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Spar Gives Wine Speak Some Local Flavour

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:20:32 +0000

A slightly odd-ball marketing idea; a national supermarket chain implementing wine back labels in the local dialect. Nothing like demystifying the incomprehensible into the ununderstandable... or summat...

The idea apparently is to find a "more palatable way of talking wine with its consumers". Spar has translated a number of its wines, adding various local dialects such as Scouse, Geordie and Scottish to its tasting notes.

An example:

Original translation:
"A truly great Merlot which is ablaze with succulent blackcurrants and blueberries. This Merlot has legs like a thoroughbred, strong and forward, which tantalises your palate. Its full bouquet is a delight for your nose and will leave you yearning for more. This isn't a wine for the faint hearted."

Geordie translation:

"A canny Merlot ableeze wi succulent blackcurrants an blueberries. This Merlot has legs leik a thoroughbred, strong an forward, tha sucks the leif oot of yer palate. Its stowed bouquet is a delight fer yer nose an will leave yee clamming fer moor. This ain ne blash"

Or, the translation to the tuneful sing song of the Mersey Beat or Scouse: [Listen MP3]

"A totally boss bottle of Merlot which smells o' blackberry, choccie, a brew and toffees. Juicy and complex like, this bevey is top wi most scran 'specially me ma's scouse. Tellin ye, this is deffo a bevey that will leave youz and youz mates made up over yez Sayers pastie."

In Somerset, SPAR describes the Merlot as:

"Alright my luvver, eers one helluva Merlot. Be stinkin hummin a sivvies thar be bleddy ansome wi yaw croust or oggy. Purfect ta share wi yaw pardy as i'' aiin ta eavy. Mygar be a purdy wine! Churs!"

While up in Scotland, locals will like the sound of this red:

"A totally stoatin bevvy. It's bricht an' foo o' flavur, wi plum, curranty fruit, mackin it taste awffy braw. A youngane's colour wi cherries an black fruit on the nose, it has a laldy kick tae it, tha runs fae the front tae the back ae' yer mooth."

"Ultimately our wines will speak for themselves, but in the meantime it's time to speak people's language."

There is also a Brummie version [Listen MP3] just don't ask me to translate!

European Wine Travel Guides Now Free To View

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:07 +0000

News received during the weekends Wine Bloggers Conference in Lisbon - the Wine Travel Guides website has made its wealth of content free to view!

Previously, the 50 guides to France, Italy and Spain were only available to paid annual subscribers, but now all website visitors can freely view the in-depth information to plan their own wine tours.

Aimed at independent travellers who want to include a wine tour as part of their visit to Europe, the exclusive on-line guides include over 1,500 recommendations of wine producers to visit, places to stay, eat and shop, local attractions as well as detailed information on regional wines. The 50 guides cover all major French wine regions as well as Tuscany in Italy and Rioja in Spain; more regions are planned for the future.

The Wine Travel Guides website was launched by wine writer Wink Lorch, owner of Wine Travel Guides in 2007. She commissioned insider experts, many of them well-known wine and travel writers to write the guides and has always sought high quality, independent content.

Wink Lorch comments:

"I decided to free up the 1,500 pages of information to be viewed by the growing number of travellers to Europe who are interested in wine tours. In-depth information is hard to find about travelling through European wine regions and we fill that gap with our comprehensive, well researched guides."
To make it easier for travellers to plan their wine tour, printable PDF guides are available to purchase and the website also continues to offer annual gold membership allowing the most recently updated guides to be downloaded at any time.

The website will accept selective advertising in the future but Lorch adds: "All our recommendations are strictly independently chosen and will continue to be so. We accept no sponsorship from individual wineries, hotels, restaurants or other recommended attractions."

The cost of individual downloadable PDF guides is just £5 (approximately US $8.50) with discounts for multiple purchases. The annual Gold membership, which gives full access to the most recent PDF updates of all the guides on the site, costs £29 (approximately US $49) and the website intends to negotiate a range of benefits for Gold members. A sample PDF guide is available to visitors who register on the website and all of the information contained in the guides can be viewed on-line before purchase.

With the insider expert information from Wine Travel Guides, independent travellers can now plan their own tours to wine regions with confidence.

Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:40:45 +0000

Regardless of what you think of the actual wine - Nottage Hill being one of the top selling brands in the UK and as such is rather looked down-upon - such large producers are often at the forefront of innovation and development.

New Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase is a stylish and convenient packaging innovation designed for lovers of quality wine that keeps fresh for up to six weeks after opening. Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase is ideal for every day drinking and is a real treat. Indulge in a glass of high quality wine when you get in from work or enjoy after finner without feeling like you need to finish or waste the rest of the bottle. To really set off your dinner party table, why not decant FreshCase Cabernet Shiraz."

Having just sunk a couple of 'from the fridge' glasses of the FreshCase Chardonnay with a hastily knocked-together Pasta Carbonara I can attest that the wine does actually make for a decent pairing with the food. Less impressed with the Cabernet-Shiraz but for a mid-week slurp it passes muster; can't really say that I'd throw it into a decanter to impress guests though, but still...

If I have a complaint it's that you really don't have a clue as to how much is left in the case... but those environmental recycling benefits are clearly a plus point.

The Hardys Nottage Hill FreshCase is to launch in Sainsbury's from the 1st of November and will retail for £19.99.

Video - Joe Wadsack Talks Port and Pinot Noir

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:27:02 +0000

Received a little video this week where Joe Wadsack "talks Pinot Noir Epiphanies and how to pair hors d'oeuvres with your favourite tipple"; thought it was only nice to share...

In this video, wine expert Joe Wadsack gives you tips on making the most out of Port (and not just for Christmas), the wines of the Burgundy region in France and the Douro Valley in Portugal. He'll also give advice to ensure you're trying true top-quality European foods that have the PDO official stamp. Watch Joe's video to find out how to have your own "Pinot Noir Epiphany" and the best way to serve and eat hors d'oeuvres like Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

To view just click this link - http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/409Et6H1WhI

For Those Who Don't Tweet - Notes from the South African Mega Tasting

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:20:02 +0000

For those who don't follow Spittoon on Twitter (via wine_scribbler) a recap on the twitter tasting notes sent during the South African Wine Mega Tasting. Held over two days last week the tasting is THE main showcase for the South African wine industry in the UK; noticed that many Europeans were also in attendance...

With limited time the generic tables held the attention; sadly no selection of Blends (Jo, how about this next year?) Cape Blends or otherwise.

Extra details given in brackets. Also restricted myself to the E and F price categories which equate for E to £10-£20/€15-30/US$30-50 and for F to above £20/€30/US$50.

arrived south africa megatasting going to start on the themed tables i think 10:45 AM Oct 13th from txt
liking the oak valley chardonnay 08 from elvin, quite classy and elegant 11:02 AM Oct 13th from txt [mistyped Elgin not 'elvin', 13% alcohol, elegance and very precise. Price E].
winery of good hope 08 chardonnay also impresses. in sub£20 category here excellent balance concentrated finish 11:08 AM Oct 13th from txt [Alcohol 13.5%, Stellenbosch, classy packaging with tapered bottle, available from Les Caves de Pyrene Price E]
also impressed ~racey oak edge and powerful finish to moreson 06 chard. moreson : sun of the morning 11:18 AM Oct 13th from txt [from Franschhoek, 14% alcohol, orange and pea edge to flavour, long finish. Price E]
loving the vibrant pea and nettle led kleine zalze family reserve 08 sauvignon 11:24 AM Oct 13th from txt [13.5% alcohol, clean, zippy palate, nice weighty mouthful]
best sauvignon so far though single vineyard kumkani lanner hill 08 wonderful balance/weight/concentration 11:33 AM Oct 13th from txt [smooth, complex flavours, roasted green peppers, stonking!. Alcohol 13.5% Price E]
theres some power behind the kleine zalze vineyard selection chenin but 09 vintage = too young 11:43 AM Oct 13th from txt [you can feel the potential! Alcohol 14% Barrel fermented Price D]
enjoying too the richness to the simonsig chenin avec chene 08 'flamboyant' layered 11:52 AM Oct 13th from txt [Stellenbosch, 14.5% alcohol, tropical fruity richness. Price E]
wish twitpic worked on this phone. packaging on pink expression 09 unique and elegant label female portrait by iwan labuschagne. wine f ... 12:12 PM Oct 13th from txt [didn't like the aroma much but the palate good with red berries and tropical fruit notes. Price C, a very pale coloured rosé]
talking of packaging, not sure of gold striped label on escapades pinotage 08; nice sweet fruit led palate good structure 12:23 PM Oct 13th from txt [Stellenbosch,13.5% alcohol]
some decent complexity to morkel 08 pinotage; baked tomato palate smoky edge to nose, 12:29 PM Oct 13th from txt [Alcohol 13.5%, perhaps overly dry finish, Price D]
lyngrove platinum 05 shiraz, the colour of mud but retaining a powerful vibrancy on palate. 12:35 PM Oct 13th from txt [Some age, very noticable on the colour but offerng rounded, smooth, deep palate. Alcohol 14.5%. Price E]
plenty of shiraz ~ kleine zalze family reserve showing v well but why no blends table? 12:41 PM Oct 13th from txt [Price E, also great was herby/minty Kumkani Tripe J Shiraz 06]
who left their bag propped up against the spittoon. silly silly people,they dont call me dribble for nothing! 12:46 PM Oct 13th from txt
cloof cruicible shiraz 06 showing great power & concentration. so it should being the most expensive on display £20+ 12:48 PM Oct 13th from txt [Price F,alcohol noticable at 15.5%, plenty of gravelly tannins, blackberry, rosehips, lovely]

