The Wine Merchant issue 100 (March 2021) by The Wine Merchant magazine

THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers

Issue 100, March 2021

Dog of the Month: Chester Priory Wines, Lymington

Indies believe sales boom will continue beyond Covid crisis Survey shows two thirds of indies saw sales boom in past year, with 87% reporting an increase in customer numbers

ore than two-thirds of

independent wine merchants have reported a sales

increase over the past year – and a similar

proportion are confident of an even better performance in 2021.

Among the majority of indies who have

seen their sales go up, the average increase was 38%, according to data from The Wine Merchant’s annual industry survey.

turnover will beat the 2019 numbers by

the new clientele has come from people

Just under 87% of indies report an

to the survey, which was carried out in

40% or so as we hold on to many new customers after Covid disappears.”

increase in customer numbers. Most (29%) are thought to have been recruited from

the supermarkets, with 21% switching to indies from the on-trade. Around 14% of

who were originally buying from the likes of Naked Wines or Laithwaites, according partnership with Hatch Mansfield and

attracted responses from 189 businesses. • Survey coverage starts on page 10 and continues in our April edition.

Almost 17% of all indies are very

optimistic about a sales increase in

the coming year, with just under 50% saying they are fairly optimistic. The

figures represent the most upbeat mood

among indies for three years, despite the challenges still presented by Covid and Brexit.

A quarter of respondents saw a decline

in sales, with an average fall of almost 22%. Typically the decline was smaller than that,

with the overall figure skewed by large falls reported by businesses with exposure to the London on-trade.

One independent in the south east says:

“2020 saw a 250% increase in turnover, peaking at 300%.

“Since October turnover has stayed

consistent with the Christmas peak, with

a 46.6% increase on last Christmas. I can’t see us increasing on that performance. What I think we will see is that 2021

Camilla Wood of The Somerset Wine Company in Castle Cary has been expanding her business, first by taking on the neighbouring store and its courtyard garden, and more recently by opening a concession at a local food market, restaurant and gift shop. Full story on page 4.

NEWS

Inside this month 4 comings & GOINGs More indies on the expansion trail across southern England

21 TRIED & TESTED Wines that make you stand an inch and a half taller

27 The Burning Question How many suppliers were passing on price increases ahead of the Budget?

30 JUST WILLIAMS Exclusive interviews with three of wine’s biggest names

34 streatham wine house How a London wine bar realised the potential of retail

44 vermouth A catergory with more options than ever for curious wine lovers

49 supplier bulletin Essential updates from key suppliers to the indie trade

A hundred issues, a thousand thanks Welcome to issue 100 of The Wine Merchant. What started out as a speculative 24-page pamphlet in April 2012 has become what many might call a proper trade publication. Our first edition carried an editorial that tried to spell out how important independent wine merchants were becoming, even if it sometimes felt like the sector was being treated as an afterthought by some suppliers. There were 660 indie wine shops at the time. There are nearly 950 now. And nobody needs reminding about the contribution that independents make to the UK wine market – except, perhaps, certain government ministers. The Wine Merchant’s stated aims were “to provide independents with a source of information, conversation and inspiration; to reflect the good and bad things happening in our marketplace, and to signpost what may lie ahead”. We also promised “not to preach to our readers, or treat them as halfwits”. It would be pleasing to think we’ve succeeded in those objectives, even if the hundred issues that have now rolled off the presses have contained some howlers along the way. At least twice we’ve published lengthy interviews in which we’ve got the subject’s name wrong all the way through the piece.

Some articles stopped mid-flow, indeed mid-sentence. We’ve spent the equivalent of months of our lives giving each page three thorough proofreads, only to create new typos in the process of correcting the ones we spotted. On a couple of occasions, the new issue has been flung in rage at the nearest wall and never spoken of again. But enough of the self-congratulation and self-flagellation. At times like these, some thank-yous are called for. Thank you to all those who have been, and in most cases remain, part of The Wine Merchant team, especially Claire, David, Nigel, Naomi, Sarah, Georgina, Hannah, Emma, Lippy and Kate. Thanks to Tim, our printer, whose encouragement and expertise has guided us away from many a bear trap. Thanks to the advertisers who’ve stuck with us from the very beginning; those who join the fun when budgets permit; and the suppliers, producers and agencies who have become our friends in more recent times. Thanks to the merchants who have shared their opinions and experiences with us, in some cases involving information that’s sensitive for a variety of reasons. Earning, and maintaining, your trust is something we’ve never taken for granted. Thanks to everyone who’s said nice things about the magazine. And even people who’ve said not-so-nice things. It all helps keep us on course – and true to that original mission statement.

THE WINE MERCHANT MAGAZINE winemerchantmag.com 01323 871836 Twitter: @WineMerchantMag Editor and Publisher: Graham Holter graham@winemerchantmag.com Assistant Editor: Claire Harries claire@winemerchantmag.com Advertising: Sarah Hunnisett sarah@winemerchantmag.com Accounts: Naomi Young winemerchantinvoices@gmail.com The Wine Merchant is circulated to the owners of the UK’s 942 specialist independent wine shops. Printed in Sussex by East Print. © Graham Holter Ltd 2021 Registered in England: No 6441762 VAT 943 8771 82

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 2

Graham Holter

W&W ad supplied separately

Somerset Wine Co on expansion trail It’s been a busy time for The Somerset Wine Company. Since expanding the business last year by taking over the neighbouring shop in Castle Cary, complete with courtyard garden, Camilla Wood is continuing to grow the brand with a concession at Teals. As well as catering for locals who want

to shop in a sustainable way, Teals is also

dependent on motorists on the A303. It’s

a sort of bucolic services, where travellers

can recharge their electric car, picnic in the apple orchard and buy some decent wine. “Ash and Nick (Sinfield) who own Teals

have both been involved in various retail

projects and this was a big dream for them to do together,” explains Wood.

“They’ve chosen to work with producers

who grow their products that little bit

more carefully and responsibly and often

on a smaller scale, so the brief for me was very much to echo that.”

Most of Wood’s range already embraced

the same ethos, especially the wines she

imports direct, but the emphasis was also on organics and biodynamics so she did have to make a few tweaks.

“It was slightly hard to go back to

the drawing board and find wine from

suppliers that fitted that brief,” she admits. “But I can say, hand on my heart, that they are all sustainably made and if they’re not

certified organic they are organic practices. “It’s a smaller selection than you would

have in my shop but you will find in every region and country the kind of wines you would expect. There’s a Chinon from the Loire, a Cabernet from Chile and a nice Merlot from Bordeaux, for example.”

The current range of 170 lines will grow

to include bag-in-box refillable wines.

Wood says: “I’ve always worked with Rich

Hamblin at More Wine, so we’ll work with

Top: the enlarged Castle Cary shop and, below, the concession at Teals

him on that. At Castle Cary we’ve got them on a special shelving unit near the front of the shop.

“People are really drawn to that area and

have a chance to try before they buy. They

feel very engaged with that whole recycling and low carbon footprint idea. Of course, the key is that the wines have become so much better quality.”

The concession is run on a wholesale

basis, although the branding is all Somerset

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 4

Wine Company. “They wanted very much to have a version of my shop and I wanted a

nicely curated, intelligent display, so it does look a little bit like going into my shop,”

says Wood, who will also provide WSET training to the Teals sales team.

The in-house restaurant will also benefit

from her “small but seasonal wine list”, and, pandemic permitting, Wood will

run tastings and supper clubs from the restaurant too.

Hop Shop is big on wine and cider too A micropub in Hornchurch has opened its own retail unit, The Hop Shop. Co-owners Alison Taffs and Phil Cooke

have been kept on their toes adapting

the business to suit ever-changing Covid

guidelines, so when the adjacent premises became vacant, having a dedicated retail space just felt right.

“We opened the Hop Inn on December

21, 2019, just in time for a global

pandemic,” Cooke says, “but we’ve been

agile – we’ve opened as a pub, then shut, then opened as a shop and then here

we are with the shop next door. We’re

constantly pivoting to fit the guidelines.”

Taffs adds: “We’re sitting in a space [in

the Hop Inn] that’s designed to be a pub rather than a shop and by definition it

should be busy and vibrant so it feels a bit heart-breaking, but the shop next door is the perfect size.”

The couple have worked in the drinks

trade for a long time, buying and sourcing wine for large corporates. Cooke is

enjoying working on a smaller scale and building relationships within the local

community as well as local English wine and cider producers.

“We’ve already got a great reputation for

our range of English wines [Chapel Down, Albourne Estate and Davenport] and we

have ciders from Yorkshire, Wales and Kent – we’re growing the range,” he says.

“People like to come in and talk to us

about what they’re cooking and ask us for recommendations – we want to establish community roots.”

Taffs also co-runs a drinks education

company, The Grape Society. “I’m really

passionate about encouraging cider,” she says. “People don’t always have positive associations with it, but we’re trying to

break through that and get people to think about cider how they think about wine.”

Bacchus Cardboard suppliers have their work cut out Any indies struggling to secure enough cardboard boxes to keep up with online orders can lay part of the blame at the door of Donald Trump’s favourite scapegoat: China. Yes, demand for cardboard has soared during lockdown as consumers spend big online. Paper mills in the UK and Europe, which provide the material required for corrugated cardboard, have seen demand increase by 40%. But that’s only part of the story. The Chinese government has recently relaxed domestic regulations, meaning that box producers can now buy more finished paper and less recycled product. That means that paper mills are able to sell to Chinese producers at higher prices than they’d normally charge their European customers. In turn, that’s pushed up prices nearer to home, with box suppliers and their customers desperate to keep up with continued high demand. “The mills have used nearly all their capacity to try and keep up, but most are reporting six to eight-week lead times on raw material to us,” says a memo from one cardboard supplier, seen by The Wine Merchant. “This is historically the quietest quarter in our industry following the seasonal demand, but unfortunately customers are reacting and ordering ahead or still trying to build stocks, so we are just as busy, and this is not allowing the mills to catch up. “In fact they are becoming more inefficient at present as staff absence with Covid, import delays, breakdowns and [for a while] the weather are all playing a part in the industry struggling with our customers’ demands.” Paper suppliers have imposed price increases of up to £50 a tonne since December. The author of the memo expects problems in the supply chain “for at least the next three to four months”, which could exacerbate any problems being experienced by wine merchants.

Media reports have blamed the cardboard shortage on Amazon, but Andrew Wilson of WBC believes this is simplistic and unfair. “The problem has been building up since the first lockdown in March last year when demand from all online retailers took off,” he says. “I am sure that many wine merchants experienced this firsthand and we certainly saw it in exponentially increased demand for transit packaging, re-packing cases and carry-home solutions. “We managed to keep up with demand until the last couple of months of the year, but at that point lead times from our supplier went from two or three weeks to eight weeks or more, which caught us slightly on the hop.” Wilson admits WBC’s stock situation in January was “dire”, but is “improving every day at the moment”. By the end of February, WBC was expected to have “more stock than we have ever had” and next-day deliveries would be possible, even if that meant offering a solution made with moulded waste paper pulp. Wilson adds: “As ever, with increased demand comes increasing prices but whilst board prices are increasing by 6% to 8%, we are hoping to be able to hold our prices for another few months to see if things settle back down.”

Our source remains anonymous

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 5

Branches in Oxford and Salisbury

shop, but cleaner!”

Ingold, who has worked as a head

sommelier, believes that he made the jump to retail at the right time, and is bringing

Kent Barker expects to employ over 60

his hospitality experience to the table.

new people to staff his two new sites,

As soon as restrictions are lifted

which are both set to open this year.

Bonafide will be allowing customers to buy

Oxford and Salisbury will be home to

any bottle from the store to drink in for a

Wilding, and both will be “classic hybrid

corkage fee.

models” in the same format as Barker’s

“We have room for about 30 covers,”

Eight Stony Street in Frome.

“We are turning the two old Café Rouge

sites into the first of what we hope will be many Wildings,” says Barker.

“They are versions of Eight Stony Street,

so they will be a wine shop, a wine bar and a restaurant. The Oxford site has a garden as well.”

Kent Barker

‘Like the old shop, but cleaner’

Barker and his team are working hard

Bonafide Wines in Christchurch, Dorset,

from biodynamic, organic or sustainable

owner Graham Northeast for the past year,

Barker says they will also be upcycling as

“The new shop is twice the size and it’s

to make Wilding a “totally sustainable

moved to bigger premises last month.

sources and the two new head chefs will

says that the move was prompted by the

business”. The wines and food will all come be cooking with hydrogen rather than gas. much as possible.

“Sarah [Helliwell] is the head of wine

and trading for the group and will travel between the three sites, so we are

recruiting three general managers, one

for each site,” he explains. “The plan has

always been to grow the business; that we would hone the brand in Frome, and then roll it out.”

Barker admits that the fading fortunes

of big high-street brands has worked in his favour. “We have secured two major sites

Kieren Ingold, who has worked with

expiry of the old lease.

Ingold explains, “and we’re thinking that

on a Friday or Saturday night we’ll do our official tasting and around that you can

come in and get a bottle or a glass of wine. “Then we’ll cook one big meal – so if we

are showcasing some heavy French reds,

we’ll do a bourguignon, for example, or for aromatic white wines we might do a Thai curry. If you pay £15 to taste the wines

you can pay £6 extra if you want the food. We don’t want to employ a chef and have

a menu – things can get very complicated, very quickly. We want to make it simple.”

got a bit of a kitchen so we’re going to do our tastings in-store,” he says.

“We’ve extended the range to 700 wines

and we’ve got space for another 150

references. Until the trade tastings start

again we’re holding fire. We’ve picked up a few new wines, but it’s not like going to a tasting.”

He adds: “We’ve gone for a similar look

with the interior. Basically it’s like the old

• Wine bar and shop Yield N16 in Stoke Newington has opened a second site. Yield N1 (named in honour of its new postcode,

that we probably would have struggled to

get without the pressures that everybody is

and pictured above) is situated on St Paul’s

looked a lot more favourably at an

• Bambuni Wine & Grocery in Nunhead,

motivated, sensible independent.”

new business opened in November and is

under at the moment,” he says.

Road in Islington.

independent business over the big brands.

Southwark, has been sold and rebranded

“I think because of Covid the landlords

as Mother Superior Wine Store & Deli. The

They were willing to consider a strong,

Wilding in Oxford will open in mid-May

followed by Salisbury a month later.

focusing on organic, biodynamic and lowGraham Northeast

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 6

intervention wine.

