All 193 Majestic stores are hosting Summer Wine Evenings this month. A free evening of tasting new wines to our range along with some delicious cheese, charcuterie and nibbles from the Italian deli Vallebona - the cheese really is very moreish!

Hurry! Some stores have already had their tasting, check your local store’s webpage to see when yours is.

Here are a few photos from the Wine Evening at our Edinburgh Comiston Road store this month. Spot the English sparkling wine open to taste too…!

Not on our mailing list? Pop into your local Majestic to pick up a free copy or have a browse of our e-copy here.

All our stores have their own dedicated webpage with daily updates on what the team’s tasting.
Find out which bottles are open in your local Majestic today at majestic.co.uk/stores

3-9 May
New Arrivals for Summer

17-23 May
Wines of Italy

31 May – 6 June
Wines of New Zealand

14-20 June
Wines of Australia

28 June – 4 July
Rosé from Provence

12-18 July
Wines of Chile

26 July – 1 August
Wines from Loire & Beaujolais

Whether you’re planning a Wedding, summer party, BBQ, birthday, or all four, you know you can have peace of mind when organising the drinks with Majestic.

Wondering how many bottles of wine you’ll need? Unsure how much Champagne to get for a toast or reception? Want to know more about our FREE glass hire?

The majestic.co.uk Party Planner has all you need to plan the perfect party

smart party calculator – work out how much you need to buy
free download: party planner guide – the 101 guide to party drinks planning

Visit the Party Planner on majestic.co.uk

Need more help? Speak to your local Majestic team who are always on hand with expert advice.

Say hello to Andy!

Andy is one of our wine buyers for Chile and Argentina and has taken over the Majestic Instagram for the last few weeks! At the moment Andy is in Argentina tasting some new wines, including some at a winery in a… chapel!

Follow Andy’s first tango with Instagam online @majesticwine and download the app for your apple or android mobile. Simply follow @majesticwine!

Here are a few of Andy’s latest photos from his current trip in South America…

“Shall we put a winery in the chapel? Is the Pope an Argentine?!”

“Don’t you know it’s rude to take pictures when I’m tasting tank samples”

“Lunch with a golden view of Apalta, courtesy of the Montes team. Thanks!”

The sun is flooding in here on the Costa del Aylesbury and seeing as we can’t remember the last time that fiery orb graced us with its presence we want to make the most of it.

And there could be no better way to do that than with a glass of Godello, the little known Galician grape, from Montenovo.

Buzzing with lively fruit characters of pear, melon and pineapple this a lovely refreshing wine for a balmy evening.

Time to chuck some salted almonds into a bowl and get out the garden chairs.

Chris Druitt

Wine is more than a peripheral interest for Chris having previously enjoyed hands-on experiences at wineries in Alsace, Oregon and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Chris’ favourites include wines from the Musar fold, rich Suuth African Chenins and most things fortified.

  

The Bordeaux 2012 campaign is now in full swing at Lay & Wheeler, the fine wine specialist of Majestic Wine.

We went to taste the wines at the beginning of April, returning to the office just in time for the first releases – things are much quicker off the mark than usual!

We were pleasantly surprised by what we tasted. After reports of such a difficult vintage last year, it was easy to assume that we would end up tasting a lot of lean and mean wines, without much to recommend them. However, in the most part, this was not the case. The key to success was twofold, based both on the vineyard sites owned by the Châteaux and on their ability to afford to be able to be selective with the fruit that was coming into the cellars.

Where these two factors have combined, the wines made are actually very good – and in the most part superior to those of 2011. The right bank has fared perhaps the best and certainly the most consistently, with some tremendous wines being made and comparisons drawn with 1998, another great right bank vintage. The left bank however should not by any means be dismissed, and the great wines of the Médoc are still at a very high level indeed.

Last week saw the release of not only of various smaller properties, but also of Mouton-Rothschild and Lynch Bages, both at reasonable prices – Mouton considerably less than the previous year. This morning, we hit the ground running with the release of Lafite-Rothschild and the other wines owned by Domaine Barons de Rothschild – Carruades de Lafite and the highly sought-after Château l’Evangile.

