wine which adds richness and complexity to the blend. This wine has been our 'house' Champagne for 12 years, and it is consistent in quality.

This is one of Champagne's outstanding bargains and we offer it at £16.99 per bottle or £14.75 when you buy 12.

Beaujolais Nouveau Est Arrivee

Yes, our Nouveau has arrived and now on our shelves for sale. As long as you don't take it too seriously, Beaujolais Nouveau can be an enjoyable drink - fruity, easy going and a bit of fun, ideal for drinks parties, as long as you drink it soon, i.e. before Christmas.

Most Nouveau that comes to these shores is from the famous producer Georges Duboeuf, but his reputation has been tarnished of late, with a prosecution for blending ordinary AC Beaujolais into his Fleurie. Fortunately, the authorities were alerted early and the wine never made it to market. However, the damage has been done.

All our Beaujolais, including Nouveau come from the negociant firm of Trenel Fils who have been a quality producer since 1928. They have been our sole Beaujolais producer since 1994.Beaujolais Nouveau is not fermented in a traditional manner, instead it is made by a method called maceration carbonique, which is essentially a fermentation without the use of oxygen. The resulting wines are low in tannins and ready for drinking sooner.

For our local clients, the Nouveau will be on tasting all week, or until it's all gone, whichever the sooner.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2006 Trenel Fils £6.99
Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2006 Trenel Fils £7.49
Macon Villages Blanc Nouveau 2006 Trenel Fils £8.99

Buy any 3 and save £3

What Would You Pay For A Bottle Of Champagne?

Ever since the gaff made by Frederic Rouzaud of Champagne Louis Roederer whose ambivalence  towards the success of his company's top brand 'Cristal' with African-American rappers was construed as racism by Jay-Z (quite famous rapper, apparently), and has been compared to 'doing a Ratner', other Champagne houses have been jostling for the top slot following the subsequent tarnishing of said Champagne. In the last few months we have seen a new release from Champagne Cattier called 'Armand de Brignac' which comes in gold bottle and solid pewter label and retails for $300 in the States and already endorsed by the rap elite, and just posted on the BBC's website is news of Perrier Jouet's plans to release a Super Cuvee which is set to retail at €1,000 per bottle.

The cynics amongst us are having a little sneer at this vinous machismo, but both are set to be huge successes. However, if you are interested in wine and not just the 'bling' we have in stock the new releases from 'Billecart-Salmon' and the incredibly rare 'Salon Le Mesnil'.

Further Evidence of Health Benefits of Wine

Those lucky mice which have been subjected to vats of Vintage Claret and foie gras have apparently proved that a diet high in red wine counteracts the effects of over-eating high calorie food. This is all down to a molecule called resveratrol which is found in black grapes. Great news for anyone, like us, who binges on large amounts of wine and food.

My advice, sell your exercise bike and buy a case of Rampolla Chianti it's organic too!

The full article can found on the Beeb's website.