Oddbins has been resurrected. The late and much lamented high street chain of wine shops began as a shop full of quirky, interesting, good and best of all good value wines. Oddbins was the place to go if you were an adventurous wine drinker. Sadly, over the years, mismanagement and the inability to keep up with a changing market doomed Oddbins to the dustbin of retail history.
Or so we thought. Happily, 38 Oddbins shops were saved and they are now coming back with some intriguing and delicious wines. I tried this simple but tasty Italian red wine the other day and can say it makes for great everyday drinking. The Il Merlonero Vinoquotidiano 2010 translates as “everyday wine” and that is exactly what this wine is. The Vinoquotidiano comes from the Barolo producers, G.D.Vajra and is their entry level wine (13% alc).
A wine that is indeed made for every day, it’s a blend of 50% Barbera, 30% Dolcetto, 10% Nebbiolo, 8% Pinot Noir and 2% Merlot. I think they threw just about everything in except the kitchen sink. However, this is a pretty little wine. Silky and expressive; there was great fruit on nose, full of cherries with a sweet note on the finish, excellent acidity: a very juicy wine, it just keeps on giving. I have to mention that I do love the rather quirky label. It makes the wine look like something from the New World. I would have never guessed it was an Italian wine (well, maybe the Italian name might have given the game away).
A very reasonably priced £10 from this excellent Barolo producer, it’s great that Oddbins is now sourcing good value and good quality wines – and not only from Italy, but Spain, France and Australia as well. If you haven’t been to Oddbins lately, it’s definitely worth taking a second look.
