We concentrate on top-domaine wines from Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Southern France, working very closely with such sought-after winemakers as Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Jean-Marie Fourrier, Gérard Gauby and Daniel Ravier (Tempier), amongst [...]]]> A&B Vintners claim to be one of the leading independent specialist wine merchants with a focus on specific areas of France:

We concentrate on top-domaine wines from Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Southern France, working very closely with such sought-after winemakers as Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Jean-Marie Fourrier, Gérard Gauby and Daniel Ravier (Tempier), amongst many others.

Such focus allows us to visit the regions and growers on a regular basis, in the cellar and the vines. As a small team, we are all very familiar with the wines upon which we stake our reputation and the personalities who make them. In short, we sell the bottles we enjoy and drink ourselves at home.

This is a merchant for those afficionados who know their wines and are prepared to pay premium prices for premium wines. The 2010 Wine List is on the website, but online ordering is not offered and is probably not appropriate for such select wines.
But the site does offer some great content on the selected growers, including videos of discussions with winemakers in the atmospheric surroundings of their cellars.
UK Delivery = £18.00

No tastings currently offered
A&B Vintners Little Tawsden, Spout Lane, Brenchley Kent TN12 7AS   t: 01892 724977

Many regard this region as offering some of the best value and most underrated wines in France. This is your chance to find out. We will taste round the region looking at the contrasting wines some of the [...]]]> Corks of Cotham in Bristol are holding a tasting of Rhone wines on 9 April 2009.

Many regard this region as offering some of the best value and most underrated wines in France. This is your chance to find out. We will taste round the region looking at the contrasting wines some of the sub regions have on offer. Small dishes served to match.

£30
For more info see Corks of Cotham 54 Cotham Hill, Cotham , Bristol BS6 6JX
T:/F: 0117 973 1620 E: Dominic@corksof.com

Please note the following change:-

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to change the date of our upcoming tasting.

The Wines of the Rhone Tasting will now be held at Culinaria on Chandos Road from 7pm,

On Wednesday the 8^th April.

If you are booked to attend please let us know if you are still able to come.

Our next tasting program will be announced very shortly.

Regards from

Corks of Cotham

sale@corksof.com

Wine is [...]]]> The Institut Francais, a french version of the British Council, holds regular tutored tastings of French wines at their premises in Central London. This is part of an ongoing series, and whilst previous sessions have included a “Tour de France” and “Evaluating Quality” there remain some interesting sessions in the 2007/8 programme.

Wine is vital to French culture, as we hope to show during these exclusive wine tasting sessions. We aim to make them as informative and enjoyable as possible.

Our Regular Sessions are conceived as an introduction to an area, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy or the South, while Special Tastings are more specialised and focus on cépages and types of wine.

Each session starts at 7.00pm, lasts about 2 hours and takes place in the Institut’s beautiful wood panelled library.

Classic’ Red Wines of Burgundy (28 April 2008)
The Loire Valley (12 May 2008)
Vin Rosé (2 June 2008)
Fine White Wines of Burgundy (16 June 2008)

But beware, you do need to book well in advance – and there is a charge (discount for members).

Institut Francais, 17 Queensberry Place, London SW7 2DT – box.office@ambafrance.org.uk

Almost next door was the second treat at Roberson Wine [...]]]> On numerous visits to various exhibitions at London’s Olympia in West Kensington I would indulge in 2 diversions – firstly the Bristol car showroom (368 Kensington High St) where James Bond- style sports cars were on display looking fine, polished, elegant and very desirable!

Almost next door was the second treat at Roberson Wine Merchants (348 Kensington High Street W14) which provided a welcome break from the usually frantic atmosphere of the exhibition hall. This was always a delight with an impressive range of wines – yes some very classy and expensive Burgundies and Bordeaux, but always some interesting discoveries from both the New World and Old World – and usualy some keenly priced binends. I never left without a couple of bottles to manhandle on the train home together with the piles of literature you tend to amass at exhibitions.

Fifteen years ago we began the business of building up what we believe to be the finest place to buy wine in London. From the start, we knew the ingredients; a range of Bordeaux and Burgundies unparalled in all of the city, wines imported from undiscovered producers of fantastic quality and people with the knowledge and enthusiasm to champion the cause of good wine.

