This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking Spanish wines from outside Rioja. When it comes to Spanish wine I am always surprised at the level to which there appears to be a feeling (almost like the 'Anything But Chardonnay' mentality) that if it is not Rioja then it is not Spanish and I will not like it. Well, over the last few years I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Spanish wines. The negative part of me believes that it is because you can get such a bargain from there these days. Meanwhile, the positive side of me has come to understand the versatility of this country when it comes to making wines in a small scale hand-crafted fashion.

Combine the two, however, and you come up with a rather formidable reason to get to know the wines of España better. For me, outside of Rioja my favourite place is Castilla.  First word of warning is to be careful there are 2 sides of Castilla, the first is mass production free from the constraints and rules of Rioja. Bland, characterless wines that are exploited due to their price alone by the usual suspects. There is, however another side of this wonderful area, one that allows the masters of Rioja to expand their production in a more economical region and experiment with new varietals and blends that the rest of the country would frown upon. In Castilla, for me at least, there is only one name to remember and that is the wines of Eguren Ugarte a serious up and comer in the world of Spanish brand wines, but one that, again for me, has a real right to become a household name. The Ugarte side of this family business refers to the Heredad Ugarte wines of Rioja, top quality Tempranillo heavy wines at a surprisingly affordable price relative their 90+ ratings. The Eguren side of this name though refers to the underdog side of the business the great wines of Castilla from the Mercedes Eguren range (they are currently renaming to Mercedes Egunon).

These wines span a crisp fresh Sauvignon Blanc, a surprise in a Cabernet based Rose that is rich and satisfying, and my personal star of the show, the Blend of Tempranillo and Shiraz. Before this wine I had never heard of the blend of Shiraz and Tempranillo, but it is an inspired choice. The Tempranillo lends a soft but complex flavour, whilst the Shiraz brings up the rear with a good dose of what I believe they call backbone! This is a wine that regularly attains 89-90 points from Wine Spectator which is impressive for a wine under £9.

News from Down at the Shop

Another hectic week in the shop as customers 'shop 'til they drop' in preparation for the BIG DAY! 

Our Malt of the Month, The Dalmore continues to be a big hit, as does the Isle of Jura and Mackinlay's Shackleton range (which has almost sold out completely!).

Wine of the Week 

This week we're featuring two wonderful wines from Bodgeas Escudero, one of our favourite producers from Rioja. 

The Es­cud­ero fam­i­ly owns 150 hectares of vine­yards. Most are lo­cat­ed on the south­ern slope of Mount Yer­ga, at al­ti­tudes between 400 and 800 me­tres above sea lev­el, with poor and peb­bly soils en­sur­ing low pro­duc­tion vol­umes and high qual­i­ty. Vines av­er­age 50 years of age, with some more than a cen­tu­ry old. 

The Becquer Blanco 2012 is a seductive wine with an in­tense fruity pre­dom­i­nance and spicy notes of the bar­rique. On the palate, it is rich in nu­ances with a perfect acid­i­ty and bal­ance.  

The Becquer De Autor is cher­ry red in colour with an in­tense aro­ma of dark fruit and oak well con­joined. This wine has lovely round tannins, a depth of ripe fruit and spiciness with a great struc­ture.

Pop by the shop to pick up some of these superb wines today.

Our craft beer selection is as popular as ever, and right now our Ale of the Fortnight includes Cromarty Brewing Company's Cone Head and Inveralmond Brewery's Santa's Swallie - so don't forget to pick up some in time for Christmas!

We also want to remind you that our tasting with Nick Whyte from Liberty Wines takes place this evening from 6pm (to reserve your place please call 01738 629 979), and on Friday from 12 noon, Ailish Laughlin from Strathearn Distillery will be in-store introducing our customers to the new Strathearn Gin range so be sure to drop in for a taste!

Our opening hours are Monday and Tuesday 11am-6pm, Wednesday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12 noon-4pm. Please note, however, that we will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. 

This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking… sensible wine! Ok bare with me on his one, and I will try my best not to get too grumpy. Came home from the shops on Saturday morning with the Times and my milk, sat down ready to enjoy a lazy morning read.  Sadly, this was spoilt by the “wine headline” which read simply, “The £5.99 sparkling wine the critics are raving about”. Well, that just spoilt my day and I didn’t even read the paper in protest!

