Anyone who has ever hosted a social gathering knows the stress of trying to buy the right amount and mixture of alcoholic beverages for the evening. Even with something as universally loved as wine, everyone has different tastes and preferences. Beyond the classic divide of red and white, there are a range of conflicting opinions regarding dryness, sweetness and fruitiness. Therefore, I decided to do a quick survey of those invited so I could compile a rough criteria. Although I knew this wouldn’t be bulletproof, I hoped it would at least mean my guests wouldn’t be fighting over the last bottle of red by 8pm.
A Casino Evening
The social gathering in question was a casino evening hosted at my home. In our youth, my husband and I used to love the occasional trip to the casino. However, these days the breakneck speed and throb of light and sound is all a bit too much. Therefore, we thought it could be fun to hold a more family-friendly casino night from the comfort of our own living room. We began our preparations by browsing the GamblingKingz.co.uk website. This website provides a list of approved online casinos in the UK, which comply with the new UK gambling law, and also offers casino reviews. Once we had scanned the selection of safe and authentic online casinos, and chosen our favourite, we then linked up the laptop to our widescreen TV. This meant that we could broadcast the virtual games of poker, blackjack and roulette to the room at large, so everyone could easily get in on the action. Once the main activity was sorted, it then came to me to organise the second-most important aspect of a casino evening, the alcohol!
Nothing To Wine About
A recent survey revealed that Lidl was the best supermarket for wine. This 18-month study used over 4,000 wine samples from stores across the country to determine its results. It revealed that nearly two thirds of Lidl’s wine selection represents value for money. That is a larger fraction than the likes of Marks and Spencer. Therefore, I thought there was no better place to stock up on wine. Browsing the wine aisle at Lidl, I was immediately struck by just how many award-winning wines the store stocked and their cheap price. Furthermore, the assistant I flagged down was both patient and knowledgeable as I outlined my audience and what I wanted.
Putting The Reds To Bed
So, what did my guests think of the wine selection? Lidl had recently launched what the media has referred to as “the claret offensive”, which is in reference to the supermarket’s new premium Bordeaux range. Therefore, I thought it would be silly not to pick up a Bordeaux or two. The most popular of these, amongst my guests, was the Chateau Taffard Médoc (2011, 13.5%, £6.99) and the Cave Bel Air Bordeaux Rouge (2011, 13.5%, £5.99). The Chateau, although slightly more expensive, is a gold medal-winning Médoc and is a beautifully smooth drink with the perfect hint of vanilla within its rich taste. The Cave Bel Air is a bit mellow but equally smooth. The wine, made by famous producer Maison Sichel, comes in an incredibly handsome bottle and, although perhaps a touch short, is still astoundingly well priced.
Picking The Right Whites
For options for those who did not like red, I selected a Bissinger Champagne Brut NV France (12%, £6.99), which was also recommend by the Daily Telegraph wine critic Victoria Moore, and a P. de Marcilly Mâcon-Villages (2011, 12.5%, £7.49). The Champagne, although perhaps a little lacking in finesse for wine-buffs, was refreshing and clean to my admittedly less educated taste buds. My guests immensely enjoyed the champagne’s toasty taste and the only complaint seemed to be that it only came in a half-bottle! The P. de Marcilly has a hint of Chardonnay about it and its creamy texture was not prohibiting it from being light and fresh. Although perhaps not quite as popular as the Champagne, this classy wine still held its own against the Bordeaux.
Author: Adam Davies
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