20 Wines to Drink over the Easter Holidays

(Whatever the weather throws at us!)

While basking in the glorious Spring sunshine last week I decided to write a list of my favourite wines to sip in the sun this Easter. Clearly I was tempting fate because the moment I put finger to keyboard the temperatures plummeted and they started dusting off the snowploughs in Scotland. Undeterred I quickly started work on a list of warming and spicy reds to keep out the chill. So of course today the sun has come out here in Devon and temperatures have started to climb again! The only thing to do therefore was to combine the two into a master list to suit anything the British weather can throw at us:

Soaking up the sunshine? Here's my selection of 10 succulently refreshing wines to sit in the sun and sip (try saying that 3 times quickly!)

Il Follo 'Cuvee Rosato' Spumante Brut, Valdobbiadene, NV
Superior quality, fresh, lively Italian pink fizz. What could be more summery?

Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine la Croix Gratiot, Languedoc
Lovely lemony picnic wine - great with summer seafood!

Albarino 'Abadia de San Campio', Bodegas Terras Gauda, Galicia
Sherbety, intense and dry with a lovely rich mouthfeel.

Basa Blanco, Telmo Rodrigues, Rueda
Crisp, clean, refreshing and moutwateringly mineral.

'Les Cerisiers' Cote du Rhone Rose, Paul Boutinot
Soft and plump with a light touch of spice.

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, Pfalz
Spicy, rich and honeyed. Delicious!

Pinot Grigio, Gregoris
What really good Italian Pinot Grigio can taste like!

Seresin Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
Top Kiwi Sauvignon, and then some - outstanding!

Jean-Marc Brocard "Kimmeridgien" Bourgogne Chardonnay.
Made from grapes from younger vines growing in Chablis' famous Kimmeridgean soil - a mixture of limestone, clay and tiny fossilized oyster shells. Mouthwateringly flinty and guess what - fantastic with seafood! Only available from the shop at the moment.

Little J Zweigelt, Jurtschitsch
Unusual Austrian red. Light, fresh, soft and silky. Delicious lightly chilled.

Shivering in the snow? Warm yourself up with these rich and spicy delights!

Fiori Primitivo
Inky, fruity, ripe and spicy Puglian Zinfandel. Top value!

Soldiers Block Shiraz
A knockout McLaren Vale Shiraz. Big, jammy and incredibly pleasing. A LOT of wine for the money and a Gold medal winner to boot. Only available in the shop at the moment.

JVBILUM Pinot Nero Syrah, Sicily
An unusual blend, but it works brilliantly. Ripe cherries and spices and no oak aging.

Massaya Classic Red, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Christmas in a glass.

Syrah 'Hacienda', Casa dell Valle
Northern Rhone meets Rioja!

Barbazul, Huerta De Albala, Vinos de la Tierra de Cádiz
Top selling red, for a reason. It's a cracker - rich, intense but balanced.

Cairanne 'Cotes de Rhone Villages', Domaine de l'Ameillaud
Really lovely rich and plump Southern Rhone. 90 Points from Wine Spectator magazine.

Vacqueyras 'Cuvee Classique', Domaine le Couroulu
Big, dark and spicy - a Parker favourite.

Taberner, Huerta De Albala, Vino de la Tierra de Cadiz
Rich, dense, complex and beautifully balanced. Pure pleasure and my current favourite red at this price point.

John Duval 'Plexus'
Stunning is an overused word but here it's totally apt. Rich, multi layered but accessible.

Dominic
Red & White, The Wine Store, Kingsbridge

For more information about these wines, or to buy online click on the names above.

The Wonderful Wines of Tuscany - Instore Tasting

Here at Red&White we're big fans of the wines of Tuscany and we've recently added some truly outstanding new wines to our list from some of the really exciting small producers in the region.  So we'd like to invite you to come along to our In-Store Tasting Event and taste some of the stars of our Tuscan range. Judging by the quality of the wines I've tasted from this region recently it promises to be a great evening. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Montepulciano, Vernaccia di San Gimignano - just the names are enough to make your mouth water!

Date: Wednesday 28th March
Time: 7.00 'till 9.00pm
Venue: Red&White, The Wine Store, 99, Fore St. Kingsbridge, TQ7 1AB.

As usual tickets are just £5. There are just 5 spaces left so be quick!

To book your place call into the Wine Store, Kingsbridge or alternatively ring Dominic on 01548 853898 or send an email to shop@red-white.co.uk

The Rise of Moscato - is the UK next?

Sales of the sweet, slightly fizzy low alcohol wine have exploded in the USA in the last few years, increasing by over 100% in 2011 alone and wine industry sources are predicting a similar boost in the UK. Part of Moscato's current popularity can probably be attributed to it's adoption as the drink of choice for a number of prominent American Rap Artists- it's been named dropped by Kanye West, Lil' Kim and others and it's especially popular among twentysomethings. Another issue is the increasing interest in lower alcohol wines - Moscatos are typically around 5-6% ABV.

Much of the Moscato sold in the United States, and over here, is cheap, mass-produced and to many palates overly sweet and lacking in balance and complexity. But it doesn't have to be that way! Moscato D'Asti is made from the Muscat grape (Moscato is Italian for Muscat) in the Piedmont region in the North West of  Italy - the home of Barolo, Barbaresco and Gavi. At it's best it can be a delightfully light wine with aromas of peaches, nectarines and orange blossom and a refreshing spritz. Our Moscato d'Asti is from Gianni Voerzio, one of Piedmont's most respected winemakers and is considered among the best in the world. It's not the cheapest but as an occasional weekend treat it's sure to please.

Of course the quality New World producers haven't been resting on their laurels. From Australia's Murray River region Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato is great fun and really scrummy (there's no other word for it!) Think watermelon, sherbet and rose Turkish Delight. At just 5.5% alcohol it's ideal for afternoon drinking.