Today we continue to believe in the same things. As High Streets are slowly being transformed into one faceless chain we believe there is an ever-growing need for the individual and specialist store. Roberson remain passionate advocates of wines from all over the world that offer value, character and substance. As an independent we are under no obligation to buy any particular producer’s wines. We don’t offer big brands of no discernable merit other than a large marketing budget; we simply choose wines that we like, wines that speak of place and individuality.

The shop, although in modern building, nevertheless has a cool and peaceful atmosphere with stone floors and a basement where they hold regular tastings usually about once a fortnight

Good informative website with online ordering and offers.
UK Delivery = £6.95

Tastings offered

Roberson Wine Merchant.  348 Kensington High Street, London W14 8NS Tel 020 7371 212
(nearest Tube: Kensington Olympia)

Waitrose will be featuring 13 specially sourced small parcel wines from a wide range of less well-known appellations like Quincy, Bergerac, Provence and Lirac and the [...]]]> The French Wine Festival at Waitrose (online and in its stores) runs from 26 March to 27 April 2008 and will feature a total of 48 wines.

Waitrose will be featuring 13 specially sourced small parcel wines from a wide range of less well-known appellations like Quincy, Bergerac, Provence and Lirac and the wonderfully unusual Pierre Boniface Domaine des Rocailles Apremont de Savoie 2007 and La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2005 Provence.

Some highlights:

Champagne Taittinger Rose NV, save £7, £38.99 – £31.99 (A delightfully fresh and youthful pink champagne with mouth-wateringly delicate flavours of crushed wild raspberries and red cherries, perfect forearly summer as an aperitif or with strawberries. )

Vouvray AC Champteloup Vieux Vauvert 2006/07 Vouvray, 20% off, £5.99 – £4.79 (A fine, medium Chenin from the tuffeau terroir properties around the towns of Vouvray and Rochecorbon, famous for the production of these deliciously soft-textured, waxy wines.)

Bergerac AC Domaine des Eyssards Bergerac Rouge 2005 25% off, £5.99 – £4.49 (Another brilliant wine from Pascal Cuisset of Domaine des Eyssards in Bergerac. A traditional Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend yet with a soft,almost modern generosity in the mid-palate.)

Mercurey AC Blanc 2006, Philippe Hardi, 20% off, £13.99- £10.99 (A Burgundy Chardonnay using a combination of modern cool-ferment vinification followed by malolactic in barrel where the wine stays for a year, with regular lees stirring, to achieve theunmistakeable classic Burgundy signature with some modern fruit expression.)

Quincy AC (Loire) Domaine de la Pierre qui Danse 2006 Quincy, 20% off, £8.99 – £7.19. (Simple delicate, grassy style from this Domaine with its pretty name, the land of the dancing stones.)

Apremont de Savoie AC Pierre Boniface Domaine des Rocailles 2007, 20% off, £7.49 – £5.99 (a refreshing citrus acidity and a light grapefruit flavour.)

Lirac AC Domaine du Joncier 2005 Rhône, save 1/3, £8.99 – £5.99 (The Domaine is run by the charming Marine Roussell, who featured last year in Oz and James’ Great Wine Adventure. The wine is dense and beefy, with a good deal of brooding rich fruit and great concentration.)

Bandol AC La Bastide Blanche 2005 Provence, 25% off, £11.99 – £8.99 (Hugely impressive example of this most remarkable of appellations using the traditional Mourvedre grape as the backbone to the wine. …it encompasses the spice and complexities of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan as well as the black, damson fruit of Mourvedre andSyrah.)

Minervois AC Château Maris Organic Syrah 2006, 25% off, £7.99 – £5.99 (An extremely lively Syrah from the irrepressible Bertie Eden at his Biodynamic estate in the Minervois. This is full of bright and peppery raspberry fruit, with a twist of liquorice and is a highly drinkable style.)

Waitrose Wine Direct

For one week only, we are offering 15% off a large selection of wines from our main list. This is no ordinary sale and these [...]]]> Online French specialists Leon Stolarski Fine Wines offer new classics from Languedoc, Roussillon, Southern Rhone and Beaujolais (and South West France, Loire, Alsace…..) and have a special offer available:

For one week only, we are offering 15% off a large selection of wines from our main list. This is no ordinary sale and these are not bin-ends, but represent genuine reductions on 60-odd of the very best wines from our core list. But hurry – this offer ends on 31 March 2008!

