The Weekly Wine

Fellow Wine Lovers,

It’s a different world out there Wayne and I’m not sure I understand it.

Lately, we’ve been travelling up west at least once a week to tantalise our taste buds with wines of, sometimes dubious, distinction. We’ve been mingling with pencil-tie-sporting sommeliers, with dangerously cool people who own wine shops in North London, with voluptuously bearded East End pop-up bar public school boys, and also with people from the West Country.  It’s been a cocktail of diversity and it has sometimes left us bewildered by the world outside our SW19 cocoon.

It all started as we left the tube and walked around the corner into what smelt like an invisible sweet shop. Oh no, it was just someone vaping.

What?

When was the decision made that huddling under awnings, sucking on what resembles a cross between a pimped biro and a Dr Who prop, that then expels ‘smoke’ that smells of candy floss, was the perfect replacement for smoking? You’re grown-ups – either smoke or don’t smoke – don’t make the Marlboro Man spin in his grave any faster.

The wine tastings themselves were less weird and actually quite interesting in places – there will be wines arriving over time, as fruits of our labours.   The observation we would have is that within the wine trade and perhaps elsewhere, there is such a thing as ‘venue fashion’.  Years ago Excel was all the rage.  Olympia seems to slip in and out of favour.  Currently, clubs on Pall Mall, One George Street, Lindley Hall and Tobacco Docks seem to be venues of choice – each of these hosting more than one event, to the extent that we started to feel like regulars.  Venue fashion, who knew.

And then, returning on the train we would settle down with the local freesheet and read stories that would once more bewilder…

We read about proposals to stop swearing in the Army.

I’m sorry but isn’t swearing and army in the same box as pope/catholic and bears/wood.   Apparently, thank G**, ‘the Ministry of Defence insists it isn’t about to ban swearing in the British army completely’ (BBC NEWSBEAT 23/02/16).

To put it into perspective, The Ministry of Defence, was referring to the use of abusive and insulting language towards new recruits. Bullying is bad.  There are plenty of examples of when things have gone too far in all walks of life.  Swearing is not nice but we do think the playground mantra ‘sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never harm me’ could be applied here.

It’s the Army – there is a distinct likelihood that there are far more dangerous and scary things just around the corner, and we don’t mean people vaping.

Other selected headlines that caught our eye:

Donald Trump cements frontrunner status after big win in Nevada (The Guardian) – oh my…

New Zealand to make its first Prosecco (The Drinks Business) – why?

Cameron ‘put on a proper suit’ jibe at Corbyn at PMQs (BBC) – really, sartorial advice in the Commons?

Woman launches £4.2m legal bid against gastropub after tripping over rope outside venue (The Daily Mirror) – no comment…

Kylie Jenner is ready to retire’: Kylie on being tired of materialism and her Instagram persona (The Daily Telegraph) – yep, we had to google her but we kind of know what Instagram is… having consulted the kids

fuddy-duddy ˈfʌdɪdʌdi/noun informal: a person who is very old-fashioned and pompous

curmudgeon kəːˈmʌdʒ(ə)n/noun: a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person

Meanwhile back in SW19…

Life is far less bewildering for which we are thankful. We buy wine, we sell wine and we make sure the fridges are stocked up.  This week we have taken delivery of a few new wines, three from a well established South African producer Uitkyk, a couple of cases of Chateau Beau Site 2005 from St Estephe, a couple of cases of Christophe Vaudoisey Volnay 2012 and a box of JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett Riesling 2011.  All wines that we will more than happily drink ourselves unless you fancy some!

There’s rugby splashed all over this weekend, kicking off tonight with a thrashing in Cardiff and then a mauling in Rome and a pasting in Twickenham tomorrow afternoon. As we mentioned before, we are offering Sambrook’s Battersea Rye (2.79), Park Brewery Killcat Pale (2.59) and Rocky Head Session (2.50) on a 6 for 5 deal.  It’s also mixable so hopefully there’s something for everyone there.

