I love walking around wine shops. Especially really good ones. Some of them have wonderful bottles of vintage wines, ports, sherries, madeira, marsala and brandy in lovely dusty racks. Others give you a list and you can go and actually look at a bottle of wine that is on the list at ?2000. Of course buying it is out of the question, but you will always remember that day when you actually touched a Rothschild '47 or whatever it was for the rest of your life.

If you live or work in London there are some fabulous wine merchants to window shop in. You can potter around the more expensive areas of the West End and discover a cornucopia of wine shops with superb wines from all over the world. Many specialise in the more expensive vintages.

Looking round these emporiums is a bit like taking a kid into a sweetshop. You look at all these wines that you have read about only in fables and decide that you will have a bottle of 'house-red' thanks. You can't tell the be-suited gentleman behind the wooden counter that your bank manager would have a fit if you bought the one you really wanted. You also know that if you try to bluff him by asking for the '85 rather than the '86 he will produce the bottle from the folds of his morning suite.

The airports of Western Europe, particularly Amsterdam and Zurich for transit passengers are amazing. Good wine is not in it. From behind glass, possibly bullet-proof, you can gaze at bottles of 200 year old brandy. I wonder if anyone actually drinks it, or do they frame it or something? You may wonder, whilst looking for the rather cheaper duty-free shop which sells things for under $1000, whether you could buy some of these things rather less expensively somewhere else.

If you go to Italy or France you can just go to the local shop in the town and you will be amazed at the range of wines there. Of course the local wine/s will be paramount in the mind of the storekeeper or wine merchant, but there will be some special wines that really need attention paid to them. Little stores can often come up with some really cracking wine if persuaded to. "This is my last bottle" really means that the wine is really good and possibly too good to be drunk by a foreigner.

If you take a tour of the wine growing regions of Italy or France you will be able to buy a case or two of whichever wine you took a fancy to on your holiday. Having tasted it in Italy though, does not necessarily mean that it will taste the same in England or Germany when it's only 2C outside.

Most of us would love to go to interesting places; see how wine is made and taste it on the spot; have the time to wander round wine warehouses and have the knowledge of what to look for. The rest of us take advantage of the new ability of being able to buy wine online. It's much easier but not, perhaps, as much fun.

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Do you really want to buy wine online?


I love walking around wine shops. Especially really good ones. Some of them have wonderful bottles of vintage wines, ports, sherries, madeira, marsala...


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Charles Shaw in the news

The Darkroom: New Orleans Center for the Photographic Arts Celebrates its First Year

Sat, 05 Mar 2005 00:00:01 -0800
(PRWEB) March 5, 2005 -- Saturday March 5, 2005 The Darkroom will host its anniversary celebration at 1927 Sophie Wright Place from 6 to 9 pm. The Darkroom is proud to feature artwork by local...

Mehera Shaw, a Fashion House with a Vision, Reconnects Beauty and Humanitarian Practices Through Artisan-Made Prints

Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:00:01 -0800

Television - Lifestyle (Scoop.co.nz)

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:47:53 -0800
A little spaniel in Britain has once again proved dogs are man's best friend.

Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg (San Francisco Chronicle)

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:22:30 -0800
Nestled in Wine Country in Sonoma County, Healdsburg blends small-town cordiality with a sophisticated ambience. The downtown centers around Healdsburg Plaza, an attractive, historic square dappled with benches and trees. Mild winters, cozy Victorian bed and...

Blending wines helps vintners maintain quality (The Scranton Times-Tribune)

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:29:27 -0800
Just about anyone making red wine anywhere looks to Bordeaux for inspiration.

Wines, beers and spirits: Please enjoy responsibly (Lexington Clipper-Herald)

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:17:15 -0800
Ringing in the New Year is always fun. Then again most people like to have a drink or two while they do it, and that’s fine assuming they do it responsibly.


Australian Wine
Wine Class | Wine Club

Labels: Carlee Wine | Carlee Wines

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