Khulu Sky - A New South African Wine Range

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:15:19 +0000

If I have one criticism of this new range of wines is their size - I was so convinced they were 50cl bottles that I wasted a good couple of hours researching the growth and apparent interest in this bottle size before young Phil poked me in the ribs with the empty bottle of Pinotage Rosé and showed the 75cl emblazoned on the label.

They ARE full-sized 75cl; the bottle is the thing though. It's plastic. If you had 'issues' with bag-in-box wines and still haven't embraced the benefits of screw-caps then may-hap these are not going to be for you.

Khulu Sky from South Africa is packaged in a unique, multi-layered PET bottle. Which they are, of course, keen to emphasize its benefits:

Light and unbreakable
Eco-friendly
Lightweight so reduces the carbon footprint
100% recyclable

In addition to these environmental benefits Khulu Sky - khulu being the Zulu word for wonderful - is produced under WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association) certification. WIETA is a not for profit, voluntary association of many different stakeholders, who are committed to the promotion of ethical trade, at first in the wine sector, and now in agriculture as a whole. Stakeholders include producers, retailers, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and government. It's primary aim is to improve the working conditions of agricultural employees.

The Khulu Sky range is also available in 18.5cl bottles - single serve to you and me - for £1.79. The full sized bottles have a retail price of £5.49.

The Khulu Sky Pinotage Rosé was rather delightful; quite full, an edge of spice to the pleasant berry flavours it slipped down a treat. Weighty enough to handle food - a mixed Chinese takeaway in our case but equally spiffing for drinking on its own. Good value I thought (Alcohol 12.5%).

The second in the range, a white Chenin has just a smidge of sweetness; pleasant easy drinking with a soft palate offering a touch of cress, herbs and a mineral dimension, it is sure to find many a devotee (Alcohol 13%).

There is a Shiraz too, one I am sipping on as I type. Simple pepper and blackberry on the nose, very soft and rounded on the palate, full, juicy with a twist of spice on the finish. Its nice; absolutely nothing wrong with it at all (Alcohol 13.5%). If you're after a good value 'house wine', something to accompany a pizza, mixed grill or a poshed up burger then the Shiraz will certainly hit the mark. In fact all three are worthy of consideration (and, as I am oft reminded, £5.49 is, for many, more of a treat rather than a mid-week tipple). For me though the ethical and environmental elements are, in late 2009, of greater importance.

Eight Portuguese Wines - A Snapshot of Portugal

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:00:05 +0000

The end of the month sees the wine-blogospheres attention focusing on the Lisbon Wine Bloggers Conference; it's one of those countries I've long hankered to visit. For years the wines have intrigued and delighted. I recall the arrival of a handful of new listings to the shelves of the wine merchants I use to run way, way back, the exploration of those oddly named grapes (the intense, firm Baga, the aromatic, herby, full-bodied Tourgia Nacional, the peachy Bical, the rich, honeyed Fonte Cal et al) and the subsequent enjoyment of those distinctive flavours and food-friendly styles.

