A friend of mine once described the internet as a library with all the books thrown on the floor; finding what you need or want in those circumstances can be impossible. But then sometimes, in the muddle, you find something that you weren’t looking for or even expecting. A week or so ago, in a Bookseller update, I read about yet another blogger getting a book deal (jealous? me? no…) and since it was one I hadn’t heard of I went to visit the blog. Called The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club, it is written by an ex-wine buyer who, as she puts it, wants ‘to share wine knowledge in the hope that other knackered mothers are interested in what’s in my glass at the end of the day. Strictly no insipid wines allowed. Unless too tired to care.’ I’m not a mother but I am often knackered and, though I hate bad wine, I love recommendations. And hers are pretty good.
Last night I tried to find the March 19th recommendation, Celliers des Dauphins Coteaux du Tricastin 2009 and ended up with a similar, equally cheap and yummy French red from the same company. I rarely buy French wine since I often find that, in my under £6-or-as-near-as-dammit price range, a bottle of something from Spain or Portugal tends to be more reliable. But stepping out of my Iberian comfort zone was worth it: it’s £4.75, yummy and, as a Decanter silver medal winner definitely none of your goat. Tonight I’m planning to try her March 27th recommendation, Domaine Marie 2010 Faugères, 20% off at the moment so currently £6.39 (or £6.07 if you buy it from Waitrose Wine Direct) and another Decanter medal winner (bronze this time). I love finding new flavours and tastes like this. What’s more, via looking these up, I have now found out that all of Decanter’s medal winners are listed online, so I can look for even more recommendations. Who cares if it’s random; the net is just brilliant!
WTF Do I Eat Tonight? 
Wow, she’s just GREAT, isn’t she? (OK, it’s me. Seriously, thank you, what a lovely thing to read. Whole point of me doing this is in hope I might help someone get out of their wine comfort zone and try something different. So thrilled you have. Let me know what you think of the Faugeres)!
She is, or rather you are! I love your blog and I was delighted to be booted a bit further north. What do you mean, it’s not a Rioja, or from Navarre?! is my usual lament. Now, if you can get me out of my firmly entrenched anti-Antipodean, heels-dug-in-as-far-as-they-will-go, position you will officially be a genius…!
Right. You are now officially a work-in-progress. I will find something Antipodean guaranteed to make you look again. I think I already know what it’s going to be…
Thank you! Can’t wait.
Oops, think my comment disappeared into the interweb ether…was just saying how lovely it was to read your post, thank you! (Actually my last comment was MUCH FUNNIER). Hope you like the Faugeres…
No, just disappeared into my moderating list! Have this funny thing called a job; bloody gets in the way of blogging I can tell you!