One month down…

Posted on June 5, 2013 by

So Vino Vero has been open for a month (ish). What have we learned? Plenty:

Lots of people think we are ‘brave’ for opening an independent wine shop in the ‘current economic climate’ (what they really mean, but are far too polite to say of course, is that they don’t think it’s going to work). Maybe we are brave/foolish/naive but for every naysayer, there are several more who tell us that we are exactly what the area has been crying out for. Which is nice.

People are really excited about trying something new. Sure we’ve sold plenty of Malbec and NZ Sauv Blanc, but weird Languedoc blends, Maria Gomes, Bierzo and many other wines that are a bit more off the beaten path have been flying off the shelves too.

People really want to learn. A lot. I love it when customers ask ‘what is Biodynamics?’, ‘what does Crianza mean?’ etc. It’s great. That’s what we are here for. To help customers find out more about wine and discover some amazing bottles along the way.

People are prepared to spend a lot more on wine than we anticipated. When selecting which wines to stock we were very careful to make sure we had plenty in the £7.50-£10 range. And for the first couple of days that’s where a lot of our sales were. But almost immediately people started trading up. Our average bottle sold is now around £12-13. At that price point you can really taste the difference (if you’ll excuse the phrase) between mass-produced supermarket wines and what we are offering.

You can’t judge a book by its cover. This equally applies to wine and to the public.

That we have a lot more to learn. But will have a lot of fun doing it.

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Ponderings about wine scores

Posted on March 16, 2013 by

One of the most divisive subjects in wine is the issue of scoring. Although he may not have invented the concept, Robert Parker with his 100 point scale intended to give consumers a simple way of discovering good wines. And consumers listened. So much so that many winemakers changed their style to make wines that they thought Parker would like in the hope of getting a high score. It has recently become fashionable amongst wine bloggers to diss Robert Parker and his 100 point scale but do these sort of wine scores have a place in wine writing?

Well yes. And no.

It all depends on who you are writing for. If you are writing for the wine trade then a purely objective score can be useful. I still think 100 is too fine a resolution though. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone score a wine under 75 which kind of makes a mockery of the whole scale. For most consumers, a 100 point scale is meaningless. Do they really know the difference between a 91 point wine and a 92 point wine? Do they care? They’re both still good, right? I think most consumers don’t need or want anything more than a 5 point scale. On this blog I just use good, really good or wow but I’m essentially using a 5 point scale. In my head my scoring system works like this:

  1. Terrible. Faulty. Disgusting. I very rarely have the misfortune to drink wines like this and I would certainly never want to recommend them so I don’t write about them.
  2. Bad. Poorly made. Overly manipulated. Bland. I think a lot of the wines made on industrial scale wines fall into this category. Again I don’t write about them. I want this blog to be a happy place full of great wines.
  3. Good. Interesting. Well made. Now we’re getting somewhere. A wine that smells and tastes good, has some complexity and character. The sort of wine that I would go out and buy by the caseload (if I had the cash) and would drink every day (if I had the cash).
  4. Really good. Complex. Intense. Exciting. The sort of wine that I would save for a date night or some other occasion that justifies opening something a bit special. This stuff is probably going to be a bit more expensive and/or rarer so I keep these wines as a bit of a treat.
  5. Wow. Mind-blowing. Life-changing. Things will never be the same after trying one of these wines. You will love them and curse them in equal measures because now you just can’t go back to drinking the same old stuff you used to. These I save for really special occasions and live in a separate wine rack surrounded by barbed wire and infra red alarms in case anyone even goes near them without my permission.

And what about tasting wines blind? The received wisdom is that wines should be tasted blind and scored solely on what’s in the glass like some kind of pseudo-scientific experiment. But wine is not like any other drink. To me it really does matter who the producer is, their ethos, what methods they have used etc.  I enjoy a wine more if I know that it has been made in a sustainable way. I take enjoyment from the quirky little stories about winemakers. So the bank wouldn’t lend you the money and you had to beg, borrow and steal in order to make your wine. When you did, you named it ‘Fat Pig’ after the bank manager who turned you down. Love it.

Wine is not like other products. It is not manufactured and confected (well, the good stuff isn’t anyway) and it deserves to be treated differently. What do you think?

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Review: Buondonno Chianti Classico 2007

Posted on January 29, 2013 by

I was supposed to be saving this Buondonno Chianti Classico 2007 until I met up with a friend who is something of an expert when it comes to Italian wine. But I caved in and shared it with Mrs SamTheWino instead. What are you gonna do?

EIJ07-0To be honest, when I read the back of the label I was pleased to see that it’s not made from 100% Sangiovese. Pure Sangiovese is fine when done well, but I often find that unless you pay a lot of money it often seems to lack a certain something. I often find pure Sangioveses smell good and then once you put them in your mouth all flavour seems to disappear. Maybe that’s a bit harsh or I need to try more Sangioveses. If anyone out there wants to send me a cellarful of Sangioveses to try, get in touch. This one benefits from a small amount of  Merlot and Canaiolo. Canaiolo was once the dominant grape variety used in Chianti but since the Phylloxera epidemic its use has declined to the point where it is now something of a rarity.

