42 minute read
COMINGS AND GOINGS
Fiendish plan to get physical
Online retailer Wine Fiend has opened a bricks-and-mortar shop in Cardiff.
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Owner Dean Euden says: “Naively, when I first started Wine Fiend a year ago, I envisaged that it could run as just an online business. But after three or four months I realised it was untenable and I needed a base where I could interact with customers and grow some trust.”
Having scoped out a few different premises, Euden grabbed the opportunity of a unit at Corp Market. Based inside an old landmark pub, The Corporation, the market is a shopping hub providing a permanent home to several independent retailers.
There’s also a shared events space freely available to the traders where Euden has already held some tastings.
“I’ve got some beautiful wines and some of them are difficult sells online,” he says. “You can write a description, include pretty pictures of the bottles but nothing sells easy when it’s just words.”
Since opening, he’s already seen a marked change in how swiftly he can keep those particular lines moving. “Having a shop is vital to gaining the trust of customers and to share any knowledge and passion you have,” he adds.
Euden’s career has encompassed Majestic, Avery’s, Fine Wines Direct and the WSET. He is not fazed by his return to retail: if anything, he appears energised by the recent gear change and eager to further grow the business.
He’s working solely with suppliers for now but hopes to direct import in the future and has plans to start a refill range later this year.
“I can now get some of my best-selling wines in KeyKeg and the quality of those wines is very good indeed,” he says. “They
Dean Euden has worked for Majestic and Avery’s
are from natural or low-intervention winemakers, and I know that those wines work because I already sell them in the bottle.”
BBC man opens in hip Cornish resort
Falmouth is now home to a new wine shop and bar called Kernow Wine, which opened at the beginning of December.
Former BBC journalist Derek Crookes says he initially thought about working in wine education after moving to Cornwall almost five years ago, but some work experience at BinTwo in Padstow inspired him to open his own business.
“I did two summers of work at BinTwo and it gave me the bug to do something with the hybrid model, which they do so successfully,” says Crookes.
“I picked Falmouth because it’s a hip and happening area of Cornwall. I thought it was a good place to open for year-round trade. It’s got a big boating community, a university, lots of local residents and more of a neighbourhood feel.”
After a year of looking for the perfect premises, Crookes has set up shop in a former furniture store, which has been converted to four new units. The bar area has room for 20 covers, and he has permission to have tables outside on the pavement.
Crookes says: “I’ve got a Bermar system: it’s got sparkling and still wine preservation so I’ll do 16 wines by the glass from that and I’ll do another four on tap. I’d put more taps in if I could, but I don’t have the room. “My motto is ‘sustainable, ethical, local’,
so I’ll try to get as many products to fit those criteria as possible. I’m working with about 20 suppliers including Thorman Hunt, Alliance, ABS and Bancroft, and I’m trying to reach out a bit to some much smaller suppliers too.
“Retail-wise I’ve got room for about 300 wine lines. I wanted to have a wide range of lots of different types of wine and see if that works.
“One of my main aims is to have regular informal tastings in the shop to introduce people to the wines.”
UK expansion for French group
French buying group Cavavin has opened a further two stores in the UK. The shops, in Newcastle and Buckingham, both opened late last year in time to benefit from the Christmas trade.
The Buckingham branch is in a safe pair of hands with franchisee Jean Francois Bisault at the helm.
Patrick Jouan, the UK-based managing director of the company, says his working relationship with Bisault goes back 25 years.
“He was GM of a restaurant in Newark, and I supplied his wine in the 1990s,” he says. “We lost touch when he moved to London to work at the Café Royal. He has such a lot of background in this type of industry.”
As franchisees, previous wine knowledge is not a deal breaker, as Cavavin provides all the necessary training, in France and then in the UK in Sheffield, for anyone wanting a change of career.
Jouan reports that in Newcastle, the new franchisees Ash and Harris don’t have prior experience in the trade, but “they are very smart and quick learners, and the shop looks magnificent”. He adds: “We visit them about once a month to make sure they are OK, and it’s working really well.”
Cavavin also has shops in Glasgow and Hertford. Jouan, who owns Sheffield merchant Le Bon Vin, expects further growth later this year.
The Newcastle branch
Vintoto is victim of falling footfall
Vintoto based near Wakefield station closed its doors for good on Christmas Eve. Owner Carolyn Skeels made the decision following steadily falling sales.
“Despite the figures and statistics being put out by the train companies, station footfall – specifically commuter footfall – is way below previous levels,” she reports.
“Shop takings for August, September and October this year have actually been lower than 2020, which I can only put down to people no longer feeling they need to shop local and support independent businesses.”
Skeels says she will continue to trade with some private sales and a “local wine by the case offering, but the physical shop will be no more”.
Fiction factory
Of course we all have fond memories of Château Lafite 1953 and Other Stories, the only published fiction from sometime Guardian food critic Malcolm Gluck, which brightened up everyone’s 2010.
The book was set in a more-or-less recognisable version of the wine trade. Not being one to change names to protect the innocent, Gluck wove in bemusing references to the likes of First Quench Retailing and Oddbins, and included off-colour cameos from women including Pamela Vandyke-Price and (then) Somerfield buyer Angela Mount.
