Category — Italy

A novel approach to selecting and presenting wines comes from a new outfit called “Six Wines Eight”. based in London and online.

Six Wines Eight is about finding the right wine first time. The system we have developed is easy to use and even easier to remember.
There are six wines in eight styles. These are our featured wines. We have defined each style in three words and given it a colour. Within each style there are six wines graded by price. We do all the hard work (like taste hundreds of wines!)and then present the best in an easy to understand, easy to navigate system. All you need to do is choose your style and price. Easy!
In an effort to lighten the mood of wine buying we’ve tried to be a little less serious in our descriptions but we do have the usual stuff there as well.
Each quarter new wines will replace the current batch. The wines will match their predecessors in style and feel, though they may be from an entirely different grape from very different countries. That way you get to try wines that you might otherwise have ignored.

I like the classification of wine styles with 3 word descriptors e.g reds are light,simple,fresh;or juicy, round, easy; or spicy, peppery, warming; or intense, complex,elegant. That looks like the sort of vocabulary which both novices and old hands can use - and is a great way to help customers articulate what they are looking for.

Hence they offer 48 featured wines every quarter - although previous selections may be available from their warehouse. It certainly offers a way to help customers select the style of wine which they are seeking - and could be quite fun. The presentation is good, and the wines look to be well-selected from all corners of the globe.

Six Wines Eight
100-102 Tower Bridge road, London SE1 4TP

Tel: 020 7231 4477

Regular tastings and a blog complete a well-thought out approach to wine merchanting!

The Daily Mail (5 May 2008) reports on the findings of Dr Roger Corder (The Red Wine Diet) on the health benefits of RED wine:-

Far more important are polyphenols, the chemical compounds in grape skin and seeds. These are natural antioxidants which protect the membranes of each cell.
Another important element of red wine are procyanidins, which help to reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol and protect against hardening of the arteries.
The most procyanidin-rich wines tend to be those in which the grapes - including skins and seeds - have remained in contact with the wine during fermentation and afterwards.
Such information is seldom seen on wine bottles - you’d find it by scouring producers’ websites (look for contact time of at least ten days for good amounts of procyanidins).
Two wine-growing regions which boast high concentrations of procyanidins are the Nuoro province in Sardinia (which produces the Cannonau grape), and Madiran in the Pyrenees.

Madiran AOC wines from South West France have certainly become more widely known as a result of this research - the Tannat grape producing big, and potentially tannic wines - and some of the best cuvées ensure that those big tannins are smooth and balanced with plenty of fruit character! - e.g the wines of Domaine Berthoumieu and Chateau d’Aydie.

Cannonau-based wines from the Italian island of Sardinia remain less well-known - Cooden Cellars stocks a Triente 2006 from Pala :”A very intense perfume leads into a fresh palate with rich flavours of mature red fruits and hints of herbs. Good match for spicy foods and oily fish.” (£9.99)

It cannot be often that you would find a New Zealand Cloudy Bay and a red wine from Wales on the same list ! But at ND John you can discover the Sugarloaf Vineyards Deri Coch, and even on their website they state “They must be mad with our weather - but somehow they pull it off, and in some style!” - Deri Coch is a blend of Triomphe D’Alsace, Regent and Rondo varieties and has brambly autumn fruit flavours with a delicious sour cherry finish” (£8.50)

ND John Wine Merchants Ltd are an established wine merchants in the South Wales area supplying fine restaurants, hotels, gastro-pubs and clubs.

In 2003, we moved to new premises and opened a large ‘wine warehouse’ bringing our extensive range of wines direct to the public.

The success of this business led to us expanding our retail operation onto the internet to enable people throughout the UK to experience our portfolio of wines from the bargain new world offerings to the more prestigious old world favourites.

In between they offer a decent selection of wines from France, Italy, Spain, USA, Australia. New Zealand and Lebanon amongst others.

