Category — Sparkling Wines

What marks out The Winery is the individual wines listed. Each is personally sourced and imported with almost all being exclusive to the company. The wine list is packed with ‘unknowns’ - Mittnacht-Klack from Alsace, Tarlant Champagne, Wild Hog from California and Cheveau from Burgundy.

Strengths are in France - each region well represented by wines worthy of exploration, plus Spain, California and Italy. There is a superb list of dessert wines, mostly from Germany. New Zealand and South America are absent and Australia is poorly represented by just one producer though.

Unlike many London independents the wines are more than affordable with most coming in at under £20 a bottle. Delivery, if you can’t make it to either of the stores, costs £10 per case of 12, or free with 3 or more cases. Sadly no online ordering.

(pull)The Winery At Liberty 2nd Floor Liberty
Regent Street
London(/pull)

From the moment the site pops up in your browser you can feel the class and quality of WineDirect. The site is the on-line arm of Hailsham Cellars, an UK Wine Merchant based in Hailsham, East Sussex.

We’re passionate about wine and believe that knowing more about where the wines come from, the grape varieties and wine styles, can enhance your wine drinking experience and embolden you to experiment with the wide selection of wine styles and grape varieties on our list. That’s why we’ve added a lot of information about wine on the site in the Wine & Food and Wine Companion sections and why we are selling great wine books in our Books section.

The wine range is wide reaching - they list 35 wines from often overlooked Argentina, 100 wines from ever-popular Australia and 69 from New Zealand. But it is not just the New World at WineDirect - Spain with a list of 54 wines, Italy (187) and the regions of France (258) hold many interesting wines.

Prices are generally in the £7-£14 range although more expensive wines are of course listed. Minimum purchase is 6 bottles.

Pre-mixed cases, with prices ranging from £65 and upwards, and various regular wine club offerings complete the picture.

One thing I noticed is the embracing of customer feed-back they ask that their customers send in wine reviews and recipes for great dishes to accompany wine for publication on the site. Very Web 2.0!

As the name suggests an independent merchant that specialises in offering wines from across South Africa.

A few years ago, when I had a hand in organising small wine fairs, SA Wines Online often attended; their wines being highly popular. They operate out of South West London with sales through the functional website. Delivery is just £5.99 per order with a delivery aim of 2-3 working days from the time of order. A case of 12 wines is the minimum order.

The range is as good as I remember from the wine fair days - with wines representing all the major producers (Nederburg, Boschendal, Glen Carlou, Pongrácz, Graham Beck, Veenwouden, Jordan and many more). The front page of the website promotes new listings. Here lies the interest - wines from producers you probably haven’t encountered before. Temptingly described wines from Pierre Jourdan & Haute Cabriére, Raats, Seidelberg, Slowine, Theuniskraal and Tassenberg for example.

While the half the fun is in constructing your own mixed case of wine, not all have the time or inclination to do so; handy then that SA Wines Online offers a range of pre-mixed cases. These range from an Everyday White collection at £60 through to a Five Star Rated case at £175.

SA Wines Online also offers £10 off your first order.

Majestic man Johnstone launches new wine site Majestic founder and former Chateau de Sours director Esme Johnstone has joined forces with David Campbell of the Everyman Library to launch a new wine website - From Vineyards Direct.

From Vineyards Direct offers a limited range of high quality and very affordable wines delivered from Europe’s best vineyards to your door. A simple, efficient, low-overhead service with prices significantly lower than other merchants. From Bordeaux and Burgundy to the Rhône, Champagne and Tuscany, we offer a hand-picked selection of exceptional finds.

Fifteen wines are currently listed. The solitary champagne is from Serge Mathieu (£14.75 bottle) described as “a single grower Champagne made from Serge Mathieu’s own grapes, and not bought in from scores of growers as the bigger brands are. The new edition of Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book lists it as “an outstanding eco-friendly” Champagne to watch in 2007. The price is unbeatable-highly recommended.”

From Burgundy the team have selected a Chablis from Montmain (£11.75), a Meursault Flamoise (£16.75) and a Saint-Veran (£7.95) (wines from Saint Veran are often my pick for the best value Burgundian whites). There is one wine from outside of France, Ananda di Toscana (£17.95) and five Clarets ranging from £6.45 to £19.95 a bottle.

The minimum order quantity of 2 cases is way over the established norm but prices do include delivery.

Minimum total order is 2 cases (24 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for the UK and 5 cases (60 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for Ireland. We also offer a collection service from just outside Calais, France, at a per-bottle saving of £1.50 for wines and £2.00 for Champagne, and a per-case saving of £18 for wine, £24 per 12-case/£12 per 6-case for Champagne.

The range might be small, which is not a bad thing as several other merchants operate the same way, but the minimum order is likely to put off many potential customers.

UPDATE: see article covering From Vineyards Direct in the Scotsman.

Of 400 Jeraboams of Moet’s Rosé released to the world, 100 are coming to the UK but only 10 will be available for retail sale. Each bottle, the equivalent of 4 standard bottles, will cost £450.

