Tony's Diary

Award success for the buyers

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:13:00 +0000

"Retail Buying Team of the Year; Laithwaites Wine". It’s nice to have it confirmed at last … by Drinks Business; (the Wine Magazine of every Year for me).

Our success over the years was often put down to a) our customer service – which indeed has won a stack of awards – and b) my silver tongue, or some sort of voodoo magic we perform with that thing called 'Mail Order'.

Well, no, keen wine customers are one of the smartest customer groups of all. You don't get anywhere without giving them delightful wines that nobody else can give them. And how do you do that? You work at your research all the hours God sends and you travel till you begin to think airports are where you live.

I don't drive my buyers to do this. They just drive themselves on. And have for many years.

My buyers truly do get themselves to places where no-one has ever been before. And do it all the time. I'm very grateful to them, I love 'em all, and I promise we will always have the most travelled and the smartest buyers in wine.

So … well done Drinks Business for letting our secret out.

And spare a thought for Dan and Steve based out in Oz. They might not like it, being true Aussies, but they are on the winning British team too. And also for poor Thomas over in the US, who laboured long towards today's award. He was just recently told to 'Go west, young man', and join Michael buying for our American chums. You're both on the team, really, chaps. And, well, California isn't too bad a place to be is it?

Talking of travels… This week, with my old school mates, I have been re-tracing a geography field trip over Clee Hill and the Long Mynd from 50 years ago. I've emailed some pictures to a Mr Brian Roberts, retired teacher.

Thank you, Mr Roberts, Sir, for somehow knocking into a dense 16-year old the delights of wandering around in a geographical sort of way. OK so I only got a 3rd. But I've never stopped using what geography I did learn. Thanks. Keep taking the wine.

PS I recommend Bishops Castle as a gem of a little town in unspoilt country. With two breweries and a nice hotel.

The future

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:47:00 +0000

I saw the future of Laithwaites, yesterday. Not my granddaughter but the new online software called Laithwaites Recommends.

We have been doing Wine Plans for customers for thirty years. I'm sure every customer would be on a Plan (regular, scheduled, automatic deliveries at a big discount) if it weren't for the worries. Worries to do with lack of choice and flexibility. And "won't that Tony Laithwaite bully me into drinking stuff I don't want?" (Never! But my writing partner might. He's called Bully!)

But now these worries have all been addressed after years of work on this software programme called Laithwaites Recommends. Yesterday I saw how it works.

We send you an invitation to join and if you like the offer you sign in. Then you can start to play on the Laithwaites Recommends webpages.

The first screen shows a picture of your case but with the cardboard removed so you see every bottle. You can click on a bottle or bottles or, well, everything and remove it or them. Then you can look at alternative bottles. You'll see the Customer Favourites first but there are over a thousand wines available. As you 'virtually' pop your replacement bottles in the case the screen shows you the new case price and savings. (Usually 10% or more off normal list).

You can switch to a completely different wine plan if you want. With a click. You can vary the frequency of your case, bring forward the delivery or put it back. You can book a time and day for delivery. You can skip a delivery or cancel altogether.

Clicking on bottles gives you enough information to be able to make much better choices. Enough, actually, to make you sound like a Master of Wine. Better still, included with the case are neat little Information Cards on every wine. When your order is being packed these cards are printed out by the computer and placed in your box.

There's much more to tell and show. We are going to get someone to do a demo film on You Tube. Not me I think. But a quick witted youth. But have a look now. If you are a customer of mine you're bright enough to figure it out yourself.

Anyway I send my congratulations to the team of programmers who have produced this. It’s unique. And VERY impressive. Thanks.

Dairy … no, Diary: A Day at Lords

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:28:00 +0000

When I was a lad my idea of the ideal life was watching a lot of sport. I had read every single PG Wodehouse book and thought Bertie Wooster, really, was no fool. Drones Club, Racing, Test Matches, the Open Tourer and someone to sort everything out. Nice life if you can afford it. Then I got a job in wine and that was that. Not complaining. The Wine Life was more fun than The Sporting Life.

And took over completely.

But yesterday was special; we had BOTH Lives.

I can't remember when I was last at Lord's. But yesterday it looked stunning. I saw England play rather well, in front of a backdrop that said "Laithwaite's WINE".Oh Boy! Paradise is here.

There's a lovely picture of a mid-air Stuart Broad in front of the word 'Laithwaite's.' Or 'waites....Laith' to be precise. If the photographer had just moved a bit. But no matter.

Keen readers will note that Laithwaite's Wine is not in the typeface we've used for the last five years or so. Because we've changed it again. Over the summer the look of our whole offering will also change. Not the wines, just the look and sound and feel.

We will of course be very keenly interested to see how you all react. That's somewhat important.

It’s all to do with the re-energising of my Company by this Young Crowd we now have. Barbara and I are just about the only members of the Old Crowd left. Apart from Ade. But we sent him to sort out the USA for us. He is one who REALLY misses his cricket. We send him Wisden for Xmas.

During Tea I introduced myself to Sir Ian Botham and said I was a wine merchant. He said he knew that. Which was kind. But he's a big wine guy. Spends time with Geoff Merrill in McLaren Vale just near Red Heads so perhaps surprising we haven't met before.

My super idea of following this month's – sorry, NEXT month's – Oz Clarke's Lords Taverners Wine Selection with a Great Cricketers Selection (to be tasted and chosen live at a table just next to the wicket during Tea at the Oval by him and other cricket-and-wine types like Willis, Atherton, Gower, Ian Chappell, Allan Lamb, etc) caused him to move quickly away but it was nice to have met the Great Man.

You meet a lot of very nice people at Lords. But you just can't remember a lot is the problem. Possibly wine was involved here. I just remember it was great. All of it. And someone got me home.

Picnic in wet Bordeaux

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:19:00 +0000

After the wine-tasting marathon week, Barbara and I flew to Bordeaux to recover. Mmm, yes. Doesn't sound sensible, does it? But there were no big tastings. The trip was more vineyards than cellars.

Very wet; Bordeaux. Vineyards seriously underwater in what I like to call the Dordogne-side swamplands of Saint Emilion; Vignonet, St. Sulphice etc which should never in a million years have been included in an AOC of limestone hills.

Rain stops work in vineyards here. It’s the clay. Very adhesive clay. Your tractor sinks up to the axles and your wellies get sucked off as you try to escape. But my Scottish Presbyterian wife will have no truck with this. Where she comes from if you stopped when the ground got boggy you'd never start. She maintains that here it’s just an excuse to stay home and eat lots. There is some truth in that.

We wander the deserted vineyards. And the sun comes out. Little clusters of translucent leaves seem to sit on top of each gnarly old vine. As the evening sun approaches the horizon its rays shine through the new growth and give the impression the place is decorated with millions of little green lamps.

I love this time of year. There's a riot of wild flowers in the vineyard. More than ever these days. There's been a big campaign of dishing out free seeds and our neighbour, the ever-energetic Jean-Marie has been a particularly enthusiastic scatterer. It'll be good for the insects and some of them will help us keep our vines healthy.

We just acquired a new château - well, two, really - a BOGOF? - we bought the pretty little Château du Bois only to find it bundled in with the Basque-style Château Colombe next door. Both sit smack in the middle of our bedroom vista. We've gazed upon them both for years.

This purchase has extended our vineyard boundary walk considerably. Another 22 hectares. So we take a picnic and at halfway, stop for a rest. Open up the dusty old du Bois house. No-one's lived here for years. They've left plenty furniture. So we sit on some by the open doors and discuss what we might do with the place.