I have tried to explain a few times before my issue here, and many of you do seem to understand and appreciate the principle except, it would seem, the newspaper wine critics are intent on recommending nothing if it does not hit a £5-6 price tag. Most of our clients appreciate that there is a minimum value that we must pay for well made wine that offers sustainability for producers that care about what they are doing.  Each year this price tag sadly grows as the Chancellor increases alcohol duty rates and indeed fuel duties to transport wine to the UK and to your home/local wine shop. Currently alcohol duty stands for a sparkling wine at £2.56 per bottle (plus VAT on the duty and the wine!). So, maths lesson time again (below figures are approximates):

Wine Cost = £5.99

Less 20% VAT then less £2.56 Duty = £2.44

Less Transport and Non-consumables = £1.84

Less Margin for Retailer = £0.70

£0.70 left in value for your £5.99 sparkling wine, presuming that the retailer has imported this wine themselves, which in the case of the multiples is surprisingly rare, but we will give them the benefit of doubt.

Now, that 70 pence also has to cover some kind of profit for the producer so in reality we would estimate that at most the actual value of what you are drinking would be 40-50 pence, but probably less!

Consider now that this wine is a Cava, yes I know it is rather uncool, but my issue is that Cava is a traditional method sparkler so the method of production is relatively expensive and time consuming. Now, if it were a charmat method sparkler (like a Prosecco), I might be more able to grasp this (but still struggling), however I just cannot see how supporting this type of wine is in any way supporting producers of good value driven wine. I will allow you to speculate on how many bottles en-mass a vineyard would have to produce to just cover their costs.

So, why not try the splendid Bodegas Escudero Cava Seco Benito Escudero, organically farmed with love, labour and a passion for what they are doing. It is one of a few Cava you will find produced in Rioja. Yes, it is considerably more expensive than the Times’ recommendation, but it is worth every penny extra and, I would argue, significantly better value for money.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

No surprise that this week I’ve been mostly drinking no wine! It’s safe to say that I have been far too preoccupied with Christmas - in fact, what with having just moved house, it would seem that I’m going to spend the last two weekends before Christmas present buying and wrapping, Christmas card writing and attempting to make the house as festive as possible (amid a whole bunch of boxes still to unpack!). 

I do, however, have a cunning plan to save myself from standing in endless queues of last-minute shoppers in department stores and to give my family and friends some very special treats this Christmas. You see, over the last month or so there have been some great new product lines arriving in to Exel Wines. Whether you are looking for a gift for that special someone, such as Henschke Keyneton Estate Shiraz Cabernet Merlot 2002, a fabulous little stocking filler, such as Sheep Dip Harris Tweed Hip Flask With 1 X 5cl or something just a little bit different like Wines That Rock Rolling Stones Forty Licks Merlot 2010 or Strathearn Distillery Heather Rose Gin, all these can be purchased and delivered straight to your door without even having to leave the comfort of your armchair…simples! 

Perhaps I will have some time next weekend to treat myself to a pre-Christmas glass or two of wine after all! 

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Number one son was back from University for a flying visit at the week-end. I've grumbled before about how inadequate 75cl is when you find a particularly good wine and given the amount of dedication he seems to apply to studying alcoholic beverages (if only that was the course he was doing) I knew that a little extra would be called for. A chance conversation with him shortly before he came down led to the discovery that he's quite fond of the products of Innis & Gunn. Now I enjoy a good real ale or craft beer myself from time to time, so I thought fill him up on the fizzy stuff and he won't drink so much of the wine. (Am I painting a terrible picture of today's students?). I'm not so familiar with Innis & Gunn, so I got both the Original Oak Aged and the Rum Finish Oak Aged, both of which were excellent. The Rum Finish is quite surprising, it reminded me somewhat of a Belgian Dubbel and the Original is deliciously rounded golden ale; it worked well on a chilly winter afternoon, but I suspect would be equally appropriate when those warm summer evenings roll in again. 

And the wine? My new second favourite wine, the Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Merlot, yes I raided the bottles I was supposed to be saving for Christmas. Oh well.