First impressions were… ok. Bit of cherry showing itself, but not too much else going on. However with a bit of time it developed like the proverbial ugly duckling. Although it’s not exactly ugly to start with. Oh, you get the picture. So from cherry it developed some really nice Christmas pudding-esque aromas of dried fruit, clove and marzipan. A sort of salted caramel note appeared for a while too. In the mouth you get this overwhelming sense of utterly ripe fruit. There’s good acidity and fine tannins, without a trace of bitterness.

Very pleasant then. Very pleasant indeed. Yummy even. What’s more the estate has been farmed organically for more than 20 years so you can feel good about what your drinking.

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Wine in 2013

Posted on January 22, 2013 by

Rather than doing yet another ‘predictions for 2013′ post I thought that now we are well into January and I think I’ve got some ideas about where wine is going in 2013, I would sum up my thoughts. This has nothing to do with me not getting around to writing my predictions on time. No siree.

The ‘natural’ wine squabble debate will continue. Detractors will continue to discredit the ‘natural’ wine movement. Advocates will continue to discredit the mainstream wine market. I think we will see producers, distributors and merchants putting less emphasis on the word ‘natural’ and more emphasis on other words like ‘real’ or ‘authentic’. Whatever word we use, I’d like to see a less conflict in the industry about ‘natural’ wine. I think most people would like to see wines with less chemical intervention or manipulation and more emphasis on sense of place. However, lets be pragmatic, not dogmatic. We should praise producers for taking steps in the right direction. Not slag off anyone who dares to add sulphur to their wines. I found far too many wines that smelled of cider or cow shit in 2012. “Oh it’s meant to smell like that”. “That’s his rustic style”. I hope I never hear those words in 2013. Ultimately, lets drop the ‘natural’ tag and focus on producing and drinking high quality wines that are expressive of their terroir.

Sustainability encompasses more than just ecological sustainability. True sustainability also includes financial sustainability for all involved. In the same month that we learned that the average price of wine in the UK has finally broken the £5 mark, it was also reported that two major wine businesses are in trouble. Casella, the company behind low-end, mass market brand Yellow Tail is in trouble and Pressiors de France, suppliers of cheap Champagne to supermarkets has gone into administration. And don’t forget that wine production volumes were down all around the world in 2012 which will put upwards pressure on prices. So, it sounds like there could be trouble brewing at the bottom end of the market. Which could ultimately be a good thing. The challenge for the wine industry is to get consumers to trade up, not walk away. I think that 2013 is a great opportunity for specialist wine shops to grab a slice of the market.

There will be another scandal involving – shock horror – a wine journalist receiving undeclared sums of money from a wine producer. I’m seeing more and more writers disclosing what they have received in the way of expenses/accommodation/meals/used notes in brown envelopes, which is creditable. But I can’t see the end of this sort of story any time soon. In 2013 wine writers need to work harder than ever to ensure, and above all demonstrate, impartiality.

Bordeaux en primeur will be just as boring as every other year. Yawn. Chinese market. Yawn. Liv-Ex. Yawn. Super seconds. Yawn. Flying fifths. Wake me up when it’s over and people get back to talking & blogging about something, anything, else.

I will drink more exciting wine in 2013 than I ever have before. And I hope you do too. Cheers.

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Review: Domaine Sainte Rose ‘Le Marin Blanc’ 2011

Posted on January 5, 2013 by

I’m a bit of a fan of Domaine Sainte Rose. Brits Charles and Ruth Simpson really know how to make tasty, accessible and keenly-priced wines from their vineyards in the Languedoc. This ‘Le Marin Blanc’ is no exception. It’s quite an unusual blend for the Languedoc – Marsanne, Roussanne and a touch of Viognier. Grapes that are more at home in the Rhone. But they have evidently travelled well.

Domaine Sainte Rose Marin Blanc

I like DSR’s ‘Le Vent du Nord’ but for me ‘Le Marin Blanc’ is a step up. On first sniff there’s attractive melon and white peach aromas. Over time I also got some floral notes. Not being the green-fingered type I couldn’t tell you exactly what sort of flowers it smelled of but I was picturing white blossom in spring. There was also the faintest hint of honey and vanilla too. In the mouth you get a sense of very well judged acidity giving a crisp but generous palette with a long finish.

This is ‘crowd pleasing’ enough that if you take it round to a friend’s house who’s not that ‘into’ wine they will say ‘oh this is nice’ meanwhile you can sit back and enjoy the complexity. Available from Majestic priced at just £7.99 when you buy two or more.

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Review: Tsantali Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Posted on December 3, 2012 by

By Charlie Brown

I like Greece. No, I LOVE Greece. So much so I spent a summer there once. Great times, but I did have to stick on the beer. The wine you get in tavernas is not great – at all.

Greek wine has not enjoyed a good rep. Retsina, flavoured with resin, has a lot to answer for. As does other Greek wine clearly made somewhere far too hot and not in a favourable style – the idea of balance doesn’t seem to come into it.

