Independent wine merchant Dorjes of Warwick always finds some truly interesting wines from around the World qnd will be offering an extensive selection to taste at the Grand Christmas tasting on 10 November 2010.

This year’s tasting will be at The Granville in Barford and as usual we’ll presenting more than 80 wines, [...]]]>

Independent wine merchant Dorjes of Warwick always finds some truly interesting wines from around the World qnd will be offering an extensive selection to taste at the Grand Christmas tasting on 10 November 2010.

This year’s tasting will be at The Granville in Barford and as usual we’ll presenting more than 80 wines, Champagnes and ports, with experts on hand to answer any questions and offer advice. This year we’ll also be introducing a range of great quality spirits at very competitive prices, perfect for fending off the cold as winter sets in. Not only that, but we’ll be joined by Ian Sparrow from Hook Norton Brewery who will be offering the opportunity to taste their complete range of delicious bottled ales.

Proprietors Alistair and Jayne aim to introduce the most beautiful wines in the World! And the search includes wines from THAILAND!

Tickets  £10 (refundable on orders over £100 taken on the night), either from the website, or by telephoning 01926 430550.

Dorje’s Wine Limited, Unit 4, Rigby Close, Heathcote Industrial Estate, Warwick, CV34 6TH

t: 01926 430550 e: info@dorjes.co.uk

Hyde Park Wines hand picks just a few wines with special emphasis on “Fizz and Stickies” and also trades under the name “Wines for Spice”.Warren Edwardes has often won wine tasting competitions and is the winner of the Pol [...]]]> Hyde Park Wines is an independent online wine merchant with a slightly unusual offering -

Hyde Park Wines hand picks just a few wines with special emphasis on “Fizz and Stickies” and also trades under the name “Wines for Spice”.Warren Edwardes has often won wine tasting competitions and is the winner of the Pol Roger Cup 2004 for blind wine tasting as part of the London Business School Alumni team.

With sections for Wines for SPICE, “sticky wines” and vegan/vegetarian wines this is specialising beyond that which most merchants would venture. The website is also a little unusual with navigation tending to point the customer to a specific style of wine – and online ordering which is a bit “clunky.”

UK Delivery=£10.00

Plenty of tastings offered in conjunction with the Association of Small Direct Wine Merchants (ASDW)

Hyde Park Wines Limited 3 Hyde Park Steps St. George’s Fields London W2 2YQ, UK   t: 020 7724 4606

Firstly there is the Moscato Spumante from Sacco. Thie wine from Piedmont is made from the Moscato grape  – the Italian for Muscat: “A lovely sweet, fragrant [...]]]> LeBonvin wine merchants have some nice Italian sparkling wines which would be great whenever we get a good summer’s day in the garden or with the BBQ.

Firstly there is the Moscato Spumante from Sacco. Thie wine from Piedmont is made from the Moscato grape  – the Italian for Muscat: “A lovely sweet, fragrant sparkling wine with an intense & fruity perfume.” £4.99

Then there is a Prosecco Borgo Molino Brut – in a different class really - “Spumante made from the exclusive selection of prosecco grapes. Pale straw-yellow colour, fine perlage, rich and fragrant bouquet, dry to the taste with a pleasantly-bitter undertone.” (£7.99 if you buy 3 bottles)

Made in North East Italy, the Prosecco grape is a late-ripening variety which provides the wine with more elegance and depth of flavour, whilst sull remaining frest and light.

For more info see www.lebonvin.co.uk

10% off all Champagne – use the special code Champers

8% off all Sparkling Wines – use the special code Sparkling

And spend more than £200 and get a £25 discount [...]]]> Online wine merchant Vin Vino is offering some interesting discounts until 31 Dec 2008 when you use some special codes on the order:-

10% off all Champagne – use the special code Champers

8% off all Sparkling Wines – use the special code Sparkling

And spend more than £200 and get a £25 discount using code vino25 – see whats on offer at Vin Vino Direct Ltd

So how wrong can you be – let’s not forget that Newcastle has [...]]]> Somehow you don’t expect to stumble across a purveyor of fine Champagne based in North-East England – Champagne seems almost too ephemeral for the down-to-earth Geordies, more suitable for sipping by the Thames at Henley than by the Tyne at Jarrow!

So how wrong can you be – let’s not forget that Newcastle has always had a vibrant night life, that the redevelopment of the riverside and the arrival of the Baltic Wharf art gallery and the Milennium Bridge have been great successes – I know I’d rather live in the North East than in London!

Lovely Bubbly (great name for a Champagne specialist):-

We are passionate about Champagne, and so are our partners. We deal with family run vineyards producing quality hand crafted champagnes.

Each one has it’s own characteristics and personality, unlike main stream large brand champagnes which are well known for a reason. Their quality is assured by factory-style or large scale production, which results in loss of character.

What we wanted was a Champagne that reflected the TLC given to it by it’s maker. We found more than one, and you can find them all in the Lovely Bubbly online shop.

What we have provided is a fantastic range of quality Premier and Grand Cru champagnes at realistic prices, coupled with unparalleled events management experience to provide you, the customer, a complete Champagne experience.

