Russethouse Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Next weekend we are taking advantage of a BF offer (found on this forum) and having 24 hours in France, in fact we are just having a day in St Malo. We hope to stock up on wine, specifically dry white. We particularly like Muscadet sur lie, Sancerre, Sauvignon blanc, we are most likely to end up at the big supermarket just outside St Malo which if I remember correctly is a Carrefour. (Miki, am I right ?) I just wondered if there was anything anyone particularly liked or could recommend as a good buy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Head Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 I don't know if there's an Aldi in St Malo Gay but if there is you really will save some money. The Muscadet at about 1,40 and the D'oc in a box at about 4,00 are both really good for the price...promise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 What a shame you never came this weekend. The place is just as vibrantas it is in the height of summer. The reason being, as I have statedelsewhere, the Route du Rhum.From the port take Toutes Directions and aim towards Rennes. As youarrive after just 5-7 minutes or so, at the Decouverte area (you willsee Intermarche and then McDo's and the two small roundabouts right ontop of each other) carry straight on and at the next roundabout (muchlarger) take the first exit and pass Norauto and there at the nextroundabout is the Carrefour Complex. I think that is probably your bestbet and the annual wine fair may still be on as well.No Aldi that I know of around Saint Malo.Muscadet sur Lie (always buy Sur lie, paying the extra centimes areworth it). Sauvignon Blanc is always a good white wine to buy, I wouldthink that Carrefour would have their own marque. Really all the whitesyou are buying are fine. There are the obvious dearer choicesbut.............. As you reach that large roundabout just beforeCarrefour, we buy most of our wine from Promocash or Metro, both beingoff the last exit (the one before you would be return on the same roadyou would have left for Carrefour) but normally purchase our Bib's (Bagin Box) Main House wine from a local cave. So I can't really suggest what good buys are in Carrefour as we do notnormally buy our wines, beers or spirits from there but we do use it as asupermarket very often. Although having said that, their small 3 litreboxes of wine are pretty good value, we have taken them home forfriends and have supped them ourselves. The 3 litre boxes tend to beour choice when it is just us, as the 5 litre or even 10 litre boxes webuy for the table d'hôte, do not have that long a shelf life, even though I do hear storiesthat some people can keep the red for up to a month and it's still OK,I certainly wouldn't fancy drinking it that long after opening, sealedbag or not !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 [quote user="Miki"] The 3 litre boxes tend to be our choice when it is just us, as the 5 litre or even 10 litre boxes we buy for the table d'hôte, do not have that long a shelf life, even though I do hear stories that some people can keep the red for up to a month and it's still OK, I certainly wouldn't fancy drinking it that long after opening, sealed bag or not !![/quote]Evaporation has usually occurred within a week or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eslier Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Miki, you should find you are ok keeping the larger BIBs for longer periods. I can't say I've ever had one from a supermarket but regularly get them from wine caves or makers and guess they must all be the same. As a general rule, the box will keep up to six months, unopened, from the date it is bagged up. Once open it will be ok for up to about three months. I've never managed to keep one that long but often it can take us around six weeks to finish and it is still good to drink. It is oxidation that causes wine to go off but with a BIB, the bag simply contracts as the wine is used up so no air enters within the bag to cause a problem and the wine never comes into contact with the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted October 28, 2006 Author Share Posted October 28, 2006 You are right Miki, if I had known I would have been tempted to come over this weekend although my sister has gone to Seville and with my mother in her 86th year we try not to both be away together.The 'plan' such as it is to go to Carrefour to shop, Cancale for lunch and then probably off to Mont St Michel along the coast road for a couple of hours, then meander back to St Malo for the evening boat........all depends on the weather though.We used to do quite a few long weekends in France through the year but BF have hiked the prices and now it seems expensive just for a night or two so we don't do it so much. If I could persuade the other half I'd be going to Quimper the weekend after for Penviller, the antique fair, there is usually a good gathering of Quimper Club folk around, but its a long drive in limited time for us, so we are giving it a miss this year.[:(][:(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 [quote user="Eslier"]Miki, you should find you are ok keeping thelarger BIBs for longer periods. I can't say I've ever had one from asupermarket but regularly get them from wine caves or makers and guessthey must all be the same. As a general rule, the box will keep up tosix months, unopened, from the date it is bagged up. Once open it willbe ok for up to about three months. I've never managed to keep one thatlong but often it can take us around six weeks to finish and it isstill good to drink. It is oxidation that causes wine to go off butwith a BIB, the bag simply contracts as the wine is used up so no airenters within the bag to cause a problem and the wine never comes intocontact with the air.[/quote]With respect. We had been in the restaurant business for some while, as well as nowonly doing Table D hôte(thankfully) for a very long time here in France and I can tell you, that some yearsbefore that I was in the wine trade (nicely based for much of the time,on the racecourses of England) and wine in one way or another, hasplayed a fairly significant part in my life. I mention this only to say that it kindof allows me to have a fair opinion, maybe or even possibly, no better thananyone else but speak with at least some experience on the subject. I amsurprised, that as a Moderator you are not aware of my history, I havein the past mentioned this, normally when some of us have had chatsabout wine. ?So having said all that, sure, unopened there is a fairly long shelflife up to and beyond a year is not unknown (normally somewhat less)butno way in hell will it keep for up to 3 months if one is constantlyusing it, by that opening I mean, opening the valve to serve a glass ortwo. I have been around friends houses when they say "have a glass ofwine" and out it pours and it really is undrinkable but to them,it is fine. This is then not a case of drinking what you like (always afair point) but, in this case its a matter of, I've bought it now, soI'll finish it, whatever it tastes like !!There