We'll be looking to expand our range of Moscato in the coming months so if it sounds like your kind of wine watch this space!

Twelve Wines for Your Valentine

It’s only a few days 'till St.Valentines Day and in order to solve your Valentines Day gift headaches we’ve put together a list of twelve wonderful wines they’re sure to love.

Red Wines

Pasion de Bobal, Bodegas Sierra Norte, Utiel Requena,  Spain
£10.75
We had to include this one given it’s very apt name and the fact that the label and capsule are covered in hearts! Fortunately it’s also truly delicious (we wouldn’t stock it otherwise!) Made with organically grown grapes from old, low-yeilding Bobal vines in the cool hills inland from Valencia, Pasion is an impressive, rich spicy wine with lush, ripe fruit and toasty oak balanced by fresh acidity and rounded tannins. Brilliant with full-flavoured beef or lamb dishes, or with hard cheeses and charcuterie.

Chateau de la Riviere, 2005, Fronsac, France
£23.95
One of the few Bordeaux Chateaux which are truly a castle (in this case a fairytale one complete with pointy turrets), Riviere is one of the leading estates in Fronsac, an unfashionable but brilliant district next to Pomerol. Its cellars run for miles and contain an array of vintage wines, including this beauty from the legendary 2005 vintage. A good slug of Cabernet Franc adds freshness and structure to the dominant, plummy Merlot grape in a wine which is now well into a glorious period of drinkability.

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 1998, Paullac, France
£55
If you really want to spoil your other half then this brilliant wine from Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde would really do the job. A wine for the Bordeaux connoisseur - a classic Pauillac with dense notes of cassis, smoky oak and a lovely weight on the palate. Great balance of acidity, fine tannins and rich full fruit lead to a long spicy finish. Drinking beautifully now but will happily cellar for 8-10 years.

White Wines

 

The Darling, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
£12.00
Delicious Marlborough Sauvignon with just a hint of passionfruit in behind the green capsicum, tomato leaf and gooseberry flavours.

Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaillons' 2008, Domaine Billaud-Simon. Burgundy, France
£25.50
Purity and elegance are the aim of this family owned domaine, so no oak and temperature controlled fermentation. The style perfectly suits the fantastic 2008 vintage in Chablis where taut minerality is the name of the game. One of our favourites!

Meursault 'Les Charmes', Domaine Yves Boyer Martinot
£41.00
The wine for which winemaker Yves Boyer-Martenot is particularly renowned. Full-bodied and honeyed, it exploits the rich butteriness of the fruit. Floral and almond aromas abound on the nose, balanced out with a crisp acidity. It fills the palate with complex flavours of vanilla, buttered bread and peaches and cream with some vibrant mineral notes coming through.

Rosé Wines

Les Oliviers' Rosé,  Domaine de Montmarin
£6.75
A textbook Southern French rose with red cherry fruit and a hint of peppery spice - this style of rose is great with Indian food.

Corbieres Rosé 'Cuvée Prestige', Domaine Ollieux-Romanis
£10.50
This Corbieres rosé is lively, spritzy and fresh with a touch of lychee on the tangy palate. Ollieux Romanis cultivate their vines organically with great care and attention which certainly shows through here.

Sancerre Rose 'Le Grand Fricambault', Domaine Andre Neveu
£16.00
Although Sancerre is best known for its Sauvignon Blancs, some excellent roses are also produced. This wine is very attractive with light & aromatic strawberry flavours & a bone dry finish.

Fizz!

Il Follo 'Cuvee Rosato' Spumante Brut, Valdobbiadene, NV
£10.00
A delicate pink sparkling wine made from the Raboso grape grown in fertile vineyards of northeast Italy in the region of Treviso. It is fragrant with summer fruit aromas, fresh and lively on the palate, dry, crisp and easy to drink.

Champagne Pannier 'Brut Selection', Chateau Thierry, NV
£23
We chose this as our 'house' champagne in a totally blind tasting of a range of wines, which is a real testament to its quality. Extra age gives it a waxy, nutty edge but the deftly handled fruit make this a truly quaffable champagne.

Billecart Salmon 'Brut Rose', Ay
£50.00
Rapidly becoming the benchmark Rose champagne this is delicacy at its best with red fruit and toasted nut overtones. Heavenly. From a recent article in GQ magazine:

"A darling of New York wine lovers. Its special method of creation gives this cuvée a light, elegant flavour, followed by a fresh finish with a taste of raspberry. Can be drunk on its own or with food - it has excellent structure and complexity. Light, sharp and powerful."

There are, of course, lots more choices on offer at the WineStore in Kingsbridge and to buy online at www.red-white.co.uk. 

We'll even gift wrap your bottle for free if you spend over £10 in store.
 

Charity Wine Tasting Event - Wines of the Atlantic Coasts

On the 14th February, Liam and 6 other men will set off from Gran Canaria, aiming to be the first team in history to row across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados in under 30 days. This is an incredible challenge, as they aim to row the 3,000 miles, unsupported, in a boat shorter in length than the RED&WHITE shop! Having had experience with coping with Childhood Cancer within his own family, Liam is using this challenge to raise money and awareness for CLIC Sargent, a charity that supports families struggling with Childhood Cancer. All the proceeds from the ticket sales for this tasting will help support their important work. The Tasting  Thursday 26th January, 7.00 -  9.00 pm. The Wine Store, Fore St, Kingsbridge Liam has selected 8 of his favourite wines to taste, from countries or regions that border the Atlantic Ocean. These wines are listed below and reflect the broad range of styles that the diverse climates from which they come have to offer. The Wines - click on the names for more information, or to buy online. Muscadet 'Sur Lie' Vieilles Vignes, Domaine les Grands Presbyteres, Loire, France Txacoli di Getaria, Ameztoi, Spain Catena Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina Bodegas Pittacum Tinto, Bierzo, Spain La Tour de By, Medoc, Bordeaux, France Malbec 'Terroir', Alto Las Hormigas, Mendoza, Argentina Madeira Bual Reserva, Barbeito, Madeira Tickets are available from The Wine Store, Kingsbridge.   The price is just £5 - 100% of which will go to CLIC Sargent. Pop in and see Dominic or Fran, call 01548 853898 or drop us an email to: shop@red-white.co.uk. Places are strictly limited and this is likely to be a very popular tasting, so be quick!

