Don’t lose your bottle, shop local

Aweek of frantic Christmas shopping has kicked off and it could get pretty messy. The experts will figure out soon enough how this pandemic would have panned out locally had there been faster, more decisive action at the start of the month.

Bizarrely, it appears to many, we’re going into a lockdown, of sorts, but only after a week of going back to a semi new normal.

A realisation will surely be dawning on many of us that with “non-essential” shops closing for two weeks from November 27, getting any Christmas shopping after that could be somewhat challenging.

Here’s the thing. There’s a lot of us who want to shop local rather than giving Amazon the turn.

We want to do our bit for local shops, but at the same time we maybe don’t want to be crammed into the town in a small window of opportunity and surround ourselves with potential risk.

The offies are allowed to remain open, albeit with an 8pm closure.

So we can all do our bit to give the independents a turn.

In the meantime, I ’ ll tell you about a few bargains I picked up in not-so-local Sainsbury’s as I’d an £8 off voucher.

While I prefer to go local for something of a wee treat, if I’m getting in a few bottles for the annual gift bag conveyor belt then I’ll happily use up vouchers, Nectar points and whatever else I can use to save a few quid.

Said few quid will be spent with vigour in the locals.

The only bottle I grabbed which might not go in a recycled bottle bag is a cracking Malbec which was down to a tenner. Dare I say it, the DV Catena would do rightly with the turkey dinner. A nice, juicy easy

drinker that show s real al quality for the price has to o be Porta 6. I’ve said before Portugal is a great spot to look for value.

Porcupine Ridge is a great South African producer and d their bottom end Shiraz is s an easy drinker.

Whi t e s I picked up p included the Taste The e Difference Albarino.

If you’re bored with Sauv auv v Blanc, try this zesty wee number mb ber from north-west Spain.

The TTD Languedoc white is a really i nt eresting blend d of Grenache, Marsanne and d Vermentino. A real peachy richness here.

Last but not least, herself likes the Valle de Casablanca TTD Chilean Sauv v Blanc. Standard issue SB in my y humble opinion, but if that’s ’s your thing.

Fill your bags, but keep a few w quid over for something special ial at the indies.

“international” varieties.

The Rias Baixas is £7.50. They drink it with shellfish in Galacia apparently so try that if you fancy.

At £6 the Chilean Sauv Blanc is an easy touch for a Friday night.