29 minute read
buyers trip to spain
ribera to rioja three days with CVNE
Charlotte Gingell joins the Hatch Mansfield team and a group of eager indies for a trip to the Spanish producer’s stunning estates, where modernity meets tradition and a family ethos still holds sway
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“For the future, I look to the past.” These words from Victor Urrutia, CVNE chief executive and member of the founding family, resonate throughout a trip to Rioja and Ribera Del Duero, involving five merchants.
Four wineries were on the itinerary, put together in partnership with UK importer Hatch Mansfield: Bela, Imperial Cellars, Viña Real and Viñedos del Contino.
Founded in 1879, in the town of Haro in Rioja, the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) owes much of its early success to a Bordeaux disaster, and arguably a label typo.
The phylloxera outbreak in France suddenly made Rioja an important source of wine for the thirsty French. The first barrels of wine were transported from CVNE’s Imperial winery by rickety train from Bilbao to Bordeaux. The bottle labels had a misprint which confused the V for a U – but once the wine became a multi award winner as Cune, there was no going back for the two founder brothers.
Today CVNE is still run by a small team of five people whose trust and respect for each other makes the company continue to thrive, grow and evolve.
This historic tapestry provides the backdrop for a visit that starts at the Bela winery in Ribera del Duero, in the company of Carlos Delage, CVNE’s export director, who takes care of us throughout our stay.
Our journey to the winery takes in a parched landscape, but arrival at Bela reveals a vineyard in full fruit and midharvest, and the single-vineyard grapes thriving. These regimented lines of vines, responsible for producing some of the region’s best-known wines, stretch over 82 hectares and guard the cutting-edge wine cellar crafted from wood, metal and glass.
As the sun pokes through the clouds and streams into the wood-slatted façade, Carlos talks about the technical hoops the winemakers go through in order to create the Bela wine.
The tasting room overlooks a magnificent cellar containing 10,000 barrels and we sit down to a delicious lunch of tortilla, manchego cheese and Iberico ham accompanied perfectly by Arano Crianza.
Sara Juan is part of the head winemaker team at CVNE (all bar one of whom are women). She takes us on a tour of the winery, telling us we’ve missed the arrival of the latest fruit by a couple of hours. The winemaking process is proudly traditional: cold maceration prior to fermentation in stainless steel tanks, followed by nine months of ageing in French oak barrels.
That evening we navigate the buzzing streets of Logrono for a tapas tour and vote the mushroom tower on a bed of garlic butter-soaked bread, accompanied by the
Carlos Delage, CVNE’s export director
Left to right: Simon Dale, The Secret Cellar; Daniel Williams, The Bottle Shop; Leanne Oliver, Cru Wines; Francesca Amato, Hatch Mansfield; Melina Cucchiara, Moreton Wine Merchants; Anna Ruddock, Hatch Mansfield; Charlotte Gingell, The Wine Merchant; Andrew Morris, Cheers Wine Merchants
appropriately named Los Carismáticos 2019 (also enjoyed earlier at the winery) as a highlight, with the pork belly parcels a very close second for naughty factor.
The next day, as we drive past the Sierra Cantabria, which separates Rioja from the Basque country, it becomes clear how much CVNE has gained in hectarage over the centuries. Carlos points out that even some of the smallest sites dotted between the hills have vines adapted to produce quality fruit, whether conditions are windblown or sun-baked.
hello haro
Our first stop of the day, Imperial in Haro, combines the rustic charm of the original CVNE facility with state-of-the-art technology. The optical sorting system is put to full-time work in the courtyard to ensure that every grape meets exacting standards.
Gathering in the wine library, we hear the intriguing story of the Corona 1939 Semi Dulce bottles which were discovered without labels behind a false wall after a clean in 1980. This wine was made by the women workers in 1939, while the men were called to the ravages of civil war. We all agree it was an extremely worthwhile clean and theories abound as to why the wine needed to be hidden, later to become the only white Rioja to be awarded a 100-point score.
At the tasting in the enchanting Garden Room, we discuss how the Imperial Wine label is a faithful friend to the merchants, the iconic badge proving an instantly recognisable shelf pleaser.