THE

Decanter’s Best Australian Wine Specialist 2018, 2019 & 2020

VINORIUM

Coming soon…

A new dedicated ecommerce website will be at your disposal

The complete agency list from the UK’s leading Australian importer - Over 40 producers and 350+ wines. Wouldn’t it be a dream as an independent wine merchant, to receive the same service you provide to your private customers where speed, communication and flexibility are imperative? The Vinorium will be offering all indies a full and long overdue ‘private customer’ service from early 2021. • No minimum order • Build mixed orders with any combination of cases or bottles • Free delivery on all orders exceeding £125.00

• Online checkout (24/7) • Next working day delivery (cut off at 2:00pm) • Automatic tracking details for your order • Automatic invoice supplied • High-resolution images, producer profiles, stories, musings, tasting notes and so much more will be at your disposal • We are happy to ship directly to your customers (with non-branded packaging). Integrity assured

Our Exclusive Producers The Standish Wine Co. Wild Duck Creek Kay Brothers Greenock Creek Elderton Wines Utopos Soumah Flowstone

Gemtree Wines Nocturne Massena JC’s Own Dr.Edge Two Hands Wines Artisans of Barossa Hoddles Creek

John’s Blend Vinden Wines Eastern Peake Glaetzer-Dixon Cobaw Ridge Hutton Vale Farm Pooley Wines Sailor Seeks Horse

Domaine Simha Purple Hands Wines Domaine Naturaliste Hobbs Vintners Mulline Coulter Wines Shadowfax Wines House of Cards

Wantirna Estate Grey Sands Ghost Rock Wines Topper’s Mountain Rymill Kerri Greens Little Reddie

www.thevinorium.co.uk enquiries@thevinorium.co.uk 01622 859161

NOT YOU AGAIN!

customers we could do without

21. Josh Biggleswick It’s actually really interesting to see someone still sticking with the old-school way of selling wine … it’s a cute little shop, it must be very special to you … if I’m absolutely honest I’m just here for a top-up because we do tend to get all of our gear these days from a mob called Naked Wines … my car insurance company sent me this £60-off voucher – sixty quid! – and I thought, what the hell? But the thing is you don’t just buy wine in the old-fashioned way, you’re actually supporting these winemakers that would otherwise go out of business pretty much overnight, so you feel like you’ve got this, this ... responsibility … I guess it’s a bit like adopting a donkey or marmoset or something and you don’t mind paying a little over the odds just to know that you’re doing some good in the world … I’m actually also a shareholder in Brewdog too, you know, the brewery run by anarchists and punks … I guess I just have this affinity with the little guy, socking it to the corporate monster … no, that’s everything thanks, just the two Viña Sols please and the four-pack of Heineken … do you take Amex?

Supplier of wine boxes and literature • 12 Bottle mailing boxes with dividers from £1.69p each • 6 Bottle mailing boxes with dividers from £0.98p each • 12 Bottle carrier boxes with dividers from £0.99p each Prices are subject to VAT • Delivery not included

01323 728338 • sales@eastprint.co.uk • www.eastprint.co.uk

ANAGRAM TIME Can you unscramble the names of these wine-related magazines? If so, you win spur shelving spares (mixed).

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 7

1. Indoor Tween Whiffle 2. Ad Centre 3. Brutish Kindnesses 4. Steiner Cowpat 5. Wrench the Inmate Mark Matisovits

NEWS

Trade unites in opposition to VI-1s Letter to government signed by 51 importers spells out the damage that new forms would wreak on EU wine imports

he boss of Liberty Wines fears

“At the moment it will be nine different

the planned introduction of VI-1

admin processes for each form. Spread

forms for wines imported from the

that over four wines on a pallet and you’re

EU could discourage small producers from

adding a lot to the workload.”

shipping to the UK, leading to less choice

Urgency was injected into the trade

for retailers and their customers.

position outlined in the letter by an answer

David Gleave MW was the instigator of

to a parliamentary question by Prentis in

a letter to food minister Victoria Prentis

January in which she appeared to suggest

outlining opposition to VI-1s, signed by 51

the wine industry supported VI-1s.

significant importers including Accolade

“The people who signed that letter

Wines, Alliance Wine, Bibendum Wine,

are responsible for 70% of all the wines

Daniel Lambert Wines, Hallgarten &

Novum Wines, Hatch Mansfield, Les Caves de Pyrene and Thorman Hunt.

The list also featured high profile indies

David Gleave

merchants have had a brilliant year

the minister direct was intended to

Hennings Wine Merchants and Charles Lea

provide sufficient guarantees.

of Lea & Sandeman.

“I have never known the fragmented

wine industry pull together in this way

before,” Gleave says. “It affects people who

are big or small and who deal in new world wines or old world wines.”

The forms are already in place for wines

shipped from outside the EU and were

originally intended to be introduced for

EU wines from January 1, a move that was postponed for six months.

But with the clock ticking towards the

end of that stay of execution, Gleave and

industry colleagues felt it was time to turn up the temperature with the ultimate aim of VI-1s being scrapped altogether.

The primary purpose of the forms is

to certify that wines meet UK quality standards, requiring the submission

of samples for every wine imported in addition to extra layers of paperwork.

them,” says Gleave.

Many in the industry argue that major wine

of Oxford Wine Co, Matthew Hennings of

shows the industry is not comfortable with

control measures are robust enough to

including Noel Young, Hal Wilson of

Cambridge Wine Merchants, Ted Sandbach

imported into the UK, so that in itself

exporting countries’ own existing quality Gleave says: “Many independent wine

because of people shopping locally. They are looking for more diversity and better wines. “In our off-trade business the average

price has risen by about 20% and that’s because they’re selling better wines.

“So all of a sudden something like this

comes in and threatens that, and you

might get small producers who just say they won’t bother. That could be really damaging to the independent trade.”

Gleave argues the cost burden of VI-1s

will be greater for shipments from the EU than those from non-EU countries.

“If you’re importing from outside the EU

you’re shipping in quite big quantities and

can spread that cost. A lot of our producers in the EU are shipping mixed pallets and there might be three or four wines on a pallet, each requiring a VI-1 form.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 8

he Wine & Spirit Trade

Association has also publicly

stated its opposition to VI-1s and

has lobbied to this effect.

Gleave said the decision to canvass

complement rather than replace the official channels.

“We spoke to the WSTA about it and kept

them up to date with what we were doing and showed them the letter,” he adds.

“We could be pretty blunt in the letter,

probably in a way that the WSTA can’t

be. We were fairly direct. It’s a different

approach but we’re both looking for the same outcome.

“Daniel Lambert was already doing a lot

for the industry on it and I just felt it was important we share the load.

“There’s been huge help from many

small importers like Daniel, medium-sized

importers similar to us, and bigger players like Accolade have been first class.

“They all see it as something that will

help out the whole industry.”

Tejo ad supplied separately

READER SURVEY 2021 How optimistic are you that your sales will increase in the coming 12 months?

Very optimistic Fairly optimistic Neither optimistic or pessimistic/not sure Fairly pessimistic Very pessimistic Number of respondents: 185

16.8% 49.7% 26.5% 5.4% 1.6%

With 66.5% of respondents expressing optimism about the year ahead, this represents the most positive outlook that the survey has recorded since the 73.8% figure in 2018. Last year the proportion of “very optimistic” respondents was actually higher, at 20.2%, but the proportion saying they were “fairly optimistic” was much lower, at 35%.

Robin Nugent Iron & Rose, Shrewsbury “Online and delivered sales rocketed during the first lockdown, and Christmas trade was well up on the previous year. How the public behave post lockdown is hard to call. Comparisons with the ‘roaring 20s’ may be very misleading as they didn’t have Netflix and all the other home entertainments then! Many people may have got out of the habit of going out. This might play into the hands of off-sales but may benefit supermarkets and larger online players more than independents.”

Gary Cennerazzo Bellissimo Vino, Edinburgh “With Brexit now being rolled out, with higher costs and a lot of unknowns, we cannot say how things will go as the industry will become more competitive than ever. We have to try to compete with the big boys and it’s going to be a lot harder. We just have to be smart and adjust our strategy to continue to be successful.”

Jonathan Charles The Dorset Wine Co, Dorchester “We have seen a massive increase in retail business since the initial lockdown and whilst a chunk of the new customers we gained have remained with us, some have drifted back to their usual methods of shopping, whether it’s the supermarkets, Majestic or Wine Society/Laithwaites etc.”

Charlotte Dean Wined Up Here, Norbiton

W i n e M e r c h a n t Re a d e r S u r v ey Pa r t n e r 2 0 2 1

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 10

“Although we will not see the stratospheric take of Lockdown 1, the wider audience we reached will lead to increased footfall and take throughout the year. January 2021 is already up 100%. Long may it continue!”

Marc Hough Cork of the North, Manchester

Polly Gibson GrapeSmith, Hungerford

Anthony Borges The Wine Centre, Gt Horkesley

“I’m fairly optimistic our sales will increase this year. The past 12 months has seen a welcome, but unexpected increase in our profile thanks to our online wine tastings and more customers – both old and new – wanting home deliveries. I’m hopeful we can keep this new custom and build upon it further.”

“This year has seen our turnover double, so a further increase on that would be somewhat surprising – though we’re ready if it happens! We have certainly increased our customer base this year so retaining and cultivating those relationships is where further growth could come from. An improved web presence continues to attract orders from beyond our locale.”

“Since Covid 19 our wine sales have increased significantly. People find comfort in nice wine, and we have benefited from that. I predict the trend to continue when, finally, the virus leaves us – or at least, when there is a resumption of normal life. Because Britain, and the world, by Jove, will be wanting to party!”

James Brown The Wine Loft, Brixham

Alan Irvine The Scottish Gantry, Stirling

Jon Scorse Mr Scorse Deli, St Mawes

“Customers seem keen to explore wines (not necessarily more expensive) that are outside their comfort zone. It’s as if the lockdown has given them some time to think; an awareness that perhaps they were stuck in a rut. It seems logical that an independent would be a good place to start. Our focus is to ensure we do what the supermarkets and larger suppliers cannot easily do.”

“There is a general enthusiasm amongst our consumers to be experimental and discover new flavours and tastes. Given the restrictions in place at present, we can offer a release, with our varied grape and country selection built round the taste profile of the consumer.”

“With Cornwall, and particularly villages by the coast, looking forward to another bumper summer season, we are feeling optimistic that this year’s wine sales will even top those of last year. It’s no coincidence that people have not only drunk more wine during the lockdowns but actually taken the time to learn more about the subject – with Zoom wine clubs, for example – which in turn has led to an increase in the interest of wines from smaller independents such as myself.”

Leanne Olivier Cru Wines, Bradford on Avon “2020 taught us to adapt or die. So growth in 2021 will only happen if we continue to listen to our customers’ needs and continue to evolve.”

Jefferson Boss StarmoreBoss, Sheffield “We saw a spike in retail sales during the first lockdown which will not be replicated. Also with the cost of wine imports from the EU adding to an increase at retail, and the possibility of a reduced selection of European wines, we may see a downturn in wine sales. Wholesale, hopefully, will be back in some form but the margins may make the extra work unprofitable.”

Dean Pritchard Gwin Llyn Wines, Pwllheli “When Lockdown 1 ended in Wales at the beginning of July and second homeowners and visitors were allowed back, we experienced an uplift in trade which will be hard to replicate. Also we have been trading as normal whilst all bars, pubs and restaurants have either been forced to shut, or have had other restrictions imposed.”

Andrew Lundy Vino, Edinburgh “Week by week the goalposts are moved with the pandemic making it nigh on impossible to plan or predict. We all have to rely on instincts and gut feeling for what customers are looking for and when. That’s kind of exciting and kind of terrifying, but lots of fun.”

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 11

Alan Snudden The General Wine Co, Hampshire “In the three lockdowns customers have had more time to look more closely at what they are drinking and have certainly seen the extra value in moving up the quality scale.”

Claire Carruthers Carruthers & Kent, Newcastle “Even though the last 12 months has basically been the best thing that’s ever happened to us, we aren’t sure what the outcome of Brexit or the fallout of Covid will do to us.”

Sales channels: deliveries take up the slack from diminishing wholesale trade 9.3%

Left: Roughly what percentage of your business, over the past 12 months, has come from the following activities?

1.2%

Wholesale business

Ticketed events

41.1%

13.8%

Walk-in trade at the shop(s)

Online sales (fulfilled by courier or similar)

Number of respondents: 161

4.5%

Drink-in sales

Below: Roughly what percentage of your total food and drink sales, over the past 12 months, has come from the following categories?

5.9%

Click-andcollect

Number of respondents: 161

23.5%

0.8% Other

Local deliveries

73.7%

Wine (all styles) Local deliveries and online sales have been the big success stories for indies over the past year, with walk-in trade diminishing from around 60% of sales in recent surveys to nearer 40% now. Online sales, for so long an area in which independents severely underperformed, shot up from 5% of the trade’s turnover last year to almost 14% in this year’s survey. Of course these gains came at the expense of other revenue streams. Wholesaling, which had been in long-term decline for indies even before the arrival of Covid-19, has dipped under 10% for the first time in the history of the survey, down from 16% in 2020 and 22% in 2015. For the first time, we also asked respondents to break down their main product categories. Naturally, wine comes out on top, accounting for almost three-quarters of sales, but the importance of spirits and beer is quantified.

10.5%

8.5% Beer

Spirits (inc cocktails and specialities)

1.2% Cider

0.8%

Non alcoholic drinks

4.8%

0.5%

Tea & Food items coffee

0.1% Other drinks

W i n e M e r c h a n t Re a d e r S u r v ey Pa r t n e r 2 0 2 1

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 12

Top suppliers: Boutinot and Liberty lead a shrinking field Every year, the Wine Merchant reader survey asks retailers the same simple question: which suppliers do you most like working with? And every year, Boutinot tops the poll. Tradition also dictates that Liberty

Wines and Hatch Mansfield finish in

second and third place respectively, with

most of the remaining places at the top of the leaderboard rotating between some familiar names.

This year’s top 10 does include some

new entries, however, with Portuguese

specialist Marta Vine leaping from 21st

place in 2020 to a creditable ninth spot this time.

All of the other suppliers entering this

year’s top 10 are tied on the same number

of votes. Congratulations are due to Astrum Wine Cellars, Awin Barratt Siegel, Condor Wines, Dreyfus Ashby, Ellis of Richmond and Enotria&Coe.

There’s been a trend in recent surveys

for the number of nominated suppliers to

keep rising, but that came to an abrupt halt in 2021 with 17 fewer suppliers receiving votes than in the previous year.

It’s long been suggested that some sort

of shake-out of suppliers is overdue and

that consolidation is inevitable, but there is little evidence of that happening. The evaporation of FMV is the only obvious recent example of a major wholesaler disappearing from the indie scene.

A more likely explanation is that, as

many indies dealt with an unexpected

sales explosion in 2020 under lockdown

conditions, it was natural for them to put

their faith in a small and trusted group of suppliers with whom relationships were

already well established, particularly with so many reps furloughed.

