Wine from the supermarket, this week the Co-op

It seems like destiny that I should write about this wine. A circle of events, that the Cooperative be the supermarket of the week.
When my day started, I had no clue that I would be going to the local museum with 80 kids.
A museum, I had failed to visit for the past 14 years of me living in town.

A museum, that despite being home-spun, was very interesting. The kids were able to hold the exhibits, look through photos of the past, crank sirens from the war and find out about the towns famous baseball team.I, on the other hand was followed by the curator from exhibit to exhibit. Mercilessly hunted down and regaled with facts. Here is the thing, the Coop was started in this Country in 1844, but what I didn't know was that when in 1866, it came to town, it took over.

Everything was the Coop and conversely the Coop were everything.

The curator, who was called something like Clive, said that until recently, you knew the staff and the manager.It was a local service for local people (sound familiar?).
Clive went on to say that the room we stood in was part of the original shop and how the date was carved in stone on the outside. Sadly our time was up and I didn't have to reach for the pepper spray. The Museum was fascinating and makes you feel proud to  be part of the town. I will be sure not to leave it 14 years before I visit again.

To the wine in hand, this is a Cotes Du Rhone that caught my eye. It is on offer at the moment at £5.99. A cheeky wine from the Rhone valley, it is made up of three main grapes, blended to different percentages year on year,in order to maintain consistency.

The wine is ruby red in colour,with a clear rim showing youth, not surprisingly, having been in the bottle for less than a year.The nose is tricky to pin down. There is floral notes and meaty wafts, marzipan and orange blossom.

Plenty of punchy red wine on the first sip. Load of alcohol which feels like it has yet to blend into the wine. A doughnut jammy-ness follows joined by a well hung meat flavour. There is plenty to chew on, but sadly little on the finish. This wine will improve in the bottle, but why take the risk?