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Christmas Crossword 2018: solution and winners
The Bubble Brothers Christmas crossword 2018 was good fun all round. We enjoyed setting it, and the word on Wine Street is that it was an enjoyable challenge—just about right.
Thanks to everyone who joined in and had a go.
We've drawn a winning entry as in the past, using a random number generator, from the fully correct crosswords received before the deadline last night.
The bottle of André Clouet Grande Réserve Brut goes to: Caoimhín Vallely
Congratulations! We'll be in touch shortly to make arrangements for that very nice bottle of champagne.
One for everyone in the audience…
It was a bit more difficult than last year to fit wrong answers into the grid, though some entrants managed it. So there were one or two not entirely correct solutions submitted.
But humbug! to Scrooge.
Everyone who entered in the appropriate spirit will receive an e-mail with a voucher for five euro to spend in our shops.
And in case you've been wondering, here are the answers. If any of them still don't make sense to you, get in touch and we'll gladly supply an explanation.
ACROSS
1. A confused feat of cheesemaking (4)
FETA
3. I've Mr Dipso in a muddle: it's made up as you go along (10)
IMPROVISED
10.Taverns (9)
ALEHOUSES
11. Alkaline—it's elementary (5)
BASIC
12. Town on the Vienne river, famous for Cabernet Franc (6)
CHINON
13. Galician white wine, and its grape (8)
ALBARINO
15. No diphthong for this wine expert (9)
ENOLOGIST
16. Roasting not far from Ballincollig? (5)
OVENS
17. A kind of anticipatory breath (5)
BATED
19. Evidence of reindeer? (9)
HOOFMARKS
23. So jammy—keep a lid on it (8)
CONSERVE
25. Irish province otherwise known as mac (6)
ULSTER
27. I hear Carol's are Christmas ones (5)
HYMNS
28. Roughly speaking, a great place for German wines (9)
RHINELAND
29. Derry rebel turns out to be senior fruit (10)
ELDERBERRY
30. One of eight under the goldie fish (4)
BELL
DOWN
1. She said yes (7)
FIANCEE
2. O, strive! for the home of Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG (7)
TREVISO
4. An agglomeration at midnight (4)
MASS
5. About the answer? It's on my list for the New Year (9)
RESOLUTION
6. A trembling in the voice, maybe in 27 across (7)
VIBRATO
7. Japanese rice dish (5)
SUSHI
8. They have their PhD (7)
DOCTORS
9. Sounds like Santa—what a laugh! (2,2,2)
HOHOHO
14. Light, fresh wine from northern Portugal (5, 5)
VINHOVERDE
17. Ecstatic followers of the wine god (7)
BACCHAE
18. Shows off ware, or wear when snappy (7)
DRESSER
20. The Côt or Auxerrois grape, by another name (6)
MALBEC
21. What you sometimes do with your steps (7)
RETRACE
22. D'result can be sugar-coated if carefully mixed (7)
