I had a superb Cotes du Rhone this evening. Gabriel Meffre - Terres de Galets 2008, individually numbered bottles and a gift from a friend. Superb drop, very smooth, drinkable and went very well with the lamb. Look out for it at Sainsbury's, very reasonable price and you won't be disappointed.

Wine Fair, Merchants and Ducasse

It’s been a while since my last entry but that does not mean I have been abstaineous. I should be writing about the London Wine Fair but to be honest I don’t think I can add much that has not already been written elsewhere. It was fun and I made lots of contacts with people in the industry and learned a lot at the master classes.

The countries that seem to be making a real push at the moment seem to be coming out of South America. Uruguay and Brazil in particular seem to be really moving on in leaps and bounds and catching up Argentina and Chile rapidly. Their wines are pretty good, excellent value and great talking points at dinner parties all around the world.

I was impressed with the wine knowledge at a local wine merchant recently. Handford wines on the Old Brompton Road near South Ken tube is the place to go (http://www.handford.net/). With an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of wines, grape varieties, soil, climate, terroir etc the manager there is outstanding. He recommended a great Pinot Noir from the Santa Maria Valley and a white burgundy that was to die for. Much of his stock seems to be small parcels from up and coming producers and probably turns over very quickly. Take a look it’s a real treasure.

For my birthday my significant other treated me to a meal at Alan Ducasse at the Dorchester last week. A very disappointing tasting menu and service was almost redeemed by an indifferent Puligny Montrachet and an excellent Ch Frank Phelan 2003 from St. Estephe. This was a shame as I was expecting a wine list to compare with some of the great restaurants in London but maybe the captive audience of the Dorchester stimulates complacency and unjustified prices that other top quality restaurants would not dream of charging. I was tempted to contact AA Gill and send him in to give it the once over.

If anyone can suggest some countries that I should be looking at please let me know and I will report my findings at a later date. Bye for now.

Spain, the final frontier, to boldly go....

Okay I am excited about the Star Trek movie but that is irrelevant.....

Spanish wines are so easy. I’ve just enjoyed a couple of days taking in the best that Spain has to offer and it did not disappoint. Great wine, full of flavour, fruit and it is so easy to drink. Admittedly most of the time it was washing down some superb Tapas but somehow the two go together like they are inseparable. Okay I have to admit to having a soft spot for Rioja, it is my drink of choice when I just fancy a glass of wine, satisfying on so many levels. The beauty of drinking it in Spain is not only the food but the constant sunshine and the incredibly cheap prices compared with anywhere outside of the country. The Euro’s relative strength to the Pound and Dollar may have hurt but when you think about the quality and satisfaction received from Spanish red wine, it’s very tempting to move there permanently.

I can strongly recommend the 2005’s, 2004’s and indeed most of this decade if you want a solid, reliable fruity wine with bags of flavour. Tempranillo, Gamacha (Grenache) and Carinena (Carignan) compete and meld to form this excellent wine. Personally I like Marques de Riscal, Vina Ardanza and Marques de Caceres, all readily available outside of Spain.

I’m off to the London International Wine Fair next week for two days of overdosing on every wine imaginable, wish me luck.

Share tips for drinks industry?

I heard Justin Urquhart Stewart from Seven Investment Management on the radio this weekend tipping so called 'sin shares' at the moment. The idea being that in a recession we smoke and drink more (are their any other sins?). This got me thinking as I'm hearing nothing but bad news coming out of the drinks industry at the moment so how can this be? Maybe I am missing a trick or the theory is incorrect but something is not quite right at the moment... I'll have another glass of excellent Pouilly Fuisse (Chateau Fuisse) and think about it.

Great Value wines from the South of France

I’ve had a couple of French wines recently that have impressed me, not least of which because they represent excellent value for money. I know that we have ridiculous taxes and charges on our wines here in the UK, import duty, transport costs, supermarket mark-ups etc which leaves the actual cost of the wine a lot less than people think.