Now another work of fiction is offering readers a taste of life in the cut-and-thrust of wine retailing. Helen McGinn’s new novel, Just One Day, is loosely based on The Solent Cellar in Lymington, where she spent time grilling owners Simon and Heather Smith about their business and its customers.
The couple aren’t namechecked in the story itself, but readers of the local Advertiser & Times newspaper will be fully aware who provided the inspiration for the leading characters.
McGinn has previously used The Solent Cellar as a venue for her Knackered Mothers Wine Club gettogethers, and has put her name to a Christmas case exclusive to the store.
Undeserving causes
TripAdvisor is notoriously brutal and all too often a haven for cowardly moaners. That said, scrolling through one-star reviews can be an entertaining diversion on a quiet afternoon.
Our all-time favourite: the couple who enter a London enoteca and order two £12 glasses of wine. They notice that the measures are unequal and bring this to the attention of the owner, who disputes the claim. “It’s the shape of the glass,” she retorts. The reviewer continues: “She then snatches both of our glasses, returns and says, ‘we over-poured in one glass, I’ve tipped out the excess’.”
Why not just top up the smaller of the two and avoid wasting wine? “Well you made a big deal out of it, I didn’t think you deserved it and threw it away.”
Second retail site for Graft team
Graft Wine’s second retail venture, Mother Vine, opened in Chelsea before Christmas.
The store is headed upy Will Irvine in the role of general manager.
Co-owner Nik Darlington says: “David Knott and I were fortunate to be offered the opportunity to take over a small wine merchant site on the foodie Pavilion Road in Chelsea, just off Sloane Square.
“It’s first and foremost a small neighbourhood wine shop with a small selection of beers and spirits. We have tables on our terrace spilling out into Pavilion Road, and in the upstairs bar and
Nik Darlington
fine wine space for people to drink in. The aim is to collaborate with fellow businesses on the street to offer food platters too.
“The wine range is mostly sourced from Graft, Liberty, and Flint, with some from auctions and private cellars.”
Original Beckford store is rebranded
The original Beckford Bottle Shop in Tisbury, Wiltshire, has been rebranded after being taken on by its former manager.
Tim Gardner resigned his directorship of the Beckford Group [which has a portfolio of country pubs and hotels, as well as a wine shop in Bath] and formed a partnership with Nick Beedle. Together they bought the site, which has been rebranded as Gardner & Beedle, focusing just on retail sales.
Gardner says: “We just want to be wine merchants without being added onto a hospitality-type venture. I think the restaurant side of things was overwhelming the wine side.
“We’re looking after our best customers and focusing on them rather than on a broader spectrum of people just popping in for a beer. We felt it was detracting from people coming in to purchase wine.”
The new-look Gardner & Beedle in Tisbury
As the business “thrived through lockdown”, Gardner says he could see how efficiently things were working and wasn’t looking forward to reviving the drinking-in aspect once life returned to normal.
“I could only see us going from strength to strength and so far that’s proved to be the case,” he says.
“We are now wholesaling to about five local pubs, so we’ve been able to extend the business that way.
“When we had the Beckford association, none of the local pubs wanted to get wine from us, but that’s changed now we are independent.
“We’ve taken on a small warehouse to keep our wholesale stock separate from our retail range, and we’ll be looking to expand our wholesale operation as well as working with private clients.”
The working day is more in keeping with traditional shop hours and Gardner is happy that his work/life balance is better. “We’re working like dogs, but it’s at the right end of the day,” he says. “We know our customer base and they come in here because they want to see us.
“Not many people can say they love going to work on a Saturday, but our Saturdays are joyous, with people popping by.”
• York has a new independent wine shop in the form of Jorvine, a retail store and tasting lounge in the Fulford district.
Warramate Chardonnay 2018
Not only have the Aussies pared down their Chardonnay winemaking style, they’ve also stripped away the frivolity from their labels – at least in this default-typeface example from Yarra. It’s actually a very enjoyable wine, described on the equally spartan back label as “fleshy, crisp and crunchy”. There’s no reason to elaborate on such succinct phrasing, so we won’t.
RRP: £22.50 ABV: 12.5% Vindependents (020 3488 4548) vindependents.co.uk
Frittmann Irsai FriSecco
Irsai Olivér is a playful and aromatic Hungarian variety, and it suits the frizzante style. The aromas may be peachy and floral, but this is arrestingly dry on the palate, with tart citrus and grapefruit notes that twitch flagging sinews into life. A distant salty tang adds to the jolt, before the creamy mousse provides a soft and reassuring finale.
RRP: £14.40 ABV: 12% Best of Hungary (0780 571 7576) bestofhungary.co.uk
Château des Jaume Infusion 2020
The vineyards are in Tautavel in Roussillon, celebrated for the discovery of a 450,000-year-old human skull, but you can’t taste much of that. What you can taste is happy fruit: Syrah, Grenache and Carignan, to be precise, pressed in whole bunches and vinified without sulphites. It’s all soft, supple, brambly flavours, with that giveaway scent of plasticine from the Syrah.