If there is one thing that hasn't changed at all over the intervening years it is the dreadful packaging on many of the wines. What sells in suburban Lisbon really doesn't cut it on the shelves of Waitrose, Threshers or the independent. This may go some way in explaining why, despite the critics raving over the wines, Portugal remains on the lower rung of players in the UK wine scene.

A few days ago I plonked my arse down at a 'refresher' tasting hosted by Sarah Ahmed, Portuguese Wine Writer of the year 2009. Really aimed at restaurateurs and merchants the background given on the wines was a little perfunctory but with limited time I guess it was about all that could be imparted without the session becoming a fact-laden, eye-lid dropping, school lesson.

It was an opportunity to sample some great wines, some new, some previously enjoyed and offering an overarching snapshot of the styles available.

Wine Tasting Note: Quinta das Arcas Arca Nova, 2008 Vinho Verde, Portugal. Stockist: Waitrose Price: £6.95 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Pitched as an alternative to Muscadet and Sauvignon - certainly not lacking in the crispness department, ctric, lifted with a floral character,someone mentioned a cucumber character to the nose. A little bit of skin contact adds a little oomph. Alcohol 11%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Falcoaria Branco, 2007, Ribatejo, Portugal.
Stockist: Waitrose Price: £9.64 Peter Osborne Wine [More: Adegga / Snooth]
100% Fernao Pires from old vines. Crisp acidity, fresh, some finesse, white pepper. A single vineyard wine with a 50-50 blend of oak/unoaked with battonage adding layering to the flavour.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Quinta de Chocapalha Red, 2006, Estremadura/Lisboa, Portugal./span>
Price: £9.49 Corney and Barrow [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Superb. Touriga Nacional, Syrah and Tinta Roiz playing a food-friendly palate-tantalsing game. Lots of tannin and marked acidity, thus needs food. Tobacco, licorice characters, dark chocolate and wounderful dark fruits. Alcohol 14%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Quinta da Bacalhôa Branco, 2007,Terras do Sado, Portugal.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
A mix of Semillon (50%) with Albarino and Sauvignon (25% each). Lovely weight and delicious flavours combining orange peel, apricot, plump mid-palate. A touch of oak.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Zéfyro Tinto, 2007, Alentejo, Portugal.
Price: £9.49 Waitrose Online Only [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Juicy, inky, long fruity length and great balance. A sweetness to the fruit. A superb little (actually quite big) wine. A mix of varieties - Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Alfrocheiro Preto, Aragonês and Alicante. Alcohol 13.5%.
Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Quinta da Pellada, 2006, Dão, Portugal.
Price: £32.95 [More on Adegga / Snooth] Expensive, still too young, but incredibly classy. Big and dense, firm structure with a dusting of cedar adding to the huge complex fruit flavours. Alcohol 13%.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Symington Chryseia, 2006, Douro, Portugal.
Price: £44.50 Fine & Rare Wines [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Another huge wine but wonderful all the same. Lots of tannin, plums, and a wildness to the flavours. Warm, long finish. If you can afford it - buy to keep.
Scribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Also tasted was the Quinta de Covela Covela Escolha 2007, Minho (which makes the eighth wine of the tasting session) which was as delicious as when tasted back in September 2008.

A selection of superb reds, even those blessed with premium prices, each certainly worth hunting down but it was the whites that garnered most conversational interest post-tasting. The combination of freshness, pure drinkability and alluring flavours from those all those captivating grape varieties were a delightful surprise - who thought Portugal was merely red wine country? This imminent trip of mine is going to be exceptional.

After the tasting a meal where the Smoked Salmon starter was lovely with a glass of citric-fresh, lightly honeyed, Esporão Reserva Branco, 2008, Alentejo. The Roasted Belly Pork, Flageolet Bean Casserole for mains came with the robust Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas Tinto 2005, Beiras, delicious in its plummy depths. FInally the dessert, an Apricot and Fig Frangipane Tart with clotted cream, was a marvel with Blandy's Late Harvest Malmesy Madeira, 2001.

For The Love of Chablis

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:30:01 +0000

With a few notable exceptions I seldom attend consumer wine tastings and events, and leave the promotion of them to the likes of UKWinesOnline and occasionally The Foodie List. There are more than enough trade tastings to keep me occupied, thank you very much! (As Spittoon is consumer focused these 'closed to outsider' tastings are not mentioned either).

