Cellar Door

Inviting You Into A World of Wine Cellar Circle’s Landmark Launch

Travel Europe Through Germany, Italy and France, we show you Europe’s finest delights

Forage A Feast Our most comforting food and drink recipes for Autumn

Not Just Lunacy?

Moon cycles and minerals understanding the often misunderstood world of biodynamics

160 YEARS OF WINE HERITAGE | laywheeler.com | Autumn/Winter 2014

Welcome to

A lot has happened at Lay & Wheeler since our last edition.

We have celebrated our 160th anniversary over the summer, and in mid-September we launched Cellar Circle, which has, I’m sure you’ll agree, taken the old Fine Wine Plan and made it great.

Words from the team Having looked after members of the Bin Club and the Fine Wine Plan, I can not wait to tell all of our customers about the launch of Cellar Circle! Being so customer-friendly, and with such great benefits, it will be a joy to chat about.

Victoria Chaplin Wine Advisor, Cellar Circle

As we drift towards Christmas and the New Year, thoughts here turn towards Burgundy and the release of the 2013s in January. We look at what makes the region unique, and also at the oft-misunderstood philosophy of biodynamics, increasingly prevalent there. Inspired by our recent offers, L&W staff also recount trips to Germany and Tuscany, whilst we have our usual features on seasonal food and drink.

Coming from a science background, I find that some biodynamic principles can seem like smoke and mirrors. However the proof is in the tasting.

I taste the wines of Pontet Canet, Domaine Leflaive or Zind-Humbrecht and cease to care how or why biodynamics works, I just know that it does!

Al Luffingham Account Manager, Private Clients I always look forward to travelling to Burgundy in January in the ‘Van du Vin’ (normally a Ford

I must admit that I have a particular soft-spot for

Transit), visiting producers and collecting samples

this time of year. True, days are short and it can be

in readiness for the Burgundy tasting in London,

brisk outside. But what better excuse for wrapping

next year on Monday 12th January. We get back on the 9th ensuring that the samples are as fresh as

up warm and braving the cold, before retreating

possible for the tasting.

back indoors to rich wines and even richer food.

Nick Pitcher Operations Manager

So settle in, have a read, and pour yourself a glass from that long anticipated bottle. It’s what autumn and winter are all about!

In 2008, a few short weeks after starting work in the wine trade, I was given a glass of 1970 Mouton-Rothschild with my work’s Christmas meal. I

Cheers!

Robbie Toothill Cellar Door Editor

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Introducing Cellar Circle

clearly remember thinking ‘ah, so that’s what all the fuss is about!

Hayley Whyatt Advisor, Fine Wine Trading Team

We were really pleased to launch Cellar Circle in September, built on Lay & Wheeler’s 160 years of links with the world’s greatest producers, and Majestic Wine’s 30 years experience inspiring people to discover and explore the exciting world of wine.

Replacing the Fine Wine Plan, Cellar Circle will remain true to its roots, providing informative and sensitive guidance from the team here at Lay & Wheeler. Membership comes with benefits including: a 10% discount on all purchases from Majestic Wine, free delivery of your wines to any Majestic Wine store, and a case from the Cellar Circle team on the first anniversary of membership.

Dave Smith, Director of Lay & Wheeler, said of the changes: “The launch of the Cellar Circle in this, our 160th year represents a wonderful opportunity for our business and for our current and future customers. It offers an affordable and inspiring opportunity to build a dream cellar without hassle.”

If you would like more information don’t hesitate to get in contact with the team here on 01473 313 300, or visit www.cellarcircle.co.uk

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Germany Two of our sales team, Paula and Hayley, found themselves in Germany this summer, but in very different places, under very different circumstances.

Whilst Paula was seeking out the best new releases for Lay & Wheeler to offer, Hayley was miles from wine country on a family holiday. Both were searching for wine Nirvana – they let us know how they got on…

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Germany is the 8th largest wine producer worldwide

Wine has been produced in Germany since Ancient Roman times

From Paula’s tales of wine country...

I have been to Germany twice now, my first visit being a school trip, I will not mention how many years ago that was! I remember vividly that the food was not great and most of the week I was very hungry. I also got into trouble with the teacher for staying up late and running up and down the hotel corridors.