RRP: £10.65 ABV: 14% Famille Helfrich (07789 008540)
Château de Grandmont Beaujolais-Villages 2021
Growers faced any number of issues with their Nouveau in 2021 (reduced yields, a late harvest, not enough pickers and transport problems, to name just some) but Chris Piper gamely soldiered on. On November 18 this was tasting perky and vibrant, with soft red fruit flavours and a breezy acidity.
RRP: £9.37 ABV: 12% Christopher Piper Wines (01404 814139) christopherpiperwines.co.uk
Avignonesi 50&50 2016
Since 1988, the owners of Avignonesi in Montepulciano and Capannelle in Chianti have joined forces each year to create this blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, classified as Toscana IGT. The 2016 is just hitting its stride, with fine-grained tannins, ripe black cherry and spicy notes, and a more savoury depth, seasoned with herbs.
RRP: £117 ABV: 13.5% Vindependents (020 3488 4548) vindependents.co.uk
Miss Vicky Wine O Joie Fleurie 2019
The whole point of canned anything is that the freshness and vivacity of the product should be perfectly preserved. O Joie does exactly that, with its raspberry and redcurrant fruitiness hitting you immediately. Of course it’s great for parties and picnics, but this is no mere frivolity. It’s proper wine.
RRP: £6 (25cl) ABV: 13% Propeller (07544 769267) propeller.wine
G&G Bouvet Victor Emmanuel Crémant de Savoie
A blend of Chardonnay and Savoie-native Jacquère, grown on the clay and limestone scree of Fréterive. In its local market no doubt this is a simple pleasure, but the combination of yellow fruits, green apples and a faint nuttiness on the finish has a faintly exotic allure on these shores, where Savoie remains stubbornly unfamiliar and underdeveloped.
RRP: £15.89 ABV: 12% Famille Helfrich (07789 008540)
Tenute Tomasella Merlot 2020
This family estate has 23ha under vine in Veneto and another 7ha in Friuli, and gets good results by fusing the terroirs in its wines. This dry but floral Merlot is supposed to be enjoyed young: it sits on its lees in tank for five months, before a short period of bottle ageing, and then it’s ready for action. The tannins squeeze gently, but it’s all about the luscious fruit.
RRP: £13 ABV: 13.5% Buckingham Schenk (01753 521336) buckingham-schenk.co.uk
LIMITED-EDITION GLENFARCLAS BOTTLINGS
Cask-strength malt whisky collection is presented in Glencairn crystal decanters
hisky lovers and collectors
Ware in for a treat from Glenfarclas as Pol Roger Portfolio releases a new series of limitededition decanter bottlings.
The exclusive range began with the launch in November of the 25 Year Old, which Pol Roger’s director of spirits, Peter Donnelly, says he chose with the festive season in mind.
As the first whisky producer to sell caskstrength whisky back in 1968, Glenfarclas has set out to continue its tradition of innovation with a series of unique expressions that showcase the distillery’s finest.
“When I was thinking about putting this project together, I thought the 25 Year Old was perfect as the very first one,” Donnelly explains. “The flavours and aromas are very Christmassy with fruits and spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange peel. It’s like Christmas in a bottle.”
There will be five different bottlings over a five-year period and each edition will be beautifully packaged in a Glencairn crystal decanter, with a limited production of 600 per release.
Donnelly will continue to select some truly special whiskies to complete the set, and there’s not too long to wait for the second one of the series. “We’re going to be launching at different times of the year to reflect the whisky style,” he says. “The next one will be released in June and it will be a lighter style.”
The entire series will showcase the best of Glenfarclas in a collection that Donnelly describes as “much more affordable, being in the hundreds instead of the thousands”.
He adds: “We’re bottling at a higher strength as well; it just adds something a little bit extra for proper whisky drinkers.”
While each release will be different in terms of flavour profile, age, fill and price, the collection will be identifiable by the hand-crafted decanter, designed to display the natural colour of the cask-strength whisky, and all housed in a piano finished box that represents the autumnal colours of Speyside.
For more information visit www.polroger.co.uk or call 01432 262800 Twitter: @Pol_Roger
Rose’s toil was worth the trouble
Fizz! Champagne and Sparkling Wines of the World by Anthony Rose, Infinite Ideas, £35
Champagne purists might argue that it simply is not the done thing for their favourite drink to be discussed and catalogued alongside supposedly lesser incarnations of sparkling wine, or indeed for it to be reduced to the generic term of fizz.
But it is a useful way of reading and learning about the category as a whole, especially at a time where we see exponential growth in English sparkling production, unceasing popularity of Prosecco, and an increased interest in pet nat.
Rose explains that Champagne was not so much an invention as an evolutionary process. During the centuries of bubbly progress, the various production methods and the people behind them have migrated through Europe and beyond to make their own joyous interpretations, which in turn have become synonymous with their own region or country.
It’s extraordinary to think that by the beginning of the French Revolution, nine of today’s most famous Champagne marques were already up and running. Rose acknowledges that the story of fizz starts way before then, and therefore puts to rest the old marketing propaganda from Dom Perignon, but not without admitting that the “teetotal, vegetarian monk” was at least a “master viticulturalist, winemaker, taster and blender”.
