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Three Wines I Love & Three Wines I Don't

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:45:58 +0000

It's next to impossible to cover all the wines tasted in a blog; time being the main blockage. One of the criticisms thrown at wine blogs is that seldom are poor wines reviewed or discussed. It's that time problem again - why trouble yourself writing up the never-rans when more interesting bottles dot the tasting note books?

And yet there is a case for a writer to explain why a certain wine is rated poorly; hence this post listing three wines that disappointed on tasting and, in comparison, three wines that 'made the grade'.

Three Wines I Like:
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Château Pessan Rouge, 2005, Bordeaux, France.
Imported by Bordeaux Undiscovered Price: £12.72 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Enjoyed immensely with a pan-fried lamb sandwich (one of my fail-safe quick dishes). The juicy meat brings out a mouth-watering red berry dimension to this claret. The high acidity in the wine cuts through the fat of the lamb which in turn reveals new complexity in the wine; lovely. Just go easy on the sweet mint sauce (as tasty as it is it will clash with the wine).
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Grant Burge Benchmark Rosé, 2008, South Eastern Australia.
From Cambridge Wine Merchants, Amps Fine Wines, Kingsgate Wines, Peake Wines, Partridges, Taurus Wines. Price: £6.49 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A combination of vibrant Australian fruit, a hint of sweetness and a delightful colour. A crisp finish pulls the smooth, full palate into balance. A lovely rosé. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Tenuta Luisa, 2007, Friulano del Friuli, Italy.
Stockist: Waitrose Price: £11.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Contains everything I desire in a decent wine - weight, balance, and flavour. A citric edge and smoky hints to the flavour. Lemon and parsley flavours, nutty in a walnut and hazelnut way. A dryness (as you get frm walnuts). Good weight combined with refreshing acidity. An intense herby finish with a mineral twist. Excellent. Drank with a simple filo pastry tart stuffed with feta and spinach; a divine pairing. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Three Wines That Disappointed:
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Campo Viejo Cava Brut Rosé, NV, Cava, Spain.
On offer at Waitrose Price: £8.89 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Decent pink colour, lively bubbles. Sadly smells of nothing and tastes of even less. Offers absolutley nothing. Alcohol 12%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 72/100 [1.5 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Louis Jadot Les Climats Chardonnay Reserve, 2004, Burgundy, France.
Stockist: Threshers, Eagle Wines, Kingsgate Wines, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Hailsham Cellars, Vintage Wines Price: £16.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A poor rating for an expensive lightly oaked Burgundian chardonnay? I just didn't like it. The combination of nutty, green flavours combined with an oaky dry palate just didn't meld for me. There was some sort of odd detachment between the various components. Tell me I'm wrong!
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 80/100 [2.5 out of 5]

And for the third wine? Just about every Pinot Noir from Alsace I have sampled this year (and I've tried quite a few following the recent excellent trip through the region).

Alsace in Black and White

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:11:17 +0000

Two shots from the recent trip to Alsace; tasting notes etc to follow at some point. First photograph is from the Hugel tasting room in the centre of Riquewihr. The town is another of those pretty Hansel and Gretel type places that abound in Alsace and is the centre of the regions wine route.

The second photo was taken at Kuentz-Bas (pronounced kuntz-bar). Having emerged from the cellar yours truly neglected to reset the cameras settings from a high ISO. This photo was thus pretty much de-saturated and flat; a tweek in photoshop removed the last vestiges of colour leaving a more satisfying image I feel.

Kuentz-Bas based in Husseren-les-hateaux are one of Alsace's smaller producers. This stair well leads from the main courtyard to the family living quarters.

Griffith Park Sparkling Wines

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:31:41 +0000

The press release was a little gushing in its praise - comparing the £6.99 Griffith Park Rosé with other International Wine Challenge winning wines (such as Lanson Rosé at £32.99 and the Charles Heidsieck Rosé 1999 at £75). Let us be honest here - you are not going to get champagne quality/champagne method wines for under a tenner.