It’s therefore a very interesting time for Bordeaux buyers and a chance to buy a good vintage at what appear to be fair prices. For more information, please visit the Lay & Wheeler Bordeaux pages, where you can read the full vintage report from Nick Dagley and our full tasting notes.

You can also express interest in various wines, so that we can ensure that you receive the information you want. And, if you would like to talk to someone, please feel free to call us on 01473 313300. We have longer office opening hours over this period, so there will be someone available until 7pm Monday to Friday.

Click here to visit the Lay & Wheeler Bordeaux pages.

Kat Wiggins

I’ve been part of Lay & Wheeler for 11 years, working in private sales until my recent move into marketing. Currently studying for the Master of Wine, I am a self-confessed wine geek and twitter addict.

 

Love rhubarb. Love sherry. Love this l’atelier des chefs recipe and wine match.

Rhubarb and sherry trifle, a twist on the English classic trifle dessert with refreshing seasonal rhubarb.

For the sherry, use Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’ – the ultimate sweet wine!

Ingredients

• For the fruit:
  • Rhubarb : 750g
  • Oranges : 2 whole
  • Caster sugar : 200g
• For the base:
  • Sponge fingers : 18 whole
  • Sherry : 20cl of Pedro Ximenez sherry
• For the custard:
  • Semi-skimmed milk : 25cl
  • Double cream : 25cl
  • Egg yolks : 6 whole
  • Plain flour : 60g
  • Caster sugar : 60g
• For the chantilly cream:
  • Double cream : 12cl
  • Icing sugar : 60g
  • Vanilla pods : 1 whole

Recipe method

1. For the rhubarb:
   • Preheat the oven to 180′C.
   • Wash and cut the rhubarb into small pieces.
   • Juice and zest the oranges and mix with the sugar and the rhubarb.
   • Bake in the oven for around 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
2. For the base:
   • Break the sponge fingers in half and drizzle on the sherry.
3. For the custard:
   • Separate the eggs.
   • Whisk the egg yolks, flour and sugar together in a bowl.
   • Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a heavy bottomed pan.
   • Pour the boiling liquid onto the egg mixture, return to the pan cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick.
   • Allow to cool, transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.
4. For the chantilly cream:
   • De-seed the vanilla pod, combine with the sugar and cream and whisk until thick.
   • Spoon the cream into a piping bag.
5. To plate:
   • Place the sponge fingers in the bottom of a glass.
   • Top with the rhubarb, add a layer of the cold custard before finishing by piping on the vanilla cream.

Chef’s tip

Use different liquor such as Drambuie or Cointreau to add a different taste to the dish depending on the occasion.

Wine Pairing

Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’. Produced by the Hidalgo Family bodega, established in 1792 in Sanlúcar. Made using grapes dried on straw mats, fermented and fortified, then aged under the solera system. One of the sweetest wines in the world, PX is about as sweet as things can get – perfect drizzled on ice cream with your rhubarb trifle.

L\’atelier des Chefs

We are delighted to be partnered with the fantastic team at L’atelier des Chefs to bring you a series of wine and food pairing recipes and cookery classes.
Visit the L’atelier des Chefs website to discover their unique cooking classes in central London and more great recipes.

   

The pink colour of the Veuve Clicquot Rosé NV label also has a raison d’être. During a lengthy decision process to select the right shade of pink for the label, Cyril was visiting Kyoto, Japan. The spring air and the pink cherry blossom – click! Cherry blossom pink. The international launch of the NV rosé was held in Japan as a memento to that spring time pink epiphany.

Here are a few snaps from last night at the Majestic and Veuve Clicquot Champagne tasting hosted by Cyril Brun, Veuve Clicquot Winemaker.

Discover the whole Veuve Clicquot range at majestic.co.uk and enrich yourself with Veuve Clicquot lifestyle on wishyouwerehere.veuve-clicquot.com

Malbec World Day is celebrated across the world every year on the 17th April; the same day Domingo Faustino Sarmiento vowed to transform Argentina’s wine industry in 1853.

Domingo brought Malbec to Argentine shores with the help of French soil expert Michel A. Pouget. They experimented with a number of different vines from France, but it was Malbec from Cahors in the South West that proved it’s worth. In fact, it took to the Argentine climate so well it is now Argentina’s flagship grape variety – cause for us all to celebrate!

