Fellow Wine Lovers,<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been an admin week this week.\u00a0 More correctly it\u2019s been an admin week for Wayne this week.\u00a0 One of the joys of him going on holiday for a fortnight is not just the fact that I get to sit in the boss\u2019s big leather chair, put my feet on the desk and smoke his cigars but also I get to cherry pick the jobs I do.\u00a0 This tends to mean that I do lots of tastings, less paperwork and certainly no admin.<\/p>\n
\u2018You wouldn\u2019t believe how busy I\u2019ve been over the last two weeks, I\u2019ve barely had a chance to sit down\u2019<\/em>, I lie, whilst dusting footmarks off his desk, \u2018 so I never quite managed to get all the office stuff done \u2013 don\u2019t suppose you could have a look through this pile please, see if anything is urgent?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n Anyway, in the midst of all this paperwork were some follow up requirements regarding the AWRS.\u00a0 Of course, you all know what this stands for but, just to confirm, AWRS stands for Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme.\u00a0 Quoting from gov.uk this is \u2018a requirement for anyone who, sells, offers or exposes for sale or arranges to sell alcohol to other businesses on or after the point at which excise duty is payable, to be approved by HM Revenue and Customs\u2019.\u00a0 All very exciting \u2013 another layer of bureaucracy but one intended to eradicate the black market and ensure that contraband\/fake alcohol doesn\u2019t get onto the high street.<\/p>\n So, anyway, we don\u2019t do much wholesale but applied to register months back.\u00a0 Consequently, this week, Wayne was required to spend half an hour on the phone with an HMRC representative, explaining our business activities.\u00a0 It seems they know quite a lot about us, HMRC.\u00a0 But in a good way \u2013 we pay our VAT, we pay our bills, we\u2019re not in jail and we don\u2019t look likely to go there in the near future.\u00a0 The conversation Wayne had with the helpful chap from HMRC also revolved around things a wholesaler shouldn\u2019t do, loopholes that shouldn\u2019t be taken advantage of, rules that should not be bent and basically temptations he shouldn\u2019t be led into.<\/p>\n He took notes.<\/p>\n He then went out to dinner with his financial adviser and met with some overseas investors keen to import their spirits into the UK but equally keen to avoid too much attention from the powers that be.\u00a0 Armed with his notes from earlier he confirmed, on hidden tape as it transpired later, that he could take advantage of various loopholes, bypass some rules and would be genuinely happy to represent these investors interests here for a paltry \u00a3400,000.\u00a0 He also said some indiscreet things about Prince William and the Euro\u2019s…….<\/p>\n … No, of course he didn\u2019t do or say any of this, that would be a stupid thing to do, having only just registered for the AWRS 67 days ago and having just had the rules outlined to him very, very clearly regarding what he can and cannot do.\u00a0 \u00a3400,000 is just not enough money to make him throw away his whole career \u2013 he would be a dope to even consider it.<\/p>\n In other news, Sam Allardyce is on a last minute holiday to the Costa Blanca.<\/p>\n Muppet.<\/p>\n Things to do as the nights draw in<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Lots of different options available here.\u00a0 Drink more red wine.\u00a0 Eat more casserole.\u00a0 Play less tennis.\u00a0 Drink less Ros\u00e9.\u00a0 Watch more TV.\u00a0 Take up sewing.\u00a0 Or Yoga.\u00a0 Run less.<\/p>\n Alternatively you could spend a couple of evenings at your favourite local wine shop, making use of our electricity and heating whilst eating cheese or tasting Whisky.<\/p>\n Yep, we have a couple of upcoming tastings that still have spaces on them.<\/p>\n Next Thursday, 6th<\/sup> October at 8pm<\/strong>, we have our first Wine & Cheese<\/strong> of the new season \u2013 back by popular demand after a summer of leisure \u2013 and at a mere \u00a320 per person<\/strong> you not only get electricity and heating but you get copious amounts of cheese and some fab wine to.\u00a0 I\u2019m definitely going, care to join me \u2013 4 spaces left, if you fancy bringing some pals?<\/p>\n Then later, on Wednesday, 23rd<\/sup> November at 8pm<\/strong>, we have our Whisky Masterclass<\/strong>.\u00a0 We\u2019ve never done a spirits tasting before and it seems we\u2019ve been missing a trick.\u00a0 In fairness we\u2019re not actually doing it this time as we\u2019ve coerced our Whisky expert, Ed, to come and take us on a malty tour of the auld country.\u00a0 Again, \u00a320 per person <\/strong>is the cost and, frankly, Ed is worth much, much more!<\/p>\n If you fancy either or both of these then please let us know as soon as you know \u2013 we\u2019d hate for you to be disappointed.<\/p>\n Thursday 6th October at 8pm – \u00a320 per person<\/strong><\/p>\n WINE & CHEESE TASTING<\/strong><\/p>\n Wednesday 23rd November at 8pm \u2013 \u00a320 per person<\/strong><\/p>\n WHISKY MASTERCLASS<\/strong><\/p>\n Things to do during the day on Saturday<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Clearly children need to be driven to sports events in far flung villages, dogs need to be walked and shirts need to be taken to the dry cleaners but, as they say in the gambling adverts, when the fun stops, stop!\u00a0 So, once you\u2019ve finished these activities why don\u2019t you pop by and see us, have a chat with Alex about the Ryder Cup, have a chat with Wayne about Revenue & Customs and have a taste of the wines we\u2019ve got open.<\/p>\n In order to avoid creating Ryder Cup waves, we won\u2019t be tasting any European or American wines this weekend.\u00a0 We will be visiting Australia instead and, having considered some of the events of the past week, we will be tasting the two of the aptly named Accomplice<\/em> wines by de Bortoli.\u00a0 The white is Semillon\/Sauvignon and the red is a Shiraz.\u00a0 They both retail for \u00a38.99 and by goodness, they\u2019re fair dinkum tasty!<\/p>\n Time for me to go before I get done for cultural appropriation \u2013 see you at the tasting table!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fellow Wine Lovers, It\u2019s been an admin week this week.\u00a0 More correctly it\u2019s been an admin week for Wayne this week.\u00a0 One of the joys of him going on holiday for a fortnight is not just the fact that I get to sit in the boss\u2019s big leather chair, put my feet on the desk 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