thirstforwine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com Most recent posts at thirstforwine posterous.com Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:16:00 -0700 Croatia in Colour http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/croatia-in-colour http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/croatia-in-colour
Four Soils

Four Soils
(Photo credit: thirstforwine)

We were introduced to Istria, this beautiful corner of Croatia on the Adriatic coast, as the "land of the four soils", and it is very hard to move in food and wine circles here without hearing the colourful refrain of "Red, White, Grey & Black". These are in fact only half the story, because in Spring, the country is also alive with yellow and white flowers, pink peach blossom, green grass, blue seas and purple and orange sunsets. However, we were here for just three days to focus on the soil, and its effect on the wines, foods, traditions and personalities of Croatia.

RED

The first-time visitor's first impression HAS to be the Red. "Wow, look at that soil!" I exclaimed, unaware of the initiation I was to receive over the next few days. We were on our way to visit Roxanich, the increasingly well-known producer of some fantastic, but also challenging wines. The red vineyard soils, delineated by green grass borders and yellow accents, screamed for attention through the bus windows.

Red Soil

Red Soil (Photo credit: thirstforwine)

The wines, it turned out, have the same strong personality, solid confidence and masculine charm of their wine guide (I hesitate to say 'maker' as it implies more manipulation) Mladen Roxanich, and his team. In their youth, his wines seem quiet, understated, somewhat enigmatic, but as they mature, the wines - particularly the white wines, are transformed into charming, lithe and confident individuals. Roxanich achieves this by the somewhat controversial technique of extended maceration, leaving the juice from the grapes in contact with the skins for incredibly long periods - from 20 to over 170 days (compared to mere minutes or hours for most white wines), particularly for the local hero, the Malvazija Istriana of Malvazija Istarska. This is, in his view, the best way to express the uniqueness of the soil, the grape variety and the vintage, and these views are strongly held.

His wines do not have the fresh, primary fruit we might normally look for in a white wine made from a crisp grape such as Malvazija, and instead, develop an amazing range of "secondary" flavours of dried fig fruit, wild herbs, honey while retaining a fresh minerality, perfect complements to the range of Istrian salami and other dried meats shining bright red on the plates in front of us. These are spectacular examples of what a complex wine can be, but in a fashion that the average wine drinker will probably not have experienced.

The reason, at least in part it seems, is that these red soils do not retain much water, forcing vines to dig deep roots and fight for water and nutrients deep down in the earth. This dry soil is something we then experienced first-hand later that afternoon in the newly planted vineyards belonging to Bruno Trapan. It cost him a fortune to clear a small patch of land of enough rock to be able to plant a new vineyard, and today the spindly young vines appear to stick out in desperation from a sea of reddish brown instant coffee granules, such is the consistency of the soil. Trapan's wines from these soils also show interesting minerality, but he chooses to express this through slightly more traditional crisp citrus and white floral wines, and some rather tasty, plummy and bright red wines, the star of which was a juicy young Teran. This is a local red grape that seems to capture the wild and rugged Istrian countryside well, with its bay tree hedges and other herb plants. Teran in general seems to have a green herbal bay and rosemary edge to the drier, plum and mulberry fruit, and seems to exhibit a spiky acidity that demands attention.

WHITE

White Stone

White Stone (Photo credit: thirstforwine)

But not all is Red, as generous platefuls of White fish will attest. Nothing comes close to the experience of a 16+ course fish extravaganza at Konoba Batelina by David Skoko. This outwardly unassuming restaurant was packed and served course after course of delicious Istrian fish dishes to complement the Trapan wines. This was a fantastic meal and experience that all Croatian visitors should attempt to replicate if possible.

White was also the bright backdrop created by our docked ocean-liner designed 5* hotel, Hotel Lone (Rovinj), where we took over the Presidential Suite to taste the wines of Misal, and picnic on the vast balcony. There are very few sparkling wine producers in Croatia, so this one small winery and the two young, energetic sisters who run it, have taken it upon themselves to cover the entire gamut of styles, from bone dry, 'pas dose', through vintage wines all the way to sweet and even red sparkling wines, to ensure their largely local clientelle have a wine for all occasions. My favourite was the Misal Millenium Brut presented by winemaker Ana Peršurić. 

White stone was also everywhere, showing through in the rough fields that occasionally give way to small quarries. This marble-like stone is also present in the houses, but particularly the ancient cobbles of towns like Rovinj, and set amongst weather-worn town houses with their flaking white plaster and arches built by the Venetians centuries ago. We passed along these streets to find the wonderful hospitality of the Piassa Granda Wine Bar (another must-visit) to taste the wines of Gerzinic, Cossetto, Radovan and Rossi, and acclimatise our palates on arrival. We needed this preparation as some whites, like the Gerzinic and Radovan Malvazija wines showed fresh fruit, white floral notes and minerality, whilst others, such as the fabulous Cossetto Malvazija Rustica showed more banoffee pie or vanilla crème brulee notes, an unusual but rewarding taste. The surprises weren’t limited to the whites though, as I experienced something my notes describe as "the smell of red berry fruit soaking in fresh blood from raw steak" from the Gerzinic Teran, accentuating the “funky” animal nature of this grape, but also a very drinkable juicy red fruit Radovan Merlot

GREY

Cellars at Piquentum

Cellars at Piquentum (Photo credit: thirstforwine)

Past the red fields, over the ancient white stone, lies the grey concrete of the wineries. While Croatia and Istria have been making wines for thousands of years, more recent politics & social upheaval have meant that the 50,000 hectares of vineyards that existed in the early 20th century have largely disappeared, and only recent growth has brought that number back to something like 5,000 or so hectares. Most wineries today are new constructions, and concrete is the material of choice.

There are the large, planned, modern and bespoke wineries such as Trapan or Cattunar, or the converted sheds of Roxanich, but there are also the quaint places like Piquentum’s converted, reinforced concrete water bunker. These underground cellars were once fortified military water stores for local barracks, and they have made a surprisingly chilly but productive space for Dimitri Brečević, a half French & half Croatian winemaker who trained in Bordeaux but is making his home in Croatia. Like many others like him who are new arrivals to an area, he makes a great ambassador for his town of Buzet, and for Istria, because he has gone out of his way to study the history, the language and the traditions. His winery is small, but he is doing great things with Malvazija and Teran, which we were lucky to try at Nono on arrival in the country, as well as a delicious Refosk we tasted still in barrel.