However, should beer not be your thing then we will have some wines open to taste. Looking through our files we were shocked to discover that we haven’t put Wairau River Pinot Gris 2014 (14.99), on the tasting counter since early 2013.  That all changes now – this is the wine we regularly recommend with spicy, asian food but also as a delicious aperitif.  As for red, we will be opening Chateau Montfaucon 2012 Cotes du Rhone (13.99), a wine that we used to sell when we had a shop in Clapham and have only just recently managed to get hold of again.  Wayne’s recent note says ‘nice dark spiced fruits, minerals, long finish, pleasantly warm like a baby Chateauneuf du Pape’.  Come and see if you agree.

That’s it from us, we’re off to buy some skinny jeans and some Banoffee Pie e-liquid for our e-cigs – don’t worry we’ll post it all on instagram later…

MTFBWU

Fellow Wine Lovers,

So how are you feeling this morning? Did you tuck in on #NationalDrinkWineDay? Clearly from a purely professional perspective we felt obligated, with Wayne choosing a bottle of the Salcheto Chianti Colli Senesi (£11.49) and Alex dining with chums and going off-list in the Kew area.

Earlier this week, we found ourselves with more in common with Paul McCartney than we ever imagined possible. All our invites for the Grammy’s were unexplainably lost in the post so, finding ourselves available, we popped out for a quick supplier tasting on Tuesday on the hunt for some new wines. Not sure what Paul got up to.

We also had a meeting with a new cheese supplier for our Cheese & Wine tastings, he brought some very tasty samples that we’re pretty excited about (tough working here sometimes!). Talking of which, we have just two spaces left for the Cheese & Wine on 10^th March so don’t drag your feet!

Over the years we have sold, suggested, or just spoken to many of you about Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2008 (£23.99). We’ve long been fans of the estate (Alex even visited them!) so we were dead chuffed to see that this week they featured  in Decanter Magazine’s top 7 Rioja’s to buy under £30: “Luis Valentín and Carmen Enciso’s Reserva is always a delight to taste, and ages brilliantly in bottle. Made entirely from Tempranillo, spread over 14 parcels, it’s floral, elegant and refined with impressive finesse and subtle red fruit flavours. The oak is deftly integrated, too.” 96 Points Drink 2016-2025

Tasting This Weekend

We’re going to tickle our taste buds with a trip to down to Walker Bay in South Africa for the white. Our chums at Barton Vineyards produce their delicious Barton Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2013 (£11.59) amongst other things (Olive oils, honey, holiday lets, alongside other great wines).

Red-wise we’re driving for an hour or two out of Barcelona, heading for the hills behind Tarragona. Montsant is the home of Celler de Capçanes whose Mas Collet 2012 (£14.49), a winning blend of Garnacha, Samsó (Catalan for Carignan), Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, will be standing in the red corner.

Montsant, as I said an hour or two out of Barcelona, is a little special. Curving around the better known Priorat, with which it shares much of the same soils and geography. A vine growing area almost forever, it has only been a DO since 2001, its distinctive qualities earning it a separation from the much larger DO Tarragona. Like in Priorat old vine Garnacha and Carignan rule the roost here, along with some Tempranillo joined by the occasional more internationally famous varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah.

And finally, yesterday in 1478 the Duke of Clarence was drowned in a vat of Malmsey. We’re not sure if that demonstrates the folly of not using a glass, or just a stunningly memorable way to go.

Fellow Wine Lovers,

Writing today from a crowded funicular, somewhere above Tignes…

Rosé is pink,

Claret is red,

But if you don’t fancy either,

Have Champagne instead!

Bit of an up and down week for us Park Vintners types. 

We watched all the rugby at the weekend and concluded that last weekend was what is known in retail as a ‘soft opening’.  The real sparks will start to fly this weekend as there are a few games (three, to be exact) where we could see some big scores logged.  If not we might start watching something else, Crown Green, perhaps.

Wayne has been wandering around like a moody teenager, having not made the final cut to join Chris Evans’ Top Gear selected presenters – however the prospect of him growing a mullet and getting into drunken fights has now been avoided, we can only hope.

But the saddest news we received was yesterday.  Wayne rolled up at the door of Norbiton Cheese at 11am, to pick up our stash for our Wine & Cheese tasting, and was greeted by the owner, who looked puzzled to see him.  ‘Hi Bryan, I’ve come to pick up my cheese order that I placed last week’ said Wayne.  ‘I’m sorry Wayne but we’ve closed for business, as of Monday just gone’

And that was that.  It would seem a couple of lucrative revenue streams suddenly closed on them and as a direct result cash flow ceased to flow and business dried up.  We’ve worked alongside these chaps for five years now, they have been a constant source of great cheese, consistently good advice and good humour, and we will miss them greatly.  Another local independent folding up their trestle table for good is no good thing.

