by Chris | 11 Apr 2022 | Champagne, France
This ninth edition of the Bulles de Comptoir, called Tradition, is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 10 Pinot Blanc. The vines are located in in Aube region, some way from the traditional Champagne heartland. 80% of the wines come from the 2018 vintage,...
by Chris | 20 Sep 2021 | Other Reds, Spain
The colour of this Bodegas y Viñedos Juan Manuel Burgos Avan Tinto is deep dark red with a purple tinge. The nose is intriguing with new discoveries in every sniff: plums, spicy oak, chocolate, savoury/earthy notes and some light toffee oak. It’s medium to full bodied...
by Chris | 17 Jun 2021 | Australia
Pike’s 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is from the Polish Hill River region of the Clare Valley in South Australia. This Pike’s SBS is a really versatile wine to drink with some of the mildly spicy food we enjoy here in Penang. It has the citrus elements of...
by Chris | 2 Jun 2021 | Australia, Red Wines, Shiraz, South Australia
2018 Grant Burge Miamba Barossa Shiraz, 14.5 % Deep dark impenetrable red black colour, intense nose of pepper spice, plum and chocolate. Palate as above, ripe plums, chocolate, liquorice and slightly grainy but soft tannins become more integrated after the wine is...
by Chris | 21 May 2021 | Argentina, Champagne, Chardonnay, Malbec
Well, it’s one thing to be invited to share some 100 point wines for a friend’s birthday, but quite another when said friend not only provides the 100 pointers, but cooks a Michelin star quality meal to go with them. That two of the 100 point wines come from Argentina...
by Chris | 9 Aug 2020 | France, Other Reds, Red Blends
This Paul Mas Estate Languedoc GSM can currently be found at the new Straits Quay wine shop, Zen’s Wines and Spirits. The colour is a deep dark impenetrable red with a purple rim. Enticing nose of ripe plums, or even spiced plums, and chocolate, dark cherries;...
by Chris | 12 Apr 2020 | Cocktails
In previous blogs we’ve looked at how to brighten up your basic G&T, and then we followed up by looking at some gin based cocktails. Here we look at some of our favourite non-gin based cocktails. Try some out, and please leave any comments in the section...
by Chris | 12 Apr 2020 | Cocktails
Part Two Of Getting Creative With Your Essential Isolation Item, Gin. A few of our favourite gin based cocktails. All measurements are per person. Ratios here are just what we have come up with to make it how we like it; you can have some fun finding your own happy...
by Chris | 8 Apr 2020 | France, Italy
Since we could not invite people to come in to help celebrate my birthday, and we could not go out to a fine diner, we managed to bring the finer diner to us. Enter Indigo, the restaurant part of The Blue Mansion here in Penang. Delivered to our door right on...
by Chris | 28 Mar 2020 | Cocktails
PART ONE Alone and in lockdown, you have wisely stocked up on the essentials – wine and gin. So much gin, and so much time. Here are a few ideas on how to add some variety to the wonder spirit. Hopefully you’ve also stocked up on limes and lemons, so get squeezing. We...
