I am sure this is a sentiment that we can all agree on. My main concern at the moment is that we are being given less and less choice because of the power of the supermarkets and their use of large branded wines, especially those from the southern hemisphere.
OK, these winesare safe and won't make a fool of you, but to me they all taste much the same. They have good fruit, soft and easy tannins and not much else, except a very attractive price.
I think drinking wine should be an inviting experience, whereby the drinker feels that to try something different is fun and rewarding.
There are so many really exciting and wonderful wines that are made from obscure and long abused grapes just waiting to be discovered. Every year I go to France ,Italy and Spain and I am constantly amazed at the variety and extraordinary quality of these wines. Yes they will cost a little more, but oh what joy. Anyway, is not the spice of life it's untold variety?
Published in the Guernsey Press 8th July 2006.