Buying the cheese from Waitrose didn’t quite feel the same…

VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER

Positive that no one will have forgotten, but similarly positive that if someone has they will be grateful of the reminder, we thought we’d mention that this Sunday, 14^th February, is VALENTINES DAY.  Yep, it’s a Sunday, so you won’t be at work or on a business trip (unless you scooped a quick flight to Italy for the rugby), so there really are very few excuses that will wash.  We suggest a card, some croissants and a bottle of pink fizz to set the day up just perfectly.

IS IT GRAN PASSIONE OR MEERLUST?

To help make hard decisions easier we’ve lined up a few wines to taste this weekend appropriate to St. Valentine’s.  Our go to Rosé bubbly has to be our friend Ulrich’s Hoffmann & Rathbone Rosé Reserve 2011 – £38, a stunning, sparkling, English Rosé for that stunning, effervescent rose in your life!

However, should bubbles be banned, we will have a couple of reds open too – Gran Passione Rosso 2014 – £12.99 and Meerlust Red 2012 – £12.99.  Two top notch wines, both at the same price, but which one will you choose?

Wines open tonight and tomorrow, don’t forget to buy a card.

Rosé’s not red,

Sauvignon’s not blue,

I was asked to compose a rhyme,

Now I’ve done two!

Don’t forget to ben zee knees!

Fellow Wine Lovers,

Thank God that’s over.  January doesn’t make anybody happy.  Except, perhaps, the taxman who takes his pounds of flesh both on a personal level, on a VAT level and on a corporation level.  Any money we earnt in December we got to look at in the account for just over 3 weeks, and then we sent it all off to HMRC.

So, yes, we dislike January.  It sucks any of the remaining festive joy from us, it’s cold and dark and hugely underwhelming.  Even people with birthdays in the month are embarrassed and ashamed of January – how many picnics, barbecues, beach parties or weekends-away did you get invited to last month?  My point exactly.

But February’s cool.  Released from the arbitrary detention of the first 31 days of the year, we emerge into the bright lights of the next 29 to see that there is more to life than Ecuadorean telenovelas, guinea pig for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Pilsener.  It feels like life has restarted.  Having a glass of wine midweek is no longer verboten, the gym is no longer your second home and stoically eating healthily (kale?) is done with.

With this in mind, might we suggest beer?

It may be a tenuous connection but a competition known as the Six Nations starts this weekend.  It involves people playing rugby against one another whilst a few million other people watch them on television, usually whilst drinking beer.  And here’s where we can be of assistance.  It’s only been a week but already we miss the 6 for 5 deal.  So, as a consolation we have decided to do a mini offer.

The Park Brewery Killcat Pale Ale (3.9%) and Rocky Head Brewery Session Ale (4%) will be available at a discount of 16.66% off six (mixable) whilst stocks last.  The Killcat (£2.59) is a refreshing pale ale with the hoppiness and punch of an IPA but without the high ABV.  The Session (£2.50) is brewed for easy drinking but with the hop punch of an IPA.  Similar beers, brewed locally, easy on the alcohol – perfect for the rugby and indeed for any other pastime where beer might help oil the wheels!

For those of you less than interested in oval ball sports drinks, might we suggest wine?

We’ve been having a few late openings of late, all due to our visiting various supplier tastings with a view to refreshing or adding to our range.  These late starts have not been in vain though and we’ll open a couple of our new arrivals tonight and tomorrow.

Vivir Sin Dormir 2014, Jumilla, Spain (£11.99) 100% Monastrell.  100% Organic.  A real favourite of ours, Monastrell.  We have always enjoyed but hadn’t had one we thought fitted the bill until last week when we tasted this.  Monastrell is very much the main grape in Jumilla which is inland, west of Alicante.  Enormously appealing ripe red and spicy black fruits abound, with just a gentle grip of tannin.  Fabulous finish and a typically Spanish red – works with all manner of food choices as well as being fantastic on its own!