Producing deep inky purple wine with dominant full bodied plum like flavours, it goes with nothing better than the famous Argentine cuisine – steak! Yum.

You can choose from a number of great Malbecs at Majestic either in store or at majestic.co.uk

The best way to see the Malbec hype and it’s cult following is on twitter, look for the hashtag #malbecworldday

Bonus!

the most spectacular three days of my Majestic Career!

Elizabeth’s fly by three days in Mendoza, Argentina

Hal Prescott

Hal works in our Comiston Road store in Edinburgh. You will mostly find him drinking and eating… everything. Especially if it’s out of the ordinary.

 

Re-located from Leeds Chapel Allerton, Majestic Leeds North is now bigger and better and can cater for all your wine and drinks needs. Whether you’re popping in on the way home from work or having a BBQ for this weekend’s hot weather… *fingers crossed* Leeds North has all the wine, beer, soft drink, glass loan and chiller bins you need.

Situated next door to Pets At Home in Northside Retail Park, Stonegate Road, the store is beautiful, shiny and new. There is a dedicated Fine Wine section and an island tasting counter ready and waiting you to taste the latest wines in the range.

Check out the new Leeds North webpage for more news, latest event details, and their contact information: majestic.co.uk/leedsnorth

See you here soon!

After 24 hours of travelling we were treated to a three course meal at Francis Mallmann 1884.

The Argentinean equivalent of a Cornish pasty – Empanada Mendocina.

The rib eye challenge!

Good morning Mendoza – The impressive view from my room on the 9th floor of the luxury Diplomatic hotel.

The Manager’s blend – We were given the task of blending together five wines that were to be judged by the Viñalba wine makers. The winning blend will be sold by Majestic as an online exclusive, with our buyer Andy having the final say.

Unfortunately, my team, Team G (the girls) did not make the final cut!

The highlight of my trip: horse riding in the Andes. I look like so calm trotting with my colleagues, but this is after breaking a nail and cutting my finger from trying to mount the horse. I then dismounted further up the mountain with a nose bleed – professional! Diane and Herve mentioned me at the harvest lunch, I’d won a horse in the raffle…

Followed by lunch…a vast selection of BBQ beef, pork and lamb ribs with the reddest and sweetest tomatoes Argentina has to offer.

The Viñalba Vineyards – the only producer to plant at such an altitude with the vineyards of Catena close by.

After a drive through Viñalba’s vast vineyards we arrived at a small cabin where we were welcomed by the smell of BBQ meats and chilled glasses of torrontes.

The Viñalba team.

Exclusive – sampling Viñalba rose 2013 straight from the tank.

The founders of Viñalba, Hervé and Diane Joyaux Fabre, celebrating another successful year at their annual harvest lunch. This was the final stop of my whirl wind three day trip to Mendoza and I even managed to fit in a spot of tango dancing! Thank you for an unforgettable 3 days of excellent food, outstanding wine and fantastic company.

Elizabeth Maragh

Elizabeth looks after our website and makes sure all the wines and prices are showing the right information. When Elizabeth is not enjoying the latest vintage of the English sparkling Nyetimber wine she can mostly be found listening to b-sides of Rihanna.

This sum was raised by collection tins in stores, mobile phone and sat nav recycling, staff activities, raffles and social events. Staff fundraising activities included the Marathon du Médoc, a 26.3 mile race around Bordeaux’s famous vineyards. For 25 years Bowel Cancer UK has been saving lives and improving the quality of life for all those affected by bowel cancer.

Jamie our Charity of the Year co-ordinator signs the cheque on behalf of Majestic.

Jamie presents the cheque to Luke from Bowel Cancer UK at our Head Office in Watford.

Luke Squires, Head of Philanthropy & Partnerships, Bowel Cancer UK:

“I would like personally thank everyone at Majestic Wine for choosing to support Bowel Cancer UK as your Charity of the Year for 2012. With a final fundraising total of £62,931, I can honestly say that this truly is an incredible result indeed. Your vital support means that we can continue to plan and work tirelessly to save more lives from the disease and improve the quality of life for all those affected by bowel cancer. Thank you so much”.

For more information about Bowel Cancer UK, please visit: bowelcanceruk.org.uk

We met up with Sophie who looks after all of Feng Sushi’s marketing – it was great to hear how well Feng Sushi is doing and exciting for us to have helped put their wine and drinks list together.