Indeed, the food I experienced on my second visit was amazing. In hindsight, it probably was the first time round but my immature taste buds did not appreciate it. But back then I would not

have had all the lovely wines to pair up with the food.

It’s funny how your opinions of a place can change...

Fortunately for myself, and for my fellow hotel guests, my second trip was rather different – although we did stay up late when we visited Ernie Loosen, who treated us to an amazing dinner.

He kept nipping off to his cellar to bring up more blind wines which we had to take a guess at, brilliant fun and an experience I shall not forget.

Ernie Loosen providing one of his many

delights

Paula Hunter in the Mosel

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To Hayley’s miles from wine country...

Thundering along the autobahn at 100 MPH in the relentless summer sun (there are no speed limits on large sections of the German motorway), I found it hard to think of little other than a refreshing glass of white wine.

I have been visiting Westphalia since my teens, but this was my first visit with my own family and critically, my first since working in the wine trade.

Our destination, Bielefeld, is unfortunately (for me) nowhere near wine country.

Nevertheless I hoped to sample a few wines rarely encountered at home. I had half expected to find nothing but Riesling on the local wine lists and was surprised at the dominance of Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Spätburgunder rosé as the German representatives; whilst aware of the increased red varietal plantings (12% of Germany’s vineyard area is devoted to Spätburgunder), the prevalence still came as a surprise. The presence of other varieties in generic dry quaffing styles supported

Germany has a total of 13 designated wine growing regions

Matching your German Riesling with the right foods.

Kabinett – Try it with simple grilled fish such as halibut or plain chicken dishes. Strong sauces do not work well. Or simply have it on its own as an aperitif, and as Ernie says, “drink yourself sober.”

Spätlese – Have with barbecued pork or sweet and sour prawn dishes.

Generally works well with spiced dishes, especially Asian cuisine.

Auslese – Rich cheeses, including goats cheese, foie gras and richer styles of food.

the notion of a ‘drying German wine taste’.

However, my German friends insist that very few Germans drink the sweeter styles and that these were largely produced for the export market – I needed to head back home to satisfy my curiosity for such wines!

Although I can’t help but feel a little disappointed to not have found anything

Beerenauslese – We are getting into the dessert territory here, sweet puddings of apple pie and cream, caramel and toffee puddings, the perfect match.

Trockenbeerenauslese – Tropical fruit salad, more caramel and apple pudding and, of course, blue cheese.

new and exciting, I fully intend to widen my search on my next trip - perhaps one day I will even get to visit a German vineyard….

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Eiswein – Again one for the dessert, or I like to have my pud, then sit back and enjoy this on its own.

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AUTUMNAL BLISS Sloe Gin Here at Lay & Wheeler, wine is certainly not our only tipple. Most of the team can be tempted with a pint or two of a local brew, whilst the changing seasons bring new treats. Autumn and winter means Sloe Gin, and Al from the Private Clients team has been convinced to share his closely guarded recipe.

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First, find your sloes – there is no

need to wait until after the first frost,

just pop them in the freezer when you get home for a day or two. Freezing will puncture the skins, removing the need to prick them – another sloe gin-making myth.

Fill your chosen vessel approximately

half full of sloes, and then poor over

the gin. Good quality gin will always taste best in the final product. There is no need to add sugar at this stage – you will have much more control over sweetness if you add it to taste at the end.

Leave for a few months, and then

add syrup to taste. The syrup is

made by heating a pan with equal quantities of sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved, and then leaving to chill.

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Pan-Roasted Pork Tenderloins with a Lemon, Sage & Parmesan Crust As the nights draw in, and autumn passes in the blink of an eye, there is a lot to be said for consoling yourself with lunches that stretch long into the evening, with great company and good wines (or vice versa). Ludo, from our Fine Wine Trading team, shares a seasonal favourite with us...

For me, this dish is excellent in the autumn, with the lemon zest reminiscent of summer, whereas sage ushers in more comforting, wintry tones. I cannot think of anything better than having friends for dinner, going all out to show them a good time (and let’s admit it, impress them a little…)

This is a quick, relatively easy, and most importantly inexpensive dinner party option – having blown my budget on the wine!

Instructions

Remove from the oven and rest for a couple of minutes, before slicing to serve with a squeeze of lemon (or a lemon butter sauce with a few sages leaves thrown in, if you’re not too worried about calories!)

