This is directed at wine producers and wine merchants. Wine consumers will, quite rightly, feel not the slightest jot of sympathy for my dilemma. But the proportion of bottles to people in our house is now officially unsustainable. Every time I have to leave my desk to open the door (many times each day) my face falls as yet another courier brings yet more boxes and packages.
I know this is just before that period in the year when most wine is bought. I know the world has more and more talented wine producers desperately searching for validation and encouragement. And I hope to resume my relatively open approach to receiving wine samples soon, but please may I suggest a moratorium for the moment? (Or perhaps try contacting Julia instead, via the Site Problems option on the Contact form? She kindly looks after this aspect of things and I believe still has a small corner of her house available for storage and tasting of samples.)
Clearly, I need to build a substantial bottle-receiving hangar, equipped with full time staff to open packages, log their contents, store them appropriately and concoct sensible groupings for me to taste, complete with perfect lists of wines, suppliers, prices and stockists. But this is not going to happen in the next few weeks, folks. I will do my best to clear a path through the (largely unidentified) thickets of bottles, but please, for the moment, Curb Your Enthusiasm!