News

17th August 2016

Tweet your perfect platter to win a case of Garage Wine Co.

A nod to Bordeaux’s garagistes, Garage Wine Co. is an antidote to the big, established brands that dominate the Chilean wine market. Canadian Derek Mossman Knapp started the company with the idea of making premium Chilean wine on a small scale, by hand with his family. His initial customer base of friends and family soon grew, with an increasing number of individuals and restaurants clamouring for his bold and beautiful wines. But despite growing in size, Garage Wine Co. has always stuck firmly to its handmade...

17th August 2016

in Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

Cidre Le Brun – the real Breton cider

Cidre Le Brun first grabbed our attention in 2015 when it won both the medium and sweet cider trophies at IWC’s International Cider Challenge. And when we tried it, we knew we were onto something special. The purity of fruit and textured mouthfeel were a real revelation about what well-made cider could be. Founded by Jean Le Brun in 1955 on the tip of Brittany, Cidre Le Brun is a cider-maker’s cider. Production is slow, at six months from orchard to bottle, and uses 100% hand-picked...

Pierre Bise Savennieres, Lageder Porer Pinot Grigio, Gaja Toscana Vistamare

17th August 2016

in Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

Textured whites for long summer nights

We’ve still got some long summer evenings ahead of us and what better way to spend them than outside, with a cool glass of something delicious. But moving on from those quick and zippy aperitif styles, we’ve selected three of our favourite textured whites to be lingered over and pondered as the shadows grow longer. Classic Chenin from the Loire Pierre Bise Savennieres Clos de Coulaine Claude Papin 2013 Evolving brilliantly, this will be a star performer with cheese. Match it with a tangy goat’s cheese or an...

3rd August 2016

in Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

Cotes de Gascogne – musketeers and wine pioneers

Home of Alexandre Dumas’ Three Musketeers, the Cotes de Gascogne has plenty to offer swashbuckling gastronomic adventurers. In this under-celebrated region, fields of sunflowers stretch lazily towards the southern French sun and foie gras isn’t so much a luxury as a way of life. This is the home of rich confit duck, mountains of charcuterie, sticky prunes and Armagnac. And the wines are equally exuberant. From crisp, dry whites to rich, full-bodied reds, they offer superb value for money compared to their Bordeaux equivalents. It’s a...

11th July 2016

in Producer Stories, Promotions

by Jessica Broadbent

Tomas Cusine – a maverick in Catalan

Tomas Cusine worked for many years at his family’s iconic estate Castell del Remei, a producer very much responsible for driving international interest in Catalan wines over the last 20 years. However, in 2002 Tomas decided to forge his own way, setting up his very own eponymous winery in Spain’s Costers del Segre. Located in the village of El Vilosell, at the southern end of Costers del Segre, Tomas crafts incredibly fresh wines using a range of grape varieties and combining early picked fruit with riper,...

11th July 2016

in Market trends, Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

Artisan Tequila sales grow by 50%

Tequila is the fastest-growing spirits category in UK retail, currently experiencing 13% growth. While this Mexican spirits category still only constitutes a tiny fraction of the market, it is rapidly premiumising and shedding its image as a cheap party shot. While sales are growing across all price segments, it is the ultra-premium category registering the most success, rising 50% in the last year alone. With the current craft spirits revolution, tequila producers have seen the opportunity to focus on more artisan methods of production, using 100% Blue...

5th July 2016

in Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

Charles Smith – Rock ‘n’ Roll wines from Washington’s Walla Walla

Hellraiser-turned-winemaker Charles Smith is the ‘rock star’ of Washington State Syrah. Having spent 11 years managing rock bands in Scandinavia, he headed back to his native United States to pursue a life-long passion for food and wine by opening a wine shop near Seattle. But it was only after he met a young French winemaker on a road trip to nearby Walla Walla that he thought about making his own. The aim was to create wines that can be enjoyed now, but with variety and vineyard...

5th July 2016

in Producer Stories

by Jessica Broadbent

P&F Wineries – Quality-driven wines from Slovenia

Despite a long history of winemaking spanning back to pre-Roman times, you’ve probably not heard much about Slovenian wine. Which is a shame. Because a drive towards quality in the last couple of decades has resulted in some exceptional winemaking, available at a fraction of the cost of the country’s better-known wine-producing neighbours. Landscape and heritage Bordered by Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia’s stunning landscape is characterised by the foothills of the Italian Alps, which smooth out into gentle hillsides with wide valleys and rivers. The...

22nd June 2016

in Producer Stories, Promotions

by Elona Hesseling

Capture the spirit of Brazil this summer

With the 2016 Rio Olympics just around the corner, this summer is going to be all about harnessing the noise and colour of one of the world’s most famous party capitals. And what better way to celebrate than with some Brazilian wine. Starting out as a rather niche presence in the UK market, the popularity of Brazilian wine exploded when Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014, with sales more than quadrupling compared to the previous year. Now the fifth largest producer in the southern hemisphere,...

20th June 2016

in Producer Stories, Promotions

by Jessica Broadbent

Protos – elegant and refined Ribera del Duero

Founded in 1927, Protos takes its name from the fact it was the first company to make wine in Ribera del Duero. And it chose the area’s most impressive landmark for its winery. Penafiel Castle dates back to the 15th century and its imposing facade conceals 2.5km of tunnels, which provide the perfect environment for row upon row of oak barrels for ageing. In glorious juxtaposition to this monument is their state-of-the-art winery, which sits in front of the castle. Designed by British Architect Sir...