August September

from 2008 - Mixed Wine Club Selection

Mixed 2020 Gamay and the Tractor New from Washington Two estate wines from South Africa Storing your wine...

In this month’s selection we have put together a eclectic case that encompasses some absolute stunning and pioneering wine making skills covering regions of Stellenbosch, Washington State and beyond.

In these unpredictable times some things remain constant, the unpredictable British weather!

My team and I are always at odds when planning our cases for the summer months. Do we select wines for drinking on those, balmy summer evenings where soft whites and light reds tend to be the go to wine? This month we believe we have got the mix right, whether your are opening a bottle to sip after work, planning to have a dinner party or perhaps that evening barbeque.

I have to confess for this months articles I have looked back into the archives and have re written and article I wrote about a sustainable approach to wine machining. Rightly so, this is a topic close to our heart here at Weavers and this covers a number of questions we have been asked lately about the wines we source for our Wine Club.

Please let me have your comments regarding the wines, remember to use the colour coded bottle guide for a quick match of when to drink your wine.

Thank you as ever for your support and please enjoy this months selection, but above all enjoy your summer.

Best wishes

Philip: Sensational Stellenbosch

Mary: Memories of Washington

Alan: Summer time Gamay!

Peter: Wine Full of Courage

Alan: Pinot Gris, an old friend!

Philip Trease

The family-owned Jordan Wine Estate, situated in Stellenbosch, South Africa is right at the beating heart of the renowned Cape Winelands. Gary and Kathy Jordan have been making awardwinning wines since 1993 on their 164 hectare hillside property which has evolved over the years to include a wine tasting centre, luxury accommodation, a delicatessen-style bakery and a world-class restaurant where visitors can relax and enjoy fine Cape wines surrounded by breathtaking views of Table Mountain, False Bay and the Stellenbosch Mountains. The vineyards of The Cape enjoy a unique local climate. The Indian Ocean lies 15 kilometres to the South with the Atlantic Ocean lying 24 kilometres to the West, enabling Jordan Wine Estate to specialise in classic varieties well-suited to the various micro-climates. This enables Gary and Kathy to choose the perfect plots on which to grow certain grape varieties according to

which conditions best suit that particular vine.

The Inspector Chenin Blanc

Philip: I just love the soft, yet full character of the Chameleon Merlot.

This wine was named in memory of the Inspector General of Vineyards by the Government of the Cape who lead the fight against phylloxera and was a pioneer of entomology in South Africa. The vineyard contains the oldest block on the estate and carries the lower-yielding Montpellier clone of Chenin Blanc. The smaller berries that this vine produces allow for great fruit concentration and generous flavours of white pear, quince and green pineapple.

Chameleon Merlot This is an interesting Merlot because the winemakers wanted to create a wine with a subtle oaky character whilst also retaining every last drop of fruit purity from the grapes.

Usually when attempting to impart an oaky character to a wine the winemaker will opt to age the wine for a period of time in oak barrels but this also has the effect of oxidising the wine and thus reducing its fruity character. Therefore they have opted to age this wine in stainless steel vats for 10 months along with uniquely smoked oak staves to create the perfect balance between fresh fruit and oak.

When thinking about American wines Washington State may not be the first place that comes to mind but it is actually the 2nd most prolific wine producing region of the U.S.A, with the Yakima Valley alone being home to over 120 wineries.

The wine in this month’s case comes from a family-run single vineyard estate who specialise in the Syrah grape variety. The moderately cool temperature and long sunshine hours of the Yakima Valley help to ensure a long, slow ripening period for the grapes which contribute to the wines full body and complex aromatic nature.

Mary: Have you heard of the Nottingham Roosevelt Travelling Scholarship? I travelled through this region back in 1997 which researching the US wine industry as part of the scholarship.

This region has come a long way in the last 20 years so I was delighted to see this wine come forward to our tasting panel. It reminded me of the travels and the great people I met in the Yakima Valley. It’s a big rich Rhone-style red, great for a barbeque.

The Wolf Returns…

Established in the middle of the 18th Century, J L Wolf quickly built itself a reputation for high quality wine and managed to maintain this until a lack of direction saw it dwindle towards the end of the last century. The potential to return to former glories was always there and Ernie Loosen (of Dr Loosen fame) stepped up in 1996 to revamp it.

