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Current Poll

A 170-year-old Champagne with a 'stench of horse manure' has just fetched over €100,000. So - does a wine's nose have to be attractive for it to be good?

  • Of course. Why would you spend so much money to be exposed to something so unpleasant? (1 votes, 100%)
  • No. It's about the experience of drinking something so old (0 vote, 0%)
  • No. Many of the great wines have difficult aromas irrespective of age - it's called character. Just look at the finest Burgundies (0 vote, 0%)

Previous Polls

Camel Valley fizz was served to the Queen and Prime Minister recently. As the UK gears up for a Great British summer, is English sparkling wine a serious alternative to Champagne?

  • Yes - the best wines are just as good as Champagne (681 vote, 51%)
  • Not yet - the potential's there, but producers are still learning (333 vote, 25%)
  • No - I'll drink it on the Diamond Jubilee to be patriotic, but I'm sure Her Majesty would prefer a glass of Krug (321 vote, 24%)

As London plays host to two natural wine fairs in May, some devotees of natural wines are calling for more information about additives & processes to appear on labels. Do you agree?

  • Yes, I'm worried that there may be all sorts of chemicals in there (504 vote, 51%)
  • No, it's just a bunch of hippies spouting health and safety rubbish (303 vote, 31%)
  • I'd like to know what 'contains sulphites' means (95 vote, 10%)
  • I'm confused - I thought wine already was a natural product? (78 vote, 8%)

Decanter has been accused of 'unashamed elitism' (Star Letter, May 2012 issue). So would you like to see more sub-£10 recommendations?

  • Yes. In this day and age, value is increasingly important (231 vote, 30%)
  • No, quality is more important to me than price (221 vote, 28%)
  • Sub-£10 is a stretch, but more sub-£15 recommendations should definitely be achievable for good, everyday wines (326 vote, 42%)

Wine serving systems have brought previously unaffordable wines within reach of the ordinary wine lover. At up to £100 a sip, which of these would be top of your wish list?

  • Chateau Latour 1961 (486 vote, 27%)
  • Penfold's Grange 1955 (103 vote, 6%)
  • Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Richebourg 1959 (594 vote, 33%)
  • None of the above - no wine is worth £100 a sip (599 vote, 34%)

The UK Government now recommends two alcohol-free days a week. How many days a week do you abstain from wine?

  • None - a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine (565 vote, 40%)
  • At least two - I savour the other days more that way (593 vote, 42%)
  • One at the very most. I don't need health lessons (265 vote, 19%)

Scientists have sequenced the Brettanomyces gene and now may be able to eradicate it. Is this is a good thing?

  • Yes, brett is a fault and should be eliminated (291 vote, 40%)
  • No, brett adds interest, variation and rusticity (173 vote, 24%)
  • No, why interfere with what is natural? (147 vote, 20%)
  • What is brett again? (110 vote, 15%)

Bordeaux is reviving the name 'claret' for its lower-priced wines. Are you pleased?

  • No. Claret to me should mean a fine old bottle of cru classé, not a Bordeaux supérieur (493 vote, 44%)
  • Yes. Nice to hear a wonderful old name given a new lease of life (327 vote, 29%)
  • No. Claret is an old-fashioned term and should be consigned to history (294 vote, 26%)

Riedel has suggested that English sparkling wine needs its own special glass. How important is glass shape and size?

  • Very - different glasses for different wine types really bring out the nuances of the various styles (834 vote, 37%)
  • Not at all. It's a con trick - one decent glass is enough (259 vote, 12%)
  • Three glasses should cover it: for red; white and sparkling (1132 vote, 51%)

There’s a move toward more elegant Shiraz in Australia, but our panel tasting experts still gave top marks to some big, full-bodied wines. Is this the style of Shiraz we want from Down Under?

  • Yes. That’s what the best Aussie reds are all about (257 vote, 25%)
  • No. The cooler-climate regions in Victoria or high-altitude ones like the Adelaide Hills are making superbly elegant Shiraz (481 vote, 46%)
  • I’ll stick with the Rhône. I’ve never had an elegant Aussie Shiraz (308 vote, 29%)

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