Leanne Oliver from Cru Wines in Bradford on Avon carefully guards one tasting glass. “I did not expect to walk away from a trip to Rioja and choose a white wine as my standout, but the Monopole Clásico is simply divine,” she says.
“It’s a drink to be shared with friends; deep and rich. I literally can’t wait to drink this wine again.”
Simon Dale from The Secret Cellar in Kent agrees and “loves the history behind it and the quality that the small addition of Manzanilla brings to the party”. Melinda Cuccharia from Moreton Wine
Merchants in Gloucestershire “will be ordering the magnums for the Christmas market”.
As we taste, Carlos shares an important company ethos: CVNE wines “have to be easy drinking now and beautiful drinking in the future”. The Cune Organico 2019 shows a wonderful full body, and is made with an award-winning approach to sustainability that even includes glue-free cork. We enjoy the Asua Crianza and Reserva, both 100% Tempranillo wines with beautiful labels that we agree are perfect for roast dinner partners.
There is time to reflect on the diverse personalities of each winery as we leave the Rioja Alta region heading for our third port of call, Viña Real in Rioja Alavesa.
the real deal
James Bond is on everyone’s lips as we enter this space-age 30,000 square metre winery which was built by slicing the top off an unsuspecting mountain. Inside we immediately gravitate toward the vinification cellar, which deploys an arm at the top of a giant seven-legged pyramid to dispense grapes from a height into huge stainless steel tanks. But as Bond has taught us, appearances can be deceptive, and Viña Real has been making wine since 1920 with the original site still encompassed in the shiny new building.
Our tour is fascinating, punctuated with the theme of old and new in perfect unison. At Viña Real there is said to be more wine per square metre than anywhere in the world. Carlos proudly shows us around the caves, the “bank vault”, where bottles caked in decades of dust are ventilated by two holes in the roof opening out into the vineyard planted directly above our heads. Later we look out for these holes while treading the terroir, which varies in composition from sand at the top to clay, then pebbles that stretch down to the river Ebro.
After taking in the technology we are all ready for lunch and, over a delicious chilli-sprinkled gazpacho, we are treated to a barrel-fermented 2020 Viña Real Blanco which is universally praised for its complexity. This is followed by a delicious cod with salsa which Carlos pairs perfectly with the Viña Real Reserva. Simon Dale of The Secret Cellar declares this wine “quality at a great price … superb value for money”. Melina Cucchiara from Moreton Wine Merchants loves the Viña Real Gran Reserva, served from magnum. “We’re all going to die!” she exclaims, before qualifying this alarming outburst with “… eventually, so we might as well drink excellent wine.” There is laughter, and relief, all round. The Viña Real Bakeder 2019 translates as “Beautiful Peace”. Carlos tells us this wine was “made to drink a lot of” and it shows beautifully as a young wine fermented for 11 months in French oak. Viña Real Rosado was the first rosé released by CVNE and is “a delicate wine with a bright acidity which has opened up a whole new market”.
Before we leave, Raoul, our driver, takes us up to the top of the vineyard so that we can take in a breathtaking view. This sets us up perfectly for our visit to Viñedos del Contino the next day, awaiting us at the bottom of the valley. We pick and sample yet more of the irresistibly sweet grapes and agree that Viña Real is the perfect example of how faithful CVNE is to its roots while continuously developing and moving forward.
Victor Urrutia, CVNE’s chief executive
happy harvest
It has become obvious to all just how drinkable the CVNE wines are, especially with Carlos’s fantastic food pairings. When we ask him which is his favourite of the four wineries, the reply comes without hesitation: “Contino.” And we soon realise why.
At this picture-postcard winery, set in a 16th-century converted château, we meet assistant winemaker Jordi Frances who treats us to what is for many the most
Viñedos del Contino, perhaps the jewel in the crown of CVNE’s estates
special moment of all our tours. We taste the wines straight from the stainless steel, concrete and oak containers. Later Leanne Oliver from Cru Wines reflects on what she describes as a “lucky” opportunity, “comparing the wines at different stages of punching down and fermentation. It was made more special because we heard how much love and attention is put into every bottle directly from the winemaker”.
