Summer came to Surf4Wine this afternoon in the shape of our tasty new Cipriano Prosecco - part of a revamped Italian selection we will be unveiling over the next few weeks.

Tasting this lightly sparkling Frizzante chilled white on a warm Spring afternoon in the Overton outpost of  Caviste it made me want to reach for my sun-glasses and head off to find some shade and finish the bottle - alas there was work to be done - and more wines to be tasted to prepare for the launch of our new list.

Barely had Rick and Roz (long-standing Caviste acolytes soon to feature on these pages) finished filling the shelves than bottles were whizzing off them again into the hands of locals ready to be enjoyed over the coming long Bank Holiday.

As for me, well I'm about to turn off my PC, hit the A34 back to Oxfordshire and prepare for a Saturday morning of tasting English wines (jn preparation for English wine week) with an intrepid group of food and wine bloggers that Andrew Barrow over at Spittoon has assembled. There is a trip around Brightwell Vineyard, and then lunch and more English wines to look forward to.

Then home and prepare for eldest Booker-Chapman to celebrate her 18th birthday. First up, a Bar-B-Q for her friends where Mrs C and I are required to leave the house and leave them to party (I think it will be  night at the Cinema with Tom Hanks playing the hero in Angels and Demons for us - with a worried Andrew wondering how soon we can come back and check they haven't drunk my malt whisky...), followed by a family lunch on Sunday for which I still have to decided on menu and wine - and keep fingers crossed for fine weather so we can eat outside!

Saturday was a very busy day for Caviste. Some of Burgundy's finest producers joined us at Ashe Park in Hampshire for the 2nd Caviste Burgundy Festival. Over 100 people turned out to enjoy the lovely May weather and taste some stunning wines.

But there was one table that may have surprised Burgundy lovers. It belonged to Ruud Maasdam and Dorien Vermaas of Staete Landt winery in New Zealand. This Dutch couple emigrated nearly 2 decades ago to create their dream of fine boutique wines in one of the world's most productive wine-growing areas. So, we  sat Luud and Dorien down and asked: so, why did you choose the Blenheim area?

Caviste Burgundy Festival: Staet Landt

http://www.staetelandt.co.nz/

Last week David Thomas from Caviste and I met up with a few regular customers to taste Cathy Marshall's latest releases from South Africa.

We've been fans of Cathy's wines here on Surf4Wine for a few years now - she is a super-talented winemaker and her wines always offer outstanding value. We first came across Cathy's winemaking talents via the wines of Ridgeback, and then discovered she ws making her own wines, then under the Barefoot Wine Cellar label.

That then became BWC, and finally, in recent years, Cathy has decided to just use her own name, Catherine Marshall, as her label - very sensible when you have such great wines to shout about!

We started with the Catherine Marshall Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - deliciously limey, fresh and with a crisp, minerally finish. Great Summer drinking.

Then onto the Pinot Noir 2007 - savoury, cherry flavours and red berry fruits. Restrained oak and nice minerality. Fruit is from a selection of cool climate vineyards and the elegance really shines through.

Some excellent venison partnered the Syrah Mourvedre 2005 - spice and black pepper combine with ripe plums. Not an 'in-your-face' New World wine; much more restrained and elegant. very food friendly - especially with Venison!

Then, onto two vintages of the Catherine Marshall Syrah. The 2002 was brought along by a Caviste customer to compare to the current 2004 offering - and an intriguing comparison it provided. The wines clearly age very well, and anyone tucking away a few bottles of the current vintage will be very well rewarded. More savoury minerality - which seems to be a hallmark of Cathy's red wines plus a smoky, cedary component too.

In an increasingly value-conscious world these wines really are very well made, and incredible value - and only available via independent retailers like Caviste, and online via Surf4Wine.

Last but by no means least is Cathy's unique dessert wine, Myriad. A fortified Pinot Noir, with a just a little Merlot, it combines richness with elegance without being overly sweet. Perfect partner for creamy cheese or good dark chocolate.

Having supper with Cathy, and sharing her wines, is like sitting down with an old friend - everyone immediately feels very at ease and conversation and wine flow very happily.

It's May already, and 2009 is slipping by so fast, it feels as though someone's pushed the 'fast forward' button. Who knew just a few months ago that Barack Obama would make history in the White House? That we'd put the words 'swine' and 'flu' together in the same sentence? That the biggest hits on YouTube would be an unassuming woman from Scotland? And that one of the biggest flops on YouTube would be a grinning Scotsman?!

Change is happening all around us. And it's happening right here at Surf4Wine too. If you've been thinking that we've been a bit quiet recently, it's because we've been working hard behind the scenes. To make change that's worth waiting for.

Surf4Wine is now working with Hampshire-based independent wine merchant Caviste.

For those of you not familiar with Caviste, this award-winning independent wine merchant now has three retail outlets throughout Hampshire (in Overton, Stockbridge and at Newlyns Farm Shop near Odiham), showcasing the best that the small production wineries of the world have to offer, from everyday drinking choices to fine wines. Founded in 2003 by Roseworthy-trained winemaker, David Thomas, Caviste not only specialises in the artisan wines of the Barossa Valley, (including Spinifex, Massena, Rusden, Diggers Bluff, Hobbs and Schwarz Wine Company), but also some of the finest single-domain Burgundy and top-notch Claret. And it doesn't stop there as there is also an intriguing and tempting selection from Italy, Spain, Portugal and some of the best small wineries of South Africa. Plus fabulous sherries, rich and lucious pudding wines, vintage Armagnac and local beers.

Objectives and wines that fit very well with Surf4Wine's mission to bring winemaker and wine drinker closer together to explore the world's best wines!

Watch this space for more information...