News from Down at the Shop

After what can only be described as an absolutely crazy busy weekend in the shop (I'm told that Ally didn't even have time to eat his lunchtime sandwich on Saturday!), we're getting all re-stocked and filling the shelves with lots more Christmassy treats for our customers again this week. Our Malt of the Month, The Dalmore has certainly been going down a storm, as has our Isle of Jura and Mackinlay's Shackleton range. And, there are still lots of bargains to be had!

Our Wine of the Week is from Bodegas Ortubia which is situated just a few kilometres north west of Rioja´s wine capital, Haro. Though not particularly well known by consumers, its unique terroir and micro-climate are well understood by some of the region’s best producers, several of which source grapes for their top wines from here. This week, we have the wonderful Rioja Tinto 2007 on promotion. Full of Intense aromas of balsam, spice and mature black fruits, overlaid with wood smoke, this is a balanced wine, long and clean with mature tannins providing a pleasing astringency. 

This is a wine well deserving of the Bronze Medal it received in the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2011, and one not to be missed.

Another treat in-store for customers this week is our wonderful array of Sparklers currently on promotion, including Taittinger Brut Reserve NV, Pol Roger Brut Reserve NV (Gift Boxed) and Champagne Lanson Extra Age Brut NV so be sure to drop by the shop to pick up some fizz to enjoy over the festive season! 

And finally, if you haven't done so already, don't forget to sign up for one of our fantastic tasting evenings being held throughout December. On Thursday 12 December, Graeme Broom, the UK representative for Torres will take a trip around the Torres estates and some of the wonderful wines they produce, while on Thursday 19 December, Nick Whyte from Liberty Wines will be talking us through some fabulous wine and liqueur suggestions for Christmas. To reserve your place call 01738 629 979, email: perth@exelwines.co.uk or simply pop by the shop! 

News from Down at the Shop

There's been lots of activity in the shop this week, with staff busily stocking the already bulging shelves with some great new products - they tell me that they've even had to reorganise the shop layout to accommodate everything and make it easier for customers to browse!

For December, our Malt of the Month is The Dalmore collection consisting of the 12 yo, 15 yo, 18 yo, The Cigar Malt and the King Alexander III. To celebrate this fantastic range, we are offering a free Copita Tasting/Nosing Glass* with every bottle purchased at the shop! (*subject to availability) Not only that, but we will be having a Dalmore tasting evening in the New Year...so watch this space for further details in January 2014.

Another whisky highlight to arrive in to the shop this month is Mackinlay's Shackleton, and throughout December we are giving away a free Shackleton Whisky Book* (RSP. £16.99, subject to availability) with every bottle purchased at the shop...this would make a lovely Christmas gift and one not to be missed. 

Our Wine of the Week is the wonderful Protos range from Spain, so why not pop in-store to check out the special offers on these this week?

And last but not least, our Ale of the Fortnight is a range from local based brewery, Inveralmond which includes Lia Fial, Ossian, Thrappledouser, Blackfriars and of course, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the festive Santa's Swallie! These are all on promotion in-store now and will also be available in mini-kegs within the week.

More News from Down at the Shop next week, but in the meantime Happy Shopping!  

Christmas Time, Mistletoe & lots of Wine

As December approaches we find more and more often that our customers are looking for advice for something just a little special, something that will pair well with not just particular occasions but also with festive fare.

With that in mind I have been gathering up top tips from all of the team here at Exel Wines to bring you the definitive guide to wines for this Christmas season.  These are all tried and trusted wines that we think you will love and we have tried to organise them by the sort of foods and occasions they might go well with.

Aperitif & Canape drinks

Reserve de Sours Single Vintage 2009 - This is one of our newest finds from old friends Chateau de Sours in Bordeaux.  The regular NV version is still available but since the release of this limited edition single vintage version featuring much longer lees aging we have just fallen in love all over again.  The wine shows divine fresh fruity flavours, and works great as an aperitif wine or with lighter smoked salmon dishes.  At just £15.95 per bottle this is still great value (bare in mind that the cheaper NV version usually sells in the big chains for around £20).

