We have two Christmas offers this month, both from top-ranking wine merchants. The first is by Lay & Wheeler. Nearly all the wines have been reduced by 10 per cent (with free delivery); there are further discounts if you buy more than one case, and two of the reds represent astonishing value.
Both are over-production of famous names. The strict French appellation system limits the amount of wine that can be sold under any particular label. This must be infuriating if, for example, you make white wine in one of the great Burgundy districts and in a particularly good year you produce more than you’re allowed to sell under its real name. It ends up labelled as a generic Burgundy. The rules are to stop growers being tempted to sacrifice quality to quantity, and they work very well, even if they cause gnashing of teeth in the vineyards.
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