So you may be wondering why I'm advertising a Chablis Tasting on Spittoon; a tasting that is technically for trade-bods only, to boot!

Well, I'm glad you asked...

Basically the team behind the November 5th Chablis tasting asked me to but at the same time opened the tasting to anyone who is interested, in the trade or otherwise. Its an excellent oppotunity to sample a wide selection of Chablis wines - just remember to spit! If you would like a special invite then drop them an email at natalia.eude@fleishmaneurope.com , mention Spittoon, and they will see if they can sneak you in.

After the highly successful launch of the Chablis Tour in Paris this July, the Chablis winegrowers, wine merchants and the Chablis cooperative are bringing some of their finest wines to London. The tasting offers you a unique opportunity to meet and exchange with the Chablisiens.
To complement your tasting, the Chablis wines invite you to participate in an introductory training seminar, which will provide you with the fundamentals on Chablis wines and enable you to better understand the specificities that make Chablis wines so unique.

Chablis Tasting
Venue: The Royal Opera House, Paul Hamlyn Hall, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
Date: Thursday November 5th 2009
Time: Tasting 11am-4pm Seminar 10:30am-12pm

Tio Pepe and Tapas at Iberica, Great Portland Street, London

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:45:12 +0000

A little odd perhaps to open a report, especially on a wine blog, of a dessert but this rice pudding was, to coin a phrase, historic.

At just £3.50 down at Iberica (195 Great Portland Street, London) it was also fantastic value. Perfectly judge crunch to the top, a judicious sprinkling of cinnamon and served just a little warm. Perfect.

The pud completed a light lunch ostensibly to sample Iberica's new Expressions Menu. The aim is to offer a mini 'desgustacion' menu of pinchos that can be "

enjoyed exclusively during lunch hours (12-3pm) Monday to Saturday, the Expressions menu highlights the cutting edge approach to tapas for which head chef Santiago Guerrero is fast becoming known in London's gastronomic circles."

The Expressions menu, served at Iberica's impressive 15 metre bar, comprises eight delicious pinchos delivered within 10 - 15 minutes of being ordered. The mix of hot and cold pinchos are presented on a single serving slate and are to be eaten from left to right. They are also served with a 100ml glass of Tio Pepe sherry. As the chef enthused the menu will change with the seasons, every month in fact, to reflect the freshest ingredients available.

Of the selection the ham croquettes were equally historic (so we ordered a further plate) with only the additional bean stew with black pudding being a little disappointing (the beans lacked a little bite and the black pudding was of miniscule proportions).

Not all the pinchos matched the Tio Pepe. The opening Cherry Gazpacho with arbequina olive oil was a particularily clashing match but the mix of ingredients - especially those difficult to match with wine - generally played well with the sherry.

The wine list offers 7 reds and 6 whites by the glass. The Adras 2004 from Bierzo, Vinos de la Tierra Castilla y Leon (£5.75 a glass/£24 a bottle) was a particularily succesful choice. A full and spicy Tempranillo with just enough structure and bite to offset the soft, rounded, berry-led palate to be a super little food wine. The Beronia Reserva 2005 from Rioja (£7/£29.75) was drier, more structured and would benefit from more meaty, hearty, dishes from the main menu.

There are four sherries available by the glass. In addition to the Tio Pepe (£4) Iberica offer a Palo Cortado Apostoles (£7), a Dry Amontillado, Del Duque (£8) and two sweet versions Matusalen, Oloroso Dulce (£8) and Noe Pedro Ximenez (£7.50). The wine list offers 2 rosés. 2 sparkling wines and 31 reds ranging from the basic Gonzlez Byass Altozano 2006 Tempranillo-Shiraz at £15.50 a bottle up to the extravagance of Arte Miro Reserva, 2001, Rioja at £92.50. Of the 13 whites the bins range in price from a Muscat/Sauvignon Blanc blend, Carla 2008, Catalunya (£18.75) up to an interesting white Grenache, Mar d'Avall, 2008, from the Costa Brava (£33).

While the Expressions menu and (another additional) plate of mixed hams were superb it is that rice pudding that really sticks in the memory; and that's from one who adores tapas. Actually those ham croquettes were also bloody fine too.

