The spice of life

I’ve got loads of exciting white wines at the moment, but I’ve got a problem with reds. I’ve suffered in the past from deciding that I like one and buying a few of them, and as a result I’ve got a few bottles of wines that I’ve already had too many of. I’m thinking Maycas del Limari Reserve Shiraz and, most glaringly of all, a Berberana Etiqueta Negra Rioja Reserva, which I must have bought a year and a half ago and still can’t get through. I must learn that there are lots and lots of exciting wine and there’s no need to get more than a couple of bottles of any of them unless it’s something genuinely exceptional. But then, there are moments when having a stock of your favourite wines comes in handy. For example, I was emailed last week by the man who owns the winery that produced the EOS Petite Sirah that I blogged about a few months ago, thanking me for a positive write-up. So I opened another bottle and, thankfully, it’s still excellent. A meaty, mighty beast that’s really good to crack open every now and then. Sometimes familiarity is what you’re looking for after all.