Life is too short to drink bad wine

Hubert Lamy is one of my favourites as he makes wonderful white Burgundies and especially from Saint Aubin. The wine is a full-bodied dry white, perfect for fat white fish like the monkfish. Lots of limy flavors with a bit of a spicy nose. Long balanced taste, very fruity and a bit "fat" taste. Saint-Aubin 2011 "La Princee", Hubert Lamy Price ca 30-35€. Price difference between Norway and France is minor.

This is a wonderful dessert wine based on Riesling. The nose is complex with hint of petroleum, minerals, lime and exotic fruits. The balance is fabulous with a perfect match between sweetness and acidity. Lovely stuff! Selbach-Oster 2005 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese I just love sweet white wines...

A 14 year old Nebbiolo with a wonderful bouquet of sweet cherries, dry leaves and burnt wood. The taste was however less impressive but still very good. Perfect with the filet of reindeer. Totally different from Barolo and Barbaresco which both develop a brown rim after just a few years. This Roero had no such faded rim. Roero 1998 by Malvira Don't be fooled by the color it is Nebbiolo after all.

Magnum bottles are great stuff and especially for Champagne. This Pinot Noir dominated Champagne has a slight rose colour and a lovely fruity smell with small elegant bubbles. Very inviting Champagne when in the glass! Most people drink Champagne as an aperitif but we should not forget that it can very easily be drunk with most type of food as well. Gonet-Medeville Blanc de Noirs At the 4 Roser restaurant in Harstad

This Riesling from Pfalz in Germany is just wonderful. Packed with fruit and minerals and perfect with salmon or sushi. The producer is Økonomierat Resholz and wine is from the Ganshorn im Sonnenschein. It's not cheap but worth every penny of the 35€ it will set you back. Thanks to restuarant 4 Roser in harstad for introducing me to this wine. Ganshorn im Sonnenschein 2007, Pfalz Delicious and mineral rich.

This Beaune 1er cru by Anne Gros is out in the 2010 vintage. The wine is always good value for money and so this time around as well. Medium dark red colour packed with fruit like red berries and cherries. A bit spicy and some vanilla flavours as well. Very seductive fruity taste with a long aftertaste. Solid wine with nice acidity and soft tannins. Can be kept for 5-6 years. Goes with red meat, lamb and game. Beaune 1er cru "Boucherottes" 2010 by Anne Gros. A moreish wine (u want more) "Maria Mena: Just Hold Me"

Had this nice Burgundy by Frederic Magnien at the Le Village in Neuilly-sur-Seine the other day. A bit pricy, but oh so lovely and seductive and it goes well with both white fish and meat. When you find the right producers in Burgundy is difficult to go wrong.... Gevrey-Chambertin 2008, Frederic Magnien Seductive and oh so pleasant...

It's approaching Beaujolais Nouveau time but if you are to drink Beaujolais then try one of the village names. Chiroubles is one of my favorites, always light red berries and flowers. Fresh fruity taste with a nice balanced acidity. If you drink Beaujolais remember to serve it slightly chilled (around 14c) as that reveals the freshness of the wine. If it is served too warm it becomes limpid and boring. Chiroubles 2010, ca 8€ or 24€ at resto in France. Do not save, to be drunk young...

Margaux is emergin as one of my favout´rites from Bordeaux. Maybe because the smell can remind you of Burgundy? This is cru Bourgeois from the odd 2007 vintage, but it still makes the trick. Lovely smell of red berries and flowers with a balnced velvety taste. Not too expensive and good value at restáurant La Boutarde in Neuilly, Paris. Ch.Mongravey 2007, Margaux Reasonable Margaux for once...

Not often you find a 12 years old Burgundy at a restaurant, but it is possible. Volnay is one of the most acidic Burgundies around and this premier cru from clos des ducs is no exception. Great acidity and a long balanced taste. Volnay 2000 "Clos des Ducs" ca 50 euro or 600 NOK or 999 NOk at resto..