Greywacke Wild Sauvignon 2013 (£25.99) we have been meaning to taste this wine from Kevin Judd for a while now.  Barrel fermented using wild yeasts this is an intricate Sauvignon Blanc with fabulous texture and a lingering savoury finish.  We didn’t write a huge, long tasting note when we tried it – very elegant, two ticks – which is short but says everything it needs to say, we reckon!

So, come by and try some wine and buy some beer and celebrate the fact that February has arrived and we no longer need to be abstemious!

Hang about, doesn’t Lent start next week…

Fellow Wine Lovers,

Goodness gracious, c’est le weekend, encore un fois. Sacre bleu and zut alors all round, what an earth shall we write in the email.

We could write about Wayne washing his jeans with the winning lottery ticket in it. We could write about the tennis and the cricket.  We could comment on the bomb scares at Ricard’s Lodge and Raynes Park High.  We could confess to turning up to a supplier tasting at the Institute of Directors on Tuesday, 24 hours early, and being told to stroll on.  We could suggest setting Zika onto ISIS.  We could share the news with you that iconic German brand, Black Tower has announced a major ad spend and a national marketing campaign, using the phrase I know we all associate with the wine “Wow! It’s Black Tower”. Apparently there will be special packaging for the retail trade which will highlight the new look, as well as a range of regional activities running from March to July in northwest England – think we might have found their target market!

But we won’t bore you with any of that, because we want to keep your minds clear to focus on a couple of things:

The Park Vintners January sale

If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times. 6 bottles for the price of 5.  16.66% discount off a box.  And you can mix it too.

The catch.

You have to partake before close of play on Saturday – come February, this deal will have been put to bed for another year.

So, even if you’re doing dry January now, be sure to be properly prepared for monsoon February.

Wine & Cheese Tasting – 8pm – Thursday 11^th February £20 per person

And so we start our sixth year of quest to find the perfect match. It’s a few days before Valentines Day and as we all know nothing says ‘I love you’ more than a spoonful of Stinking Bishop and a glass of Rioja.  Forget about buying him a new decanter or getting her 60 red roses – this is what everyone really wants!  Sign up quick, spaces are filling

Tasting this weekend

We were setting up a tasting the other day and were ruminating on the fact that if we turned up to an event, say a wedding or such like, and the two wines on offer were Mezzogiorno Fiano £8.99 and Campos de Luz Garnacha £8.49 how very happy and potentially over the limit we would be!  So with this in mind we’re going to open them both this weekend purely because we quite fancy it.

So there you go, that’s the first two wines in the case, only four more to go and you’re in big discount country!

Roll on the Thirst of February…

Fellow Wine Whisky Lovers,

Some hae meat and canna eat, And some would eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit.

It’s Rabbie Burns time again.  Monday sees the one day of the year when we all pretend to be Scottish, start talking in mock-tavish and confidently misquote poems about a Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie, when in actual fact we should be reciting Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!

And we eat.  We eat cock-a-leekie soup, and we eat haggis and neeps and tatties, and we tell our children to stop sniggering at the soup, and we tell our children that they must try a mouthful of the great chieftain of the pudding race, that it tastes like spicy mince, and that no, we can’t remember what it’s made of but, my gosh, isn’t it tasty, have another bite…

And we drink.  We drink Champagne because we can and it’s an excuse for an end of January celebration, we drink Sparkling Shiraz if you’re name is Alex and you have really done a lot of research, we drink reds from the Rhone, and we drink whites from everywhere, and we sing and we dance and we still don’t know what a Scotsman keeps under his kilt…

But what Whisky do we drink?  Do we have one for the toast, a different one for pouring on the haggis and a third for pontificating over afterwards?  Of course we do, we’re proper Scots tonight, it’s Burns Night and tomorrow is for wimps and whimpering…

And here’s what we’re drinking:

Glenalmond Highland Blended Malt £29.99

This is a blend of only Highland malts.  Sweet and peaty on the nose showing caramel, roasted nuts and honey character.   The palate is spicy, displaying once again the honey and caramel character but now joined by cloves, peat and a hint of ginger.  A medium length finish with a touch of smoke.

