A surprising wine find in a small UK town- Deakin Estate 2004 Shiraz

If you've read my previous post, you know that right now I am working away on a consulting project in Wootton Bassett, UK.  After work each evening, I return to my hotel, and am pretty much forced into solitary confinement until a co-worker picks me up for work the next morning. Why am I in solitary? Well, there is literally nothing to do in Wootton Bassett, or in the nearest town of Swindon. My only nighttime option is to check email and have a couple drinks.

(I've pasted in a map showing the location of Wootton Bassett and Swindon, as I doubt that any of you have heard of either town.)

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

This brings me to the great surprise of this trip....

The hotel I am staying at (The DeVere Hotel Shaw Ridge) is pretty darn nice- especially given its location. As part of the hotel's customer service program, each day, housekeeping places a complimentary small bottle of red wine on my hotel room desk (unheard of in the US). There the bottle sits all day, waiting for me to return to my room, graciously offering to help numb my boredom.

The complimentary wine is a Deakin Estate 2004 Shiraz from Australia. Now I'm not sure if it's the environment playing tricks on my taste buds, or the fact that it's provided at no cost, but this wine is actually really good. The Deakin is dark and rich. It's fruity, but without offense. Overall, it's a tasty wine that is most certainly comparable to so many other "definite buy" wines I've reviewed in the past.

I did a little research, and it looks like this wine can be purchased for about $5 a bottle in the US. For that price, I'll definitely be seeking it out when I return home. The company just released their Shiraz 2005 vintage. I'm curious how it compares to the 2004. Maybe I'll sneak a bottle home so I can compare...

If you're searching for a wine that pairs well with a bad day or a bad English meal (of which I've had too many to count), this may just be the one you've been looking for.

Recommendation: Definite buy (pending confirmation once out of tiny UK town)

Comments

[Counting Sheep]

http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2007/11/the_subjectivity_of_wine.php

Good quick read...

[S23]

I'm a newcomer.. One of my personal finance blog friends referred me over.. I love Shiraz so I'll have to try this one.