You can download their sale price list HERE – but hurry as the sale only lasts until 31 arch 2008!

This mouth-filling red is packed with rich, juicy [...]]]> A red Cotes de Ventoux AOC (France) from Paul Boutinot called “Chat-en-Oeuf” (roughly translated as “cat in egg”, but also a word play on Chateauneuf”) is now available and with every bottle purchased you help the RSPCA in its mission to protect animals.

This mouth-filling red is packed with rich, juicy and ripe berry fruit flavours, a touch of soft tannin and a subtle twist of spice. It is made from selected parcels of old vine Grenache and Syrah (aka Shiraz) – two grape varieties grown extensively in the Rhône region of France.

Chat-en-Oeuf is available in Waitrose, Morrisons, Budgens, selected Spar stores, EH Booths and NISA stores. Alternatively, you can place an order online at www.buythecase.co.uk and take advantage of an exclusive RSPCA customer offer!

From Vineyards Direct is the brainchild of David Campbell and Esme Johnstone who write that their intention is to offer [...]]]> The aim of From Vineyards Direct is simple – to bring you very special, high quality wines at prices well below traditional outlets, and to provide you with the highest level of service possible.

From Vineyards Direct is the brainchild of David Campbell and Esme Johnstone who write that their intention is to offer a small number of delicious drinking wines, principally from France, but not exclusively, imported direct from the growers and delivered to your door at the click of a mouse.

“We aim to be 20% or more cheaper than through traditional channels.”

The wine list, when we looked, numbered 38 products. Mostly hailing from Burgundy the wines include bottles from Spain and Italy too. There are a range of mixed cases too.

While delivery is free in the UK the minimum order quantity might put you off, especially as the range is so small – Minimum total order is 2 cases (24 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for the UK and 5 cases (60 bottles of 75cl equivalent) for Northern Ireland.

Finally, there is a company prepared to speak to women as wine connoisseurs and not winos. Finally, there is a company prepared to [...]]]> Women of Great Britain prepare for a collective sigh of relief, as wineSight introduces its stylish and sophisticated range of French wines, under the Sublimelle brand, targeting stylish and sophisticated ladies.

Finally, there is a company prepared to speak to women as wine connoisseurs and not winos.
Finally, there is a company prepared to call time on a male-dominated wine market.
Finally, there is a portfolio of high quality French wine targeting women who appreciate wine for what it really is – a pleasure to be enjoyed and experienced.

A team of professionals combining wine know-how and marketing expertise with export knowledge created Sublimelle by wineSight to address the individual preferences of women without relying on patronising and over-familiar marketing messages. There is no need for the jokes, images of distressed housewives or lingerie, which are so readily relied upon by other alcoholic drinks brands squarely aimed at women. Instead, wineSight prefers to let the wine do the talking.

Following numerous taste tests with women, 25 wines from key regions across France such as Bourgogne, Languedoc and Alsace, have been selected from an original list of 400, which were pre-selected by wineSight’s expert Frederic Auriol who has 20 years of wine industry experience. Sublimelle carries colourful but subtle labels providing straight-talking details such as brief tasting notes, food matching, and information about the origin of the grape variety.

The dumbing down of wine for women has thankfully come to the end of the line with the introduction of the Sublimelle range. Over the past year or so, brands for women has focused on making wine lower in calories, lower in alcohol and lower in flavour, despite the fact that more and more women have become interested in trading up to a higher quality glass of wine as a well-deserved indulgence.

We’ve all heard the statistics pointing to women buying and consuming more wine than men in many countries around the world. Studies have also proven that many women prefer smooth, supple and subtle wines offering a delicate combination of flavours, while men, especially before reaching ‘expert’ levels, tend to prefer full-bodied wines.