In this particular case I am recommending an obscure French wine for just £4.74 a bottle when you buy 6. It is called BASTIDE de Garille from a relatively unknown appellation (Cabardes) 2006. It is a delicious combination of Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Apparently the cool air of the mountains combined with the Mediterranean sunshine in the south of France help produce some excellent grapes and because we are talking about France I am sure the terroir is perfect too.

The second recommendation is called Maison Maurel Vedeau 2007 also from the south of France. This Languedoc regional wine is taken from vineyards all around the region and is a lovely combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache grapes. I was expecting the sharp capsicum taste of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but this had none of it. I don’t know what proportions of the two varietals were included but it has a lovely soft, honey/melon/lychee flavour that makes you want to drink more and more and before you know it the bottle is empty. This one retails at £8.54 a bottle when you buy 6. Quite a lot for a south of France wine made from random vineyards in the region but believe me well worth a try.

Both of these wines are available from Tesco’s Wine club and if you look hard enough you might pick up the odd bottle at their bigger stores.

Gary Vay ner chuk - what a great site

I've just been told about a fantastic site in cyberspace that is as passionate about wine as I am. It's run by a guy called Gary Vaynerchuck or GaryVee on twitter. He runs these really fantastic (and fun) TV programmes that are free to watch on his website http://tv.winelibrary.com/ . Not only are they very informative (okay a bit US biased) but he does a great job at getting people excited about wine.

He has a staggering 91,592 followers on twitter and basically talks a lot of sense. Its the best thing I've seen in ages so do take a look and join in the fun.

Should the Wine House only serve American Wine?

Should the Wine House only serve American wine?

I read an interesting article in Decanter this month that referenced an online debate on the Slate about the US Presidents policy of only serving American wines at the White House. Apparently this has been their stance since Lyndon Johnson decided this course of action in the 1960’s. Perhaps Barack Obama should listen to his own rhetoric and follow his own lead for change?

Allowing foreign wines into the White House will not be damming the American wine industry and I am sure that it is quite right to keep the majority of their cellar to some of their fantastic wines. However, a small selection of the very best from around the rest of the world will not only support this President’s foreign policy of being more open and inclusive of the world outside of their shores but it will also give his guests a real treat and open up their minds to what the rest of the world is capable of.

I’m not going to start a debate about US wines verses the rest of the world but I am sure it would be nice touch to treat senior American officials with some of the excellent wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain, Italy, Australia or New Zealand. Equally make sure the French Ambassador continues to experience the very best from Napa, Sonoma or St. Helena.

What a great way to show the world that the Americans are not myopic in their views over everything and in this time of credit crunch what a great treat for all visitors to this fine institution.

"By Appointment Only" and surviving a recession

Does the sign ‘By appointment only’ mean bad customer service? It is certainly off putting and a clear indication that the winery or vineyard believes itself to be a cut above the rest. For a few it means that it has only provided limited resources to deal with any customer that turns up on spec to taste its wines. In my experience it tends to be found amongst the more expensive wines of Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy. Does this mean that these producers are not interested in the casual passerby that would like to taste its wines, even if they are prepared to pay to sample its delights?

The Australians think that this is all far too pretentious and that any vineyard with the effrontery to put up such a sign is far too up itself and has delusions of grandeur and deserves to fail. Perhaps this is just a new world attitude to wine, it’s there for the masses to enjoy and taste and any such practices are against the spirit of the instant gratification and the new world style and attitudes to wine drinking. You could certainly never accuse the Australians of snobbery and maybe their modern attitudes to customer service and marketing are exactly what winemakers need to survive a recession. You certainly don’t have to look far beyond the websites of Australia, America and New Zealand to notice what a big difference there is compared to the clumsy and slightly ‘old fashioned’ efforts that have been made by European wine makers to promote themselves and their wines on the net.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, the economic slow down will affect wine sales all over the world irrespective of how good this year or last year’s vintage was. Access to customers and the markets could make all the difference in the next 12-18 months to a lot of producers and I for one have to agree with the Australians, anyone prepared to put up a sign telling its customers to come back later may find itself closed before they bother to return.

Supermarkets vs Independents

I was in a real dilemma this week regarding my wine purchases. Do I support the local independent wine retailer or buy my wine from the supermarket?