Jordi beams when he tells us that “harvest is the happiest time”, and we feel fortunate to be visiting at this crucial moment in the winemaking calendar.
The eternal quest for improvement has led to the creation of a mini winery below in the ancient caves. Here, the winemaking team is examining in minute detail what is happening at each stage of fermentation inside the containers. We make our own contribution to science by forcing down the dense must, watching the mixture bubble up again to the surface. It proves an extremely satisfying moment for all. We taste the Contino wines over our final delicious lunch of lamb chops, cooked over vine trimmings, served in a gorgeous room looking out onto 62 hectares of vineyard. We discuss how many of the wines really open up over the three-course feast, with Contino Graciano 2017 proving a highlight for Andrew Morris of Cheers in Swansea. “This wine is so interesting,” he says. “Although we have sold it in the past, I don’t think I had ever tasted it.
Bloody lovely and a definite restock on my next order. “ Daniel Williams of The Bottle Shop agrees. “I’m a fan of the variety and I like the execution here. Delivering a bigger profiled wine that retains elegance within one single variety from a single site takes some doing.” For Simon Dale of The Secret Cellar, Viña Del Olivo 2019 is “even better on second tasting, both elegant and fruity”. Jordi pours for us the Contino Gran Reserva 2011, “the perfect blend of every plot”, and thanks us for being great guests after admitting his initial nerves at hosting.
As he says goodbye in the sun-drenched courtyard, Jordi’s humble admission only increases our gratitude for all the wonderful experiences shared with the CVNE team. The company’s passion, and constant quest for progress and discovery, ensure a timeless relevance in its wines. And with such a past and present, the future looks exciting and bright.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH HATCH MANSFIELD
For more information about CVNE wines, contact Hatch Mansfield: visit hatchmansfield.com or call 01344 871800.
For more information about CVNE, visit cvne.com
My dad got taken into hospital. The cancer has sneaked into his marvellous and poetic brain and this is not a good thing. Neither is the state of the NHS, which is alarming, sickening, wrong. Four hours in an ambulance to get into A&E. The queue of ambulances waited outside all day every day for the week that he was in. He was one of many broken people being shunted about corridors, making room for more broken people with nowhere for them to go. Don’t get old or sick for the foreseeable future.
Also don’t get a Chicken Caesar wrap from WH Smith.
In Scotland we used to call it John Menzies, one of those Scottish words that we pronounce completely differently from how they’re spelled/spelt. You know, like Milngavie, or the vocative of Màiri.
Ah, WH Smith. I think it was Wordsworth who said the only reason WH Smith still exists is because they operate where there is no other option. Train stations. Airports. Hospitals. As Fleet Admiral of Off Licence of the Year (South West Scotland) 2017 I have some thoughts about how shops should be: full of great stuff at the correct price, (wo)manned with fantastic, knowledgeable people with the freedom to drink lots of tea, have an Amazing Lunch or two and talk to other humans about the state of being human while occasionally selling some wine – a solid business model. This is not the business model of WH Smith, which radiates bad energy like (more cat than kitten, now) Pepina’s most recent dirty protest on the hall carpet.
I bought a Chicken Caesar wrap, my favourite of the premade sandwiches and pretty unfuckupable. Some kind of white meat-like substance. Some kind of garlicky mayonnaisey goo. Bit of lettuce. Parmesan Vineyards in the Hunter Valley waved over it. That is unless you’re WH the woman behind the WH Smith counter when she realised me braying “I would like to be served by a human” was not some glitch in the matrix.
But you’ve eaten it, she said.
No, I have taken a bite from it, I said, just to see if it was empty, and indeed it is. We stared at each other.
This is a wrong thing to do, I said. A wrong thing to do to people at their lowest ebb, to give them a Chicken Caesar wrap with no Chicken Caesar in it.
But you’ve eaten it, she said.
There is nothing in here, I said, unfolding the tortilla over the Galaxies for a pound.
What do you want me to do about it? she said.