Position (2020 in brackets)

Supplier

Votes received

% of retailers voting for this supplier (2020 in brackets)

1 (1)

Boutinot

33.1 (31.4)

2 (2)

Liberty Wines

23.0 (18.0)

3 (3)

Hatch Mansfield

14.9 (14.5)

4 (8)

Thorman Hunt

14.2 (11.1)

5 (4)

Alliance Wine

12.2 (14)

6 (6)

Les Caves de Pyrene

11.5 (11.6)

7 (5)

Hallgarten & Novum Wines

10.8 (12.2)

8 (6)

Fells

8.8 (11.6)

9 (21)

Marta Vine

7.4 (3.5)

10 (12)

Astrum Wine Cellars

5.4 (5.8)

10 (13)

Awin Barratt Siegel

5.4 (5.2)

10 (17)

Condor Wines

5.4 (4.1)

10 (15)

Dreyfus Ashby

5.4 (4.7)

10 (17)

Ellis of Richmond

5.4 (4.1)

10 (17)

Enotria&Coe

5.4 (4.1)

16 (21)

Raymond Reynolds

4.7 (3.5)

17 (-)

The Australian Sommelier

4.1 (-)

17 (21)

Bancroft Wines

4.1 (3.5)

17 (10)

Vindependents

4.1 (7.0)

20 (-)

Maisons Marques et Domaines

3.4 (-)

20 (-)

New Generation Wines

3.4 (-)

20 (17)

Walker & Wodehouse

3.4 (4.1)

20 (-)

North South Wines

3.4 (-)

Based on answers from 148 respondents. All respondents were invited to nominate three suppliers and were not given prompts. There were 108 suppliers that received at least one vote, compared to 125 in 2020 and 130 in 2019.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 13

Significant others: the non-wine categories that matter most to indies

15%

How important to your business are the following categories? Number of respondents: 153

Speciality spirits

British craft beer

33%

30%

say “very important”

say “fairly important”

37%

30%

Imported beer

Deli items

11%

say “very important”

say “fairly important”

22%

10%

Cigars and tobacco

Confectionery

say “very important”

say “fairly important”

13%

14%

Glassware

Wine accessories

say “very important”

say “fairly important”

13%

Say they are likely to open one or more new branches this year Up from 14% in 2020

1% Say they are likely to close one or more new branches this year Down from 3% in 2020

44% Say they are likely to take on one or more new members of staff this year Up from 40% in 2020

3% Say they are likely to try to sell the business this year Down from 8% in 2020 Number of respondents: 153

W i n e M e r c h a n t Re a d e r S u r v ey Pa r t n e r 2 0 2 1

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 14

Boutinot ad supplied separately

Shipping from small boutique producers is no longer commercial , Chris Connolly warns

Buying direct: frankly, who needs the aggravation? Brexit means that more indies than before are happy to let UK suppliers take the strain with wine imports. But a hardcore of merchants will carry on with shipments, hoping for better margins and exclusivity

ndependents shipped slightly less

wine direct from producers in 2020

than they did in 2019. Roughly 15% of

the wine sold in the indie trade was bought that way, down from 18% the previous

year. It’s the lowest figure ever reported in the survey.

Despite all the complications created by

Brexit, Covid and economic uncertainty, enthusiasm for direct shipping remains

fairly solid, with just over 30% of survey

respondents saying they will increase their activity in the coming year. Just under 9%

say they will reduce or stop direct buying.

The merchants who find direct shipping

unappealing – or at least less appealing than it used to be – cite a number of

factors, including cash flow issues, lack of space, and contentment with UK wholesalers.

But many indies blame their lack of

enthusiasm on the effects of Brexit. Among them is Connolly’s in

uncommercial,” he says.

Andrew Lundy of Vino in Edinburgh is

on the same page. “After the referendum

we moved to exclusively use UK agents, so that supply/transport and currency were no longer a threat,” he says. “We are not

rushing back to shipping ourselves until it’s worth the effort.”

Euan McNicoll of McNicoll & Cairnie in

Birmingham, whose owner Chris Connolly

Dundee adds: “I’d gladly increase my direct

will mean the shipping of wine from

so we just don’t know at this stage.

expects a “significant reduction” in direct shipping. “The implications of Brexit

smaller, boutique growers is rendered

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 16

purchasing, but producers are all saying

‘let’s wait and see how things settle down’, “Hopefully things will be clearer later in

OUR SURVEY SAID … W i n e M e r c h a n t Re a d e r S u r v ey Pa r t n e r 2 0 2 1

the year, but we’re not counting on it. Our

plans to increase direct purchasing may be put back 12 months.”

t Winyl in Manningtree, Essex, Steve Tattam is predicting

a slight upturn in his direct

imports.

suppliers.

and promote smaller, organic, sustainable

ike just over a quarter of all

indies, Charlotte Dean of Wined Up Here in Norbiton intends to

continue buying all her wines from UK

“Now, more than ever, I appreciate the

hassle the importer contends with on my behalf with fluctuating exchange rates,

import duty and paperwork,” she says. “It leaves me free to do my job.”

Matthew Hennings of Hennings in

West Sussex admits it’s hard to be sure

of how importing will play out this year

because of “Brexit headaches”, though he predicts the volumes will probably look similar to last year’s.

“We want to build more direct

relationships with small, high-quality

partners,” he says. “Provided it makes

sense logistically and value wise, we will

do so. However, we will also continue with our select partners in the UK and build on our range.”

Anne Harrison from Wine Down in

the Isle of Man says: “We order from two

producers in Germany and France, whose wines are not available anywhere else in

the UK. We want to keep their wines and

will continue to purchase in the same way unless we come up against problems.”

Tom Flint of the Bottle & Jug Dept

in Worthing cannot see that the tiny

proportion of direct-sourced wines in his range will grow any time soon.

“We would love to buy more wines

directly from natural UK producers,” he

says. “But they are generally signed up with suppliers so cannot sell directly to us. We source some English sparkling directly,

which we will continue to do, but cannot see many other opportunities to do so.”

“I want to support producers that may

have lost a lot of trade through restrictions in their country, for example South Africa,” he says, “but also to increase exclusivity

We will buy much more wine directly Down from 8% in 2020

We will buy a little more wine directly Down from 36% in 2020

25%

We will buy direct at the same levels as last year Up from 29% in 2020

30%

We will continue to source all our wines from UK suppliers Up from 24% in 2020

26%

producers that are trying to work in eco-

friendly ways. This is very important to us.” Graeme Woodward of Grape Minds

in Oxford plans to buy much more wine directly this year.

“Direct importing offers a much better

selection of wine to be able to offer the

consumer, and obvious margin advantages,” he says. “It keeps our range interesting and offers customers a reason to shop with us as opposed to our competition.”

Roy Gillingham of Fareham Wine

Cellar is turning his attention away from EU countries. “We are importing direct

from Australia for the first time in more than 15 years and looking to other new

We will slightly reduce the amount of wine we source directly Up from 1% in 2020

We will significantly reduce the amount of wine we source directly Up from 1% in 2020

shipped direct just to get hold of them, and

We will stop sourcing wine directly Up from 1% in 2020

large part in terms of the range, they still

Based on 148 responses

world countries, as we expect problems

with the EU being sore about Brexit,” he says. “The public could well shift away

from buying so much EU wine. Therefore

we will have wines completely new to the UK to tempt our customers with.”

Rob Hoult of Hoults in Huddersfield

argues that “Brexit will have little impact on buying decisions, even if it does have some impact on pricing”.

He adds: “Duty at the level it currently

is has meant a gradual shift away from

shipping house wines and the best value is generally found buying in the UK.

“There are still wines that need to be

they are of interest and great value to the business. Even if they don’t represent a have good volumes over the year.”

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 17

INDIE ROUND TABLE W i n e M e r c h a n t Re a d e r S u r v ey Pa r t n e r 2 0 2 1

What’s your average selling price, per bottle, on a bottle of still wine?

2021

£56.85 2020

£41.26

2017 £11.62

2019

2018

£12.99

£12.25

2020 £13.71

2021 £13.69

What’s your average transaction value?

2017

£43.17

2019

2018

£43.28

£44.93

Based on 155 responses

where 28% of respondents report a big sales increase and 56% report a moderate increase.

For the first time, the average bottle price of still wines in indies has fallen, albeit very slightly. That’s mainly because 39% of merchants report a big increase in wines sold at £10 and below, with an identical percentage reporting a moderate increase.

The picture looks healthy even further up the price scale, with 70% of merchants reporting rises in sales of wine between £15.01 and £20, and 67% seeing increases between £20.01 and £40.

The biggest growth area was actually in the £10.01–£15 bracket,

What margins do you make? Based on 161 responses

70% 60%

56.3%

50% 40%

34.8% 32.2%

30%

Drink-in

20.8%

20%

Retail Online

10%

Wholesale

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 18

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Rising Stars

Erin Peacock Wolf Wines, Bath

rin has been with Wolf Wine for almost a year and is flourishing in an environment that allows her to develop her creativity. Owner Sam Shaw says: “Erin joined the team last summer, which was a strange time to join any business because of lockdown. She’s taken to it like a duck to water. She’s got the voice and humour of the business and the brand perfect. She does all the social media and runs the entirety of the online shop, including the copy and all the artwork.” Erin studied creative writing at university and has a background in copy writing and content creation as well as, like anyone who’s ever been a student, some solid bar experience. “She came to us with a really sound knowledge of craft beer,” says Sam, “and that worked really well for us. We’re going to put her through WSET, which isn’t really essential for us as a business, but Erin is keen to do it and it’s always good to get qualifications. “We sell weird and wonderful wines so it’s not like she can just Google something – but she’s just smashed it.” Timing was everything in this appointment. Sam explains: “Erin was a mate of mine and we’ve been friends for a good few years. I always have people in mind for jobs that need doing and almost create the job around them and what they want to do. So it was that serendipitous thing where she’d just come out of the events management job and this was the perfect opportunity for her.” Erin says: “I like the creative freedom and the trust that Sam puts in me that allows me to put my spin on his business. I’m quite conscious of trying to stay true to his style and his brand but he’s super chill and he’s given me freedom to inject my personality into his project. “I’ve been given the opportunity to expand my design and marketing skills in a way that perhaps I wouldn’t have done if I’d chosen a more corporate route. “Also, Angus [Perkins] is the best colleague – he teaches me stuff about wine and makes it so that I don’t sound like an idiot when people ask me niche questions. “I’ll say that I’m from a working-class family in a workingclass area of the country. To me, wine was something that you might have a five-quid bottle of at Christmas. I’ve gone from seeing it as quite a pretentious thing to realising that it’s a creative hub and not a world of snobbery. There is room in the industry for people like me.”

‘I’ve gone from seeing wine as quite a pretentious thing to realising that it’s a creative hub and not a world of snobbery’

Erin wins a bottle of Josmeyer Mise du Printemps 2020 If you’d like to nominate a Rising Star, email claire@winemerchantmag.com

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 20

TRIED & TESTED

Finca Millara Cuesta de los Olivos 2018

Bouchon Granito Semillon 2019

Ribeira Sacra in Galicia makes its red wines with the

name on the label, but it genuinely feels like you

Mencia grape, which shares some characteristics with Cabernet Franc and was once considered (wrongly) to be a close relation. It yields wines that are rarely

complex, but this example is a fresh and bracing blend of herbal, sour cherry and raspberry flavours. RRP: £21

ABV: 12.5%

Moreno Wine Importers (020 7289 9952)

It’s possibly just auto-suggestion, influenced by the

can taste the rocks in this Maule Valley wine. It’s the

product of grapes planted in the 1940s on unirrigated granitic soil, 183m above sea level. A year in French

barrels smooths off any jagged edges, creating a wine

with warm yellow fruit but a distinct mineral backbone. RRP: £16.99

ABV: 13.5%

Condor Wines (07508 825 488)

morenowines.co.uk

condorwines.co.uk

Roebuck Estates Rosé de Noirs 2016

Guyot Branco Portugal Boutique Winery 2018

Vinified as a Blanc de Noirs, Roebuck’s first pink fizz

Part of the fun with Portuguese wines is their ability

and rounded, but kept in check by the natural acidity

Who knows what’s actually in the bottle here: it’s

receives 5% Pinot Précoce added as a still red wine at disgorgement. The West Sussex fruit is soft and red and perhaps a gentle salinity on the finish. Another classy offering from an exciting English producer. RRP: £40

ABV: 12%

Roebuck Estates (01798 263123)

to disorientate and surprise. That’s partly because the grapes can be unfamiliar and the blends unexplained. definitely a fruit-backward wine, with an intriguing earthiness, that steps up a few gears with food. RRP: £29

ABV: 12.5%

Swig (0208 995 7060)

roebuckestates.co.uk

swig.co.uk

Castro Junique Juniper & Wine

Masia d’Or Brut Rosé Cava NV

Not named as a vermouth but instead billed as an

It’s been a long day in the garden in the weak spring

important boundary between work and home life,

a strawberry-tinged jolt of electricity that widens the

aromatised Greek white wine with juniper. Poured neat over ice, it’s the perfect way to mark the all-

with its honey sweetness, earthy juniper bitterness,

lemony richness and herbal moreishness. Started as a novelty; now more like one of life’s essentials. RRP: £23

ABV: 17%

Southern Wine Roads (01689 490349)

sunshine, painting fences and digging up roots. It’s

now 6pm and you’re flagging. It’s time for Masia d’Or: eyes and makes you stand an inch and a half taller.

Before you know it, you’re galloping around with the dog in the wheelbarrow, aching muscles forgotten. RRP: £13.50

ABV: 12%

Moreno Wine Importers (020 7289 9952)

southernwineroads.com

morenowines.co.uk

Seifried Gewürztraminer 2020

Finca Traversa Chardonnay 2019

The 26g/l of residual sugar looks like a typo when

you taste the wine behind the label, sourced from the

Uruguayan wine remains something of a novelty

lychee and mango – but the wine is far more light and

focus on sustainability. This unoaked Chardonnay is

family’s Brightwater vineyard in Nelson. The fruit is

of the tropical variety, as you’d expect – all pineapple, refreshing than might be assumed, with a touch of zippy petillance. RRP: £14.99

ABV: 12.5%

Fells (01442 870900) fells.co.uk

on these shores but the Traversa family have been

nurturing their vineyards since 1937, with a recent

tight and stripped-down, with brisk flavours of green apples and citrus fruit, and a winner at this price. RRP: £8.99

ABV: 14%

Condor Wines (07508 825 488) condorwines.co.uk

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 21

Pol Roger ad supplied separately

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 22

INTERVIEW

. T H E D R AY M A N .

Cometh the sour

ou can always tell when someone’s trying too hard: the

lip-smacking sourness.

inept footballer striving for form … the prospective

Malton-based Brass Castle’s Pizzazz Sundried-Tomato &

suitor who’s desperate to please … the brewer looking

Sweet Basil Gose doesn’t sound too promising and its clip-art

for the formula that will unlock the riches of the latest craft beer

pizza label doesn’t help, but it’s a deliciously herbal, subtly salty

fad.

masterclass in the art of holding back on novel ingredients.

It’s a trait that’s evident in the world of gose beer, a German

Sure, there are some horrors out there. A honey-based

sour beer style with a defining saline edge, which briefly became

Estonian gose I tasted recently was a battle royale between

the next big niche – if you can have such a thing – in beer a

cloying sweetness and mouth-puckering salinity.

couple of years ago.

Just as it sounds, gose can be an acquired taste. In fact, even some in-the-know critics suggested that its surge in popularity was more about brewers and beer geeks running out of longneglected beer styles to champion than any inherent virtues that gose possessed. If it hadn’t been rediscovered before, they suggested,

t would be a stretch ever to find a gose that could be described as elegant; it’s just not that sort of beer. It’s a style to challenge preconceptions and stretch comfort zones.

