BRAIN TRAIN

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through to 9 with no repetition.

Across

1. Pale yellowish-green colour (4)

3. Unconsciousness induced by drugs (8)

9. Musical setting for a religious text (7)

10. Famous American battle, Davy Crockett’s last (5)

11. Offensive against an enemy (5)

12. One of a kind (6)

14. Changeover (6)

16. Disease of the skin (6)

19. Hindu or Buddhist mystical or magical text (6)

21. Vertical pipe in a building (5)

24. Sign of the zodiac, the Ram (5)

25. Protective shoe-coverings (7)

26. Put aside for a special purpose (8)

27. Form of charge imposed and collected (4)

Down

1. Ball game played with long-handled racquets (8)

2. Priory residents (5)

4. Counting frame (6)

5. American raccoon (5)

6. Act passed by a legislative body (7)

7. Native of Edinburgh, for example (4)

8. Acid found in milk (6)

13. Room in a church where a priest prepares for a service (8)

15. Slanted letters (7)

17. Migratory shorebird of the sandpiper family (6)

18. Armed fight (6)

20. Weapon that delivers a temporarily paralysing electric shock (5)

22. Person held in servitude (5)

23. Wild animal’s den (4)

“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”. McDonald’s introduced drive-through service due to the military. Alfred Hitchcock was frightened of eggs. The fuller the fridge, the more energy-efficient it is. There’s a LEGO bridge in Germany that you can walk across.

A Blast from the Past!

All are listed on Majestic’s website, so you can easily look them up for more details: www.majestic.co.uk/wine

Whites

1 Viognier, Paul Jaboulet, France, 2021, 13.5% £9.99

2 Sauvignon Blanc, “Mill Race”, Vergelen, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2022, 13.5% £9.99

3 Albariño, Martín Códax, Rías Baixas, Spain, 2021, 13% £10.99

Reds

In 1980, 43 years ago, two events in the Wine Trade occurred. The author joined Hedges & Butler Ltd (the oldest British wine merchant, est. 1667) as a young wine & spirits salesman, and Majestic Vintners (the forerunner of Majestic Wine) was founded. Hedges & Butler - then owned by Bass plc - was then the largest importer of wines in the UK (but sadly was closed in 1989) - today Majestic is the country’s largest specialist retailer of wine. As readers will know, I do my best to support local businesses, both producers and retailers - on this occasion I have good reason to feature this iconic business with a branch in Taunton.

I was recently invited to a ‘portfolio’ trade tasting by Majestic in Totnes - with some 160 wines - and reminiscent of the trade events I used to attend before I moved to Taunton and retiring. The Truro tasting was professionally organised and supported by many of Majestic’s trade suppliers. I discovered several wines that will be relevant to me when sourcing drinks for local voluntary bodies’ events. As most of these wines carried different labels to those available to consumers, I decided to visit the Taunton shop and give some pointers to interesting wines you can buy. The very knowledgeable Lulu was on duty, and I sampled the 7 wines available for tasting. I thought all were good value, and the promotion prices were a great bonus. The prices quoted are the 6 (mixed) bottle rate and all are VAT inclusive, but the offers are for a limited period. The wines listed below give you a flavour, but it’s best to try wines there yourself and take advantage before offers end.

4 Pinot Noir, “Kings Worth”, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2020, 14% £11.95

5 Côtes du Rhône, “Belleruche”, Chapoutier, 2021 £14.95

6 Carménère Red Blend, “Arao”. Clos de Luz, Chile, 2018 £9.99

7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Colombia Valley, Washington State, USA, 2018 £14.99

I strongly recommend that you call at the Taunton shop, where the staff - who are well trained in wine knowledge via WSET qualifications - can guide you through the extensive range (I am a Diploma graduate, and was a Certified WSET Educator myself for over 30 years).

Majestic Taunton are holding a charity tasting with a leading supplier on Thursday 6 April 6-7.30pm, which is well worth attending (£10 donation).

Majestic Wine, Unit 2, The Showrooms, Wellington New Road, Taunton,TA1 5LU.

Phone: 01823 336536

Email: tau@majestic.co.uk when you contact one of our advertisers.