Opencity winos

Having a section on wine is maybe giving too much away about how we like to relax when we're not working, but here goes... We'd like to set up a discussion on what we've been trying, what we think is great and what we should have poured down the saniflow toilet when it broke down in Eastbourne a couple of days ago in the hope that it might clear. Talking of which, Portuguese wine can sometimes hover dangerously between the exciting the palate and clearing the toilet.

A very nice Portuguese wine, available at Coodens Cellars here in Eastbourne, is Baga, by Luis Pato, quite fruity but with a hint of subtle restraint, almost tasting like Pinot Noir at times. Another very nice one (especially chilled, which sounds a bit odd for a red) is Herdade Penedo Gordo, from Alentejo. Available at The Sampler (London). This is a bit more fruity. but quite clean. But an absolute stinker, resoundingly rejected when I brought it round for dinner the other night, was the funkily (and possibly pretentiously) named .Com, that's right. .Com red which I bought from the usually very good wine merchants Adnams of Southwold.

Alistair Marshall, Adnams' wine buyer, describes the winemaker thus: "Tiago exemplifies the immense possibilities for Portuguese wines, concentrating on local grape varieties and focusing on the particular soils of Estremoz. Not only great value but immediately interesting, new flavours" - like Bovril mixed with sherry, Alistair? 

Anyway, time to move on. Will try Hungary next before moving back to the safety of France, Spain and Italy.