BLACK

Fun with wine and oil

Fun with wine and oil
(Photo credit: thirstforwine)

But like all good days, we finish with late, great, dark evenings and ultimately the Black of night (inevitably, it seems there is always extended “socializing” late into the night on such trips, and we saw more than our fair share of starry nights). One of these was spent in the incredibly generous company of Chiavalon who make olive oil so good, you can just about drink it on its own (which we did) but who also offered an amazing array of dishes using their oil to match wines from some of the dark horses of the Croatian wine world: Coronica and Clai. We also got a chance to stumble around a small part of their olive farm in the black of night to see the newly arrived pig & piglets who will be clearing and fertilizing the ground.

Back at the dinner, we tasted wines made in very different styles by friends and neighbours Giorgio Clai and Moreno Coronica. All the wines were expressive and really did speak of something uniquely Croatian, but as before, I was really impressed by the Clai wines in particular. His Ottocento white was soft, with huge body and complexity and some rose petal notes. The Ottocento 2010 red was still bright and very young, but tasted like a berry salad, with some tart red currant, and also some herbal and mineral notes.

Each and every winery showed us something new about the country, and 3 days was not a long time to discover a whole new food & wine culture that I knew nothing about, but it was certainly long enough to know that Croatian wines will feature heavily in my future, and that extended skin maceration for whites is not madness, but an inspired tool for winemakers deserving further research.

Thank you again to Pacta Connect for organizing the trip (if you fancy following in our footsteps, they are organizing consumer wine trips to Croatia). Thanks also to a fantastic group of fellow wine adventurers – Joe Wadsack, Tara Devon O’Leary, Christina Pickard, Niamh Shields, Douglas Blyde, Fiona Beckett,  Donald Edwards, Tamlyn CurrinSimon Woolf and Matthew Lee.

Lots more photos (full set) here:

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Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:29:00 -0800 Drink my Champagne, said the Hologram http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/drink-my-champagne-said-the-hologram http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/drink-my-champagne-said-the-hologram

Champagne brands really understand that the difference between one wine and another isn't so much about what is in the bottle or glass, as it is about the story that we build around that experience.

 Seeing James Bond drinking Dom Perignon* doesn't mean the wine will taste better, but it does mean that we get a vague sense of doing something daring and decadent when we see the familiar shield-shaped label emerging from the ice bucket.

Dom Perignon Vintage 2003

There was much more than a touch of James Bond about the simultaneous release of Dom Perignon's latest vintage declaration in London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York and Paris (though I suspect James would be disappointed Moscow was not on the list). 

The winery organised identikit launches in galleries in each city, carefully staging each with the same wooden table, large screen, twitter-stream, vast black & white photos of the vineyards, dozens of monitors showing carefully crafted photos and videos of the Abbaye d'Hautvillers, and in one corner a glass pyramid with revolving holographic logos.

Impressive.

But what were we here to experience?

Questions ... and Answers

A small cast of carefully chosen "friends", mostly wine journalists and influencers, were assembled in each city to taste the latest vintage to be released, the 2003.

Oh yes, my dear reader (and, obviously, consumer of Dom Perignon). I said 2003! What a surprise, heh? I bet you knew about the April frosts and thought "they'd never have enough grapes left to declare a vintage in that year", but we were all surprised. Oh yes! Then you might have thought back to the summer heat and thought, "but the over-ripeness, how could they .... ?" but again, with careful picking and crafting in the winery they have been able to make a wine that Richard Geoffroy, Chef de Cave describes thus:

“Intensity is the signature and memory of the 2003 Vintage. The intensity is unique and paradoxical, hovering between austerity and generosity.”

Unlike most of the assembled friends, I did not know anything of the above, did not have a preconceived idea of a "typical Dom Perignon", and will readily admit that this is probably the first time I have ever drunk more than a sip of Dom Perignon of ANY vintage. I know nothing about the vintages, and struggled even to make sense of the tasting notes being presented for this wine.

I wasn't here to learn about vintage differences between Dom Perignon or to compare 2003 with 1976. I was here to be impressed by the brand story. The ancient lineage of the name, traced back to one of the key personalities that "created" Champagne. To witness what a winery can do when it controls fiercely how it communicates its own message.

The most impressive part was the sudden appearance IN the glass pyramid of Richard Geoffroy himself, in holographic form, to tell us his message about the 2003 vintage. I must admit I was almost too entranced by the technology to hear the details of the winemaking, but the effect was mesmerising.

I come to you from a galaxy far, far away

James Bond would probably have managed a clever quip at this stage, I managed to dredge up half a quote from Star Wars instead - "Help me Obe Wan Kenobe, you're my only hope". It would have to do. 

Certainly, the idea that "we are a global brand, we can reach you wherever you may be, we have the technology, the money, the influence, the organisation and the commitment to make it happen" came across loud and clear. Many of Mr Bond's well funded adversaries would have been hard pressed to be more imposing.

Yet, you can't knock them for taking the reigns and making sure that they were telling their own story. Yes, the assembled "friends" are even now typing furiously to spread the news (is it news?) of the release to drinkers around the world, but this is a story carefully crafted before release, like the wine. If more wineries took control of their message, and knew what made them unique, then points and price-points wouldn't be the main drivers for consumers.

Of course, I do not expect a thousand wineries to rush out and buy a holographic projector, but if they could even decide what they would say if they were to project themselves into it, that would be a start.

Thank you to Dom Perignon and everyone who works for them for putting on the event and for inviting me. I look forward to seeing what further innovations you come up with to tell your story. I particularly await the full-size holographic presentation by Dom Pierre Perignon himself at the next event.