Moet & Chandon is putting around 100 jeroboams of its non-vintage rose champagne on sale in the UK early in 2007. Of those, just 10 will be available in shops while the rest will be sold in top-class nightclubs. A spokesman for the champagne house said the jeroboams would be popular with wine collectors and champagne lovers. “The jeroboam is going to be a truly rare and wonderful thing to have in 2007,” he said.

[Manchester Evening News]

It’s Christmas; deals abound across the supermarkets, specialists and high street.

Majestic have announced a range of offers across their Champagne range.

Nicolas Feuillatte NV is down to £21.99 but buy 2 and save a further £20; the equivalent to £11.99 a bottle. Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV is £23.99 and again, buy 2 save £20, or £13.99 a bottle. Heidsieck Gold Top Vintage 2001 is buy 2 save 50% or £14.99 a bottle. But my choice would be Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV down 50p to £25.49 and buy 2 save 33.3%. Making this just £16.99 a bottle.

Then again the Louis Roederer NV is down £2 to £35.99 and buy 2 save a further 25%!

The only problem with Majestic is their insistence on a 12 bottle minimum purchase. Last day for orders delivered by Christmas is the 13th December; delivery in the UK is free.

According to Which? the message is simple -

don’t feel you have to buy big-name champagnes if you want a good drinking experience. But also don’t feel you have to buy champagne if you are making a ‘champagne cocktail’ like buck’s fizz or kir royale because the taste will be lost - a sparkling wine will do. Unless, of course, you want to have the cachet of champagne, in which case it is another matter.

A tasting of 32 Champagnes and sparkling wines - ranging from Moet & Chandon NV down to a cheap supermarket cava - saw Sainsbury’s Premier Cru vintage 2000, (£22.99 on offer at £17.99 until 12 December) soaring above the rest. The judges praised the own-label offering for its “elegance and class” and “biscuity complexity”.

Poor old Moet came in at the 20th position.

Somerfield’s 2 Prince William Premier Cru Champagne NV (£14.99) was second, Pierre Gimonnet & Fils 1er Cru ‘Gastronome’ (£19.99 Oddbins) third and, surprisingly because I have always disliked it, Lanson Black Label NV was fourth.

If you are making use of the Threshers 40% Off Voucher then their Radcliffes de Brissar Champagne NV at £24.99 may be a good purchase, coming in at fifth.

The top 20 can be viewed on the Independent.

An award winning merchant with a mighty fine range, well arrange in a spacious store. Although a few under £10 wines can be found, prices are generally above this level; so not a store for those use to supermarket ‘bargains’.

With awards such as Regional Wine Merchant of the Year and, in 2004, Independent Wine Merchant of the Year you should expect a top level of service and an interesting range to boot. The team don’t disappoint. Consumer wine tastings are a regular feature (both free and fee based) and a weekly email covering the latest additions and offers keeps everyone informed of events and specials.

An email today was requesting orders for bottles of fully mature port sourced from an Oxford college for example. Now this might sound elitist but the hushed tones and rarefied atmosphere, that I fine so off-putting and found in many of the top independent merchants, just doesn’t exist here. Sadly the website is a little lacking - there is no online ordering, no fully searchable list just a PDF download. At least this seems to be kept up-to-date with correct prices (others take note!).

The range is world encompassing but strengths include the Rhône, Burgundy, Australia and South Africa with good coverage of New Zealand and America. A smattering of interesting beers and various spirits complete the package. Wine recommendations can be viewed on Spittoon.

The Flying Corkscrew
Leighton Buzzard Road
Water End
Hertfordshire
HP1 3BD
telephone: 01442 412311
fax: 01442 412313

(pull)Green & Blue 38 Lordship Lane East Dulwich London SE22 8HJ(/pull)
They have a shop and bar in East Dulwich, have a nicely designed website but I have never heard of Green and Blue before today. Sadly the website doesn’t offer full on-line ordering - you have to download and send in an order form.

There are two prices on the website, one for the shop, the other for the bar. An interesting range indeed which they describe as

We have two very important criteria for inclusion on this list - firstly, the wines have to have been made with due care and attention paid to the growing of the grapes. That means no or very minimal chemical intervention and low yields (not pushing the vines to grow as much bland, boring fruit as possible), giving fruit which needs very little intervention in the winery. Naturally then, most of the wines come from smaller producers, many family owned, who have the sort of respect for their vineyards that we heartily applaud. Those that come from slightly bigger companies all have the same ethos.

As an alternative to country listings, Green and Blue, have gone for grouping wines by style. ‘Crisp - elegant, lighter, dry & subtle’ or ‘Fruity - sometimes slightly aromatic’ are two of the white wine groups while the reds have ‘Spicy - smoky or rustic & earthy’ or ‘Rich - ripe or muscular & powerful’ for example.