The Expressions Menu costs £16 per person and currently offers:

"Copita" of Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
Cherry Gazpacho with arbequina olive oil
Air cured beef cecina ham with almond vinaigrette
Fresh Cured Anchovies with peppers and onion 'pipirana'
Pan fried monkfish 'Pixin'
Iberica ham croquettes
Chorizo lollypop
Artichoke with pear aioli
Grilled Iberica Pork loin 'Presa' with mojo rojo

More photographs of Iberica are available on SpittoonExtra.

Brewery Hill Chardonnay-Viognier from Naked Wines

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:30:06 +0000

As part of their tie-up with Jamie Oliver internet retailer Naked Wines are offering a mixed case of wines (either six individual bottles or a double up for the full case) that link in with a JO recipe. (You can sign up to receive a regular seasonal case, with each wine linked to a recipe).

With the foodie-hero again in the lime-light with his American trip currently showing each Tuesday (9pm Channel 4) the recipes are taken from this TV series and the (rather good) recipe book - Jamie's America - that accompanies the programs.

Naked Wines are offering the mixed six pack for £34.99. The first two hundred cases ordered come with a free copy of Jamie's America. It's tricky tracking down the recipes from the wines (there were no notes included in the wine case which I expected) and there are no obvious links from the wines on the Naked Wines site to the recipes. You have to go to the Jamie Oliver website...

One wine-recipe combo I had a go at replicating over the weekend was the Brewery Hill Chardonnay-Viognier matched with the 'easy to cook' Green Chilli. It did strike me as a bit of a 'silly' recipe - pick as many green things as possible (sage, green chilli, mint, lettuce, spring onions) and mix them with minced pork. Tastes good mind; although a little more spice heat would have been good... and I would have peeled the tomatoes rather than ending up with bits of tom-skin in the mix.

Wine Tasting Note: Brewery Hill Chardonnay-Viognier, 2008, McLaren Vale, Australia. Stockist: Naked WInes Price: £8.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth] Don't overchill else the subtle peachy Viognier component will be swamped by the cool acidity. Medium to full bodied, ripe and rounded initially with a crisp acidity supplying life to the Chardonnay fruit. I rather like it - it makes for a good, easy-drinking wine and can hold onto the medley of flavours - especially the rather forceful fresh mint - in Jamie Oliver's Green Chilli rather nicely. A Naked Wines exclusive. Alcohol 13%.
Scribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

The Wine Society - Brief Notes from a Tasting

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:00:29 +0000

As Heather said as she strolled off to John Lewis to return a broken-handled colander; its all very middle class. With the rows of red Burgundy and Cheateaux bottled Claret plus a rather decent £39 Chassagne-Montrachet it indeed appeared as a rather traditional, staid, middle-class aimed wine offering.

While I imagine a fare number of the Wine Society's customers are more than content with the copious listings of Chateau this and that (as the large number of own-label Bordeaux bottelings and the highlighting of a £99 'Everyday Bordeaux' case at this tasting demonstrates) I have to admit to being stunned by a number of really non-traditional wines (and a couple of excellent more modern styled old-school offerings); all new to the Wine Society list and each unique and gorgeous in their individuality.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Sadie Family Sequillo, 2007, South Africa.
Stockist: Wine Society Price: £15.50 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A magical blend of principally Chenin Blanc with Marsanne, Roussanne and a touch of Viognier. Creamy edged, full, textural, weighty reminiscent of a Pinot Gris but with more of a crisp finish. Very food friendly. Alcohol 14%
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Domaine La Réméjeanne Les Arbousiers, 2007, Cotes du Rhone, France.
Price: £9.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Coffee hints on the finish with integrated, complex, spice-led fruit. Can only be a Shiraz-Grenache blend. Full bodied, warm. Alcohol 15%.

Rémy Klein farms just under 100 acres of vineyard north of Tavel. This part of the Gard is well adapted to making fine and elegant syrah-based wines. This is 40% syrah and 60% grenache, all raised in tank. It is full bodied, richly fruity without any heaviness."

Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Tissot Arbois Rouge, 2005, Jura, France.
Price: £18.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Trousseau is the same as Portugal's Bastardo variety; interesting palate, plenty of tannins, dry finish a delicious intensity, full-flavoured, cherry. Would love to try this with a simple roast chicken as the Wine Society wine list suggests.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva, 2006, Tuscany, Italy
Price: £16.00 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Sangiovese as its most supreme. An age since I've had such a perfectly structured, ripe, balanced Chianti coupling a softness with copious velvety fruit. Alcohol 14.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bóhorquez, 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Price: £17.95 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Stinkingly good Iberian red; lashings of cedar-tinged fruit, a complexity provided by a little bottle age and a very stylish long lasting, mouth-feel. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Andrew Peace Felix Australia Sagrantino, 2005, Swan Hill, Australia.
Price: £15.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
An Italian grape variety given the Australia block-busting treatment. Ripe and powerful with flourishes of blackberry, spice and raspberry. Vibrant. Violet hints. Very interesting combination of texture and flavour. Alcohol 14%.

A fantastically mellow and exotic-tasting red made from the Italian Sagrantino grape. Full-bodied and complex with savoury flavours backed by ripe fruit."

Scribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Founded in 1874, The Wine Society's aim was, and remains, to introduce members to the best of the world's vineyards at a fair price. Holding a share in The Wine Society gives you a lifetime membership with no annual fee and no pressure to buy. The cost of a share is £40.

Many thanks to Ewan and his team for the tasting and texting me the grape details of the Sequillo after the event; most appreciated.

'A Meal Without Wine Is Like A Day Without Sunshine'

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:30:23 +0000

'A Meal Without Wine Is Like A Day Without Sunshine' - a phrase first written by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a 19th Century French gastronome who also wrote the less attractive "A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye"! (And I've seen a few of them after a bout of tequila drinking, I can tell you).

Lucas & Hayley of Keep Calm Gallery have produced two hand pulled screen prints on recycled off-white paper (sized 23 by 12 inches) of this famous phrase. As they say, the cheese quote isn't quite as an attractive phrase to have hung on your wall.

Each print costs £18 unframed - although you can have them frame it for you too. Prints can be sent world wide.

The Keep Calm Gallery championed the governments World War Two phrase 'Keep Calm and Carry on' (available on tea towels and such like). There was a rather humorous take on this plastered on the side of a shopping bag I spotted today in London - 'It's all going shit, so buy more stuff' (or words to that effect).

Wines of Virtue - Environmentally Friendly Vino

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:40:49 +0000

Does it really matter that a wine is bottled at the vineyard? Would it not be a huge environmental statement by the wine industry if all wine was shipped in bulk - thus saving transportation costs - and bottled in the country of sale?

Why is it that it is only the cheap stuff (bag in box, litre bottles of red 'stuff') appear on the bottom shelf that are bottled in the UK? Those delicious Howard Park wines from Western Australia would be considerably cheaper if someone in a Southampton trading estate syphoned them into UK bottles... and we would could all feel terribly smug at being so... well... virtuous.

How many people lift up those weighty premium bottles and consider the environmental impact; not only of transportation but the energy and resources used to make such heavy bottles? Is it all modern perception? Why do we need bottles at all when we could use the 'sacks' such as those developed by Arniston Bay?

I ask as Waitrose has slipped on to their shelves four wines under the Virtue label.

"Wine shipped in bulk to save bottle transportation and then packed in lightweight glass. Quality-inspected at every stage."

The glass is made from at least 60% recycled material. (Can you not make wine bottles from 100% recycled glass??) The wines, two from Chile, one from Australia and two from California, retail at £3.99 each. Not exactly a premium wine price point.

At least the Chilean duo (Sauvignon Blanc/Chardonnay and a Merlot/Cabernet blends) are from a specific vintage - 2008. The California two are non-vintage.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Virtue of Chile Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008, Central Valley, Chile.
Price: £3.99 Waitrose [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Mellow, medium-bodied, a little tannic burst giving structure. Black fruits, a touch of coffee and licorice giving some decent addition to the plummy base. An easy-drinking, ripe red for drinking on its own although I can see it accompanying this evenings Lime and Chilli Beef with a-plomb. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Virtue of California White, NV, California.
Stockist: Waitrose Price: £3.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A solid, rounded, smooth, easy-drinking white wine. No great pretensions but a nice little crispness on the finish enlivening the gentle, pleasant fruity palate. Chardonnay? Chenin Blanc? Alcohol 11.5%. Of several wines tried this worked as well as any other with an Autumn Salad of Pear, Gorgonzola and Walnuts.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 86/100 [3.25 out of 5]

Launching Today: Palate Press

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:20:00 +0000

You may have seen references to Palate Press across the wine bit of the internet recently; it's official launch is today.