The best are those that use saltiness not for show, but to lift

more complex, rewarding flavours, as if seasoning a good steak rather than intensifying a caramel pudding.

it was for a very good reason. One

Put simply, the trick with gose is not to try too hard. Balance,

American blogger even heralded the

subtlety and harmony are watchwords. The ones that delight

“death of craft beer” on the back of a

are those where the brewer has focused on making a really good

single crummy pint they’d had in a

beer, not a gose for the sake of making a gose.

craft beer bar. But, like most things, the world of gose is home to the good as well as the bad – and some of the good ones are quite magnificent. Take sour beer specialist Wild Beer’s Ibimi, made with cranberries, sea salt and coriander, which is refreshing, dry and earthy with a piney undertow, but all subtly done and in perfect balance. Or Magic Rock’s Salty Kiss, which has the phenolic nose of a good wheat beer, a gentle gooseberry tartness and a pleasing salty kick on the finish – the kiss of the name. North Brewing’s Triple Fruited Gose – which specifies only

Gose is a style of beer to challenge preconceptions and stretch comfort zones

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 23

blueberry and apricot in its ingredients bill – has soft fruit and

ight ideas r b

20: Wine bottle candles Kate Aspden Turton Wines, Bolton

In a nutshell … Don’t let an empty but beautifully labelled

bottle go to waste. Up-cycle it into a candle, which in turn can help to sell even more wine.

Tell us more. “Every Christmas we invite local businesses do a little pop-up shop in our courtyard so they can sell their Christmassy items – we’ve done it for a few years now and

that’s how I met Kathryn at Uniquely Yours Candles. About six months ago I decided to

try the candles on a couple of display cubes we have at the entrance of the shop, just to see how they’d do. They’ve sold really well

so we’re going to put them online now too. It’s just as easy to send out a candle as it is a bottle of wine.”

Are the customers waxing lyrical? “It’s really nice if you have the bottle of

wine and the matching candle – we pair

them up and promote them that way. You

The candles retail for £24

wicks look a bit unusual too. The candles

– Chloe who does the videos for our Wine

What are the costs and effort involved

It certainly sounds like it makes scents!

make that lovely crackling sound when burning.”

can definitely sell off them. Customers

on your part?

have to match the candle. They are really

They retail at £24 and we keep £4.

often say, ‘I like that candle, is the wine

nice?’ or they ask what reds and whites we popular.

“They are high quality, made from

natural soy wax and all the materials are environmentally and vegan friendly, so

they have wide appeal. The maple wood

“We don’t take a massive cut because it’s

more about helping a small, local business. “I don’t have to do anything, just provide

Kathryn with enough empty bottles to cut. She puts everything she makes for us on

her website too, so people get directed to

us specifically for the candles. It all feeds in

Challenge reminds customers to bring back their bottles to be made into candles.”

“I’m not much of a scents person, but I do

know that by having some scented candles in the doorway, it does entice people in

the shop. There are around 20 scents to

choose from and we also ordered a load

of unscented ones for the tables in the bar

when it re-opens. You don’t want a scented candle when you’re trying to enjoy a plate of cheese and charcuterie.”

Kate wins a WBC gift box containing some premium drinks and a box of chocolates. Tell us about a bright idea that’s worked for you and you too could win a prize. Email claire@winemerchantmag.com

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 24

Rioja, Rueda, Ribera Marqués de Cáceres is a naural choice for independents looking for elegant wines from some of Spain’ s most dynamic regions

Feature sponsored by Marqués de Cáceres Contact Lighthouse Brands: info@lighthousebrands.co.uk

ioja producer Marqués de Cáceres is courting independents after signing a new UK distribution deal with Brighton-based Lighthouse Brands. “We’re trying to restore the presence of Marqués de Cáceres in the UK,” says UK export manager Antonio Alvarez, who’s keen to dispel any trade misconceptions about the famous producer as a supermarket brand. “We don’t have any dealings with the multiples in the UK,” he says. “We want to channel our wines through independents. “We have an interesting portfolio, not only with Rioja. We are working in six different DOs and we own wineries in Rioja, Rueda and Ribera del Duero.” The Ribera wine La Capilla comes from a 60ha property in the Burgos region of the DO, where it aims for a wine with the upfront fruit of Ribera but also unmistakable Marqués de Cáceres personality traits. “We consider that we’re doing an elegant style in Rioja so we wanted to work with someone with the same mentality and found this winery which was family-owned,” says

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 25

Alvarez. “It preserves a lot of the good things associated with Ribera – the body, the structure, the tannins and the fruit – but with an elegant note that makes it more the Marqués de Cáceres style. “But it’s not something we’ve imposed; they were already making wine in that way.” Marqués de Cáceres makes whites in Rueda where it has 120ha under vine. “We are selling out virtually every vintage, and I think that is because of the Marqués de Cáceres brand and the trust people have in it. “Most Verdejo is sold as a young wine. Ours has very low sugars and tropical fruit aromas which are typical of Verdejo and the finish has a green kick. We’re looking for a versatile wine to suit a wide variety of palates.”

arqués de Cáceres also makes a trio of whites in its home region but it is, of course, red Rioja wines for which the producer is best known. It was a pioneer in the use of French oak for ageing in its early days, with the assistance of Bordeaux legend Michel Rolland on top-end wines such as Gaudium and Generación MC. “Because of the name, people might think that it is a very old company,” says Alvarez, “but it was only founded in 1970 by Enrique Forner who spent a big part of his life before that in Bordeaux. “He introduced French oak, maceration time of up to 30 days, and kept it for more time in the bottle than in the barrel. The result was a modern Rioja style. Now there are a lot of Riojas doing something similar to what we started doing in the 1970s.” Alvarez pledges support for independents to help them sell Marqués de Cáceres wines. “Our commitment is total with the brand, the importer and the retailer,” he says. “We consider the wine is our responsibility from the moment we produce until the moment a retailer sells it.”

BITS & BOBS

Favourite Things

A Worcester wine bar could consult

suggested geographical influences play

customers over whether to implement

a key role in the drink’s quality and

vaccination passports when Covid-19

taste.

restrictions allow it to reopen.

Project, set up by Waterford Distillery,

having to show they have been vaccinated

Oregon State University in the US, say

said he would “welcome” the idea of people

DBM Wines, Bristol

Favourite wine on my list

Today it is Montedesassi, Il Borghetto, Montefiridolfi Toscana IGP 2016. A stunning Sangiovese from Chianti. It has all the power of Chianti but with the balance and finesse of Pinot Noir. Utterly sublime. Tomorrow – something else …

Favourite wine and food match

Pol Roger 2012 vintage Champagne with fish and chips from the awardwinning Clifton Village Fish Bar – an excellent impromptu pairing recently enjoyed after working late to get our new shop ready.

Researchers from the Whisky Terroir

Richard Everton, owner of Bottles Wine

Bar & Merchants in New Street, Worcester,

Richard Davis

Magpie

Merchant open to Covid passports

against the virus but insisted that view

would not be pushed on customers against their will.

“It is certainly something we would

put out to our customers through a questionnaire to see whether it is

something they would buy into,” said Mr Everton.

“If our loyal customers opposed it then

we wouldn’t force it on them but if they felt

it was showing due diligence and they were happy, it is something we would do.” Worcester News, February 24

Ireland’s Agriculture & Food Development Authority (known as Teagasc), and

their findings settle a longstanding

debate among industry professionals over whether terroir impacts the spirit.

Professor Kieran Kilcawley, from Teagasc,

said to i: “While wine enthusiasts may

now look for a specific Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône, in the future whisky drinkers

could focus their attention on single malt whiskies they know have been produced

from barley grown in specific areas, be it in Ireland or otherwise.” iPaper, February 17

South Africa urged to rethink duties

Favourite wine trip

A trip to Chianti and Montalcino in 2019, which made me fall in love with the new styles of wine being made, and vividly highlighted the effects climate change is already having in the vineyards.

South Africa has got its approach to

Favourite wine trade person

Distell Group Holdings expressed

Helen Miller from Waddesdon Wine. Helen and the team at Waddesdon have been very supportive of us in the last year. Her enthusiasm and honesty is a real tonic.

Favourite wine shop

Raffles Wine in Nailsworth. I love the feeling of walking into the old fire station with cases of wine stacked everywhere, producer photos on the wall and a fire in the grate. It screams of Marcus Smith’s passion for wine and was an inspiration for our first shop.

taxing alcohol wrong and needs to hear more arguments to make it change tack, according to the country’s largest wine exporter. frustration after alcohol drinks makers, smarting from bans that crippled their Customers may be polled on their views

The truth behind malt whisky terroir Single malt whisky could one day be classified by region in the same way as wine or brandy after a new study

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 26

sales during coronavirus lockdowns, were hit with an 8% increase on excise duties.

While the government contends that the

higher taxes are aimed at reducing harmful drinking, “I’m not sure that’s necessarily the case,” Richard Rushton, Distell’s CEO said. “These hikes are sadly just going to

essentially push an increasing amount of consumption to the grey market.” Bloomberg, February 25

Space, the final wine frontier

THE BURNING QUESTION

Have you seen pre-Budget price increases from suppliers?

�

I deal with about 30 UK suppliers and I don’t remember seeing any price rises yet, certainly not anything that has worried me. I think a lot of the bigger suppliers are waiting until April. With my direct shipments we’re getting extra charges, but to mitigate that I’m going to be shipping in larger quantities. I work with live pricing rather than by list, and I always pass on price increases. If the customers complain I say, ‘this isn’t a tax on wine merchants, it’s a tax on the public – you voted for it’.

In January this year, a cargo of 320 grape vines grown aboard the International Space Station plopped into the Atlantic Ocean. But these grapevines are no gimmick,

insists Space Cargo Unlimited, the French

”

start-up behind the experiment.

By sending the vines to grow in the harsh

Richard Ballantyne MW Noble Grape, Cowbridge

conditions of the ISS for the last 10 months (along with 12 bottles of Bordeaux red

wine) the company hopes to create plants hardy enough to survive the ever-harsher conditions here on Earth.

It’s one of a number of private research

companies that believe the solution to feeding a growing global population,

amidst ever worsening climate change, could be found somewhere in space.

�

Usually suppliers put their prices up in January/February but they are being a bit slower to release those price lists. I think they are waiting to see how bad Brexit is going to be. They are slowly trickling through. The margins are so tight on wholesale that I have to pass those price increases on as soon as I can. But do I want to hit my long-term, valued wholesale customers when they’re trying to reopen in May and June?

”

Chris Hill H Champagne winner H Latitude Wine, Leeds

Wired, February 23

Jura festival may get UNESCO status

�

I’d say less than 50% of my suppliers have introduced price increases so far. They are preparing the ground for it and some of the niche, smaller importers are worried about the cost of the more prohibitive pricing on shipping mixed pallets because of the paperwork. We suck it up as best we can but there is a limit and it’s inevitable that we’ll see price increases on the shelves, certainly by the summer. Everyone is going to have to sharpen their pencil.

Jura’s historic Biou d’Arbois wine festival was in the running alongside French baguettes and Paris’s zinc-

”

covered rooftops to be endorsed as the country’s latest official nomination

Marty Grant Corkage, Bath

for UNESCO’s global list of “intangible cultural heritage”. According to local authorities, the French

government previously put the annual

event forward for consideration in 2015. Taking place on the first Sunday in

September, a focal point of the festival is a

large bunch of grapes – the biou – weighing between 80kg and 100kg.

Winegrowers parade the grapes through

the streets on a stretcher, before hanging the oversized bunch in the church of St-

Just, as a tribute to the patron of the Arbois commune.

�

We haven’t seen any significant increases as yet, just whispers at the moment. There will be price increases with the bureaucracy that has been created on both sides of the Channel to ship the stuff over. We’ll have a discussion about how we’ll deal with it when it happens and we’ll look at what our competitors are doing. We’re all in a highly competitive market but, on the other hand, you can’t work for nothing. We’re excited at the prospect of being fully back in business again. Just what the pricing situation will be, we’ll have to consider nearer the time.

”

Frank Stainton, Stainton Wines, Kendal

Champagne Gosset The oldest wine house in Champagne: Äy 1584

Decanter, February 24

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 27

O u r d a i ly b r e a d T h e n e w o f f s h o o t o f Lo n d o n i n d e p e n d e n t Authentique is as much a boulangerie as it is a caviste, as Claire Harries discovers

The Bradford on Avon shop was previously known as Ruby Red Wine Cellars

“

the culture in the UK is that you buy bread once or twice a week and it’s not always very high quality bread. in france we go to the bakery every day to buy fresh bread

lexandre Bal is on a mission to promote French wine and gastronomy. He co-founded Authentique with business partners Matthieu Sevagen and Amaury

Levisalles in Tufnell Park three years ago, an epicerie and bar specialising in artisanal wines and products from French-speaking countries.

Last month saw the opening of their new venture,

The French Market in Totteridge & Whetstone in north London.

“When we first opened Authentique,” says Bal,

“Matthieu, Amaury and I always had the vision to open other venues, not necessarily with the same name, but always focusing on what we know best.”

This time, alongside the shelves of wine, the team has

installed a bakery and employed a “a young and talented” baker in the form of Mathieu Lagrange, who trained in some of the best bakeries in France before joining the business on a full-time basis in September.

“Last February we were in France having our bakery

training and sourcing our miller – we have the best flour,” says Bal. “That’s when we met Mathieu so really he has been on board since the beginning of this project – it’s been very exciting.

“Through Authentique we saw the potential for selling

bread. The culture here [in the UK] is that you buy bread

once or twice a week and it’s not always very high quality bread. In France we go to the bakery every day to buy

fresh bread. The bread we are baking: yes, there is gluten, yes, there is white flour, but it is made properly and it’s rested enough. You can eat a whole baguette without

feeling bloated at all. Bread is one of the pillars of French gastronomy.”

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that a third site will

soon open in north London – “just a small bakery” – that will be stocked with Lagrange’s freshly-made goodies.

But there will be no wine retail on that site – just pure boulangerie.

The website is also growing and will become even

more of a focus, extending the company’s reach beyond London.

“We don’t want to expand with 10 or 15 shops,” says

Bal. “We might open one or two more and consolidate

what we do. It’s really important for us that we keep the same atmosphere so people come to see us and enjoy

the quality of the products. We can’t scale up too much, otherwise we lose that.”

al imports direct from around 20 estates and admits that Brexit has been a little tricky.

“Amaury does all the logistics and said it has been a

bit of a nightmare. We’ve had a few pallets revert back to the producer.

“It’s just adapting to the paperwork on the French side,

I think. It’s more expensive in terms of admin but I don’t think it’s the end of the world in terms of cost.

“The complexity of it has been slowing things down and

that might prevent us from working with some very small producers that don’t want to do it.”

