The 2005 Domaine Saint Antonin ‘Les Jardins’ ((14.5%), from the South of France, has the sad distinction of being the worst rated of the InterWined’s Twelve Wines of Christmas. But it makes it into its Totally Awesome Christmas Cracker Wine Case (available year round – — hurray!), because it is extremely food friendly.

This can go with pea soup, turkey crown, and even that crazy Christmas pudding that so many old-fashioned Brits like to set on fire before shovelling down their gobs. It is soft and fruity, with very little on the nose.

And, sure, It’s approachable, but some may find it too overripe: 8.2 alone, 8.4 with Christmas vittles or in a mixed case.

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Check this: for £8.5, the 2006 Chateau Romanin Rosé from Les Baux-de-Provence tastes unbelievably bland on its own. Except for some strawberry in the beginning (typical) and some tartness in the end, with a bone dry finish (the only saving grace), there isn’t much to the wine. But the blend of 7 (yes, seven) grapes — Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Cinsault and one InterWined.com has never heard of Counoise — all work to one completely unpernicious (which, everyone knows, isn’t actually a word) end: it pairs amazingly with just about every type of dish one can make on a grill.

That’s is an unbelievable feat and InterWined is wondering if the more grapes in a blend, the better its chance to pair with more taste complicated dishes, such as grilled lamb chops with a yoghurt, mint and cumin dressing, with a twist of lemon, served with garlic pita, with pumpkin seed and coriander hummous…well you get the point. By itself: 8.2, with the grill, 8.8 easy.

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Came across an interesting one: called Monastrell IX. No brand. Just a Spanish grape, Monastrell (Mourvèdre in France, Mataro in New World) with one selling point: it’s 15 percent alcohol by volume. To sell based solely on the fuzzy factor, seems just plain wrong. And it’s not cheap, £5 at the Co-Op. Certainly it would be awful, but some fool has to blog it, doesn’t he?

Telling you; that wine was so bad, it took forever to finish – every last drop.

Also had two great Montepulciano d’Abruzzos. Thinking about doing a few reviews on these wines: Who likes Italian?

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