Thetownend.com

Comparing the two just under £3 tesco chiliean efforts here.

Merlot.
Quite light and easy to drink for a red wine, the fruityness quota is very subtle but still there. Easy to drink quickly which is probably a bonus if you are not experienced in the ways of the red wine session.

Cabernet Sauvignon.
Much more intense flavour. Can distinctly taste a blackcurrent hint in a mix of full on fruity goodness. Definately heavier than the merlot and so probably one for the under £3 red wine guru's.

Hope that's been helpful.

I'd like a section, Flammable Ben reviews wines ; there is  need to raise the tone of this site, to emphasise the clear blue water, with the pit of depravity that is the StrattonBank.

Been walking anywhere nice lately, Reg?

I'd like to add that compared to the nomral £2.10 Marquais de leon I normally drink, these 2 actually taste like red wine. Not to say that the MDL hasn't got it's a appeal. 88p cheaper for a bottle and after the first bottle you don't notice.

Ace idea reg, although there is a definate £3 pound limit on the wine's reviewed, with no point reviewing white wines because any at that price taste like petrol mixed with paint stripper. I have to add that to be fair to the co-op, I'll often stretch to £3.50 when they do one of their regular half price on £7 bottles offer. Can get some pretty tasty action doing that.

 Well the Sarsen Trail  starts in about 5 hours, but think I'll give it a miss this year.

 Had a pleasant stroll last weekend, along the Wansdyke taking in  Knap Hill and Tan Hill the highest point in Wiltshire.

 Checked out the disused medieval village at Shaw...which is one of those places with zero infomation..as are most DMV's.

   Its difficult on the ground to get a feel for the place, but its an oddity.

Shaw sounds interesting.  I've been doing a bit of running lately, around Foxham/Hilmarton where there is an old canal, an abandoned abbey and a spot on top of the hill in the woods where a highwayman was hung.  Was up on top of the hill in February as well and saw the snow come storming over the landscape.

I'm going to stroll out to Maiden Castle next chance I get.

have already been on a morning stroll along shoreham beach to the old fort which guards shoreham harbour then back past southwick beach through the old town and marina and across the adur.

 Is that Stanley Abbey?   There's a good deal of interest in the space between  Chippenham Calne and the M4.

 Have you ever read Kilvert's Diary?   He was a Victorian vicar, who's father was vicar of Langley Burrell.

 He's probably best remembered for his writing  when he was vicar of Clyro near Hay on Wye.....but there's a lot of stuff on life in the Chippenham area in in the 1870's.

 Used to pedal out to the pub at Foxham for a Sunday lunchtime drink, years ago....it was a decent plain country pub...if it still exists, I'm guessing it will have gone upmarket into the food scene.

I don't have the stomach for wine yet which i'm gutted about, i hear wine drunk is great

used to be a regular tesco's wine drinker.be honest i wasnt fussed which one i drank,all does the job at the end of the day.but never spend more than £3 on it!!

I love a drop of Vino when i'm cooking or watching a football match on tv.

http://www.tesco.com/winestore/controller.aspx?more=y&Ne=60177&sid=100D700C5872&N=60192&Nr=70002


Ben, i like red's that are nice and easy to drink and not too strong.

Out of the ones on that site what would you advise?

Fuck knows.
Maybe the Veo Cabernet Merlot 75cl. Get's bonus points 'cos it's the cheapest. Still more than £3 + the delivery cost, although think that's free if your doing a full online shop.  

Think I might head off for a wine shop right now. Something rich and fruity to sup whilst I enjoy an afternoon of snooker.

I hope Ebdon wins, I can't stand Dott - got a real chip on his shoulder and I hate his squeaking voice.

You tried much Rioja FB? Can get a nice one in ASDA for £2.97, can't remember its name though.

Banrock Station's very nice. But it's white.

Racists.

I don't like dry white at all, makes me thirsty which is ironic.

Sweet or sparkling for me.

Right off to tesco's to get supplies.. shopping list:
3 bottles of red. max spending = £9
2 bottles of chocolate milk
1 packet of biscuits
1 small packet of golden virginia
1 pack small green rizlas
1 bottle of coke to quench my thirst on the way home.

Being a student is ace. Similar shopping lists to that of tramps.

No way! A tramp would buy 9 litres of frost jack with 9 quid

What is frost jack?

Sorry, frosty jack. Cheapo cider, bit like white lightning...

Check it out here http://www.trampjuice.tk/

Frosty jacks is a brilliant cider. Used to be my tipple of choice in my first year at uni when money got really tight.

Trampjuice is an ace and useful website. It's inspired me to return to my strong cider drinking days after I've completed my way through the tesco £3 redwine selection.

I was searching for my most recent tipple on the web - and pleased to see it on the trampjuice site, as it so clearly is...

http://gk007a0336.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/amster.htm

You can get this stuff at Geneva main train station and be happily 'maximated' on one can for 3.40 swiss franks, which is almost exactly 1.49 pounds in English money.  The significance of this price will not be lost on regular readers of Viz.

For the less brave, the same Amsterdam brewery also do Navigator (6.5%) and Explorator (8.6%) - I wouldn't recommend navigating or exploring after a sesh on either.

Right cracking into bottle one. Nice easy screw top access. No complications here.

South African Red. Western Cape.

Selected by tesco.. wow I wonder if that's someones job. That would be fucking ace.

How is it Ben?

Rich and full bodied?  :)

Or light and fruity?

pretty medium, erring on the light side. Not that impressed to be fair. Bit dead, no subtle tones just a straight winey taste. Bit dissapointing really.

Who sells Frosty Jacks?  :D

Sounds nice!

Do you like your Californian wines? I would say Chilean and Californian are my favourite.

Chilean are ace. Had a few nice Hungarian and Bulgarian efforts in my time. Had the cheap tesco Hollywood effort  a couple of times. Don't remember it being anything special.

At the moment i have a bottle of Claret Bordeaux on the go!

You can get frosty pretty much anywhere ralphy, co-op or smile/jcr probably your best bet!

Nice one! Perfect for BBQ's  :mrgreen:

Reminds me of my youth down the park with a 3 litre bottle of white lightening  :mrgreen:

Nice. Really am uninspired by mine. Was gonna give it the benefit of the doubt because it was a bit cool where it had been in the kitchen, but it hasn't improved. Think I'll get the bottle down me and hope that the rioja is more interesting.

Rioja? Good choice!

Me and my workmate often consume a bottle or two of it while cooking up a chili or curry.

Rioja is ace. Was in Spain recently and drank loads of it, good stuff for only 2/3 euros a bottle as well (if bought in local supermarket - same bottles were 12 euros in restaurants) May go back there later in the year, if I do I'm bringing a suitcase full home with me!

I'm in Gran Canaria in 4 weeks time.

Any local red's to try?

Right ready to crack onto the Rioja. Took the first bottle pretty slow. Hopefully this will be more inspiring.

Pretty much all the rioja is good, 2002 seemed to be a good year if memory serves me right

Bit dissapointed with the Rioja, bit overly sharp. Could be a bit corked, although I think it's more likely my taste buds are getting an unexpected hit after the blandness of the last effort. It's possibly the 'light peppery finish' it describes on the back.

How you getting on with the rioja now?

3/4 through. got better after I clensed my taste buds with the power of a rollie. Still a bit dissapointing, I'll give it another go and make it my first bottle to see how it tastes on a clean pallet.

Got the Chillean Cabernet Sauvignon next, drank it last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be interesting to see if it meets up to standard on the second time.