Despite his commitment to all things deliciously

French, Bal is delighted to welcome Italian Yuri Gualeni to the team. Gualeni was previously the head sommelier of

Bar Boulud at Mandarin Oriental before taking on the role of general manager at The French Market.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 29

JUST WILLIAMS

The new normal on wine’s front line David Williams asks three members of the wine trade how they have dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic – and how it has affected their work and lives

the online retailer Mitch van Hagen CEO, Maiden Wines “How has the past year been for Maiden

Wines? I think our CFO put it best at our second-quarter Zoom board meeting: It was the best of times; it was the best of times.

“As soon as the UK went into

lockdown, we knew that all we had to do was make sure to ‘stroke the bull while it’s good and randy’, as we used to say at Deutsche Bank when we were riding that credit

default swap buzz. Fortunately, I like to think we were better prepared than most. Dwight Furze, our new hire from

Amazon US, was already in place by Q1 – and

that gave us

plenty of time to implement

the kind of efficiencies that really paid off

added experiences are really the future

toilet lock release and networked

this kind of innovation as we enter our new

on the ground when Covid came a-calling. Head cameras, electric tagging, biometric automated disciplinary features as

standard for all warehouse and delivery

staff – that kit really helped those guys stay on track when traffic rose by 7,000% in

the first week alone! We didn’t

of wine retail going forward, and Maiden

Wines fully intends to be at the forefront of normal.”

the small winemaker Isabella Romano

even have to hire any extra

Tenuta della Notte, Tuscany

for our Maiden Experience

obsession – an obsession that is your only

staff! Just amazing tech. Jim also came up with the idea

Club – premium members

pay a £400 upfront fee for a

free exclusive five-minute video

from their favourite winemaker and an exclusive free 175cl signed

bottle of their

wine, delivered exclusively to

their door, once. These kinds

of exclusive,

intimate value-

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 30

“When you make great wine, it is an

reality. When you sleep, you are dreaming about wine, when you are awake, you are

only thinking about wine, apart from those moments when you are contemplating the

dreams you have had about wine when you were not awake and thinking about wine – and even then, you are thinking, do I have time to ask if this is a dream about wine, when I should be thinking about wine? “In the morning, you do not think of

breakfast, or the colour of the sky, or love, or the cracked whimper of the toad that

kept you awake. And you certainly do not

I asked myself, Tabby, as the UK’s leading vin-fluencer, what can you do to help in

these troubled times? I mean, I was really thinking about my followers, I really felt

for them, because normally I’m like their portal into the glamorous world of wine.

An elegant portal. In vintage Pucci. A portal sipping a glass of Salon. But a portal all the same.

“And so you really feel the responsibility,

I can tell you, especially to people whom

you know are stuck in like a four-bed in the suburbs for weeks on end. Ugh. Imagine. “But, apart from a few weekends in

Dubai, which doesn’t really count, and a

think about the market, the customer or

reply will be: ‘Have I ever sold any wine?’

disease, a plague – an international health

to you: ‘A wine is sold only once it has been

the sales. So when you, Mister Journalist,

come into my world and you talk about a crisis, you call it – I can only talk to you about these vines, these berries, these

tanks. The only health I am worried about, the only health I am able to worry about,

the only health I am responsible for, is the

And if you press me still further, asking,

perhaps, ‘Well, have you?’ I must say this bought.’ And then I will say, ‘Goodnight.’” the wine influencer Tabitha Coutts

health of my wines. Coulure not ‘Covid’.

aka Lady Tabby Tippling

any wine in this difficult year?’ my only

think. Like really big. It went on for ages.

This is my reality.

“And so, when you ask, ‘Have you sold

“Early on in the panny-D, I had a really big

Tabby raises a glass to those who, like her, are unable to travel

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 31

month at the house in Samos, and the two weeks in Mustique, and the long weekend before Christmas in Stockholm, and the

wedding do in Vernazza, I couldn’t do the

travel thing at all this year. So I had to really rack my brains for what to do instead.

“That’s how I came up with Lady Tabby

Tippling’s Tipsy Tik Tok Tuesday Tour. Every Tuesday I’d post a Tik Tok. The

rules? Each week had to have a new wine in a different outfit, in a different room in

the house (not including the outbuildings). “I haven’t missed a week! It’s been

exhausting, utterly, but it’s been so good to give something back.”

Isabella contemplates her dreams, or possibly her reality

Steve Webber is excited about Gamay’s future in the Yarra

Wines that pass the ‘deck test’ De Bortoli’s Steve Webber only makes wines that he’d be happy to drink himself, at the end of a long day, looking out over a view of Australia’s Yarra Valley. Our group of 24 independent wine merchants joined him for a virtual tasting of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a surprise or two

Feature sponsored by North South Wines. For more information, visit www.northsouthwines.co.uk or call 020 3871 9210

t’s commonplace for winemakers to dress up what they do in convoluted terms packaged as a philosophy. For Steve Webber, winemaker at De Bortoli in Australia’s Yarra Valley, the approach is much simpler: “We just try to make interesting wines that we like to drink.” Specifically, De Bortoli’s wines have to pass the “deck test” to confirm their suitability when consumed taking in the spectacular view from a vantage point to the rear of the winery. De Bortoli established its base in Victoria’s Yarra Valley in 1987 with acquisitions of prime Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards, six decades after Vittorio De Bortoli arrived from Italy and crushed his first Shiraz grapes in New South Wales. The fourth-generation family firm now has its main base at Dixons Creek in the northern Yarra Valley, complemented by the smaller Abbey Vineyard and Lusatia Park properties.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 32

“The Yarra is very well-known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but it’s also doing some very interesting things with Syrah and Gamay,” says Webber, who hosted a Zoom tasting for readers of The Wine Merchant to try six wines sold exclusively to independents in the UK through North South Wines. The tasting kicked off with two Regional Reserve wines which represent the Yarra Valley entry level in independents for De Bortoli. Regional Reserve Chardonnay (£12.99) is made from 100% Yarra Valley grapes. “We tend to make a minerally style,” says Webber. “It’s matured predominantly in used casks and, for an inexpensive wine, we do a lot of natural fermentation. “Oak is not a big thing for Yarra Chardonnay: we like to feel it, but we don’t like to taste too much oak character in the wine. It’s always going to be a subtle style.

“There are lots of winemakers tempted to produce these buttery styles of Chardonnay because, in some markets, they do well. We just can’t do that here. The fruit just doesn’t give that sort of characteristic. “Just about all of our Chardonnays from 2018 are classy wines; 2019 wines are a bit more reserved and might need a bit more time.” Webber also showed the 2019 vintage of De Bortoli’s Regional Reserve Pinot Noir (£12.99). “Pinot is a very difficult variety to make entry-level wines with,” he says. “This year in the Yarra Valley we’ll grow something like 1,000 tonnes, so it’s not insignificant in our production. “The 2019 Pinots are quite perfumed, reasonably full, without being overly so. This would be in used casks for somewhere between four and six months on rotation. “Pinots don’t see a lot of new wood, and I don’t think people are looking for that with Pinot Noir at this price. They’re looking for softness, elegance and charm.” The impact of global warming has led De Bortoli to look at the potential of later-ripening Pinot clones and other varieties. “In some sites which are a little too warm we’ve been planting grapes like Gamay,” Webber adds. “In the next few years we’ll probably have 25 to 30 hectares of Gamay planted on the Dixons Creek site. There’s a real interest in the region in lighter, crunchy reds made from Gamay, Grenache, Mourvèdre or Sangiovese.” The next step up the De Bortoli ladder is La Bohème and the tasting showcased Act 3 Pinot Gris and Act 4 Syrah/Gamay (both £14.99). The Pinot Gris has small amounts of Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling blended in each year for complexity. “Influence from Gewürz can be interesting and you get a lovely minerality from Pinot Blanc, while Riesling can give texture and some gentle aromatics,” Webber says. “Kiwi Pinot Gris can be quite intense and sweet. But most of the Pinot Gris being made in places like Yarra Valley and Mornington are gently aromatic, quite easy to drink and really good with Asian cuisine. “We recently changed the bottle from a Riesling style to a Burgundy shape because there was a feeling it might receive more acceptance at retail level.” The vibrant style of Act 4 was inspired by Ardeche reds drunk by Webber and wife Leanne De Bortoli, the Yarra

Valley winery manager, on a trip to Paris. “We came back to Australia and made some wines of that style that we really enjoyed,” he says. “This is just this a nice, crunchy, easy-drinking red. It’s usually about 75% Syrah to 25% Gamay but the Gamay tends to really shine in the blend. There’s carbonic maceration in this – lots of whole berry, lots of whole bunch. “A lot of winemakers are using partial carbonic maceration and then trying to break the bunches and berries up a little towards the end of fermentation to release sugars and get some nice glycerol characteristics. There’s real interest in the perfumes and textures you get from that. “We make a really conscious effort to tell people this isn’t Shiraz. When people think of Shiraz, they think of McLaren Vale and Barossa. These wines are a long way from that.” The 2018 vintage of A5 Chardonnay (£24.99) was the first of two singlevineyard wines in the tasting, from one of the Yarra’s oldest vineyards, planted in 1976, and with production pegged at 7,000 bottles. Webber says: “I’m amazed how minerally and beautiful this wine is, year in, year out. Vine age has a big role to play.” The grapes are hand-picked and timing is everything, he adds. “We’re just looking for that right moment where … it tastes green, it tastes green, it doesn’t taste green: pick. You’ve only got one day either side to get it right or you’re going to be under-ripe or over-ripe.” Riorret The Abbey Pinot Noir (£25.99) is another single-vineyard wine, with a label that enigmatically posits that “it’s harder to do nothing”. Webber acknowledges the marketing speak in this but insists there’s a truth at its heart. “Pinot Noir wines really soften by themselves. It’s remarkable with a wine you haven’t touched for three days to witness this massive transformation. It’s been an important feature of the winemaking at this site. “This vineyard’s wines have a nice amount of perfume but a lot of robustness. I don’t know whether it’s a 10year keeper, but for Australia, three to six years is a pretty nice band to be drinking good Pinots in.”

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 33

Aimee Davies

Aimee’s Winehouse, Bristol My two favourites were the A5 Chardonnay and the La Boheme Act 4 Syrah/Gamay blend. The use of malolactic fermentation gave the Chardonnay that creamier depth of character, and I’ve just noticed it’s only 12.5% abv, which is even better. The blend of Syrah and Gamay is not what you would expect but they work really well together. The spicy Syrah and fruity Gamay make it a very flavoursome and fresh red wine.

Matt Harris

Planet of the Grapes, London I love Steve’s blunt and forthright way of talking about winemaking. There’s absolutely no BS with him, which I love. I thought the value across the range was superb. For me the stand-outs were the Gamay/Syrah – lovely crunchy fruit and drinkablilty. I put a light chill on mine as it was the perfect breakfast red. And then the Riorret Pinot – fabulous fruit and structure with great length at a really great price considering it’s single-vineyard Yarra Pinot.

Matt Wicksteed (left) and Jimmy Smith

The learning curve Part of the reason for Streatham Wine House’s success, even throughout periods of lockdown that have devastated so many London wine bars, is its links to Jimmy Smith’s ever-expanding wine education empire

MERCHANT PROFILE: STREATHAM WINE HOUSE

sk Jimmy Smith how business

‘The way we continue to explore wine regions is in our orange VW camper van’

is going and expect to get four

answers. These days there are

several strings to his bow, and more are on the way.

There’s Streatham Wine House, of course

– a hybrid bar and wine shop on the A23, a couple of miles south of Brixton, jointly owned with his wife Beth and business

Although we had wines on display, we

partner Matt Wicksteed. On top of that he

didn’t have a retail area, so we were much

venture called Wine With Jimmy.

of wines by the glass and flights. So we

runs and co-owns the South London and West London Wine Schools – and a new

It’s an “online e-learning portal, focused

on helping people through WSET levels 1 to 4”, he explains.

“Students pay for a subscription that

gives them a six-month or yearly access to lots of exclusive video content.

“It really helps people understand – it’s

been wonderful and it’s kept me occupied. I’m filming about three hours a week now

because I’m tackling the Diploma content, which will take me about five years to complete.”

The wine schools have adapted well

to their enforced online format and the

bar too has successfully pivoted to a new

model that has inevitably involved a much bigger focus on retail business.

“We have really good economies of scale

and buying power because we have the

educational avenues and the bar, which is

more a bar. I would say the retail was

about 25%. Originally we were about lots

had about 50 wines available by the glass,

including our by-Coravin selection, and we

became known for trying flights consisting of three 50ml pours. That was a great way for us to increase sales.

Jimmy: Matt also works with Deliveroo and

Uber Eats so that accounts for some of that. During Covid it’s been 100% that.

Matt: We converted the back of the bar to

more of a shop so when customers come in

they can browse. Between lockdowns when we were able to open, we wanted to focus

on bottle sales and encouraged customers

to buy a nice bottle of wine to sit and pour themselves and charged a corkage. That worked really well.

We’re a neighbourhood bar so we can’t

charge ridiculous prices.

Will you keep the retail area?

normally an on-licence, and we have off-

Matt: Definitely in some form because it

like crisis management, trying to adapt,

quite lucky because we have a lot of space

trade too,” says Smith.

“It’s been tough; a really hard year. It’s

and we’ve worked around the clock to make it adapt. Ultimately it has been

exceptionally rewarding. Our team is stronger than ever.”

does engage customers. We might move it

around and see where it works best. We’re

first hand.

Sommeliers and people who work in the

trade might visit these regions, but they

visit with a regional body or the trip is very short just to see that importer’s portfolio.

But for Jimmy and me that was our holiday time.

I’m at my happiest when I’m on the road

in a wine region with lots of winery visits booked in, lots of restaurants booked in – that’s my idea of a holiday.

Jimmy: The wine list has a lot of depth

and interest and personality. The way we

continue to explore wine regions is in our orange VW camper van.

We cook regional dishes out the back of

the van in the vineyards and we’ve been doing that for 10 years or more.

As my back has got a bit worse those

trips are less frequent. For Matt to be able to say we’ve been there, we’ve met the

producer, we’ve slept in their vineyards, whatever … that’s the personality that’s made our bar a destination.

Have the pair of you violently disagreed

A lot of people have pared back their

Jimmy: The fundamental thing is that you

looks like after Covid.

Matt: I’ve probably won Jimmy round a bit

wine lists since Covid but yours seems

have to adapt and change in the world

like it’s full of exciting stuff. Matt: The wine in the bar was from many

much larger part.

can really tell those stories to customers

about any wines over the years?

came from retail? when we are able to reopen, it will be a

is from producers that we know and we

over two floors. We’ll have to see what it

Before Covid, what percentage of sales Matt: It wasn’t huge. Coming out of this,

To this day a lot of the wine that we sell

years of Jimmy and I doing trips to wine

regions and becoming friends with certain producers.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 35

over the years …

and many people don’t. That’s the same in

business and the same with Jose Mourinho at Spurs at the minute and he’s neglecting Continues page 36

MERCHANT PROFILE

maybe one that they’re happy with, one

From page 35

they might have tried before and one

they’ve never heard of. That really opens

to do that, but that’s a story for another

people up. And that’s how we started in the

day.

bar so we’ve always had that.