Finlaggan Islay Single Malt £30.99

Bottled by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company, it is a well-guarded secret as to which distillery on Islay this actually hails from.  For a long time we thought Caol Ila, then someone suggested Lagavulin and then someone else said something else and deep discussions ensued.  It has a full and pungent nose with a peaty earthiness and a salty ozone character you only get when faced with tumbling waves.  The palate is dry, medium peated with a slightly medicinal sweetness and hints of tar in the background.  A long smooth finish with burnt oak smokiness and a pleasing richness.  It comes as no surprise to us that this is our perennial best seller.

Benromach 10 years old Speyside Single Malt £36.99

We loved this from the off.  Forest fruits, herby smokiness and honey/toffee tones.  When we added a drop of spring water the fruits came through even more including a ripe apple character and some almost sherry nuttiness.  Soft yet complex, with a cheekily spicy finish.

Speymalt from Macallan Distillery 2006 Single Malt (bottled 2015) £37.99

Gordon & MacPhail buy the whisky and then mature it in carefully selected high quality casks.  A touch of smoked toffee on the nose with hints of ripe citrus fruit in the background.  The palate displays notes of beeswax, ripe apple and perhaps tropical fruit with some gentle peppery spice on the finish.

Linkwood 15 years old Speyside Single Malt (matured and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail) £46.99

The nose is all sweet furniture polish and Oloroso sherry.  On the palate these flavours open up with sweet summer berry fruit and some cake spice characteristics.  Silky smooth and very long on the finish.

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Royal Brackla Distillery 1998 Highland Single Malt (bottled 2014) £46.99

One of only three distilleries ever granted permission to use ‘Royal’ in its name due to it being the favoured tipple of King William IV.  Sweet vanilla and exotic fruits dominate the nose whilst the palate adds some black pepper and a hit of milk chocolate on the finish – all of which serve to make it deliciously smooth and moreish.

Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength Highland Park Distillery 2006 Single Malt (bottled 6^th May 2015) £50.00

A cask strength (57.9%) bottling from four first fill bourbon barrels.  Hailing from Orkney this is one of Wayne’s favourite distilleries and it’s easy to see why.  There is a lovely contrast between sweet malty fruit aromas and an underlying bonfire smokiness.  Perhaps the perfect all-rounder, pleasing those who like peat and those who prefer fruit in equal measure.

The Vintage Malt Whisky Company Coopers Choice Glenrothes Distillery 1997 Single Malt (bottled 2014) £69.69

Glenrothes is in the very heart of Speyside and this Coopers Choice is a very special bottling.  16 years old, from cask 15715, and thus one of just 300 bottles.  Creamy, sweet complex dark fruit and a magnificently smooth, lingering palate.  They have done a truly excellent job here.

MacPhail’s 21 years old Speyside Single Malt £69.99

The MacPhail’s Single Malt is distilled to their order and matured in their own casks.  The distillery of origin is a closely guarded secret (although they do own Benromach…) which, like the Finlaggan above, gives the malt an air of mystery.  Full bodied, deep amber in colour, rich and slightly smoky, with hints of sweet sherry cask.  A classic Speyside in truth, with raisins, smoke, leather, toffee and overripe fruit in abundance.  A seriously good dram.

So that’s what we’re drinking – which do you fancy?  If it helps your decision making, we have the Finlaggan, Benromach, Speymalt and Linkwood all open for tasting!

Last orders please ladies and gentlemen

It’s the penultimate weekend of the month so a couple of things are starting to draw to a close.

First up, our fabulous 6 for 5 deal is entering its twilight hours – don’t start February understocked, especially if you are one of the 2 million people ‘doing’ a dry January (thanks for the stats, Jacqueline) – the offer will have finished at close of play 31^st January, you have been forewarned.

Second, we have a few spaces left on our Wine School which starts next Wednesday, 27^th January.  You’ve all read enough from us about it so I won’t labour the point; suffice to say if you’re tempted, the time to let us know is now.  We’re not entirely sure when we will run this again, since we might do something a bit different next term, just so you know.

Third, and not nearly as short dated as the previous two, places on our various tastings are starting to fill so I have attached the confirmed dates for you to check against your diary.

Time, please

That must be it from us; we’ve been going on for ages.  We will have wine open this weekend, the white will be the Ktima Gerovassiliou Single Vineyard Malagousia 2014 £19.39 that one of us bought by accident this week – it’s the posh version of the one we usually have, so you’re all in for a huge treat.  For the red, we’ll crack open the Domaine Treloar One Block Grenache 2012 £11.99 which could be a match for your haggis but is equally delicious with a broad spectrum of sausage related dishes!