For women, the scent of the wine is crucial, while men focus on the palate. Women tend to seek the full wine experience: who we’re with, what we’re eating, and how we feel. Yet, the market continues to be dominated by brands aimed at men, alongside a handful of wines for women, many of which fall short of the mark when it comes to style, taste and finesse.

wineSight appreciates that there is no need to over-complicate matters: the French produce excellent wine; British women like to treat themselves to a delicious glass or two, and are impressed by taste rather than wine snobbery.

Currently, the wines are available for sale online at http://www.chateauselect.co.uk/SublimelleIntro.htm with no minimum order. Since the company’s arrival in Great Britain in November 2007, wineSight has developed relationships with some of the leading bars and restaurants in London, which are keen to capitalise on women’s increasing interest in higher quality wines on their night out.

wineSight aims to plug the huge gap in the on-trade market for stylish and sophisticated products for women that are free from snobbery and jargon – without the patronising marketing pitch. The brand Sublimelle is also proving popular with leading hotel chains and airlines as a way of reaching female customers with an exclusive and targeted offering. wineSight plans to be involved in a series of events more specifically dedicated to women from fashion shows to networking lunches and business conferences.

“in a recent, mass, blind tasting of 15,000 wines from [...]]]> Clos des Papes has been proclaimed by the Independent as “The best wine in the world”.; well not the Independent exactly but following up on Wine Spectator magazine proclaiming the Clos des Papes 2005 as the best wine, quickly followed by the 2004 vintage:

“in a recent, mass, blind tasting of 15,000 wines from all over the globe by the American magazine, Wine Spectator, it was the relatively unknown Clos des Papes 2005, a red wine from Château-neuf-du-Pape, near Avignon, in the Rhône valley, which came out on top. Value for money was taken into consideration but also sheer quality (98 marks out of 100) and a subjective element labelled simply “excitement”.”

The producer, M. Avril, makes only two wines (a red and a white). The red is a blend of six different kinds of grapes, grown on 24 different pieces of ground – to fulfil his own “instinct” for how to “express” the qualities of the grapes, the terroirs and the year. He is not trying to produce a “Parker” wine or a “Spectator” wine but a Clos des Papes.

What the Independent fails to say is where to buy these acclaimed wines; a little on-line research shows it ain’t easy to find!

Speciality Wine –
Clos des PapeRhones 2005 £89 per bottle
Clos des Papes 2004 £48
Clos des Papes 2003 £58

Berry Brothers
Clos des Papes – sold out

A & B Vintners
2004/2005 – price not displayed on website

Wine Society
Clos des Papes 2002 – £23

Lay and Wheeler
Clos des Papes 2004 – £32.70

Blenheim Fine Wines (case sales only)
Clos des Papes 2002 – £22.10

Flying Corkscrew
Clos du Papes 2004 – £41 (online case sales only)

En Primeur
Clos du Papes 2001 – £30.80 (case sales only)

M. Avrion says that his wines should be kept for at least six to eight years before they are drunk. He is selling his 2001 vintage – now ready to drink – at €50 a bottle. Although the 2005 is all sold, he reckons the 2006, to be bottled in the new year, and the 2007 are equally good, “if not better”. Eighty per cent of his wine is sold abroad, including 15 per cent to Britain, the biggest buyer outside France.

What sets The French Wine People apart from the dozens of other smaller French specialists, apart from a nicely designed website?

Some of the more eclectic wines include a Savagnin from the Jura, [...]]]> Based in Matlock in Derbyshire, The French Wine People are importers of wines from across the regions of France.

What sets The French Wine People apart from the dozens of other smaller French specialists, apart from a nicely designed website?

Some of the more eclectic wines include a Savagnin from the Jura, a good range of aged Armagnac’s and Cognacs and I notice, of all things, a Cave amongst the sparkling/Champagne listings. The dessert wine section has a few non-French infiltrators – the Brown Brothers range from Australia and stickies from Germany and California.

Nice to see a pink Sancerre and unusual blends from Cabardes too.

Prices range from £4.50 right up to £100 plus for the top Clarets but generally sit below the £15 mark. The range is not huge but does appear to be very selective and personally chosen.

Postage is ‘at cost’ working out at £9.95 per parcel fro most of the UK but is free within 20 miles of Matlock.

The French Wine People
Hopton Courtyard
7 Snitterton Road
Matlock
Derbyshire DE4 3LZ