This can be accompanied by many things: I found it to be a particularly good partner for ratatouille. For a wine match, try an aged vintage fizz, or a still chardonnay... Bon appétit!

Serves 4 Ingredients

For the crust

• A glug of olive oil

• 1 handful of finely chopped

• A knob of butter

sage and/or thyme

• 2 whole pork tenderloins

• 1 handful of grated parmesan

• 1 egg, beaten

• Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon • 2/3 handfuls of breadcrumbs – “Panko”are best for a light and crispy finish.

• Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, then thoroughly mix the ingredients for the crust together and spread over a plate.

Cut the tenderloin in to 4 equal pieces, season well, and dip in the beaten egg, followed by the crust mixture.

Heat a generous glug of olive oil in an oven-safe frying pan on a medium heat and place in the sliced tenderloins. Once the side lying down has achieved a nice golden colour, give the tenderloins a quarter-turn to colour the next section.

Once the tenderloins are golden apart from one side, turn them onto that side, remove the pan from the heat and pop it in the oven.

15 minutes should be enough to ensure that your tenderloins remain moist.

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Dreaming of Tuscany

Lucy Fisher writes, “Tuscany...just the thought of it raises a smile and transports you to a sun-dappled olive grove. This region of Italy has long been a favourite with Britons and it is not difficult to see why”. She visited Tuscany on honeymoon last year, and shares with us some of her highlights: Florence Since reading E.M.Forster’s ‘A Room with a View’ I have wanted to go to Florence and despite the city brimming with visitors, this doesn’t detract from the beautiful architecture and stunning art on every corner. Be warned that you may end up feeling ‘over-frescoed’ but it would be wrong to visit Florence and not appreciate the wealth of art. With just a day or two there, we saved the Uffizi for a future trip and took the advice of a family friend and made a bee-line for the Convento di San Marco to see Fra’ Angelico’s The Annunication. No postcard prepares you for its beauty.

Certaldo This Tuscan market town, not far from Florence, is made up of two parts: the newer part of town nestled around the original, historic centre, all of which is reached by funicular railway. This offers outstanding views down the valley to the almost mythical towers of San Gimignano, and nestled in the fortified walls is a wonderful cookery school run by the force of nature that is Giuseppina. We spent an hour shopping in town for all of our ingredients before creating a delicious three-course meal using fresh, local produce, which demonstrated that this combination of quality and simplicity is the key to the best meals.

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Food and drink

Landscape

Surely one of the main draws of the region. The joy of ripe tomatoes, locally pressed olive oil, courgettes and juicy peaches bought from a farmer’s stall outside Bolgheri, along with wine made close to the legendary estate of Ornellaia. Local restaurants and bars serving fantastic value set menus, with the best of local produce. The delicious selection of antipasti which accompany a glass of wine, savoured in the shade of plane trees in the square. Discovering that Aperol Spritz is not just a fad in the UK but a delightful apéritif which now epitomises summer for me.

It really is full of rolling hills, cypress trees and hilltop villages reached via dozens of hairpin bends.

Lucca If you’re going to put yourself through the hassle of Pisa in order to see a tower which leans then reward yourself with a long lunch and amble around its near neighbour Lucca. A beautiful walled town personifying elegance, highlights include a shaded park atop the city walls and the unique elliptical piazza.

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Understanding

Biodynamics

Nick Connell, Lay & Wheeler’s Sales Manager, looks at the methods employed in this ever-more-widespread, yet oft-misunderstood, winemaking philosophy:

Biodynamic Wines

So, what is biodynamic?

Many crucial decisions are made by winemakers every day but one of the most important in their careers will be whether to maintain their vineyard using chemicals, run it as certified organic or whether to take the plunge and adhere to biodynamic rules and principles.

Essentially an extreme form of organic farming, prohibiting the use of synthetic fertilisers and agrochemicals but allowing sulphur based sprays to be used in order to control mildew. The quirk of biodynamic methods is that they rely upon producers nurturing vines with homeopathic preparations made from: cow manure (usually buried inside a cow horn over the winter), quartz and seven plant materials, including Chamomile and Yarrow flowers. These

are named Preparations 500 – 508 and are applied as sprays to the vines or as compost in the soil. Certifying and labelling wine as biodynamic involves jumping through many regulatory hoops and must meet the stringent international standards of the Demeter Association, who are the certifying body.