But what you do get with the Griffith Park is great value. And bubbles. And more than often isn't this enough? For not everyone cares how their bubbles get into the bottle.

"GRIFFITH PARK then is produced under a Transfer Method which differs from Method Champenoise as the secondary fermentation does not take place in the actual bottle sold. Under the transfer method the total contents of the bottles are decanted with their lees, under pressure, into a tank where the batch is checked, liquored, and filtered into brand new bottles, then corked and sealed with a hood."

The two wines have similar composition - Chardonnay (75%) and Pinot Noir (16%). For the rosé a "A dash of Shiraz provides added berry fruit lift and vibrancy".

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Griffith Park Sparkling Rosé, NV, South East Australia.
Price: £6.99 from Asda, Morrisons, selected Tesco [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Pale in colour, vivacious on the bubbles front, delicate in flavour. A mouthfilling fizz, of no great complexity but bubbly, flavoursome and fun. What do you want for £6.99? Fun is king!

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Griffith Park Sparkling Brut, NV, Australia.
Price: £6.99 Available from Asda and Morrisons [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Fresh, lively, plenty of froth. Not too dry. A delight for those who like the combination of bubbles and New World fruit. Alcohol 12%. Clena, citrus finish.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Bibendum Sale - Six Wines Tasted

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:05 +0000

One of the UK's most interesting wine retailers - Bibendum - are hosting a sale. An opportunity to taste a small selection of the wines included in the offer recently presented itself; here be the notes...

The sale runs from 9am Tuesday 7th July until close of business on Friday 17th July. There are huge discounts on around 200 wines from the 'everyday' up to fine Bordeaux and Burgundy.

"In the second week of our Summer Sale, from Monday 13th to Friday 17th we will also be running a 'Fine Wine Price Drop Sale' on a separate list of wines.This will involve rounding up a bevy of old bottles and random cases of posh wine on the Monday and slashing the prices. We will then cut the prices even further on the Wednesday on whatever wines are still unsold - and then do it again on the Friday to try and clear everything. All the wines will be offered on a strict 'when it's gone, it's gone' basis. We ca promise a lot of very good wines at very low prices. Customers should check the website regularly that week to see the latest wines and prices."

A Wine For Fish:
Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Quinta do Vallado Douro White 2007, Douro, Portugal.
Was £9.24 now £6.84 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Pick something a llttle different for your fish or salads; a blend of Arinto, Gouveio, Rabigato and Viosinho. Expensive at the pre-sale price but certainly worth buying now. Crisp acidity, herby, touch of nettle greenness amongst the sorrel, aniseed complexity. Alcohol 12.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

A Clean Cut Riesling:

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Spy Valley Riesling, 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: £9.00 now £6.50 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Was £9.00 now £6.60
A light but vivacious nose, lime, lemon, spritzy palate. A smidge of kerosene and weight too... Alcohol 12%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

A rich little number:

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Valdivieso Single Vineyard Pinot Gris, Lontue Valley, Chile.
Price: was £9.99 now £7.24 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Endulge in a creamy, almost Alsace-like, Pinot Gris. Stony pear and smoke with a little oak aging adding a unique expression, especially on the nose. Weighty, off-dry.Alcohol 14.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

One for the Cellar;

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape , 2006, Rhone, France
Was £26.00 now £16.80
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
First sampled back in January described as "The colour of Valerian's blood-soaked Imperial cloak; the aroma of dusty, sun-lashed dark red fruits, subdued, reticent but harbouring hints of greater complexity that will come with age". Alcohol 14.5%
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

For the 'everyday':

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Château de Nages Costieres de Nimes Reserve Rosé, 2007, Rhone, France.
Was £8.50 now £5.72 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Ignore the unexciting label; the wine offers plenty for little outlay. Nicely sharp on the finish keeps it refreshing and highly dirnkable. Enjoy the raspberry/red berry scented and rather full mouthfeel.Alcohol 13.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

