What are you eating and drinking tonight?

[Bruce Rioja]

Just helping Brucie with his inaccuracies.

No you're not!

[Worthy4England]

Just helping Brucie with his inaccuracies.

No you're not!

Aye there's no help for some folk. Still, gave it a shot.

[Bruce Rioja]

Just helping Brucie with his inaccuracies.

No you're not!

Aye there's no help for some folk. Still, gave it a shot.

I lived in Swinton for a while. I'm happy for it not to appear on any official current documents.

[Worthy4England]

Weren't you nearly in Clifton?

[Bruce Rioja]

Weren't you nearly in Clifton?

No. Called in to see a few of the ex neighbours this morning. Really, really miss the incredible soul of the place. All in all I had some fantastic years there (and really miss Puccini's too).

[Worthy4England]

Glad to see your geography is improving.

[Harry Genshaw]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

[Bruce Rioja]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

Key here = Middlebrook (or rather 'Retail Park'). What on earth were you hoping for?

[Harry Genshaw]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

Key here = Middlebrook (or rather 'Retail Park'). What on earth were you hoping for?

I know! We were due to go to Porada in Whitefield which has been great on my two previous visits but decided to stay local. I've refrained from slapping myself

[Bruce Rioja]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

Key here = Middlebrook (or rather 'Retail Park'). What on earth were you hoping for?

I know! We were due to go to Porada in Whitefield which has been great on my two previous visits but decided to stay local. I've refrained from slapping myself

I'll do it for you.

[Harry Genshaw]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

Key here = Middlebrook (or rather 'Retail Park'). What on earth were you hoping for?

I know! We were due to go to Porada in Whitefield which has been great on my two previous visits but decided to stay local. I've refrained from slapping myself

I'll do it for you.

So kind! - made up for it tonight. We splashed out on our hotel this time and selected a 4* gourmet job. After a salad starter tonight, it was pumpkin seed, crushed pistachio in a ricotta jus over rocket. Awesome! Just worked our way through various antipasto, mains, prima gubbins and sweet. Made a wee mistake with the wine. Thought it was all closely priced between 27 and 33 euros. Ordered some local merlot from the
sommelier only to realise I'd been looking at the index/ page numbers not the price list. 86 euros for a bottle!

[malcd1]

Had brunch in Lucianos on middlebrook. First time I've ever been. Food was pretty good. Service was bloody awful which really disappointed me. I don't have high expectations, just a smile and a little helpfulness goes a long way. Got neither here

Key here = Middlebrook (or rather 'Retail Park'). What on earth were you hoping for?

I know! We were due to go to Porada in Whitefield which has been great on my two previous visits but decided to stay local. I've refrained from slapping myself

I'll do it for you.

So kind! - made up for it tonight. We splashed out on our hotel this time and selected a 4* gourmet job. After a salad starter tonight, it was pumpkin seed, crushed pistachio in a ricotta jus over rocket. Awesome! Just worked our way through various antipasto, mains, prima gubbins and sweet. Made a wee mistake with the wine. Thought it was all closely priced between 27 and 33 euros. Ordered some local merlot from the
sommelier only to realise I'd been looking at the index/ page numbers not the price list. 86 euros for a bottle!

Ouch. Was it worth it?

[Harry Genshaw]

^ it was lovely. Was it £65-£70 better than some of the plonk we pick up from Tesco? To my untrained peasants palate, I'm not sure!

[BWFC_Insane]

^ it was lovely. Was it £65-£70 better than some of the plonk we pick up from Tesco? To my untrained peasants palate, I'm not sure!

My experience with wine is that Ican tell the difference between a budget bottle and a mid range one. But once you go beyond that it is all very nice but I personally don't think there is enough distinction to make it worth it.

However clearly many people can so guess comes down to personal experience.

[Worthy4England]

Agree BWFC I, there is a difference (for me), fairly significant between Lambrini and a 15 - 30 quid bottle. After that much more marginal. Bought a really expensive champers a few weeks back for wedding anniversary. It was good but not twice as good as two at half the price.

[bobo the clown]

I went to a hotel many years ago who's wine policy was to make £5 (I'd guess £15-20 in today's money).on a bottle of wine. So if you bought a £5 wine you paid £10. A £20 wine cost £25. They were encouraging you to try down the card and experience better wines.

Always thought that was a good policy.

[Bruce Rioja]

^ it was lovely. Was it £65-£70 better than some of the plonk we pick up from Tesco? To my untrained peasants palate, I'm not sure!

My experience with wine is that Ican tell the difference between a budget bottle and a mid range one. But once you go beyond that it is all very nice but I personally don't think there is enough distinction to make it worth it.

However clearly many people can so guess comes down to personal experience.

All wine ultimately falls into one of three categories for me. Really nice, OK and undrinkable.

[Lord Kangana]

The Americans refer to the Quality-Price-Ratio, or QPR for short (cue much merriment from our small band of Brits who are members of the community).

In laymans terms, and saving terrabytes of discussion and indeed crowd-sourced evaluation, it would appear there is a sweet spot of (as Worthy spotted) somewhere in the £15-£30 area of "value" with regard to many wines.

Now, I'm sure the overwhelming majority on here are aware of simple economics like supply and demand, which can to a great degree explain quite a lot of wine pricing. And indeed that, as wine is traded as a commodity (qv Livex wine 100), the price of a bottle is not always in direct correlation to the quality of the wine inside, or more pertinently your enjoyment of it (try and think of an art vs modern art debate as your benchmark). Some wines (Champagne through necessity, Bordeaux through ostentatiousness) are by their very virtue expensive to produce, and therefore expensive to buy (relatively).

However, all you lot probably really want to know is how to get bang for your buck. So, avoid old vintages of anything if you think it'll taste what you payed for it. People bought those bottles years ago by the case (probably paying what they want for a bottle) have sat on it for years waiting for it to come good and want you to pay for them to drink it for free. If it's a special anniversary, by all means, but don't expect it to taste of next months mortgage payment!

Best Qpr (snigger) wines by popular assent :-

Vina Ardanza - Rioja
Lopez de Heredia -Rioja
Most Sauternes (believe it or not, the Chateaux are all nearly broke because of the value they offer)
German Riesling (not really my thing)
Alsace wines (full stop)
Cahors
Chilean Carmenere
Vin doux Naturels - from the Rousillon

[Lord Kangana]

Oh and Sherry. How could I forget sherry? Probably the greatest QPR (snigger).

[Bijou Bob]

Tonight, I seem to be re-eating the manx kippers I had for breakfast at 9am. For about the 11th time today. I can't see there being any kissin' tonight.