Booze cruise...

[dodsi]

I am considering doing a booze cruise over to Calais or nearby to stock up for Christmas / rest of year wine.

The aim of the game is not to buy 1000 bottles of gut rot @ £1 a bottle but to buy some reasonable quality wine for say around £10 (give and take) equivalent per bottle and come away with a variety of nice wines.

Does anyone have any experience of where to go in or around Calais (maybe even a short drive from) to buy such wonders.

I am already only an hour and a half drive from Folkestone so it's not like it is a huge mission for me so the 'expense' of travel is not that much.

I also note some places will pay your crossing for you when you commit to spend £250. This is also something I have considered.

[1198]

There's a large wine warehouse near the tunnel entrance / exit / terminal at the Calais end. I can't remember the name I'm afraid but I'm sure two minutes on Google will find it.

[1198]

There's a large wine warehouse near the tunnel entrance / exit / terminal at the Calais end. I can't remember the name I'm afraid but I'm sure two minutes on Google will find it.

[dodsi]

I have done some googling and have seen there are many places right off the tunnel exit - I am really looking for recommendations as to which is/are the best.

[robs321]

Me and a couple of mates used to go in my van for £45 split 3 ways, via the channel tunnel. We would mainly hit Tesco at Cite Europe but thats long gone. With todays exchange rate and discounted prices here, I really dont think its worth the bother! IMO

BTW im 30 mins from Folkestone !

[Beehive Bedlam]

Christmas is boring.

Wine is disgusting.

[.....]

[Alpineandy]

Went down to La Touquet a few years back and stopped at 5/6 places on the way back.
The prices got more expensive the closer we got to Calais and the Quality got worse.
Wine, Beer and food.
We weren't stocking up for a party, so we weren't looking for cheap bulk.
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[andyscooter]

is it really worth the hassle with aldi selling decent enough wines for about a tenner


and to be fair once you have had one with dinner you could drink the £3.50 torro loco anyway and not tell the difference


that's what I normally do anyway
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[J4mes]

We stop on the Rhine on the way back from skiing to visit a local vineyard and stock up on bottles - we typically bring back about 60 bottles @ 4euros a bottle. Best white wine I've ever had

But that's about 8 hours from Calais. I wouldn't entertain the cost/time/hassle of going across just to stock up on blossom hill or whatever. Keep an eye out at the supermarkets, they often do 6 bottles for £24 +25% off or something like that.

[dodsi]

I have just been to Sainsbury's and picked up 6 bottles of bollinger @ £22.5 each - this is based on £10 off per bottle then a further 25% off 6 or more. That is something not available in these hypermarche places for that money.

The real purpose is to try before we buy and buy decent wine - it's very rare you get anything really good from any supermarket in the uk. Looking in Sainsbury's earlier today when buying the champagne there was nothing of any specific interest to me. But I am a wine snob.

Is the consensus that I am better off away from Calais or is here a place there that will provide something decent?

[Ste]

Wine snobs get their wine from The Sunday Times Wine Club rather than a French booze cruise.

[J4mes]

I think if you want to try before you buy, you'd be better off travelling a few more hours in to the wine regions and visiting the vineyards.

The place we go in Germany just has the cellar open, with 20 odd barrels and tables of glasses. You go down, try as much as you like, fill in your tick sheet and take it to the desk where they then take you to the bottle store and start filling the cases for you.

I haven't really seen try before you buy in any wholesalers I've been to

[chris-red]

[GhostRider]

[hellkat]

[iooi]

[Paddy Blake]

Just be sure to check the back of the van before you head
back in case there is a Gary in there.

[dodsi]

[Alpineandy]

[grr666]

Waitrose stocks enough variety for Mrs Grr. I don't drink the stuff myself apart from a drop of prosecco with Xmas dinner.
She usually opts for a medium dry sauvignon, preferably from NZ.
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[dodsi]

As it turns out a place we frequent in Brighton- 'twenty one wines' is doing a tasting today.

Looks like I could have a solution without driving on the wrong side of the road.

[dodsi]

Aaaand I am £450 lighter but did include 19 bottles of wine , 1 English sparkling, a reasonable port and a bottle of Ron zacapa 23 year old rum.

Thanks for the advice guys!