Initially he was drawn in by the opportunity to produce a more powerful style of Riesling than was on the banks of the Mosel at the time, but it did not take long to realise the Pfalz region's potential to produce elegant, aromatic Pinot Gris. The Pinot Gris in this month's case presents an excellent juxtaposition to the characterless Pinot Grigio’s which are so common on supermarket shelves. Where these wines are generally light bodied, simple and mellow the Villa Wolf is full, intense and complex and a perfect match to aromatically spiced food. Think Thai green curry.

Chris: This was my choice this month. A staple in our range, I just love this wine for its fruity aromatic character.

RRP

Jordan Inspector Peringuey Chenin Blanc, 2019 12.25

Origin ~ South Africa | Stellenbosch A rich and concentrated white with notes of white pear fruit and ripe pineapple. Long and balanced on the palate with a fresh citrus finish. Predominant Varietal(s): Chenin Blanc Serving Suggestions: Pasta or chicken

Bon Courage Dry Gewürztraminer, 2018 8.50

Origin ~ South Africa | Robertson An aromatic dry white, softly spiced on the nose with hints of flowery rose petals. Full and complex wine with a spicy dry finish. Predominant Varietal(s): Gewürztraminer Serving Suggestions: Spiced dishes, mild curry

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, 2018 11.50

Origin ~ Germany | Pfalz Citrus flavours, predominately lemon, on the nose and plenty of stone fruit on the palate. The two combine wonderfully for a full flavour that has a satisfyingly crisp finish. Predominant Varietal(s): Pinot Gris Serving Suggestions: Salads, salmon or pork

Jordan Chameleon Merlot, 2018 11.65

Origin ~ South Africa | Stellenbosch A well made wine with sweet berry and dark chocolate note. Rich and balanced with soft prune and ripe plum notes. No sulphur was added to this wine. Predominant Varietal(s): Merlot Serving Suggestions: Red beats, full flavoured vegetables, pasta or BBQ

Cascaidia Syrah, Yakima Valley, 2018

Origin ~ USA | Washington State A rich and brooding Syrah. Full flavours of dark berry fruit such as plums and raspberries. Peppery on the palate with a long and silky finish. Predominant Varietal(s): Syrah Serving Suggestions: Grilled steak, stew, pasta or pizza dishes

13.95 The Green Tractor, Cotes d'Auvergne, 2018 12.55

Origin ~ Chile | Central Valley This is truly a wacky wine! The rich red berry fruit on the nose. Fresh and light on the palate with hints of cherries and raspberry fruits. Finishing soft and balanced, a delicious red with that can be served lightly chilled. Predominant Varietal(s): Gamay Serving Suggestions: Lightly chilled aperitif, spaghetti Bolognese, grilled white meat or fleshy fish.

To share your tasting notes

Despite being a vigorous plant, the vine is actually quite prone to all manner of diseases and pests. In the past an inconsiderate attitude towards the environment was adopted by many growers and wine-makers and vineyards were, and in some cases still are, sprayed with all kinds of pesticides and herbicides to control the problems. Not only does this approach damage the environment, but can also create a vine which works against the soils rather than with them.

Today, this cavalier attitude is giving way to more sustainable viticulture techniques. Realising that better crops can be harvested a sustainable practice approach is being adopted and less pesticides and herbicides are being used. Winemakers and growers are forging a much closer working relationship between the vine and soils.

Approaches to Growing

Wine by its nature is organic, however, there are various approaches adopted by wine-makers and growers which can be classed as sustainable. Here we investigate the various options which can be adopted.

Minimal Intervention The majority of the wines we stock fall into this category. A large proportion of these, to all intents and purpose are organic, just without the official certification. As little as possible is done, although to the individual wine-maker retains a level of autonomy because at the end of the day, it’s all about producing good wines, and sometimes intervention is required.

Organic Organic winemaking practices will avoid chemicals and promote biodiversity in the vineyards. Too much use of chemicals can damage the soil and the pH balance. However, when producers are going for the ’Organic’ stamp on their label all too often I have seen the price not represent the quality. These days skills have got better but unfortunately, I think that too many wine-makers stick to certain methods to get organic certification, and the wine suffers.

Biodynamic There is not the time or space to go into all the intricacies of this here, but this technique is becoming more and more popular and actually predates the organic movement. It is based on ecological self-sufficiency, and many wine-makers claim the quality of their wines have improved by adopting these methods.

I think the Fair Trade discussion still has a journey to go and this is across all industries not just the wine trade. In light of recent news from a neighbouring city and a large online clothes company we need to be looking closer to home to ensure we adhere to fair trade rules and working practices.

