In the Thick of it...

For a country that produces more than its fair share of wine writers, England fails to come through in terms of wine availability. Wines have been, and continue to be created, based on the British palate. But if there are no sales, wine producers -- and, namely, the handful of large drinks corporations behind 90 percent of the wines purchased in the western world -- will quickly pull the plug on the brands.

Let's face it, the average wine buyer is grappling with wine decisions, with the biggest factor being price. However, press releases herald the British palate as 'market savvy,' 'consumer confident' even, 'a force to be reckoned with'… yet if this palate were, in fact, so developed, there would be greater choice… it isn't as if we can't even tell the difference between gravel and gravy. Give us a break.

Budgens supermarket just opened a new branch near my neighbourhood. The wine section is well-lit and alluring. A place for serious wines. So, one may go and expect to get something really different, no? Say a Zwigelt from Austria? A Muller Thurgau from Germany? A wacky Dornfelder from the States?

Forget it. In fact, the choice of Australia wines, which all basically taste the same, bleed over into the 'GERMANY' section. Interestingly, there were no German wines. Wouldn't someone notice? Shameful.

However, there is one Israeli producer (that country makes great wines), one Greek producer, and one producer from Peru.

PERU? Nice.

Here's a lesson, according to the back label, apparently the 2005 Tacama Gran Tinto, made from a blend of Merot, Petit Verdot and Tannat which are picked from the first vineyards to ever produce wines in the Americas… back in 1540…. using French grapes? Now, this isn't a history blog, but…

A weak and flabby nose, with the odor of moldy blackberries and crushed tobacco. It isn't unpleasant, but then, it's not very good either. Tight and rubbery in the mouth with a burning finish. Certainly different and more exciting than drinking a Chilean Merlot or Argentinean Malbec, but for £8, a better version of either would be available. 7.8

Tell us about any 'different' wines at your wine stores. Don’t need to buy them, but let's see what choices we are being provided with. If the rest of the world's wine shelves are anything like the one's in my neighbourhood, then we still have a long way to go.