Christmas - Wine Delivery

[GrumpyGregry]

While we're talking about wine, gas anyone got any suggestions for dessert wine? Monbazillac, Sauternes or possibly Tokai crossed with my short arm deep pockets tendencies.

Beaumes de venise should suit the short arms. Sweet sherrys much underrated with pud, as is the lighter sort of port, I tend to go Riesling ice wine as is my wont.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I've just ordered 18 bottles from Laithewaites.

Every year I umm and arr about where to get the best deal on wine. I never feel I have, because there’s no real way to tell what wine is worth.

Sometimes I’ve used Majestic, considered Naked wines and today saw some crazy prices at Calais wine. Can’t drive there and back before Christmas though.

Anyhoo, anyone seen a great deal?

Naked are ok but a bit pushy.
Wine Society can't be beat imo.

Great deal? Yep, the stuff I bought seven years ago with this year in mind.. Shame I am not here to drink it!

 

[T4tomo]

While we're talking about wine, gas anyone got any suggestions for dessert wine? Monbazillac, Sauternes or possibly Tokai crossed with my short arm deep pockets tendencies.

Tokai takes some beating on a quality for price scale.

 

[slowmotion]

@Tim Hall, another vote for Beaumes de Venise as a dessert wine. It's fabulous poured over a decent melon, under a shady tree in the Luberon.

 

[PaulSB]

I've just ordered 18 bottles from Laithewaites.

Every year I umm and arr about where to get the best deal on wine. I never feel I have, because there’s no real way to tell what wine is worth.

Sometimes I’ve used Majestic, considered Naked wines and today saw some crazy prices at Calais wine. Can’t drive there and back before Christmas though.

Anyhoo, anyone seen a great deal?

I’ve been using Laithwaites for 5-6 years. An “advisor” calls me every 4-5 months with recommendations based on my buying history. Overall I would say the quality, value and service is excellent but one needs to do a bit more than look for the best deal.

Some of their Spanish and laterly Portuguese reds are stunning and at ridiculous money. Excellent value. Some of the French reds are also very good.

Good French and South African whites which my wife enjoys. We have some very good Riesling for Christmas.

As far as I can recall I’ve had three, possibly four, wines I didn’t like or I felt were poor quality. A telephone call always results in full credit for the bottles.

It’s well worth pursuing Laithwaite’s and getting to know their range.

 

[Fnaar]

"Liqueurs?" asked Miss Goodbody.
That was some evening, I tell you!

 

[slowwww]

I use both Laithwaites and the Sunday Times Wine Club . Not good if you or your guests are wine-snobs who only drink well known estate wines as both companies avoid these and seek out little-known wines from more 'off the beaten track' places, but as long as you keep a open mind as to what you're drinking I think they offer tremendous value for money.

I use Majestic when we have wine-snobs coming round, or let them bring their own!

 

[mjr]

I use both Laithwaites and the Sunday Times Wine Club . Not good if you or your guests are wine-snobs who only drink well known estate wines as both companies […]

Huh? Aren't they both Laithwaite's? Good wines and good service but incompetent in that they seem completely unwilling not to phone people when they're working, no matter how often they're told, plus they change their caller ID every few weeks - maybe because they get blocked as nuisance callers frequently. Maybe they assume anyone drinking that much wine won't be capable of work for long.

Naked wines are OK if you get a good deal but they're like limpets and keep on calling and are quite pushy.

Majestic here have cycle parking

I hear good things about the Wine Society but not tried them yet.

 

[Tin Pot]

Anyone used Calais based shops?

It always seems to be uninspiring average stuff at average prices in the terminal.

Although I got a bottle of Fat Bastard for a mate who worries about his weight.

I’ve got three Eurotunnel tickets to use up before March.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Naked are ok but a bit pushy.
Wine Society can't be beat imo.

Great deal? Yep, the stuff I bought seven years ago with this year in mind.. Shame I am not here to drink it!

I joined Naked a month or so ago. With £60 off their premium mixed sample case is good value, and has some decent reds in particular, but based on that sample, their prices seem somewhat fierce thereafter, and this nonsense about "regular price" "Angel price" and "you save" is plain annoying. Their pushyness isn't particularly oppressive though, they do it with good humour.

ETA
Anyone else do any intro offers without tie-in that are worth trying?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

While we're talking about wine, gas anyone got any suggestions for dessert wine? Monbazillac, Sauternes or possibly Tokai crossed with my short arm deep pockets tendencies.

One we occasionally buy is Elysium, it’s a Californian black muscat, very nice and about £15-ish if that’s not too deep in the purse.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I joined Naked a month or so ago. With £60 off their premium mixed sample case is good value, and has some decent reds in particular, but based on that sample, their prices seem somewhat fierce thereafter, and this nonsense about "regular price" "Angel price" and "you save" is plain annoying. Their pushyness isn't particularly oppressive though, they do it with good humour.

ETA
Anyone else do any intro offers without tie-in that are worth trying?

I've been an angel since they started.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I've been an angel since they started.

It begs an and...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It begs an and...

Some excellent wine, some good wine, a lot of pretty unremarkable wine, at a decent discount. The model works well and building up an Angels balance on the account means, in effect, free wine when you spend it.

But for the best value stuff I go independent or to the Wine Society.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I use both Laithwaites and the Sunday Times Wine Club . Not good if you or your guests are wine-snobs who only drink well known estate wines as both companies avoid these and seek out little-known wines from more 'off the beaten track' places, but as long as you keep a open mind as to what you're drinking I think they offer tremendous value for money.

I use Majestic when we have wine-snobs coming round, or let them bring their own!

Let them bring their own but don't serve it.