Latest wine news from Surf4Wine

Think Summer, think Rose - Pinotage Rose

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:50:56 +0100

There's more wine tasting going on here at Surf4Wine than you can shake a wine glass at right now.

Earlier this afternoon we had Francois Van Zyl, the talented winenaker at Laibach drop by in Overton to show us his latest releases. There were a red and white pair of Organic wines called 'Ladybird' - named after the ladybirds he used to kill bugs when he first went organic - and the top-end 'Claypot' Merlot which is limited to a maximum of 10,000 cases every year. The red Ladybird is a Bordeaux right-bank inspired blend that showed lovely plummy fruit and looks set to make a debut on Caviste's shelves soon - and here on Surf4Wine.



(This is my third attempt at a happy photo - come on Francois, smile - price negociations weren't that bad!)

On a hot Summer day in Hampshire, the wine that really took our eye was the Laibach Pinotage Rose; pale pink, cherry fruit flavoured and crisply dry - perfect for Summer drinking. In fact, it's so perfect that we have had it rushed into our warehouse today and it is on sale throughout the Caviste shops, and online here at Surf4Wine, NOW! Happy drinking...

Rabbit Ranch beside the river in Stockbridge

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:40:45 +0100

No sooner had I arrived into our Overton office, grabbed a coffee and hit the email button than I was back out of the door again...

... The first email in my inbox was from David, for me to head to the Stockbridge outpost of Caviste and cover Rachel's day off. I shouldn't say I was so pleased to be going to Stockbridge for the day and not working with my lovely colleagues in Overton - but I was delighted (I don't think any of them read this blog, so I'm safe saying that!).

Apart from meaning I would be working in the gorgeous town of Stockbridge, and in our stunning shop there beside the little tributary of the Test (Apologies for not knowing its name dear - I blame Roz in the S4W research dept for not being able to find its name on the OS map), it also meant I got to drive past Laverstoke Park Farm. I've been meaning to drop by and explore their farm shop ever since we teamed up with Caviste in back in May.

Laverstoke Park keep a herd of magnificent Water Buffalo, which they use to make a superb Buffalo Mozzarella. The plan forming in my foodie brain was for the Mozzarella to form part of a tasty little salad with the Avocado and ripe cherry tomatoes that I'd brought with me from home for lunch (yes, for once I was THAT organised!)

So, all that remained was to choose some wine to partner the soft, squidgy ball of pure white Mozzarella.

So, what to choose.....

As luck would have it the answer was right in front of me (well, actually, I tripped over it as I scrambled for the security alarm on opening...) We have just taken delivery of the latest vintage of Rabbit Ranch Pinot Noir (If you are one of the increasing number of blog readers who are on Twitter too, then follow Rabbit Ranch (@rabbitranch) and also their 'Powered by Pinot' UK Ambassador - he's gone all 21st Century and is also on Facebook too - go Justin!)

Anyway, all that mention of Social Networking and too much techy stuff has made me thirsty!

It wasn't the Pinot that I enjoyed a glass of with my lunch - but its newly arrived sibling, the Rabbit Ranch Pinot Gris. Peachy, smokey and wonderfully creamy, with hints of toasted nuts - utterly delicious.

But fat and overweight, no sir. Elegant and full of poise. Enough acidity to cut through the natural fat of the avocado - not always the easiest of foods to partner - and the Mozzarella.

In fact, if this is what Tuesdays in Stockbridge are like, I think I'm happy covering Rachel's days off on a regular basis....

Summer sparkles with Cipriano Prosecco

Fri, 22 May 2009 17:51:33 +0100

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 Barr4ow 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!

Caviste Burgundy Festival - odd ones out

Mon, 11 May 2009 17:45:11 +0100

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/

Meet-the-winemaker: Catherine Marshall

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:51:11 +0100

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.

Surf4Wine and Caviste

Tue, 05 May 2009 13:06:20 +0100

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...

Wine, the recession and taxation

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:28:08 +0000

As wine trade magazine Harpers goes to press the rumours circling at Westminster suggest the Chancellor is planning to delay this year's Budget beyond the customary mid-March period, writes Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association.

So what I hear you say...Well in some ways the delay gives us in the industry more time to present our case and as the weeks roll on it is becoming ever clearer that the wine sector is feeling the chill wind of recession.

A few weeks ago Constellation announced 50 job losses. Now Gallo are consulting on cutbacks in the UK and in the last few days the word from around the industry is of scores more job losses to follow.

It's grim news for a sector that has achieved such sustained growth over the years and in normal circumstances not something I would wish to crow about.