Rose reminds us that Peter Ustinov once remarked that “hell is Italian punctuality, German humour and English wine,” but he was of course speaking at a time way before the English winemaking revolution got underway. Of the many producer profiles in the book, 26 are devoted to English-based businesses. Many of those are household names, maybe not beyond our domestic market, but it’s
relatively early days, and the future looks incredibly bright.
Notable fizz producers from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and South Africa are thoroughly profiled, alongside the more obvious European countries including Italy, Germany and Spain. There are also a few surprises from Moldova, Croatia and Switzerland.
Any wine enthusiast or, more specifically, wine merchant who may need a reference from time to time will find this thoughtful guide immensely useful. Brimming with facts and insight but never dull, the text zips along and is as “enchantingly ephemeral and enduringly exciting” as most of us find a glass full of bubbles to be.
Claire Harries
Anthony Rose
All in a good cause
Before Christmas, The Wine Merchant spoke to four of the many independents across the UK who raise money in all kinds of ways for their communities
The merchant: Tivoli Wines, Cheltenham The charity: Cheltenham Open Door Fundraising activity: In-store initiatives including promoting particular bottles that offer an instant £1 donation on purchase, and the opportunity for customers to donate their discount on bulk purchases
“We have selected 35 wines from across our range – we designed stickers for them and we donate £1 from every bottle of those we sell between the beginning of November and Christmas
Eve,” says Tivoli owner David Dodd. Within that selection of wines, there will be some of the shop’s bestsellers, alongside lines that are on offer from suppliers, and some bottles that the team are keen for customers to
try.
“We hope they will be encouraged if it means they are donating a £1 to charity,” explains Dodd.
“We usually give away a 10% discount in store when a customer buys over 12 bottles, and customers have the option to donate that discount if
they want to.
“The staff never ask at point of purchase if they want to donate it, as that can make people feel awkward, but there’s plenty of POS all over the shop. It’s really our customers who donated their discounts last year who made the difference. It probably raised about £1,500.
“Unfortunately homelessness is increasing in Cheltenham so we decided to support [homeless charity] Open Door. We raise funds throughout the year for Maggie’s and also for the RNLI.”
The Latitude team models the merch
The merchant: Latitude Wines, Leeds The charity: Simon on the Streets Fundraising activity: Branded T-shirts sold online and in-store. All sales proceeds are donated
Latitude owner Chris Hill first started working with Commonsense when he commissioned ethically-produced tote bags for the business. More branded merchandise followed, including the staff uniform. “The T-shirts looked so good we decided to put them on sale,” he says. “We then came to an agreement with Commonsense that if our profit was going to charity, then theirs would too. So our fair trade, ethically produced T-shirts are completely not for profit, with all proceeds going to charity.”
In November, Hill and the team also held their first in person tasting since Covid and increased their fundraising efforts with a supplier-supported raffle on the day.
“Supporting a local homeless charity just feels like the right thing to do,” says Hill.
“We all walk past a homeless guy, cradling a bottle of high-strength cider. I think it is right that our industry should shoulder some responsibility for the position many of them find themselves in.
“Simon on the Streets does amazing work engaging with the homeless and offering support in the Leeds and Bradford area.”
The merchant: James Nicholson Wine Merchant, County Down The charity: Rainbow Lights (part of YouthAction Northern Ireland) Fundraising activity: Creating a wine specifically dedicated to charity
The team at JN Wine collaborated with Château Vignelaure to create Ode to Joy, a £13.50 Provence rosé, which raises money with every bottle sold.
“The money is going to Rainbow Lights, which is sensory theatre to support people with physical or learning disabilities,” says JN’s Averil Johnston.
“So far we have raised £5,000 which has helped to buy props for their sensory workshops, like mats, beanbags and hula hoops. It also pays for workshop leaders. “We have been involved with YouthAction over the past few years. Jim [Nicholson, the business owner] felt that the arts have had an even tougher time than hospitality during Covid, so he thought this would be a nice idea.
“The wine is being sold online and through fine wine shops and restaurants. It doesn’t matter how you purchase it, whether it’s a case or single bottle or a magnum, we are donating to charity. Retail customers have really got behind it.”
The label was designed by the artist Kathryn Callaghan, and prints are also available to buy as part of the fundraising.
The merchant: Bottle London, Highgate The charity: Doorstep Homeless Families Project Fundraising activity: A Christmas themed tasting with 100% of ticket revenue being donated
Rebecca Smithson went back to basics with her Christmas tasting at Bottle London, to accommodate more punters and to maximise ticket sales.
“We are trying to do it more like a trade tasting,” Smithson told us before the event. “So rather than sell the tickets at a higher price and have a sit-down, more formal tasting. We’re going to have three tables and around 15 wines with a staff member on each table.
“You can drop in, wander around and try the wines and we will do Christmas dinner pairings, such as a salmon brunch and a lunch pairing. There will also be a bubbles section.” The tickets were priced at £10 each and Smithson made 100 available.
“We’d love to be able to make regular donations, but we are just finding our feet during our first year of turnover,” she says. “So I think doing an event and getting involved with the community is a good way of doing it.” Money raised helped provide Christmas parties for the families which Doorstep works with and will also go towards the cost of a new project for teens and young people that the project hopes to launch later this year.