Nyetimber Blanc de Blanc 2007 - This Christmas why not think British for a real genuine alternative to Champagne.  If you want a Champagne alternative at Christmas then it must be dependable and Nyetimber is just that scoping more awards than your average Champagne house could dream of!  Citrus, apples and minerality are the hall marks of this vintage.  £39.99

Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla Sherry - Dry nutty and light, this sherry is undoubtedly the best value you are likely to see in a 75cl bottle!  Great as a staple aperitif, but also charismatic enough to work with canapes and antipasti type dishes. £10.74 per bottle is virtually giving this away!

Williams & Humbert Dry Sack Medium - A little sweeter but not excessive.  If a more "traditionally British" sherry is your cup on tea then try the Williams & Humbert Medium Sherry. Great over ice or with one of many nice pasta dishes.  £12.03

Fish & Shellfish

Heredad Ugarte Viura 2012 - This white Rioja is deliciously delicate and great with the simplest of fish dishes especially appetisers.  Smoked salmon, oysters, plain steamed lobster use your imagination or just enjoy it over lunch thinking of warm summers in Spain. £10.14

Bodegas Protos Verdejo 2011 - This crisp dry Spanish white from Rueda is just the ticket.  A little fuller in body than the viura above think mussels, think roast fish dishes think Charcuterie even.  On second thoughts, don't think just do it! £10.55

The Wine People Miopasso Fiano 2012 - A Sicilian masterpiece, floral in flavour with touches of honey and a wonderful balance of flavour.  We love the look of this wine as much as its friendly price for a slightly more quirky wine.  £9.44

Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2012 - What better time for a bit of French style and sophistication than a Christmas fish course?  We have been following this Loire favourite for a while and we tip it as one of the best value wines from the Loire. £17.14

Turkey with all the Trimmings

Grant Burge GB23 Chardonnay Viognier 2011 - A budget busting wine from down under with a great balance of flavour and acidity.  The Chardonnay brings citrus fruits to the table while the viognier adds the extra dimension and a peach quality that helps the wine stand up to the biggest meal of the year.  £8.63

Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rose 2010 - A rose... At Christmas?  Well why not we say!  So long as it is a good quality complex rose full of character.  So where else would you find that than from the makers of Mas de Daumas Gassac.  The Moulin de Gassac wines are actually a co-op run by the family behind Gassac bringing together some 700 wine growers and often nearly as many grape varieties!! £6.99

Domaine Faively Cote de Beaune Villages 2007 - Pinot Noir is a grape made for Christmas day, so long as you pick a good quality offering with a little oak aging you will find yourself sipping a wine of infinite complexity and character.  Stick with something reputable from the heartland of Burgundy like this Faively wine.  £16.74

Game Dishes

Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rouge 2010 - The red version of the above rose.  This wine is effortlessly full flavoured but soft and fruity.  A typical Mediterranean blend, but with a few extra unusual varieties in the mix too. £6.98

Domaine Coste Chaude Cuvee La Rocaille 2006 - Now with fantastic bottle age this Cotes du Rhone wine is softer and mellower than your average wine from this part of the world.  There are more expensive cuvee's from this vineyard but the La Rocaille does it for us! £14.75

Red Meat

Chakana Malbec 2013 - The Argentines, love their red meat so you know you can trust them for a cracking wine to pair here.  100% Malbec, full of body in a glass coating, lip smacking sort of way. £7.97

Welgegund Pinotage 2009 - We have been tipping this wine for some time now, sadly they have just announced they are no longer producing wine (they only ever made 3,000 bottles per year in the first place!  This is perfect with a rich roast lamb or slightly oriental flavoured meats. £21.68

Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - If anyone in the world knows how to make a good Cabernet wine then it must be the Rothschild family.  So you know what to expect from their Chilean venture.  Full, rich tannin but with an underlying and undisputable quality. £10.10

Bodegas Protos Joven Roble 2011 - Like your red wines just a little more subtle but still with unbeatable quality?  Then this wine from the founders of the Ribera del Duero is just for you.  In essence this is a Cosecha (young) Rioja style wine.  Heavy on the tempranillo, full in the character.  £11.96

Turkey Curry Leftovers?

