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

Georgia is much in the news these days, but sadly not for its impressive wine heritage. Georgia is widely credited as one of the first places to produce wine. Jancis Robinson in her The Oxford Companion to Winedescribes it as “one of the world’s great and historic centres of both wild and cultivated vines”.

The grape varietals used include some little known types such as Mtsvane,Ojaleshi and Tsitska, although there is some more familiar Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The problem in the UK is finding Georgian wines, and A quick search only yielded two suppliers:-

• Waitrose Wine-online with the Orovela Saperavi 2004 A delicious rich red from Georgia. Saperavi is an old grape variety indigenous to Georgia. In this wine it produces a rich red in a modern, fruit forward style. The palate shows intense flavours of blackberry and cherry and with a long smoky finish. Very limited availability.
• Fareham Wine Cellars who offer 6 wines from the Old Tblisi and Tamada ranges - e.g. the Tamada Mukuzani Dry Red Wine 2001“The wine is deep red incolour with brick red notes around the rim of the glass. The nose is full of berry fruit tones backed by a soft, smokey undertone. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and dry, there are soft tannins and mainly blackcurrant flavours. There are also vanilla / oak flavours derived from the time the wine spends in oak.”

Maybe we should all show a little support for the people of Georgia by drinking their wines - a modest gesture I know!

See also Turton Wines who offer a selection of 12 wines from Georgia

I like the idea of a wine and bread tasting, especially centred on bread and wines from Italy - they complement each other in both taste and texture, and if you can also enjoy the smell of baking bread at the same time that could be sublime.

The Northern Wine Academy is holding a Saturday workshop in Harrogate, North Yorkshire on 11 October 2008.

Join us for a ‘hands on’ morning of baking and breadmaking with chef Hilary McQuarrie followed by a virtual tour of Italy tasting as we go after lunch.

Our tasting tour starts in Piemonte and finishes in Sicily by which time your bread will be baked, wrapped and ready to take home.

See www.northernwineacademy.co.uk

Cadman Fine Wines summer sale is continuing with up to 50% off over 80 wines on their list whilst stocks last. For example there’s a Puligny-Montrachet from Genot Boulanger (Puligny-Montrachet.1er Cru La Garenne 2002) for £13.75 reduced from £27.49 or a 2003 Saint Emilion Chateau Louvie reduced from £15.99 to just £9.99

But their list and offers is not confiened to an impressive selection from classic regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux - you’ll also find Cotes du Ventoux, Pouilly-Fuissé and -Fumé, Sancerre, Alsace, Languedoc from France, wines from New Zealand, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

For more info visit their sale pages at www.cadmanfinewines.co.uk

Adnams, the renowned Suffolk wine merchant (and brewery, hotel, deli…) is hosting a wine tasting lunch at the Crown Hotel in Southwold, Suffolk on 29 November 2008.

Join writer and winemaker Monty Waldin for a fascinating and entertaining wine lunch at The Swan Hotel on 29th November. Monty’s TV series begins on Channel Four on the 4th September, so there’s bound to be high demand for tickets. Book early to avoid disappointment.

They stock his wine, a Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes, so you can have lunch, taste his wines and learn about the biodynamic approach to wine making, and the story of trying to make a wine in southern France.

For more info see Adnams Kitchen and Cellar

Starting 4 September 2008 Channel 4 will be showing a 6-part series about an Englishman’s quest to create a biodynamic wine in the Roussillon in the south of France.

A biodynamic wine is on one level an organic wine, with no added fertilisers or artifical chemicals added to the vineyard or in the cellar, but overlaid with “cosmic” considerations such as the timing of various phases of growing the vine and making the wine are influenced by the phases of the moon and alignment of the planets. The most famous examples are the vineyards of the Coulée de Serrant in the small Loire appellation of Savennieres and a couple of Burgundy vineyards.

There is no consensus as to whether this approach makes any significant difference to the wine, or whether it is just a little quirky!