Fantastic Fridays at the Wine Warehouse

Introducing Red & White's newest grand idea:  Fantastic Fridays at the Wine Warehouse.

Fridays are my favourite day of the week - full of the promise of the weekend ahead, but with none of the hangover of a Saturday morning.  Well they've just got even better, with the Wine Warhouse's Fantastic Fridays shining like a beacon at the end of the week.

Throughout January, February and March we'll be holding very special events at the Wine Warhouse every week - wine tastings, competitions, special sales days and much much more.

This week, it's your chance to taste Red & White's Newest Arrivals.  Mid December saw delivery of  new wines from a trio of great Tuscan wineries (a brilliant new Chianti, an organic red and white from Enrico Santini and new vintages of Caburnio and Monteti), plus 3 delicious new Argentinian Malbecs.  They'll all be open to taste (and buy, of course) all day this Friday 20th January.

So get yourself down to the Wine Warehouse this Friday, try some wines, grab a few bottles for the weekend and start your weekend in style.

Chris

The Wine Warehouse
Unit 5G, South Hams Business Park, Churchstow, Devon
Open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm throughout January, February and March.

A brilliant night at "Bacchanalia" - our Christmas Wine Tasting Extravaganza!

Last night we held our annual Christmas Wine Tasting Event - Bacchanalia, hosted at both the Mill Street Restaurant and The Old Bakery in Kingsbridge. The evening was a great success with over 100 people turning out on rainy and blustery evening to sample some of our favourite wines from Red & White's extensive range.

The evening was split up into two linked events - a tasting of over 80 wines at The Mill St Restaurant and three themed Wine Dinners at The Old Bakery. The timings were very tight for the three dinners and we were a little concerned that they would over-run and chaos would ensue! As it happened, thanks to the hard work of the staff at the Old Bakery, Mill St and Red & White's team, and of course the goodwill and good humour of our lovely customers, things ran very smoothly and a good time was had by all.

Among the approximately 100 brilliant wines on taste these were some of my personal favourites.

Reds:

Boom Boom Syrah from Charles Smith Wines, Washington State. £16

Managing rock bands in Europe for a decade is not the usual background for a Washington State winemaker (a good degree from the University of California Davis is more the norm) but Charles Smith is not your usual winemaker. Extroverted and media-savvy, Smith's exuberance is only matched by his skill in the cellar and his passion for wine. The Boom Boom Syrah is perfectly named because it's a real fruit bomb! Charles Smith's words really do sum up this wine well: "Everything you want in a syrah....smooth, firm, fresh & dark...super dense purple with meaty dark fruit, Asain five spice & sweet tobacco. Intense yet plush texture...it will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!" It certainly did mine!

Huerta De Albala, Taberner, Southern Spain. £21.95

This cracking wine from Cadiz, produced by the same Bodega as our perennial best seller, Barbazul, is a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It's deeply coloured, with intense and complex aromas of cassis, smoke and spices, alongside some herbaceous notes of mint and green peppers with a hint of zesty orange peel. Rich and dense on the palate with a fresh acidity and a long finish. Definitely one of my absolute favourites from our range and will be a Christmas treat for myself this year!. 

Whites:

Terras Gauda, Albarino 'Abadia  de San Campo' Galicia. £14

If you've never tried an Albarino from Spain's wet and wild North West Coast I urge you to give this one a try. It's quite simply one of the most pleasing crisp, dry white wines in our range and went down a storm at the tasting. Galicia is Spain's main fishing area and this wine evolved to match the region's cuisine perfectly. Intense, refreshing and sherbety. 

Billaud-Simon, Chablis 1er Cru 'Vaillons' Burgundy, £25.50

Purity and elegance are the aim of this family owned domaine, so no oak and temperature controlled fermentation are the order of the day. This is truly brilliant Premier Crus Chablis, rich and pure with a taut, seashell-minerality, finely balanced acidity and a long, clean persistent finish. My favourite wine of the night.

All in all it was a fantastic evening with some really lovely wines and I can't wait 'till the next event. Watch this space!

Dominic

BACCHANALIA - a Christmas orgy of Food and Wine

A Feast of Food and Wine at the Old Bakery and Mill Street Restaurants on Thursday 8th December.
Sup over 80 wines at Mill Street Restaurant selected from some of the World’s finest small producers, with stalls hosted by wine industry experts and Masters of Wine. Live Music and Champagne on arrival. A series of wine dinners will be running throughout the evening at The Old Bakery restaurant, with three Masters of Wine giving talks on their specialist subjects.The wines for these dinners are included in the ticket price, and the Old Bakery’s fantastic full Tapas Menuwill be on offer to compliment the wines.

WINE TASTING at Mill Street Restaurant, 6.30pm - 10pm

DINNER SCHEDULE at the Old Bakery Restaurant

• 7pm - 8pm Burgundy Wine Dinner hosted by John Atkinson MW

• 8.15pm - 9.15pm Natural Wine Dinner hosted by Tim Wildman MW
• 9.30pm - 10.30pm Spanish Dinner hosted by Liam Steevenson MW


Tickets £15 per person

book now by calling 01548 854 473 or by emailing sales@red-white.co.uk

Fingers Crossed for Red & White

Great news this afternoon:  Red & White have been shortlisted for the International Wine Competition's Regional Merchant Award, South West.