We have some cold magret but didn't bring any red wine. Just a celebratory half of fizz. But I remember seeing some old bottles in the Caveau Privé. So find the key, fumble in the dark and … sure enough – and I'm not making this up – there's a couple dozen bottles been left behind. (They were a lovely family we bought from. This must be a farewell gift).

Gingerly I take the cobweb-encrusted label-less bottle back to Barbara and sloooowly raise it vertical. Very careful with the corkscrew – never be without one – and … it breaks. But not unrecoverably. The date on the cork is 1975. The year we were married. And the wine – in two little old glasses we found – is … Lovely! It reminds me with its flavours of old leather, mushroom and wood smoke of the old bottles Monsieur Cassin would open for special occasions. That was in the Sixties. And he would open bottles from the Twenties. Seemed SO old! Liquid history.

Now, in the 'Tens', a bottle from the Seventies is just as old! And what we are tasting is not the skill of a clever Jean-Marc or Hoddy, but the plain unvarnished taste of the patch of earth – limestone and clay – that is our dear village of Ste Colombe.

I love it so.

We only really wanted the du Bois vineyards – a lovely south-west facing slope, terraced in parts but overgrown and a bit unloved since the old man died about ten years ago. The lower vineyards; judged 'saveable' have now been pruned hard by Henry's team, given some manure and are looking OK. The vineyards at the top are halfway through being grubbed-up. Rain has stopped play though.

Just in time, I hope to save a mysterious clump of brambles in the middle of the southern vineyard. The bulldozer would very likely have flattened it. But peering in we see cast iron railings, a carved headstone? and reflections from water about a metre down. It’s probably a tomb. Vignerons used to like being buried in their vines. And many were. So, of course, this reduced the vineyard area and complicated things. So 'they' banned the practice. However, looks like we've got one. Will have to do some research.

The Vintage Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Tue, 01 May 2012 09:34:00 +0000

It's the last night tonight. Been at this party here since I was 35 and it's about to end. Today. And I'm 66 now! Whatapartyitwas!

But … Now, I have to leave the hotel and walk through Westminster's deserted Saturday morning streets and for the last time talk my way past Security into The Horticultural Hall. I have to be cheery and merry, say 'Hi!' in various languages to all the wine producers setting up their stalls, then go up on stage with a microphone and say same to 1000 people. Then tell them it’s goodbye old Hall. Can I do it?

No option, of course. Wine Club President Hugh Johnson is down with some ghastly cough. So they get stand-in Laithwaite … Chairman of The Wine Club … The Sunday Times Wine Club … Founder of STWC actually, though no-one knows that.

The Members wonder what the guy who runs the other wine outfit is doing talking at theirs. They are often confused. Me too. It was all so long ago. It was a different world back then … outside. But in the Great Hall it was the same then as it is now. The Vintage Fest has never really changed. Well, it has inasmuch as it’s so much better run now. Every year things have been improved. So it's an impeccably run, well-oiled (no jokes) machine, this party.

Javier's Dad Julian – the Big Man of Rioja – came for the first time, last night. Doesn't have a word of English but was dead impressed. They always are, the producers … Les Producteurs. So they come back. Andrée Ferrandiz has retired but is still here. Has been to every party … sorry, I mean 'show'. Like me she's never missed even a single session. And there are four sessions over the weekend. So that's 31 times four is … a lot of sessions.

I know it's 31 because Henry is 31 and born the year we started this party. It actually started at Kensington Town Hall but after 'the fight' we moved here and fell in love with the place, so have been back every Spring … us, a hundred or so wine growers and a thousand wine club members per session.

I will miss this place so. Does anyone have influence with Westminster School? Why did they have to spoil our fun by leasing this Hall for 999 years? What are their kids going to be doing in here that's more important than the Finest, most long-lived wine show London has ever seen? Boris, Ken, whoever … do something. Actually, what could be better for members of the Upper Sixth than to learn all about fine wine with our Club Members … as always the best behaved wine audience anywhere. According to the Growers.

There will, of course, be a Vintage Festival next year. We are just not sure where. But it will be Central London. And it'll be good. Better, probably. Starting afresh is always more likely to spark up new ideas.

But we'll so miss the funny old Horticultural Hall.

A very nice letter

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:04:00 +0000

The more I work the less I blog … or diary. Pretty manic, just now. Writing, meetings, tastings, visits, so on.

Please Sir, can I be let off this week? How about I post this nice letter from a customer instead?

Drama in Castillon ... winemakers in tears

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:06:00 +0000

Henry and I drove down through a weirdly empty Bank Holiday France for a fleeting glimpse of Bordeaux … for me. (Henry has two bottlings to do). It was lovely to have time to father-son chat. We should talk more; he is a wise boy.

You used to be able to spot British pukka wine merchants by the corduroy and tweed. Now it’s by the red trousers. Note. Red trousers were clustered at their densest around Château Angelus during last week’s 'En Primeur 2011' tastings. That could be a hot tip.

Anyway, as is my wont, I got to Bordeaux as all the others were leaving. Slow; me.

Henry and I drove into Castillon with difficulty as Le Fete de Pacques was on … cars parked everywhere, French fashion. It looked normal for Easter Monday. But, unseen, in an upstairs room at our much beloved Restaurant and Bar 'Le Voyageur' a fire was starting.

We left town to check the bud burst around our vineyards – two hours? Arriving home I got an email from Agnes saying 'Le Voyageur' was "all on fire" and firemen were up great ladders.

Drove past this morning. All black-stained and shut. We are devastated. Mark is in tears. We all loved little Madam Mimi with her Juliet Greco hair. And deaf old Monsieur Marches and his Steak Frites. And his duck hearts, andouillette, Isles Flottant, soup, hors d'oeuvres, plat fromage dessert and wine for €13!

He fed all the town’s waifs and nutters including Team Chai au Quai at two long tables in the back-room through the kitchen. Away from the smarter people. Never again, I fear. Gutted. Us, as much as the building. Where will we go?

This morning I first went to tell Anne-Marie at 'Le Comptoir' up at St Genes this she might get an influx of new business. She gave me a calming tea. A few growers were poring over the newspaper report.

Went down to the Chai past the wreckage and the rubberneckers. Mark inconsolable. But we tried. A glass of what he calls 'Tony's Dry Botrytis'. (In case it doesn't work it’s to be was my idea! But I think it will work. Then it'll be his idea? Fair enough; he's making it; Sauternes-style noble-rot-affected Sémillon fermented dry in cask.

Went back up the hill to Ch. La Clarière Laithwaite; Henry bottling the 2010 – and delighted this morning to get a big order from the USA. We'll be welcoming American Confréres soon.

Also looked around the empty Château du Bois. They've left it very tidy. But huge works are needed in the vineyards. Well under way. Should we call it Château du Bois Laithwaite? I wonder. OK, so I have an ego. But think it important to stress our ownership.

Just missed meeting the new estate manager as had to leave for airport … this is a <24hr trip! She's an Alsace girl, but been working in Majorca. Have high hopes.

Wanted to miss lunch; no appetite. But Berndette was feeding the bottlers so a got her wild sprouting garlic omlette à l'Aillette.

But Oh! MIMI! Someone should write an opera: Le Voyageur!