Top wine critic and author, Monty Waldin, has decided to put his money where his opinionated mouth is and pack it all in to make wine biodynamically in rural France. He has just over a year to turn 5.4 acres into top selling organic wine. Renovating an old cabin on his vineyard so he can babysit his vines 24/7, his only company will be his donkey and occasionally his high maintenance girlfriend Silvana when she jets in from Italy. Regarded by peers as a bit loopy because of his views about Biodynamics, and even as the enfant terrible of the wine world (he’s upset the establishment for his harsh criticisms of the wine industry), Monty’s nonetheless forged a successful career and written several award-winning books…But now he’s abandoning life behind the laptop for a new one making his own wine in the French Pyrenees.

As always there is a book to accompany the series - Chateau Montyand respected wine merchant Adnams is stocking the wines - Monty’s Red 2007, Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes - “The aromas of young, herby red fruits and a lively, juicy mouthful of charmingly rustic hedgrow flavours.”

UPDATE:-

There’s an article in the Daily Mail (26 Aug 08) “Grape expectations: Wine critic Monty Waldrin’s French vineyard was not the dream he imagined” - an extracts from his book Chateau Monty include:-

“I also had to start thinking months ahead about how to protect the vineyard from the wild boars before harvest.
Winegrowers here would erect temporary fencing to keep the boars out, and as my grapes began to change colour the boars had begun to take a real interest in the ripening crop.
Every morning I could see fresh hoof prints and topsoil that had been disturbed overnight, while whole bunches had had every grape sucked off as if by a powerful vacuum cleaner.

Jamie Goode, writing in the Sunday Express (17 Aug 08) adds: Think of biodynamic wines as “supercharged version of organic,” he says. Work in the vineyard is fitted in around the alignment of the moon and the planets, and growers claim it has improved the quality of their wine. Some of his recommendations include:-

• 2005 Corralillo Merlot Malbec, Vina Matetic, San Antonio Valley, Chile (£12.49, Majestic)
• 2006 Chapoutier Organic Côtes du Rhône, France (£7.99, Waitrose)
• 2005 Bodega Colomé Estate Malbec, Salta, Argentinia (£14.24, Waitrose)
• 2005 Bertie Collection Syrah, Minervois, France (£7.99, Oddbins)
• 2006 Meinklang Pinot Noir 2006, Austria (£9.25, Vintage Roots)
• 2006 Millton Chenin Blanc Te Arai, Gisborne, New Zealand (£10.99, Vintage Roots)
• 2004 Didier Barral Faugeres “Jadis”, France (£17.30, Les Caves de Pyrene)

Another special offer from the Threshers chain - £5.00 off when you spend £30 or more in store - the offer is only valid from TUESDAY 26 AUGUST 08 - SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 08 and only with a voucher which you can download and print here.

Also over the Bank Holiday weekend they are offering Smirnoff Vodka at just £9.99 until Monday 26 August 2008

Amongst other special offers you can save £10 on the Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial NV Champagne Now £23.96

Jane McQuitty in the Times (16 Aug 08) takes a swipe at the Nicolas wine chain in the UK - French owned and styled and promising to bring a touch of French flair to the UK High Street,

…I have had very few good and almost no great bottles of wine from this off-licence chain (which insists on calling itself “a French specialist wine merchant”). Nicolas’ recent inaugural UK tasting - yup, it took almost two decades - was an absolute disgrace. Alain Favereau, Nicolas’ wine buyer, should be guillotined for selecting the appalling, mostly appellation contrôlée wine included.