But the fact is that job losses, cutbacks in investment and the extra burden that implies for the state with increased costs of unemployment graphically illustrate what we have been warning politicians about for some time.

You can't go on taxing the product to high heaven and imagine it call be soaked up with no consequence whatsoever.

What's more it's becoming ever clearer that declining sales also have a consequence for revenue from excise duty. In the six months from April to September 2008, Treasury revenue from excise duty on alcohol was £137 million lower than forecast.

That shortfall will scarcely comfort those in the drinks industry facing either unemployment or a year of uncertainty.
We're in this together which is why we and the other main trade associations in the drinks industry have come together to make a joint Budget submission this year.

The industry simply cannot withstand a further tax increase and we are urging the Chancellor to reverse plans for the tax escalator and promise no further tax increase in this year's Budget.

The truth is that the tax regime in the UK is making this country an unattractive market in which to invest. Why bother investing in building and marketing a brand if a customer turning up to buy a case is effectively going to see more than half of it sequestered by the Treasury?

We are not arguing for a handout, unlike others. We simply ask not to be hit again. The fight is on to persuade the Chancellor to rethink.

(Don’t tax more – don’t give us handouts)

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Up to 400 branches of Threshers, Wine Rack and The Local off licence chains could face closure as its owner re-evaluates its portfolio.

First Quench Retail, which runs all three brands, is reportedly in talks with the landlords of their unprofitable branches.

The group is looking to cut overheads and improve profits. If negociations are unsuccessful, the stores in question will close, it was confirmed.

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Anglo Overseas, one of the world's major wine shippers and wine logistics companies, has gone into administration.

Administrators Vantis Business Recovery Services, appointed on 16 January, said the company's European parent, Ziegler Group, is not affected.

Anglo Overseas Limited has 15 sites across the UK, with a head office in West Thurrock. It has two bonded warehouses, including 'what is probably the second-largest bonded warehouse in London', Vantis said.

The business was forced into insolvency following a prolonged period of exceptionally difficult trading conditions, a statement said. Seventy of the company's 210-strong workforce have been laid off.

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Sunday’s normally a day to take a break from the business. To spend some time with the kids, kick back with the missus and generally forget about the world Out There. And then Anthony Worrall-Thompson popped up on TV and radio wherever I tuned.

Say what you like about AWT (and many have), there’s precious little schadenfreude to be had watching a man explain on the evening news why his business empire has all but collapsed. If even the celebrity bubble is bursting, where does that leave the rest of us?

The truth is, now is a challenging time to be in the trade. No, ‘challenging’ is too management-speak a word to use…..Let’s try ‘bloody scary’ instead. Pubs are closing in numbers not seen for years. Even the off-trade seems to be suffering with up to 400 branches of Threshers, Wine Rack and The Local off licence chains under threat. And it’s not just something that affects our trade. Sales of booze between April and September last year provided the Treasury with £137 million less tax than forecast. I suspect the industry’s lobbying the Chancellor hard to avoid another tax rise on alcohol in the next budget too.

So enough whining – what can be done?

Quite a lot to honest.... as a business you can sit back and wait for tide (this recession) to wash you away, or you can get proactive, and do something about it. And believe me, I know what I'm talking about here!

To illustrate this point, two great videos from wine marketing phenomenon Gary Vaynerchuk (I don't often use the word phenomenon - here I use it quite deliberately!). If you haven't already you should definitely check out his Wine Library TV web site.The style isn't for everyone, but no one can deny that this man is good at what it does - the evidence is in how he's transformed his business, and become the 'go to' guy for web2.0/social media marketing.

In the first video he talks about how to publicise your business (he's talking about video blogs but the example works for anything - especially wine). And in the second he talks about going out ‘Stop crying, think, wipe your tear and crush it!’ Anyway, I’ll leave you to watch the video!

For me it’s not all about cheapest prices (although good value is very important – subtle distinction). It's about offering something different - not being one of the crowd. Having imagination, flair, quality, great service

This recession will end. And when it does the companies that gave great service, tried hard to go the extra mile, looked after their customers, kept communicating, listened to their customers and never gave up trying... they'll be the ones still there and the ones that customers will want to use over and over again in the future. Love your customers people, and they'll love you!

Wine in Saturday papers

Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:05:36 +0000

The Saturday newspaper round up at Surf4Wine...