For the Spanish Aficionado:

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Casa de la Ermita Reserva Tinto, 2003, Jumilla, Spain.
Was £12.99 now £8.12 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
I love the spicy, woody notes overlaying the deep black fruits on the nose here. The broad palate is deep and warm too. Plummy. Smooth. A mix of Monastrell, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol 14%. A wine for outdoor summer cooking but save some for deep, more autumnal food too.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

A Selection of Wines from Domaine Paul Zinck, Alsace

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:05:18 +0000

First halt in a four day Alsace wine tour, a delightful restaurant Au Vieux Porche in the village of Eguisheim. Seeing as the restaurant manager is the sister of winemaker Paul Zinck, it is understandable that the domaines wines are served here. The winerey is right next door!

Lunch opened with a delicious courgette soup, fresh, crisp flavours that ended with a underlying edge of curry, nicely done. No wine with this course but being seated near a window (lending an enchanting diffused light to the table) a delightful photo resulted. So forgive my indulgance for posting here rather than, as usual, on SpittoonExtra.

The first Paul Zinck wine - Pinot Gris Prestige 2007, proved an absolute delight with a fine, thick, slice of Foie Gras. The course only let down by being served with two toasted slices of white processed bread rather than something more artisanal like the homemade bread in the basket..

Paul Zinck offer three ranges. The more basic, introductory wines, are labelled as Terrior with Prestige being the next rung up before hitting the Grand Cru range. The vintage of this PG, 2007, is rather young; without exception all the wine makers and producers we met and visited acclaimed 2007 as one of the very best vintages in Alsace for many, many a-year. Well worth storing regardless of grape variety.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Paul Zinck Pinot Gris Prestige, 2007, Alsace, France.
[More: Adegga / Snooth] Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

The World's Oldest Wine Barrel

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:50:46 +0000

One of the most recognisable names and also one of the oldest wine families in Alsace is Hugel. Under the winery, improbably positioned in the heart of Riquewihr (just how 'do' they get the grapes into the winery?) is this imposing beast of a barrel.

Certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest vat in constant use, it is still utilised to this day.

This is to certify that

Hugel et Fils, founded 1619

world's oldest vat in constant use

from 1715 - date

spanning 12 generations of the familybr>
February 1990.

Artisan & Vine : London's Best Wine Bar

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:40:08 +0000

You can't fault her passion, her drive or her enthusiasm. Kathryn, manager of Artisan & Vine, has also a rather good palate - the wine list is superb. 'Natural' is the philosophy - wines made as naturally as possible (if that means biodynamic, organic or made in the old cow trough then that is good enough for Artisan & Vine) or wines that are locally produced.

Our private lunch time tasting - just five wines - lasted way into the afternoon. I can think of worse things than being in good company, drinking a personal selection of stunning wines and regaled with stories on each. If the wine doesn't have a 'story' or Kathryn hasn't detected your 'passion' your wine just isn't going to be listed.

"At artisan&vine our objective is to bring your taste buds as close as possible to the fantastic produce of artisans and vineyards. To do this, all of our 120+ wines are either naturally or locally produced. We think you'll taste the difference this proximity to the grapes brings and we are proud to be London's first wine bar to specialise in local and natural wines.
With around 20 English wines and liqueurs, we think we could have London's longest English drinks list. With the remainder of our wines and liqueurs being all natural or biodynamic (more than only organic) we have one of the longest and most interesting natural wine lists in the capital too."

