Eight more sleeps till Christmas.

I love it that we count the days down like that here in Oz. It reminds you of when you were a kid and the excitement of going to bed because when you wake up it will be another day closer. I don't know of anywhere else in the world where they count "sleeps" instead of days... do you?


:: GREAT WINE REVIEWS
We've had some impressive wines reviewed recently, in particular Mitolo's Jester Shiraz 2007 by Hana in Holland, Pepper Tree's 14 Shores Wrattonbully Merlot 2006 by Ryan, and Fox Creek's Vixen Sparkling Shiraz, reviewed by Marc (which has earned it a spot on the short-list for the Booze Cruise next month).

Talking of the Booze Cruise, the response from the wineries has been overwhelming, with superb wines coming in from all over the country and from across the Tasman too. We've really got our work cut out for us to select the best of the best, and it will be interesting to see which wines are selected for the event. We will post the results for you when the decision has been made.


:: BOOZEMONKEY COMPETITIONS 
You may have noticed that we haven't run any competitions for the past couple of weeks: we know you're too busy partying and doing your last minute shopping right now. But rest assured we'll be back in January with lots of new competitions and new opportunities to win some superb prizes. We already have a handful of wineries lined up. Any other winemakers who are interested, please drop us a line at comps@boozemonkey.com

:: KARRIBINDI SPECIAL
KarriBindi sponsored our last competition and you will see their ad banner proudly flashing at the top of each page. And they had such a great response from you guys that they want to give something back, so Kris and his team are running a special promotion on the site: CLICK HERE for details.

:: CAUGHT REDHANDED HITS SYDNEY
Just to let you know, the details for the Caught Redhanded Sydney event have now been finalized and tickets are selling fast: the venue is Chinta Ria at Darling Harbour and it's set to be a LONG 5-course lunch (accompanied by copious quantities of CRH wines) and hosted by winemaker Phil Rogers on 9th Jan.

Put a note in your diary, click the link for details and phone Phil now to book your table.

Okay, I'm off to do some last-minute shopping myself (don't tell the boss -- he doesn't even like it when I take a coffee break).

Enjoy the rest of the week, have a great weekend, and Santa will be here before you know it.


Cheers!

Matt