Oh Turning Leaf....
A long while ago, I had a tip off from a friend who worked at Sainsbury's that if you buy a case of Ernest & Julio Gallo wine you would be eligible for a free return flight to the USA. Cities included in the promo were: New York, Boston, Miami etc.

Apparently these cases were sold out as soon as they got to stores but after a late night out Rana and I stumbled upon some at an all night Sainsbury's in Soho. We hauled these two cases in the black cab and went home excited about the free flights.

I read all the fine print and sent off my application form (registered mail too) I was positive that surely I would fly to NYC after spending something like ninety quid on these two cases of terrible tasting wine?!

I didn't hear back from the marketing company that was facilitating the promotion and after a few weeks I Googled the company. The Google search returned many hate websites and consumer forum posts entitled 'Turning Leaf flight scam' and more. I then decided that this wine (that tasted awful) would not be drunk in vain. Finally after weeks and weeks of pushing the marketing company and Sainsbury's legal dept I got a reply saying I could book my flight to NY and only pay taxes. Yay!

I was lucky as many people did not get their flights and were stuck with the crappy wine.

I had a great time in NY and then came back to these never ending bottles of Turning Leaf wine. I tried to have a sangria party, give them away as gifts but they would not go away.

It is a long standing joke now that there is one bottle of Turning Leaf left that is passed back and forth from my friend Anne Marie and I at any special occasion. I am sure I will see that Turning Leaf again soon....maybe we will have to actually crack it open when he first child is born.

Read the Advertising Standards Authority Website's report on this promotion, am sure Sainsbury's will never team up with that marketing company again.

Lesson for today: buyer beware of food promos.