No English wines at the tasting, although I noted two from my local vineyard, Brightwell, on the shelf.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Casa Coste Piane, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, 2004, Italy.
Price: £29 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Light and playful but appley, citrussy with some weight. Very fine bubbles with a "hazy, natural appearance". Long lasting yeastiness. Alcohol 11%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bret Brothers La Soufrandière Pouilly Vincelles, 2006, Burgundy, France.
Price: £31.10 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A wonderful 100% Chardonnay. Palate has a richness that is quite delicious, barrel fermented, lovely texture, a big wine with elegance and structure. Touch of ripening strawberry to the flavour. Delicious. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Alain Caux,Tir a Blanc, Le Casol de Mailloles, Vin de Table, France.
Price: £35.60 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Unusual in the extreme; a blend of Grenache Blanc and Maccabeu that is so distinctive on the nose that my initial reaction was met with hoots of laughter by those who had already tried it! Extremely 'cider-like', straw, apples, hawthorn, pears. Weighty, Exceptionally long aftertaste. Distinctive and I'm sure will have its detractors but, after initial scepticism, enjoyment ensued to the extent of drinking a glass or two rather than the Pouilly Vinzelles. Alcohol 13.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Frank Cornelissen Rosso Contadino 5, 2007, Vino da Tavola, Sicily, Italy
Price: £28.10 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Another controversial bottle, but a huge talking point none-the-less. A blend of white and red varieties Carricante, Inzolia, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Alicante,... 100% natural, no added sulphites; non-filtered. With the aroma evolving with every sip it was clear the wine is different (and doesn't hold up well after a day being open). The volcanic soils that give the grape a foothold on the mountainside also supply individuality - a combination of freshness and a Pinot Noir-like lightness that gives sweet rose-hips and darker, mixed fruit jam, gives way to darker, blacker fruit flavours and a tannic structure. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Cuvee 51, Le Clos Perdus, 2007, Corbieres, Languedoc, France
Price: £28.50 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A wine with character - gorgeous generous, black fruits and tobacco. A wine "that refuses to behave in the mouth". A blend of Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

All prices are 'drink-in' bottle price. All wines are available, cheaper, to 'take-away', there are even plans for a full internet wine shop. Fingers crossed! More photographs of the wine bar are on SpittoonExtra and pictures of some of the wines on flickr. Rob at The Wine Conversation has also written a post on the tasting.

South African Wine : Brief Notes From a Naked Wines Tasting

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:45:26 +0000

A buzzie little tasting at One Alfred Place, London saw Naked Wines open a range of South African wines, some new, some expanding the showing of existing producers.

"You'll notice that we have two prices next to each of our wines. When you buy form us, you can either choose to pay our standard RRP prices or our VIP prices. Customers paying our VIP prices are members of our Naked Cash Back scheme. IN other words, they set aside £20 a month into their Naked Wines Account, theirs to spend on ANY of our wines, at ANY time. And the best bit... as we know they're going to be buying form us, they're guaranteed a 33% saving every time they order"

The wines detailed below - my pick of just six from the 32 opened wines - have two prices the first being the RRP, the second the Cash Back price. This £20 regular saving scheme is in addition to being a Naked Wine Angel. Rather than £20 a simple £5 a month acts as a sponsor to a specific producer, which results in a 33% cash back on future orders of their wines. Don't do too many of these schemes guys, it's getting confusing!

Greg Baker tapped me on the shoulder (find him at twitter) a little challenge ensued - the best Shiraz? I would snap up the Manley Shiraz 2005 (RRP £12.99/VIP £7.99) simply for its superb structure, European-focused, restrained but still sweet fruit and long, long length. Greg was having none of it picking the Arabella Shiraz 2008 (RRP £6.99/VIP £4.66) for its pure drinkability, luscious ripe, up-front fruit, concentration and excellent price. If the latter is the main consideration then I have to concede the Arabella is rather decent. But the Manely is still lovely.

Neither bottle was the best of the evening though...