Now if ever there was a wine pairing topic not covered in the average wine blog it is this one.  I do believe that I am not the only one that makes a habit of partaking in a bit of leftovers turkey curry on Boxing day right?  If so then you need a great wine that pairs with the spice.  You could opt for the age old favourite from Marlborough?  The Tinpot Hut Sauvignon Blanc features the acidity to cut effortlessly through the spice in anything but the hottest of curries. £12.55.  Personally my mantra is why opt for the usual thing in front of you when there is something special just round the corner!  With that in mind, head to the Austria winery of Weingut Aigner and their Sandgrube Gruner Veltliner. £13.40.  Fear not these are modern style wines totally dry crisp and fresh.  They possess a similar acidity and I find work great with spices and will be a nice talking point at the table.

Cheese, Chocolate, Christmas pudding and all the sweet treats

You have indulged yourself all day, and in fact most likely all month so why not carry it on into the after dinner drinks!

Bertani Recioto Valpolicella DOC 2010 - I love a nice sweet red, it tends to be the sort of thing most of us gloss over in favour of a more established Port or a Sauternes.  For me a sweet red is the king of indulgences and so very versatile in its pairings.  I love it with chocolate but equally it goes with a light fruit tart or a cheeseboard. £21.52

Jean-Christophe Barbe 'Chateau Laville' 2009 - If a more traditional dessert wine is what you desire then this little sauternes is just the ticket.  Wild heather honey with that twist of spiciness is what we pick up.  Full flavour yet fresh and fruity. £16.97

Fonseca Aged Tawny 10 Year Old - It is no secret that I love a Pinot Noir, so it is no surprise that of all the Ports I love Tawny the best.  For me its lighter delicate nature works magnificently as an after dinner drink (especially when that dinner is a gargantuan feast) due to its lighter nature. £16.35

Grant Burge 10 Year Old Tawny - Well they say to save the best for last and this is no exception!  This Tawny Port-style wine is from the Australian Barossa valley (yes they have a rich history in Port wine as well!).  For me it is Christmas day in a bottle, rich mulled wine spices and an overwhelming taste of Christmas pudding.  This is one of our fastest movers year round so we are expecting big demand from this at Christmas. £22.21

News from Down at the Shop

After a very busy weekend in the shop and at our stall at the Chocolate Festival in town, we are now well and truly pumped up and ready for the festive season!

Our first gin tasting went down a storm at the shop on Saturday evening which had been organised for a local group of customers wanted to surprise one of their friends - and what a surprise she got!  

We had all four Edinburgh Gins to taste - the Original, Elderflower, Raspberry and the new Spiced Orange. These were accompanied by fever tree tonic and lime. 

Here is a quote from Laura who attended the tasting, 'We all had an absolutely cracking time at Exel Wine's first gin tasting evening on Saturday night. It was great to try so many different gins, and the shop itself has so much character (being surrounded by so many bottles is very tempting!) it felt like the perfect venue - just the right size for our group of pals too. The variation in flavour (not just in terms of the types of gin but the difference with and without tonic) was amazing and Graham was a first class host; we had a real laugh and he didn't seem phased by our craziness at all! If you're looking for a night out with a difference, definitely give this a whirl - we'd all highly recommend it! Gin's up! :-)'

As a result of this great success, we can safely say that you should look out for more Gin Tasting evenings coming in-store soon!

To add to this, we'd also like to announce that this Saturday we are giving away a 10% discount at the shop. So, whether you are looking for a special present or just want to indulge in a few bottles of wine for yourself this weekend then don't forget to pop in to the shop on Saturday for this one-day special. (T&C’s apply*)

This week I'ave been mostly drinking...

