Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is a basic red Burgundy. Such wines can be variable in quality, but this one delivers the goods. Delicate sweet raspberries and flowers on the nose. The colour is medium dark cherry red. The taste is very inviting with soft elegant tannins. A very nice wine indeed and a bargain at 14 euro with the poor Norwegians having to pay 260 NOK (33 euro) for this one. Cote de Nuits Village 2009, Patrice Rion A bargain if bought in France...

This is a "table wine" from Tuscany in Italy. Please do not be fooled by the fact that it does not have a DOC or DOCG status. The producer Fontodi knows what he is doing and this 100% Sangiovese has among others appeared 3 times in the top 10 wines of the Wine Spectator. He produces 5000 cases each of this winewhich can be stored around 10 to 12 years. This 2001 vintage was still in good shape with lovely red fruit and wet wool on the nose.The taste is almost like a claret with firm tannins craving for some nice meat. Flaccianello della Pieve 2001, Tuscany One of the best IGT's around... Fontodi azienda vinicola nel cuore del Chianti Classico - Panzano Toscana

Red Wine - Camere Rooms Zimmer This guest house is located in Annunziata just downhill from La Morra and 3km from Barolo. It has 6 nice rooms out of which 5 have a terrace and view over the Barolo vineyards. The RedWine is a bit misleading as the host does not speak English, but there is a lot of red wine in the area.... The rates are reasonable with prices varying from 80 to 100€ for a double room. Just close to the guest house you will find the Ratti producer as well as a very nice Osteria with a very good wine selection. In fact you can see both from the swimming pool....

Restaurant Bovio in La Morra which has the most wonderful of the Barolo vineyards has also the most amazing wine list! 48 pages packed with Barolo, Barberesco and other Italian and world wine is the most amazing list I have ever seen. For a wine lover it nearly brought tears to my eyes... Sooo difficult to choose because once you found a producer you liked, you had to decide on WHICH Barolo parcel you wanted and then the vintage! It was that kind of wine list! Truly wonderful....

Vacheron makes wonderful Sancerre white and red and this white from the 2011 vintage maintains the high quality that he delivers year after year. Zingy and zesty dry white wine perfect with white fish, prawns and scallop. Bone dry in fact but perfectly balanced. Domaine Vacheron 2011, Sancerre Just a perfect Sancerre...15€ or 190 NOK

We got this bottle for free while visiting the producer last weekend. Perhaps we bought too much of his beautiful Barolo? Incredible dark red and purple colour. The bouquet is just wonderful and dense with lots of dark berries and coffee, Sipping the wine and you get a long fruity taste, a great balance and velvety aftertaste.  Ca 12€ if you need to pay, great value for money. Barbera d'Alba 2009 by Damilano What a nice surprise! DAMILANO Barolo - Azienda Agricola Barolo

Barolo for lunch while you are in Barolo is just right isn't? Cannubi is one of the best plots in this wonderful place and together with the food at the Osteria Vignaiolo (Santa Maria) it was a wonderful experience. This is a superb wine with a very long aftertaste and some enormously balanced tannins! Beautiful red berries and rose on the nose. A truly lovely wine for 65€ in this great Osteria! Barolo Cannubi 2006 by Pira What a great experience... Home | Ristorante in La Morra (CN) - Italy | L'Osteria del Vignaiolo

This is a very small vineyard in Chassagne Montrachet. 2009 is a warm vintage which suits the Burgundy reds better than the whites. However, on a nice sunny day it is wonderful to sip a bit of white Burgundy and especially one that is let "fat" than most others and with more minerality. Beautifully balanced wine with a discrete nose of butter and toast. Lovely acidity and a long fine tuned taste. Chassagne Montrachet "Clos Devant" 2009  Bring on the white fish....

This is a single vineyard Barbaresco from one of the best co-ops in the world. Lots of cherries and a bit of spice and smoke on the nose. Long firm aftertaste that is longing for food. Best fit is lamb with all it's fat and that's what we had and it was a perfect match. Due to the firm tannins in the wine the 2004 would be better if kept for another 4-5 years- Maybe the Olympics in Rio would be perfect timing? Barbaresco "Ovello" 2004, Produttori del Barbaresco Firm wine and perfect with lamb (30-45€)(350 NOK)

This is a Grand cru red from Burgundy. I can't remember where and when I bought it, but I have it registered for 40€ purchase price. Not sure that is right, because the wine is symphony of harmony with a long velvety and silky taste. Just pure heaven. The nose is dominated by redcurrants and sweet vanilla undertones. Goes probably best with veal but went really well with Olympic gold to Norway in handball.. Le Corton by Bouchard we are in heaven....

We came across this Dolcetto when we had lunch in La Morra in Piemonte. Gianni Voerzio has created a very flowery scented wine perfect with light dishes. Deep dark purple colour as one normally would expect when there is Dolcetto in the glass and a lovely fruity and juicy taste. Around 18€ at the restaurant. Dolcetto d'Alba by Voerzio A very floral Dolcetto

Found this lovely Champagne at the local wine shop in Antibes. At only 22€ it's a real bargain as it's quite a delicious Champagne well suited as an aperitif. 45% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and only 10% Chardonnay. An open nice smell with a fresh fruity and well balanced acidity. Got Decanter Gold Medal 2012. The Champagne house has also a wide selection of other Champagnes. Champagne Gardet, Brut 22€ One of the best Brut below 25€? Champagne Gardet

This is a Rolls Royce Barbera d'Alba from one of the best producers of Barbaresco. Beautiful purple colour and vivid smell of dark fruit, plum and beetroot. The taste is very firm but oh so fruity with a great acidity. The wine is dying for food like lamb and red meat and pasta even. Barbera d'Alba 2010 by Giacosa 15€ at supermarket in Italy, ca 35€ in Norway For some of his other wines and location check out: GIACOSA

A couple of days near Barolo in the town of La Morra. Two restaurants well worth visiting: one in the hillside of La Morra and the other one in Santa Maria just down hill from La Morra. The one in Santa Maria has the most amazing list of Barolos plus food to die for at a very reasonable price. It's very popular for dinner so booking in advance is an advantage. Home | Ristorante in La Morra (CN) - Italy | L'Osteria del Vignaiolo The other one is called Ristorante Bovio and is overlooking the slopes of Barolo. Fantastic view (similar to the picture) and wine list again. Ristorante Bovio Enjoy!