I was an educator of WSET before I was

You must constantly be looking to

a wine-bar owner. I came from educational

refresh supplier relationships and

stock where typicity was more of the norm. Matt started to get involved more in the

establish new ones. How have you

not maybe that open to certain wines

Matt: In some instances lockdown, for us

underground/interesting scene.

managed to keep those things moving

and not that interested in light and un-

at least, has been quite helpful. There are

over the last year?

About six or seven years ago I was

expressive delicate wines. There are no

real disagreements, but we’ve had some differences.

The last wine trip we did together was

to Georgia and we have a really strong

Georgian wine list. We love discovering new flavours and compounds and if we

don’t understand something we search to understanding.

If there’s a wine that Matt loves, he gets it

in and it doesn’t matter where it’s from so

long as it’s good quality. And then if I start to find out about obscure grape varieties,

which Italy and Spain have a host of, then we have a chat about it and start to do

some research and build the list on that. Some merchants discover new things but find they are still sitting on them a year later because their customers weren’t ready for them. How do you think you succeed with quirky stuff? Jimmy: Yes, through Matt’s drive and

personality and the open-mindedness of

customers tend to be on the younger side. Obviously we get people of all ages

coming in, but I would say our core

customer base is early 20s to late 30s/

early 40s and a lot of those people don’t have any preconceptions.

I can imagine if you are a wine merchant

in a small village you have people who

have been drinking wine for a long time and have their favourite châteaux in

Bordeaux, they might not be open to trying new stuff.

Our customer base has a huge thirst for

constantly trying new stuff and are quite happy not to drink the same wine all the time.

The flights worked so well because

if someone doesn’t have the risk of

spending £12 on one glass of wine that

they may or may not like, even if you have recommended it, they would spend that money and try three different wines;

our customer base, those wines will get

the pandemic that usually I would not be

able to get because they would have been

allocated to high-end London restaurants. I’m not talking top-end Burgundy or

claret – that’s not our bag at all, but regions that we are hugely into like Jura, Beaujolais or Rhône where there are a lot of

producers that we wouldn’t normally have

much access, we are having more access to. There’s definitely been a knock-on effect

with some importers where some wines

haven’t come into the country and there’s been some gaps with particular wines.

But because we use so many suppliers, if

someone doesn’t have what we’re looking for we can go to someone else.

Have you experienced any Brexit issues yet? Jimmy: There’s been some price hikes and some changes. I don’t think stock availability has been an issue yet …

Matt: A little bit. It can be frustrating if you find something that you like and put it on

tried and sold. But we also have many

Deliveroo or Uber Eats or whatever and

feathers in the cap for our businesses so if

a couple of weeks later the supplier says,

something doesn’t work, which is not that

“sorry, it’s all gone”.

common, we will incorporate it into the

I think the off-trade is really benefitting

schools. It’s rare, but just as an example, if

from the pandemic so a lot more bottles

we had a Beaujolais that didn’t do too well,

can go very quickly.

we commonly use Beaujolais at the school.

If you really like a wine that is also sold

Matt: We are lucky we are in London and we are lucky that the main body of our

wines that I’ve been able to source during

to online merchants that take a lot of stock,

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 36

then that can be frustrating.

STREATHAM WINE HOUSE

for the business, do you think? Jimmy: Wine with Jimmy is flying and that’s what’s given us the potential to develop

everything and given some excitement for the future.

Online is going to be very important to us

for quite a few years, even post-Covid. Our fifth business will be to plant a

vineyard and make some wine in Dorking. We’ve got a few acres and old stables that will convert into a winery. The big plan is that we grow educationally and produce

wines on an educational basis too, but of course quality will be behind it. cap

We’ll be planting different rootstocks

of Chardonnays and Pinots and different clones to really tie in the businesses.

Eventually we’ll be able to take people

out there to prune, to go through all

concepts of the vineyard and winemaking.

The product will go to the wine bar and the wine schools, so it’s a big and expensive step. But a very passionate step. I’ll start my Plumpton College

winemaking in September. It will be the Wicksteed: “We’re a neighbourhood bar so we can’t charge ridiculous prices”

Are any producers you are working with in Europe thinking they’d rather not have the aggravation? Matt: If you take France for example

there’s lots of other things that are having an effect on producers. There’s the tariffs that have come over from the States so a

lot of producers have lost business to the

US market, which I think is quite good for the UK, because they need to find a home for all that wine that’s now not going to America. It might be a pain to get wine

into the UK but we are a very close, local market.

How is Deliveroo working for you? Matt: It’s been a bit of a lifesaver in

lockdown. We were lucky enough to have it

well-established pre-Covid.

When the first lockdown kicked in we

massively extended what we had on there.

We had over 100 wines listed on Deliveroo. On a Friday night the turnover was not

far off what we’d be doing normally. If it’s hammering down with rain outside, even though we are allowed to stay open as

a shop, people don’t want to leave their

homes. If anything we are expanding what we are selling on Deliveroo.

We are looking to include coffee. If

someone is on your Deliveroo and they

can see you are selling other products, you become a bit of a one-stop shop.

It’s hard to plan much at the moment, but what might the next five years hold

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 37

Masters, which will be two or three years. I’m more of a romantic mind so I need to apply myself scientifically.

In terms of our other businesses, Matt

and I and Beth will have a lot of thought about Streatham Wine House. West is

expanding online exponentially; South will do as well.

There’s always been talk of a second

location for the bar but I’m not sure if

that’s in the immediacy. I think one thing that was really successful pre-Covid is

that we have an amazing tasting room at

the bottom of Streatham Wine House that people rent out and we do a huge amount of tastings.

To bring more fun tastings in that fit our

ethos will be a way forward. That was a

huge revenue stream for the bar: people

would spend £2,000 to £5,000 in a night

hiring that place out. So we want to get that back up and running.

Helping boutique wineries in the independent trade

Jamie Wynne-Griffiths has teamed up with EWGA in a new venture that could shake up the conventional supply-chain model for indies, and is introducing interesting and artisanal winemakers to the UK market

ropeller’s mission is to help

boutique wine producers sell their wines through UK independents.

But this is not an agency business. It’s a new way of working altogether, which its founder believes offers benefits for producer and retailer alike.

The company is a joint venture between

consultancy firm Wild Ferment, and EWGA, a wholesaler and importer with two bonded warehouses.

Boss Jamie Wynne-Griffiths has

previously run sales teams at Bibendum,

Enotria and OW Loeb. He says the idea is to help producers establish a long-term position in the UK market, but without

the costs and complications they might

experience with a classic wine importer and distributor.

“Producers only pay a fixed monthly fee

to support our sales team, meaning that

they retain control of the product lifecycle

and can set optimal pricing for their wines. “However we price up their wines as

if we were the agent, with all the usual costs and margins included, meaning

that the wines sit correctly in the market

against their peers. The producer earns the uncapped wholesale margin, meaning that their cost of access to the UK comes down as sales increase. This is effectively the Jamie Wynne-Griffiths

inverse of the current wholesaling model, meaning that producer enjoys the upside

of success, and they can invest those extra

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 38

funds back into marketing activity and supporting their stockists.”

ynne-Griffiths adds: “One of

Propeller’s central aims is to

drive volume and profile that

creates a business case that we can then

take to a ‘normal’ importer in 12 months’ time, or our clients can stick with us on a traditional wholesale basis.

“There’s also the option for indies that

have created sufficient aggregate volume over the preceding year to become the

producer’s de facto agent in Year 2. This

equally applies to the buying groups that

they might be part of. In this scenario we

would help collate shipments and handle the shipping administration leaving the

retailers with the more enjoyable aspects

of running a successful agency, not least all the extra margin. They can bond with us

too if they like but we recognise that they may already have that covered.

He adds: “Given that our relationship

with the producers is all about building their profile in the UK we will – GDPR

compliantly – share with them the retailers that are taking their wines and actively

encourage both parties to support each other on social media etc.

“We also handle marketing resources –

POS, virtual tastings, promotions, in-store events etc – to ensure that retailers have everything they need to be successful.”

take off

four propeller producers

Botas de Barro Nicola Thornton, originally from Sheffield, has called Toro her home for the last 20 years. In that time she’s amassed a dazzling portfolio of independently owned wineries that she now distributes worldwide. Propeller is beginning its collaboration with one of her own creations, Botas de Barro, literally “dirty boots”, which is an homage to the generations of farmers that have tended the treasured old vines of their regions.

Fourth Wave Wine After stints at Southcorp, Foster’s and McWilliams, Nicholas Crampton and his wife Frances set up Fourth Wave in 2009 with the aim of bringing a whole new level of relevance (and humour) to the Australian wine category. The extraordinary breadth of the Fourth Wave range today is testament to the fact that they’ve been able to create impactful brands that stand the test of time, not least thanks to the involvement of ex-Villa Maria winemaker Corey Ryan and a host of dedicated growers spanning south east Australia’s key regions.

Quinta do Paral Situated around the village of Vidigueira, Quinta do Paral comprises 102 hectares of mature vineyards, olive groves, and cork oaks. The estate was owned by the Count of Palma and the Countess of Santar until 2017 when it was acquired by German businessman Dieter Morszeck, realising his dream to own a top-flight wine estate following the sale of his family’s successful luggage brand, Rimowa. To ensure that the vineyards, with an average age of 45 years, continue to flourish for many more decades to come, Dieter and the team, led by winemaker Luís Leão, have spent three years renovating the vineyards to lower yields and establishing strict new sustainability standards.

Angel Champagne Angel began life in LA, Miami and London’s top nightclubs and at one time boasted Mariah Carey as its US brand ambassador. Now under English ownership, Angel is taking a more considered strategy into luxury retail and is enjoying astronomical success in Japan and China. Propeller has been working with Angel on its UK launch and has been “hugely impressed with both their vision and fastidious attention to detail”. Made under the watchful eye of Elizabeth Sarcelet, one of the region’s undisputed stars, each bottle is then shipped to the UK where the matt coatings and unique motifs are painstakingly applied by hand in Angel’s workshop. “The resulting packaging is nothing short of extraordinary and more than a match for prestige cuvées at double or triple the price,” says Jamie Wynne-Griffiths. All the wines are based on 100% Premier Cru fruit from the Montagne de Reims.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 39

Top: Nicola Thornton of Botas de Barro with Spanish vignerons Above left: Angel Champagne in its unique UV-lit gift box Above right: Woods Crampton, the Barossa label within the Fourth Wave Wine portfolio

Feature sponsored by Propeller For more information, visit propeller.wine Call 01524 737100 Email info@propeller.wine

Space for Cheese™ and Try and be Kind:

ellow merchants: over-

(usually) Always eat the Rind (the two are

educated, over-orally stimulated,

not linked but you know, you should, and it

gastronomically spoiled arts

rhymes).

graduatesplus, forgive my sucking-egg provinciality.

This month’s Amazing Lunch: SALAD. I am a salad wizard. Here I planned to

5. SALAD

Secrets of Salad. It wasn’t great, TBH, and

Phoebe Weller of Valhalla’s Goat

I’m quite glad to summarise because I was

in Glasgow has words of wisdom

summarise the first book of Harry Potter but rather than magic I am taught the

spending a fair bit of time “researching” spells and trying to flip a pun. Ex-pealliarmus. Avocado Kedavra. Like reverse shadows, clear skinned

converts with improved bowel movements

for any saladphobes whose appreciation of this noblest of meals may have been diminished by pub chains, lazy hippies or fathers on a budget

SALAD SECRETS FROM THE SHOP: 1.

Shrivel leaves: make the bulky unbulk

with the magic of vinegar. Icebergs are the reason people do not believe in salad. See also “Salad Tomato”.

2. Can I add an apple? Yes you can. See

also grated carrot, fennel, onion. In my

literal pre-salad days my dad added cold

baked beans and oranges to salads which were greeted with teenage derision but I could probably get behind them now.

3. Cut everything small. The Hippy Shop

makes this Greek salad and everything is eyeball sized. The cherry tomatoes

are WHOLE. Lazy bloody hippies. Each

are more microbe thank you

are human. Fuel your microbiological

biosphere with red wine and chocolate, although technically red wine and

chocolate is not a salad. Perhaps one day I will tell you about my adventures in

Savoury Trifle. Now there is something to look forward to!

FURTHER SALAD ITEMS: Boiled eggs.

purchased smoked duck, sod it, anything

WHAT? HOW?

Come closer now. Grasp the tongs. Oil the

– feed your inner biosphere, you

Yellow-label hot smoked fish, hastily

line the Great Western Road and whisper, black walnut bowl.

THER THINGS: fermented items

mouthful should be a mixtymaxter of easy uncooked delights – “yum yum yum, I

am eating all the colours of the rainbow and textures of the infinite, not just the

brown and orange of stovies and a bottle of ginger”. 3a. Mandoline.

4. Mayonnaise. Hellman’s mayonnaise

in a squeezy bottle. 5. Is there space

for cheese? I may not have told you, I am Scotland’s Leading Independent

Cheese Expert aka SLICE aka The Roving Fromagière. That’s right! The one with

the hit Instagramstory (@rovingpheeb). Internetsensation; #CHEESEORNO. SLICE’s advice is: There is Always

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 40

smoked except smoked cheese, which

is (usually) neither smoked nor cheese.

Seaweed. Those extrasmall cans of tuna

with chilli and garlic and a needless plastic lid. Nuts, olives, capers, burnt things in oil. Burnt things that used to belong to pigs. Expensive oils. Ludicrously expensive vinegars.

These are the secrets that Harvester

doesn’t want you to know, for unlimited salad is one thing but unlimited tasty

things covered in mayonnaise is quite

another. Last thing: elevate your salad with a poke of chips or roll and fritter.

K2 Smart Wine Monitor The creator of this temperature-taking gadget, Steve Parker, used to live above a Majestic. Several wine purchases and chats with the manager later, he realised that the key to getting the most out of the wine was to drink it at the correct temperature. The Kelvin K2 uses the latest Bluetooth wireless connectivity to send the temperature information

VinGardeValise Petite 03 Wine Suitcase Looking forward to going on a wine trip? Be prepared with this specially designed suitcase, which holds up to eight bottles. Fully lockable and complete with high

to your smartphone (often from inside your fridge). The iOS or Android app then monitors the wine as it is chilling and provides as much or as little information as you need. Mykelvin.co.uk, £39.95

density form inserts, the case meets all airline luggage policies. No more need to wrap precious bottles up with dirty T-shirts, cram vineyard-damp socks in the gaps and hope for the best. Tanglewood Premium Wine Accessories, £306

Most Easter cocktails are quickfix Chocolate Martinis, adding a chocolate liqueur to the classic recipe. This is a luxuriant take on the more complex Sazerac, where the liqueur subs for Cognac. There’s scope to play: Edmond Briottet, Giffard, Lejay and Gabriel Boudier all make white and dark versions of crème de cacao, while Mozart’s chocolate liqueurs would make for a lusher, more decadent approach.