We're thrilled to have been shortlisted and looking forward to the awards dinner in September.  We, obviously, think we're much better than our two rivals for the award;  here's hoping the judges agree!

New Blood at The Wine Store

We've been looking for an Assistant Manager for the Wine Store for some time - blimey, it must have been March when we first started advertising!  It's about time that we found someone then, so it's great news for all of us that Dominic started on Tuesday this week.

Some of you may already know Dominic.  He's been working for Cranch's sweet shop for some time, both in Salcombe and more recently Totnes.  He's a great retailer, and getting stuck into wine with relish - I'm sure he'll know more than any of us pretty soon!

Look out for Dom's own blog, coming pretty soon.  He'll be blogging about his early experiences at Red & White, and especially the wines he's tasting as he gets to know out fantastic range.

Alsace Wine Tasting: The Brilliant Bruno Sorg

It's In-Store Tasting time again at The Wine Store. Expert Simon Hore will be visiting on Tuesday 24th May with wines from my favourite Alsatian winery, Domaine Bruno Sorg.


THE BRILLIANT BRUNO SORG with SIMON HORE
Date: Tuesday 24th May 2011.
Time: 7pm Start.
Venue: Red & White The Wine Store, 99 Fore Street, Kingsbridge
Tickets: £5 per person; call 01548 853 898 or email chris@red-white.co.uk to book yours today.

I first fell in love with these wines at a trade tasting in London a couple of years ago and whilst I've had the odd bottle here and there since, I'm really excited about getting to know the Domaine's range again. These are some of the richest and finest wines in Alsace, and we'll be tasting a fantastic cross section, from Gewurztraminer to Riesling, from AC to Grand Cru - there may even be a bit of red involved!

Alsace is a region that so often gets forgotten about, or confused with Germany, so it's high time the wines were put in the spotlight again - and what better way to learn about them than a Red & White Tastings.

Tickets are £5, and are available from today by calling 01548 853898 or emailing chris@red-white.co.uk. Watch out though, we've moved away from our usual Thursday slot to a Tuesday evening.

"Hooray, Hooray the Quarderna Via arrives today!"

The country is bathed in beautiful sunshine, the beaches are full and everyones' thoughts are turning to chilled rosé and white wines. This is the moment that we've chosen to announce the arrival of two brand new red wines!
In our defence, we have been waiting a few months for these wines to arrive - we expected them at the start of the year but problems with transport from Spain delayed them somewhat.

The title above is a quote from the man who helped find these wines for us, Tony Goddard. Many of you will know Tony and Gill, and they've been good customers of Red & White for many years. For most of that time, they've been doggedly trying to persuade us to buy wines from their favourite winery, Quaderna Via. We finally caved in late last year, tried the wines and loved them so much we ordered a pallet! Who better to tell you a bit more about the winery than Tony himself:

"We (my wife Gill and I) met George and his wine maker brother at Bodega Quaderna Via entirely by chance some three or four years ago. We were on our way back from Pamplona to Logrono when Gill suddenly said “Lets go in there”. Ever obedient I duly turned into their lovely bodega with superb views out over the rolling hills of Navarra. A generous wine tasting of their wonderful wine tutored by George in the large tasting room above the bodega and we ended up buying six cases and have been going back for more ever since! What else could we do but introduce them to Red and White?"

The wines are Initium - a blend of Tempranillo and Merlot and the brilliant price of £6, and Quaderna Via Crianza A touch more at £8.50, but excellent value compared to a similar quality Rioja.

I'll be opening these wines over Easter weekend, along with one or two other Spanish wines - white, I think sounds appropriate!

Begude Pinot Rosé

I didn't get around to posting a 'Friday Tasting Preview' yesterday, but here's a quick review of its star - the delicious Rosé from Domaine Begude.

James and Catherine Kinglake took over this Domaine in 2003, moving from the UK to make their home in the beautiful Limoux region, nestled amongst the foothills of the Pyrenees. Their specialilty is Chardonnay, with their top wines making their way onto Michelin starred lists throughout Europe - and even in Burgundy itself!  Red & White's relationship with them began in 2008 when Liam bumped into James in the Millbrook Inn (the Kinglakes have a holiday home in the South Hams) and has flourished ever since.

Domaine Begude, Pinot Rosé 2010
This is a wine that we always seem to sell out of halfway through the summer and then spend the next six months listening to ou customers clamouring for the new vintage.  We took delivery of the 2010 wine early this week so thought it best to get it straight into the store and opened for tasting.


Pale pink in colour with cranberry on the nose and a hint of pear, the wine is clean, racy and bone dry in the mouth and is positively bursting with fresh strawberry flavours with a riot of red fruits on the finish.  Vibrant and youthful, this is a brilliant apretif wine and I just hope we have some left when summer comes so I can enjoy it properly!

Tecchie Stuff:  100% Pinot Noir, Organically grown, fermented and matured in stainless steel and bottled in January 2011.

COMIC RELIEF TASTING:

THE GREAT KINGSBRIDGE WINE QUIZ

Yes folks, it's time to warm up those tastebuds, get the brain cells working and put your hands in your pockets at Red & White's GREAT KINGSBRIDGE WINE TASTING in aid of Comic Relief on Thursday 17th March.