Catching up at home

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:35:00 +0000

At the Board Meeting the day after we got back from Down Under one of the Laithwaites did actually doze off. But it wasn't me. Too much Excitement; Glenn's going like a train. Then a day with the writers … and one of the best-ever Monday mornings was meeting Oz Clarke at the top of the Oval stands to take a cover photo. The sun shone and the first game of the season was going on below. I know nothing about cricket but I envied those few in the stands. Such a peaceful pastime. Just lovely.

Then days of meetings with all at Theale finished off with a Tasting Battle vs Henry L at The Arch in front of a big crowd. He won the first 2 rounds with the Hunter’s Sauvignon and the great La Voute. But I fought back with le Vent de Folie and the Presbytere '02. A draw. So Tom L said we both lost. No, we won, son. And …

So flattered to have one couple come down from Leicester just for the tasting and another bringing in a crusty old '70 St Emilion for us to enjoy together. We do have lovely customers!

Took a day off to go see the Hockneys; need to work on my i-pad sketching.

This morning, Easter Sunday, after helping plant the spuds – a family tradition – I said to B I wished I was going to Bordeaux with Henry. So she said why not? And here we are waiting to get on the Portsmouth ferry and its taking me right back to the '70's when I did this monthly. Glad H is driving. Actually I'm replacing Alfie dog. Who preferred to stay home with our two. I can't stay awake.

Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Sunday morning, darling daughter in-law drives us – two hangovers and a loud baby – to Adelaide airport. We fly to Sydney in time to attend a family birthday Tea for Two. (He's two.)

Next day, after a walk to see the fruit bats in the botanical gardens, we visit our new Sydney office. No similarity whatever. There's the sign 'Laithwaites Wine People'. Proud? Fit to bust! A terrific team all built up by our Rachel; the Mighty Atom of our wine world. Dan does the buying and Andrew Stead is Wine Director ... he is 'family'; Barbara's sister's son and doing brilliant work. They all are.

Tough market; Australia. Maybe the toughest of all. Two supermarkets dominate – about 88% - and a hell of a lot of keen, sharp people scrabble for the rest. Us included. But we have a very determined crowd; they are growing fast and also selling into Hong Kong. Seven solid hours of presentations did actually fly by. Had drinks with all. Mumbled some stuff. And off into the night.

At Circular Quay, one of my favourite places on earth. The buzz and bustle. There are manhole covers named after Clive James and Dame Edna and other interesting people you've not heard of. There's the Opera House, the Bridge, great yachts, the constant movement of ferries, the hooting of same, the bats, the street art, the open air eateries and good food, bloody lovely wines, the moon on the water, the slapping waves never stop, nor the pad-pad joggers. I could sit there all night. So I do. To get tired for the long flight tomorrow.

Farewells:
Thanks NZ. You are a lovely country. Lucky country in the view of one who loves to eat. Fish, meat, veg, fruit … ALL your produce is just so good. And these days you can really cook too. (Different from when I first came!) Superb wines. But you know that. That's how come you can charge what you do!

You just watch too much telly or something. I mean, where are you all? There's hardly anyone out on your roads. Bit weird. Like rush hour is four cars! Get out more! We'll be back. And stay longer.

Thanks Oztralia. You are a lovely – but so very different – country too. Most of the fun I've had with wine in the last 20 years has been thanks to you mad lot. I tell all who'll listen you are still world leader in wine. Plenty competition now for sure. Your currency is far too strong for comfort, and the natural world seems to have it in for you. But you cope with all that. Growing up surrounded by so many lethal life-forms sharpens you up early.

See you both next year, God willing.

Red Heads

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:24:00 +0000

I thought I'd address this one to Jancis. I hope she doesn't mind. It’s just that on the drive to Red Heads, Steve, explaining the modest amount of discipline he is trying to introduce into the traditional RH chaos said: "I tell them, I want it so if Jancis Robinson walks in, unannounced, one day, she'll find it all clean, clear and correct and … she'll be impressed." I don't know if he said that because Jancis has in the past shown interest and support for Red Heads or because that – very dear – lady is famous for being quite hard to impress. Anyway, he said it. So …

Dear Jancis,

I took the opportunity, on an NZ tour, to nip over to Adelaide and spend a day at Red Heads. As you've always shown interest in this little venture I thought I'd update you. Because Red Heads is now ten years old!

It’s not been a smooth ride, but then, if you encourage anarchy you can't expect much else. But it is still there – well, a few hundred yards down the road, still there – and a surprising number of the original cast have survived too. Prospered? Mmm … almost!

You'll recollect the beginnings: our young Flying Winemakers doing the European Vintage, whingeing (they can do that, Aussies) that, back home in Oz, they had no freedom to make the wines they wanted to. Wineries there just kept getting bigger and fewer and being junior winemaker on a big team making a mega-brand was just plain … boring.

'Jut' Lane made just four barrels of his own in his garage. But also had a mate, 'Philbo', who made rather more in a bigger tin shack on Chalk Hill that he'd kitted out for bugger-all with cheap rainwater butts, garden hose, a converted milk chiller, clapped old pumps and casks scavenged from behind Hardy's. They both, however, made wines I bought. But then I needed more.

So we all spent a day looking at any more sheds for sale in McLaren Vale but didn't find any. Then, the man serving coffee said "you can have this place if you want, I've had enough of this, I'm buying a camper and going right round Oz". And so we bought his café for less than A$100,000, I think; 'Red Heads' it was called; on the corner of Kangarilla and Foggo roads.

Kitted out the same grunge-garage way but with the most splendid bar you've ever seen (made from a whole tree!) plus a pinball machine and powerful amps … Red Heads Studio made its first wines in 2002.

It went very well at first, you helped us by liking the wines and they began to sell in Oz, the US, Denmark as well as to us in the UK. Then, well, it started to get a bit out of hand. It grew much too fast. Whilst the Studio Members carried on making their one or two tonne tub wines, much bigger volumes were made in the big, new 'Back Shed' and a rented facility down the road. The tiny Red Heads site was packed tight; it could not expand.

The project was all over the place … of course; still run by anarchists. Suffice to say, one day, it imploded rather expensively. That's uncontrolled growth for you! Though, through it all … the Studio Members still kept on making their tiny volumes.

However, Red Heads looked doomed! The problem was given to Rachel Robinson from Lancashire who had just set up our 'Laithwaites Wine People' direct merchant business in Sydney. Any sane person seeing the huge losses would have shut it down but instead, the tiny but dogged Rachel found a saviour.

His name was Steve Grimley, one of our suppliers, who lived a few hundred yards away and, it seems, had always loved the whole Red Heads ethos and drunk many a beer there with the boys. Steve offered to move the whole operation to a bigger site and "look after it." Steve is very not an anarchist. But he still likes the lifestyle.

So, Red Heads is now on Chalk Hill Road. More sheds than before. New too. Same signs. Plus one in neon over the 'Cellar Door' shed. Wow! The guys take turns opening the shop. When they feel like it. They still refuse to be 'corporate'!!! An unsual tasting room feature is the big glass-fronted fridge full of hams, saussices, salami, black puddings – basically ex-pig in every known format.

This is where Steve's pigs end up. He had a load of huge Berkshires roaming the plot here. Until the problems with the neighbours. E.g. Big pigs cannot be contained and they like grapes. And they also dig big holes. And farmers here machine-harvest in the dark. And … you can guess the rest. So the pigs went. But they return. Wonderfully packaged. And believe me it all tastes bloody wonderful with the wines. Wine kills cholesterol, doesn't it? God, hope so!

Of course, over ten years some studio members dropped by the wayside but the stalwarts remained and then did what we hoped they would; they kitted out sheds of their own and developed their wine offerings further.