They certainly have a good range of fizz, including this spectacular art-deco style bottle Cuvée Juline from Georges Vesselle “Vintage of Vintages”, blended from the finest cuvees that the House of Georges Vesselle has. The wines used are all between 5 and 10 years old, a superb celebratory drink or aperitif.” (£46.85 a bottle). They also have less extravagant offerings from £22.99

So don’t go looking for any of the big name brands – these are carefully sourced from small independent growers, but there is plenty of information and advice on the site to help you choose. The “Champagne Expert” for example recommends that “Champagne is best served at between 6 and 10 degrees Celsius. This allows all the flavours and aromas to properly develop.”
Several of the producers warrant a listing in my French wine Bible – Guide Hachette des Vins de France 2008, which only includes wines which have been selected at blind tastings by wine experts.

Whilst some of their business will inevitably be for corporate hospitality, the site remains welcoming to private customers.

Lovely Bubbly – Henry Studdy House, 139 Bedeburn Road, Jarrow,Tyne & Wear, NE32 5AZ
Phone: 0845 2572754 Fax: 0709 2006711

The trip, on which winners will discover the ‘Route of Cava’, includes seven nights [...]]]> In Spain:-

This spring Time Out has teamed up with the Spanish-based Institut del Cava to offer one lucky wine enthusiast and a friend the chance to win a luxury, tailor-made, bacchanalian adventure to the beautiful Cava region of Spain.

The trip, on which winners will discover the ‘Route of Cava’, includes seven nights in five-star accommodation, chauffeur-driven visits to Cava bodegas, exclusive tasting sessions and delicious dinners in some of the regions top restaurants.

The perfect drink for warm summer evenings, Cava also makes the perfect accompaniment to any meal. ‘Cava’ is actually the Spanish term for the wine cellars and has been adopted as a generic name for high-quality, sparkling wines from Spain. Cava wines may be white or rosé, but never red!

In addition, four runners up will win an exclusive sampling case containg six bottles of assorted Cavas.(closing date 30 May 2008) To order an exclusive Cava sampling case, containing six quality bottles, call 01483 274 666 or email info@aawines.co.uk

In London:
Meanwhile until 15 June 2008 the Insititut del Cava is also offering a BOGOF (buy one get one free) glass of Cava at a rather impressive list of London gastropubs Should this gastropub twofer leave you longing for more, online Spanish wine peddlers, AA Wines, will sell six bottle Cava sampling cases during the same period – see http://londonist.com for more details of the participating grubpubs!

Oddbins has 20% off all sparking wines including CAVA until 8th June 2008, so for example Codorníu Cuvée Raventós Cava Brut NV is now £6.79 reduced from £8.49

Offering a whole host of vinous delights to taste and an opportunity to meet, in person, winemakers from all around the world. [...]]]> Oddbins and Nicolas come together for their annual wine fair on 17th & 18th May 2008 to be held at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club in west London.

Offering a whole host of vinous delights to taste and an opportunity to meet, in person, winemakers from all around the world.
It’s the perfect occasion to sample the Oddbins & Nicolas ranges of wines, in a professional yet fun environment, with the chance to learn more about the products on our shelves and the people behind them.

The event includes masterclasses on “Discover Argentina”, Bruichladdich whiskies, d’Arenberg winery (McLaren Vale, South Australia), Bordeaux, Champagnes and Anakena Ona winery (Chile)

Among many others, highlights at this year’s event include: d’Arenberg, Dashwood, De Bortoli, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Pernod Ricard, Paragon Vintners, Chapoutier, Montana, Lindauer, Cellar Trend, Masi, Cave de Tain, Gerard Bertrand, Taylor’s Port, Cillar De Silos El Quintalal, Jourdan Bordeaux, Cordoniu Wines, Bruichladdich Distillery, Inverhouse Distillery

Book your tickets (£25 11am – 5pm) ONLINE

We are located and run from offices in the heart of Spain. Spanish wine is our [...]]]> You would hope that sourcing your wines from their country of origin would guarentee the very best selection. I have no experience of the wines available from Spain in a Bottle but the range at least looks interesting.

We are located and run from offices in the heart of Spain. Spanish wine is our passion and we are dedicated to offering our customers some of the finest wine this country has to offer. All the varieties on offer are authentic, traditional wines created with the most modern of wine making techniques. Our wines are highly recommended and we believe the huge selection of Reds, Whites and Roses will delight every palate. Our selection really does reflect what Spanish people are choosing and drinking here in Spain. These are the wines the people of Spain not only drink but covet. These are the wines the Spanish seek out and keep for themselves. Indeed, these are the wines that define a country.

Prices on the site are listed in Euros, which doesn’t really help us non-Euro Brits. But the range – reds, whites and cavas spread across all the regions – certainly looks interesting.

Sadly though the delivery charge might put many people off ordering. With a minimum order of 6 bottles the delivery charge to the UK is the equivalent of £17 while a 12 bottle purchase will be just over £20. Ordering wines in the UK normally sees a delivery charge of under £10 a case.

See www.spaininabottle.com/

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.

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