Cenosilicaphobia is the fear of an empty glass.

The Cenosilicaphobiac Cat is the name of a wine.

Here’s the story of that wine presented to us by the consistently wonderful d’Arenberg:

Growing up, fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, had a large ginger cat with blood shot eyes named Non Alcoholic Booze. In typical Australian fashion this was shortened to Booze after he was caught cleaning up a small red wine spill with his tongue. He developed quite a taste for red after that, but was denied access to his new found love by the concerned Osborn family. Consequently Non Alcoholic Booze lived a frustrated life, because despite his nickname, he suffered a monumental case of Cenosilicaphobia (the fear of an empty glass).

To state the obvious, the best way to conquer this phobia is to never have an empty glass.

My dog isn’t well. The wife and I took Samba for a second visit to the vet in three days and still no closer to a diagnosis. Blood tests have been taken and results are now in anticipation. We have one very sad little Ruby Cavalier King Charles Spaniel at our feet.

So, upon arriving home I was extremely cheered to find a Wine Society Box waiting outside the front door. Firstly, I was amazed that it hadn’t been pilfered by the local hoodies – maybe this could be an angle for the TWS Marketing team  “Rest assured, our Wines don’t appeal to thieving chavs”.  I guess that’s why TWS located their Warehouse in Stevenage. No worries.

And secondly, what great customer service from these guys.  The majority of the deliveries are made by their own Vans, so you just know that the wine will arrive on time and will be treated with the care it deserves. After Friday ‘s delivery notification email I knew it would be here today between 10.30am and 1pm – cos that’s what they told me.

It’s always a thrill opening a mixed case from a merchant, and The Wine Society adds a desired flourish with two sides of tasting notes to accompany the wines.

With this kind of service I wonder how many little boys and girls out there look like Wine Society drivers. Milkmen have nothing on these fellas.

I’m regulating the booze intake to 1 bottle a week at the moment (carrying a stone and half too much – no really) and will have some fun blogging my way through the following 12 peaches -

Whites -

D’Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz 2006

Christian Moueix Bordeaux 2005

The Society’s Chilean Chardonnay Casablanca

Gewurztraminer Tradition 2007 Cave de Turckheim

Levin Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France 2006

The Ned Waihopai River Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Reds

Winemakers Lot No 77T Rapel Merlot 2005

Zarcillo Pinot Noir 2007

Corbieres Domaine de la Marque 2006

Verdelho 2007 Esporao

Quinta do Crasto Douro 2007

Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Friande Domaine Jaume 2007

Deals, deals everywhere! It’s the run up to Christmas and wine sellers all across the land are offering Christmas Cases, Winter Cases, Party Cases and Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!

But what to buy? You need quantity, you’d love quality and value is important too. Right? 

Well here’s my 3 tips on what not to do when buying wine by the case this Chrimbo followed by a short list of current deals for “every day drinkers” that are worth taking a punt on.

1 – Avoid falling for “£50 off when you buy 2 cases – Only to New Members”. DON’T DO IT! Chief culprit for this type of masterful 1990′s style marketing are Direct Wines (You’ll know them as Laithwaites, Sunday Times Wine Club etc)

These guys use Christmas to harvest new “recruits” in order to mail them relentlessly for the next 24 months. Some of you will give in and become “active” while others will rightly resist until next Christmas when they’ll seek to “re-activate” you. 

Of course this wouldn’t matter if the wine was any good. But, you’ll get offered a limited range of mixed cases where a few of the wines will be quite nice, a few OK and the remainder rubbish.

To paraphrase Patrick Mcgoohan in the Prison “We are not Numbers. We are free men”

2 – Supermarkets like to offer you a choice of three price points, or as Tesco likes to put it “Good, Better, Best”. A quick re-calibration of this will give you “Bad, Good, Better”. 

Always go for the middle option.

3 – It’s 2008 and Global Capitalism has started it’s long decline but it won’t go down without a fight, hell no. It’s gonna try to make some money while it still can. So, when you come across any marketing carrying the phrase “Credit Crunch Busting” ignore it. It’s sad and a tad pathetic.

Here are 6  deals from the High Street that are worth taking a punt on - 

Mixed Cases

Modern Classic Reds
12 x 75cl Bottle
£74.88
Save £15 = £59.88
www.majestic.co.uk 

Modern Classic Whites
12 x 75cl Bottle
£74.88
Save £15 = £59.88
www.majestic.co.uk 

Red

Concha Y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon, Chilean 75cl
Save £2.00 was £6.99 now £4.99
www.sainsburys.com

Cono Sur Pinot Noir Reserve 75cl
Per case: £34.14
Case of 6 x 75 CL Bottles (equivalent to £5.69 per bottle)
www.tesco.com/winestore

White

The Ned Waihopai Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2007/08 Marlborough, New Zealand
Christmas Special Offer – Save 33%
Case of 12 £75.84 equivalent to £6.32 each 
www.waitrose.com

d’Arenberg ‘The Hermit Crab’ Marsanne Viognier
£8.99 each
Buy 12 for £7.19 each
www.oddbins.com