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Background to Dry January

Many of us have decided to undertake the challenge of “Dry January” – and may have read some of the various articles in the media, debating the issue of whether this detox fad is good for us or not. 

Generally, those of us in the wine industry believe that drinking wine, in moderation is good for us – well, we would wouldn’t we!   I have one (favourite) customer whose Cardiologist has prescribed at least one glass of Rioja every day.  By drinking better quality wine, we often find that customers end up drinking less and definitely feel fewer bad effects afterwards. 

What causes these after effects? I am often asked about sulphites. Also, whether organic wine is better, or vegetarian wine? What about biodynamic wines?

There are many terms used by wine makers which are not well understood by the rest of us, and around which many myths have grown up.

  • Sulphites: don’t give you hangovers.  Those are caused by the quantity of alcohol consumed, and the level of alcohol, expressed as ABV (Alcohol by Volume) percentages on the bottle labels.   Sulphites are naturally occurring additives which are added to wine in order to stabilise it, keep it fresh and stop it from oxidising. Some people are allergic to sulphites which are found in foods such as eggs and diary, tomato ketchup, mustards and pickles, crisps, jams and dried fruit such as apricots, at higher levels than in wine.  
  • Organic Wine: Organically certified wine is wine that is produced from 100% organically grown grapes and the wine is manufactured without the use of any chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides or any other non-natural substances. The grapes have to be grown in accordance with the rules and principles of organic farming. The rules vary from country to country. Organic wine can still contain additives, but fewer. Does that make it better than regular wine – this is still up for debate!
  • Biodynamic: Wines made using specific methods (defined in the early 1900s by Rudolf Steiner,  a highly trained Austrian scientist and respected philosopher) of grape growing and wine making. Biodynamic wines are made using Organic methods plus using soil supplements prepared according to Steiner’s formulas, and following a planting calendar that uses astrological configurations, and treating the earth as “a living and receptive organism”.  You may have heard of harvesting according to the lunar track and burying cow horn at the end of the vine rows… there are believers and cynics that say wine produced with biodynamic practices taste different.
  • Vegetarian: Wines that are made without the use of any products directly obtained from animals. Most commonly this means that Isinglass, a substance extracted from fish bladders, or egg white, cannot be used to settle the sediment in the process known as “fining”.

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From our customers

Hi guys. Thank you so much for getting this order to me so quickly despite me not giving my full address. I have received it today. Fantastic service. Once again thank you so much!!

NB, Hampshire

Fantastic Service

Thanks for an enjoyable evening last night – the wines and food were both excellent.

JD, Bucks

We’ve had a lovely time in Arezzo with you all. Thank you Penny and Caroline for organising and hope to see you all again.

We had a great time , great to meet you all.

Thanks for a fabulous time everyone.  Was great fun.

Thank you all for a fantastic weekend – it was such fun and I only need a good month for my liver to recover 🤣. Huge thanks to Penny and Caz for all the organisation xx

Thanks from us too.

Morning! Just wanted to send you a huge personal thanks for a wonderful weekend. You were amazing and everyone seemed to love it.

We are home safe and sound – we have had the most special and lovely time and are so grateful for everything you have done! Thank you thank you

Thanks for everything and such a nice crowd!

I just wanted to say thank you so much for such a wonderful trip…It was magical and overhead at least half the group saying they an to go again next year (including myself). Thank you so much. Salute!

Tuscany Tour Reviews

Thank you so much. The evening was enjoyed by all, great wine and food. Please thank the Green Delight team for producing amazing food pairings.

Women’s Institute Group

I wanted to say that my whole family have been in touch saying how much they loved our private wine tasting evening – Your insight and knowledge into the wines and cheese were brilliant and we can’t wait to join for another online tasting.
Thank you so much for organising it all, the wine and food were excellent. The best online wine tasting we have ever done!

JB, South London

Thanks very much. Everyone really enjoyed themselves and benefitted from some great advice from you and Steve.
E and I are looking forward to the Tuscany trip even more now!

JB, South Bucks

Thanks for organising a delightful evening.