* yes, I remember the old days** before he switched to Bollinger
** yes, I'm geeky enough to know these sort of details about James Bond

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Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:03:00 -0700 Thinking of Franciacorta http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/78143005 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/78143005

In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, ... - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

I have been impressed by the sparkling wines of Franciacorta in Italy. SO many of the wines I have tried have been interesting to drink - quite a feat for any wine region.

If there is a flaw in the current nature of Franciacorta, I would argue that it is "over-designed" and producers pay a little too much attention to measuring themselves against others' yardsticks and not clearly on creating a unique wine that will reach wine lovers all over the world.

Franciacorta is a very small region, and it produces barely enough to satisfy the local (northern) Italian thirst for its wines. No wonder the rest of us have not heard about it, or can't get hold of any. However, as their guests at the recent EWBC it made me look carefully at their wines, and what you (the wine-loving readers) might want to know about them.

First, what is "Franciacorta"?

If you've never heard of Franciacorta, you are not alone. This is the name of the region that creates probably Italy's most prestige "Methode Traditionelle" sparkling wine in the style of Champagne, using many of the same varieties and techniques. The main grapes are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, just like Champagne (and other sparkling wine producing areas such as England or South Africa), but also Pinot Blanc. When it comes to Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco may currently be the best known having captured a market for informal, party, aperitif drinking, but Franciacorta is the elegant partner for dinner and more refined events.

a highly unusual level of cooperation

The region of Franciacorta is in Lombardy, in the north of Italy, just outside the City of Brescia (beautiful host of the 2011 European Wine Bloggers Conference), south of the beautiful lake Iseo, at the foot of the Alps, and on the main road between Milan and Verona. This is important. Not only are the climate and soils right for producing sparkling wines of quality, but this is Italy's commercial heartland where many wealthy investors live, and they have been the force behind the area.

The name Franciacorta comes from the latin Franchae Curtes, or Monastery-controlled courts that were, thanks to the power of the Church, exempt from the taxes of nearby Brescia. It is a small coincidence, therefore, that seven centuries later the name focuses attention on the inspiration of the region's wines - the prestige sparkling produce of France.

Sparkling wine production in Champagne is traced to around the 17th Century. In Franciacorta it can be traced back to 1961, which makes 2011 just the 50th anniversary. In that year, Franco Ziliani (not our fellow wine blogger, but his namesake) created 3000 bottles of a sparkling wine for the Guido Berlucchi winery ... and it sold well. So well, that the local entrepreneurs didn't just decide that they liked the wine, they decided to MAKE it, and so the region of Franciacorta was born and the fabulous, well-equipped and architecturally varied wineries we know today sprang up virtually overnight to establish the region.

No need here for too much detail, but because these wineries set up very much around the same time, and because they were backed by commercially savvy owners, it was also easier for them to club together to create a strong association, the Consorzio per la Tutela del Franciacorta. A Consorzio is a voluntary body that sets the rules on what grapes can be planted, how, where, etc. and how the wines should be made, and then promotes the work of the members. 

The Franciacorta body is recognised as one of the most thorough and strict in Italy, which is easier to do when there are only around 110 producers in the whole region, and 104 are members of the association. This, let me tell you, is a highly unusual level of cooperation in Italy!

What about the style of Franciacorta wines?

Very simply: Sparkling

Less simply: Dry, sparkling wines, made in the traditional method, with second fermentation in the bottle

And finally in a bit more detail

There are three main styles of Franciacorta wines:

  • Sparkling (Vintage and Non-Vintage); the rules for these wines vary, but for each style a VERY strict and VERY long-term ageing regime is required. Even regular non-vintage wines need to be aged on lees for 18 months, and then in bottle for further 7 months. For Vintage dated wines, this increases further to 30 months!
  • Rose; rules here are less defined, and there are different styles of rose, from the more challenging and refined 100% pinot noir wines to the chardonnay dominated styles with only a small percentage of pinot noir for colour.
  • Satén; possibly the most approachable and unique style in Franciacorta. This was a style created to prove they could make a 'cremant' style wine with lower pressure (and therefore creamier feeling of bubbles) and only made from Chardonnay grapes, but must still be aged 24 months (almost half as much again as Champagne's requirement)

A game of statistical one-upmanship

Even these complexities are small compared to the detail of the rules applied to these wines, and this is one of the problems.

First, the Consorzio rules are very prescriptive. In the presentation to wine bloggers, the eloquent Ricci Curbastro (himself a fine Franciacorta producer) proudly showed off how in this region yields were smaller, quality higher, ageing longer and production smaller than its major competitors. In one case, yields in the winery were 1% tighter (64% instead of 65%) than Champagne in an apparent game of statistical one-upmanship.

Then there are the ranges. I have visited very few wineries in the region, but let me take one example I have. Majolini creates some lovely wines across the board. The family behind it are very friendly, welcoming and committed. However, they are a medium sized winery that owns 22 hectares of vineyard in this appellation, yet they make around 11 different Franciacorta wines (never mind all the other products they offer). On the surface this offers wine consumers lots of choice and uniqueness, but in practice it means that no wine is ever made in the quantities, and at the economies of scale, that will make it more affordable and available to more people around the world.

IF you've never tried the entry level wines of an area, are  you ever going to take a risk on the expensive, high end and low volume wines?

Where's the market?

Finally there is the dilemma of pricing. If you ask any Franciacorta producer what their market it (internationally), the response is generally along the lines of:

"to produce high quality wines for 'wine lovers' that are looking for something new, and to price these ABOVE Prosecco and BELOW Champagne."

As someone with commercial marketing background, this makes me wonder. How can they look to achieve success by OVER delivering on the style of the wine, being MORE strict in the vineyard, ageing it longer, making it in smaller quantities AND selling it for a lower price?

They can't, at least not for ever.

Franciacorta is a quality wine region still grappling with its identity, like the "teenager" it is in terms of development. It is not really clear what the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) should be, and more importantly, what moment, or occasion, for drinking that this region can claim for itself. It would be worth bearing in mind the advice of Antoine de Saint-Exupery above - cutting back, simplifying and deciding what is truly key to the region is much more important ultimately than adding ever greater details to the picture.

If I had to suggest a place to start, it would almost certainly be with the Saten style of wine, but others such as Simon Woolf have made another excellent suggestion to seek out wines that include Pinot Bianco in the blend.