COMIC RELIEF WINE TASTING: THE GREAT KINGSBRIDGE WINE QUIZ
When? Thursday 17th March 2011, 7pm start
Where? The Wine Store Kingsbridge
Teams: Any size is fine - join in on your own or bring an entire rugby team, the more the merrier!
Tickets? £10 per person (all proceeds go to Comic Relief so we're charging a bit more than normal), available on 01548 853898 or email chris@red-white.co.uk

It's Comic Relief, so whilst I can't guarantee the quality of my jokes, this will definitely be the most fun you've had at a Wine Tasting since D'Arenberg accidently added laughing gas to 'The Laughing Magpie.'* Rest assured, you won't need to be a Master of Wine to take part, this is going to be nice and easy and we'll chuck in a few quirky games along the way.
As well as putting your wine knowledge to the test for a great prize we'll be spending the next three weeks thinking of more great ways to raise money for Comic Relief, to include:

• The Obligatory Raffle - for great wine prizes, of course.
• Fine Wine Auction - We'll be auctioning off one or two rather tasty Fine Wines on the night - bring your chequebook, you're going to need it!

So get your team together, prepare those charity donations and get your tickets booked today - call 01548 853898 or email chris@red-white.co.uk

(All donations for the raffle or Fine Wine Auction very gratefully received!)

*D'Arenberg didn't actually do that - I did say I couldn't guarantee my jokes!

Wine A Bottle of Wine at this week's Mini Tasting

That's right, this week's mini tasting is your chance to wine a bottle of delicious wine!

We'll be tasting one wine blind, and the first person to correctly guess what it is will wine a bottle.

It's as simple as that.  All you have to do is join us from 4pm on Friday or any time on Saturday, taste the wine, make your guess and hope you're right.

I wonder who will win...

Friday Tasting Preview #5: Guggable Cab Sauv

Sadly for you, I'm not foolish enough to preview the competition wine, so here are my notes on one of the wines I've just brought in to refresh the 'everyday favourites' section of the shop.

Kintu, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010  £6
Although Red & White have sold this wine for some time, for some reason it's only just found its way onto the shelves of The Wine Store.  Cabernet Sauvignon is the red grape that Chile initially built its reputation on.

In the reliable climate of the valleys between the Andes and Coastal mountain ranges, Cabernet Sauvignon ripens much more readily than it does in, say, Bordeaux, and gives fruit driven wines of eminent gluggability!

A vibrant ruby red, with red cherry on the nose and a palate full of forest fruits, the tannins here are soft and supple and the wine's retined a real freshness.  Lovely, lifted red berry fruits on the finish round off a wine that may not the most complex or serious but is emminently drinkable, especially at (an increasingly rare) 12% ABV!


Tecchie Stuff:  100% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in stainless steel with no oak.

Friday Tasting Preview #4: Pretty Sancerre Rose from Andre Neveu

It may be just a little predictable, but I can never resist a drop of something pink at Valentine's day.  Surely this is the one day of the year when a little bit of kitsch is allowed?  I'm a dedicated dry rosé man though - noneof your "white" zindfandel here please - so this wine from the Loire valley should be right up my street.

Don't believe my tasting note?  Join me at  tonight's free Mini-Tasting  from 5pm to taste it for yourself.
 

Andre Neveu, Sancerre Rosé, 'Le Grand Fricambault' 2009  £16
Most people imagine Sancerre to be an exclusively white wine producing area, but the reds and rosés from these vineyards can be equally successful.  Indeed, the area was a flourishing Pinot Noir district in the 19th century and this is the grape that is now uses to make both styles of wine.
This single vineyard wine, made by the fifth generation of winemakers at family-owned Andre Neveu, is made using the 'saignée' method, which involves bleeding some wine from red wine fermentation vats after only a few hours contact with the skins and is the method used for nearly all rosé (with the exception of some champagnes).

This wine is all about texture and persistence.  A charming salmon pink colour, it has a subtle nose with roses, strawberries and redcurrants on the palate but it's the mouthfeel that's really impressive.  Bone dry, it manages to combine taut acidity with a rounded, full mid-palate and finishes with a burst of redcurrant fruits which seem to stay in the mouth forever afterwards.

Tecchie Stuff: 100% Pinot Noir from the Grand Fricambault, made using saignée method and rested in stainless steel tanks.

Friday Tasting Preview #3: Great Greeks

My rather belated New Year's Resolution is to drink more interesting wines, so here I am tasting what most be one of the more unusual whites in the shop.  Greek wine can get a bad press with the general public but this is a unique and exciting wine land with both brilliant wines and fantastic potential thhrough the application of modern winemaking techniques to ancient indigenous grape varieties.

Gentilini, Robola of Cephalonia 2009  £12.50
The white grape Robola is native to the Ionian island of Cephalonia where it is grown on vines trained low to the ground on mountain slopes.  The british governor of the island Charles Napier (1782 -1853) described it as like drinking "a wine made from stone" - let's hope that this wine, made by one of two small but forward thinking family wineries on the island has a bit of fruit too!

Pale yellow in colour, this turns out to have a gently lemony nose with notes of grapefruit and just a hint of almonds.  It's a realy refresher this - lots of acidity with a relatively neutral mid-palate which if anything expresses the stoniness Napier talked of.  The finish has real crunch though and good carry with fennel, aniseed and more nuttiness.  This may not be bursting with aromatics but I can just imagine polishing off a bottle with a freshly caught fish in some picturesque greek harbour, so bring on that Devon summer sunshine and away we'll go!

Tecchie stuff:  100% Robola from high altitude vineyards on Cephalonia.  Cold fermented at 14 degrees celcius and kept well away from oak.