Adam 'Hoops' Hooper bought the original Red Heads place from us. He now makes his 'Curio' wines in the old back shed and has let out the original building – as a restaurant again. A good one too.

'Philbo' Christiansen – christened 'The Godfather of Garage' because he invented it, has been hugely successful. He now has a very big smart new shed and contract-makes wines for many growers – and a few wine merchants – as well as his own 'Longwood'.

Andrew Pieri, next door, makes his own Italian styles – eg 'Azzardo' drying grapes on big tin sheets in the manner perfected by his late – very much missed – father.

Nat McMurtrie (no relation, apparently) down on McMurtrie Road has many sheds next to the 'Old Salopian Inn' where he was born. Only one shed is a winery – the rest house Nat's extensive collection of Australiana or junk … depending on you being male or female. The junk is gradually being cleared … but the winery shed is expanding.

'The Doc' doesn't make much wine but then he is the local, hard-working doctor. I only saw him briefly this time; "house calls!" But his wine seems the most popular of all. Also the strongest.

Henry Laithwaite (yes, relation) was there this trip. He produces his Wilson Gunn most years working with his old mentor; Philbo. He was the original barrel monkey at Red Heads (doing the chores) but now with his Bordeaux and UK vineyards to prune it’s hard to get away. Misses the fun. Made up for it Saturday night though!

Then there's King Steve, a very busy winemaker, on a big scale, now, but who really likes to make a small tub or two Red Heads style.

Finally, saving the best till last, is Her Gorgeousness; Jess Hardy. Yes, of that wine dynasty. It used to be 'The Hardy Boys' in the time of her father and uncles, when they still owned the Company. Now I think its 'The Hardy Girls' – she has equally impressive sisters. Jess makes contract wines but also her 't = 0' Red Heads wine. I'm still not sure what it means but the wine is clever, elegant and beautiful. Seriously, it is!

Others who have made wine here … oh, this is getting too long for just a blog. I'll write a book sometime.

Suffice to say we had a great day, today – Saturday. Not too much cellar work. Tasted, took pics, made plans, all the old team came over, Steve lit the Pizza oven, we played some silly game chucking bits of wood at other bits of wood, we overdid the wine and I can't stay awake any lo.................

NZ to RedHeads

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:35:00 +0000

Am so sorry. These days, travelling jumbles my brain after only a few days; too many airports. I write stuff but forget to send … here's a catch-up.

Woke up in Blenheim very early as jet-lagged usual, groped in the dark for the Blackberry, to have the shocking news that John Avery had died. It was only last week at Jean Marc's party we'd agreed to meet up soon.

John was about the only wine trader I know older than me … Was wiser too. Ten years ago my Company bought his Company from the then German owners who wanted out. We made strenuous efforts to leave John and Avery's alone to carry on buying their own choice of wines and doing things their very own way. Result was we were lucky to meet even once a year. Usually by chance. Of course I now really regret that. You put these things off thinking that things will quieten down and there'll be time for long lunches. It never happens. Now know it never will. Poignant that I get the news in New Zealand; John loved it so.

Move on.

With the sun just up on a sparkling after-rain landscape, B and I head for the ferry terminal. Boat is late but trip through Marlborough Sounds is so lovely. 3 hours later at Wellington docks my case towing handle won't retract so, now running late for the plane, I smack it one … and it shatters leaving un-retractable jagged spikes they are never going to let through security. Taxi dash to luggage shop gets new case but causes loss of my i-pod. Bugger. Those things are now just too small to see.

Airport sprint. She frowns but checks me in then - 'click' - "flight is closed"; wife not yet on! Blood pressure probably quite high now. But it is resolved. Get the seats next to the engines which allows me to discover that 'The Artist' is the perfect film for such a situation.

At Sydney am made to look a silly old fool by the customs girl. Blood pressure! And miss the bus to the Domestic terminal. Wife is glad to leave me and go off to stay with her sister.

But some hours later I miraculously arrive at – or 'into' in airlinespeak – Adelaide to be greeted by tall, sunburnt, vintage be-grimed, but still ogled by the girls - the sod! - King Steve Grimley of Red Heads.

Put in his 'Ute' and off to the 'New, Improved Red Heads Studio'; our little winemaking home on the other side of the world. It’s 11pm. There they are where I left them two years ago, standing around the fermenters, beers in hand, dog-tired, wine-stained from head to foot. So why is that girl spraying that man's boots with red paint? It’s the sort of thing always happening here and you'll never get any answer so why ask?

It’s been a long harvest. Very long. A small, but excellent one. The tubs and tanks are full. No space left and yet more grapes due tomorrow. So, they're thinking about that and hoping a few stubbies of cold Coopers Ale will bring the brainwave.

My brain by now useless. Go to bed at the old McLV Motel I love so well. Long day. Zonk.

News from home

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:35:00 +0000

I'm having a day off going to see an old friend in Nelson. So instead of me have a look at news I just got from LeChai; Mark's hilarious blog about dealing with St Tropezians and Jean-Marc's pic of Le Chai's first Sparkler 'sur lattes' down below Montagne.

Picture first:

And now Mark's Blog:

A day in Provence

Handy late flight from Bordeaux down to Marseille; cuts out a huge amount of driving. Picked up hire car, spent a good five mins trying to find the handbrake (on the dash, merci Citroen) and headed for St Tropez. After many km's of winding road, I arrived late at the little town of Cogolin so it was head-down to be ready for an early start.

A sunny but blustery morning as I made my way to Celliers des Ramatuelle on the outskirts of St.Tropez.

Glad I got up early as the truck was an hour late. Further south you go the more laid back it gets … makes the Bordelais look punctual. However they get away with it, no grumpy, complaining old men truck drivers ‘a-la’ Bordeaux, here; the truck drivers are lovely young ladies! Well, this is Saint Tropez!

I was paying a flying visit to the cellar to ensure our delicate 2011 rosé doesn't fall at the last hurdle and is safely transported from the winery to the bottle without oxidising. That would turn that beautiful, classic Provencal pale-pink colour to a dull orange.

This is the place to be for Rosé. It’s big business here and rose makes up 80% of their total production. Ramatuelle village is up on the la Colline de Paillas, just south of Saint Tropez at an altitude of 130m. The combination of slate soil, cool nights and proximity to the sea gives lovely fruit-driven wines with low alcohol.

2011 was a good year for rose with a much-needed wet winter, warm and dry spring, and a good summer with the odd storm that thankfully brought no hail. The wines resulted in being very aromatic with great colour and a slightly higher acidity than previous vintages.

On arrival at the winery the president, aka the 'Doc Brown' of Provence,' was as animated as ever and began by drawing up a quite mad, over-complicated plan to get the heavy CO2 bottle up to the tanker. I was thinking "maybe a longer hose?", but that's nowhere near as exciting or dangerous as calling in a forklift and balancing a huge cylinder of CO2 on a rickety wooden pallet accompanied by a cellar hand for extra risk and lifting him up to the top of the tanker!

We got there in the end and I am very glad to say no injuries occured.

So with the wine avoiding every possible contact with air and no Doc Brown ideas given the chance of affecting the wine quality, we were soon on the way to the bottling plant in Brignolles.

The wine will be available soon so give it a try, remember you can drink rose all year round. I do.

Job done and back to the Aeroport de Marseille-Provence for a hop back up to Bordeaux. Need to be at Le Chai first thing as Les Secrets des Etoiles comes out of barrel tomorrow … mum’s the word!