However, what should not be doubted is the quality of the wines being produced, and the potential of the owners to deliver this in time.

I hope that these issues are resolved soon, and they find a way to get more of these bubbles into the glasses of wine lovers across the world so we may all raise our glasses and remember this 50th anniversary year as the one where Franciacorta truly took off around the world.

 

 

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Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:13:37 -0700 Choosing Chenin Blanc for some variety http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/choosing-chenin-blanc-for-some-variety http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/choosing-chenin-blanc-for-some-variety
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"If you could only pick one grape to drink the rest of your life, what would you choose?" 

Not a fair question, but it was a thought inspired by a game I overheard on the radio when I was daydreaming. I assumed I knew the answer to that ... but the more I thought about it, the more I was not sure. In the end, I cheated and decided it would have to be one for white and one for red, but even so I was stuck.

I have to admit I am a cosmopolitan drinker (not the cocktails!). I like variety and believe that there is no "one best style" in most cases. There are simply too many issues to consider. 

So it finally dawned on me that the answer (at least for the white) had to be ... Chenin Blanc.

It was an odd choice. In truth, I drink very little of it, but when I do I am often blown away. It makes everything from great sparkling wine, wines that are INCREDIBLY dry, through delicious, almost dry but rich to full on luscious and sweet wines. One grape. So many wines.

What does the grape "Chenin Blanc" evoke for you? 

For many, unfortunately, it is a fairly simple, often dull, white wine usually from South Africa.

It certainly should not have to be that way. Chenin Blanc was (and might still be) the most planted variety there, so it was grown more for volume than quality, but there are great South African versions - I'm fond of the wines of Ken Forrester, A A Badenhorst and De Trafford.

However, for Chenin Blanc lovers, the variety and complexity of the wines of the Loire Valley (it isn't all about Sauvignon Blanc thank goodness!) have to be ranked amongst the world's very best. This blog is not the place for in-depth looks at Loire wines - for that I point you in the direction of the indefatigable Jim Budd and his Jim's Loire blog.

So, when I saw an offer for some Chenin Blanc with a little age (though not yet nearly enough) on a special price, I jumped at the chance.

I bid/bought a case of bottles of Villebois Chenin Blanc 2007 from the Naked Wines Marketplace (in its first iteration). I have had a slightly mixed experience with the wines from this producer (who sells wines mainly thanks, it seems, to Naked Wines) but thought it worth a punt. According to their site, they focus almost entirely on Sauvignon Blanc but I'm rapidly getting bored with this grape (if I'm honest), so I am not sure what the story is to this wine, although the label implies it comes from their main vineyards.

This particular wine reminds me of baked green apples and hay on the nose. It smells bright yellow. It is a big, round wine in the mouth, showing the ripeness of the grapes, but maybe also a hint of some botrytis in there too. It has the sharpness of the filling of a bramble & apple pie, and also finishes with crispness and notes of honeyed, cinnamon spice. 

I paid £45.96 for 6 bottles, including delivery - making this wine £7.66 a bottle. A proper steal. 

However, it is now no longer available, but you might want to keep an eye on the site as it seems to have been quite popular, so you never know when they might find something from 2008 ;)

So, what would your one (white) grape be?

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Wed, 01 Jun 2011 12:07:00 -0700 Beer Bloggers Rule http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/beer-bloggers-rule http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/beer-bloggers-rule

Well done to the intrepid group of communicators dedicated to the fermented product of a different sort. It seems that the UK beer world continues to attract great writers and a strong community of committed individuals who are establishing a dominant position in the Wikio rankings for June in the "Beer & Wine" Category (I think they may name it differently on the site, but that's where we are heading).

In a dim and distant past, wine blogs used to compete closely with food blogs for attention, and bloggers like Andrew Barrow at Spittoon used to rank extremely highly in a broader "Gastronomy" category. But as audiences expanded and developed, food grew MASSIVELY and left us trailing in their Google Page Rank wake, and so the kind folks at Wikio decided to create a new home for us alcoholics (creators of alcoholic beverage related content, I mean).

Today, wine blogs are not performing as well on these rankings. Why?

In brief, I think that the wine blogging community has not developed the range of styles available in other media, and the established wine writers have yet to really grasp the blogging thorn and create individual blogs in the way that the beer community has.

It is also true that a lot of the interaction with these bloggers now takes place on twitter, and I don't know if Wikio and their ilk take full account of this (but presumably this happens for beer as well).

So, a sneak preview of the June results are below. Congratulations, once again, to Pete Brown for top place and to Zythophile for jumping 13 places to number 3, and Rabid About Beer for jumping 19 places to number 9.

The highest ranking wine blogs are Wine Conversation, Drinking Outside the Box,  Bordoverview and Spittoon coming in between 15th and 19th.

The question is, what can we wine bloggers do about the profile of wine? Well, as Baldrick might say ...

"I have a cunning plan ...."

Watch this list in the coming months and see if we can do something about this, but more importantly, check out the wine blogs on the list, spread the word, leave a comment and share a glass.

Slainte!

 

1 Pete Brown's Blog
2 Pencil & Spoon
3 Zythophile
4 Beer Reviews
5 Master Brewer at Adnams
6 Are You Tasting the Pith?
7 Tandleman's Beer Blog
8 The Good Stuff
9 Rabid About Beer
10 Ghost Drinker
11 Reluctant Scooper
12 Raising the Bar
13 The Pub Curmudgeon
14 Real Brewing at the Sharp End
15 The Wine Conversation
16 Called to the bar
17 Drinking Outside The Box
18 Bordoverview Blog
19 Spittoon
20 HopZine.com

Ranking made by Wikio

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Tue, 31 May 2011 13:20:14 -0700 Mixing with three cool Italians http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/mixing-with-three-cool-italians http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/mixing-with-three-cool-italians
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Triade (or triad, but skipping the gang associations) is a new wine available at Waitrose.

A blend of three grapes, of course; Fiano, Falanghina and Greco this wine is an attempt to bring us something new and modern from the south of Italy.