Sustainability, seasonality and provenance are at the heart of the Feng Sushi ethos towards sourcing their produce. At the moment they are celebrating the humble vegetable in order to raise awareness of the fish spawning season.

The delicious Green Goddess Maki, one of five new vegetarian specials for the seasonal campaign. The menu changes six times throughout the year to reflect seasonality.

Seasonal Vegetable Tempura. Crispy yumness.

Salmon Temaki Roll. My personal favourite.

As part of the commercial team it is Gareth’s job to help restaurants choose the right wines for their customers and cuisine. At Feng Sushi the wine list is kept small and concise complimenting the food menu perfectly. Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc and an English Bacchus are among the top hits.

Just like wine, Sushi is made for sharing. Whether you’re eating in or takeout, sushi is a wine matching winner!

We ate at the West Hampstead branch, but you can find them at 8 locations across London.

Have a look at the menu on their website fengsushi.co.uk

It’s that time of year again. No sooner have we dusted ourselves off from the last remnants of our Burgundy offer than we’re packing our bags and heading off to Bordeaux. Not that we’re really complaining.

This week is the big en primeur tasting week in Bordeaux. The journalists and critics have been out there for the last few weeks, but now it’s the turn of people like us to head out to taste at the Châteaux and the big group tastings run by the Union des Grands Crus. It is a tiring week, with non-stop tasting of very young and – often – very tannic reds, leaving us with black teeth, sore gums and a thirst for beer at the end of the day! Yet it’s churlish to complain about having the chance to taste some of the finest wine producers in the world and some of the Bordeaux Châteaux really are beautiful places.

The reports from those who have already tasted, and from the few examples I’ve already had the chance to taste, seem to be quite positive, with wines being highlighted from across the region. James Suckling, American wine critic, suggested that this was a vintage to watch the “p”s – Pomerol and Pessac, both of which he felt had performed very well – although he later also added that St Julien has done well in 2012.

The general view seems to be that quality is high where Châteaux got it right and is arguably better than in the 2011 vintage. High quality is not, however, universal, and we may have to be as selective with the wines we offer as the successful Châteaux have been with the fruit they’ve used for their top wines!

More importantly, there seems to be a feeling that the prices may be more sensible this year than they have been for a while. We shall see, but if they are, then this could well be a very interesting vintage indeed.

You’ll be able to read about our progress here on the Lay&Wheeler blog, but you can also follow more up-to-date and of-the-moment snippets via the @laywheeler twitter account and – this year for the first time – Instagram (search for laywheeler).

So, come along for the ride and hear our thoughts as and when we have them!

Kat Wiggins

I’ve been part of Lay & Wheeler for 11 years, working in private sales until my recent move into marketing. Currently studying for the Master of Wine, I am a self-confessed wine geek and twitter addict.

 

Chablis 1er Cru ‘Mont de Milieu’ Domaine Pinson. The Pinson family has been ever present in Burgundy sine the 1640s, making and selling wines from Chablis since 1880, and one of the first Domaines to sell wine directly to the public in the 1940s. The name Pinson is steeped in the history of Chablis, with a Rue Pinson named after three Pinson brothers lived in a house on that street. Wine making at the Domaine remains a family business, with brothers Laurent and Christophe and Laurent’s daughter Charène. The Chablis region lies to the north of Burgundy, and is consequently one of the most northerly wine making areas in France. The key elements and flavours of Chablis wines are due in part to the cold northerly climes and the ancient Kimmeridge clay soils dating from the Jurassic era, as well as limestone outcrops that give the wines a fresh vibrancy, mineral, or steely aroma and flavour. Although most Chablis is drunk young, Premier Cru wines can age for extended periods due to the concentration and vibrancy of fruit.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Tradition 2008/2009 Pierre Usseglio. The vineyards around the ruins of the Papal residence are responsible for some of the greatest and longest lived wines in the world. As well as the distinctive ruins, the soils of the area are made up of a layer of large ‘pudding stones’ known locally as galets that are the remnants of Alpine glaciers that have been eroded by the Rhône river over millennia. These pudding stones heat up during the day and radiate heat overnight aiding ripening of the grapes, and also preserve moisture over the dry summer months. The Domaine was established by an Italian, Francis Usseglio in 1948, which is currently run by his grandsons. Like all Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine, the Tradition is a blend, although heavily focused on Grenache, with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault making up the wine. Aromas of roasted herbs, black cherry, plums and dark berries lead to a full bodied, very rich, thick and textured body of dark fruits, sweet spice with firm, ripe tannins and a lingering, savoury finish.