Day 5: In limbo

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:35:00 +0000

Otago Daily Times March 19:

Wine Merchant Tony Laithwaite said yesterday his travel around NZ in four days "ran like clockwork but fell over at the last hurdle."

The final bit of the journey – Queenstown to Blenheim – didn't work. Got to airport; flights grounded! Stranded 'til next day. A journalist pounced on me expecting a rant. I said there were much worse places to be stranded. 'Cos my old wine merchant mate David Thomas would take me in off the streets and we would have a good evening drinking stars from his cellar whilst looking across the lake towards 'The Remarkables'. (His house has one of the world's great views). We did, and caught up the three years since we last met … in Fiji.

Next day was just planes, packed airports and further delays. A kind couple squeezed over to give me a rare airport seat. Denis and Marion turned out to be Laithwaites customers from Nottingham. "Oh!" I said "we did a tasting there yesterday. I just got an email from my boy Tom." Which I offer here:

Says Tom:
"My favourite thing about a customer tasting is that the informal and relaxed nature of them means they don’t really feel like work. I just get to hang out and talk to people whilst having a taste of some wines. It’s not all that different to a night in a good bar (that happens to have an excellent wine list).

Nottingham was a good event, the venue was The Albert Hall; well not THE Albert Hall but a very good venue nonetheless. 180 guests, 36 wines, 12 staff, 2 producers and me, although I suppose I belong in the staff count.

A good time was had by all, wines were tasted, questions were asked and friends were made. It’s always great when armed with a few interesting facts about a wine to see the interest and surprise in the face of someone who might not have previously cared.

Len was waxing lyrical about wine education and his blind tasting showed people there is nothing wrong with liking a more affordable wine. “Loved the idea of the blind tasting” (Steve Hathaway). Ruth Chavarri added a little continental class by gracing us with her presence and a selection of her superb Riojas.

I was given the chance to show off Henry’s Wilson Gunn and show off I did. You could no doubt hear my “Best wine in the room” from the far end of said room, followed by (at a lower volume) “in my humble opinion”. It must have worked as I have since learned that it was in the top 10 sellers of the evening, which is quite rare for a wine of its price … us Laithwaite boys are anything but cheap.

People also enjoyed trying something a little different, or something they certainly would not normally have the chance to try. “Really enjoyed the sparkling red” (Sharon Dent) “… white Port definitely a favourite” (J Partridge).

All in all a great event, guests left with smiles on their faces. And thanks to a lot of them for placing orders on the way out."

Finally got to Blenheim in time for bed 26 hours late.

Couple days off, now.

Day 4: 'Central'

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:05:00 +0000

Fly Napier to Queenstown by 10am. Two planes before breakfast. Ow! Hurts!

Central Otago.

We found Nigel Greening later in the morning picking leaves, flowers and wild mushrooms – "some people are allergic to these, but hey" – from between the vine rows at Felton Road, his prime estate which makes New Zealand's greatest wine. He's from Leeds, and was a big Ad Man until he fell for this alpine wine paradise in the far south.

As so many do.

He was hopping around, excited, (as normal) constantly sweeping back the mop of long hair and being a bit baffling. So why should we want to walk to the top of the hill to see a compost heap? Then: "that's Amy calling me; she thinks I'm her mum." Amy is a pretty kid … goat.

We climb the steep vineyards. Block 3. Block 5. It’s cool, but the light is so bright it almost hurts. Important for wine quality here; very high UV, long summer days. Nigel suddenly stops and calls out in a curious way. Is he OK? Ah! We see chickens come racing from under the vines to be picked up and petted. It seems Nigel – a TV chef amongst many other things – likes to feed his 25 staff entirely from the property. 'Veggies', fruit, beef, goat, and eggs.

He's a keen trout fisherman too. All sounds rather good, doesn't it?

Nigel explains his cover crop five-year rotation … the stuff in between the vine rows. There are three distinct styles of row:

Row one is for the soil. Stuff that enriches the humus, making lovely black soil out of what was sandy, pale glacial loess. The plants also compete with the vines which forces vine roots deep into the minerals.

Row two is 'rugby' grass: really tough stuff. To work on. This is the row the tractors and people use.

Row three is the insect row. Lots of insect-attracting plants like Buckwheat which hosts these little predatory black wasps that eat vine eating bugs. Brassicas for butterflies and bees. And, indeed, you can see plenty of them flitting and buzzing. Lovely to see.

Then he took us to his huge compost heap and the 'Voodoo Lounge' – this is a Yorkshireman remember; he can't take all the airy-fairy mumbo jumbo stuff too seriously – it’s a shed where he does his Biodynamic stuff … makes his 'preps'.

And he's very convincing about what he does believe in.

There's cow manure and a basket of eggshells. In a hole in the ground under damp sacks. The mixture of both has, after some time, become sweet smelling and even pleasant to touch. In a buried barrel are small earthen pots full of even nicer black stuff, and there are lots of cow horns into which much of this will be placed before being buried along the vine rows. More of it will be made up into what he calls his 'microbial teas', to be sprayed on the vines.

Basically, Nigel sees all this as simply breeding and spreading around billions and trillions of appropriate micro-organisms which enhance the natural micro-ecosytem here and keep his vineyards and land healthy, happy and productive.

He and his team are always out there on foot, watching as they work. Once you get your eyes in the right place, he says, you don't stop learning: learning what drives the ecosystem – be it micro or bigger – and how it all interlocks. Planting peas, they found, brought pigeons. Pigeons brought falcons. We saw a couple of those; peregrine falcons. They were busy taking care of the rabbits. They like rabbits. And so the eco-system goes round. No sprays, chemicals used. Looks gloriously healthy. And tastes bloody wonderful.

Blair, his winemaker, says all his ferments (wild yeasts of course) go so easy with no herbicides. It’s a neat gravity-fed cellar of open fermenters/storage vats over the deep barrel hall. We taste. I love the way he describes two of his wines; Calvert and Cornish Point as being like 'Wife' and 'Mistress'. The former restrained, tight and neat in style; the latter wild and voluptuous … slutty even.

We sell way more of the Mistress than anybody. What does this say about my customers? Felton Road is phenomenally successful. It’s like New Zealand's Grand Cru, its Romanée Conti. All production has been on allocation for years. We are lucky to get a triple figure allocation which I think is unique. But then, we go back a long way.

Great day, great evening. Thanks Nigel and Caris. Back to my little family in Blenheim in the morning.

Day 3: To Hawke's Bay

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:37:00 +0000

The smell of petrol led the flight attendant to a chainsaw in the overhead lockers. When they asked security how it got past they said well, it wasn't on their banned list. Kiwis love their chainsaws. And I love taking the relaxed flying buses around this country. In NZ roads are slow, not really any trains and there's a big gap in the middle.

So you fly. It’s cheap and works well, usually. So we get the 7.10 from Blenheim/Marlborough to Wellington. (15 mins). Have a coffee then get the 8.15 to Napier/Hawkes Bay.

Hire car drive 5 mins to Mission Estate.

This impressive, white clapboard Victorian 'Château' was the first winery in NZ. Now it’s the most famous … or at least the most visited. Its was a monastery, but the monks moved to Auckland where they do many good works with the poor and this place is run as a charitable business to raise money to pay for those good works. And it’s doing very well. We are big customers.

We asked Peter and Martin to put on a bit of a show for Jim to photograph (not that you need much more show, given they have this iconic great building). But … they rolled out a vintage Packard and a stunning white open Auburn tourer - very rare indeed.