Wine, Whisky, Wine School, 6 for 5 – there be your bulletpoints!

Lang may yer lum reek!

Fellow Wine Lovers,

Black armbands, flags at half mast, doff your hat. Cancer took two of our finest this week, David Bowie and Alan Rickman, and whilst we are far from being accomplished enough wordsmiths to add to the many eulogies written, or about to be written, suffice to say Park Vintners has been a pretty sombre place of late.  But we have listened to an awful lot of good music…

Elsewhere the FIFA farce rolls on. Jerome Valcke gets sacked for the second time – surely if you sack someone once for having lied constantly during negotiations you don’t then rehire them 8 months later do you?  Unless you’re FIFA and you’re corrupt.  Harold Mayne-Nicholls is banned for seeking favours for family members from various football federations.  His recent significant role was to assess the bid countries for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup.  His assessments flagged both Qatar and Russia as being unsuitable as venues.  Clearly no corruption went on there then!  It’s a mess, it’s a car crash, it’s totally addictive viewing!

And then we come to the one bit of news that this week has really got the booze trade hopping up and down and believing itself to be more important than it actually is– the change in healthy drinking guidelines. ‘Why weren’t we consulted?’ they cried.  ‘20 years after the original guidelines were issued, and following a two year wait, we are surprised that the guidelines are expected to take effect immediately’ Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Association, was quoted as saying.  Well Miles, there’s no point in revising guidelines and then sitting on them for six months now is there?  Plus, why would you be consulted?  You have a vested interest and you’re not a doctor.

Anyway, suffice to say the storm is very much in a teacup, it’s still less dangerous than driving a car or riding a bike and they are still just guidelines.

Spain’s guidelines: 35 units a week.

If you want to learn more about sensible consumption of alcohol

Look no further, we have plenty of opportunities coming up.

In just over 10 days time, our much publicised Wine School starts a new term.  A six-week course covering the spectrum of all things vinous and all for just £150 per person. Even if you don’t listen to a word we say, the opportunity to taste around 60 wines over the duration of the course makes that glass of wine in the Pig & Whistle look a bit pricey.  Full details attached and we really will try to remember to attach them this week!

We have also put some dates in the diary for one-off tastings over the coming months, see below and if you fancy coming just let us know, places are limited:

Thursday 11th February WINE AND CHEESE £20 per person

We select four cheeses, some wines and then proceed to discuss the merits of our choices! Same routine every time but different cheeses and wines we promise.

Thursday 25th February I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT CLARET £25 per person

Compare and contrast wines from Bordeaux with its imitators from around the world!

Thursday 10th March WINE AND CHEESE £20 per person

Thursday 14th April PINOT AROUND THE WORLD AND I CAN’T FIND MY FAVOURITE

£25 per person

Pinot Noir – is Burgundy best, or do we prefer what they’re doing in California, New Zealand and the rest – help us make up our minds

Thursday 21st April WINE AND CHEESE £20 per person

Thursday 26th May WINE AND CHEESE £20 per person

And finally…

To celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Mr Rupert Murdoch and Miss Jerry Hall it would seem appropriate to taste some wines of significance this weekend: from Australia we will open the aptly named Accomplice Semillon Sauvignon 2014 – £8.99 a crisp, fresh and grassy number with a hint of tropical fruit – absolutely spot on.  For the red, for reasons we can’t quite fathom, the Californian Burlesque Zinfandel 2013 – £9.39 sprung into view – perhaps it was the rich spiciness that appealed!

Wines will be open this evening and tomorrow – there are many reasons to raise a glass this week, so don’t be shy…

Why don’t I like you?

Because you think I’m an asshole, and I’m not really, I’m just British and, well, you’re not.

Alan Rickman – Bottle Shock (2008)

I’m always amazed that people take what I say seriously. I don’t even take what I am seriously.

David Bowie

Black armbands, flags at half mast, doff your hat.

