Whine Of The Week

[sunny-dave]

I very rarely (as in never that I can remember) bother to give negative reviews of wine on here - it seems more useful to enthuse about the good stuff.

... but ...

[ you just saw that 'but' coming didn't you ]

I've had an absolute stinker of a case from Groupon and there is no other way of venting my wrath. Groupon don't let you post reviews, and a mildly critical email to the suppliers had them quoting various bits of the distance selling regulations (for foodstuffs) to me - with my only option being to pay to return the case to Spain and be at their mercy as regards a possible, partial refund 'if we consider the wine to be faulty'.

http://tinyurl.com/ju2p3sc

So ... a review.

I was underimpressed by the selection - the (fuzzy) picture is pretty clear in howing a preponderance of reds - I expected at least 8 or 9 - I got 4 red, 4 white, 4 pink. The description just about allows for that - so I'll let it go.

So far I've tried one white (thin and damn near undrinkable, one pink (ditto but worse) and three of the reds (one thin and poor, one nastily corked and one, to be fair, a decent drink at perhaps £4 a bottle).

It's the worst case of wine I've had the misfortune to buy in donkey's years - harking back to the bad old days of the 1970s.

Someone is taking the *** here - or, to be more precise, sending out for unsuspecting UK wine-bibbers to drink.

Avoid like the plague - as indeed I will now avoid all Groupon 'deals', unless for precisely identifiable and independently verifiable goods.

Dave xx

[gingejbee]

Never been tempted by anything offered by Groupon and your experience seems to confirm my scepticism.
I've been getting cases of wine from Aldi online recently (free delivery)...and if anything were amiss, I can return it to one of their stores for an immediate refund.

[zebo]

We've always had acceptable wines, though we're not wine buffs, from Laithwaites and more recently from Rude Wines.

[anneasquith]

In fairness Dave what did you expert for £40 ?

[sunny-dave]

I wasn't expecting that much Anne - after duty & shipping you're looking at around 1.50€ - 2€ per bottle for the wine.

But I've drunk some pretty good plonk at that price in Spain - certainly nothing as drab as most of the ones I've tried from this lot.

I was hoping for a reasonable selection, that might tempt me to try some of the suppliers' main range. Hell will now be freezing before ...


I agree about "Aldi by the case", ginge - you'll have seen me enthusing about it on here before. I just fancied trying something different - I wish I'd stuck with Herr Aldi.

[sunny-dave]

I've not tried Rude Wines, zebo - any particular favourites?

[dominie]

Go to Aldi kooliburra red is superb and under £4!

[NoMercy]

I had a wonderful Portuguese Duoro from Aldi the other day and a delicious Malbec. I will buy those bad boys again!

[zebo]

We just got a mixed case, can't recall any in particular but we never felt the need to spit it out! I think it came through some leaflet with National Trust bumph or something, cost about £45. Also got a couple of wine glasses, we've had those from Laithwaites quite regularly, our daughter has been very grateful for them!