ND John, 90 Walter Road, Swansea SA1 4QF
Phone: 01792 644 688 Fax: 01792 646 600 Email: mail@ndjohn.co.uk

Decanter organises a series of fine wine tastings throughout the year, and for all that they are quite pricey (£38, £66 for 2) that is for a whole day, so you can pace yourself to get the best out of it. They really do offer access to some of the best wines around. On 17 May 2008 the focus is on Italy

Come along to taste top Italian wines and meet the winemakers in person. You’ll also have a chance to meet the world’s best selling wine writer Hugh Johnson, who will be signing copies of his latest books at 1pm.

There are also masterclasses on the “delights of Piedmont” and the “Heights of Chianti Classico”. Amongst the producers will be Antinori, Isole e Olena, Castello Banfi, Aldo Conterno, Ferrari, Bellavista, Poggio Verrano, Santa Sofia, Anselmi, Candido Damilano, Planeta, Sangervasio, Benanti, Castello Banfi, Bisol, Jermann, Umberto Cesari, Carpineto, and many more..
The venue is the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone Road, London, which is particularly good if you are coming from the West Midlands or the home counties to the north west of London, as Chiltern Trains bring you into Marylebone Station which is all of 50 yards from the Hotel!!

For more info CLICK HERE

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

Region Wine is a new Chester-based online merchant with a retail shop in the heart of historic Chester. The website is attractive and offers a wide range from around the world, including Greece, Oregon USA and Hungary in addition to the usual New and Old World sources. In addition to offering selections by region, grape variety and price there is also the opportunity to choose from a selection by “experience” - i.e. Aromatic white, exotic white, fruity white, quaffable red, red with herby notes, red with spicy notes, red, big and dark, refreshing rose, refreshing white, smooth red etc

Our company started out as a quality online wine merchant in 2006 by Ian Wildboar, fulfilling a twenty year ambition to turn his love of food and drink into a business. His aim is to help maintain diversity in wine choice throughout the UK at excellent prices and value for money.

The aim of From Vineyards Direct is simple - to bring you very special, high quality wines at prices well below traditional outlets, and to provide you with the highest level of service possible.

From Vineyards Direct is the brainchild of David Campbell and Esme Johnstone who write that their intention is to offer a small number of delicious drinking wines, principally from France, but not exclusively, imported direct from the growers and delivered to your door at the click of a mouse.

“We aim to be 20% or more cheaper than through traditional channels.”

The wine list, when we looked, numbered 38 products. Mostly hailing from Burgundy the wines include bottles from Spain and Italy too. There are a range of mixed cases too.

While delivery is free in the UK the minimum order quantity might put you off, especially as the range is so small - Minimum total order is 2 cases (24 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for the UK and 5 cases (60 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for Northern Ireland.

Cooden Cellars is an independent wine merchant established by Colin Barnes and Ian Jarman in 1997. In May 2001 we opened our retail shop in the Grand Hotel Buildings, Compton Street, Eastbourne. They were awarded Independent Merchant of the Year 2007 as well as Regional Wine Merchant of the Year in the IWC Awards for the last three years, in 2003 and 2004 as runner-up and in 2005 outright.

For those not lucky enough to live within the bounds of Eastbourne they maintain a very functional and informative website. Registered users can login and leave their own tasting notes. The only thing that is lacking are images of the wine bottles (perhaps they should engage this budding photographer?)

The range is excellent across the board - lots of interesting wines from Argentina and Australia, New Zealand and Portugal are particularly interesting with several wines we are yet to discover. Regular offers, a regularly updated blog section and a decent range of spirits plus a regular payment wine club complete the picture. Perhaps the perfect wine merchant?

Small independent merchant HC Wines will be holding their seasonal tasting on Sat 8 December 2007 at 7.45pm in York. John Hattam and Andy Clarke ’s motto is “Life is too short to drink bad wine”!. Their selection of interesting wines come from France, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Australia and Italy.

“….an informal evening with eight wines to try, with an opportunity to buy should you wish.
Cost remains at £6 per head including bread and cheese.
A great opportunity to sort out all your Christmas wines and have them delivered free of charge to your door.”