I had to buy some food so I was in the supermarket. In fact it was Waitrose who had an excellent wine selection and made it very tempting to buy something at some very reasonable prices. The only comment I would make about their selection which is common to most supermarkets with high turnover was that many of the vintages were 2007 and 2008 which is fine for wine designed to be drunk young. For those of us who like a drop or two of more mature wine the selection was tiny and suddenly went from a few pounds a bottle to in excess of £15.

So I left it and a few doors away popped into a new independent retailer who seemed to focus on obscure wines from France. There were two advantages to this decision. Firstly they did have a bigger selection of top wines than Waitrose so I could look longingly at the Chateau D’Yquems, Pommards and Grand Cru Bordeaux’s, all at prices that only bankers with large pension funds oblivious to the credit crunch could afford.

The rest of the stock was encouraging, mostly in the £8 to £20 a bottle range but with lots of 2004’s, 2005’s and 2006’s which are all drinking well now. I purchased a Southern French wine from an obscure Appellation ( Madiran ) which I was told was just south of Bordeaux and somewhere near Cahors. It was delicious and at 13.5% was full of fruit, alcohol with a hint of acid.
My conclusion is that it is horses for courses. If you want convenience, like your wine young or want to splash out a bit more with limited choice then shop at the supermarkets. If you want a broader selection in one location with more interesting vintages and arguably better value for money then go to your local independent. Either way, enjoy and keep drinking.

Are the Americans taking over the wine world as well?

I watched a great film the other day which you have all probably seen as it was made in 2005 called Mondovino. It’s more of a series of interviews by a Jonathan Nossiter that roams the world meeting really interesting people in the wine industry. At first I don’t think much of it but as it went from France to California to Italy and then on to Argentina and other interesting wine countries it seemed to get under my skin a little. For the first time I really thought about the globalisation of the wine industry and how critics like Robert Parker have a lot to answer for. One of the arguments was that he was biased and due to his heavy American influences was imposing a particular style on the world of wine that was heavily new world due to his own personal tastes. Could there be some truth in this? Do critics really have the ability to be so unbiased that they can be totally objective when awarding marks that might make or break someone’s hard work and livelihood? Granted he always manages to award the Premier Grand Crus of France high marks every year but there is a sense that unless winemakers have produced something that is in the style of American wines they will never obtain the 92’s or 93’s that he awards that will set them up for life. Sure, there are exceptions and already I am sure you are thinking of particular winemakers all over the world that have been given high marks but what about the thousands of excellent wines that are not made in the way that he would like? Are we seeing another example of Americans dominating the world through clever marketing and a points systems that undermines the uniqueness and expertise of wine makers all over the globe? We humans seem to like scores and awards and some sort of accreditation that gives us confidence to buy wine that has been ratified by a world renowned expert or been judged against thousands of others at an international challenge. I think we should be more confident these days, we are more knowledgeable than ever before on the subject so the next time you are at the supermarket or are about to buy online from a supplier that freely quotes the Parker scores just stop and think about it. Do you really need this and where are the influences coming from that decide these scores? Make your own choice and I’m sure you will discover many gems that will impress your palate and your friends. Celebrate the fact that you did not go with the crowd and just buy the highest score you could afford or the buy the gold awarded wine just because hundreds of tasters over several days decided that it was best in class. I am sure you will be rewarded with some really good experiences and be doing the wine makers who don’t conform to Mr Parker a real favour. Enjoy.

New Zealand Wine Rocks...

New Zealand Wine Rocks...

I’m feeling very guilty that I’ve been back in the UK now for over a month and I have not shared with you all my thoughts and experiences from my trip to NZ.

I was lucky enough to meet some great wine makers and taste some lovely (and some not so lovely) wines from this fantastic country. On the worlds wine stage, New Zealand is a small producer punching well above its weight. I mean this in a positive way because it deserves to be a world player and can now give the old world wines a real run for their money.