Rising Stars
Buying a business lock, stock and barrel can also include the personnel. When Jaime and Holly Fernandez bought Vino Vero they were more than happy to keep on Ollie and a just over a year on, they are extremely pleased they did.
“He’d been working there about two years before we took over so we knew him as we were regular customers,” says Jaime. “We are so glad he stayed. He’s got a scary depth of information about all wines and spirits. I don’t know how he retains all that detail – but he does!”
Jaime admits that without Ollie’s involvement they would not have been able to develop the new part of the business, which has so far seen them direct import a range of wines from four new producers.
“He’s been the shop manager for quite a while now,” he adds, “and that has enabled us to work on the importing side of the business. We trust him in any decision-making and wine buying; all that sort of thing.
“He’s been really on board with the new wines we’ve brought in to sell and he’s always really keen to learn about wines in general, new regions, styles and winemaking techniques.
“We have very similar tastes in wine, and we work very well together. We’re very lucky, he’s a perfect fit for our business.”
The Hungarian part of Ollie’s name is courtesy of his wife. “We are both very big fans of Hungarian wines,” says Ollie, “but unfortunately for me, her favourite thing is also white Burgundy, so if I bring a bottle home I have to split it 50-50. There’s no sneaking little bits of Puligny-
Montrachet into the house and hoping she won’t notice!”
The bar is almost back to operating at its pre-Covid peak. “People have been delighted to be back in the store talking to us,” Ollie says. “It’s what separates us from online-only retailers – you can buy the wine but you can’t have that interaction. We really want people to have loads of fun picking their wine and chatting with us about it, whether they have a tenner to spend on one bottle or several hundred to spend on a case.
“It frustrates us how many people seem to feel put off from shopping in specialist wine retailers because they think they are expected to have bottomless pockets or
Ollie Fazekas-Cooper
Vino Vero, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
already know loads about wine.
“If people feel that way, we as an industry are to blame for that by failing to nurture a more inclusive and welcoming culture. Not all of us by any stretch of the imagination, but there are sectors that still seem keen to engender a feeling of exclusivity that makes people happier picking their wine from a supermarket where they feel they won’t be judged on their choices, or have someone roll their eyes if they mispronounce Riesling.”
There is a calendar full of customer tastings ahead. “People get super excited about those and it’s a great way of showcasing a lot of the wines we really love,” Ollie says. “We’re doing a whole tasting with all our own imports and that’s really exciting. We’ve got some fantastic wines made from Godello and Mencia from Galicia so there’s loads to talk about there.
“The interesting thing is that, once you’ve tried the wines, there is a remarkable degree of familiarity to them. It does give you that lovely moment where you can share that serendipity with a customer when they are discovering something for the first time.
“One of the reasons I’m having such a great time working with Jaime is the constant drive to challenge the business and move it in different directions. He always embraces new ideas so there is that feeling of creativity around the business that he does a lot to nurture – not just with me but with everyone else on the staff too.”
Ollie wins a bottle of Glenfarclas 12 Year Old Single Highland Malt
If you’d like to nominate a Rising Star, email claire@winemerchantmag.com
Ribera del Duero: growing, learning – and continuing to surprise
Two tasting events for indies – one hosted by Tim Atkin MW in London and the other by Peter McCombie MW in Manchester – showed the versatility, and drinkability, of the region’s wines
The more you look at Ribera del Duero, the more enigmatic it becomes. For one of Spain’s youngest DOs – and one that focuses almost all of its production on a single grape variety – there’s a richness to the region that can be surprising.
This is extreme winemaking country, an elevated and sometimes bleak limestone landscape that can be roasting hot in summer and, to the surprise of some visitors, bitterly cold in winter.
The higher you climb above the Duero River – and some vineyards are well over 1km above sea level – the whiter the soil
appears.
But generalisations are often unhelpful. Ribera has about 30 different soil types, for one thing, and the geography presents wine growers with an almost bewildering matrix of options.
“I think the thing that has struck me over the last few years, and particularly putting together the top 100 for the DO last September, is how diverse the region is despite the fact it has one principal grape,” Tim Atkin MW told our guests at our London lunch.
“We know that 93% of Ribera is planted with Tempranillo but there are big variations within it depending on soil type, altitude and aspect. That’s the thing that makes it interesting, I think.”
Atkin added: “The valley narrows and broadens at various points. There are four provinces: Burgos, Valladolid, Segovia and Soria, where you find a lot of the oldest vineyards, some pre-phylloxera.”
Pre-phylloxera in a DO only established in 1982? Yes, because the region’s winemaking tradition dates back to Roman times, and in the 11th and 12th centuries
Benedictine and Cistercian monks established vineyards that provided wine for the Spanish court, at that time based in Valladolid.
The region eventually became better known for its cereal production, but from the 1950s until the 1970s it was making a popular rosé style, blending Tempranillo (known locally as Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais) with Albillo (which remains the region’s only permitted white grape).
Atkin said: “It wasn’t until 1975 there was a winery called Pesquera which produced a Vino de España and it suddenly became quite popular. Robert Parker picked up on it and called it ‘the Petrus of Spain’ and the whole thing took off.
“In 1982 the DO was created and people started investing in the region. It went from nine wineries and 6,000ha in 1982 to 307 wineries and 24,000ha today. So it’s a boom region.”