Australian Wine Extravaganza: The Highlights

Now, that is a way to celebrate Australia Day - even if we were a bit late.  We decided to go big for our first tasting of 2011 and last night opened every single bottle of Australian wine that we stock.  A bit of a marathon taste you might think, but there's certainly no better way to get a handle on a country's wines!  We ran the full gamut from sparkling to sweet, but for me it was the reds that stood out, both in terms of quality and variety.  I've picked out one which I especially liked below, but frankly could have chosen one from a number of contenders including D'Arneberg's Dead Arm, Clonakilla's Hilltops Shiraz and Penny's Hill Grenache


Dean Hewitson, Ned and Henry Shiraz 2006
Dean is one of the nicest men in Australian wine, and also one of the country's most talenteed young winemakers.  After studying in California and making wine under great names like Brian Croser, Hewitson set up on his own in 1998, originally renting vines in the Barossa Valley and borrowing winery space, though he now has his own winery and is buying up parcels of old vines outright. 

Ned and Henry is on expressive form tonight, with an energetic bouquet full of blueberry fruit and well integrated, spicy French oak notes.  The palate is clean and crystal clear with more red than dark fruits, a suggestion of menthol and a hit of classic Barossa alcohol.  It's deliciously smooth and certainly ticks the 'drinkable' box but posseses a long finish which denotes real class.  Seems a shame to throw the leftovers away really... so I'll leave them here for you to taste over the weekend!


Tecchie Stuff:  Shiraz with a drop of Mourvedre are dry farmed in old Barossa vineyards and see around 15 months in French oak barriques

Friday Tasting Preview #2: My Burn's Night Dram

Not one to miss out on the blindingly obvious, I reckon that the perfect theme for this Friday's Mini Tasting is Single Malt Whisky, just in time for Burn's Night on Tuesday.  We'll be sampling the whisky of four distilleries from across Scotland, but my preview is a beautifully balanced Islay malt.

Connoisseur's Choice, Caol Ila 1998  £35.50
Now, whilst I appreciate malt whisky wherever it comes from, I'm a bit single minded in my personal consumption - I just love Islay malts.   Anyone who's visited the island and smelt it's salty, peat smoke aroma and then tasted the whiskies will attest to their expression of terroir, a concept more familiar in the hands of Burgundian winemakers.
Though perhaps less exalted than its neighbours, Caol Ila is the largest distillery on Islay and much of its production goes into Johnny Walker.  The best expressions carry a sweet maltiness under the peat smoke which make it more approachable than monsters like Laphroaig.

Tasted neat, the nose is full of peat ash and marmite with just a hint of salinity.  Whilst the palate is drying the peat doesn't dominate, and though it's difficult to find the richness that sherry casks should impart, there's a really evocative seaweed character here.  A drop of water (distillers often taste at around 20% ABV where the full spectrum of flavours is most evident) softens the smoke revealing delicate tea and apple peel flavours. I'm surprised by the lightness of touch here as I was expecting more power - but this is truly impressive for a 12 year old malt.

Tecchie Stuff:  Malt from the Port Ellen distillery with phenolics (peat influence) of 35ppm.  Spirit distilled in 1998 was aged in refill sherry casks by independent bottlers Gordon and Macphail and bottled in 2010 at 43%ABV.

Make your mind up this Friday Evening (21st Jan) from 5pm by tasting this alongside three other exciting single malts.

New Arrival: Bruno Sorg

I've been a big admirer of Bruno Sorg's wines since I first tasted them a few years ago. They have a delicacy and purity of fruit that runs through his entire range regardless of grape and Muscat, and their consistently high quality year on year is astounding. Production from his vineyards, which include vines in three Grand Cru sites, is tiny - just 5,000 cases - so we're lucky to have got hold of a few cases which have just arrived in-store.

Though many of us know Alsace for its Gewurztraminer, it's Riesling that the locals aspire to make great run from so Sorg's perfumed, grapey Muscat 2009 (£17) is joined by two brilliant Rieslings - the young, fresh, limey Riesling 2009(£14.50) and the majestic Riesling Grand Cru Florimont 2005 (£21).  Sorg's Grand Cru wines need at least four years in the bottle, so it's wonderful to be able to offer you something just coming into it's own!  A full tasting note will follow, as soon as I've got my teeth into a bottle!

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Friday Tasting Preview #1: New Portugese Red

Right, my first New Year's resolution to go booze free in January lasted about 6 days, so here goes Resolution number 2 - to actually use this blog. I thought a great way to get started was to begin bringing you tasting notes on the wines I've been drinking and especially previews of the wines on show at our Friday Evening Mini Tastings. Here goes!

Terra d'Alter, Tinto 2008 £8.50
The wines of Terra d'Alter landed in the shop just before Christmas so I haven't had a chance to get to know them properly until today. The winery was founded in 2004 and is the latest project of Australian winemaker Peter Bright (of Bright Brothers fame), with a focus on applying new world winemaking to traditional portugese varieties to produce top quality, premium wines from the hot, dry Alentejo region in southern Portugal

Ripe and juicy, this is an easy-going (and not exactly premium at £8.50) red with the emphasis on the fruit. There's just a hint of cigar box spice on the finish but otherwise this is all about plum aromatics and bright raspberry/strawberry fruits. With its medium body, soft tannins and well integrated alcohol this is a charming introduction into the wonderful world of Portugese wine.

Tecchie stuff: Aragones (Tempranillo to you and me), Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira, 6 months maturation in French oak.

Make your own mind up and try two more Terra d'Alter wines at tonight's Friday Mini Tasting (Friday 14th Jan from 5pm).