It has been created by what seems to be a very 'international' wine business, in the positive sense of it being aware of the needs of the international wine consumer but attempting to deliver something uniquely Italian, called Orion Wines (sorry about the Flash on the link - they're not yet *fully* aware of customer needs obviously).

Like the wine, the company itself seems to have a thing for the number 3, with 3 names behind the business (a winemaker, a marketer and a logistics specialist ... hmm, sounds like the beginning of a joke), and a "team of 3 full time winemakers" who go around Italy creating these wines.

This particular wine is easy to drink and pleasant, with lots of tropical fruit flavours of ripe pineapple, apricot and a hint of vanilla & honey too. As a drinking wine with more robust foods it is attractive, although it is not a "cheap" alternative coming in at over £8.50.

My only niggle would be that it is a bit TOO international. The fruit is attractive and ripe, but I don't know at all whether it speaks to me of Italy, but maybe that's my own limitations. The real south of Italy (such as this from Campania, but also Puglia and my personal favourite, Sicilia) are very different climates to the more 'classic' areas that tend to be from the centre or the North of the country. 

I love the idea of blends, but as with an increasing number of wines, I find that barrel fermentation, which was done on 20% of each of these grapes before blending, masks a lot of what makes a wine unique to that region. Unless, of course, it is the oak ageing that you are after, like in Rioja, Bordeaux, etc. In this case, the wine already seems to have a decent "roundness" (a sensation of being full bodied) from the fruit, which with a higher level of alcohol (it says 13% but could be a bit more), means that it probably didn't need any more from the oak and distracts from being a fresher wine. But I'm probably being over-critical.

In any case, it seems to be doing well, because although I only bought my bottle on Saturday, they appear to be out of stock as I write this on Tuesday. I am assuming there will be more available soon.

Three cheers for all the threes at Orion, and I look forward to trying more of their wines at some point.

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Tue, 24 May 2011 12:29:00 -0700 Having a little something special with dinner tonight http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/having-a-little-something-special-with-dinner http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/having-a-little-something-special-with-dinner

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Petalos 2008 tasted at home (with some beef stronganoff from Cook! if you need to know)

Pétalos Del Bierzo 2008
produced by Descendientes de J. Palacios in Bierzo,
Note: A wine of its own. I don't know of many I could compare in terms not only of the taste and experience, but the story and the history.

You can research the history, with the internationally renowned Alvaro Palacios "rediscovering" a regional grape in a forgotten region, and turning it into a destination for wine lovers. You should in fact.

As for the taste, I love the savouryness of the wine. This is a wine that shows real herbal notes on top of the fruit. The name is Petalos, or petals, and there is certainly a petal-like floral hint there, but really the wine is a balance between red fruit (raspberry and cherry) and herbs (thyme and savoury). The nose is meaty, almost like bloody steak (that musky aroma you get from really fresh steak - apologies to any vegetarians), but also with the red fruit and herbs, and all wrapped up in something quite spirity. It can almost remind you of those herbal "digestive" drinks you find in Italy, except the red fruit aromas give it away. In the mouth it never threatens to be a fruit bomb. On the contrary, as you taste it the immediate impressions are of the fresh, bright acidity and tannin and a strong mineral tang. But as it rests in your mouth, and as you swallow, the darker fruit aromas suddenly emerge and waft around your mouth and nose for such a long time. Not a wine for the faint-hearted, but delicious and unique. Try it!


Rating: 4,5 (in 5)
(Tasted on May 24, 2011)

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Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:17:26 -0800 Ever wondered what to do with a Riedel glass collection when not drinking wine? #fun http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/ever-wondered-what-to-do-with-a-riedel-glass http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/ever-wondered-what-to-do-with-a-riedel-glass A fun video I found last night during some random browsing.

No idea of they really are Riedels (in case that's an expensive mistake in the middle camera at the end), but you know what I mean


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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/496502/mar10s.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4aQQTUCZxJol Robert McIntosh thirstforwine Robert McIntosh
Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:00:52 -0800 Escaping London for a delicious celebration http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/escaping-london-for-a-delicious-celebration http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/escaping-london-for-a-delicious-celebration I recently had a 'momentous' birthday, and to celebrate I was taken on a mystery trip. Just over an hour away from London on the train, we finally alighted in Arundel.

After a fair deal of searching, my wife had found a lovely place called Arundel House - with OVERWHELMING positive reviews on TripAdvisor, for dinner and accommodation. We love this sort of "Restaurant with Rooms" concept ever since we discovered another great place called Little Barwick House many years ago.

The place was perfect. Personal. Friendly. Relaxed. The room was ideal, and the best thing was the 10 steps down to the restaurant.

The food was very well executed, local, but understandably not too extravagant or unusual. My wife's lamb choice looked delicious, and I loved every morsel of my pheasant stuffed with black pudding (and the Great British Breakfast was stunning too).

Best of all, we drank a 1996 (a year with personal significance) Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots, Mongeard-Mugneret. Delicious! Nicely aged and developed, light on the red fruit but lots of spice and fresh leafy characters. 

Arundel itself was a beautiful place to walk around and packed with independent shops - something to do with the wealthy locals and tourists I guess, but the combination of historical architecture and obviously busy shops was a welcome sight. Next time I think I'll go when the castle is open (from April onwards).

If you are looking for a quick trip out of London, I highly recommend this place.

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Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:12:00 -0800 The EWBC in action ... in my glass http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/the-ewbc-in-action-in-my-glass http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/the-ewbc-in-action-in-my-glass

One of my favourite memories of the EWBC this year was when we put our collective palates on the line to learn about Austrian wines, taste a range of different bottles, then select a favourite (albeit slightly unscientifically).

The best bit was that this selection had an IMMEDIATE, practical effect, because the winning wine not only got our vote and our thanks, but also gained a retail listing in the UK with Naked Wines.

This was the knowledge and influence of bloggers IN ACTION. It delivered an actual bottle of wine to my table - the most tangible way of giving value to consumers, retailers and producers that there is.

So, who won, and how was it?