Napier town is all very Art Deco because it got flattened by an earthquake in the 30's and rebuilt in the style. And it seems a few guys here have been collecting cars to match. They also found a penny farthing which Dan rode. This time I did bottle out.

That all done, we toured the ultra-modern and ultra planet-friendly cellars before lunch back at the Mission, in what is apparently the best restaurant in town. I know this because whilst all the car and bike stuff was going on, a girl with luscious, long dark hair came up and slipped her arm in mine for a kiss! Claire was with us for over 20 years and my PA for 10! Until she and Brian decided to go bring up their kids here. She left me! Lovely to see her again. Never quite got the hang of respect for her boss, did Claire....I was often referred to as 'The Lucky Bastard'.

Great to catch up.

We got to try Mission's 'Gemstone' from that increasingly famous patch of stones; the Gimlett Gravels. We listed this at £20+ in October. It sold out in minutes.

We moved on to our other long-time supplier here; Esk Valley. With its unique-in-NZ, steep, terraced vines and rambling, eccentric, rough, old sheds its a bit different. But I love it. Winemaker and manager Gordon Russell is a great and impassioned talker. We go up the hills, along the terraces, through the winery, then down the trapdoor into the cellars. As you do. No money has been wasted here. It’s a patched and mended place. They talk of a new state of the art gravity fed winery. But I'll be sad if they lose the old place. We get given a bottle of The Terraces 2002. Worth the trip just for that.

Dinner with Claire, Brian and the children at Crab Farm; not, as I thought a seafood place but a vineyard planted on land which rose miraculously from the seabed during the great earthquake … all covered in crabs.

Early bed; it’s a 5am tomorrow.

Day 2: Hunter's and the Odd Rock

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:57:00 +0000

To Hunter's. A very special place for me. And the reason we are here, really. It was Ernie Hunter who really convinced me - and the rest of the world - that NZ had amazing wines to offer the world. I'd been round NZ and thought the wines were nice in 1984? I think.

Then I got a tip-off from David Thomas who I'd helped set up Cellarmasters that there were these SIMPLY AMAZING Sauvignon Blancs ('Savvy's' in the argot) from this big Belfast roaring boy called Ernie. He'd had huge success with them in Oz (amazing … in the days when Aussies ONLY bought Aussie wine).

So … 25 years ago we did a sell-out offer of Hunters and the boy came over and wowed the crowds at the Sunday Times Vintage Festival. Hit headlines. Suddenly the world got interested in Marlborough. An Aussie then set up Cloudy Bay and did the best wine marketing anyone's ever seen.

That wasn't Ernie because Ernie had died so tragically, just as it all began. Jane carried on. I don't know how. But today she was there – Jane Hunter OBE inviting us to breakfast with the family and all her team. There's young James 'Teapot' McDonald, her nephew who made our Sauvignon in Bordeaux with Mark and Jean-Marc.

My boy Henry has come, with Kaye and baby Eleanor to see his mate and what he can learn here about Sparkling winemaking especially. We get a glass of that with our bacon and eggs on Ernie's big outdoor griddle that I remember so well from 25 years ago. My granddaughter, from the far end of the table, sees me, recognises me, smiles and waves. For the very first time. I am smitten like a teenager! She has me under her thumb already.

After a bit of buying work for Dan and Jim taking some pics of me (we try recreate an old pic they have here of me, Ernie and their then winemaker John Belsham (who later became possibly our most successful Flying Winemaker ever). Ye Gods I've not aged well! Then Dan, Jim and me head off for Nelson.

You leave the vines of Marlborough valley and head into hills of pasture and pine. The road winds around and is not fast. No roads are, here. Beautiful though. They are shooting 'The Hobbit' by one rocky creek. (Advertised for 'Extras', but you either had to be very small or very huge and weird-looking).

Nelson – after an hour and half – is a sunny seaside place of bungalows scattered up hills. Views over a blue Tasman Bay. Lots of light.

First visit is Seifried’s. Mum and Dad are in Europe so Chris and his sisters take us up to their house above a little bay in which sits a rock that has become quite iconic in New Zealand. Their dad had the foresight to put it on his wine labels.

'Split Rock' is a big seller for us. The thing didn't look that big from their terrace as we ate our fish and chips and drank their lovely Sauvignon. But when we got on the boat and sailed over … it’s big. Everyone thought it would be a hoot to get old man Laithwaite on to it. So where are Health n' Safety when you need them? Waters deep and cold and choppy. One slip and …! Close run thing. The things I do to amuse my customers!

Didn't bottle out though.

We also did some work.

Then went to see Valley and Gary Neale at Brightwater. Really small producers; 18 hectares, but a VERY impressive wall of medals. This lovely couple keep it very simple. They don't want to get bigger. Just better. And they are doing it.

You visit, it’s just them or their vineyard manager in the shop above the cellars. Basic, but everything so very neat and sensible. They get quite a few of our customers visit. And send us any Brits who aren't Laithwaites – wish more producers were that organised. They are off tomorrow to Auckland to collect the National Trophy for their Chardonnay. We try that wine – named after Lord Rutherford who was from this tiny village. Deserved to win.

I ask Valley where she got her name. Coaxed out the answer. Her Dad played for Chelsea before emigrating! So Chelsea fans will understand. (And that's the second daughter of a Chelsea player I've known. The other was called 'Chelsea'!)

And then back to Marlborough.

Marlborough

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:55:00 +0000

First visit in Marlborough; Dr John. Dr Forrest is a big man. A big science boffin until he came back to the family farm. From mixed farming he moved into vines. His father warned him not to. And never to buy the poor scrubland down by the river.

But that's what he bought. Not soil as we know it, just rocks. Greywacke boulders going down who knows how deep were a bit of a challenge even for vines, but turned out the rockier it is the finer the wine. His best wine is called Field of Stones.

He took me to look at the river … water was low; great expanse of rocks rolled down by the floods "vineyards in the making" he said. "We've always swum here. When you come out of the water and lie on the rocks in the sun, as you dry you get that slightly salty mineral smell. That's what my Field of Stones has.” Distilled essence of a very good place. Not like what he calls the modern sweatier style of Sauvignon. His Stonewall wines are also stone dry sauvignon but with a touch of 'tropical'.

At the river the fantails twitter and flutter around you. You are flattered such pretty things follow you, but they are just harvesting the little flies and bugs you are disturbing.

Dr John has built a handsome business. Good visit if you are passing. Frankie the new dog - spaniel/collie will welcome you. I like the loudspeakers fitted throughout the winery so the Doc and his boys can keep rocking along through the long nights of vintage.

Dr John has energy! Five months travelling the world marketing his wares. Not for the fainthearted, this wine game.

Then we go just down the road to Wairau River.

Phil and Chris Rose got into vine growing very early. Montana was this region's first winery and Phil was their first contract grower. They were mixed farmers who switched to wine. They too have done well and have a big following. Also a big family. Five children all busy producing grandchildren and all also in the business. The group photo fills a wall in their new tasting room. They have a cracking restaurant with food all home produced and delicious.

Finally we go up the valley to the higher vineyards and one called Duck and Pheasant because, believe it or not there's a duck and a pheasant living wild around the dam next door. We wait but of course they don't come out today! This is Ant Moore's place. Ant the Aussie lives part here, part in Wagga Wagga, Oz and is a great 'networker' … knows everyone in the NZ wine world. He makes wine for us and also finds us some wonderful deals from his many friends – 'finds' we'd never hear of otherwise.