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Sometimes less is more; especially so when it comes to week-ends. My superior 50% had a very long and tough week and just needed to chill and I'm always up for a bit of chilling myself. Well, warmth actually because we lit a log fire, turned the tv off (ignoring the howls of protest from son number 3) opened a bottle of wine and just relaxed the afternoon away. The missus is partial to a Merlot and suspecting she might need to unwind I had tried to find something a bit special. Apparently the Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Merlot Chile 2011 just flies off the shelves in our shop and I can see why. Just opening the bottle unleashes a heady aroma of autumn berries and the wine is beautifully rounded with more of the berries supported by a lovely soft vanilla flavour. Just the usual complaint; 75cl is simply not enough. So I have my orders; bottles are to be acquired for Christmas and I am not to succumb to the temptation of opening them before then.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking…. My long time love, Pinot Noir. I guess that the first classification on this subject is that the wine in question is not actually Pinot Noir (I shall explain)! Since I first delved into the world of red wine my personal favourite grape has always been Pinot Noir. I crave the soft fruity flavour that just keeps going on the palette, but sadly it is a love I had forgotten recently. I would partly blame an expanding palette and part on an employment that requires me to investigate and delve into every varietal the world has to offer but I think the biggest reason is that as a grape variety Pinot Noir has just not really caught the limelight like Merlot, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and all the varietals that roll off your tongue.

Pinot Noir is, however, my tip as the next big thing and something that everyone should get into especially at Christmas time. Those of you that read what I have to say with any sort of regularity will know I am a simple sort, and I like to cut out all of the extended complication that surrounds wine. So back to the issue of Pinot Noir, what I have been drinking is a lovely Burgundy from Maison Champy, their Bourgogne Passe-tout-grains. Rather than the usual Burgundian Pinot Noir this is a Gamay. What is Gamay? Gamay is the principle grape within Beaujolais, much the same as Pinot Noir, often just slightly lighter. Yes there are many different technical aspects to the grape and its precise characteristics as you can imagine but as far as the “average”, if such a thing exists, consumer would be concerned they are much the same thing. So onto the actual wine! Maison Champy owned by Pierre Meurgey are based in the beautiful village of Beaune, where Pierre started life as a negocient, a buyer and seller of grapes for the main names, to produce their wines from. One day Pierre came across an old building, part of the historic Champy estate. Pierre set about learning the history of this building and estate discovering it to be Maison Champy the first estates, some 300 years earlier, to trade as a negotient in Burgundy. Discovering this Pierre made it his goal in life to revitalise this estate and make it once again produce the world’s best pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Passe-tout-grains is a rare example of a Burgundy made from this grape outside of its common homeplace of Beaujolais. I hesitate to use the term light to describe Burgundian reds, yes they are soft but the flavours are rich, complex and evolving and the word light just does not do it justice. Instead it is a wine you perhaps need to take your time, close out the world and just spend a moment considering.

News from Down at the Shop

There certainly has been a real buzz in the shop over the last week as customers are now getting started with their Christmas shopping and have been looking for our help with gift ideas that are a little bit different from the norm. We're gearing up too with lots of new lines coming in the shop daily, and we've been putting up our Christmas decorations in time for the town's Big Christmas light switch on in Perth this Saturday!

Talking of Saturday, why not join us in the shop this Saturday where you will have the opportunity to taste some of our wonderful Fortius Wines from Spain! 

And don't forget, our shop will open on a Sunday for the next four weeks between 12 – 4. So, why not pop by and see what we have on offer or what we can do for you! 

Wine of the Week - Chiantigiane

Le Chiantigiane Cantina Di Monteporzio Catone Frascati NOW ONLY £4.99 per bottle

Le Chiantigiane Vernaccia San Gimignano DOCG 2010 NOW ONLY £5.99 per bottle

Le Chiantigiane Chianti Riserva DOCG 2007 NOW ONLY £6.99 per bottle

Le Chiantigiane Morellino Di Scansano 2008 NOW ONLY £7.49 per bottle

Purchase any two bottles of our Wine of the Week during November and receive a free Rainbow Organic Chocolate gift (subject to availability*)

Ale of the Fortnight - Cromarty Brewing Co.

Cromarty Brewing Co. Happy Chappy, Rogue Wave, Red Rocker and Brewed Awakening are now all £2.75 per bottle

Our Malt of the Month brand new releases from Bruichladdich have been selling like hot cakes so don't wait until the last minute to pick up a bottle or two for yourself this Christmas!

We also have some incredible mixed case offers on right now to suit every budget so why not pop in and see us!