Saint Aubin from Burgundy is actually a white that goes well with Asian food. Lovely smell of ctitrus and minerals. Great long "waxy" taste with good fruit and well balanced acidity. Olivier Lelaive makes both good red and white fromBurgundy. Saint Aubin 1er cru "Chateniere" Leflaive Asian match...

Bottle number 4773 of this great Barbaresco from the single vineyard "Montefico". Producer is the co-op in Barbaresco, probably one of the world's best co-ops. Medium red colour. The nose is more towards autumn leaves and dried fruit. The taste is firm and long with quite noticable tannins. Needs 4-5 years to open up and smoothen, but a lovely wine already. Especially with lamb. Barbaresco "Montefico" 2007, Ca 30 to 40€ Ellie Goulding "Your Song"

This 2007 wine is a co-operation between four producers. Taburnum is the latin word to describe a terrace of ancient Roman vineyard upstream of Condrieu. The grape is Viognier and the wine has the same qualities as a Condrieu. Peach, honeysuckle, lemongrass and apricot. Truly lovely stuff. Full-bodied dry white with a lovely fruit and acidity. This wine goes with most cheese. Taburnum 2007, Terres de Viennæ, Rhone. Ca 33£ Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out"

Found this old Barbaresco at the restaurant Bovio in La Morra. Single vineyard from the parcel Paje and bottle number 4702.. And what a wine! Barolo maybe the king in Piedmonte but Barbaresco is the Queen. Delicious smell of autumn leaves, cherries and a bit of rose and tar. Long velvety smoth tannic taste. Wonderful balance and drinking perfectly now. Just great with lamb chops... Barbaresco 1995 Paje- Produttori del Barbaresco

I totally  forgot that I had quite a few of the Ch Haut-Bailly from 1998 in my cellar. Sparkling red and purple color, not much indicating that the wine is 14 years old I must say. Lovely discrete smell of sweet red berries and dark chocolate with hints of vanilla. The taste is well balanced with soft tannins and a lively acidity, indicating that it's still got a few more years to go. Ch.Haut-Bailly 1998, Pessac Leognan 25£ (en primeur) or 100£ now U2 - "Sweetest Thing"

Alter Ego is the second wine by Ch Palmer in Margaux (Bordeaux). It's also a 50/50 mix of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium dark red colour and a wonderful elegant bouquet of velvety dark berries and flowers. The taste is superbly balanced with soft seductive tannins and a long lingering finish. Simply a truly great wine that is drinking very well indeed right now. Found this in a restaurant in Stavanger at a price that was not scary taking into account the current sales price of around 40 to 50£. Alter Ego 2000, Margaux Stairways to Heaven.....

2010 is a very good vintage all over France. So also in Rhone. Saint Joseph wines can sometimes be of variable quality but when you get vintages like 2010 most areas are a good bet. This 100% Syrah from  Doamine Les Hauts Chassis is a dark coloured wine filled with dark fruit and pepper. It's perfect with a pepper steak or entrecote with pepper sauce. A lively wine with lots of character on the dark side.. St Joseph, Domaine Les Hauts Chassis 2010, Ca 25€ "Lana del Rey - Video Games"

This bottle bought at BBR in London taught me two things: The Syrah grape in Rhone and the way it is used in St.Joseph and Cornas give really dark red wines filled with dark fruit and pepper. So the name on this wine "Vin Noir" is just perfect because thats what this is, it is a really dark wine screaming for some red meat or game. Secondly, there is light in the tunnel. What a funny name for a domaine! This dense fruity peppery wine can last a few more years without any problems as well. Ca 35£. Cornas 2007 "Domaine du Tunnel" by Stephane Robert "Adele- Rolling In The Deep"

The birds are leaving Norway to go south looking for  a warmer climate. Papa Figos is a type of bird in the Douro valley north in Portugal and is used as the name for this everyday drinking wine from the Douro valley. It's a reasonable wine (125 NOK or 5€) with a nice smell of of black cherries and with a good acidity and fruit. The wine goes with red meat and probably pizza as well. Papa Figos 2010, Douro America - " A horse with No Name"