australia Archives : Me, Annie Bee.

Weekly Winedown #24 19 Crimes Red Wine

Anna — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 19:00:57 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. OH WHAT A WEEK! To follow on from the phone down the toilet and rubbish replacement debacle, my home internet died. I was without the internet for four days. FOUR DAYS. I had a phone that would barely muster more energy that 2g, a handful of data and a poorly toddler. It was a tough time. Imagine, not being able to Google anything! More pertinently, imagine having a poorly child and not being able to access YouTube?? The internet is back now, I now have one of them fancy iPhone things and order is restored. I made it through the wilderness. Somehow I made it through. I’m OK. This week’s wine was chosen for me by my Aunt and cousin, they have a knack of spying a good label. It must be a family thing. So let’s say ‘Ow ya goin’ mate’ to 19 Crimes Red wine. £6.50-£10 a bottle. I had never heard of 19 Crimes so I had a little look online and was sucked in right away. “The men on our labels are not those of fiction. They were flesh and blood. Criminals and scholars. In history, they share a bond receiving “punishment by transportation.” It could have shattered their spirits. It didn’t. Today, we toast those men and the principles they lived by.” The website is immersive, with videos to watch, apps to download and tales to read. It’s not just a wine it’s a story and rather than just tell you about it, I’d strongly recommend you visit their website here. The Label Made to look like one of those old, slightly yellowed WANTED posters, it includes an image of John Boyle O’Reilly who was transported to Australia in 1867. I absolutely love this label. The bottle is also worth noting, it’s like a kind of frosted glass. The whole produce has an air of ‘age’ about it. The Blurb “Nineteen crimes turned criminals into colonists. Upon conviction, British rogues, guilty of at least one of the 19 crimes, were sentenced to live in Austrlia, rather than death. This punishment by “transportation” began in 1788, and many of the lawless died at sea. For the rough-hewn prisoners who made it to shore, a new world awaited. As pioneers in a frontier penal colony, they forged a new country and new lives, brick by brick. This wine celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built” Although the blurb gives nothing away to the contents of the bottle it certainly sets a scene. I am expecting something heavy and bold. Something full bodied and full of flavour. Or Moonshine. The scent is soft and subtle, like warm spices. It’s a really smooth wine with big flavour. Vanilla, blackcurrants and blackberries. The finish is almost liquorice in taste. It’s a very drinkable and very impressive blend. I was sucked in by the marketing and won over by the taste, this is a brand that is working. I am going to look out for again and I’m probably going to get a case for Christmas. Wine and education, always a win. Name – 19 Crimes Red Wine Price – £6.50 – £10 Colour – Deep, dark red. Smell – Subtle and spicy. Taste – Smooth, and bold. Vanilla and dark fruits with a liquorice finish. Goes well with – A bit of a history lesson. Overall score- 4.5/5

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Weekly Winedown #21 Jam Shed Shiraz.

