What to buy...What to buy...

[Glass_A_Day]

G_A_D is taking a trip to London in April and is taking suggestions. I have heard that European wines (French and Italian) are a much better deal when you're there.I have three weeks to shop. Any ideas?

[joeyz6]

London is a great wine town. The prices aren't necessarily great but the selection is. There is a very international selection in wine shops (which are plentiful) and wine bars (even more common!), much more so than on this side of the Channel.

The selection of French wines in particular seemed mediocre when I was there. The prices aren't as good as here, but they should be about 10, maybe 20 percent cheaper than in the States, thanks to the EU trade laws.

[Glass_A_Day]

I should have said Great Britian. Am going to travel through England, Wales, and Scotland. I realize London itself is quite expensive. I also plan to spend a weekend in your neck of the woods Joey. Very exciting.

[Drew]

We were in GB in '94 and thoroughly enjoyed the Wine and Champagne bars. Don't pass on the delicious ales that are offered in the pubs, while you're there, but try to find the free pubs for the better, hand crafted ales. Most of the pubs in GB are owned by the Breweries and only offer their selections where the minority "free" pubs offer what they want and not what they have to. While in London, seek out the Altruist Champagne bar in the banking district, very nice. Also if you get to the town of Rye, check out the Mermaid pub...dates back to the 14C, beautiful.

Drew

[hotwine]

GAD, Brit food really sucks. Recommend you take several little bottles (2 oz) of Green Tabasco, to make it half-way palatable. Use the Tube to get around London and British Rail around the country. You could probably plot your visits to wine shops before you go, via the 'Net. Tip your hat for us to the registrar's office in Kensington Garden; we tied the knot there in '75.

[Kcwhippet]

Haven't been to Rye, Drew, but I've stayed in a place called the Churchgate Manor in Harlow. The front part of the hotel is the old vicar's home, where their reataurant is, that supposedly dates back to the 1200's. Across the motorway, in the old town, there's a pub that's probably about as old as the Mermaid. It's dark and was definitely built when people were much shorter because the ceilings can't be much higher than 6 or 6 1/2 feet. The feeling of antiquity all over is really amazing. I remember outside one tube entrance (forget which one) where there's a section of wall built by the Romans.

[Auburnwine]

Oh, I think that British food is just dandy, if you limit your expectations. My satisfaction is based on a heavy immersion into "pub grub." Lots of pubs have grand curries and items like shepherd's pie. And you can't go wrong with a plowman's lunch of hearty brown bread, brilliant cheese, fruit and salad and a pint (or two) of bitter.

I agree with Senor Hotwine about the green Tabasco, though. It just makes life better.

And I (blasphemy!) could do just fine by appreciating the ales of England, passing on wine for a month or more.

P.S. And I have a permanent dent in my forehead from a low doorway at the Red Lion Inn in Chipping Camden. Had on my damned baseball cap.

[This message has been edited by Auburnwine (edited 01-30-2003).]

[zenda2]

Chipping Camden? Sounds like they could rename it to Denting Camden.

Per all my British co-workers (and echoing the advice above) when in Rome, eat spaghetti. When in London order curry, and go for pub fare. Shepherd's Pie, Ploughman's Lunch, Bangers and Mash. Always ask for 'Real Ale' (they'll know what you mean) don't be a lager lout.

edited to add: http://www.real-ale-guide.co.uk/
http://alt.venus.co.uk/vpub/

[This message has been edited by zenda2 (edited 01-30-2003).]

[Auburnwine]

Ha!

The full story.

I got one whack on first entering our room at the inn. Yeow, it hurt.

Since I am a v-e-r-y slow learner, I proceeded to go for a nice, long walk and smashed my head again upon returning. Yeow, it hurt even more (plus I got a cramp in my hip when I crumpled over)! But I was also shaking with laughter at my own stupidity. And, no, copius quantities of ale were NOT involved.

You could say that I was literally a Bloody Fool of a Yank.

[Drew]

Our Pub Grub experience was also a good one...fill up a plate with a little of all the offerings for 5pounds and I was set. Also, London and the areas nearby offer such a diverse international dining experience that we ate, and drank, all too well.

Drew

[wondersofwine]

Ireland is not on your itinerary but I have had great salmon dishes, duck, and strawberries with thick cream in western Ireland. Scotland might have some of the same. I don't like highly curried dishes but did eat Greek and Chinese food in London as well as the traditional roast beef and yorkshire pudding (and some pub fare).

[Glass_A_Day]

You guys have given me some great ideas (although not on some wine to buy). I just wish it was April. I am going for a weekend at the end of February, but the real adventure begins two months after.

[Auburnwine]

When I was in Scotland ten years ago, there was a strong movement toward using local ingredients in something akin to the "gourmet Southern" cooking (no, not an oxymoron) of recent years.

I don't think that it was oatmeal with pork medallions in a whiskey sauce or haggis-with-truffles, but you get the idea.

[wondersofwine]

Check out import restrictions beforehand to see how many liters you can bring back without paying duty. International airports usually have the duty-free shops. And while in Great Britain take advantage of purchasing wines you might not see Stateside. No specific recommendations for you. It's been several years since I've visited either Great Britain or Europe.

[Innkeeper]

Most of the Indian restaurants in London and elsewhere in England give you a choice of the amount of heat in your. Our Pakistani restaurant here in Bangor does the same thing.

[ShortWiner]

I think London's a great food city these days. Course there's a lot of bad stuff out there, but also great Indian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, etc.

In one wine shop I went into when I was there this past Thanksgiving (a place called Oddbins--it's a chain), they were having a "tasting." They had probably 10 different bottles of pretty good French wine open, and the guy who was "running" it was only half paying attention and letting us pour ourselves. Totally unhelpful if you wanted any information about the wines, but it did make for a fun rest of the afternoon [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[hotwine]

When you go to France, buy as much of the good stuff as you can carry - Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, top flight Rhone. Just be sure to declare it all as you go through Customs. If you have to pay duty, it will still be a lot cheaper than retail in the States.

[Glass_A_Day]

I may need to bring an extra suitcase. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[winedope1]

just don't eat hamburgers there. Don't know what was in mine, but it didn't taste like beef.... WD

[Glass_A_Day]

I've heard that as well. Damn shame cause G_A_D is a burger kinda guy.