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Avondale Jonty's Ducks, 2007, Paarl, South Africa
Price: RRP £10.99/VIP £7.33 [More on Adegga / Snooth]

A Bordeaux blend (Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet) so distinctive, so technically perfect! Sweetness of fruit, upfront dissipating into a chocolate, almost meaty whole. Lingering.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Avondale Green Duck The Duke, 2005, Paarl, South Africa
RRP £12.99/VIP £8.66 [More on Adegga / Snooth]

A blend! The staff were under informed, sadly, and didn't have a clue as to the grapes; with one eye to those who really don't care about such specifics, preferring drinkability and price/quality considerations I won't stress on the lack of details. I'm guessing at a Bordeaux style blend*. Good depth, decent tannin-led structure and a long black fruit finish.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Avondale Green Duck The Duchess, 2007, Paarl, South Africa.
Price: RRP £12.49/VIP£8.33 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
The white blend sister to the Green Duck Duke. I'm guessing at a Semillon/Sauvignon type blend (Chenin Blanc? Gewurztraminer?). My notes suffered from some dripped wine but I think this is the one that had a distinct edge of sweet spice (from Viognier or Gewurztraminer). More proof that decent blends offer superb complexity and interesting flavours.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Strandveld Adamanstor, 2008, Elim, South Africa
Price: RRP £13.49/VIP £8.99 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A near perfect rendition of a Sauvignon-Semillon blend. The Sauvingon is plucked from a single vineyard known locally as "Pofadder Bos Sauvignon Blanc" due to frequent encounters with the snakes in the surrounding fynbos. The Semillon component in the 50-50 blend receives a little oak treatment and some lees activity. These wine making activities result in a complex wine bursting with peashoots, broad beans and lettuce aromas and flavours. Dry. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

All these wines are 'on the water'; expected listing on the Naked Wines website is July.

Beyerskloof Video Tasting

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:21:41 +0000

Following on from the Beyerskloof tasting notes yesterday, a little video on the Beyerskloof Field Blend. Taken at this years London International Wine Fair the vid is hosted by Denise, the Wine Sleuth talking to Francois Norde, who, incidentally I enjoyed lunch with after the cellar tasting at Beyerskloof. I held the camera.

Brief Notes from a Visit - Beyerskloof

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:05:42 +0000

If you need to know anything about Pinotage the man to talk to is Beyers Truter (if you can't find Peter May, of course). Beyers has done more than anyone to promote and develop South Africa's own unique red grape variety. Beyerskloof is the spiritual home of Pinotage with Beyers, the sixth generation of the family to farm the estate, is often cited as the "King of Pinotage".

Awards drip from the wines. If you have never encountered a drinkable, enjoyable, Pinotage Beyerskloof is the label to turn to.

If you sit in the open-sided deck restaurant, with the Kanonkop hill in the distance (photo on SpittoonExtra) at your feet lies the 'field' a mixed planting of vines that goes into the companies Bordeaux-style Field Blend.

Their pale, peachy, refreshing, sparkling Pinotage Rosé Brut washed down a plate of superb garlic snails beautifully while a selection of older Pinotage's and various Cape Blends vintages, tasted in the cellar with Beyers Truter himself, were very interesting. The latter come in various mixes - the 2006 Synergy comprises 43% Pinotage, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz and 7% Merlot compared to the 2001 Synergy being 55% Cabernet, 37% Pinotage, 8% Merlot and 14% 'others'. Basically they are still experimenting with these! I didn't enjoy the older vintage, I have to admit, the reductive edge on the nose dominatated but perhaps I'm just more susceptible to those aromas as my tasting partners enthused.

The Field Blends are certainly worthy of trying. They age beautifully too. The 1995, which my notes contradictorily say is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, had a gorgeous perfume, complex with tobacco-edged age. Little stock remains but it is available on the restaurant wine list. The 2001 was luscious with a vailed smoothness from the addition of Merlot. I didn't catch the blend details but the 2006 has 60% Cabernet Sauvignon coupled with 40% Merlot.

According to our host Pinotage works wonderfully in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Merlot, however, is not a great working partner. No stainless steel tanks for Pinotage either, rather the grapes at Beyerskloof see open, concrete, fermenters, a little temperature control and manual punching of the cape by hand.