Now I am a real fan of French wines, and can point to many really superb and exciting wines which come from France. However, French consumer tastes are quite different to the UK.
The French remain very traditional and conservative in their wine tastes - which means that for those that do take wine seriously, the selection tends to be dominated by Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne and maybe the wines produced locally to where they live. They also cling on to the Appellation Controllee classifications as a guarantor of quality, and hence ignore many excellent Vins de Pays which can be as good or better than AOC wines, but produced outside of the constraints of the appellation system.
I have always been surprised that many French consumers know little of even their local wines (some of superb quality) and who regularly buy petit Bordeaux chateau wines and never wines from overseas.
Truth is, that having never traditionally produced wine. the UK has always imported from overseas. (although there are clear signs of increasing quality white wines being made here now). This has led us to have probably the widest range of wines available in the whole of Europe, including a high proportion of wines from the New World (the Americas, South Africa, Australasia etc). British tastes have been exposed to many more influences and as a result the UK market is more sophisticated.
The problem with Nicolas (and with Oddbins, also owned until recently by French company Castel) is that the French do not understand that the UK market and taste preferences are different to the French - so what works for Nicolas in Paris, does not necessarily work in Nicolas in London.
Nicolas are not alone - I have found very few French wine merchants who can boast a range as rich and diverse as many British independent merchants - they are usually dominated by the BBC - Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, ocassionally a little Rhone and Loire, but little else except for wines made within about 50km. The one exception is in Montcuq (46 Lot, Midi-Pyrenees) where Vins et Saveurs do offer an exciting and quality range from most regions of France - but then this is in an area with many northern European visitors and in-comers!
As with all things about wine, it is a question of taste - and there are many wines which I enjoy which others find questionable and vice versa - so yes the French consumer may have different preferences, but you can rely on many many good French winemakers who continue to develop excellent wines for the UK market!
For seeking out some of the best French wines in France and the UK, Le Guide Hachette des Vins : Coffret en 2 volumes : Le Guide Hachette des vins ; Fromages et vins is an indispensible guide (regretably only in French) - it is a comprehensive annual guide to the French wine regions and wines which are rated by blind tastings - other guides are supported by advertising. This always proved an invaluable “bible” when trying to find good producers in the French regions.

Le Bon Vin is importing a new range of wines from Western Cape of South Africa called the Cape Maidens collection - initially distinctive by their alluring (but tasteful) labels featuring women.

In Roman mythology Juno was the female inner force of life. Each man had his Genius and every woman her Juno . As Roman goddess and queen, she was the protector of womanhood, mothers & children. The month of June, propitious for marriages, is named after her.
In this spirit, Juno Cape Maidens uncork a romance between the predominantly male art of winemaking (Genius) and the sensual nature of wine itself (Juno!)
From the most beautiful cape in the world, one with a rich history in the art of wine, come the wines of the Juno Wine Company. “Joyful and bold, young, alluring, independent, brave, sensual, overtly romantic and free,” describes the wines of Juno as well as the philosophy of a producer consistently aligned with beauty in the art of wine.

A selection of 6 varietal wines is on offer from Shiraz (”Smokey spices, woody undertones and hints of dark berries…”) to a Sauvignon Blanc (”classic Sauvignon Blanc aromas of cut grass, green peppers, herbs, fig leaves and gooseberry..”) There’s an introductory offer of £5.99 a bottle,

Of course, packaging and clever marketing is not everything, but to date the reviews look favourable - and it is always good to see a different approach to both labels and winemaking.

For more info see Le Bon Vin

A tasting in the grand surroundings of the Vintners Hall in the City of London has to be quite special. As one of the City Guilds the Vintners Company has a long history, which reminds us that wine has long been an important business in the UK:-

The origins of the Vintners’ Company, like most Livery Companies, are rather obscure. Before the Norman Conquest, neighbourhood groups would meet in their local church - in the case of the Vintners, St. Martin in the Vintry. In medieval London, persons of similar trade lived in the same area and so these local groups soon took on an economic element - the word ‘guild’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon gildan meaning ‘to pay’. There are twelfth century references to ‘lawful merchants of London’ fixing the price of wine - one of the earliest indications of an official group governing trade.

The Vintners’ first charter (15th July, 1363) was in fact a grant of monopoly for trade with Gascony. It gave far-reaching powers, including duties of search throughout England and the right to buy herrings and cloths to sell to the Gascons.

For more on the Vintners Hall and the Vintners Company see www.vintnershall.co.uk

For more recent times Premier Vintners will hold their 2008 Porftolio Tasting there - up to 20 Producers and Winemakers in Attendance
Thursday 9th October @ Vintners’ Hall Time 6.00pm - 9.00pm
Venue; Vintners Hall, 68 Upper Thames Street, London EC4V 3BG

Tickets Single £20.00
Existing clients £15.00
Group (6 tickets for the price of 5) £100.00

A unique opportunity to taste and buy a host of the UK best rated wines for price and class & meet some of our winemakers and vineyard owners

Ticket Hotline: 020 8870 3550 or info@premiervintners.co.uk

For more info see ukwinesonline.co.uk

A new set of Wine Schools is starting off the Autumn with a variety of tastings in 4 major UK cities (outside London, which is already well-catered for!).