are circumstances, where for proving for the record that it willlast, a BIB has been opened then stuck in ideal temperatures for 3-4months or more and been OK BUT that is not why one buys it, it isreally a party wine, for a large gathering or a way to drink wineeconomically over a few weeks, not months . White wine(especially the standard of most white in these boxes, sure some fairlygood but mostly average or less are in boxes) willneed to be kept chilled and carefully tended to survive anywhere nearthat long and still taste like the day it was opened and a red winewill never be kept with us for any longer than the time the taste hasstarted to sour and that is not too long after opening and certainlynowhere near 3 months. If the wine does not taste as good as the day itwasopened, then there is little or no point in buying them.We use around one 5 litre per two days in high season and in the closeseason a lot less. That is when one has to be extremely careful on howone keeps it. Keep it too cold and it loses its natural taste, keep itat room temperature like a good bottled red and it will not last longat all. Three months !! Jeepers, one would certainly need to bedesperate to drink something opened and half used from a BIB after that long!!At last years Rennes tourism and trade fair, the BIT was introduced, across between a bottle and a BIB, the bag in tube has been around awhile but the French, as ever, are slow to adapt but the producers arekeen to say that the "better" producers have shown a strong interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 [quote]Evaporation has usually occurred within a week or so.[/quote]One of lifes little phenomenons eh Ian [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted October 28, 2006 Author Share Posted October 28, 2006 Yep - it evapporates straight out of my glass !I'm not too worried about reds, we get a good, reasonably priced case from Direct Wines but we are fussy about whites because we both like dry whites without any oakyness. As for wine boxes, yes for gatherings and parties but for everyday I like to have some idea how much we are having...these days many bottles here have a screw cap (not just cheapies either) so keeping an opened bottle for a day or even two, isn't so difficult.We always go for 'sur lie' with Muscadet, its well worth the extra. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob T Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Miki, Not dry white, but I have just written a post on local wine on my blog a couple of day ago. I normally only drink red myself, but also like a medium white. These are local to the Dordogne though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 [quote user="Bob T"]Miki, Not dry white, but I have just written a poston local wine on my blog a couple of day ago. I normally only drink redmyself, but also like a medium white. These are local to the Dordognethough.[/quote]Bob,Not Dry white?By that do you believe you can chill it right down to practicallyfreezing and it will still taste like it should because that is notright, well it is, if kept at the right temperature or do you justthink it will last better ? It will beat the length of time of asweet white in a BIB but, Dry white wine will suffer the same fate andnot last the time that was suggested. These BIB's were (are) great forus (and English wine bars !!) when they made the boxes with a bettersealed vacuum (the taps were a weak link earlier) but they cannot workmiracles with time, only act a lot better than opening a bottle whichof course causes automatic oxydation. Goodchillers cost a real load of money, I doubt many of us (we haven't) goto the extent of ensuring the whites are kept between 2º to8º..........and as for storing the red at the correct temperature oreven near, is for most, right out of the question. Best thing, drink'em quick (ish) and buy them for what they are intendedfor..................Bibs really are not any good to anyone who does not finish them withina month or so at best. Lots of false claims all over the wine world,one could write a book on the all the old fables and tales that havegerminated from this most snobby of subjects...Mmm now there is athought !We like your area Bob, we lived for over 5 years in the Dordogne and usedan excellent cave in a small town 20 minutes or so from Perigueux forall our wines. Took a few trips over the years to Bergerac for the redsand to Monbazillac for the sweet whites (can't afford Barsacs andSauternes !!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eslier Posted October 28, 2006 Share Posted October 28, 2006 Thank you, Miki, for your interesting post. It is interesting to hear of your experiences. As I said, I can't really speak from personal experience as I've never managed to make a 10litre BIB last more than five or six weeks at most. My suggestion of three months was based upon information given to me by a French winemaker in the Anjou region, but perhaps it was just part of his sales pitch.I haven't heard of the bag in a bottle but it sounds as though there could be some benefit to it. I agree it may take some time to catch on - a bit like screwtop bottles which are now very popular down under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 No, it's a bag in TUBE. (BIT) Do try to read a little more attentively.It is wine placed in a round and varying size tube and to many, looks rather better than a box (BIB), although when we were arestaurant, like many others, we took the bag out of the box and put itin a barrel, which can be bought, for the purpose, so as to look aestheitically better than a box on display. As I said before, there are fables,tales and to add to that, damned lies from the unscrupulous in the winetrade ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 I like Cora.Not been there for a long while.We are taking some wine over with us next month. Something sweet to go with the foie gras, and a few bottles of Muscadet. I shall be buying Australian red from Tesco. Or Asda. Or Sainsbury's.I can't wait.....fortnight from now I will be sitting in the pub after spending all the morning reading the Sunday Times and looking forward to spending all afternoon reading the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Is this the big one Alexis ? and I haven't really dared to ask how hubbie is but I hope no news is continuing excellent news ?I do like to try the Chilean wines. Not a secret any more, I think mostpeople have now discovered a Chilean wine they rather like. I rate it even better than yer red Oz stuff and often easierto find than Ozzie wine as well !! Still in the UK you can find manyitems from all over the World unlike..........................Bon voyage........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 [quote user="Eslier"]I've never managed to make a 10litre BIB last more than five or six weeks at most. [/quote]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Show offs, both of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 [quote user="Dick Smith"]...[/quote]- - - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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