GL, Surrey

Thank you and congratulations on a brilliant event- a very memorable evening

JE, Cheshire

Thank you so much for the Pol Roger dinner at the Cabinet War Rooms last Thursday evening. You must have put oodles of hard work into this so please pat yourself on the head for a job well done. We had a lovely time and very much appreciated each aspect of the evening. Great atmosphere, intriguing champagne and delicious food.

A&B, Edinburgh

Thank you for such a great evening last Thursday. (We) really enjoyed the evening and the company on our table. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for follow-on events.

C&J, Herefordshire

Just to thank you and all the team for a terrific night out at the Cabinet War Rooms on Thursday. What a great time we all had! The champagne was flowing, the food was good and it was lovely to meet lots of new people.

Congratulations on arranging a superb evening which we thoroughly enjoyed.

S&BD, Bristol

“Thank you for organising a fabulous evening! We really enjoyed it… It was great fun on our table. The food and of course the champagne was delicious. The tour of the War Rooms was fascinating…..we are looking forward to the trip to Italy next May!”

J&CM, Cheshire

AH, Surrey

“Thanks for fab evening – loved it all and you did an amazing job”

SL, London

” Awesome night out”

“Thanks for a truly outstanding evening last night. Your organisation, attention to detail and brilliant choice of venue made for an awesome evening. We’ll certainly keep an eye on your website for other events, not to mention wine !”

GB, London

I would like to thank you for a very interesting evening of tasting and pairing wine with food. The enthusiasm and knowledge of Steve and yourself really came through and it was so much more fun in person than on zoom. I have had much positive comment from our members on the event.

President, Ward Club

HB, Bucks

It was such a great evening Penny – thank you so much, everyone in the group I was with said the same!

Many thanks for the lovely evening at Green Delight. We all had such a great time.  (I) would love to have a similar event

JD, Bucks

That was a fabulous evening!

Couldn’t be better presented, better in food and wine and better in value for money!

Karin and Flo

We loved it!

DW, London

thanks very much for the excellent tasting on Wednesday evening. I thoroughly enjoyed it – it’s always eye-opening and so educational to get the chance to talk with the winemaker and that really added something extra to the evening.

GB, London

Fab evening last night and lots of great feedback

SB, Charity Trustee

Penny, thanks very much for the event this evening.  Great fun and very interesting.

Andrew, London

Thank you , Penny. It was fun, and you hosted very well

 

Vanessa, East London

I was on your event yesterday evening for the  charity -it was great!

 

David, London

thanks for a great evening we really enjoyed it as did the 4 other couples I got to join Everyone had a great time.

Karen, East London

Barbara and Bill, Stansted

Really enjoyed last night. …. It was definitely the highlight of our week in fact highlight of year so far, definitely closest we’ve come to a party!

the best fun we have had since last March

Anne, Cheshire

These tastings have been highlight of lockdown. Hope for lots more fun tastings in 2021

Judy, Wirral

Going to recommend you & Steve to Britain’s Got Talent comedy duo!!

Judith, Cheshire

A note to say a massive thank you for including me on your tasting last night. What great fun that was? I almost felt like I had gone out on a date!

MH, Surrey

I would like to thank you for last night. We both really enjoyed it, both the “performance”  and the selection of wines and cheeses were fantastic.

Connor, Reading

Thank you and Steve & co for a great show case last night.  Top quality produce and very informative and very well run.

Carly, Bucks

We need you at every dinner party please

Harriet, Cheltenham

Lovely eve! Thank you so much. Everything was delicious.

SM, London

Just want to say a big thanks for last night. Was a really enjoyable showcase. Cheeses and wines were amazing!

Sam, London

Thank you so much for such a wonderful wine tasting last night! You really spoilt us

Emily, Surrey

We thoroughly enjoyed the session.  The wine and cheese selection were excellent and far exceeded my expectation.

Tracii, Hampshire

I wanted to write to thank you all for the wine tasting last night. It was fantastic, very enjoyable and informative and good fun. Feedback from team today has been great.

Julian, CEO, London

Thanks Penny, it was a great evening!

Jo, Reading

I just wanted to send you a note to say how much we enjoyed tonight’s chat/wine. We absolutely love the good cop/bad cop routine you seem to have slipped into. Add in the “expert” from the vineyard and it is the perfect combo!