In Spain itself, Ribera del Duero enjoys the sort of reputation that Bordeaux does in France. But as a far younger and smaller region, Atkin acknowledges that producers are still learning. It’s a dynamic winemaking environment.
“There was a stage when there was a lot of investment, in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, and it coincided with a period when Robert Parker was important,” he said. “He liked a lot of oak, alcohol and power. So people were picking very late, the tannins were often oak tannins and a bit rough and I think people have pulled back from that now. “Ribera has quadrupled in size in 40 years so I think in some ways it’s still evolving as a region. What we’re seeing now is that people are increasingly focusing, particularly these younger producers, on villages and vineyards, so it’s going more down a Burgundian route, if you like.”
Zoran Ristanovic, owner of City Wine Collection in Richmond, west London, agrees. “We’re now getting a reasonable level of distinction between the villages,” he said. “People who are spending a bit more time there will now know something is coming from Aguilera, from La Horra or from Moradillo or Gumiel. Within 10 to 15 years, I would say there’s probably going to be some regional appellations.”
Ristanovic has “devoted the past 10 years of my life” to Ribera del Duero wines and has even established a thriving en primeur following among his customer base.
“The quality has improved so much in the last eight years,” he said. “The locals now perceive the wine as something to be proud of. In restaurants, pretty much every sommelier I’ve shown the wines to has taken them on.”
For further information about Ribera del Duero, contact rdd@cubecom.co.uk or visit riberadelduero.es/uk Follow Ribera Del Duero’s activities in the UK on Twitter @DORiberaUK
Chris Pacey, Charles Mitchell Wines, Manchester
“There’s been a change in the styles over the past 10 years – it’s no longer about dense dark wines. What the region has done is produce something that you can offer to customers alongside the top wines of Bordeaux and Tuscany. They get something of similar quality for a great price, and they age beautifully.”
Nik Rezzouk, Reserve Wines, Manchester
“These wines are so food friendly. Retailers can do their bit, but I think what will make Ribera really fly is when sommeliers and restaurateurs start offering more of the wines. Liquid to lips, I call it – ideally with a slab of beef!”
James Spalding, GOB Manchester
“It’s easy to think of Ribera as all being the same, but this tasting shows it isn’t – there needs to be a move to highlight the diversity available in the region.”
Dominic Papalia, Grape to Grain, Manchester
“The last Ribera del Duero tasting I did was full of big, chunky vanillaladen wines – it was a tough day. But this line-up was less of a challenge, and I really like the diversity of styles. And I hadn’t expected to enjoy the rosés so much – they’re definitely wines that I’d be happy to put on for tastings.”
The tasting line-up: what we sampled in London and Manchester
Avelino Vegas, Fuentespina Crianza,
2016 (Crianza) – €5.50
Bodega Bardos, Bardos Romántica,
2017 (Crianza) – €3.90
Bodega Matarromera, Matarromera
Crianza, 2016 (Crianza) – €6.33
Bodegas Grupo Yllera, Boada Joven,
2018 (Cosecha) – €4.85
Bodegas Monteabellón, Avaniel, 2019
(Rosado) – €3.20
Bodegas Nabal, Nabal Rosé, 2019
(Rosado) – €5.90
Bodega Tierra Aranda, Tierra Aranda,
2019 (Rosado) – €3.10
Bodegas Antidoto, Antídoto, 2018
(Cosecha) – €2.80
Bodegas Tamaral, Tamaral, 2019
(Rosado) – €4.13
Bodegas Valle de Monzón, Hoyo de la
Vega, 2014 (Reserva) – €8.70
Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, Arzuaga Gran
Reserva, 2010 (Gran Reserva) – €3.40
Bodegas Valparaíso, Finca El Encinal
Crianza, 2017 (Crianza) – €n/a
Bodegas Bohórquez, Cardela, 2016
(Crianza) – €3.09
Bodegas Veganzones, Picnic Rosado,
2018 (Rosado) – €2.50
Bodegas Condado de Haza, Condado de
Haza, 2017 (Crianza) – €3.95
Bodegas Vizcarra, Vizcarra Senda del
Oro, 2018 (Cosecha) – €3.60
Bodegas y Viñedos Neo, DISCO, 2018
(Cosecha) – €6.80
Bodegas y Viñedos Pradorey, Sr. NIÑO de
Pradorey, 2018 (Cosecha) – €4.95
Pagos de Matanegra, Matanegra, 2018
(Cosecha) – €6.30
Pomar Viñedos, Pomar de Burgos, 2010
(Reserva) – €5.45
Valdemonjas, El Primer Beso, 2018
(Cosecha) – €4.99
Bodegas El Lagar de Isilla, El Lagar de
Isilla Reserva, 2015 (Reserva) – €4.75
Bodegas y Viñedos Lleiroso, Lleiroso
Reserva, 2014 (Reserva) – €5.00
Viñedos y Bodegas Gormaz, Viña
Gormez Joven, 2018 (Cosecha) – €4.84
Tom Burke On the Road
TOM IS A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT NORTH SOUTH WINES, WHOSE PATCH COVERS THE MIDLANDS AND WALES
Before I worked in wine, I was a teacher
very briefly. I realised it was not my bag at all so I applied for some graduate schemes, and worked at Majestic, Laytons and Hallgarten. I’ve been with North South Wines for three years now and I’ve never looked back.