The winning wine was the Gemischter Satz Nussberg Classic 2009 by Gerhard Lobner from Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz as chosen by the 200 wine bloggers assembled in the Schonbrunn Castle in Vienna.

When I got back home I immediately bought my 'Advance Purchase' pack of this wine to be delivered before Christmas, which, I am happy to say, they achieved with 4 days to spare.

My thoughts, as shared on the site, were:

Gemischter Satz Nussberg Classic 2009
produced by Gerhard Lobner in Vienna, Austria
Note: Glad we chose this wine at the EWBC in Vienna in October. It is something a little different from the usual.

It has a very pleasant, easy drinking tropical fruit style that still doesn't stray too far from the kind of elegant, complex, slightly spicy style of white wine that one associates with the single varietal wines of Austria such as Gruner Veltliner.

The ripe fruit finishes brightly with a lovely mineral freshness. A field blend (Gemischter Satz) offers something distinctive in this variety-obsessed wine market, and to achieve this sort of quality for this price, from a vineyard within the city-limits of a European capital, is something truly unique and definitely worth exploring.
Rating: 4 (in 5)
(Tasted on December 21, 2010)

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Sun, 21 Nov 2010 07:10:00 -0800 Spanish Wine on the High Street http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/spanish-wine-on-the-high-street http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/spanish-wine-on-the-high-street

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Spanish wines have been on the UK shopping lists for some years, so you might expect that a tasting of 60 Spanish wines, selected by the buyers from the UK's 10 main supermarket and high street retailers, would be a good indication of the state of the category. Well, maybe.

First, a statistic. Of the 60 wines at the tasting, there were 23 from Rioja. That's almost 40%. Interestingly, 10% came from a small region called Campo de Borja, but more on that later.
First, the highlights:

Asda: not very much I'm afraid. The 'benchmark' Viña Sol was good as always, but we already know that. The 2009 Mitico Old Vines Garnacha was interesting, if a little alcoholic.

Coop: The Sauvignon Blanc/ Verdejo blend from Rueda, the Casa de Sol, was decent at £5.29, and they too stock a decent, known, Torres wine, the Gran Sangre de Toro - spicy, not too heavy and a decent drop at £7.99

Majestic: I was a bit disappointed here. Majestic have a broad Spanish range, but I found some of these rather uninspiring. Chief among which were the 2008 El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Old Vines Garnacha. I've had previous vintages and really liked it, but I found this leafy and acidic without the 'old vines' concentration it promised (and had before). 
So too the 1982 Bodegas Muriel Rioja Gran Reserva. Hats off to them for showing such an old wine. I think it was Hugh Johnson who said: "There are no good wines, there are only good bottles" (or words to that effect). At this age, tiny differences in bottles and how they aged will be very marked. We tasted two bottles. One was simply past it, lots of volatile acidity and no fruit, the other more mushroomy and earthy and a hint of fruit - not unpleasant, but the kind of character few consumers are actually looking for. Worth it for the experience, but a bit of a risk.

Morrisons: Here they obviously decided that their Spanish wine drinkers like 'classic' styles. The Riojas had a bit of that dusty tannin, slightly musty old oak and dark fruit character of old. Generally not that encouraging, though the youthful 2009 Caño Verdejo (white) was fresh and crisp, though a touch expensive.

Marks & Spencer: One of the stars of the tasting ... was a white wine. The 2009 Val do Salnes Albariño was not cheap at £10.99, but I really liked the lemon curd, honey and grapefruit character which lasted for ages. I admit I know the family who make this wine, so call me biased, but I was not alone in picking out that wine for distinction.
The 2005 Campo Aldea Graciano seemed promising, but I must admit that despite having a decent aged character for such a young wine, I found it a little unbalanced (too much tannin & acidity and lots of alcohol) which masked the purple fruit which was only apparent on the finish. Maybe worth trying in a few more years?

Oddbins: I missed their main tasting, so was hoping to see the results of the rebuilding of this business. Can't say I picked out much from here. Many wines were decent, but unexciting, including wines like the Burgans Albariño I have liked in the past  (shame they didn't have their Mencia I've been meaning to try for ages). The stand out was probably the 2009 Carchelo from Jumilla - a big, butch wine with rich, jammy flavours that tastes great, but packs a bit of an alcoholic punch.

Sainsburys: The 2009 Luis Cañas Barrel Fermented (White) Rioja seemed to be popular. I found the yeasty-ness a little over the top (but then I really don't like cheese and it reminded me of a cheesy character). Maybe it will settle down and it is worth trying.
Once again, one of the classics was on show - the Marques de Riscal 2005, with its refined and mature American oak character (with a hint of soapiness to me - what's that from?), but still spicy, ripe fruit and simply elegant

Spar: I kicked off the tasting with the only Cava on show (surprisingly) which was the Spar Donacella Cava Brut. This is simple, straightforward sparkling wine, for sale at £6.79, and as such it still has that rubbery character I get from cheaper Cavas, but it did have a hint of sweetness on the finish to freshen the palate. At that price it'll probably do reasonably well.
However, it also included the 2009 Viña Albali Airen - a real stinker (on the nose), which may well best be avoided - or maybe our bottle was faulty?

Tesco: Not a bad range on show actually. The best wine was probably the 2004 Baron de Ley 7 Viñas Reserva - with a salad-sounding smell of balsamic, tomato leaf, white pepper and lots of fruit, but then it was £16.14 (if you bought 6 bottles) so it deserved to have this much character.
More popularly, it had a decent "Tesco Finest" Old Vines Garnacha from Campo de Borja for only £4.98 (if buying 6) which had an unusual "all spice" nose but was quite drinkable.
Waitrose: Similarly, Waitrose also had a Rioja / Campo de Borja pair worth trying. The Gran Lopez Tinto (£4.79) had quite a floral character, with a hint of boiled cherry sweetie too, which might be a touch alcoholic, but was quite good. The Rioja was another Baron de Ley, the Club Privado 2006, which was quite 'classic' in style, more focused on the ageing characters rather than fruit flavours, but nonetheless a decent wine for £8.29

So, Rioja (at the top) and Campo de Borja (at the VERY low end of the price spectrum) do well, and maybe the other regions, except for Rias Baixas and its Albariños, not exciting the buyers enough to show them. Hopefully the next vintage will encourage them more.
How have you found the Spanish wines you have tried recently? Anything exciting on the high street, or do we need to head to the independents and mail-order merchants to find retailers doing something more exciting?