Fellow Wine Lovers,

I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger, sang Ronnie Wood in 1973, for the Faces…

The Korgis, in 1980, sang the words, Everybody’s got to learn sometime…

In 1985, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush duetted, Don’t give up, you still have us…

And 11 years later, Blur came up with the line, Educated the expensive way, he knows his Claret from a Beaujolais…

What few people realise is that they are all referencing our fabulous 6 week Wine School.

Ronnie’s comment bemoans the advice given to him by Rod about which wines to match with asparagus. The Korgis, having tried to open Champagne with a corkscrew, decided it was time to come and see us.  Damon fully appreciated the investment we had put into our WSET Diploma, and was suitably impressed by our intricate knowledge of all things French.

But what is this course about which they rave?

When we worked in Clapham, a customer asked us how he could learn more about wine but without any pretensions. Or having to do any exams.  And where the only homework involved tasting something different once in a while.

We said we weren’t sure where he could do this but if he could wait a few months we’d try and write a course that would fit these criteria. And this is the course we still do now.  Alex can be a little pretentious in his pronunciation of Italian and Spanish wines and Wayne has been known to get a bit scientific when discussing cork taint or alluvial soil in Marlborough, but otherwise we remain true to our initial promise.

The course runs over 6 weeks, the first week introduces you to the how’s and why’s of wine-tasting, weeks 2 & 3 cover a range of the major white grape varieties (around about 14, normally), weeks 4 & 5 give the major red grapes the same treatment and week 6 examines all things fizzy. Also tucked in there will be a foray into Rosé wines, sweet wines, a selection of wine faults and some blind tasting too.

You don’t get a certificate or a lapel badge but you will finish confident that you have tasted in the region of 60 wines over the course and have a far better view of what wines please your palate the most.

If you’re interested in signing up, the course runs on consecutive Wednesdays from the 27^th January at 8pm until 9^th March.  That is actually a 7 week period as we take a one week half term at the same time as the schools take the week off.  It costs £150 per person and is starting to fill up – many people have taken fliers (see attached) so if you want to confirm your seat at the table then you can either reply to this email or give us a call on 020 8944 5224 – our dedicated sales team will be able to answer any questions you may have (yes Wayne, that’s you).

But hang on; you may be thinking, what about Kate and Peter, what were they singing about?

Well, I have to tell you, honestly, that neither Kate Bush nor Peter Gabriel has been on our course.  Theirs was a song to remind us that, in spite of it being January, with the festive season well buried, we still have friends out there.  We also see it as an imploring suggestion not to abstain in January, or perhaps we’re being unusually fanciful…

… because why would you abstain when we are offering our annual 6 for 5 deal?  Yes indeed, for the sixth year running we will be offering six bottles for the price of five or, if you prefer, 16.66% discount off a case of six bottles, mixed or all the same.  This offer doesn’t include Cristal or the James Bond Bollinger but everything else is fair game – even San Pellegrino, if you are abstaining but still like a deal!

Reasons to be cheerful, part 3 crooned Ian Dury in 1979 – and even though it’s cold and very January outside, we’re inclined to agree!

Fellow Wine Lovers,

It’s the Thirty First day of December, the last day of 2015,the last day of the festive season. There’s plenty of news but we didn’t want to talk about Lemmy, Bill Cosby or flooding disasters.  We didn’t even want talk about the cricket, or Leicester City, or FIFA.  We wanted to try and keep sport and news out of our newsletter for once and as you can see, it’s worked a treat.

For many it is a time of reflection and review and this will include a number of high street wine merchants who will publish a splendid selection of spurious figures relating to double digit growth in wines beginning with the letter M, or some other such irrelevance.

This growth, we will read with tingles of excitement, comes from renewed emphasis on strengthening these wines position at the centre of the alphabet, the go-to letter, the letter of the MoMent. Hidden behind tales of this growth will be some trifling small print relating to a 17% decline in earnings and a subsequent share price drop blah, blah, blah – but that is not what the papers want to hear, not now, not at the end of the year, not on the last day of 2015, not with everybody in such a good Mood – with a capital M.

With review in mind I thought I might look at some of our stats for the year, with appropriate analysis.

Calendar performance

The Quietest day of the year was Monday 9^th February, which should be noted, was Wayne’s day off.  Further poor performers that followed up were a couple of days in January and lots in August.  Alex was on holiday in August.