Stop selling people Chicken Caesar wraps without Chicken Caesar in them, I said. It wasn’t me that filled it, she said, it was the machine. Do you want another wrap?
No, I said, I would like to hide under a table with a bottle of Pomerol.
We looked at each other but sadly did not connect as humans.
The replacement wrap stayed in my bag for several days before bursting and emptying itself over my laptop. Thankfully, being a WH Smith wrap, the clear-up was pretty minimal.
24. THAT'S NOT A WRAP
Phoebe Weller of Valhalla’s Goat in Glasgow discovers that WH Smith still has a genuine point of difference: it has found a way of ruining one of the easiest and most fool-proof of lunchtime staples
Smith and have failed to fill the wrap with anything at all. Strung out, tired, sad, I ate half a wrap and bit into the other half to find nothing. I thought perhaps it had all been trapped in the bottom but there was nothing there. Enough of this, I murmured to myself. Enough of this, I said loud enough for a table of doctors to turn around.
This wrap has nothing in it, I said to
Maltby & Greek Portfolio Tasting
The specialist importer of wines from Greece will be hosting more than 20 producers, many of whom will be showing their wines in London for the first time.
Masterclasses will take place during the day.
For more information and to register, contact info@ maltbyandgreek.com.
Monday, January 16 Vagabond Wines 51 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0EH
French Wine Discoveries
French Wine Discoveries is back to showcase wines from across the country’s diverse regions.
Producers representing most of the French wine regions will be showcasing their wines, many of which are aimed at specialist independent retailers.
For more information and to register, contact projets@wine4trade.fr.
Monday, January 16 Hilton Dublin Charlemont Place Dublin D02 A893
Wednesday, January 18 Millennium Gloucester Hotel Harrington Gardens London SW7 4LH
Australia Trade Tasting 2023
The Australia Trade Tasting is the biggest and most diverse showcase of Australian wine in the UK, featuring more than 700 wines from over 170 producers.
Expect to see everything from familiar international superstars to the small boutique newbies and wines seeking UK representation.
The event aims to give visitors a taste of Australia’s diverse styles of wine, from classic to contemporary, rogue to the refined.
For more information contact uk@ wineaustralia.com.
Tuesday, January 24 The Royal Horticultural Halls The Lindley Hall 80 Vincent Square London SW1P 2PB
Hallgarten & Novum Wines Annual Tasting
This two-day tasting will showcase the depth and breadth of the Hallgarten & Novum Wines portfolio. More than 700 wines will be on pour, from around 150 producers, many of whom will be in attendance.
The tasting will also include many lines that are new to the portfolio. The buying team has sourced additions to the range from pioneering producers from countries including Greece, South Africa and the USA.
Contact sarah.charlwood@hnwines. co.uk.
Monday and Tuesday, January 30 and 31 The Royal Horticultural Halls The Lindley Hall 80 Vincent Square London SW1P 2PB
Taste wines from Margaret River at the Australia event on January 24
Amazing Amarone
It’s the finest and most iconic wine of Valpolicella, a region in which the Bolla wine company has made its home since 1931, honing and perfecting the Amarone style and setting new standards for a wine that’s sought out by wine lovers all over the world
There is a place in north eastern Italy, not far from Verona and Lake Garda, that a wine lover cannot miss: Valpolicella.
As an appellation, Valpolicella, which extends into the eastern part of Verona province, is made up of a little under 20,000 acres. Its most historic area of wine production is in the western region, known as Classic. This zone includes five municipalities: Negrar di Valpolicella, Marano di Valpolicella, San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, and Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella.
The Bolla wine company, founded by Alberto Bolla in Soave in 1883, has its headquarters in San Pietro in Cariano, where Alberto decided to move in 1931 to make red Valpolicella wine.
Valpolicella benefits from a mild climate and, thanks to its many gentle hills and abundance of water, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Here people have always made wines with local grapes, most of which are red, the most important being Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella.
Today, the main wines are Valpolicella (a fresh and fruity everyday wine), Valpolicella Ripasso (a full-bodied Valpolicella with the flavours of Amarone), Amarone (a dry red wine made with dried grapes) and Recioto della Valpolicella (a sweet red wine).
