your guide to online independent wine and drink merchants in the UK.

The wine trade is reporting a big increase in the demand for rose (pink) wines.And this is not just for light summery wines or in response to a few good weeks of weather and a peak in picnics.
Rose wines have generally been misunderstood - they are not “compromise” wines for those undecided between red and white; neither are they blends of red and white wines!
Rose wines are generally wines made from red wine grapes which are either pressed only lightly or left in contact with the skins for only a brief period, The skins and pips etc are the source of colour and tannins, and hence rose wines are lighter in colour and tannin.
So, grapes as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Pinot Noir can make excellent rose wines, full of character, flavour and structure. For example a good rose can be a great match for lamb - not reserved for fish or poultry.

Majestic Wine is running a summer promotion on rose wines from as lttle as £3.79 a bottle for the Argentinian Terra Brisa, a blend of Syrah and Malbec - “A deep pink, fruit driven rosé with aromas of fresh strawberries and cherries. The palate reveals plenty of juicy summer berry fruits with a crisp and elegant finish. This is an ideal summer apéritif. “

Waitrose Wine Online is offering the chance to win 2 tickets to see England vs South Africa at Lords Cricket Ground in London.

Waitrose Wine Online offers 2 Cabernet Sauvignons and 2 Chardonnays from South Australia

Courtesy of Wolf Blass we have 2 pairs of tickets to give away to see the First day of the Forth Test match Cricket between England and South Africa on the 7th August 2008 at the Oval, with overnight accommodation if required.

For more info see www.waitrosewine.com/
Closing date for competition 18th July 2008

Just right for stocking up in the run-up to Christmas, the Wokingham Wine Fair takes place on 6-7 December 2008 - a few miles east of Reading and the M4 in Berkshire.:

The Wokingham Wine Fair brings together members of the ASDW, the Association of Small Direct Wine-Merchants which was formed by a group of British independent small wine merchants directly selling to the general public via mail order and the internet. There are currently around 20 members each of whom is passionate and knowledgeable about wine. We offer customers a specifically selected, interesting and often exclusive range of wines at very reasonable prices. The British public are well served by supermarkets at the lower end (sub £5) of the price range but it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find quality wines as big brand names dominate high street shops and supermarkets.

For more info see www.nickdobsonwines.co.uk

Birmingham hosts Channel 4’s roadshow to showcase the best of food and drink available in the UK from 10-13 July 2008.

Imagine a picnic in a park. Now multiply it by thousands of people. Invite all the best restaurants in the area to contribute the food, and discerning vintners to bring the bottles. Make sure some of the guests are famous chefs happy to help out with cooking hints, and organise live music to eat and drink by. This is a Taste Festival.

Amongst the wine-related exhibitors will be
Bordeaux Wines

Desire du Vin
Domaine Debray

For more info and tickets etc see www.channel4.com

Provence wines tend to be associated with light summery rose wines, which really does do not justice to a whole range of seriously good reds from the region. The wines of Les Baux de Provence AC can be big beasts with a streak of elegance based predominantly on Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault with a trace of Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon - see Mas Sainte Berthe for one of the best producers. Bandol is another excpetion to the rule - producing robust reds mainly from the Mourvedre grape, But head over to Leon Stolarski Fine Wines and you’ll find the wines of Domaine de Trevallon which lies just to the west of Les Baux de Provence. Here they were one of the first vineyards to challenge the established regime which declared that you could not use Bordeaux grape varietals such as Cabernets and Merlots and still be entitled to full Appellation Controllee status. But in the quest to make a great wine Eloi Durrbach spurned the local wine authorities and created what is now unofficially known as the First Growth of Provence!

…with the addition of a range of wines from the legendary Eloi Durrbach at Domaine de Trévallon in Provence - arguably the greatest wine estate in southern France. We have Trévallon reds (a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) from no less than 5 different vintages - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005, together with the extremely rare 2006 white (a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Chardonnay). Only 4,000 bottles of the white are made annually.