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New Year, New Wines

It's been a quiet start to January on the new wines front, though we've got an awful lot of exciting juice on the water heading this way.  While we're waiting for these to arrive, there are still one or two choice morsels to get your teeth into:

We've long been fans of Seresin Estate's biodynamic wines so it's a joy to welcome their Chardonnay to the Red&White fold with its classic barrel fermented Kiwi stylings. 
Our Portugese section has been long overdue a re-vamp, so the arrival (admitedly just before Christmas) of a quartet of delicious wines from Terra d'Alter in southerly Alentejo is a relief - two whites and two reds including the estate's flagship 'Outeiro' (now there's a wine with Robert Parker's name on it!)
Greece has been in similar need of attention but we now boast a Robola (crisp, refreshing white from Cephalonia) and Red Nemea from Gentilini and a Mavrodaphne of Patras (sweet red) alongside old faves Hatzidakis Santorini and Melikos Muscat.
Last but not least, a couple of exciting wines from iconic producer:  Gaston Huet's Demi-Sec Vouvray 'Le Mont' joins the dry wine from the same vineyard, and, just in time for Chris' birthday, a couple of bottles of Krug Grand Cuvee have turned up from somewhere!

We'll be opening some of these wines (though sadly not the Krug) at Friday Mini Tastings over the next few weeks, and watch out for more exciting new arrivals, coming soon!

Christmas Kick Start at The Wine Store

I'm really getting in the Christmas mood now.  The shop's full of great Christmas wines (including a host of special deals spuriously entitled 'The Twelve Wines of Christmas"), we've a Christmas Tree in the window and I'm even thinking of getting the Christmas tunes on the stereo.

To keep me feeling festive I'll be opening wines to taste every day until Christmas, and I hate throwing wine away so make sure you visit and sample some wine with me. Today is Friday so I think we'll open four Christmas Crackers:  the perfect wines for this December.

The other good news is that we've finally finished off our retail wine list.  This can be found on our website here:  http://www.red-white.co.uk/wine_list.php and I'll have some copies in store very soon.

Red+White Christmas Wine Tasting

RED&WHITE’S 

annual Christmas Wine Tasting 

is at the South Sands Hotel,
Salcombe on Wednesday 1st December,
from 6.00pm until 8.30pm.

With over 80 wines open to taste, and plenty of wine
trade experts there to guide you through the range,
it is an informative and enjoyable way to
select some great wines for Christmas.

Tickets are £10 per person, payable in advance.
To book please call 01548 853 898 or
e-mail shop@red-white.co.uk

The South Sands Hotel are offering a set-menu
Dinner afterwards; £14.95 for 2 course and £19.95
for 3 courses. Booking via the hotel advised.

Fantastic tasting with Pedro Benito

This Wednesday's tasting with Pedro if Urbina Rioja was just brilliant.  Pedro's a great speaker and managed to keep the 30 strong crowd in the shop enthralled for well over an hour and a half!  His delicious Riojas may have helped a little.

 It's rare that a tasting throws up a series of wines that so perfectly show a progression of style (and price) whilst retaining a clear family identity.  With the exception of the new 'PLOT' wine, Urbina's style is unashamedly traditional, and textbook Rioja Alta stuff:  fine-boned, elegant fruit with the oak in perfect harmony.  Frankly, it's hard to pick a winner from the night as each wine performed it's job perfectly, but the PLOT was the most popular, and the Gran Reserva Especial 1994 really showed it's class!




Here's a quick video of some of what you missed!

Winestock: The Aftermath!

Wow, what a day!  Yes, I know this report on WInestock is being posted a little late, but I had so much fun I had to take a holiday!

Anyway, here's a full report on Winestock (click on the image below to read a full size version):

WINESTOCK: Red+White's Summer Wine Festival

This summer's greatest wine event is here:

Click the image to view it in a larger format

Call 01548 853898 to book your tickets today

Tasting with Domaine Begude

We were delighted to welcome James Kinglake of Domaine Begude to the store on Thursday night for a fantastic tasting of his wines.
Running through his range of whites (and refreshing rose), from the amazing value 'Amelie' (named after his daughter who also made a brief appearance) to the classy 'Etoile de Begude' and controversial 'L'Exotique', James gripped the crowd with his tales of winemaking exploits in the south of France and his philosophy on wine, organics and much more.
Below is just a short exerpt from the evening in which James describes his experience of the 2009 vintage (it was a warm, sticky night so we tasted with the door open, hence the annoying traffic noise):

Wine World Cup Semi Final Result

A comprehensive victory by SPAIN in last week's Semi Final sees them through to the final on the 15th.  Who will join them?
USA and ARGENTINA play for their final place tomorrow evening (Fri 2nd) between 5 and 7 - join us to help decide the final line up!

Tickets for the final on the 15th, which takes the form of a fully tutored tasting, can be bought for a tiny fee of £5 by calling 01548 853898.

Wine World Cup: The SEMI FINALS are here!

Last week's Group 2 tasting was very exciting, with a closely fought battle between Australia and USA for 2nd place ending in a victory for the Americans, who join winners Italy in the Semi Finals.

Tomorrow (that's Friday 24th June) will bring the first of the Semi Finals, between last week's winners ITALY, managed by Liam and SPAIN (under Chris' guidance), runners up from Group 1.


In the Semi Finals, each country will be represented by 4 wines - 2 whites and 2 reds, chosen by the managers who will give a quick presentation about them at 5pm before you taste and score them.  REMEMBER, we just want to know which wines you like, so you don't need to be an expert.

The tasting is between 5 and 7pm on Friday 25th June but you can join in by tasting the wines on Saturday or all of next week too.

It's hotting up, so time you got involoved!

The Results are in: Wine World Cup Group 1

A shock early exit for France last week as Argentina (1st) and Spain (2nd) progress to the semi finals.

Andy is delighted with his team's win, whilst Liam is licking his wounds and planning a comeback with Italy this week.  Joint top wines of the night were Finca Los Prados Chenin/Semillon and Quinta el Refugio Toro.