The finest and most iconic wine of Valpolicella is Amarone. The grapes destined for its production are carefully selected on the vine and harvested by hand, then placed in small, shallow crates and dried in specially ventilated drying rooms for at least 100 days. The local farmers refer to this as “the grapes’ resting time”: a period during which the berries lose water and weight and sugars are concentrated. This process is followed by meticulous vinification and long ageing in wood. The outcome is a dry, rich red wine with a wide range of aromas and flavours including cherries, plums, chocolate, tobacco, mint and dried fruits. The wines have a velvety texture, and are sought after and appreciated all over the world.
Bolla winemaker Christian Zulian
Bolla and its Amarone della Valpolicella
“Amarone is a vital, energetic wine because it is made from dried grapes, yet is also fresh, with excellent acidity and long life,” says Bolla’s director, the winemaker Christian Zulian.
“As a wine it represents a rare combination of factors: native varieties which have never changed, with a special aptitude for drying, and a winemaking know-how that has been perfected over the centuries. Man, environment, nature: a very rare interaction”.
In the past, a dry red wine made from dried grapes was not widely known because the style didn’t conform to public tastes at the time. But it was Alberto Bolla’s favourite wine. When he turned 80, his first son, Giorgio, who was also a winemaker, decided to make a special bottle of such a wine, as a gift. He labelled the bottle Recioto Amarone Riserva del Nonno 1950.
It was April 13, 1953 and the very first bottle of modern Amarone as we now know it was born.
“It was Bolla that gave dignity to this wine, which up until then had been only made for family consumption,” Zulian explains.
“Amarone della Valpolicella is a DOCG, which represents the highest quality among Italian wines. The competent authority has certified as DOCG all our bottles of Amarone, even the very first ones from 1953. We are the only wine company to obtain this accreditation.”
Today, Bolla manages over 700 acres of vineyards in the Classic Valpolicella zone. The grapes that produce its top Amarone wines come from the best vines on the hills of Negrar, Marano, and Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella.
Depending on the blend of varieties, their origin, and the ageing process, three different Amarones are made: each of them original and recognisable, yet unmistakably Bolla-style.
Feature sponsored by Bolla
For more information, contact Gruppo Italiano Vini S.p.A. 37011 Calmasino –VR-Italy +39.045.6269662 m.fossati@giv.it
Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico
The grapes come from terraced vineyards in the hills of Negrar and Marano, carefully selected and then placed in Bolla’s drying rooms for 120 days. After pressing and fermentation in steel tanks, malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques and large casks. The wine is aged in barriques of French and American oak and later in large casks for two years. It spends another year in concrete vats, and at least three months in bottle before release. As a wine it is warm and mouthfilling, with aromas of small berries, cherries and spices, and long and clean, with a lingering finish.
Rhaetians were a pre-Roman people who made wines much appreciated by the Romans themselves. This Amarone aims to recall those times. The grapes are from our vineyard in the village of Torbe, in the Negrar hills. The blend includes just Corvina and Rondinella varieties. The final wine has aromas of sour cherry, cocoa and sweet spice, succulent on the palate, with a clean and long finish.
This is the most important of Bolla’s Amarones, the Riserva: a blend of Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella from old vines in the Marano hills. Ageing takes place in large casks for many years to create a wine that’s rich and round, with intense notes of red fruits, cherries in brandy, and tobacco. The wine is long and velvety on the palate, nuanced with dried fruit, cherries, plums, and chocolate. A wine that’s worth enjoying quietly on its own, or perhaps savouring with some good roasted meat.
Developing the next generation
The Drinks Trust and Louis Jadot are helping more people find a route into a career in the independent wine trade through a WSET training package
At the beginning of this year, The Drinks Trust presented to the industry the product of six months of careful planning and strategy: its new educational and training programme, Develop.
The charity introduced the initiative to alleviate long-term financial difficulties with a proactive funding and training programme that delivers opportunity and skills to colleagues seeking to improve their career prospects. And, for the first time in its 136-year history, The Drinks Trust will also assist those looking to begin a career in drinks and hospitality, to help address the staffing crisis.