These are not cheap wines, but certainly worth a try to see what can be achieved by a top winemaker using a unique blend of grapes and terroir! And full marks to Leon Stolarski for taking the decision to stock them - just what small independent merchants can do best!

Leon Stolarski Fine Wines Tel/fax; 00 44 (0)115 952 9387

Rare and Organic is dedicated to the search for quality food and wine, locating small organic and natural producers ‘At Source’. Imported direct from the producer, the selected wines are limited production, high quality versions of Italian classic and unusual variietes.

They also stock some sumptuous olive oils, cheeses, pastas and pesto – all of which you can enjoy at monthly tasting evenings in Tunbridge Wells; monthly Slow Food Market at St Nicholas’ in Bristol; and weekly at London’s Kings Road.

Rare and Organic will be at the Bristol Wine and Food Fair 11-13 July 2008

www.rareandorganic.co.uk

3 Clanricade Gardens Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1HQ

Tel:01892 511848

Respected Edinburgh wine merchants Valvona and Crolla are supplying the wines for a 5-course wine tasting and dinner at the VinCaffe bistro:-

Producers of our cult Pinot Grigio(the pink one!) are coming to VinCaffè on the 20 June to host a dinner and wine tasting from their fabulous range of wines. We will be preparing a 5 course meal influenced by the region of Fruili where their wines come from.

Tickets cost £45 per person for tasting and dinner Contact Vincaffe, 11 Multrees Walk, Edinburgh, EH1 3DQ Tel: 0131 557 0088

Badminton Wines sources wines from small-scale producers from around the world, whose main focus is on producing wines of quality and character at a fair price. They list over 100 wines and deliver free-of-charge to the Bristol area. Cases can be mixed. Wine tastings can be arranged at your home or in their own Tasting Room.” www.badmintonwines.co.uk

Being confident of their selection of wines they offer a variety of ways of trying before you buy e.g. tasting evenings at home with your friends or tasting sessions in their own Tasting Room. Badminton wines will be at the Bristol Wine & Food Fair 11–13 July 2008 and at the Taste of Bath event 3–6 July 2008.

Their list has a wide coverage with some excellent Italian selections including a Prunetto Barbaresco from Piedmont, a top Californian Old Vine Zinfandel from Seghesio

Badminton Wines,The Street, Acton Turville Badminton GL9 1HH

Tel:01454 219091

Bath is the location from Channel 4’s roadshow to showcase the best of food and drink available in the UK from 3-6 July 2008.

Imagine a picnic in a park. Now multiply it by thousands of people. Invite all the best restaurants in the area to contribute the food, and discerning vintners to bring the bottles. Make sure some of the guests are famous chefs happy to help out with cooking hints, and organise live music to eat and drink by. This is a Taste Festival.

Amongst the wine-related exhibitors will be
Badminton Wines
Great Western Wines
Wines of South Africa
Bordeaux Wines
Wines of Chile

Now I had always thought of the people at Joseph Barnes Wines in Saffron Walden as pretty serious, but enthusiastic types when it comes to wine innovation. But, as it is not April 1st, I am assuming that an article in their latest newsletter is factual! As I am one who tends to feel quite offended if anyone dares to dilute a glass of wine even with a jig of water, this idea sounds ghastly - but who knows maybe I’m just too traditional to even consider descrating wine in this way!

Disbelievingly, we decided to find out for ourselves and as a result here is the JBW guide to Wine Slushes:
The most appealing slushes contain a dry, yet fruity white or red wine - Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Merlot will do. Add a combination of fresh fruit juice and frozen fruit puree of your choice and blend until smooth. Freeze until the desired consistency is achieved. (The alcohol in the wine will prevent the mixture from freezing solid). Serve in colorful acrylic tumblers or Margarita glasses.
But do they taste any good? Well, we hate to say it, but wine slushes are indeed refreshing and wouldn’t be out of place at a BBQ or summer party. However, don’t expect us to revisit the subject any time soon.

