Fellow Wine Lovers,
In spite of Monday’s best efforts to make us throw in the towel and acknowledge the fact that we may never be warm again, Tuesday heralded the start of Spring, according to our calendar at least, if not the mercury. However, Wednesday was proof that if we persist we might just get to wear shorts this year. Thursday was just a bit ordinary but noticeably warmer than earlier in the week and this weekend, whilst we have a 90% chance of precipitation (rain rather than snow, we hope), the Celsius readings are due to reach double figures and stay there for a bit. Next week seems to be promising 100% chance of light rain every day and with that we will swiftly move into April, and her showers….
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British Summer Time. This Sunday, however, we get less sleep as the clocks ‘Spring’ forward and we welcome Summer Time, which will allow us to watch all the rain fall in clearer daylight, for longer.
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Ben Stokes Ton. No, not even Ben Stokes two. The lazarine return of our favourite nightclubber was nothing to shout about. But then he wasn’t alone. The paddling of ducks contained 5 members – Root, Bairstow, Moeen, Broad and, of course, Stokes – no acknowledged batsmen in there obviously. Bring on plenty more rain delays I say – lovely weather for ducks!
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Bitcoin Security Turmoil. Ledger Nano S was a supposedly untamperable hardware wallet to keep your crypto-currency millions safe. Until it was tampered with by a young British lad, four months ago. Apparently they’ve fixed it but it does ask quite a few questions. Just checked the cash in my jeans pocket – untampered.
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But Seriously Though. Facebook, Google, all of you, we all know you harvest our data and we willingly sign up to this in return for convenience, interaction, socialising and the rest. Just try and keep it safe-ish, would you?
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Big Supplier Taxed. So, we’re not best pals with big booze retailers, for reasons that should be obvious. As suggested last week, we feel little sympathy for Conviviality who happen to own two of the biggest alcohol wholesalers, Bibendum and Matthew Clark, and also, on the high street, own Wine Rack and Bargain Booze. The story goes that last week they issued their second profit warning in a week, when they ‘discovered’ a £30 million tax bill due for payment at the end of the month. £30 million. Where was that letter hiding and who was meant to open it?
Anyway, they have now released another profit warning and are looking to raise not £30 million but £125 million (!) – they need cash to resolve overdue payments with creditors, to settle payments with tax authorities, to repay a £30 million revolving credit facility and provide enough capital headroom to allow it to recapitalise the business. So, within a week they have quadrupled their funding requirements, which to us looks like a business doomed. Control that Schadenfreude, Alex.
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Big Spirits Tasting. Well, for the most part it’ll be Gin actually. We’ve been trying to get a tasting like this off the ground for a while now and finally we have found someone willing to indulge us.
Step forward Alexander, superstar cocktail maker and world class gin expert at Sacred, our new gin supplier from Highgate. Now, as mentioned before, we are stocking his original Gin, his Juniper Gin and his Cardamom Gin and also his English Peated Whisky. So, we thought it would be a nice idea to get him in to do a tasting for us and, of course, you. By all accounts he’ll show us a few of his different styles of Gin and some Vermouth, mention was also made of Negroni and also some sort of summer cup – suffice to say, an evening will be had!
THURSDAY 24TH MAY AT 8PM – £25 PER PERSON
Payment confirms attendance as we fully expect to sell this quite quickly!
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Beach Shorts Time aka Bank Holiday Survival Training. Next weekend is the Easter weekend and as a result of various intricacies too mundane to list here, we will be closed Good Friday through to, and including, Easter Monday. Whilst the beach short reference above might imply we are off to the sunny seaside, this is sadly just a whimsy. So, just to make it crystal:
Thursday 29th March – OPEN AS USUAL – 11am – 8pm
Friday 30th March – CLOSED
Saturday 31st March – CLOSED
Sunday 1st April – CLOSED
Monday 2nd April – CLOSED
Tuesday 3rd April – OPEN AS USUAL – 11am – 8pm
In fairness, the Easter weekend is by far the quietest weekend of the year and since it falls at the beginning of the school holidays we fully expect an unruly exodus on Thursday evening – so come and see us before then!
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Blood, Sweat and Tears. It’s been a hard week and you’ve all slaved away, perhaps we can offer you a taste of something on your way home this evening?
We’ll open Pauletts Polish Hill River Aged Release Riesling 2010, Clare Valley, Australia – £18.99 because we just love it and it’s the ‘new’ vintage. Light straw in colour with a toasty honey nose. Citrus flavours, predominantly lime, couple up nicely with excellent fresh acidity and a long clean finish and frankly it’s Riesling with age, what’s not to like?
For the red fans we’ll open an old favourite Casal de Paula 2015, Ribeiro, Spain – £15.49, which we last opened a calendar year ago – happy birthday as it were. Four grapes equally make up the blend here, household favourites Brencellao, Ferron, Mencia and Souson and it hails from Ourense, right up there on the Spain-Portugal border. Medium bodied with juicy, summer berry fruits and a lovely, long and fleshy finish. Reminded us a bit of the reds we enjoy from the Loire, see what you think!
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Bye-Bye, So long, Ta-ta. That’s it from us.
In case you haven’t realised yet, Summer time starts on Sunday, don’t forget to change your clocks!