After, just time for a local beer and pizza before bed at 8.45 and instant sleep.

To New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:01:00 +0000

Sad to leave on such a lovely Spring day and fly to Autumn. But harvest is about to start in Blenheim and Hunter’s want me to drive a harvester. They were joking I think, though unsurprisingly Henry seems keen.

He's going to learn sparkling winemaking at Hunter’s and elsewhere. Taking Kaye and the baby too. Here in Heathrow lounge we can already see passengers praying they're not put next to us. Eleanor is nine months. Please be a good girl!

The match just ended. So sorry Jean-Marc, Didier and all. Never mind; we had a bloody good party Friday, didn't we? That Vintners Hall is quite something! On the wall they have the charter signed Edward III giving the Vintners exclusivity of all wines coming from Bordeaux and all around. Worth a few bob - or groats - that! No wonder the place is so gorgeous.

It’s been a while since I was in NZ. Trips kept being cancelled for reasons nothing to do with wine. The plan is to go straight to Blenheim and do visits all round Marlborough and Nelson. Then fly up to Hawke’s Bay then down to Queenstown. So no Waiheke, alas, or Gisborne. But we've only got two weeks and if we don't fit in a quick trip to the Sydney Office and RedHeads there'll be hell to pay.

Will and Veronika have moved in to our home to look after the dogs, meaning we have to retrain them off the sofa when we return, but otherwise all's well.

Though still too lovely a day to be leaving.

Last London Vintage Festival at the Horticultural

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 11:11:00 +0000

Shows have been great for us over the years, but no show that we've done has ever rivalled The Sunday Times Wine Club's Vintage Festival held every year since 1980 in the great Royal Horticultural Society Hall, Westminster.

We were only recently stunned to learn that the Hall has now been 99-year leased to Westminster School. Our upcoming 2012 Vintage Festival (April 27-28) will, in fact, be the last show of any kind to be held in that wonderful space.

Sad.

If you've never been there you've certainly seen the place when BBC 1 girls wound themselves down from the great glass roof on lengths of red silk or when the passengers gathered to board the train in Murder on the Orient Express. It’s an impressive and multi-purpose bit of architecture.

We went there after our first Festival at the New Kensington Town Hall ended for me in fisticuffs with the drunken Manager. Not a great start.

But once in The Lawrence Hall as it became, things went swimmingly. And swam on in a sea of wine for 32 years.

There are people I meet every year who have been to every single show. Like me. I've never missed a show. Never even missed a single session. That's 128? Sessions or 'parties' as I prefer to see them. The best parties in London. I mean … plenty wine + friends from all over the world + food and music. And with Uncle Hugh presiding over everything with a glass, a chortle and some shouting (the acoustics were never great). If that's not a party, what is?

I dreamt up the event because I had, after ten years’ work, winemaker friends all around the world. I was always thinking if only I could see them more! And if this one in e.g. France could just meet that one in e.g. Australia they'd get so much out of it. Be fun. And if the Customers/Wine Club Members could actually meet all of them they'd really understand why wine is such a fabulous thing. They'd really benefit from meeting winemakers first hand.

They did.

We always have a vote for Wine of the Show. And, you know, they vote well do our customers. We used to invite all the Great and Good of the wine world to taste everything and select what we then boxed up and sold as 'The Sunday Times Dozen'.

We would get the odd celeb in too. You won't be surprised to learn Ken Livingston was a good taster. But Ronnie Corbett? Great little palate. 'Dirty Den' from East Enders came a few times to pour wine for his then wife Jane Hickinbotham. But mostly it wasn't a celebby thing... mostly it was just us the winemakers and the wine drinkers. And we all liked it that way.

It ran impeccably smoothly. Especially since our John Kemp took it over. It’s quite a logistical challenge but John was always standing there, apparently (but not really) calm in the storm. I think every visiting wine producer must have told me it’s their favourite wine show in the world. And they see many. No drunks. Well, very few. Polite, friendly and interested wine enthusiasts. The growers loved their arduous four-hour stints of pouring and never boring. Much easier than working a vineyard. As for the après party … let's not go there.

Well it’s certainly not over. We'll just be in a new hall next year. But if you're an old hand and you fondly remember Vintage Festivals of yore, be sure and get one of the last tickets for the great old Horticultural (Lawrence) Hall.

See you there.

With the bloggers

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:13:00 +0000

We held our first tasting for Wine Bloggers at The Arch. This powerful new force in our World of Wine cannot - must not - be ignored.

The Company decided therefore that I – a man who has spent 40 years trying to avoid journalists (except for my best friends) – should invite them all round for a Blogtaste.

They are so young! Clearly also amazed that I still more or less still function at my age. 'Gravitas' was one word used in a resulting blog about me. Wow! I always wanted gravitas. Never thought there was a chance. But hey, you hang on long enough you get gravitas. That will impress the kids. I jest.

Also, they clearly think I run this business. I wanted to tell them I don't. And in fact, never have. I wanted to tell them how Barbara keeps me in the attic. And only lets me out if accompanied. But she was right there, hovering, just a short kick away. So I didn't.

They mainly came to try some wines of course. Wines from Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria and India which we will release shortly. The party seemed to go well. Couldn't resist going round the Arch opening more bottles.

I think there will be more such dos. Look forward to them.

Another Gold for Château La Clarière Laithwaite

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:53:00 +0000

I suppose all wine merchants get asked "what's your favourite wine?" It's what everyone asks me. My answer is always the same: "my own, of course! Château La Clarière Laithwaite". Every wine producer thinks his is the best.

But it's not just my favourite.

Today I heard it just won Gold in Paris again for the yet-to-be-bottled 2010 vintage.

In total my favourite wine has now won 19 Gold Medals in its short existence. Thanks to my team: Henry, Helene and Olivier. It's on a terrific run just now with Paris Golds every year since 2007 – except last year when it dropped to silver … arrrrgh! We was robbed; our '09! Such a superb wine.

In future I intend to ask every customer I meet "Have you tried my wine?" Have you?

A bottle of the 2009 is just £19.99. Can I suggest you add at least one to your next order? We are still the holder of the Prix d'Excellence for the Bordeaux region; the highest honour of all.

Tony L
Chevalier du Mérite Agricole

(Awarded to me, only for the medal-winning performance of our very own Château.)

PS. Confrères get the wine cheaper. Becoming a Confrère reserves you a case (6 or 12) every year. You only take it if you want, you get your name on the Honour Board, and a very warm welcome every time you visit your Château.

Email Helene in Bordeaux for details – helene.dupin@directwines.com.

Château du Bois

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:19:00 +0000

For a month now we've been the owners of a 20-hectare property – Château du Bois – just down the road from our place in Ste Colombe. This is the village where it all started in 1965 and where we still live when in France.

In that month we've pruned all the vines and started the recruitment process for a 'Regisseur' – estate manager – to run both it and the smaller properties we already had: Château La Clarière, Le Presbytère and Henry and Kaye's Château Verniotte.

Du Bois is different because it really looks like a Château … like a little fort with buildings on all four sides of a courtyard.

When we wake up in our house, and open the shutters, there, on the hillside in front of us is Château du Bois with its 'fortifications', its little wood, and vineyard terraces climbing to the top of the hill. I've long loved that view. But I had never seriously coveted it. Properties like that always stay in the family.

But last summer Henry said he'd heard that the place had been on the market for three years. The old lady had died – quite a colourful ex-dancer of an old lady – and her three children had all got other lives not involving wine.