Maybe thinking of it as a cocktail may make it easier to swallow.

There are more seriously good bits in the Joseph Barnes Wines newsletter (June 2008) such as an offer on one of my favourite reds - Pic St Loup AC in the Languedoc - plus Italian Prosecco (now there’s a proper summer wine drink), ideas for Fathers Day and a recipe.

Joseph Barnes Wines

The Bristol Wine and Food Fair runs from 11th-13th July 2008 on Bristol Harbourside

an exciting new three day event celebrating wine, fine dining and good food….Taste over 100’s of wines from all over the world, for free. Buy by the glass, bottle or case.
Learn from the experts at wine and cheese tutored tastings, pick up handy tips from inspirational chefs, sample signature dishes from top local restaurants and buy produce from the region’s acclaimed food, drink and cheese producers.

More than 35 wine producers, importers and merchants will welcome you to explore the world of wine and unravel some of its mysteries. It’s a golden opportunity to meet experts face to face, ask questions and sample some great wines in a relaxed environment. You will be able to choose from a massive range of different wine types and styles, to suit all tastes and budgets, allowing you to sample before you buy.

Within the wine fair we will have over 15 winegrowers and wine makers representing themselves from the UK, France and Spain.

You need to purchase tickets @£5 for either an afternoon or evening session. You can buy wine by the bottle or case, with a collection area or cheap home delivery.

Amongst the exhibitors will be an organic wine specialist,  local organic vineyards. some of the best local wine merchants, French vineyards (Bordeaux and Languedoc), a Chilean producer and many more.

For more info see www.bristolwineandfoodfair.co.uk

An article in the Guardian (6 June 2008) attempts to explain where your money goes when you buy a bottle of wine in a restaurant, especially with the latest increase in UK excise duty (and threats of more to come):

This week, one of Bordeaux’s more colourful wine producers lifted the lid on how a bottle of wine bought for £1 from a cooperative producer ends up costing £14 or £15 in a UK restaurant.
In a bid to highlight the detrimental impact a recent duty rise is having on the wine trade, Gavin Quinney, the owner of Château Bauduc, set out exactly who gets what out of the £14 you pay for a bottle of house wine.
The figures will certainly surprise many regular restaurant goers, or home wine buyers. After storage and distribution costs are deducted, the restaurant and wine merchant have added their mark-up - and more importantly the government has taken its duty and VAT - only £1 is left to pay the producer who worked all year to make and bottle the wine.

Whilst I agree that UK prices are ridiculously high compared to most of Europe, my experience suggests that the the wine merchant’s mark-up is much less than that of the hotel or restaurant. I well recall that just a few years ago a nice, but unexceptional little wine which we retailed at £4.99 was on a local hotel’s wine list for £14.99!! When you also factor in that the hotel would have paid significantly less than the retail price, and will have expected generous payment terms etc, you will understand why we stopped supplying hotels and restaurants, and why even now I resent the prices which hotels and restaurants charge for their wines.
Of course prices of European wines in particular have suffered due to the poor exchange rate against the euro, compounded by the increased cost of fuel for transporting the wine, and the cost of glass. So Gordon Brown is not the only villain, but his punitive tax has had a serious impact on the wine trade.

I do agree that often it is the winemaker who gets a oiir return on their hard work, investment and the risk involved in producing the bottle in the first place. It also explains why many European vineyards sell direct to the public, and some sell a significant proportion of their wine at the vineyard gate.

The best approach is to BYO - bring your own - and either choose a BYO restaurant or ask to pay corkage, which provided it is not exorbitant (which it can be) will still mean you get better value for money and a better wine. But beware, there are wide variations between what non-BYO restaurants will charge from vert little to £10 or more - and usually more for Champagne.