Busiest day – Saturday 19^th December – we were both here…

Product performance

Top selling products was a disappointment in some respects. Sales of English sparkling wine, Romanian Pinot Noir and Rivaner from Luxembourg, whilst strong, were not enough to promote them to the top ten; however we did see 5 new entries this year, which is great news:

Lunetta Prosecco and Chateau de L’Aumerade Provence Rose took the top two spots, unsurprising considering their enduring popularity and the fact we have had some very pleasant weather this year.

Camden Town Brewery Hells Lager, Paulaner Munchner Hell Munich Lager and Sambrooks Wandle Ale took 3^rd, 4^th and 8^th places – beer always ranks well as people usually buy numerous bottles and interestingly the appeal of lager still outweighs the rise of Pale Ale.

Leveret IQ Brut, Cuvee JP Jean Paul Rose, Gavi di Gavi Sarotto and Macon Charnay Reserve Personelle were all new entries and further bolster the supposition that the weather had a very positive impact.

The last member of our top ten is a perennial favourite, Champagne Moutard Grand Cuvee, our house Champagne and the one we’ll be opening today to help it push up the rankings even more.

Interestingly, we sold almost double the amount of red wine than white wine from a value point of view, yet not a single red wine appears in the top ten!

Staff performance

For the fifth year running Wayne was star performer, he now gets to keep the medal and his till number, #1, will be retired with him but not too soon we hope!

Alex claimed second position, again for the fifth year running. Could do better.

Mention must be made of Rufus, the downstairs-dwelling dog, who turned up for work everyday at 11am for 38 weeks of the year and still failed to sell a single product or catch a mouse.

Finally, this computer deserves a mention for sheer graft: for, when not being used for work it is either playing Spotify, Sky Sports or Channel 4 racing – making it undoubtedly our most valuable member of staff!

Conclusion

Thanks to much valued support over the years, we’ve now just completed our sixth Christmas on Arthur Road. We can’t thank everyone individually but you know who you are and we know who you are, and we also know what wines you like, what wines you don’t like and whether you’d like us to deliver – it’s a perfect relationship which we hope will see us well into next year and beyond!

Notes

We will have wine open today as is our custom – Moutard Grande Cuvee (£28.99) will do it’s best to compete with last week’s Bollinger, Pieropan Soave Calvarino (£20.99) will represent the delicious white wine side, whilst the red representative has to be the out-of-this-world, Joan Giné Priorat 2009 (£22.19).

And that’s it from us for 2015 – Ben Kingsley, Val Kilmer, Richie McCaw, Anthony Hopkins, Alex Ferguson and anyone else who is celebrating a birthday today – here’s looking at you, kid!

Fellow Wine Lovers,

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out of the dawn there arose such a thought,

I’d left it to late and no wine had I bought.

Luckily for me twas just a bad dream,

And the Saturday before, to Park Vintners I’d been.

So with our apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, we’ll be pulling corks on…

Hoffman & Rathbone Rosé Reserve 2011 – £38.00

 Award winning English bubbles on a Saturday before Christmas – what’s not to like?

Stephane Aladame Montagny 1er Cru Selection Vieilles Vignes 2012 – £25.99

 Stéphane Aladame is one of the rising stars of the younger generation of French vignerons, already attracting a considerable amount of attention in France…

This wine is from his oldest vines, 50% fermented in oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel vats. Crisp, medium-bodied, with a vibrant, intense core of citrus and stone fruit alongside a firm mineral zip that continues through the long finish. Delicious for drinking now and over the next couple of years.

Fattoria Le Corti Principe Corsini Cortevecchia Chianti Classico 1996 Toscana – £30.99

 A fourteenth century estate, still in the hands of the original family, that produces critically acclaimed wine year in year out. Sometimes they keep some back and release it as a ‘museum’ release. This is one of those, lovely rounded and complex with that mixture of fruit and secondary characters, drinking beautifully!

Diane de Belgrave 2010 Haut-Médoc – £22.49

This is the very classy second wine of Chateau Belgrave, a fifth growth in Haut-Médoc. It’s 52% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance made up of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Rich with raspberry and blackberry notes, a touch of liquorice and some fine polished tannins. Good and long in the finish with a smattering of vanilla.

SUNDAY OPENING – This Sunday we’ll be open from 11am to 3pm.

That’s all from us folks, you know where to find us!!!