Château Bourgneuf Pomerol. The wines of Pomerol are heavily influenced by the soils the grapes are grown on. The clay soils retain moisture more effectively than sandy and loam soils, so vines that thrive in damper conditions are required making the blend or cépage, as it’s called in French, very different to the wines from the Medoc. Six generations of the Vayron family have produced wine in the small Château on the Garrone’s right bank from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc from vines over 40 years old. The vineyards are hand harvested, hand ploughed, and all other work done manually. Rich, dark berry aromas with a hint of chocolate, some savoury aromas and plums, leading to a warm, slightly earthy yet still sweet fruited body of ripe tannin and a lingering, spicy finish.

Discover more Fine Wines and what makes them special at majestic.co.uk

Hansi Baumann

Hansi is our resident Fine Wine expert, often seen poring over excel spreadsheets in the corner of the office. When he’s not behind the desk Hansi mostly enjoys watching Sebastian Vettel decimating the field and listening to Rock n’ Roll with a glass of Montrachet.

 

We’re delighted that our store-based social media programme picked up ‘Customer Service Initiative of the Year’ at the 2013 Oracle Retail Week Awards.

We’ve long seen social media as a great way to keep in touch with our customers. Every store has its own Facebook page and Twitter account, making it easier for you to connect with your local Majestic team and stay up to date with what’s in store. It’s fantastic that the hard work and creativity of all our teams has been recognised with such a high-profile award. Even better that it came in such a competitive category against the likes of ASDA , Boots, B&Q, Pets at Home and Hotel Chocolat.

Here’s Steve Lewis picking up our award.

Chris Brook-Carter, Editor in Chief of Retail Week commented:

It is fantastic to see an employer empowering its staff in this way. Majestic takes on bright graduates who can communicate with customers and wine lovers on a local basis via the effective use of social media. In this way, they show they have understood what today’s market expects of retailers and taken the key steps to provide the customer with what they require.

Steve Lewis, Chief Executive of Majestic Wine said:

I am delighted with this achievement; these are highly regarded awards in the industry and this was a very competitive category. I would like to thank our staff for the enthusiasm and creativity they show whilst engaging with customers in-store and online and congratulate them for winning this award.

As one of the first national UK retailers to use Google Street View technology inside our Islington store, we are absolutely delighted with the results and would love you all to have a snoop around!

View Larger Map

Click round on the map, walk around and explore!

The street view of Islington appears on Google searches, Google Maps, and Google+ Local, adding another dimension to the way you can interact with Majestic online. From Google street view, walk straight off Holloway Road into our store for a full 360-degree, interactive tour.

View Larger Map

In other street view news, Google this week announced street view for the Fukushima exclusion zone town Namie-machi. Worth a look here.

Our new store in Crawley.

The reb ribbon was cut at 10am this morning and our 192nd and 193rd stores officially opened!

Like all our new stores they are bright and air–conditioned, with over 800 wines from around the world and a dedicated Fine Wine section.

Our new Gerrards Cross Store.

To celebrate the opening, join us in–store between Friday 5th and Sunday 7th April for a free glass of fizz and a selection of delicious charcuterie and cheeses.

With friendly knowledgeable staff, free in–store tasting, parking and home delivery, we hope you’ll pop in and see us soon!

PLUS! Free bottle of Prosecco when you buy your first mixed case of 6 bottles of wine. Visit the store webpages for more details: Crawley and Gerrards Cross.

I recently visited some friends for dinner. I brought the wines, they brought the chocolates. When dessert came around we went through all the different chocolates and wines to see if there were any good matches. There were many! So I’ve highlighted the ones we thought were particularly tasty.