However, as many wine buffs will tell you, grapes can grow pretty much anywhere and as I said in my last post, I don’t believe in good or bad regions, just good or bad wine.

So while in my local Waitrose (moving to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex has its perks, Waitrose being one of them) I picked up a bottle of Tsantali Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve had it before, and I liked it. I had it again, and still thought it was a good drop.

What was it like?

Pretty good; though you’ve got to have a hankering for a savoury Tsantali Cabernet Sauvignonwine for this one.

On opening, there was a small amount of brettanomyces present which made the initial smells and taste pretty meaty and savoury. I’m happy with brett in small doses, it gives wine some interesting flavours. I once opened a bottle of natural wine which tasted just like parma ham. Perhaps for another post…..

Once it had opened up for half an hour or so, the fruit started to show its face. Sour cherry was the prevalent flavour. The influence of oak is in there for all to taste – not a vanilla flavour like those big Riojas but more of a herby note – in particular, thyme.

It’s a big, warm, predominantly savoury wine – reminded me of having a cuddle with a tree. Gives great wine lips too. It’s not the most complex of wines – it tasted the same the next night – but for Greek wine, it’s a winner.

What else should you know?

First, it’s organic which is almost always a plus in my book. It means that some thought has gone into the wine making process, and as a rule, wines made organically are more sustainable as they command a slightly higher price, benefitting everyone involved (even the consumer – better wine for only a little more cost).

Second, it’s from Halkidiki, a peninsula on mainland Greece, which does get pretty hot in the summer but has plenty of rain in the winter. It’s a cooler part of Greece, making it one of the easier places to grow grapes.

Third, it’s Cabernet Sauvignon which benefits from being grown in a hotter climate – those pesky Cab grapes love the sunshine and detest the cold.

Fourth, it’s great value at £8.99 from Waitrose direct, or in any Waitrose supermarket.

My recommendation would be to do as the Romans did; go forth and drink Greek wine.

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Beaujolais: why you shouldn’t always follow wine fashion

Posted on November 26, 2012 by
By Charlie Brown

My mother in law recently dropped round an old 1970s Fanny Cradock cookery book. In it, her husband Johnnie talks about wine – and there’s a whole section on Beaujolais. Along with the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau date just behind us, it got me thinking more about this increasingly unfashionable French wine appellation, and the parallels between it and wine fashion as a whole.

OK I’ll admit – Beaujolais has never been my favourite. Too many memories of thin, watery, astringent red wine at £3.99 from the off-license next to my uni halls. And until recently, Beaujolais Nouveau had seemed to me like a pointless exercise.

It’s not always been like this. Mr Cradock in 1970 cites:
“Beaujolais has become so popular all over the world that the demand far exceeds the supply”

So why the change? For me, it’s not the fact that Beaujolais can taste awful. Many wines taste really bad but are really popular – not least some of those over-extracted, sugary grape juice wines from the popular big-names in the new world. It’s simply to do with fashion.

Fashion can account for a lot of things. It’s why just-out-of-uni East London young things opt for bikes with no gears. Or why Longchamp have made a fortune on those quite awful looking plastic handbags.

It’s therefore often something to be taken with a pinch of salt – and it’s no different in wine.

The Gamay grape when grown well can produce great depth of flavour. In Beaujolais it can have those lovely summery flavours of strawberries and red fruits, with some great savoury notes too. And not forgetting white Beaujolais, difficult to get hold of as it only totals 1 per cent of Beaujolais’ wine production. Made from the Chardonnay grape, typical aromas include fig, melon and honey.

Beaujolais in 1970

I’m not a believer in there being good wine regions and bad wine reigons – just good and bad examples of wine from that region. Some of my favourite wines are from unfashionable regions such as Cahors or Gaillac in south France (although Gaillac seems to be having a small resurgence).

And I do really believe that good independent wine shops should, to a certain extent, disregard what’s fashionable, instead focusing on good wines from good vineyards and suppliers.

Although Beaujolais can be reasonably easy to get hold of, Beaujolais Nouveau was more of a challenge. However, the demand seems to be there 259 Hackney Road’s PUR Beaujolais Nouveau, according to their Facebook page, sold out very quickly. Lea and Sandeman also have a 2012 vintage which has just gone on sale.

Beaujolais Nouveau has a reputation for being a bit crap. However there are great ones out there – it’s light, sure, and sometimes it could have done with a few more weeks in bottle. But it’s fun – and isn’t wine meant to be a bit of fun? The French get it – with Beaujolais Nouveau is still a big deal all over the country.

Unfortunately, many Beaujolais vineyards are looking to close but the ones that do it well and do it right, are still standing.

So my recommendation would be to flout the fashion sometimes and get yourself a bottle of unfashionable wine. Just be prepared to pay a little more for the decent stuff.

Recommendations

Chateau de Raousset Fleurie
£11.89 (15% off), Joseph Barnes Wines

PUR Beaujolais Nouveau
259 Hackney Road, London

Domaine Rochette 2012 Beaujolais Villages Nouveau
£9.95, Lea and Sandeman

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