The area I work is huge, but I love it. It’s nice to get out and see what’s working in different parts of the country. All the beautiful views driving through the Peaks and Snowdon and places like that … there are worse places to have your office!
What’s great about North South is that we have the connection to our
producer partners. De Bortoli, Reh Kendermann and The Wine People in Italy: all have a share in the business, so there is a real interest from them in what is working in the UK market. They want to know what consumers are looking for, so they listen to our feedback and act on it directly.
As a company we take sustainability very seriously and we like to work with
producers with a similar ethos. For example Tohu winery in New Zealand is Maori-owned and their philosophy is to leave the land in a better condition than they inherited it. They are doing great stuff with Chardonnay. The unoaked Chardonnay from Tohu is fantastic value and the Whenua, which is a range of higher-end Chardonnays, has scooped lots of awards. They are stunning wines, beautiful and elegant.
If you have ideas that work for your customers, that’s the most rewarding
part of the job. If you see someone is trying out something new, you can make suggestions, get stuck in and help them out.
It’s been the pedal-to-the-metal for ages for a lot of merchants. The pandemic put emphasis on shopping local and supporting the independents and, to the credit of the indies, they’ve done really well in hanging on to those customers. It’s been so take the remainder of the bottle home to enjoy it with the food later.
Not having everyone travelling to a tasting and the winemaker flying in from the other side of the planet has got to be better for the environment. It’s a small step but I think we’ll probably see more online tastings in the future with producers visiting perhaps every other year.
I walk a lot with my dog, Luna. She’s a rescue from Greece so I don’t have a clue
impressive to see how people have adapted their businesses, whether it’s through making deliveries or utilising outside space by grabbing tables and umbrellas.
They have had to change their focus a number of times within the past 18 months to work to suit the times.
We’ve been really proactive with getting producers and partners on board to do online tastings throughout Covid to keep our customers engaged.
We tried to make all our online tastings a bit different and special by sending out cheeseboards, charcuterie or even meal kits to go with the wines. Sometimes people tucked into the food while we were tasting, unless it was an early-morning New Zealand call, in which case they could what breed she is. We got her when she was six months old and she was absolutely feral. Two years on she’s calmed down and she’s great.
I love live music and I go to a lot of gigs
and festivals. I would say that the most bizarre thing that’s happened to me at work is while I was visiting Marc Hough at the Heaton Moor branch of Cork of the North. Rick Astley walked in and started chatting to him. We were having a glass of wine and he was just talking to Marc about having dinner at the Blossoms’ house because they were rehearsing for a Smiths covers gig in Manchester. I’d only seen a Blossoms gig a few weeks before, so that was a really weird coincidence.
Feature sponsored by North South Wines
For more information about the company, email hello@northsouthwines.co.uk Call 020 3871 9210
WINE MERCHANT READER SURVEY 2022
Since 2012, The Wine Merchant’s annual reader survey has been the most comprehensive exercise in mapping out the UK’s thriving independent wine retailing scene.
Please spare 10 minutes to take part. All the details are at www.winemerchantmag.com
Five lucky participants will be selected at random and will win a Coravin, courtesy of our partner Hatch Mansfield.
NOT YOU AGAIN! customers we could do without 30. Mariella Freeborn
I’m hoping you can suggest what we should buy for him … I understand nothing about wine but I’m told he’s a huge fan and I think he really knows his stuff … and it is his 60th, so all the team want it to be something really special that we’ve thought hard about … no, I’m not sure what kind of wine he normally drinks but I should think it’s probably … red? I heard he adores Bordeaux wines but hates Italian ones … but it could be the other way around … budget is, I dunno … twenty-five quid? For something really unique and iconic? We can maybe stretch to thirty … do you have any ideas? Hmm, it’s hard to describe him … I guess five ten, five eleven, grey hair? Quite likes rugby, slightly raspy voice, had a Dalmatian called Archie, which died … objects to paying VAT … I guess he is a tiny bit racist but that’s probably a generational thing … he gave me a lift home once and he just played the same song on his CD over and over again, it was called A Ship Called Dignity … does all this give you anything to work from?
Supplier of wine boxes and literature
• 12 Bottle carrier box with dividers • 6 Bottle carrier box with dividers • 12 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 6 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 4 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 3 Bottle mailing box with dividers • 1 Bottle mailing box with dividers
01323 728338 • sales@eastprint.co.uk • www.eastprint.co.uk Congratulations to the five Wine Merchant reader survey respondents whose names were drawn at random and who each win a Coravin, courtesy of ANAGRAM TIME our partner Hatch Mansfield. Can you unscramble these Australian winemakers? If so, you win a pardon for one transported forebear. Peter Fawcett, Field & Fawcett, York Anthony Borges, 1. Raunchy Broiler The Wine Centre, 2. Arouse Soil Great Horkesley, Essex3. Top Reggae Zoran Ristanovic, 4. Born Scarier City Wine Collection, London5. The Bros Censor
brig ht ideas
28: Recipe suggestions
Steve Martin Camber Wines, Portsmouth
In a nutshell: A new website features recipes contributed by chefs who work for the company, which includes two restaurants and a wine shop, complete with wine pairings.
