Category — Canada

You don’t often come across wines from Canada, but a recent dinner with Canadian friends introduced us to the wines of the Okanagan Valley in British Coluumbia - specifically the wines of Mission Hill. The only merchant I can find who stocks their still wines is the Oxford Wine Company who include, amongst others, the Mission Hill Five Vineyards Pinot Gris Réserve, Okanagan Valley 2004 (£11.50) “Fresh clean and aromatic wine with a citrus and fresh peach overtones. Tangy flavours of green apple, pear and almond with a lemony finish.”

The Oxford Wine Company looks to have an interesting and varied list (online and shop) - wines from most parts of the world - a southern French favourite in the shape of Chateau Ricardelle’s Coteaux du Languedoc la Clape “Rated as one of the best value reds by Decanter Magazine, this beautifully crafted Rhone Ranger delivers complex flavours of tar and leather together with sweet briary fruits and a dry savoury finish. “ (£8.40); an interesting Priorato red from Spain with Legitim De Muller Crianza 2002 “A real discovery! Loads of soft,berry fruit flavours with warm spicy overtones. A really complex wine and a bargain to boot! “(£10.99); and a Te Mata Elston Chardonnay from New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay “A complex, rich barrel-fermented style with a Meursault feel. Top class New World winemaking.” (£16.75)
The website has tons of informative comment and news and details of tastings etc.

The Oxford Wine Company is one of the largest independent wine retail and wholesale companies in the U.K. with a stunning range of wine from just over £3.00 to over £500 a bottle. Over 1500 wines and spirits are stocked and the company also specialises in vintage Armagnac, as well as listing in excess of 150 Malt Whiskys.

Oxford Wine Company, Standlake, Witney OX29 7PR
Tel: 01865 30 11 44 Fax: 01865 30 11 55 Email: info@oxfordwine.co.uk

According to our Canadian friends, Mission Hill rather dominates the Okanagan wine scene with its impressive visitor centre (top picture):

“This impressive architectural achievement has it all, from a fine resident chef, to a collection of antique drinking vessels, to a breathtaking view of Lake Okanagan - and, not least, a wide range of excellent wines, including a superb Merlot and a distinguished Bordeaux blend named Oculus.

What we do not get to see or taste in the UK is the production from any of the small independent winemakers, whose production is too small to warrant export (and local demand so high they do not need to!). One such is the Blasted Church Winery which has some of the most original wine bottle labels I’ve seen, and who, by all accounts, make superb wines. (The winery is so named, because they moved an old clapboard church into Okanagan Falls by blasting the building to loosen the nails - and it worked (apparently). Whatever the truth it has given them a unique name and theme on which to build.

For more on Okanagan Falls wines see the Wines of British Columbia website

A refreshingly different approach is evident as soon as you enter Cadman Fine Wines website. Its crisp design and great graphics tempt you with some good special offers, yet also provides easy navigation of the site to find what you want.

The tagline “Quality is merely a starting point…” is more than merely words - they do seem to have a real commitment to sourcing their wines:-

Cadman Fine Wines stands for quality, exclusivity and selection

We bring you the world’s finest wines from the world’s finest producers: classic labels from famous names and regions that sit at the pinnacle of their craft; rare gems that have never been seen in the UK, plus exciting, cutting-edge wines from newly emerging stars of the fine wine world.

Our wines are intelligently and skillfully sourced by an international team of experts based in Italy, France, Spain and the UK. Through desk research, field trips and tastings, our experts seek and source hand-crafted wines from producers and winemakers who reaclly care about the contents of the bottle. To achieve a Cadman Fine Wines listing, a wine must score at least 88 points on our quality rating system or from the world’s most authoritative wine critics.

The wine list is extensive covering a wide range from New and Old World, some classic fine Bordeaux and Burgundies together with an eclectic mix of lesser-known wines such as Spanish Jumilla DO, French Cour-Cheverny AC and Otago wines from South Island, New Zealand.

Yet for each and every wine there are thoughtful tasting notes and good background information - very impressive. What’s more each delivery comes with “full tasting notes and background information for each wine, including grape varieties, when to drink the wine and reviews from our own experts and the world’s leading critics where applicable. This leaves you free to argue/ discuss the merits of wines with your friends and family. Their inclusion also makes each order an ideal gift.”

Cadman Fine Wines
Freepost NAT21632, Northampton NN3 6BR
Tel: 0845 121 4011
sales@cadmanfinewines.co.uk

A relatively new company, one that, and correct me if I am wrong, began life as a shop, opened a website and then closed the shop. Life it exceeding tough for independent wine merchants on the high street; thank the stars for the Internet I say!

The very first thing that strikes me is the excellent delivery charge - just £3.99 for 1,2 or 3 bottles. Plus it is overnight delivery. Superb. Of course you would expect some of the costs to be recouped via higher bottle charges; but I see little evidence of that. There is also a 10% off six bottle deal.

Four Canadian Ice Wine kick off a very interesting, if short, list. Of the wines offered many are of older vintages - unlikely to be found elsewhere - that have reached a ‘drinking optimum’. Tasting notes are quite extensive with quotes from various writers and various personal expressions of the wine in question.

At the moment only France, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Canada are represented on the list. Prices begin at around £8.99 a bottle, although a majority are in the £20 range. I have three different bottles to write-up, on spittoon.biz, from the range.