Financial Times

Red and white go green, Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson has been running a campaign against extra-thick, extra-dark and extra-heavy bottles whose manufacturing and transporting costs are far more than those of regular bottles... [More]

The Independent

Great burgundy vintages are usually thought of as red. But in 2007 the whites are better than the reds, Anthony Rose
'I wasn't going to comment on the latest burgundy arrival because the word on the grapevine wasn't sufficiently enthusiastic to justify it. That was before tasting the wines, and while I still don't believe 2007 is a vintage in which to sink your life savings, it merits attention for unexpected reasons. A great burgundy vintage is usually thought of as red, as in 1999, 2002 and 2005, and red wines and laying down are synonymous. 2007 is about the whites...' [More]

The Times

Show pour judgment, Jane MacQuitty
'Does anybody know what the point of decanting is? Most modern wines have been so heavily fined and filtered that they just don't need it. It has been decades since I last found any sediment in everyday wine - and certainly nothing to compare with the big black beetle that once plopped out of a bottle of Spanish red in the mid-Seventies. Therehas been the odd tasteless, harmless tartrate crystal crust on the bottom of corks and bottles, but that's been about it'... [More]

The Telegraph

Bargain wines from Aldi and Lidl, Jonathan Ray
Aspirational thrift is the new byword among cash-strapped wine lovers

'Of all the supermarkets that crowd our streets (and I have half a dozen within five minutes walk), the credit crunch seems to have been kindest to Aldi and Lidl. "Our wine sales are up 40 per cent on last year," says Danny Gibson, wine buyer at Aldi. "We have just 65 wines on our list and I try to give as broad a range as possible. Some of our customers will only spend £3 a bottle and I have to get the best in that price range." .... [More]

The Guardian

Looking for a choice down under, Victoria Moore
There's more to New Zealand than sauvignon blanc.

"New Zealand," said a friend with the air of someone pleased to know what they're talking about. "They make good sauvignon blanc. Gooseberry tasting. Very delicious." And? I was subjected to another moment of preening. "Pinot noir. Delicious. Good enough to rival burgundy, and better value." Anything else? There was a pause and then, in a halting voice, "Something else white?"... [More]

Breaking news... International Wine and Spirit Competition goes to Drinks Business

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:25:39 +0000

Just picked up this news story via a Decanter magazine exclusive. The International Wine and Spirit Competition previously partnered with Harpers trade magazine in the UK, but that media partnership was over when Harpers was sold to William Reed Publishing. See full story at Decanter via links below. Good news though, IWSC has new backing and so looks safe.

IWSC goes to Drinks Business
The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) has just announced a partnership with trade publication the Drinks Business. [More...]

The UK becomes the world's biggest importer of wine. But what to drink in a recession?

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:02:04 +0000

The UK has become the world's biggest importer of wine. 'Britain has overtaken Germany to become the world’s biggest importer of wine, shipping a total of more than 1.6 billion bottles from wine-producing nations such as Italy, France, Spain, America and Australia, according to figures out earlier this month...' (quote from The Times, 14th January 2009).

But, the wine industry in the UK hasn't escaped the effects of the recession: wine sales in the UK dropped by more than 3.5% in 2008 and the drop is predicted to continue as the recession takes hold.

So, are there still ways to get decent wine in these credit-crunched times? I would say absolutely! But don't take my word for it - courtesy of the BBC, wine journalist and all round wine boff Olly Smith, takes us through some options for good value in the recession in this video (click the image or the link to play).

So, what are Olly's top tips? South Africa, Chile and Austria. And if you are looking for an alternative to the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio, look no further than Picpoul de Pinet from the Languedoc in the South of France.

Hot off the press wine news, plus comfort food for Winter

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:51:11 +0000

Up early today to take No.1 child's French Exchange student to train station to go home - and glad I did get up extra early as 15cm of Snow overnight!

A quick scout round my favourite sites with the first cup of tea of the day, while waking up and waiting for teenagers to move semi-consciously through the bathroom (at least they are washing, so I should be grateful I suppose!)

Anyway, a few stories I missed yesterday as I was at Wine+ in London all day talking to Viniportugal and others about social networking for wine, courtesy of Decanter magazine's news section...

First up, something unusual for Bordeaux-lovers and collectors...

For sale: Latour, Margaux and Mouton hidden from Nazis
UK auctioneer Bonhams is selling 1920s bottles of Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Ausone that were hidden in a bricked-up cellar in Guernsey during the Second World War.

And more evidence of the recession hitting the wine trade...

Kendall Jackson cuts jobs
Large-scale job cuts have been made at Jackson Family Wines in California – with unconfirmed reports that 170 employees have been made redundant.

If it was April 1st I might be tempted to dismiss this next story. Whatever next from ultra-conservative Bordeaux...

Bordeaux to test Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc
Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel and Chenin Blanc could be grown and produced in Bordeaux if the French appellations body approves trials of the grapes later this month.