I’m going to share my experiences of 4 winery’s all readily available in the UK, US and Europe. In the order that I visited them they are: The Highfield Estate, Wither Hills, Lawsons Dry Hills and Montana. The first thing you will note is that they are all based in or around Blenheim in the heart of Marlborough. I was fortunate enough to visit Canterbury, Central Otago and Auckland while I was there, all excellent regions producing some fantastic wines but I have to focus on one area at a time or any comparisons will become meaningless.

Driving around Blenheim is just like driving around any major wine producing area in the world. You are surrounded by vineyards, Wineries and signs offering tastings everywhere. It reminded me a bit of a cross between Margaux, the Napa Valley and Stellenbosch.

Highfields was first and my first taste of something other than Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir on this trip. A 2001 Riesling, superb pear drops and honey on the nose followed by a delicious long finish and a very strong desire to just pick up the bottle, find a quiet spot and finish the whole lot.
This region of New Zealand is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc so it was clear I had to sample some from each and see if I could detect the subtle nuances and differences from each Estate. I have to make a big confession here as to not being a big fan of the Sav Blanc. Not something I voiced while I was over there but the strong Capsicum intensities, acid nose and disappointing taste generally leave me cold. That said Highfields produces some pretty good 2007 SB, a great nose, some fruit and honey and overall a well balanced wine. Their Pinot Noir was not bad as well, having thrown half of it over my shirt and then bought a T Shirt with Red wine stains on it I felt like I had really arrived. The 2006 PN was okay, not much nose, it needs more time in the bottle but over all fine.

Wither Hills is massive compared to Highfields, a huge show off Winery looking very modern and frankly copying what Robert Mondavi was doing 20 years ago. Sadly the wines bear no comparison. Now it may have been that they only show their newest and least ready to the flocks of tourists but I have to say I was totally unimpressed. The 2007 SB was weak, it lacked any sort of nose, taste or finish and supported all my preconceived notions of how hard it is for NZ SB to shine on the world stage. The 2007 PN was far too young, tasted like it had been bottled yesterday and smelt like the inside of a stainless steel vat. It is sad that this is one of the names I recognised from a major UK supermarket, I just hope their buyers don’t buy this stuff on price without tasting it first.

Lawson’s Dry Hills is a gem amongst the big players in this region. Producing some interesting and dare I say it, outstanding wines which must be drunk. The 2008 SB was a delight, very well balanced, easy to drink and clearly some thought had gone into the wine making to get the right mix of fruit and acidity. The PN 2006 was superb! A fantastic drop of red wine with loads of fruit, finish and a taste that makes you want to drink more and more. The real star was their own 2005 Late harvest Riesling. Rich and complex the apricots and aromas just hit you followed by a palate of honey, figs and all things nice that make it absolutely delicious.

Montana has been under the eye of Chief Winemaker Gerry Gregg pretty much since it was a cow shed in a field. Now one of the largest producers of wine in the whole of New Zealand they produce a range of some the most exciting and innovative wines to come out of this country. Gerry is a lovely man, full of enthusiasm about the wines and despite now being under Pernod Ricards control, Montana is still doing its own thing extremely well. The Sauvignon Blancs were a delight, I tried their Road Rail 2007, Festival Block 2006 and ‘B’ Bancroft 2008 SB’s. All were rich, balanced clean and a delight to drink. I also tried their Forgotten Valley 2007 Pinot Noir. Massive Cherries and Plums with a superb finish and although young looking has the complexity and finish to get even better over the next few years. I also tried a Gewurztraminer, 2005 which was a real revelation. A million miles away from the Gewurz’s I know from Alsace this was lush and creamy tasting of lychees and Honey fighting to get out of the glass. It also had the longest aftertaste of any wine, superb value for money and a real find. I hope they let it out to the world at large soon. The ‘O’ Ormond was a classic Chardonnay. Full of flavour and I rate this as high as the 1999 Meursault I’m drinking at the moment.

My conclusion from this trip is simple. The Kiwi’s may have launched themselves onto the world scene with Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noir’s which will stand up well in any country against their own. The real treat and the real future of their success and ultimate world domination has to be through the other grape varieties that they are slowly perfecting and quite rightly keeping to themselves!