Take part in the Group 2 Tasting on Friday 18th by coming along to the store between 5 and 7pm and tasting for free!  Tomorrow's teams are:  Italy
                                                  Germany
                                                  USA
                                                  Australia

It's really easy to join in.  Just come along, taste the 8 wines on show and give us your marks out of 10 for each (you don't have to be an expert, we just want to know what you like).

There's a short presentation by the teams' managers at 5pm (each Red+White staff member is managing a team and we're getting very competitive about it so sparks may fly) but you can taste any time until we close at 7 or on any day throughout the following week.

See you there!

Meet the Winemaker Tasting: Domaine Begude

Following his aborted attempt to get over in May, I'm delighted to announce that James Kinglake from Domaine Begude will be joining us (ash clouds permitting) for an IN-STORE Tasting on Thursday 1st July

TASTING:  Meet the Winemaker, Domaine Begude
Date:  Thursday 1st July
Time:  7pm
Veue:  The WIne Store, 99 Fore St, Kingsbridge
Tickets:  £5 per person, available on 01548 853 898

Owned by an English couple from the South Hams who are living the dream in the south of France, Begude make some of the best Limoux wines going. Not only are their wines favourites at Red+White but they get great press write-ups too, most recently in Decanter Magazine. Hardly surprising really when they make one of the best French Chardonnays outside Burgundy!

Give me a call or email me chris@red-white.co.uk and get your place booked soon.

Wine World Cup Starts Tomorrow

I know it's a cliche to use the World Cup as a theme for store events, but frankly I just couldn't resist!
All throughout June we'll be holding mini-tastings on Friday evening that will double up as fixtures in the Red+White Wine World Cup.

8 top winemaking countries will be competing for the top prize, managed by members of the Red+White team (we're getting quite competitive about this and there's already a whiff of skullduggery in the air), and judged by you, the discerning public!

Here's how it works:
There are three rounds :Round 1, Semi Finals and Final.  In round one, four countries will compete per tasting, represented by 2 wines each.  You come in, taste them and score them out of 10 (you don't need to be an expert, just tell us which you like).  The two countries with the highest aggregate scores go through to the Semi Final.  In the Semis, countries will be paired off and will compete directly against each other, represented by four wines, and the winner will go through to the Final, which is a fully tutored tasting on the 15th July.

Matches take place on Fridays throughout June between 5 and 7pm and the wines can be tasted and scored throughout the following week.

Oh, and the bad news is that England went out in the qualifying round (great whites up front but the defensive reds failed them).

See you at the match.

What does Olli Smith Know?

Here are my suggested wines for this morning's Saturday Kitchen. Really, do you trust a man who chooses those shirts?

Heaven Dish: Roast herb chicken etc: Domaine Begude Amelie Chardonnay, Limoux £6.50. Just arrived, this is James Kinglake's latest offering at it's fresh, crackly fruit is perfect for this dish.

Hell: Hot and Sour Monkfish: Pinot Gris/Grigio for me here. Ninth Island's Tasmanian version would be perfect (£12), or Terre di Montelusa for a more budget option (£6)

Warm Smoked Mackerel: Why buy wine from Kent when Sharpham makes fantastic wines so close by. Dart Valley Reserve's slight smokiness from the oak wil compliment this beautifully (£9.50)

Cod Cheeks with Mussels and Chorizo: This just screams Albarino at me - Pazo Barrantes is expensive but awesome at £14.50, but but The Mill Verdelho from Australia would work well too (£8)

and finally, for the Goat's Chees Cream, Domaine Durban Muscat de Beaumes de Venise - £10 for a half or £12.50 for a full bottle.

More Free Tastings

Highlihts of last Friday's Chilean mini-tasting were a magnificent Sauvignon Blanc from Casa Marin and a smooth, chocolatey Carmenere from Secreto (the secret is that there's something other than Carmenere hiding in there!)

This week we're tasting some of Italy's quirkier offerings (just a few wines to choose from them). Particularly looking forward to trying our new Salice Salentino from Masserio Pietrosa and a cheeky frizzante Malvasia in the Asti style - now if that's not a bit odd, I don't know what is!

Minerale +++

A beautiful day again in Kingsbridge - just perfect for a chilled white on the beach!

Spaeking of beautiful days, I rounded off an afternoon's gardening on Sunday with a glass or two of Franzt Saumon's stunning Minerale +. This cracker from Montlouis, just nextdoor to Vouvray in the Loire valley is a great example of how well this area does Chenin Blanc. Rich and expressive but deliciously balanced and full of baked apple fruit.

My theme for this week is to work on a new idea - a Wine World Cup to run alongside the football one this year. Watch this space, it's going to be fun!

Impromptu tastings and Pimms for the weekend

Great little tasting yesterday evening at the shop - a bit impromtu but I think we might do something regularly on Fridays.
We tasted 5 wines from the Languedoc (well, the Provence rose is stretching the point a little but you know what I mean). Standouts were the Domaine Begude Limoux Chardonnay - very burgundian and totally classy for less than a tenner - Ollieux Romanis Corbieres (nice to see some restraint here, but no lack of seductive perfume and earthy minerality) and that lovely salmon pink rose.


Just to prove we've been listening, we've filled the Kingsbridge Pimms void just in time for a cracking BBQ weekend.

Sadie Family lauded as best in South Africa

Delighted to read this morning that a panel of top experts have chosen two of Eben Sadies as the best in South Africa: Collumela as best red and Palladius as joint best white. They're not exactly everyday wines, but Sequillo is a bit more accessible at £16 - and stunning too!
Read more on their triumph here: http://bit.ly/ag1ay9
On a contrasting note, we've had a nice extension to our spirit range delivered today - on or two more affordable bottles - Bells, Bombay Sapphire etc. Oh, and some cheeky cigarettes!

Chris