HC Wines

Superb Italian wine specialist Bat and Bottle have linked up with Italian food retailer Delizioso to create a new of hampers designed for the Christmas market.

An easy gift for many, perhaps lacking in originality for some, these hampers look a little more interesting than the norm. They actually contain items people would use rather than stuff in the back of the cupboard.

The hamper features our wines and Delizioso’s immaculate food selections, it will be packed and distributed by the Delizioso team and deliveries will be from the first week of December.

The hampers range in price from £23.50 to £144. Order your catalogue via email Bat and Bottle or
Delizioso.

Lovers of wine and all things organic can rejoice at the launch of Organi.co.uk – the new website dedicated solely to first class organic and biodynamic wines that offers a truly exclusive and unique selection of organic and biodynamic wines and champagnes.

The website helps “discerning online shoppers find organic wine for every occasion” Purchases must be in cases of 12, which can be one of several pre-mixed selections or select themselves.

Run by the Jackson family, Peter, Sue and son Chris, Organi.co.uk offers a very specialised and unique collection of organic wines brought together over a period of years. The Jacksons take pride in building personal relationships with only those farmers and vineyards who are passionate about producing wonderful wines in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Many of the vineyards have been visited personally before wines are purchased and the family show a real passion for the way the crops are cultivated and chosen.

With a directory of over 120 exclusive products that includes wines from the likes of Tuscany, Sicily, Bordeaux, Champagne and Mudgee in New South Wales Organi.co.uk lets you choose wines listed by wine type, country, region, grape type and even specific vineyard.

Founder of Organico, Peter Jackson, says:

“At last Organic and biodynamic wine drinking is on the increase and there are so many excellent organic wines and champagnes to choose from – for many years I have heard people talking about and buying organic food but not thinking about organic wine. Why would you cook a delicious organic meal and top it off with a non organic wine which may contain harmful chemical residues.

I think there is the misconception that organic wines are more expensive and not as good and at last that is changing as people realize that excellent organic wines are available and at sensible prices. Other than the pleasure of the taste there are several potential health benefits of drinking organic wines whilst the wildlife across the vineyards works to its natural cycle having not been interrupted by harmful chemicals.”

Organico also boasts the first ever UK shop dedicated to solely organic wine, located in Ambleside in the heart of the Lake District.

Key wines to be found on Organi.co.uk include:

Prosecco del Veneto Empiria 2005 “A great value prosecco from arguably Italy’s best white wine region. A drink much loved by the locals. This prosecco is hugely drinkable with lots of aroma and zing!” Price: £7.50

Colli Della Toscana Centrale Rosso Dominico 2004 “This is the first of Organico’s own ‘branded’ wines. It has a typically rounded and fruity Chianti style withthe subtle addition of 10% Merlot. It is a wine that the Tuscans drink themselves and we consider ourselves fortunate to have managed to persuade them to make a special bottling for our UK clients.” Price: £6.35

Staffa Daunia Rosato Contessa 2006 “This rosato has been created from the Montipulciano grape. A delightful drink on its own or with food it has a lovely pink colour and the wine is reminiscent of wild strawberries and other small red berries. On the palate the wine carries forwardits aromatic character and strikes a perfect balance between velvety soft and crisp.” Price: £6.20

ORGANICO

Fisherbeck Mill, Old Lake Road,
Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0DH

Telephone: +44 (0)15394 31122

H and H Bancroft have updated their website.

A nice clean feel, stylishly laid out. A good search facility and basic wine information that leads on to fuller details. Purchases have to be by the unmixed case though. Registered users get a wish list facility which may be useful for some, or just wishful thinking for others.

“Our wine portfolio at H&H Bancroft changes each year but the ethos behind it remains constant. From the classic regions of France to the furthest stretches of the New World our Buying Director, David Round MW has succeeded in bringing in the well-established names and also the hottest new wineries to ensure that our customers can explore the world of wine with the greatest of ease. If re-assurance were needed that we are working closely with the best growers in the world, we need only look at the awards and critical acclaim that roll in every month as their latest vintages are reviewed.”