The programme was conceived with the ambition of training and educating the next generation of drinks hospitality industry professionals. Develop is the first of its kind and genuinely unique in the industry.
Since its launch in March 2022, Develop has received the generous support of leading industry businesses as partners in the programme. These include Campari Group UK, the Champagne Academy, Moët Hennessy UK and the newly recruited programme sponsor, Maison Louis Jadot, the official sponsor for independent merchants. Louis Jadot, distributed in the UK by Hatch Mansfield, has partnered with The Drinks Trust to support the Develop initiative with a complete training and support package exclusively for those working in the independent wine merchant sector, with a focus on Burgundy.
As part of The Drinks Trust Develop programme, Louis Jadot sponsors 20 places on WSET Level 1 in Wine for Independent Merchants courses.
Highlights within the initiative – all courtesy of Louis Jadot – include an online Burgundy masterclass with a selection of Louis Jadot wines, a tasting with a Louis Jadot ambassador, and an educational trip to Burgundy for the highest-scoring individual.
Develop has the ambition to help build the sector back to its former strength, creating opportunities for those who need them the most. The ground-breaking service is aimed at people working in the hospitality and drinks industry and those who are dreaming of a career in the industry, and is the only full-service initiative on this scale that helps applicants throughout their whole journey, from industry-leading training to employment.
The Develop programme will grow the industry in the longer term, placing The Drinks Trust at the heart of the sector and the community it serves.
Operator groups have joined forces with the Trust to deliver training and job opportunities to Develop graduates, with Gaucho Restaurants, M Restaurants and Vagabond Wines the first groups to support the initiative officially, since joined by Angela Hartnett’s Murano, The Ivy Collection, Doyle Hotels and many more.
The Drinks Trust’s Develop initiative aims to help around 550 beneficiaries in its first year of operation. The Trust works closely with leading skills and education providers to deliver training, vocational and classroom-based courses.
These providers range in specialisms across beer, wine and spirits, and have skills-based trainers offering services across interviewing techniques, CV writing and how to research and approach businesses looking for staff. These include the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, Mixology, European Bartender School and Barfection. As well as these courses, Develop provides an extensive free online library of hospitality resources hosted by EdApp, and the opportunity to join The Drinks Trust’s Drinks Community platform and its mentoring programme. More training opportunities will be added in the coming months, and the Develop offer will grow to include more options for more people.
Since the programme’s launch in March 2022, over 456 beneficiaries have been assisted with the Develop programme, with courses, online training and bursaries. Courses are available to anyone who has worked or is currently working in the drinks and hospitality industry or is a new entrant to the industry.
Courses have varying eligibility criteria, which candidates should consider before applying. To apply for any Develop courses, visit drinkstrust.org.uk/get-help/develop.
Highlights within the initiative include an online Burgundy masterclass with a selection of Louis Jadot wines, a tasting with a Louis Jadot ambassador, and an educational trip to Burgundy for the highest-scoring individual
Notes from the shop floor The Nutbourne harvest, where dogs are friends and the tractor is feared
I’ve just finished my first harvest. As I’ve been involved with wine since 2007, you’d be entitled to say, “about time”. Nutbourne Vineyards in West Sussex was my choice of venue for my mid-life work experience.
I’d heard tales of these fabled harvests, with the word on the street claiming they were everything from “bloody hard work” to “enormously rewarding,” or even (slightly euphemistically) “camaraderie building”. I was told it was an intensive course in wine production and that I “would learn a lot”. I did. Not least the importance of sustained graft; what my colleague accurately termed “commitment to harvest”.
The stunningly beautiful Nutbourne, in the foothills of the South Downs near Pulborough, West Sussex, is in one of the key areas of English wine production. It’s a family-owned and run operation with husband-and-wife team Peter and Bridget Gladwin still the beating heart of the business, after over 30 years of running the show.
Their sons Gregory, Oliver and Richard are heavily involved too, having been brought up in these idyllic surroundings. All aspects of production happen on site, which I found attractive, and meant I was involved in both labelling and disgorgement, in addition to nervously rotating the press with six tonnes of grapes inside.