The range isn’t huge with Italy appearing well represented although most countries make an appearance. The ‘Different… something unusual’ sections immediately appeal. Here you will find such delights as Château Montus Pacherenc Sec from Madiran £13.50 and Sigalas Santorini, from Greece at £16.75 or Massaya Classic Red, from the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon £9.25 or Domaine Labranche-Laffont Madiran ‘Vielles Vignes, Madiran, France £13.15

The fine wine section has such beauties as Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, California, USA £25.85 or maybe a bottle of Frogs Leap Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California, USA is more your thing at £51.25. A smattering of spirits, dessert and fortified wines complete the tightly formed list. Each wine has a little description attached along with details of the grape varieties and a simple food matching suggestion. Overall a nice site but one that could really do with full on-line ordering.

All orders of £75 or more are delivered free of charge to any address within a 2 mile radius of the shop. Orders of less than £75 carry a £5 delivery charge. Elsewhere in London a charge of £10 will be made on orders under £150. Those over this amount are free. Outside of London, the delivery charge for 1 case (12 bottles) or less costs £10, two or more cases £15. Part cases are classed as a complete case.

Green & Blue
38 Lordship Lane
East Dulwich
London SE22 8HJ

John mentioned the Association of Small Direct Wine Merchants and their tasting a few days ago. I thought a more in-depth look at this loose collection of specialists was worth while.

Established last year, I believe, the association now comprises 20 small wine merchants who directly selling to the general public via mail order and over the internet. Each offers personally selected, usually personally imported, and often exclusive ranges of wines at very reasonable prices. The association produces a newsletter, Grapestalk, the latest issue can be downloaded as a PDF.

Those members who maintain a website and sell online include -

• Boutique Wines - specialising in Australia with plenty of quality producers you won’t see elsewhere
• Decanter Wines - a selection of superb Spanish wines
• Field and Vine - a small offering of wines from around the world
• Devigne Wines - interesting wines from the Jura, Galliac and Southern France
• Champers - design your own label to bedeck a bottle of champagne
• Amordivino - Italian wines with a good little food/recipe section with suggested wines to accompany.
• Nick Dobson Wines - Beaujolais, Austria and Switzerland.
• Step Up Wines - a small range from South Africa
• South Africa Wines - another South African specialist, which sounds a little dismissive but the range is great.
• Big Red Wine Company - France (Rhone especially), Spain and Italy all feature.
• Vinpromo - strong Latin focus with 60% of the list covering Spain, Chile, Argentina and Italy, complemented with selections from France, Australia and New Zealand.
• Wine for Spice - a range of three wines designed to accompany spicy food.
• HC Wines - a small range mostly from France.
• French Regional Wines - just as it says on the tin.

Stone Vine and Sun receive two hearty recommendations in today’s Wine Style column in the Times. Johanna Simon is on an ‘anything but Chardonnay’ binge quoting several wine buyers who report the continuing decline of Chardonnay sales and the rise of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio falling into the nations shopping baskets. Her recommendations for non-Chardonnay’s from Stone, Vine and Sun are

Domaine de L’Aumonier, 2005, Touraine Sauvignon
Stone, Vine and Sun £5.95 “Pure refreshment - textbook Sauvignon”

Belles Pierres Les Clauzes de Jo, 2004, Coteaux du Languedoc
Stone, Vine and Sun £8.75 “Full-bodied Mediterranean white; no oak, just pure, apple-scented fruit, wild herbs and a fresh finish”

Stone, Vine and Sun are a fabulous little outfit, with numerous retailing awards under their belt, since their launch in 2002. The company was founded by Simon Taylor and Andrew Shaw, although the latter has just announced he is leaving the company to become a wine buyer for Waitrose. Based in Twyford, near Winchester, delivery is free locally and just £3.50 per case to most UK destinations with orders over £250 delivered free. You can collect wine from their warehouse too.

The regions of France are well represented in the wine list with a particular passion for Burgundy and the Languedoc. The company initially concentrated solely on France but has recently expanded to include a good range from Chile with a smattering of wines from Germany, Argentina, Italy and elsewhere.

I am sure the two are unconnected but having just been awarded the prestigious Specialist Merchant of the Year Award for New Zealand, the New Zealand House of Wine has just revamped their website.

The International Wine Challenge handed out the award to Kelvin McLeod, a New Zealander, in recognition to the superb range of wines he sells though NZ House of Wine. Operating on the internet (and via mail order) over 600 wines are currently listed. These range from the rare/boutique through to more famous names (Esk Valley, Cloudy Bay, Hunters, Montana). There is a good range of sparkling wines too.

A majority of the wines are only available in full cases (I am sure they have their reasons on the limitations) but 120 can be selected through the mix-your-own approach. There are other pre-mixed cases available too. Delivery is a very reasonable £4.99.

Taking a very hand-on approach has obviously paid dividends as this is the second year in a row that the company has won the Specialist Merchant award. Congrats to them.

Rockingham Castle Food and Craft Show on 21-22 October 2006
Wine for Spice will be at Rockingham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 8TH.
Fine food marquee, organic food, rare breeds, cookery demonstrations, local produce, children/family entertainment, vintage fair ground rides, archery, shooting and exclusive gifts. 10am to 5pm
Event: £4.50 Adults, Senior Citizens £3.50, Children £1.50.