6cl bourbon 1.5cl absinthe 1.5cl crème de cacao Two dashes of Angostura bitters Sugar cube

Norwood Display Crates WBC has launched a range of display

Fill a tumbler or Old-Fashioned glass with ice. Add the absinthe, top with water and leave to stand for half a minute, then discard the contents. In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar in half a teaspoon of water and add the bitters and stir. Add the bourbon, crème de cacao – fill with ice and stir. Strain into the tumbler and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

stands including this 54-bottle model that works with traditional Bordeaux and Burgundy bottles. The stand comes flat packed but assembles in minutes. Then simply add the six wooden crates and a blackboard if required and it is ready to go. Wbc.co.uk, from £185 with free next-day delivery

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 41

From Beaujolais to Mâconnais

he potential for organic, no-sulphite and single-vineyard Beaujolais wines was highlighted in a tasting for The Wine Merchant readers hosted by La Maison Jean Loron and its sole UK agent Hayward Bros. The virtual event featured Loron export manager Oliver Campos presenting five wines from Beaujolais appellations and a Pouilly-Fuissé from its interests in Mâconnais. The Loron history The business was founded in 1711 by Jean Loron and is still family owned, with eighth and ninth generations of the family working for the company. It remained as a single property operation until the mid-18th century but since then has made numerous acquisitions and now has 10 premium single-estate properties across the main cru of Beaujolais and Mâconnais. The Loron approach All the vineyards have their own winery and a dedicated winemaker. The aim,

increasingly, is to be respectful of the environment and to become 100% organic over the next few years, and the company is already producing many organic and non-added sulphite wines across its properties. Former winemaker Jean-Pierre Rodet trained under Jules Chauvet, widely regarded as the godfather of the natural wine movement in Beaujolais, and was the catalyst for this process. Oliver Campos: “We really want to express Gamay with accuracy and a sense of origin throughout the different terroirs of Beaujolais, which is very rich and diverse. We like our wines to be very clean, very fruit forward and very expressive of their origin.” Beaujolais Rosé 2020 £11.50-£12 This new addition to the Loron range is a 100% hand-picked Gamay pink made with no added sulphites. Oliver Campos: “We’ve been

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 42

Maison Jean Loron has grown to encompass 10 estates, but keeps things local with dedicated wineries at all its properties. A tasting organised for a group of indies showcased some of its highlights

making wines without sulphites for about 12 years now, before there was really a trend for natural wines. “We want to invite consumers to try something new from Beaujolais that is proper Gamay but that they can enjoy straight away – but there is also no reason this couldn’t keep for two or three years. “Gamay produces rosés that are quite fresh and approachable in style – floral and nothing too extreme.”

Beaujolais Domaine de Cornillac £11.70-£12.50 This single-estate wine comes from a 9.6ha vineyard in the northern part of Beaujolais-

Feature sponsored by Hayward Bros www.haywardbros.co.uk

Villages with a similar soil profile to Fleurie. Oliver Campos: “It’s interesting to show consumers that Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages can make wines of great intensity and structure, and not just Morgon or Fleurie. We macerate at cooler temperatures to get a gentle extraction of tannins and guarantee a fresh fruit expression. It has typical violet flower and cherry aromas but length, depth and intensity of colour. There are more tannins than you might expect but they are very mellow. It is a fantastic introduction for consumers who are keen to discover Beaujolais for the first time.”

Fleurie Organic, £17-£18 This wine comes from “fantastic terroir” on the famous La Madone hill overlooking the village of Fleurie. The organic wine is made from whole clusters of grapes with a 15day maceration in a mix of stainless steel and concrete tanks. Oliver Campos: “We’ve gained an important understanding of the process of making organic and no-added-sulphite wines and we’re confident we can produce very good quality. We want to be sure we have a clear expression of the Gamay varietal because that is what people like in Beaujolais wines. “We also need to keep the DNA of Fleurie which is freshness and subtle aromas – delicate flavours of raspberries, ripe cherries, but not funkiness.”

Domaine des Billards, Saint-Amour £16.50-£17 This estate has been in the family’s ownership continuously since 1754. For this wine, hand-picked Gamay has extended skin contact for as much as 25 days at temperatures pushed down to 2324˚C. Oliver Campos: “The maceration gives very gentle and slow extraction of tannins, and maximises the extraction of aroma, to give it a velvety but quite serious structure. It’s not as juicy and approachable as the Fleurie; it’s got more depth and concentration. You get darker flavours, a delicate spiciness, a bit of liquorice, dark cherries, ripe strawberries.” Tony Schendel of Hayward Bros: “This estate sums up Loron for me. There are some vines planted before the First World War, small and large steel tanks, and concrete eggs, so you’ve got a real mixture of innovation and tradition making the best wine possible from small plots.” Le Moulin Réserve Caveau 2011, £30 This wine is part of the company’s Reserve Caveau range established to show the ageing potential of top Beaujolais wines. It’s a single-vineyard wine from a 0.5ha property, with grapes grown on the Moulin à Vent appellation’s best granite soil in the shadow of the windmill which gives the

location its name. Oliver Campos: “It’s through wines of this quality and concentration that we can renew the image of Beaujolais. It’s aged in 225-litre oak barrels between three and six years old for 12 to 18 months and then aged in-bottle for five more years until it’s reached the flavour profile and intensity we’re looking for. “It still has the potential to age further. It has a grip on the palate and more leather, tobacco and cassis flavours. The freshness is amazing; it doesn’t taste like an old wine.” Les Vieux Murs, Pouilly-Fuissé, £26 The only white wine in the line-up is a 5050 blend of full-bodied Chardonnay from Fuissé and fruit with more citrus character and minerality from Solutré. Oliver Campos: “At this price point, Pouilly-Fuissé remains the last affordable, great white wine region of Burgundy. All of the others of equivalent quality are at least twice the price. “We produce aged cuvées and we’ve had small but growing success in UK independents. “We are probably the only company that can put 2008, 2010 or 2012 on the market. Once you discover all the greatness after six, seven or eight years, you realise it’s a shame people are drinking them so young most of the time.”

Alan Wright

Bruce Evans

Dan Kirby

The tasting was a bit of an eye-opener for me. The Moulin à Vent 2011 was absolutely stunning and changed my mind completely about how Gamay can age. The rosé was exactly what a rosé should be in terms of being fresh and fruity, but I liked the slight tannins that meant it could be useful with food. The Domaine de Cornillac Beaujolais was outstanding and the Saint-Amour was delicious and showed what I thought were the best characteristics of that particular cru.

My two picks were the sans sulphites Beaujolais rosé, and the Saint-Amour des Billards, although I will also buy the Moulin à Vent ‘11 for my own cellar. The rosé was one of the best no-added-sulphur wines I have tried: lovely light colour and fruit with a saline edge, nicely different and very well priced, so it should be easy to sell. The Saint-Amour des Billards was an excellent example of Gamay, varietally correct with beautiful depth and layered concentrated fruit, not as much cherry jam on the palate as the Fleurie, with a hint of spice and liquorice.

I loved the Loron Fleurie Pur Gamay, the most classic expression I’ve had in ages with bright cherry and raspberry fruit, that’s moreish and zingy at the same time. It’s certainly going to be great in the range with Easter lunches and the spring looming. Secondly the Pouilly-Fuissé, Les Vieux Murs, was lovely. The Suffolk Cellar is well stocked with white Burgundy, but we’ll definitely find a place for this tropical and textured Chardonnay.

The Clifton Cellars, Bristol

Grape & Grain, Crediton

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 43

The Suffolk Cellar, Beccles

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 44

‘A power struggle between botanicals’ It’s as good a way as any to sum up a category that sometimes defies description and confuses non-converts. But vermouth is enjoying a resurgence for good reason. By Nigel Huddleston

he historical dominance of the UK vermouth market by a couple of big brands meant that, until recently, it was

a category with just an entry level and nowhere else for

adventurous drinkers to go.

That picture has transformed in recent times with the

Biggar & Leith. It’s aged in Kentucky bourbon casks which gives vanilla and spice tones to both its flavour and aroma. Biggar & Leith’s Elwyn Gladstone echoes Bava.

“If you want to make a cocktail that tastes like you’d have in the

availability of a multitude of new (and not so new) vermouths that

best bars in the world then you need to use the same kind of high

region, whose production heritage has been protected by the

cupboard for 10 years.”

command and justify premium prices.

The spiritual home of vermouth is Turin in Italy’s Piedmont

Vermouth di Torino IGP since 2017.

Roberto Bava is president of the regulatory consorzio and owner

of the high quality Cocchi brand, sold in the UK by Speciality Brands.

“We have quite a lot of the production of the world’s vermouth

round the table,” he says.

“The know-how is deep in the DNA. People know what to do

with herbs and spices here.”

The modern iteration of Cocchi harks back to the founder Giulio

Cocchi’s original recipe from 1891.

“It’s very good quality ingredients,” says Bava. “The best wine,

the best botanicals, everything.”

Part of Bava’s mission is to eradicate vermouth’s (mis)use as

a store-cupboard drink brought out at Christmas. “Keep it in the fridge and keep it open for no more than a month,” he says. © JPix3l.Raw / stockadobe.com

Starlino Rosso is another Torino vermouth, sold in the UK by

“We want people to get to the botanicals, not the oxidation.”

quality ingredients they use,” he says.

“So don’t use a cheap red vermouth that’s been sitting in a warm

iemonte wine producer Scarpa makes Rosso and Bianco vermouths which have 30% Moscato d’Asti in the base

wine blend, giving them a natural sweetness that’s usually

provided by cane sugar in more mainstream brands.

There’s also a 100% Cortese-based, unfiltered, extra dry

version, created by Scarpa with Michael Palij MW of UK shipper Winetraders.

The cloudy white vermouth is made with botanical ingredients

in their natural state, rather than as extracts, including extra gentian to ramp up the dryness.

Edmund Skinner Smith of Winetraders says the result is a

vermouth that redefines the Wet Martini – a Martini where the vermouth content is increased to sweeten it – in a drier style. “It’s bone dry and you get these unbelievable grapefruit

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 45

flavours from the gentian, which is the key ingredient,” says

Skinner Smith. “We can do a 50-50 Martini which, technically

should be very sweet – even using extra dry vermouth – but the bitter characteristics of the Scarpa Unfiltered retains this nonsweet feeling.”

He also suggests using it neat as a Manzanilla-style aperitif,

served ice cold in a sherry glass and sprayed with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Alex Ouziel is the creator of the red vermouth 9diDANTE (said

aloud in Italian as Nove di Dante) which has a blend of Dolcetto red wine and white Cortese as a base. The red wine colours the vermouth in a task producers normally assign to caramel.

The name is inspired by Dante’s Inferno and the nine circles of

hell, each of which is represented by a different botanical in the total bill of 27.

It’s made by a Barolo distillery famed for its grappa in batches of

6,666 bottles, a devilish coincidence that emerged from a decision to make 5,000 litres at a time.

“Dante is the essence of Italian culture, because Divine Comedy

was the first book to be written in Italian rather than Latin,” says Ouziel.

“It’s a story of power struggles in Florence written in a way

that people can understand, and, in a way, vermouth is a power

struggle between botanicals told in a language people understand, which is the language of wine.”

Ouziel recommends an alternative to the obvious Negroni serve,

mixing it 50-50 with pink Prosecco – two bang-on trends in the same glass.

here is vermouth life beyond Torino. Mentzendorff sells Etrusco Nero, a red wine-based vermouth from the

Tuscan wine producer Fertuna, in the making of which the

botanicals are steeped for 45 days before two months maturing in stainless steel.

Southern Wine Roads ships a pair of vermouths from Greece and

Mangrove UK is importing El Bandarra from Penedès in Spain. El Bandarra comes in the kind of packaging that non-design

experts tend to call “funky” and that might pass for an orange wine or a modern artisanal cider bottle.

The range includes a lighter abv El Fresco style aimed at tapping

into the with-soda Aperol aperitif occasion.

“It holds really well both in true cocktails, being drunk on its

own or with a lengthening soda,” says Gillett. “The look and feel

of the product is certainly a lot more energised than anything else that’s out there.”

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 46

In 1939, Panagiotis Hahalis aromatised vermouth with herbs from Chios island and transferred the distillery and his recipes from Chios to Patras, famous for its Muscat, Roditis and Mavrodaphne grape varieties. Today, the old recipes are perfected, acquire a modern mood and provide exquisite, innovative products: they contain Greek honey that boosts their special flavour, and are free from added colourings or sugar. Vermouth Rosso

Vermouth Bianco

Red vermouth with natural sweetness, coming from a fine semisweet wine (Rhoditis & Mavrodaphne) aromatised with artemisia, gentian root, allspice, bergamot, saffron (Crocus) and Tentoura Castro’s spice extracts.

White vermouth with natural sweetness, coming from a fine semi-sweet white wine (Muscat or “Moschato”) aromatised with artemisia, bergamot and a variety of Greek herbs.

Junique: Aromatised White Wine with Juniper A unique combination of white wine and natural juniper extract. An impressive co-existence which gives us a rich, special flavour. The extraction of juniper berries adds an earthy, cool aroma and a slightly bitter flavour.

Enjoy them slightly chilled (12-13°C) as an aperitif, straight, on the rocks or in the most unique cocktails!

UK agent: Southern Wine Roads | info@southernwineroads.com | 01689 490349

TENUTA FERTUNA VERMOUTH ETRUSCO NERO

Tenuta Fertuna is located in the heart of the beautiful Tuscan Maremma. Their Vermouth Etrusco Nero is produced using an ancient recipe, blending fine Fertuna wines with natural extracts of local herbs and spices, including Roman absinthe, rhubarb, laurel berries, mace, vanilla and ginger. The ingredients are left to infuse in the alcohol for 45 days before two months of slow maturation in steel vats. Excellent drunk fresh as an aperitif or paired with blue cheese or dark chocolate. For more information please contact your Mentzendorff account manager.

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 47

RETAILER NEWS

Why I’m crowd funding my MW Dan Kirby of The Suffolk Cellar is well on his way to his £5,000 target to help cope with the costs of the trade’s toughest exams

interested observers, they’ll be there to see me through the journey in return for me documenting the journey.

I’m genuinely keen to use this time and

focus to build a community of like-minded outsider, wine-curious types, with the real aim of shining a light on the modern day

wine business with an eye on inclusivity, be it social, economic, gender or racial diversity.

he long hours judging wine,

talking about wine, earning cash for points awarded, lecturing,

learning. They’re all the folly of the wine obsessed.

Back when schools had careers advisors,

I ignored them, decided to try and make a living as a musician and failed. I don’t regret a second of it. I also missed the

boat on becoming an electronic engineer, so decided to just plough head first into

the world of wine. After all, I was good at

talking to people about things that I liked

to talk about. I can also retain information about wine, but oddly not the lyrics to a

continuous active professional involvement in wine at the time of applying, and a

reference must be submitted to confirm

your credentials. The reference should be provided by a Master of Wine.”

The part of the entry requirements that

many people surely struggle with is the

cost, it’s just slightly out of reach for many, and quite a way out for me personally. Most MWs I’ve seen have put in the

efforts under the radar, the considerable

cost often funded by their employer, which is a wonderful position to find yourself

“You must hold a wine qualification of at

least WSET Diploma in level, have worked a minimum of three years of current and

I’ll finish” mentality to the project now. The feedback and coverage has been

broadly positive, which helps. The second

question is a bit trickier to answer with any certainty, but it’s easy enough with a large dose of positivity and optimism.

think there are some great advocates for the wine world within the MW

journey a little.

