Celebrations many and manifold                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

We gave you three consecutive Burgundy tastings to see you through our en primeur campaign. Now do we hear you hankering for something a little...grittier? A bit more full-bodied, perhaps? Do I smell cedar? A whiff of the cigar box, perhaps? Yes, this week we're showcasing some of our latest range of Affordeaux, keenly priced, richly rewarding Bordeaux. And of course, Sunday is also Valentine's Day, and what would that be without something fizzy and pink...so we're also tasting Billecart Rose to tie in with our offer of a free half of rose on selected Billecart sales. While you taste, you can also raise a glass to the 600th birthday of our retail manager, Mr Wills. Colin began his career in wine as a young tyro serving tankards of wine to crusaders as they prepared to storm the walls of Jerusalem. After a failed later career as a navigator when he tried to import wine from the Canaries, got lost and accidentally invented Madeira, he turned to military adventuring. He fought bravely at Rorke's Drift and Balaclava, while we gloss over any possible involvement at Culloden. He took a bullet to the head on the Somme and has never been quite the same. Latterly he has returned to the wine trade and beguiles you all with his brilliant and varied recommendations. Happy Birthday, Mr Wills.