Tell us more.
“During lockdown we had the time and impetus to take Camber Wines online and update our existing website, which was 10 years old and very basic.
“We’ve got two restaurants: Abarbistro, which our wine shop is located above, and a seafood restaurant called The Briny, which is two miles down the road on Southsea seafront.
“I asked the chefs [Phillip Murell, left, and Cameron Bradshaw, right] to give me a couple of recipes. We needed to do something that was different to what other wine merchants were doing and we felt that our expertise would be to put some recipes alongside some of the wines that we love.”
Recipe ideas aren’t a new concept, but we like the way you’ve presented this.
“I asked our chefs to make the recipes as simple as possible but, chefs being chefs, there can be complications!
“A recipe a professional chef follows is likely to be different to what a home cook would expect, so we have tried to simplify them, but still retain the creativity.
“We wanted a mixture of small plates and some main dishes and a couple of desserts. I want to develop a few more recipes so there’s a constant flow of new stuff when customers are selecting wines.”
Food can be notoriously difficult to photograph well. Did you get professional photographers in?
“Because we started doing it in lockdown it was difficult for the chefs to come in and make the dishes for us to photograph. I sent the recipes to our designers and they sourced the photos from image libraries. It was much better than us getting our cameras out.”
What sort of feedback have you had?
“It’s quite hard to quantify. I mean we’ve had a few people who have mentioned that they’ve tried out a recipe with the recommended wine. We’ve had some feedback on Trustpilot but nothing too direct. It’s really a way for us to connect with potential wine buyers. We’re trying to capture the local community and get them to come to us by giving them a little extra.”
Has this been good for business?
“Yes. I think one of the things we struggle with from a retail perspective is that we are not on the high street. We can be hard to find if you don’t know where we are.
“We get a lot of footfall through both restaurants and with every bill there’s an invite to sign up to our website. By involving the chefs and showcasing their dishes online, alongside our fantastic wines, it’s a way to engage the customers across all the aspects of our business.”
Steve 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.
Favourite Things
Belinda Harrison
Harrison’s Wines, Ealing
Favourite wine on my list Clos Louie from Cotes de Castillon, Bordeaux. The vines are pre-phylloxera planted in 1950 and reputed to be the oldest in Bordeaux. The grapes are still trodden by foot. It’s a blend of Merlot, Malbec, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Favourite wine and food match Alsace Riesling and sushi is a favourite pairing of mine. I love finding wines to pair with Asian cuisine, and Alsace wines work so well with sushi, curries etc.
Favourite wine trip The Hospices de Beaune auctions in Burgundy are the top of my list. Such a beautiful place and a great story behind the history of the auctions with unrivalled celebrations during the runup to it.
Favourite wine trade person It has to be Craig Norton at Fine & Rare Wines. He’s always happy to help with sourcing exciting wines.
Favourite wine shop If I want to look around a wine shop that isn’t my own I always head to Hedonism in Mayfair. I could happily spend the whole day browsing their impressive and extensive selection.
Majestic bids adieu to French branches
Majestic Wine is calling time on its business in Calais after Brexit regulations decimated the traditional “booze cruise”.
Prior to the UK’s exit from the EU – and the onset of the coronavirus pandemic – the two Majestic stores raked in £10m in annual sales and are understood to have contributed around £1m to the retailer’s bottom line.
Retail Week, December 13
The Majestic branch at Coquelles
New editor at The Wine Advocate
There’s new leadership at one of the world’s most important wine publications.
The new editor in chief of the Robert Parker Wine Advocate is Joe Czerwinski, previously the site’s managing editor. He succeeds Lisa Perrotti-Brown, who led the Wine Advocate for eight years.
Also promoted is the British wine critic William Kelley, who assumes the role of deputy editor.
The subscription site is owned by Michelin, of tyre and dining-guide fame, and it employs eight wine critics who publish wine reviews as well as vintage reports, blog posts, travel articles and more.
San Francisco Chronicle, December 2
Magpie
New Super Tuscan group plans event
A new committee for “historical Super Tuscans” has been created by a group of wine producers in Tuscany, with plans to hold an inaugural event in the US in 2022.
The association has set its headquarters in Castelnuovo Berardenga, near Siena.
Its founding members include San Felice, Antinori and Castellare di Castellina, alongside Montevertine, Castello di Monsanto, Isole e Olena, Badia a Coltibuono, Querciabella, Castello di Fonterutoli, Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari, Riecine, Felsina, Castello di Volpaia, Castello di Ama, Castello di Albola, and Brancaia.
The 16 founding wineries all boast at least one critically acclaimed Super Tuscan made from grapes grown within the Chianti Classico area before 1994.
Decanter, December 8
Survey reveals Brits’ wine quirks
Half of Brits think sharing your wine knowledge over a glass is pretentious, according to a study.
A survey of 2,000 people by Invino also found that nearly a quarter (22%) sometimes pretend to know more about wine than they actually do.
One quarter admitted to judging a bottle based on whether it uses a cork or screwcap closure, while just under half (45%) said they enjoyed a glass of red wine over ice.