News from Down at the Shop

There's always lots to do in the shop at this time of year - everyone is starting to get geared up for Christmas, and we're no exception. New stock is arriving in to the shop daily, and Ally and I have been busy putting our Christmas displays and gift selections together so that we can offer our customers the best deals. Whether you are looking for a gift that is a little different, or you want to purchase all your Christmas wine and spirits for the festive season, we have some fabulous offers on right now. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

Wine of the Week - Biscardo

Biscardo Lugana 2011 was £11.99 NOW ONLY £9.99 per bottle

Biscardo Soave Lorenzo 2010 was £10.99 NOW ONLY £8.99 per bottle

Biscardo Valpolicella Ripasso 2009 was £13.99 NOW ONLY £11.99 per bottle

Purchase any two bottles of our Wine of the Week during November and receive a free Rainbow Organic Chocolate gift (subject to availability*)

Ale of the Fortnight - Innis & Gunn

Innis & Gunn  Blonde Oak Aged now £2.15 per bottle

Innis & Gunn Canadian Cherrywood Finish now £2.80 per bottle

Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask now £2.35 per bottle

Innis & Gunn Original Oak Aged now £1.89 per bottle

Innis & Gunn Rum Finish Oak Aged now £1.89 per bottle 

Sparklers - Rocland Estates 

The Chocolate Box Sparkling Moscato (White Chocolate) was £14.99 NOW £12.99 per bottle 

Champagne - Denis Robert

Denis Robert Cuvee Brut Tradition just £18.49 per bottle

Our Malt of the Month features some brand new releases from Bruichladdich, including Bruichladdich Black Art 4, Bruichladdich Islay Barley Rockside Farm 2007, Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1 Scottish Barley, Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Heavily Peated and Bruichladdich Scottish Barley. So, if you're looking for that special gift for a special someone then these would be hard to beat.

We also have some incredible mixed case offers on right now to suit every budget so why not pop in and see us!

This week I'ave been mostly drinking...

Susan Ross, Logistics Manager

We all had a fabulous tasting with the brand ambassador for Innis & Gunn on Thursday evening in our retail shop.  However, rather than go home with an armful of beer for the weekend, which I think I’ll leave until nearer Christmas and stock up for some gifts and guests, I decided to try a couple of wines I haven’t yet managed to – we are in the enviable predicament that we are so spoilt for choice, it is a bit of a headache choosing which wine to take home for the weekend, never mind the potential headache once its drunk!

So the choice for Sunday dinner was Camillo De Lellis Biferno Rosso Riserva Doc.  All of our shop customers rave about this wine, and now I know why.  It is a great wine without the great price ticket.  It’s Italian, from the area of Molise which is one of Italy’s smallest and least developed wine regions, and this wine oozes rustic charm. Jammy on the nose and smooth and deep in flavour – a perfect pairing for Sunday Roast.

My other choice, and again, one I’ve chosen to bring in to sell in our shop but hadn't actually got round to tasting it yet was Miopasso Fiano and I definitely needed to try this one - I’m a great lover of Italian and Spanish wines, to me they offer something a little different from the norm and Fiano is no exception to this.  I wasn’t disappointed!  Fairly deep in colour, quite golden, so I was expecting it to be perhaps a bit heavy, however, no, it was quite light in texture with loads of fruit: peachy and pear flavours, with a nice crispy and refreshing finish.  

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

We're having a cracking Autumn in this part of the world. Although a handful of trees are bare there are many nearly in full leaf and a few of those are even still showing some greenery, so a stroll round the Perthshire hills will reveal a glorious panoply of greens, browns, reds, oranges and golds. Then there's the air - crisp, cold and clear; breathing it makes you feel extra alive and the clarity highlighted by the low sun means you can literally see for miles. Amazing. Now where was I? Oh yes, wine. I start craving hearty chunky soups and stews at this time of year- we had a delicious butternut squash and paprika soup at the week-end and I think that venison haunch in the freezer will work really well with some freshly picked hedgerow fruits which are in abundance at the moment. Something full and fruity is called for on the drinking front and as luck would have it, Russell's just put a full and fruity mixed case on our website.  I chose a bottle of the VinaApaltagua Huaquen Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Chile 2010 from said case. I've already tried and enjoyed the Carmenere from the same producer so expectations where high, and I wasn't disappointed. Most tasting notes mention strawberries but I got more black and redcurrant in a full and generous but not overpowering drink from an all too small bottle. Maybe I should have bought the whole case after all.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator 