While age worthy it is the younger Pinotage single varietals that impressed during the cellar tasting. With ripe, sweetish upfront fruit, good structure and length they have structure and drinkability with the Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage being singularly impressive.

The Twittering Classes - Top 12 Wine People to Follow On Twitter

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:45:54 +0000

I did wonder if I would make it to 10 for this personal top twitters selection; searching through my follower list though has highlighted the following list of dedicated, passionate, interesting and educated wine people. This is a list of the UK's top wine-related twitterers, and a real cross section they are too, being bloggers, journalists, wine bar owners and so on. In no particular order...

RowBags - Rowan Gormley, founder of Naked Wines
Fran Krajewski - also of Naked Wines
Simon Woods - journalist, also blogging at DrinkingOutsideTheBox
Charles Metcalfe - "speaker, writer and sometimes singer about wine"
Jo Mason - heads Wines of South Africa in the UK.
Denise Medrano - blogs as The Wine Sleuth
Philippa Vanham - runs Wine Unearthed a company offering wine tasting workshops
Victoria Bucknall - also part of Wine Unearthed
Kathryn O'Mara - runs Artisan & Vine, a London wine bar
Wink Lork - wine educator and heads up Wine Travel Guides
Robert McIntosh - promoting social media and Wine2.0 and all that entails
Fiona Beckett - food and wine guru, also find at Matching Food and Wine

If this list was expanded to 20 who else, UK-based only, should be included? Oh, and there is of course the Wine Scribbler.

Tong A New Wine Magazine

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 07:30:35 +0000

Launching a niche magazine during these economically difficult times would certainly be a challenge; but Flemish food and wine critic Filip Verheyden has done just that with Tong (Tongue).

The English language publication, is unashamedly aimed at wine geeks across Europe. . As Filip states in an interview with the Wall Street Journal everything in the magazine is linked:

There's a playful, organic, almost biological concept behind the magazine. Everything is linked, from the paper and the font to the photographs. The paper we used for the launch issue on Sauvignon Blanc, for instance, is smooth and hard, but for the issue on terroir, I'm using a grainier, thicker paper. Each magazine must be a print version of the wine variety.

The second issue, just released, has as its theme, Terrior.

In this issue, we haven't sought a definitive truth about terroir, but we've tried to provide a panorama of views on the subject. You may not be at ease when you've finished it - too many questions remain, too many people think they have found the truth.

Subscriptions to Tong (four issues over a year) are only available from their website and cost €100.

New Australian Wines At Naked Wines

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:15:52 +0000

While I was gallivanting around the wine-lands of South Africa those fine folk at Naked Wines organised an innovative little event - a tasting/auction to determine a new selection of wines to be added to the retailers range. My friend The Wine Sleuth was there and detailed the process on her blog. The idea to involve potential and existing customers in selecting which wines to buy - with a A$10000 budget - was a unique experiment and one I was really annoyed to have missed.

"Once the wines had been winnowed down to the final 15 we had to each set a price for what we would pay, then, thru some mysterious algorithythms, the Naked team came up with a price, the money was divvied up, the Australian winemakers were called and the bidding began. We were all able to watch the bidding via a live money graph, every time a wine went up or down in price there were loud hoops and hollers from the crowd! I was sitting at the twitter/auction table and it was really exciting to hear and watch Rowan, Greg and Francesca work the auction."

I've managed to get my wine-hungry mits on a couple of the successful new listings. No idea on final retail price with both wines currently listed at Naked Wines as arriving in 'late June'. (Another range of wines brought during the auction was from Plunkett Fowles; these I tasted at the Excel Wine Fair, so notes 'coming soon').