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Sun, 14 Nov 2010 08:35:00 -0800 Elyssia's looking good http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/elyssias-looking-good http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/elyssias-looking-good

Last night's wine was a sample (yes, I get them from time to time despite my warnings, and sometimes they're worth reviewing).

Elyssia Gran Cuvee Brut, Cava, 11.5%

A very decent sparkling wine, which happens to hail from Cava-land and one of the big boys in that game, Freixenet.

This particular cuvee brings together the world of cava (Macabeo & Parellada grapes) and Champagne (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir).

I'm not sure I could have pinned this down as Cava in a blind tasting - which is a good and bad thing. A lot of Cava available in the UK is not that exciting, but good Cava can be LOVELY, and hard to find.

This one has a good lemon and tropical fruit core and a nicely delicate mousse (a way of saying that you feel the smooth texture of bubbles but they're not so aggressive that you feel each individual explosion in your mouth, like popping candy, as you might experience with some carbonated waters and cheaper sparkling wines).

What I liked more was the hint of fruit sweetness to balance the wine, some light nuttiness and maybe also a hint of ginger (I got a whiff of ginger ale on the finish), which together make it a lot more interesting than many alternatives, though still quite youthful.

It was good on it's own but also managed well with a pork and green pepper sauce dish.

Available from Waitrose at £14.99 it isn't your everyday wine price, but compared to alternatives, a very decent wine to consider for Christmas celebrations - or any other celebrations you can manage to arrange before and after.

(I can't believe I've started Xmas recommendations already)

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Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:36:00 -0700 Tasting: The Joshua, 2008 - from @TeusnerWine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-the-joshua-2008-from-teusnerwine http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-the-joshua-2008-from-teusnerwine

The Joshua 2008
produced by Teusner Wines in Barossa Valley, Australia,
Note: Amazingly rich, jammy, raspberry and strawberry nose with a tickling of black pepper, which then blossoms in the mouth, like supping on a deliciously smooth, slightly tart, raspberry coulis seasoned with crushed black pepper. Delicious, moreish and full bodied. This wine is very young and I look forward to see how it develops over the years - if I can hold on to my remaining bottles.
(Tasted on September 3, 2010)

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Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:14:00 -0700 Tasting: La Gramiere 2007 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-la-gramiere-2007 http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/tasting-la-gramiere-2007

I've started posting some tasting notes again as I have been meaning to do for ages. I'm hoping this will go automatically in future, but here's last night's post:

La Gramière 2007
produced by Domaine de La Gramiere in Cotes du Rhone Villages region, France
Note: Looks young, with purple, red fruit in the glass, and the nose is dark and brooding. However, the first taste was bright - like a blast of cherry flavoured lifesavers, followed by a dusting of soft, ripe tannins and deliciously tart berry flavours. Still young, but vibrant and alive. A great tipple
Food pairing: lightly grilled lamb
(Tasted on August 29, 2010)

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Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:10:18 -0700 Kudos to @nakedwines for their customer service http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/kudos-to-nakedwines-for-their-customer-servic http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/kudos-to-nakedwines-for-their-customer-servic I just wanted to thanks Naked Wines for some very good customer service.

I ordered an "Advance Purchase" case of wines from my friend @mroconnell's O'Vineyards thanks to their new association with Naked Wines

Or at least, I thought I had ordered one. I'm POSITIVE I did this as I went to the site as soon as I heard they were available and then immediately mentioned my purchase to Ryan, ... and even encouraged others to join me.

Unfortunately, after the cases were sold out (well done everyone!) I couldn't locate my order number and I realised it had not registered on their system for whatever reason. Darn!

Well, the friendly folks at Naked (especially Marie) sorted it by making up a special case for me and sending it to me at the price I SHOULD have paid, and it arrived this morning.

That is great customer service, and one of the reasons I think that Naked Wines has a great future.

I now have a very interesting range of wines from O'Vineyards, La Gramiere and Teusner, all friends in the personal as well as social media sense, in my wine rack ready to taste and enjoy (with more on the way).

I hope you do too!

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Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:41:00 -0700 Chasing dinner http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/chasing-dinner http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/chasing-dinner

I'm not one for recipes (I prefer to cook what I know or just "create") but it was my turn to cook tonight ... and I was asked to make something with the Haddock that needed to be used, and some open Parma ham ... and the results were pretty tasty.

But this is not a food blog. 

The point was to say that, as the last day of the holiday, after a great day with the family, after a productive day in the garden painting the kids' playhouse ... the dish of haddock fillets wrapped in parma ham, with asparagus and new potatoes, was a great partner to my Ocado-bought bottle of La Chasse Chardonnay Viognier 

I admit I am not usually fond of this blend of varieties. The Chardonnay is usually flabby and the Viognier used only for aroma, not body. However, this was very good, and in the circumstances, a great tipple.

It isn't about the points or ratings. It's about the context.

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Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:55:16 -0700 Aged Riesling http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/aged-riesling http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/aged-riesling I had a nice bottle of Clare Valley Riesling last night (with room service Fish & Chips). I noticed it on the wine list of Ryan Duffy's so ordered it, though had not heard of Hungerford Hill before.

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What I hadn't noticed was the vintage. The list made no mention, but when I opened it the colour was a dark golden colour and the nose was honeyed and showed the classic "rubber & diesel" notes.

I am tempted to think that Nova Scotian Canadians have a mature palate for more evolved wines ... But I guess the reality is that it probably has sat on the list unloved for quite a while!

It is real shame, because by the time someone buys the better bottles they can be out of condition, so people think "I don't like these expensive/unusual wines" so never trades up again.

I intend to help some if these lists turn over their wines a little while I am here. I'm on a mission

;)

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Thu, 13 May 2010 07:19:00 -0700 [Insert Rosé Wine Pun Here] http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/insert-rose-wine-pun-here http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/insert-rose-wine-pun-here

OK, it is almost impossible to come up with a Rose/Rosé pun that has not already been tried, so I won’t try.