Palate Press is the collaborative effort from many of the best recognized wine voices on the internet, including American Wine Blog Award winners and twenty of the worlds Top 100 Wine Blogs.

The website is edited by W. R. Tish, known in the wine trade as simply "Tish" who previously was editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and has been writing and speaking about wine and food - often with a comedic edge - for more than a decade since.

Deb Harkness is the Wine Review Editor writing about Good Wine Under $20 for two years now. Other Editors and Contributors from the world's top 100 wine blogs include:

Gabriella Opaz (Catavino),
Lenn Thompson (Lenndevours),
Richard Auffrey (Passionate Foodie),
Michelle Lentz (My Wine Education),
Russ Beebe (Winehiker Witiculture),
Joe Roberts (1 Wine Dude),
Craig Camp ( Wine Camp),
Kori Voorhees (Wine Peeps),
Andrew Barrow (Spittoon),
Remy Charest (The Wine Case),
"Sonadora" (Wannabe Wino),
Ken Payton (Reign of Terroir),
Tim Elliot (Wine Cast)

In terms of its position within the current wine-media scene, Tish sees Palate Press as a "blogazine," combining the passion of bloggers with the editorial appeal of a broad-based magazine. He adds that the capacity of readers to comment on articles adds a dynamic that makes Palate Press more like talk radio than like traditional print, and he promises:

"We are not afraid of controversy. And we are not afraid to present multiple opinions on wine topics-something you rarely see in the Ivory Tower glossies. We think our approach to the wine zeitgeist will be more realistic, and in turn rewarding for readers. Palate Press is committed to covering wine intelligently, not churning out hundreds of sterile wine ratings in bloated buying guides."

Stories slated for the first month include a soul-searching profile of Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm; an exposé of shady shelf talkers; a surprising look at wine-label regulations; an Eisch vs. Riedel wine-glass smackdown; critical essays on how wine-evaluation systems by major U.S. critics miss the mark; a firsthand look at how the economy has impacted wine-country tourism; and in-depth articles on under-appreciated wines from Alsace to Portugal to Walla Walla.

A piece penned by me on South African wine is already available to read; a further scribble on Alsace is scheduled for today.

David Honig, creator and Publisher, describes Palate Press as "a logical next generation" of wine media.

The hypothesis is simple: collecting the very best of the wine blogosphere and carefully editing and publishing it will create a top-quality and commercially viable online wine magazine. The experiment is well under way, preparing to launch with some of the most talented and best-known wine writers on the internet.

"Clearly the expertise is out there. Bloggers communicate with authority and authenticity, demonstrating particular areas of expertise," Honig notes. "Wherever there is a wine story, there is a qualified wine blogger to write about it." And it's not just bloggers on board: Palate Press contributors include winemakers, retailers, sommeliers and professional wine writers.

Wine Maestro on the Plinth

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:30:41 +0000

Brett Jones, perhaps more famously known as the Wine Maestro, is one of the 2,400 people selected from more than 30,000 applicants to appear as part of Anthony Gormley's One & Other on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. On Monday 14th September at 8pm he will use his hour on the plinth to highlight the work of Prostate UK through an innovative and educational wine tasting.

Brett, who was successfully treated for prostate cancer at Southend Hospital in 2006, commented: "I am so grateful to the extraordinary support given by the charity Prostate UK that helps thousands of prostate cancer sufferers every year; standing for an hour next to Nelson's Column in the heart of London seems like the perfect opportunity to highlight their work, whilst having a lot of fun with a wine tasting."

Brett is well known in wine circles and runs educational tastings for wine clubs and other groups. He will use his experience to tell the London crowds about five wines from five different countries that he will be tasting on the plinth. At the same time, he plans to share information about prostate cancer in each of the countries where the wines come from.

Celebrated artist Antony Gormley's One & Other project on the empty Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square was commissioned by the Mayor of London with funds from the Arts Council, and produced in partnership with Sky Arts. It sees a different person take their place on the Fourth Plinth every hour, 24 hours a day, for 100 days. The project has run from Monday 6th July and will continue until 14th October 2009. Applications are still open and can be made at the One & Other website.

If you can't make it to Trafalgar Square in person to lend Brett some support the One and Other website provides a live video stream.