Birmingham Wine School - an independent wine education company, not affiliated to any wine merchants or retailers. We run Wine Tastings and Wine Courses for people who enjoy wine and would like to learn more about it. No previous wine tasting experience is necessary.

The courses and tastings focus on enjoying wine and learning about it in a relaxed and informal setting, with friendly people.

A number of formats are on offer - a single evening event, A Saturday full-day course, or a 5- or 10 -week course. So for example in September there is a single evening event looking at Old World v New World - a rare opportunity to taste and compare different styles of wine, supported by expert comment and the shared views of other tasters, novice and experienced. On Saturdays they run an “introduction to wine” course, which also includes a tutored tasting of 12 wines.

So if you, or a friend, really want to find out more about wine in general, or some specific grapes or regions, then this could just be the format which suits - informal and informative with plenty of opportunities for tasting!

The other locations are in Edinburgh, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Leeds.

See Birmingham Wine School where you will also find details of Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle events

How refreshing to see a respected wine critic overturning a long-held prejudice - in this case Anthony Rose in the Independent (2 Aug 2008) :-

Was it only yesterday I was on holiday in Cahors in south-west France’s Lot Valley? So it seems, but it was actually 10 years ago that I took myself there with a case of Châteauneuf-du-Pape just to be on the safe side. The local plonk might be OK for washing down everyday fare, but what if my friends and I fancied something decent to drink? Earlier this summer, I returned to the scene of my criminal lack of confidence to attend something rather grandiosely called the Journées Internationales du Malbec. It was three convivial days of discussion, tasting, wining and dining and I could scarcely believe the progress made by Cahors in the space of a decade.

Now I admit I am partial to the Malbec wines of Cahors in the Lot département of South West France - and I also concede that in the past I have tasted some fairly rustic examples which could best be described as “an acquired taste”. But despite being French and often arrogant, the winemakers of Cahors often now produce wines which whilst obviously “big and tannic” as befits their tradition, can now offer smooth, rounded fruitiness to the palate - which to my mind means that the best of them can easily challenge other classic wines.
In many ways the New World has sparked this change of attitude - the emergence of big, ripe, generous Malbecs from South America has proved a major challenge. The New World wines tend to have buckets of upfront fruit, and a silky texture. I like them, but for my taste they lack some of the depth, intensity and complexity which the best Cahors can offer. “Horses for courses” it may be - but the sensuous pleasure of a mature. plummy oaked Cahors can be hard to beat for serious tasting.

Amongst others Anthony Rose recommends Domaine de Gaudou, Chateau Lagrezette , but my favourite is probably the Clos Triguedina (Waitrose).

For more on the wines of Cahors see www.frenchduck.co.uk

Majestic Wine and Spanish producer Marqués de la Concordia, who operate a range of luxurious wine hotels in Spain, are offering two free nights accommodation when you buy a mixed case of Marques de la Concordia wines.

The range includes wines from the Duero - the Durius Tempranillo 2005 Arribes del Duero”Soft and rich with smooth tannins and heaps of jammy, dark fruit flavours, this wine is as good with food as it is on its own.” and a selection of Riojas e.g.Rioja Reserva 2004 Marqués de la Concordia - “.. complex aromas of ripe fruit, cedar and spice, which develop into a smooth, velvety palate with powerful dark fruit flavours, hints of coffee and an almost chocolatey richness.”

The mixed case offer includes 3 x 4 wines from Duero and Rioja and is offered at £88.00.

This offer which is only available online excludes Travel, insurance, meals and other expenses. Offer ends Monday 25 August.

For more info see Majestic Wine
Apologies - links now updated!

Joanna Simon in the Times (10 Aug 08) makes an impassioned plea to avoid the British tendancy to serve red wines too warm:-

The old rule that red wines should be served at room temperature is one of the most treacherous pieces of wine lore, unless you happen to like your rooms at a penitential 16C-18C. A few big, young, tannic reds, especially those designed to be aged, may taste rounder and more supple at 18C-20C, but the vast majority begin to lose their freshness and clarity of flavour at these temperatures. They will still be drinkable, but not as good as they could be or as the producer intended.

This idea arose from pre-central heating days and cold cellars, when reds were often needed a bit of acclimatisation before drinking. And as with most decent wines one of the keys is to avoid dramatic temperature change. It has probably become one of the myths about wine - i.e.  that all serious wine drinkers indulge in a respectful ceremonial which also includes decanting and allowing the wine to breathe.