Earlier this week Bibendum co-hosted a tasting of 17 not-red-and-not-white wines at 101 Pimlico Road (read Willie's post on this event here, and @winewomansong's interpretation here).

First, the wines. I say “not-red-and-not-white” because in truth, there is such a variety to Rosé/Pink wines that it is hard to clarify exactly what the category means. I think a few of the other tasters would agree. Since the explosion of rosé consumption in the UK in 2003, the category has grown from around 3% of wine sold to over 10% (and probably much more). That’s a lot, but what KIND of wines are they?

The truth is that most of the Rosé category is still in the blush style – off-dry, relatively deep coloured and pretty simple stuff. You know what I mean. White Zinfandel/Grenache/Syrah bottlings from California mainly.

However, the good news is that although most of the stuff sold is not that great, it is encouraging other producers, importers and restaurants to look at the category and innovate.

Of the 17 wines (6 Sparkling and 11 still) on offer, I could honestly say I enjoyed almost all of them (I suspect one wine was faulty). The stars were those you might expect; Bruno Paillard Brut Rosé Premiere Cuvee NV (Champagne) and a Lafon Roset 2009 (Bordeaux). However, the interesting results were elsewhere:

  • Balfour Brut Rosé 2006 (England) – a sparkling wine from the UK. Not cheap, but a very nicely balanced, complex wine. I personally think this has improved dramatically in the last couple of vintages (I never used to like it TBH)
  • Bisol Jeio Rosé NV (Italy) – not expensive, but a very enjoyable tipple. The bubbles are very elegant and the taste is just right – just off-dry enough to make you want to drink lots of it
  • Agustinos Syrah Rose 2009 (Chile) - The most red-wine-like of the rosé category on offer. More herbal and full-bodied than most others. A good BBQ wine I think.

Despite enjoying these wines, I am still left wondering how we are supposed to really enjoy rosé wine? On its own, with food, as a cheap & fun wine or one worthy of serious contemplation? I guess it depends on each individual wine. I think someone suggested that next time we actually sit down and drink ONLY rosé wine throughout a whole meal to show its versatility. Count me in!

Now, on to the food.

I won’t say too much, but will share some photos. There were lots of different tasters to try throughout the tasting, unfortunately I did not get a photo of all of them. My favourites were the foie-gras burger (with quail egg on top), the slice of beef (interesting match with the wines) and a tuna dish whose details I did not catch but tasted heavenly.

The quality of the food we tasted was VERY good and I definitely need to head back to 101 Pimlico Road. Keith Goddard and Will Guess who run this were both very engaging company and I’m sure will make a great success of this place. I believe they are even planning a BYO evening where you can bring (and share) your own bottles to match Keith’s cuisine. I think that is a great idea as my own cooking is simply not up to the expectations I have for a few of my bottles.

Thanks Bibendum and 101 Pimlico Road.

Now, where’s my summer gone?

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Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:54:00 -0700 STA travel Buzz & d'Arenberg wines http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/sta-travel-buzz-and-darenberg-wines http://thirstforwine.posterous.com/sta-travel-buzz-and-darenberg-wines

Last night’s wine event was lots of fun.

STA Travel (http://www.statravel.co.uk) was bringing together some friends to talk about travel to Australia and Queensland in particular, so they asked me to help with a tasting of wines. Unfortunately Queensland wines are very hard to find outside of Australia (if you know of one, do let me know), so instead I suggested that we involve a great Australian wine producer from elsewhere in the country.

Travel is a lot more than getting from A to B (and back), just as enjoying wine is a lot more than finding the cheapest way to get inebriated. I wanted this event to showcase that Australian wine, and wine culture, was a lot more than the brands that grace the discount bins in the supermarkets most weeks, and includes some amazingly creative and skilled individuals.

One of the most charismatic is Chester Osborn of d’Arenberg (http://darenberg.com.au). Not only are these great wines to taste with this group, but they also have a presence on twitter (@darenberg) and have been creating some interesting content during this year’s vintage:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/dArenberg/137564966465?ref=ts

The folks who came along to the event organised by @statravelbuzz seemed to enjoy the wines and learning to taste and enjoy them. Thanks to Claire Scott (@clairelsscott) for her help in presenting them too. I hope to hear from them again as their new travels around wine take off (leave me a comment here if you were there)


The wines we tasted, for the record were (tasting notes from @clairelsscott):
(for more info on the wines, go here: http://darenberg.com.au/the-wines)

d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Roussanne Marsanne 2008
Aussie summer in a glass. A delightfully refreshing and dry white exhibiting citrus and lovely floral notes with a hint of spice.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Olive Grove Chardonnay 2007
Classic fruit driven Australian Chardonnay. Appealing aromas of peach and melon with subtle notes of oak, good length of flavour and lacy acidity.
Available at Oddbins and Sainsbury’s Fine Wine (from May)

d’Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne 2008
Elegant fine herb tea notes of dandelions, lavender, floral fragrance with a very fine, pointed finish. Just great with seafood, it will reward those who challenge their senses.
Available at Oddbins and The Wine Society

d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2008
Sensational value but not simple; rich, savoury, and brimming with ripe, spicy fruit flavour. Endearingly honest and unpretentious, the ideal everyday red.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz 2007
McLaren Vale shiraz with a twist. Bold, dark red and black fruits but with vitality and elegance that sets it apart.
Available from any All Bar One

d’Arenberg The Galvo Garage Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot 2006
Complex, flavoursome, full bodied Cabernet with the addition of classic Bordeaux partners. Concentrated cassis bomb, savoury undertones and ripe tannins makes this the perfect candidate for mid-term cellaring.
(My favourite on the night)
Available at Oddbins, The Wine Society and Majestic (from May)

d’Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2007
Exuberant purple hue. Opulently flavoured and perfumed with firm texture and ripe tannins. Viognier lifts the rich, ripe Shiraz fruits and gives them resonance.
Available at Oddbins, Coop, The Wine Society and Majestic (from May)

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