But they'd followed the curious local custom that it is somehow shameful to put up 'For Sale' signs! The price, as a result of recession and nobody knowing it was for sale had come right down and was – just about – affordable.

So we got Simon to go in there and get the best deal. He and Clare spent the best part of a day in a stifling lawyer’s office in St Emilion without anything – even water – to drink, going through legal rigmaroles they said would provide material for a whole series of sitcoms on French lawyers.

But the deal was done. However, France being France, there followed the six month period necessary for the fonctionnaire lady to stamp her big rubber stamp.

Then, last month, Simon and Clare had another gruelling/hilarious session and du Bois was finally ours.

The winery was all kitted out in the '80's. It was a good job. It is therefore not 'state of the art' but perfectly useable which is good because we can't afford to do much in the way of upgrade. Because, firstly, we need to replant three hectares at the top of the hill which have been allowed to decay. They should be the best vineyards of all – they are the steep ones, right next door to Henry's best Verniotte vineyards – but they've sadly been let go. Vineyards need constant love and attention.

The plan is to produce a very reasonably priced claret. Not the standard of La Clariere, Presbytere or Verniotte but just what our customers seem to like to drink regularly.

And … like we have always kept the doors of La Clarière and Verniotte open to visitors – mostly the beloved Confrères – we plan to have 'open house' at du Bois. Quite what or how we don't know yet, but it will be good. There are a lot of rooms and big chais. Maybe it'll be possible to stay there as well as come for tastings and events. There are masses of possibilities.

But our four properties combined now make one economically viable wine producing operation. Henry will be in charge. I will be given a broom.

Which will bring me full circle and suit me well.

In the '60's I had a broom when I worked in a big cellar near here. This cellar had concrete tanks four high and looked just like a prison; tanks look like cells, hung with steel catwalks and stairs. One very significant day, sweeping my floor, it started to rain … red wine. Way above me a group of visiting wine buyers were tasting the top tanks. Sip, swirl, spit over the railings … and on to the floor-sweeping Brit student below.

It’s wonderful, now, to have our own wineries. You must all come and taste. Just please watch where you spit.

Marmalade Mad

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Tasting marmalades is harder than tasting wines. Spitting out is frowned upon in jam circles. Twenty four teaspoonfuls of marmalade and I was feeling quite queasy.

Dalemain Marmalade Festival at Dalemain House between Penrith and Ullswater drew big crowds this year and raised a lot of money for the local Hospice. Chris Evans on Radio 2 certainly helped. And, unusually, it didn't rain.

I had to present our prize to the winner - Christine Waters from Taunton - of the 'Merry Marmalade' category for the whisky-laced pots. I didn't, sadly, get to taste these but was on the panel judging the 'Marmal..Ashes': a special competition between Australian and English.

We avoided an early England collapse thanks to Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Tawny job, but most of the rest of the team then threw the match with their obsession for putting weird stuff in with their oranges; elderflower, ginger, 5 spice, treacle, chocolate!!!

The Aussies on the other seemed very clear that Marmalade is made of Citrus fruit and sugar for spreading on your morning toast. Like their wines, Aussie jams are very fruit-driven, they also all set properly and were well turned out in national colours. Man of the match was an incredibly deliciously intense pure Lime job … got a perfect score.

It was a whitewash.

The nausea was then helped when a chap came up and offered a bottle of his new Lake District gin … that sedated the stomach nicely.

There were lots of stalls selling local farm foods. John Kemp and Martin Campion pouring some of our wines, the village children singing the marmalade song and it was just Britain at its batty best. B and I loved it all and hope to be invited back. Well done Jane … and thanks.

Down with the ‘Death Buckets’

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:53:00 +0000

I just gave my support to this campaign to try and get bars to stop putting wine into those huge 250ml glasses – known as 'Death Buckets'.

This may seem an odd move from someone who has spent a long career encouraging wine drinking.

Well, yes, but I have also spent a long time writing about how to get the best out of wine and gulping down half pints of the stuff, is neither healthy nor a way to get the best out of wine.

The entire motivation of good winemakers (and people like me who really want to be good winemakers but settle for just selling good wine) … is to make their wine more and more delicious. So delicious that it is necessary to sip it sloooowly. So delicious it is just wasteful to swallow it quickly.

250ml buckets are just a way to sell mediocre wine. "Never mind the quality, just sluice the tonsils".

Let me be quite clear; I like big glassware; they are wonderful Flavour Amplifiers. I just don't like the pub habit of filling them to the brim.

The way I was taught. In France. Just a little wine, big swirl, big inhale. Ahhhhh! The dancing flavours … a little blessed spot of our planet's surface, a most remarkable and courageous plant and someone's toil, passion and talent. Life is good at such moments. Why cut it short?

SWS. Sip wine slowly. Live longer.

Thirsty? There's this great stuff called beer. And British beer is getting better and better. Check out your local micro today.

It’s clear that if the Wine Trade doesn't voluntarily abandon the practice of Larging It Up, the Government Will Act. And nobody wants that!

Laithwaites 'Legacy Vision'

noreply@blogger.com (Tony Laithwaite) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Just in case anyone is interested, this is what we debated and argued a bit about last week.

We want to be the Best Wine Merchant in the World. Years ago we were labelled 'The Most Successful Wine Merchant on the Planet' but we'd really prefer 'Best' so that's what we are aiming at. Why not? So what must we do to get there?

1) STAY DEEPLY EMBEDDED … We've decided we'll be alright in 2020 if we remember always we must continue to spend plenty of time in vineyards and cellars – both our own and those of our wine producers. It’s always been our way since the 'one man and his van days' and it must always be so. A wine importer can just sit in an office and buy all the wine they need on the phone. I could've done that. But we actually go to the vineyards – always have, always will. The more we know, the better we can do our job. It makes a difference … that you can always taste. So, even more travels.

2) SHARE MORE OF THE EXCITEMENT … We do think we should do more to share the excitement of our vineyard visits – new vintages, new wines etc – with our customers. Wine is much more than a nice taste or a pretty bottle on a shelf; we need to be an all-singing, all-dancing wine circus sort of Company: putting on terrific wine events and experiences; introducing wine producers to wine drinkers; making wine really come alive. So … more shows, more events in more places.

3) KEEP ON WINNING THE TRUST … Of course, it goes without saying that we have to keep up – even improve on – our reputation with our customers. You must see that we always play straight, and that we treasure the long-lasting relationships we enjoy with you. This business only really works if it's 'for life'. We should do even more special stuff for those customers who have been with us for years.

4) EARN MORE RESPECT … This should mean we'll then earn more respect, not only from customers and suppliers, but from the whole wine world. Even journalists. No-one beats us for our expertise, knowledge and hard work. But more people need to know this. Means I must talk to journalists. Start today!

5) STAY FREE … We want – intend – to stay free and independent … to remain totally owned by the family, more or less debt-free – and beholden to none.

6) BE STRONGER … We could always be stronger … tough, resilient, and independent. We must never stop growing healthily and sustainably in interesting ways. Keep on attracting more of the sort of talented young people we have been getting lots of lately. Aim to be the Wine Company talented people would most like to work for.

7) PASS THE BATON CAREFULLY … Finally, nobody here being immortal, we must ensure the baton gets passed on smoothly. Ensure today that the next generation is keen and equipped to take over tomorrow.

8) STAY UP TO DATE … (which is getting beyond some of us already!)

That's it. Blueprint for the next eight years. What d'ya think, then? Any suggestions?