Channel 4’s roadshow to showcase the best of food and drink available in the UK moves to London’s Regents Park for 19-22 June 2008:

Imagine a picnic in a park. Now multiply it by thousands of people. Invite all the best restaurants in the area to contribute the food, and discerning vintners to bring the bottles. Make sure some of the guests are famous chefs happy to help out with cooking hints, and organise live music to eat and drink by. This is a Taste Festival.

Amongst the wine-related exhibitors will be

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

Wines of Argentina

Wines of South Africa

Lovely Bubbly

NZ Wine Distribution Co

Freixenet

Fitou Mont Tauch

Champagne Devaux

Chateau Select

Bordeaux Wines

A range of wines designed for and marketed to women? This is the claim of French company Sublim-elle who assert:

Because scientific research suggests that women have naturally a more refined sense of smell and taste than do men…
Because many wine experts recognize a major difference in the way women and men appreciate wines…
Because there is no reason for women to resign to purchase wines marketed for male preferences…
Because woman is Sublime and play a fundamental role in society’s evolution to a more balanced, peaceful and humanist…
Because of all these reasons, a range of French wines, dedicated to woman, was conceived.
This range is a selection of silky and harmonious wines combining delicacy and a lot of nuances of aromas and flavours; wines that tend to reflect the image of the women and their contribution towards a more peaceful, balanced, elaborated and tolerant society.

I’m not sure if this is a truth, or it is clever marketing, or just a tad patronising. In 15 years of selling wines direct to the public, I am not convinced that there is a clear distinction between the tastes or preferences of men and women. People’s tastes range so widely in any case, and the variation tends to be more associated with customer’s experience of wine. I (and my wife) certainly started out enjoying cheap sweet Barsac and light fruity German wines, and even now when I greatly enjoy complex heavy reds. there are ocassions when a simple clean Chenin Blanc is what I prefer. I know women who much prefer big beefy reds to their partner’s choice of floral soft whites.

The range of wines on offer (from Chateau Select) include Rhoine, Loire, Burgundy, Alsace and Vins de Pays d’Oc

Chateau Select is an online wine club (free membership) set up by Bill Warry who specialises in France and Australia wines

My love of wine, the regions in which it is made and the often extraordinary but wonderful characters who make it, led to my starting the business more as a hobby than a career. People often say to me that they are not wine connoisseurs and don’t know about wines. I tell them that it is their enjoyment of wines that is important…..

What experience has brought me is, I believe, an appreciation of what makes for quality and value in a wine. Year after year I’d been saying to myself, “I really must try importing some wine from France, then one year I took the plunge. After tasting nearly twenty different wines one afternoon in the village of St Chinian (near Beziers), I tentatively brought home a pallet load of wines on the premise that if I could not persuade potential clients to trust my judgement then “at least I could enjoy drinking the wine with my friends !”

Chateau Select Wine Club, Stafford House. 42 Mill Green Road. Mitcham. Surrey CR4 4HY
Tel:020 8995 7567 Fax:020 8994 9144 e-mail: info@chateauselect.com

These wines will be on taste at the Taste of London event in Regents Park 19-22 June 2008

Chateau Select will be at the

Jospeh Barnes Wines‘ latest wine tasting is to be held on Friday 13th June with Liz Bowen, English winemaker at the renowned Domaine Sainte Croix in the Corbieres (Languedoc, Southern France), who will be conducting a tasting of the full range of the estate’s wines.
The event will be held at The King’s Arms Pub on Friday 13th June 2008 from 8.00pm - 11.00pm. The price is £16.00 per person to include light snacks at the end of the evening.
Numbers are limited to 30 persons so early booking is recommended.
There will also be the opportunity to purchase Liz’s wines at a 10% discount.
So don’t let the date put you off! For further details Email info@josephbarneswines.com or call the shop on 01799 528019.

Joseph Barnes Wines, 13 Market Row, Saffron Walden, Essex CB10 1HB