Peter Lehmann’s Portrait Barossa Valley Shiraz and Dark Chocolate
The shiraz from Peter Lehmann’s Portrait series is a superb example of what Australian shiraz can be: smooth, full-bodied, with intense flavours of dark fruits and black pepper. This wine really packs a punch, and we thought the only chocolate you can have with it is one that does the same, like the Venezuelan 72% dark chocolate we tried. The bitterness of the chocolate coupled with the fruit and spice of the wine tasted delicious. Because of its powerful flavours, the Lehmann shiraz did not disappear beneath the chocolate. The mouthfeel of the two combined was warming and velvety. What also works really well with this wine is you can go from dinner to dessert without having to open a different bottle.
Feeling fancy? Try your shiraz with dark chocolates of varying cocoa levels to see which strength you prefer. Go on, go over to the dark side and try the 90% stuff.

Buy the Peter Lehmann Shiraz online here.

Andrew Quady’s Elysium Black Muscat and Milk Chocolate
Elysium, Greek for paradise, this wine comes from California, and is made from the black muscat grape. Looking at the wine in the glass, you wouldn’t think it was a dessert wine as it isn’t sticky like Port. It’s rather unusual. Swirl it around in the glass and oh my, you are greeted with the refreshing aroma of rose water. You can taste candied rose petals, raspberries, redcurrant, and even a little bit of sweet spice. We enjoyed it best with milk chocolate – the tastes of the wine and the chocolate work well together, and the wine slices through the chocolate’s heavy and creamy body, adding buoyancy to the mouthfeel.
Feeling fancy? Drink it with truffles that have red fruit centres to add even more complexity. We tried it with some strawberry and balsamic truffles (pictured) and the taste was absolutely divine! Paradise indeed!

Buy Elysium Black Muscat online here.

Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port and Milk Chocolate
We tried a few Ports at dinner: Late Bottle Vintage, Vintage and Tawny. They all went hand in hand with milk chocolate. We were particularly impressed with the combination of Tawny Port and hazelnut pralines. The nutty flavours in the Tawny Port were beautifully enhanced by the hazelnuts, and the texture of the pralines also added interest as they gave us something to crunch! We also found that milk chocolate tamed the bite of the Port that you can sometimes feel when drinking it without food. I personally enjoy the Tawny Port chilled – I like the sensation of the wine and chocolate warming up and then melting away. But it also works very well at room temperature.
Feeling fancy? You’ve got a special bottle of Port and don’t want its flavours to be masked by chocolate? Who could blame you? Avoid white and milk chocolate, and get some very dark chocolate. It won’t be too heavy on the tongue, and it will help your Port’s flavours to sing out.

There are a range of Ports available on the website. Find them all here.

Bodegas Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo Triana Sherry and Milk Chocolate
My favourite match, and what I’ll be having this Easter Sunday, is PX Sherry and a milk chocolate egg. This ultra-sweet sherry is made from dried Pedro Ximenez grapes from the Sherry region of Spain, Jerez. The wine is also barrel-aged for a long time. Drying the grapes concentrates the flavours in their pulps, and so after the winemaking process you are left with incredibly intense tastes of raisin, fig, and toffee. The barrel-ageing gives the sherry its finesse and wonderfully persistent finish. We enjoyed the sherry with both milk and dark chocolate as the flavours mingled effortlessly. There was something extra special about the texture of the sherry and the milk chocolate together – so thick and smooth, like treacle but with a real uplifting zing from the sherry.
Feeling fancy? The wine was delicious with an array of nuts and dried fruits like cashews, almonds, raisins, sultanas, crystallized ginger etc. Mix them in with your chocolate and sherry combination and you won’t be disappointed!

Find the Hidalgo PX Sherry in your local Majestic.

Got someone coming round who wants beer instead of wine? There are several that go well with chocolate including Guinness, Hoegaarden, and if they want to be really appropriate while eating their Easter egg – Old Speckled Hen.
Have a lovely Easter Sunday!

The chocolates my friends brought were absolutely heavenly, from a local chocolaterie, shelleychocolates.co.uk

Melissa McElhill

I am the new trainee manager, with Aylesbury being my first store! It’s fab, I love working with wine and I love meeting new people and helping them find wine they’ll like. I’m enjoying my Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand at the moment, and if I’m treating myself I’ll have a Sancerre. Before joining Majestic, I worked at the Champagne Bar in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock. I have a huge soft spot for Champagne, especially Canard.