In all honesty, I’m just a wannabe Sunday

follows.

launching, so I have the “I’ve started so

hoping to play my part in changing that

but not a maker.

extracted from the IMW website, are as

the first year, within the six months of

into the Master of Wine world and I’m

worked as a buyer, seller and a marketer,

on it. The entry requirements, largely

question is that I’m mostly funded for

traditional but it’s not the traditional route

retail and hosting tastings and events. I’ve

So to the MW process, now I’ve decided

Simply put, the answer to the first

My journey into the wine world is pretty

From pubs, through to fine wine, via indie

much time on his hands”.

you know you’ll pass?”

it may as well be me.

Which led me on through the last 15

years knocking about in the wine industry.

a “bearded East Anglian hipster with too

“why you?” (fairly obviously) and “how do

fresh cohort coming through the ranks, and

not the lead singer.

Master of Wine. As a friend once said, I’m

frequently since starting the campaign are

alumni, but there’s always room for a

single song. Luckily I was a guitarist and

Brunch host, as much as a wannabe

The two questions I’ve been asked most

If you want to follow along, donate

Kirby has received donations from indies

in. But many also saddle themselves with

the debt, just like you would for any other academic qualification.

Therefore, partly urged on to the

project by Miles Beale of the WSTA, my

grand plan is to ask the industry to help fund the MW fees. Friends, colleagues,

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 48

now, and assuming I’m accepted on the

study programme, I’ll be documenting the process to backers via email updates and exclusive access to content, events and online chats.

More information on the dnkrby wine club website: www.dnkrbywine.club/ make-me-a-master

Campaign Donate Website: www. gofundme.com/f/dnkrbywine

SUPPLIER BULLETIN

LOUIS LATOUR AGENCIES 12-14 Denman Street London W1D 7HJ

0207 409 7276 enquiries@louislatour.co.uk www.louislatour.co.uk

2016 Brunello from Castello Banfi We may not be able to get out to Montalcino this February to try the 2016 vintage

releases but we are still excited to receive this highly regarded vintage in the UK this spring. First to arrive will be the classic Banfi Brunello which we expect to have an April. Pre-orders can be placed now if you wish to reserve some bottles.

Monica Larner from The Wine Advocate spoke highly of this wine

when she reviewed it:

“The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino offers clean pristine fruit and

otherwise delivers a textbook interpretation of the vintage.

“Given the large extension of the vineyards farmed by the estate,

which is located in the southern side of the appellation and the deft technological approach employed in the winery, you can count on

Castello Banfi to offer an authentic read of any of their wines about to hit the market or that have been aged at the back of your cellar,

indeed, the Banfi library of wines acts as an intuitional memory of modern Brunello.

“This edition shows sharp and focused fruit with leather, potting

soil and balsam herb. For a straight-up classic Brunello, this wine delivers the goods.”

hatch mansfield

New Catalogue - New Wines ... We are delighted to announce the imminent arrival of our 2021 catalogue. This new addition features many new and exciting wines with stories to tell, all selected with independents in mind.

New Bank House 1 Brockenhurst Road Ascot Berkshire SL5 9DL 01344 871800

For all our existing customers a copy will arrive with you towards the end of March.

info@hatch.co.uk www.hatchmansfield.com

If you are new to Hatch Mansfield and would like a copy please contact us either by email or phone.

@hatchmansfield

A Taste of Hatch at a time convenient to you There is still time to register. For more info scan the QR code or visit hatchmansfield.com/atasteofhatch

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 49

SUPPLIER BULLETIN

C&C wines 109 Blundell Street London N7 9BN 020 3261 0927 help@carsoncarnevalewines.com www.carsoncarnevalewines.com

@CandC_Wines @carsoncarnevalewines

C&C Wines is excited to have been appointed the UK agent for Verdicchio pioneers Sartarelli. The family-run winery is one of the few Italian wineries focusing exclusively on a single varietal, in this case Verdicchio. When the winery was started by Feruccio Sartarelli, Verdicchio was considered a massproduced table wine, and they were responsible for putting the varietal on the world stage in 1999, when their late-harvest Balciana 1997 was awarded both the White Wine Trophy and Italian White Wine Trophy at the International Wine Awards. In 2020 the same wine once again earned Sartarelli the trophy for the best Italian White Wine at the IWC, and it was named one of Decanter’s Top White Wines of 2020. Three of Sartarelli’s award-winning Verdicchio wines are available through C&C Wines: Sartarelli Classico (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC); Sartarelli Tralivio (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore) and the multi award-winning late-harvest Sartarelli Balciana (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore). Sartarelli Balciana 2017 Awards Highlights

IWC 2020 – Gold Medal / 96 points / Italian White Trophy / One of the World’s 30 Best Wines Decanter Feb 2021 issue – Wine of The Year / One of the World’s 35 Best White Wines Decanter May 2020 issue – 97 points / 1st place in the Verdicchio category Please contact us for pricing and further information.

BERKMANN wine cellars 10-12 Brewery Road London N7 9NH 020 7609 4711 indies@berkmann.co.uk www.berkmann.co.uk @berkmannwine @berkmann_wine

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 50

liberty wines 020 7720 5350 order@libertywines.co.uk www.libertywines.co.uk

@liberty_wines

Sustainability in English wine

by David Gleave MW

We highlight three English producers who hold sustainability at the core of their operations.

At family-owned Rathfinny, the latest addition to our portfolio, Mark and Sarah Driver

produce four Vintage-labelled Sussex sparkling wines from their 93-hectare estate on a prime south-facing slope in the South Downs. Their commitment to

sustainability is multi-layered, embracing biodiversity, soil and vine management, water and energy use, and locally sourced materials. The

estate-grown fruit for their Classic Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé is hand-harvested and vinified with minimal intervention to preserve the purest expression of place and vintage.

In West Dorset, Steven and Arabella Spurrier’s Bride Valley has

been sustainably farmed for centuries and continues to follow organic

principles. From 10 hectares of vines planted on the best sites in the bowl of the amphitheatre-like estate, they produce their Brut Réserve,

Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Bella, a Dorset Crémant from the UK’s first Crémant PDO, and a crisp floral still Chardonnay.

Simon Woodhead produces pristine still wines from Pinot Gris and

Pinot Blanc, alongside an elegant sparkling Brut, at his sustainably-

farmed Stopham Estate in West Sussex. His array of practices to minimise environmental

impact include grass cover against soil erosion, organic fertiliser from the estate’s cattle, and planting hedgerows for local wildlife.

richmond wine agencies The Links, Popham Close Hanworth Middlesex TW13 6JE 020 8744 5550 info@richmondwineagencies.com

Tim Atkin Sparkling Wine Discovery of the Year! 2021 Rioja Report

@richmondwineag1

Contact info@richmondwineagencies.com to order!

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 51

SUPPLIER BULLETIN

walker & Wodehouse

Mission Hill joins Walker & Wodehouse Mission Hill Family Estate has joined the Walker &

109a Regents Park Road London NW1 8UR 0207 449 1665 orders@walkerwodehousewines.com www.walkerwodehousewines.com

@WalkerWodehouse

Wodehouse portfolio. A limited selection of luxury wines from its private cellars

will be made available for the first time in the United Kingdom. Internationally awarded Bordeaux-style reds, elegant Pinot

Noirs and aromatic whites are the hallmarks of Mission Hill, winner of the coveted Canadian Winery of the Year title an unprecedented six times.

Meticulously handcrafted, Mission Hill’s portfolio of award-

winning wines is the culmination of more than three decades

of sustainable farming and pushing the boundaries of organic winemaking in the Okanagan. The resulting wines capture

each of the family-owned Estate vineyard’s unique and distinct

geology and micro-climate, amplifying the subtle differences of each site throughout the region. Mission Hill organically farms all of its own grapes.

For more information about Mission Hill or to taste the wines, please contact your Account Manager.

buckingham schenk Unit 5, The E Centre Easthampstead Road Bracknell RG12 1NF 01753 521336

ERLAND SWITZ ITALY FRANCE AL SPAIN

gne

Champa

INA ARGENT Fabre gas • Bode LIA s AUSTRA Adams Wine y • Sorb • Vineyards E Family CHIL és Silva • Garc Rocas • Las FRANCE Auriol aines • Dom ler • Haul • ITALY

ine ti e Cant ua Vigne Wineries n • Pasq nk Italia • Sche Tomasella te • Tenu AND ZEAL NEW Wines Ferry • Rock vineyards family • te Pā AL PORTUG enor • Porm

doro one ola Luna • Amic da Agric • Azien Menzione ilde di ne • Brun li del Baro ceto • Casa llo di Quer • Caste enti • Gerg to • Il Casa Auer rei • Kelle tta o Zana • Marc

20 22

28 30

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46

u SPAIN arri ga Otaz lia Chav • Bode gas Fami iedro • Bode gas Murv • Bode Alto lo • Casa Monseran llo de • Casti UniÓ rs • Celle LAND SWITZER Vins ux • Bado Viborne aien la eiss • Dom e Edelw • La Suiss

GNE CHAMPA Launois et • Bonn

48 50 54

PORTUG

ITALY della Luna • Bacio Schenk Italia i, • Rivan

58 60 64

CHILE

68 70 72 74 76 78

82 84 86

: denotes

@buckinghamschenk

Schenk wineries

INA

ARGENT

& brands

EZIA ALTO ADIGE s FRIULI-VEN Winerie Italian Schenk Auer VENICE TOD MILAN LAN VENE Kellerei ato NEW ZEA Il Cas Pasqua e Amicon PIEDMONT TUSCANY ABRUZZO one del Bar Casali ROME rceto di Que Castello a Agricol Azienda ro SARDINIA Lunado

Marco

Zanatta

PUGLIA

AND

AUCKL

SICILY D

NORTH

ISLAN

ti Gergen

NGTON

te Pā

family

s vineyard

WELLI

BOROUGH

MARL

TCHUR

CHRIS

SOUTH

2021 WINE LIST

Rock

Ferry

Wines

ISLAN

CENTRAL

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 52

Tomasel

LIA

AUSTRA

94 96

NEW Z

@BuckSchenk

Tenute

ing win

Sparkl

EALAN

info@buckingham-schenk.co.uk www.buckingham-schenk.co.uk

wine

ITALY

Still

ODUCER

OUR PR

OTAGO 57

mentzendorff The Woolyard 52 Bermondsey Street London SE1 3UD 020 7840 3600

2018 Vintage Port Declaration On 23 April 2020, Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft declared their 2018 Vintage Ports, with Taylor’s the only House to declare a ‘Classic Vintage’ for the third consecutive year. Taylor’s 2018, Fonseca Guimaraens 2018 and Croft Quinta da Roêda 2018 are now available to offer. Head winemaker, David Guimaraens says, “It is important to note that the 2018 wines have the highest colour intensity of recent vintages, always a sign of good extraction and longevity.” rd

Fonseca Guimaraens 2018, 94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

info@mentzendorff.co.uk www.mentzendorff.co.uk

Taylor’s Vintage Port 2018, 97 points, Neal Martin, Vinous

Croft Quinta Da Roêda 2018, 94 points, Mark Squires, Robert Parker FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MENTZENDORFF ACCOUNT MANAGER

lighthouse brands 95 Ditchling Road Brighton BN1 4ST www.lighthousebrands.co.uk info@lighthousebrands.co.uk

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 53

SUPPLIER BULLETIN

AWIN BARRATT SIEGEL WINE AGENCIES

VIVA ITALIA

With the scent of Spring in the air and the hope of some relaxation of the lockdown we are celebrating with a raft of offers across our Italian range. Featuring organic wines from Nittardi, Sparkling Castello Prosecco 4537 and the Fabiano Storica Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore Ripasso, often referred to as “Baby Amarone”, to name a few. For further details please contact your Account Manager. or email us at orders@abs.wine | E. and O.E | Offers valid from 15/03/21 to 15/04/21

28 Recreation Ground Road Stamford Lincolnshire PE9 1EW 01780 755810

SPARKLING OFFER BUY ANY 12 CASES AND RECEIVE 2 ADDITIONAL CASES OF ROSÉ FREE For every deal done you will also receive 1 bottle of each reference purchased as sampling stock. Castello “4537” Spumante Prosecco DOC Brut NV Castello “4357” Rosato Spumante NV

orders@abs.wine www.abs.wine

FABIANO OFFER

@ABSWines

BUY 3 CASES OF VERDICCHIO & 3 CASES OF VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO AND GET 1 ADDITIONAL CASE OF RIPASSO FREE Plus receive 1 bottle of each reference purchased as sampling stock. Villa Dante Verdicchio Anfora Castelli di Jesi DOC 2019 Fabiano Storica Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore Ripasso 2016

NITTARDI OFFER BUY 6 CASES AND GET 1 ADDITIONAL CASE FREE* Plus receive 1 bottle of each reference purchased as sampling stock. *Can be mixed between lines. Nittardi BEN Maremma Vermentino Organic 2019 Nittardi Ad Astra DOC Maremma Organic 2017

§Famille Helfrich Wines

OUR ON-TRADE AND INDEPENDENT DOMAINES

1, rue Division Leclerc, 67290 Petersbach, France cdavies@lgcf.fr 07789 008540

1 GENERALIST

7 SPECIALIST

@FamilleHelfrich

Domaine Marguerite Carillon Côte de Beaune & Chablis

Domaine Michaut Chablis

Domaine Saint Saturnin de Vergy Hautes Côtes de Nuits

Domaine Maurice Ecard Savigny-lèsBeaune

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 54

Domaine Roland Sounit Châlon area

Domaine Jean-François Protheau Châlon area

Domaine Domaine du Mont-SaintBois de l’Oise Gilbert Mâcon area and Mâcon area and Beaujolais Beaujolais

Fells Fells House, Station Road Kings Langley WD4 8LH 01442 870 900 For details about our portfolio of award winning wines from some of the world’s leading family-owned producers contact: info@fells.co.uk

www.fells.co.uk

@FellsWine je_fells

Alice Tetiénne: ‘Cellar Master of the Year 2020’ at award-winning Champagne Henriot Established in 1808, Champagne Henriot is a Chardonnay-dominant Champagne house.

It has been family owned and run for eight

consecutive generations and is one of the last independently-owned Champagne houses in Reims.

Alice Tetiénne, formerly of Krug and now

Henriot’s Chef de Cave, has taken the reins at this award-winning producer.

Already crowned ‘Cellar Master of the Year 2020’ by Trophées Champenois, in recognition of her exceptional work, Alice will continue to drive

the outstanding quality of Henriot, with great emphasis on terroir.

top selection 23 Cellini Street London SW8 2LF www.topselection.co.uk info@topselection.co.uk Contact: Alastair Moss Telephone: 020 3958 0744

@topselectionwines

@tswine

THE WINE MERCHANT march 2021 55

Treasury ad supplied separately