Anna — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 19:26:55 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you and offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. October has arrived! This excites me so much. I’m not the hugest fan of autumn and winter but the glimmer of joy and hope that is Christmas nestles amongst them so I can tolerate them. Now that it’s October I’m allowed to start getting giddy and making lists. I warn you now but make no apologies that for the next three months I’ll be a bit Martha Stewart, without the criminal record. I’ll be making, baking, singing and watching trashy festive made for TV films. I’ll be like a pig in poop. Until then, let’s say G’day (for that’s what all Australians say) to Jam Shed Shiraz. £7 a bottle (though I believe it can be bought for £6 in many establishments) and hailing from the New South Wales region of the land down under. I’m going to put it out there. This wine is the most beautiful looking thing to come out of Australia since the Koala! Yes, this wine is visually stunning. The Label I’ve said before that I have been known to choose wines based on label alone. This is a fine example of me doing just that. The label is a gorgeous China blue background with cream, burgundy and gold detail. It has a real vintage vibe to it, like those lovely advertising tin signs you can buy from the olden days. It literally is the most wonderful label. I would probably buy ANYTHING with this label on, even liver. The blurb The only downside to the label is the sheer amount of writing on the back. The complete history of the manufacturer. Taking it down to just the important bit though “…this medium sweet shiraz is jam packed with rich, opulent, sweet red berry flavours balanced with a subtle hint of vanilla and spice…” The description is talking the talk but will it walk the walk? I need to point out that due to the name, I am fully expecting to chew it. It did provide all it said it would. Sweet red berries and vanilla. The texture was smooth and chocolatey and the wine was thick (you know I hate a thin wine) but it failed to deliver. It was really sweet, like actual jam. I’ll admit that as we talked and drank it got more palatable but it was far from what I had hoped. I am going to keep the bottle for the beauty but suggest this wine would mostly be enjoyed by a white wine drinker. Name – Jam Shed Shiraz Price – £7 Colour – Deep red, full of promise. Smell – Smooth and vanilla-y Taste – Sweet, thick and jammy. Goes well with – Good company Overall score- 2/5 for the wine. This post contains an Amazon Affiliation link. Check out my disclosure & privacy policy for further info

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Weekly Winedown #8 Deakin Estate Shiraz.

Anna — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:40:44 +0000

Welcome to the Weekly Winedown. Each week I selflessly drink wine for you offer a review. Please don’t expect anything professional, I consume a lot of wine but I’m no pro. The only real ‘rule’ I’m putting in place is that the wine is to be under £8 a bottle. #keepitclassy. I fear I may have cheated again, sorry. This weeks wine should have been £11.99 a bottle BUT I got 50% off so it was £5.99 for you mathsphobes out there. I did this before, I still can’t decide if I’m breaking my own rules but there we go. What’s done is done and I’ll drink it anyway! Today we’re going for a little Antipodean. No, I’ve not got Kylie coming for tea, but I’ve chosen a Deakin Estate Shiraz. The Blurb “This is distinctly Shiraz, with layers of plum, raspberry and chocolate; and there’s a complex spiciness to give it a fine, savoury appeal. This wine is great with Moroccan or Australian lamb.” I am not too fussed either way for Australian wine, I’ve never found one that blows my mind but I don’t recall being massively offended by one either so that’s always good. The label is also pretty lame, I see what it’s trying to do, be minimal and classy but it looks more like a candle label. This is all a bit deja vu isn’t it? If you’re a regular reader you’ll remember I had these issues last time I ventured to this neck of the woods, wineophorically speaking. I did end up with a pleasant surprise so I’m still holding out hope. The wine is distinctly Shiraz. What does that even mean? It’s a most unhelpful description in my opinion. If you know nothing about wine and Google ‘Shiraz’ you discover it’s a city in Iran. Is the suggestion that this Aussie wine is distinctly Iranian? That makes no sense! Let’s crack on. Oh. My. Word. This wine is immense. It is most definitely plummy and chocolatey. I’m learning to love the term ‘spiciness’ in a blurb, it seems to stand for ‘lovely’. It’s a really, REALLY smooth wine, totally drinkable. Warming on the old cockles and tasty too. I’ve always been a bit ‘what’s the point in a more expensive wine?’ (yes £11.99 is expensive in my world) but this. THIS is the point in expensive wine. If I were rich I would drink this daily. Maybe even bathe in it. I’m still not a fan of the label though, more effort needed and distinctly Shiraz still isn’t good enough a description. Even ‘try it and like it’ would be better than that. This is a fantastic wine to take to dinner at the house of people you really like (assuming they will share) or to give as a gift (49 sleeps until my birthday. Just putting it out there). I’ll definitely get this again (at half price) and I may even try another Australian soon! Name – Deakin Estate Shiraz Price – £5.99 (£11.99 full price) Colour – Red like hearts and love Smell – Corky and cocoa-y Taste – Like angels dancing in my face. Goes well with – Life and a potentially dubious coalition (I’m looking at you May) Overall score – 5/5 Yes, I’m giving it a perfect score.

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