Richard and Anne, Hampshire

The session was the perfect amount of time, the food and wine were delicious and paired perfectly. The quiz was fun and complemented the session so well – Thank you! We will definitely keep an eye on the website for your upcoming events and get in touch for any of our future events!

Corporate Client, Atrincham

thank you so much for such a wonderful evening on Saturday. EVERYONE loved it, particularly how relaxed and conversational it was.

Marianne, Manchester

Thanks for an enjoyable ‘virtual’,wine tasting last night

 

Mary, Maidenhead

“you do a great job and your online events are rightly popular, they have brought us some moments of real enjoyment this year”.

 

Felicity, Twickenham

Ian, Bucks

Last night was brilliant.

Kylie, Berks

 

Thanks very much… we really enjoyed it.

Elaine, Bucks

It was great. Thank you … Penny & GWO. It was fun! Well done

Karin, Bucks

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much Penny!! That was a very pleasurable evening!Kat

It was so nice seeing other people enjoying the experience as much as us.
It was a fantastic date night and I recommend it as a gift or a treat to anyone you know who likes wine and food.
It was special experience and from the comfort of our own home.

Alexa and Daniel, Bucks

Thank you all for a brilliant evening! We really enjoyed it and stayed up chatting til 2am!!

Julie and Christine, Cheshire

Good night again !!  Loved wines tonight

Judith, Wirral

Good to see you and hear you last night!   It was a fun evening, and I really liked the rapport between the 3 of you.

Jon M, London

Just wanted to say how much I and everybody that took part enjoyed the tasting. We liked the wines and it was so interesting to have Denzel there to help talk us through them and his knowledge on wine in general was fascinating too….always appreciate what (Steve) has to say, both on wine and cheese.
A lovely evening and it was brilliant that you could get the wine to us in time to enjoy on the evening

Alison M, Cambridgeshire

I loved the wine tasting last evening.  The wines and cheese were most enjoyable

Jill C, Oxon

Thank you for a most enjoyable wine tasting, very different to past experiences!

Veronica H, Putney

lovely evening from a rioja lover. thank you

Michael B, London

Super fun, thanks so much

Family H, St Albans

Great event and we don’t have to drive

Charles C, Leicester

That was great. Thanks all

Martin P, Bedford

excellent evening – well done!

Robert P, Cumbria

Wonderful evening – many thanks!!!

Zoe C, Guildford

Thank you Denzel & Penny!

Will H, Bucks

That was brilliant, thank you Eric and Steve and Penny

Sonja, London

THANK YOU. REALLY FUN EVENING AND LOVELY WINES

James L, Chatham

yes great fun well done for doing it look forward to the next one

Graham C, Southampton

“(Husband) would love to do another one!”

LS, Surrey

Next time you have an event with stuff we might be able to get out hands on – let us know!!”

Anders A, South of France

Great fun tonight Penny! Thanks.
The white wine and cheese thing was very interesting

Robin T, London

Enjoyed Marc’s knowledgeable comments and his great Gallic gestures. Another informative and fun tasting! Thanks Great Wine Online!!

Steve L, London

That was really good…The Frenchman was delightful and the food pairing guy excellent!
We loved it, very warm and sociable and expert…congratulations!

Carol T, London

Had another thoroughly enjoyable evening tasting some great wines

Wendy W, London

Another fun and interesting evening, sooooo enjoying our regular Thursday get togethers!

Alison H, Surrey

I just wanted to say what a fabulous evening we had! So very informative and the wines were delicious! Best zoom meeting I’ve had…….ever!!!

Alison F, Milton Keynes

We really enjoyed the evening and were pleasantly surprised at how good the wines were, even at their entry level. Eric and Steve were both excellent. Please pass on our thanks to Penny, who hosted the evening so expertly

Roger C, Hertfordshire

We so enjoyed this evening, huge thanks to you, Eric and Steve, you were a dream team – really enjoyed the history, the food ideas and the interaction between you all – it seemed to entertain everyone and made for such a nice evening – just great!

Felicity H, Hampton

Thank you so much for inviting us to this event!

Anita C, Kinross