There are 26 acres under vine here and the Gladwins also have a business raising livestock, and an estate of six restaurants in prime west London locations. The restaurants are a customer for everything the vineyard and farm produces, in true “farm to fork” fashion. Farming is a way of life for the Gladwins, and damn, do they put in a shift.
I thought better of moaning about my early start one harvest day when Gregory informed me he’d “been up since six with the cows”. I quickly found out that I was almost completely useless to the vineyard and winery team except for in one way: my ability to lift crates of grapes. So I was duly utilised to good effect and onto the back of a tractor I went, often accompanied by Peter or Gregory.
We picked the white Germanic varieties first: Bacchus, Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe. A portion of the Bacchus and Reichenstiener is old-vine and trained in the Geneva double curtain method. It’s very characterful, and beautiful to look at, but hard to find the grapes. Easier to find, but harder to lift, was the Scott Henry-trained Pinot Noir, its double cordon producing indecent amounts of fruit. This parcel of vines, nearest the windmill and winery, was by far the most prolific. “It’s always been a great site,” Peter informed me.
Growing grapes is agriculture and while vineyards may look pretty, and the end product deemed worthy of beard-stroking contemplation, shit needs to get done. As a member of the “core” harvest team, my job was to get on with it, and follow orders. This was hard enough in itself, with instructions often being meted out beneath the deep bellow of an ancient tractor. (I did get to drive the tractor a few times, but please don’t ask me to reverse a trailer round a corner.) But honestly, this simplicity was refreshing; as I heard many of the casual pickers comment, “it beats looking at a computer screen all day”. It’s also cheaper than the gym, and (probably) healthier than lying under a sunbed. Yes, I did check my step count on my phone regularly.
I learnt the hard way that the only way to avoid complete exhaustion on picking days was to load up on food, early doors. At any point I could be called away from a sedate and scenic picking role to “boxing”: getting the crates ready for the pickers by chucking them off a tractor down the rows, or “picking up”, which is what it sounds like: heaving sometimes as much as eight tonnes a day back to the winery. I came to fear the ominous rumble of the tractor as it neared our rows.
Then there were the dogs. Chip, a crosseyed and raggedy thing who longed to make everyone a “stick slave” and play fetch with him. This would be great if (a) we had the luxury of such a pastime and (b) he didn’t have tendency to pre-empt his partner’s move, which could cause a nasty surprise. There was also Rupert, a beady-eyed farm dog with a voracious hunting instinct, and Rusty, the blue-eyed baby Welsh Collie, with a tendency to pee indoors. Hanging out with these guys compensated for many an aching muscle.
So, the all-important question: would I do it again? Hell yes! Will I be able to do it again? Probably not. But I won’t forget it. I’ve gained an appreciation of wine production, of the craziness of it all hinging on two or three weeks of intense graft, after a year of waiting and preparing. Also, an awareness that it can be done in this country.
Indeed, as we sipped on a Nutty Vintage 2018, after a long day in the vines, with the sun draping the windmill in hazy gold, it was easy to see how this site could one day be revered in a way that Burgundy or Champagne is now.
Tim Peyton has been a wine lover and independent retail operator since 2009
FIZZY SNOWBALL
Astrum Wine Cellars is chipping away at the Warninks/ supermarket dominance in advocaat by shipping one from By The Dutch, a Schiedambased outfit founded as recently as 2015 that’s also doing a nice line in genever gin and aged Indonesian rums. The advocaat is made with Dutch eggs and Madagascan vanilla and is billed as suitable for a range of cocktails. The Snowball is the classic iteration at this time of year, of course, but this boozy take replaces the traditional lemonade and lime cordial with a sparkling wine of personal choice.
5cl advocaat 15cl sparkling wine Juice of a quarter of a lime Maraschino cherries Ice cubes
Put the a few cubes of ice, the advocaat and lime juice in a shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a flute or tall cocktail glass. Top up with the sparkling wine. Garnish with a couple of cherries.
