At £6 a bottle, this Portuguese red from the Lisbon region isn't bargain basement, I know, but it's here for a reason. Which is that it marks a change of direction for the 37 remaining branches of Oddbins which went belly up earlier this year.
It used to sell for £6.75 which, since duty and VAT as well as other costs have gone up in the meantime, reflects a significant reduction. No longer are Oddbins going to base their pricing on the fact that you get 20% off if you buy six bottles, I was told by the temporary manager of our local store in Bristol. And there are to be no weaselly 99p's hence it being priced at a clear and honest £6.
The wine, which is made from local Portuguese grape varieties - a blend of Castelão, Camarale, Tinta Miuda and Touriga Nacional, since you ask - is soft, appealing and brambly, a good wine to have around for the autumn days ahead. It would be good with sausage and mash, stronger cheeses like cheddars and blues and even a meat curry like a rogan josh, I suspect.
If you've got an Oddbins nearby (you can find the list of branches here) it's a good value option. Oddbins is a pale shadow of its former self but at least it's around in some shape or form rather than leaving us entirely at the mercy of the supermarkets.
I know this is only for a tiny proportion of your readers but I recommend VINO in Edinburgh. They have several shops but I've only used the one in Comiston Road. I've found them a knowledgeable small business with some excellent offers on bin ends - wines that the big players don't have an interest to stock due to small quantities. I've no axe to grind - just a satisfied customer! Enjoyed your blog for some time now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this, Ian. It's always useful to have recommendations from readers. I wish more did it. Bin ends can be a real bargain.
ReplyDeleteI wondered what had happened to oddbins. Several locally have closed down but noticed one up the road is still there. We do Sunday Times wine club which may well be one of the reasons for high street shops downfall, but I'd always rather the high street had those shops, so it would be nice to support oddbins - and get a lovely bottle of wine along the way! This one sounds delish.
ReplyDeleteDo try it. They're obviously trying hard to get back on track and it would be nice to see them succeed.
ReplyDeleteDelighted you're enjoying our wines. Thanks for all the positive comments. More exciting lines arriving in our stores every day...
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