But visit any vineyard and see what temperature the winemaker serves his samples for tasting - he is, after all, trying to present his wines at their best. This is especially true of most everyday wines (the great majority of wines are drunk young), and wines which today emphasise fruit character above the elements of “structure”, “depth” or mineral/vegetable.

Whilst a light, fruity Beaujolais can be served “chilled”, most reds will benefit from being served at the sort of temperature of the empty spare bedroom.

The issue of wine temperature has also been raised recently with a survey which showed that many shelves in supermarkets and chains were too hot or too close to bright light or vibration - all factors which can damage or at least change the wine. However, as most supermarket stock turns over quite quickly this may not be a severe problem.

Wine is an organic product, and betwixt winemaker and drinker there are numerous forces which can change the character and taste of the wine, so that what you get to taste may not be quite as the winemaker intended - sometimes this works to your advantage, other times not. I recall one winemaker in the Loire Valley who refused to ship wine in mid-summer, and she was probably right. Once loaded onto a lorry (uninsulated and with tarpaulin side curtains) the journey to the wine merchant can take several days (one consignment took 8 days from South West France) and may involve other collections and waiting for ferry or customs clearance - potentially in blazing sunshine and high temperatures.

The obverse is that white wines are often served too cold - straight from the fridge - which whilst refreshing, does not always allow the scents and flavours of the wine to reveal themselves.

Experiment a little next time you open a bottle and see how the wine changes.

Premier Vintners is an online merchant (London based) which aims to find the largest selection of truly fine wines from around the world and across all price ranges - so they set the bar pretty high in a competitive market. France, Spain and Italy are well-represented, as is Australia.

At Premier Vintners, we only have great wines, if we don’t think they’re truly great, we don’t buy, we have no need too, simple as that. So here’s the deal, this really is a loss leader and we realise we will get a few people come to us only for this one discounted case and probably have no intention of dealing with us again… Well that’s fine, we’ll take that risk, because we know most will come back again and again. Take a look at our list, great wines wherever you look, coupled with genuine value… If you decide to take us up on the offer, Oh dear, too late… You’ll be coming back for more, sorry, but that’s the truth of the matter.

So first time customers can test for themselves whether their claims add up - and the selection on offer certainly looks interesting - both in terms of grape varietals and regions offered, including Airen and Tempranillo (La Mancha, Spain), Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet, France) Pinot Gris (Victoria, Australia) and Gewurztraminer (Barossa Valley, Australia) - as well as wines based on the classic grapes.
Special Case of 6 white, 6 red, all diferent grape varieties and styles, seven of them World Ranked No1 for their price or varietal from the vintage, three different Trophy Winners, and nine Gold Medals
Normal UK Delivered Price £133.85 NOW: £89.99

Premier Vintners - www.premiervintners.co.uk
Premier Vintners Ltd
Riverside Business Centre, Unit 6, Block E, Bendon Valley London SW18 4UQ
Tel: 020 8870 3550 Fax: 020 8870 3559

Bordeaux Index is running a short sale of some of its stocks of fine wines. Despite its name Bordeaux Index is not just about Bordeaux but also Burgundy, Rhone, Loire, Languedoc, Alsace, Italy, Spain, Germany, USA, Australia, Champagne, Port, Armagnac……..

After the huge success of our two previous sales, we have decided to maintain the same format for this year’s Summer Sale. Initially, the wines are offered at a 10% discount to our list price, offered on a first come first served basis, and we will increase the size of the discount every day for the remaining stocks until the end of this week. The size of this discount will be decided on a discretionary basis daily.

The list will be published on our website here which will be updated approximately every 2 minutes during working hours. Previous sales have sold out extremely quickly, and whilst some people may choose to wait an extra day to attempt to get a bigger discount, others do not!

The sale includes such prestigious names as Artadi, Beaucastel, Chapoutier, Chave, Coutet, Drouhin, Dugat-Py, Eglise Clinet, Giacosa, Guigal, Jadot, Janasse, Mordoree, Pegau, Penfolds, Prum, Rieussec, Sauzet and Zind Humbrecht…

For more info see www.bordeauxindex.com