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Penrice Estate Dusty Dog Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, South Australia.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
Rubbish label but a great full-bodied wine - full, juicy, sweet blackberry flavours and an excellent blackcurrant edge. Complexity added from red apple skins and a smidge of savouriness. Good long blackcurrant finish. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Clairault Cape Red Cabernet-Merlot, 2004, Margaret River, Western Australia.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]

Showing its Western Australian provenance with a little less fleshiness (when compared to the Dusty Dog). A wine still offering a rush of up-front black forest fruit but in a drier, gravelly-textured palate. An inky long finish with a touch of plum and spicey oak. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

How Much Money did Comic Relief and the Red Nose Wines Raise?

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:05:24 +0000

A note from Bibendum:

This year the Red Nose Wines produced by SAAM Mountain Vineyards raised the grand total of £736,376.00 as part of Wine Relief 2009.

This is a wonderful achievement and is testament to the power of cooperation in the name of a good cause. SAAM Mountain Vineyards, Bibendum Wine Ltd, JF Hillebrand, Quinn Glass, Erben and Multiprint all worked together with the major retailers to make sure that the bottles of Red Nose Red and White hit the shelves for £4.99, of which £1 went straight to Comic Relief. Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, M&S, Morrisons, Somerfield and Booths all did a brilliant job selling the wines, which were a real hit with drinkers.
This year Wine Relief raised a total of more than £1 million, through sales of the Red Nose Wines and other fundraising activity amongst the Wine trade, bringing the total it has raised in the last ten years up to over £3.7 million. Michele Settle, Marketing Director at Comic Relief said, "It's a fantastic achievement to have raised such an amazing amount of money for Wine Relief 09. It was a first for us to have two distinct Red Nose Wines and it simply wouldn't have been possible without the immense support and cooperation of all our partners, suppliers and supporters. Money raised will be spent by Comic Relief to give extremely vulnerable, poor and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa a helping hand to turn their lives around."

I don't think the wines are still available; but if you have an odd bottle kicking you might like to read the Red Nose Day wine tasting notes

Berry's Wine Matters: Biodynamic Wine

Sun, 31 May 2009 14:15:41 +0000

What are your views on biodynamics? For me I can appreciate the beliefs and thoughts behind the practise, especially after chatting to such converts as Rudiger Gretcher, winemaker at Boekenhoustskloof, South Africa. For the general consumer however the 'ideas' appear as little more than 'hippy talk' or, at worse, just add to the mysticism and impenetrability of wine as a whole.

A survey by Berry Bros. & Rudd backs this up as only 15% of drinkers would buy a wine purely because of its biodynamic (or organic) certification. The environmental impact of wine production is rarely a concern for wine lovers.

As the Berry Bros. survey finds the root of this is a lack of understanding - with six in ten (57%) wine buffs saying they'd buy more biodynamic wine if they understood how it was grown.

"In light of the fact that many wine lovers remain in the dark about biodynamic and organic wine production, with many respondents citing biodynamic methods as 'mysticism', Berry Bros. & Rudd is launching 'Wine Matters', an initiative to dispel biodynamic myths and encourage wine enthusiasts to have their say on how the wine they buy is produced.

The initiative, at bbrblog.com/category/wine-matters, is an interactive platform for debate with a series of topics and discussions from Berrys' Masters of Wine and industry experts, including a post from Jasper Morris MW, asking: 'Biodynamics: Do we believe?'

Morris comments: "Our number one concern as a business is selling the very best quality wine and we are increasingly seeing that biodynamic production methods, given the stringent attention to detail required by producers, result in better quality wine. We want to share this knowledge with our customers and let them know where their wine has come from and how it has been made."

Berry's will be inviting guest bloggers each week to join the debate including biodynamic wine producer from Rhône, Montirius, and Gavin Partington from The Wine and Spirit Trade Association."

Visit Wine Matters to have your say on biodynamic wine production and learn more about biodynamic viticulture methods.

Berry Bros. & Rudd will also be inviting wine lovers to come to the Berrys' Factory Outlet, in BasingBerry'sstoke, for a complementary biodynamic wine tasting on 5th and 6th June and are including an organic or biodynamic wine in Wine Club cases going out to over a thousand members.