Life is too short to drink bad wine

Normally Barberesco wine cost an arm and a leg, but not this one. For a mere NOK 230 you could be the owner of this wine which in quality is equal to its more expensive competitors. The vines are more than 40 years old and comes from the Paje field in Barberesco. Discrete smell of old wood, dried fruit, truffle and cherries. The taste is dry, big and long with velvety tannins. The wine is not for meditation (when young) as it requires food to shine. Red and stew meat, mature cheese and pasta. A very good example of the Nebbiolo grape. Barbaresco 2006, by Luca Roagna, Medium price @ 230, low price but high quality Barbaresco Roagna, historical wine cellar in Barbaresco | Italian traditional wines Barbaresco Barolo

Got this wine from a colleague with the aim to blind taste it. Sort of medium dark red colour with a spicy Beaujolais character (lots of red berries). The taste was very fruity, warm, spicy, juicy  and quite refreshing. Quite an unusual mix, but most likely from warmer climates like Spain or Portugal. Maybe the Grenache grape? Of course all wrong, as the wine was from Sicily and based upon the Frappato and Nero d'Avola grapes. Arianna Occhipinti is a young winemaker that has only produced wine for around 10 years. SP68 Nero d'Avola e Frappato by Occhipinti, Low price level @ 174, worth every penny If your Italian is good here is her blog.... az. agr. arianna occhipinti Arianna Occhipinti | Facebook

Xmas is approaching with advent calendar and lots of chocolate. A great wine with chocolate or chocolate dessert is a sweet red wine. In Valpolicella they dry the grapes after harvest and make two different wines out of these "raisins"; one dry red called Amarone and one sweet called Recioto. We are of course in the middle price range for such specialities, but for Xmas this is perfect. Lots of sweet cherries on the nose and a beautiful sweet lively cherry like taste. Great long taste and a good balance with slight bitter aftertaste. It's time to stock up for Xmas..... Recioto della Valpolicella, Accordini NOK 250 for 50 ml, perfect with chocolate and choco desserts.

Ch de la Tour part of Clos du Vougeot is a fantastic complex wine! The 2001 tasted at Cafe de France in Stavanger the other day is creme de la creme from Burgundy and was a wonderful experience matching the deer perfectly. Lovely red colour and a vibrant complex smell of red fruit, truffles and violet. The taste being long and well balanced with ample muscle and plenty of sap with a firm and elegant tannic finish. Classic Clos de Vougeot ! and perfect balance between soft tannins and the acidity. http://www.chateaudelatour.com/ Wonderful!

Two whites and five reds were tasted with the following aim; - taste the difference between Chablis and white Burgundy - taste the difference between various appelations (climate) for red Burgundy - taste the difference between village wine and premier cru Chablis 1er cru "Vaillons" 2008 by Christian Moreau, Medium Price 242 Yellow green colour with aromas of apple, citrus and minerals. Lively long taste with good acidity and minerality. Chassagne Montrachet 1er cru "les Caillertes", Lequin-Colin Medium Price 350 Pale yellow colour, sitrus, green apples and minerals. Long solid mouthful with balanced acidity, fruit and subtle oak character. Lovely stuff. Savigny-les-Beaune by Pavelot, Medium price 250 Red from more sandy/limestone soil. Medium dark red colour with elegant aromas of red current, raspberry. Well balanced light taste with marked and balanced acidity. Beaune 1er cru "Boucherottes", by Anne Gros, Medium price 270 "Boucherott...

Brilliant deep dark red colour from this major Rhone producer. 100% syrah grapes means packed fruit and a complex elegant taste.  This is a classic and reasonable Crozes perfect with game, steak and cheese. Great value for money and most enjoyable. Crozes Hermitage "Les Jalets" 2007, P J Aine, Low price range 145, high quality price ratio

In search for more options to match game dishes I set my eyes on this South African Syrah.  This syrah is from South Africa’s Swartland district, an area north of Cape Town which traditionally produced chunky, rather rustic reds. Not this one. It’s a northern Rhône style red, with perfumy, smoky, black pepper aromas, refined black fruit, smoke and herb flavours and a lovely silky texture. This is the debut vintage for Mullineux Family Vineyards, although Chris Mullineux is well-known as the winemaker who put Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards on the map. This is like top notch Crozes Hermitage or young Hermitage. Borderline low to medium price range but worth every penny especially if you have already spent a considerable amount of money on game. Best served 16-18c. Mullineux Syrah 2008, Coastal Region South Africa, lovely Rhone stuff from SA Low/medium price 219, but P+ Mullineux wines