In the tradition of a well-known UK news anchor; and finally...

Lucian Freud commissioned for Mouton '06
British artist Lucian Freud has created the label for the 2006 vintage of Château Mouton-Rothschild

Oh, and in view of the exceptionally Wintry weather in UK in last few days, we might all be glad of some hearty and warming comfort food. So this article from today's Times is very apt...

10 comfort food recipes
It's time to dump the diet and make some uncomplicated comfort food for cold nights — Times' cooks show you how

OK, that's the wine (and food!) news for now folks... catch you later!

PS, old beer news which didn't get blogged last week... I'm not sure if it isn't all just one grand PR exercise, but Marco does have something of a point re. the price paid for quality, craft-brewed beer vs. cheap and nasty bog-standard wine (although the world has gone truly mad when beer is £5 a pint!)...

A pint of hand-crafted, artisan beer seems a steal at £5 a pint

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White defies economic hard times by introducing Britain's first pub pint for a fiver. (At his Yew Tree pub near Newbury - local to me so look out for a fuller report in due course!)

Vineyard in heart of Haut Brion to launch its own wine

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:10:19 +0000

Some lunch time reading (magazine propped up while I eat my fish-finger sandwich and drink earl grey tea!) just brought up this little gem from Decanter magazine: Vineyard in heart of Haut Brion to launch its own wine .

... A small vineyard in the middle of the Haut Brion domaine is to begin bottling its own wines. Haut Brion themselves were, unsurprisingly, unavailable for comment!

Twitter... two posts in one day

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:19:33 +0000

No sooner had a I pressed 'go' on my earlier note about Twitter than one of my Twitter contacts, @thewinesleuth, AKA WineSleuth, pointed me in the direction of this article about Twitter in the The Times.

Some of you may already have picked up on this article, so apologies, but for those that haven't I thought it worth mentioning here - especially to those just getting into the whole twitter thing.

I think Twitter is great way to communicate; quick and to the point, with interesting options for pics (TwitPic) and video (article on Mashable re. video in Twitter, and sites like 12seconds) now too.

And now it looks to be heading mainstream with the breaking of recent news stories, like the plain in the Hudson and the amount of use it got during the recent presidential election and inauguration.

Also, the wine trade is proving very innovative with its use of Twitter too with ideas such as Twitter Taste Live and wine bloggers posting their blog posts directly to Twitter - liked we do here at Surf4Wine.

So, for those that haven't yet, check out Twitter. And for that are already there - Happy Twittering!

Twittering about wine

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 09:19:24 +0000

Twitter is great for keeping people posted with what you are doing (business and friends), and seeing what else is going on in the world in area's you are interested in. Check out wine people who Twitter. If you haven't caught the Twitter bug yet, check out this video on Twitter.

I love technology and gadgets, and really enjoying interacting with my friends and contacts on Twitter... so many innovative new products coming on stream from developers for great ways to use Twitter.

One great fun app I saw today, which may be old news to seasoned Twiterr-ers, is to create a mosaic of your Twitter friends/followers. Check out mine above.

Follow me, Andrew Chapman, on Twitter

Follow Surf4Wine on Twitter.

Happy Twittering!

Wine in Saturday papers...

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:37:40 +0000

Financial Times

The new négociants of Burgundy , Jancis Robinson
'One of the things I found most exciting about my extensive tastings of 2007 burgundies was how many of the best ranges of wines were made by new or recently revamped producers...' [More]

The Independent

The recession shouldn't affect wine sales too badly. The world will not stop drinking wine, Anthony Rose
Lies, damned lies, and statistics? Look away now if you don't want to know about how the wine world will shape up in 2012... [More]

The Times

Bargain wines: get more for less, Jane MacQuitty
With fine wine merchants feeling the pinch alongside everyone else, I had expected there to be loads of mouthwatering, cut-price grand cru burgundy and cru classé claret on offer this sales season... [More]

Reacquiring a taste for whisky, Samantha Lyster
The last time Samantha Lyster drank whisky she swore never to touch it again, that is until she tasted a £290 dram... [More]

The Telegraph

Top 10 Loire wines, Jonathan Ray
The value and variety of lesser-known labels can be surprising... [More]

The Guardian

The Trouble with White Bordeaux, Victoria Moore
Sancerre drinkers have it easy. Devotees of Marlborough sauvignon blanc, too, have a straightforward time when it comes to finding a wine that will make their shoulders slacken with satisfaction. Though there are good and poor wines, and distinctions in style between producers, there is a commonality that almost always makes it possible to satisfy a particular thirst.

But this isn't quite the case with white bordeaux... [More]