The wine-makers we work with (I appreciate not all purveyors of wine enjoy the same close relationship with produces as we do) all adhere to ethical working conditions and have a ‘fair price’ mentality.

A visit from our friends at the Franschoek Winery in South Africa confirmed this.

Those of you that have enjoyed the wines from this estate will testify to the good quality at an everyday price point. They could comfortably boast to meet all the criteria that is required to get Free Trade certification, but the cost of doing so puts them off.

The main reason is they have to publish prices they pay for grapes and staff. Rightly so you may argue, but they have had problems with other producers who poach their staff and grapes based on the information published. Essentially, they’d rather spend the money improving the winery and the working conditions of their staff, something I whole -heartedly agree with.

If you have our mixed case you may notice the Jordan Chameleon has no added sulphates. I will explore this in detail in a later article

I am often asked for sulphate free wines, mainly for health reasons.

Sulphates occur naturally on the skins of wine and are used to control fermentation. Additional sulphates are the added at the bottling stage purely are a preservative to stop the wine oxidising. This has been done since Roman times.

We have tasted sulphite free wines many times now and I am struggling to find ones that are good for the price. I need to be careful here, I’m sure that not all sulphite free wine is as bad but we have yet to fin many that offer the right value.

To put this into context, there are more sulphites in a bag of salad than in a bottle of wine. Given that it’s critical when it comes to the ensuring the wine reaches you in the best possible state, I’m just not sure that it is really necessary.

On the top of the bottles in your case you will see a small sticker which will act as a guide to the suitable occasion for its consumption.

 Can be drunk on its own, at parties or when you get home from work.

 Shows well with food and also tastes great on its own.

 Ideally best served with food (please refer to your tasting notes or our web site for which types).

This is meant as a guide only, there is absolutely no right or wrong way to drink your wine.

Share Your Tastings Notes

I would love to hear how you are getting on with the wines. Why not share your tasting notes for the wines in this month's selection on our web site .

Use this code to take you there, the ‘Browse by’ to find this month’s (and previous months) case and there you will find the wines.

Go Cardless

Sorry to talk money but we are in the process of moving of moving our payment method to a new provider called Go-Cardless.

GoCardless is a Direct Debit collection tool designed for small businesses like ours. You should have received an email sent on our behalf by Go-Cardless. Please look out for this and complete the form, it only takes a moment.

For more information please visit www.weaverswines.com/gocardless

No worries if you want to keep you existing payment method.

Wine Club Supplements Did you get the email?

There are a number of fantastic supplements that we are working on so you can have them delivered along with your Wine Club case. We will send you an email before your case is due to come, all you need to is reply if you would like to add the case and we will do the rest.

If you did not get the email the please give us a call on 0115 9580922 so we can check your details.

Three French Rose

This month we have selected three stunning roses from three stunning regions of France: Provence, South West and the Loire. These are dry rose styles perfect for summer drinking,

£34.60

Three Classic French Wines

In this selection we have highlighted three whites from the classic regions of France. The wines will speak for themselves.

£66.18

Three Rich Reds £70.32

If you enjoy big and rich red wines here are three wines to suit. These wines have been selected from Priorat in Spain, Mendoza in Argentina and Valpolicella in Northern Italy. These are truly stunning wines, each tells their own story of the region they are from.

The Weird, The Wonderful and the Tasty Summer Selection

This will help you explore new flavours in wine. Here we have a selection: a sparkling Sake from Japan, a red dessert wine from Uruguay, and a limoncello from Italy.

£58.44

Summer Sparkling Rose Selection £70.32

This case is truly fun and tasty. We have selected three sparkling roses from Italy, Spain and Derbyshire. Wines that people don't tend to go and try, but when they do, they find a love for exploring new wine styles.

The Spirit Of Summer

As a supplement this month we would like to bring the seaside to you. This unique gin from Wales is made from a distinct selection of botanicals, the main ingredient is seaweed.

£33.00

We are thrilled to say that we have created our own unique and individual set of gins for you all to try and enjoy. Castle Gate started at our home of No.1 Castle Gate where the whole team worked to create a distinctive style that would really represent the spirit of Nottingham.

Both gins have their own distinctive flavour profile, whilst maintaining that unique acorn infused style.

No. 17 Castle Gate Strawberry and Lavender Gin is an alternative fruit driven recipe. It is named after the long standing home of our tasting rooms, a fascinating Georgian Town House situated at No. 17 Castle Gate.