The range is strong on France, Italy and Spain. Argentina puts in a good range too but South Africa, New Zealand, Portugal and Chile are rather poorly represented.

Zelas is the on-line arm of North London merchant Wine of Course.

The range is not huge - just one wine form the Languedoc for example, 7 from Australia, 4 from South Africa etc. But the quality is top notch. Prices generally are in the £12+ bracket and include such delights as Sequillo Eben Sadie (South Africa) £17.99, Daniel Schuster Pinot Noir “Twin Vineyards” (New Zealand) £16.99 and Bolgheri Tenuta Guado al Tasso Il Bruciato (Italy) £17.99. Prices for unmixed cases are generally £1 or so cheaper.

The site is nice to use, each wine having a picture and brief tasting notes. You can add your own notes too on the site if you feel inclined; although I didn’t spot any during my forage. Delivery is free for purchases of 6 or more bottles and £8.50 for anything less.

Wine courses are held on the last Thursday of the month. These cost £25/£35 each, cheaper for 2 or more people, and are held in the store. Their Wines for Christmas tasting session is described as

If you have ever wondered which wines to serve with your Christmas meal, consume over your Boxing Day leftovers, or have just wanted to learn more about wine in general, then this is the tasting event for you. We will taste our way through a range of ten fantastic wines, featuring examples both traditional and modern, for pairing with the rich and varied foods of the season. The tasting will include a champagne, a sweet wine, and a port as well as a spread of festive nibbles.

Wine of Course / Zelas
216 Archway Road,
London N6 5AX

Sympathies to the guys at Le Bon Vin; this Sheffield based web and premises wine merchant has suffered badly during the recent floods. The warehouse and shop suffered an estimated £250,000 of damage.

Web-sales though have been unaffected.

We have just launched our all new website with new features and even more wines than before. Please take the time to have a look at www.lebonvin.co.uk We have some excellent prices for branded champagne as always and a massive selection of wines that are top quality. As our main business is to the trade we pass on big saving to retail customers who want to buy the wines without the restaurant mark-up. We specialise in French wines but we also have decent offerings from around the world.

They have created a great little website. Fully search-able they have plenty of special offers, pre-mixed cases and a wine range that encompasses the world. Champagne is a big feature with 40 wines listed but Australia, France, Spain and Italy are all well covered.

There is a reliance on stocking the full range from a single estate (New Zealand for example) and a tendency to the lower end of the price scale but you are sure to find plenty of interest. A few spirits - around 110 different products - pop up in the search results to complete the offering.

Le Bon Vin
340 Brightside Lane
Sheffield
S9 2SB

Operational since 1988 Surf4Wine was one of the pioneers of the internet-based mail order wine merchant scene in the UK.

It’s a dynamic little operation and while they admit that the website has lacked in the update department recently a chat with Andrew Chapman indicates that things are about to improve. Not only is an expansion of the Oxfordshire warehouse and offices about to begin a new ‘backend’ of the website is soon to be launched. Coupled with a new staff and a range of new wines things are going from strength to strength for Surf4Wine.

The wine range is world encompassing with a slight slant of favouritism to the new world. There are many gems on the list ranging from Brokenwood, Bremerton and Qupe through to Kim Crawford and Vergelegen. Plenty of gift packs - such as a seasonal six pack rosé case (£36) and gift packs for Father’s Day, a smattering of spirits and some unusual beers completes the range.

Delivery is £7.50 per order regardless of size (up to a case) which is pretty much standard (and at cost). Personal service is vital to the success of the company shown through Chapman’s professional staff and attention to detail. Buy with confidence.

Surf4Wine/Andrew Chapman Fine Wines
Unit T2-27 & 28,
Milton Park,
Near Abingdon,
Oxfordshire OX14 4TA
United Kingdom