Work in the vineyard, and the cellar, is performed in accordance with the lunar calendar – and some proponents of biodynamics go so far as to say wine tastes better depending on whether it is a fruit (best), flower (neutral), leaf (poor) or root (terrible) day. This could be laughed at, but some buyers for major supermarkets take it seriously enough to only taste on fruit days.

Devised in 1924 by Rudolph Steiner, an Austrian scientist and philosopher, biodynamic principles have caused much debate in the world of wine over the past decade. Some hail that they are “mumbo-jumbo” whilst others are convinced that the quality of wines

and Seresin in New Zealand. The buy-in from these big names has helped to support the cause for this admirable form of farming but there are obvious questions such as what if your neighbour sprays with pesticides – can you still be biodynamic? And, if you

Biodynamics is essentially an extreme form of organic farming, prohibiting the use of synthetic fertilisers and agro-chemicals but allowing sulphur based sprays to be used in order to control mildew. produced by biodynamic producers is infinitely superior. Certainly, the attention to detail involved in maintaining certification must ensure that producers are constantly on their toes as they are not able to rely on chemical remedies to constantly be tending to and checking their vines and fruit.

Indeed, many of the world’s top producers have adjusted to the biodynamic way of life, including Domaines Leflaive and Leroy in Burgundy, Chateau Pontet-Canet in Bordeaux, Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace

have a succession of bad years, can you opt out and then reconvert once yields are back up?

Much of the criticism has moved onto new targets including the anachronistically named ‘natural wines’, no doubt due to the undeniable quality of some wines being produced through biodynamic methods.

I, myself, will enjoy a superb drop of Domaine Leflaive and raise my glass to Rudolph, even if it isn’t quite Christmas yet!

FRUIT DAY

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un|trans|lat¦able bur|gundy?

Robbie Toothill, Cellar Door Editor, considers the untranslatable world of Burgundy

The idea of untranslatability is certainly alluring. It offers hope that some idea is reserved for another culture – that there is something unique, still to be discovered. But as an (aspiring) linguist, I find the idea of untranslatability challenging. Surely there must be a translation for every idea. It may take more than one single word to convey, true, but this is more a linguistic gap than some intangible untranslatability. Even when struggling through translation exams at university I was convinced that there must be a way around my difficulties!

Yet every day at work I find myself using French words. I’d like to think that this isn’t as a result of either laziness or some innate pretentiousness, although I fear that the wine industry can be all too guilty of the latter (and possibly the former!) But no, there certainly seem to be some words where no translation can capture the essence of the concept behind the word – it can be explained, but it can’t truly be translated.

The French word I find myself using most is terroir. I could call it a wine’s ‘sense-of-place’; indeed I frequently do when trying to explain its meaning.

But I can’t help feeling that such explanations fall short; that terroir is something more, the combination of a huge number of factors pulling on a wine, defining its existence.

Nowhere in the world of wine is the pull of terroir stronger than in Burgundy.

This is a land of tiny vineyards planted (predominantly) with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, interwoven into celebrated

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hillsides including the Côte de Beaune, the Côte de Nuits and Chablis.

Each vineyard has its own definable character, often producing hugely different wines from its neighbour, regularly of vastly different qualities, and frequently commanding incredibly different prices. As I said, this isn’t purely a wine’s ‘sense-of-place’, but rather something stronger, something unseen, something untranslatable.

As I think of Burgundy, I find myself drawn to another French word: patrimoine. In its most literal sense, the definition that I find in the dictionary, ‘heritage’, is entirely correct. But I think it conveys something more. ‘Heritage’ in English gives a sense of looking backwards; patrimoine is much more in the present, the idea of benefitting from what the past has offered, of keeping it in mind and not letting go.

In Burgundy, where most Domaines are small and family owned, this is central to their philosophy. Many of the best producers are incredibly innovative, but they combine their anticipation of the future with an appreciation of the past, and an understanding of where they fit into their Domaine’s history.

But what of Burgundy itself? Are its wines untranslatable? Undoubtedly producers from around the world are making fantastic expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But that is what they are: expressions, not translations, demonstrating their own terroir, their own patrimoine. To my mind, therefore, Burgundy remains Burgundy, untranslatable and so often divine.

It’s why I will always remain loyal.

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