Tab tries £4 wine tasting

We got drunk and sorted the red colours from the white colours from the pink colours.

Wine tasting has always been a loose term when young people are involved. It is often less concentrated on the presence of tannins and the oaky notes of a good cabernet sauvignon and more on whether you’re able to neck it in time for your pre-booked taxi’s arrival.

But we thought it prudent to give some vital critiques on some of the cheapest and most popular brands available in the prestigious “Hull Road Wine Shop” which advertises a cracking deal of “3 bottles for £10” or a measly £4.25 for a single bottle.

Our Oddbins for the evening

The purpose of the study was to help poor students that enjoy a good tipple on a weekday evening to sort the wheat from the metaphorical chaff when it came to budget wine selection. You’re welcome.

Bottle 1: Valdespino, Chardonnay- 2013

Label: Nice touches of gold leaf work to portray a more expensive bottle, but fatally let down by the building in the background which looks to be architecturally from Rome, despite the bottle’s claim of Venetian origins.

Aroma: A bit like Warhammer glue. Hints of car battery acid and a little of pure gasoline.

Hints and tastes: An overall bland taste despite the the pungent aromas. Although it does deliver a slightly dry taste, this may be only because of the wine coating the inside of your mouth in such a way that breathing becomes a little harder.

Drinkability: 3/10- couldn’t finish the bottle fast enough and get on to the next.

Overall Score: 4/10- not even worth considering for a pre’s, let alone an evening in.

Bottle 2: Villa Vittoria, Merlot- No year

Label: Far too simplistic to even impersonate a quality bottle. The main giveaway was the “RED WINE MERLOT” where the bottle’s description was meant to be.

Aromas: Apart from the overall scent of vinegar, fairly close to a normal Merlot. Fair play.

Hints: Although the smallest hint of blackcurrant and cherry could be detected, it was overall dangerously reminiscent of a non-diluted Ribena and Vodka. Not at all full-bodied and again, disappointing.

Drinkability: 4/10- didn’t even finish the bottle.

Overall Score: 3/10- ‘orrible stuff.

Bottle 3: Casaldivino, Merlot- No year

Label: Again a very basic design but the regal attraction of the purple and gold colouring could be reminiscent of the Roman aristocracy. Quite similar to our great friends at ‘Blossom Hill’.

Aroma: Very strong, very sweet. How one’s breath might smell after a bottle of port and a slice of cherry bakewell tart.

Hints: In a surprising turn of results, it was actually quite tasty. Far fuller-bodied than the previous red and a nice respite from the attack on the tastebuds that the last two had inflicted.

Drinkability: 8/10- The saviour of our abused palates.

Overall Score: 7/10- A strong favourite so far.

Bottle 4: Lancinni, Pinot Grigio Blush- 2013

Label: A classic for bottles of this price range. Very similar to competitors but never hitting the big leagues. A mid-table finisher at best.

Aroma: Small hints of gone-off Starburst mixed with the smell of VK’s spilt on a club dancefloor. Overall, fairly promising.

Hints: If Rekordlig went into the wine game, this would be fairly close to their finished product. Overall a weak, sweetish taste but not totally abhorrent.

Drinkability: 7/10- By then, taste was becoming less and less of an issue.

Overall Score: 5/10- Awful quality but enjoyed thoroughly as a pudding wine.

Conclusions

A fun and enjoyable evening was had by all and the third bottle “Casaldivino” came out as a clear winner where the scoring was concerned.

But the most telling conclusion to be drawn from the experience was definitely that unless you want to do a tasting test of your own, don’t be quite as scabby as us with your choices. Spend a couple more quid and have an entirely better evening.