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking…whisky. Yes, that’s right, whisky! Since tasting the Old Perth some months back when it was re-launched at a tasting in our retail shop, I have started to “get in to” whisky. I am, of course, far from what could be described as a very ‘educated’ whisky drinker, but I am starting to become a little more familiar with the differences in whisky styles produced in different regions of Scotland. I have to admit that I do have a preference for the softer, sweeter, fruitier whiskies – I find that I haven’t quite developed a palate for the heavier smoky, peaty styles…yet. Anyway down to this week’s choice, which I learned was actually named after a long lost distillery that once produced whisky just up the road from here between Milnathort and Forgandenny! That distillery was Stronachie. Established in 1890, the distillery finally closed its doors in 1928 when, like so many others, was forced to close following a slump in the whisky industry after the First World War.  Only four bottles of the original Stronachie from the actual distillery existed, and the story of the name's revival started in 2002 when Dewar Rattray (now A.D. Rattray) bought a bottle of Stronachie from 1904 at auction. They decided to try and recreate a whisky from this lost distillery and distribute it once again. A sample was taken from the 1904 bottle which A.D. Rattray tried to link to characteristics of a distillery still in operation - Benrinnes Distillery in Speyside, which now supplies the whisky that goes in to Stronachie. I tried the 12 year old, which I found to be lovely and rich with a very enticing honey nut flavours. There is also a slight touch of smoke on the palate from this whisky, but for me this seemed to bring out the fullness of the endnote flavours of toffee, which were almost Muscovado sugar-like in quality. A very enjoyable dram.  

This week I'ave been mostly drinking...

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This Week I ‘ave been mostly drinking… Running Duck Pinotage.  

This is one of those low price, Organic no added Sulphur wines that despite my colleagues assurance I have been rather sceptical about and thus have avoided.  Most of my reluctance I would imagine comes from insider knowledge, just in the same way as having ran many restaurants and seen the reality behind the curtain, I now really struggle to enjoy a meal out like I used to!  Being part of the wine trade I am all to familiar with how much of a bottle of wine goes into the Government pockets and other things that I cannot actually pour in my glass.  So with that in mind I always struggle to grasp just how any budget wines can really deliver a level of quality for the incredibly low return a vineyard owner will get, never mind when they go for Organic certification and more difficult low-sulphur type techniques.  So this week I got my act together and gave this one a bash to see just what a South African Vineyard can actually do with a couple of Rand and I was really quite pleasantly surprised.  The producer Stellar Organics produces this great Q& A on http://stellarorganics.com/media/general/No-sulphur-added_wines_QandA.pdf.  The wine itself is great, nice and rich for these darker colder nights but not heavily tannic so it gets my thumbs up.  This is more refined than your average Pinotage with rounder edges and generally a less harsh feel to it.  It also has just a tiny touch of the same quality that made me fall in love with the Welgegund Pinotage, an unusual lemongrass type feel.  All in all for under a tenner you do get well more than £10 worth of wine in my humble opinion.  Grab a bottle today and give it a bash!

Susan Ross, Logistics manager

Get into the Christmas way of thinking with Rocland Estates The Chocolate Box SparklingMoscato

Moscato is normally sweet but delicate and a great tipple for day-time drinking or pre-dinner.  Not too high in alcohol, so it won’t spoil the rest of the evening, or put too many inches round the waistline (always my concern)!  The wine is very pale in colour, but the aromas are anything but understated, zooming out in full floral, orangey Muscat character.  It is soft and sweet, balanced a bit by citrusy acids on the finish.  A great drink for Christmas morning while you’re opening all these pressies, or if that’s too much to think about at the moment, a very pleasant early evening tipple just before dinner on Saturday while you’re tapping your toes to Strictly Come Dancing.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

I can’t say that I know a great deal about one of my wine choices this week…in fact I have to admit that, to my knowledge, I have never tried this grape variety before! Well, there’s a first time for everything, and so it was with some intrigue that I decided to give Crossroads Winery Milestone Series Gewurztraminer from New Zealand a try. It’s fair to say that this style of wine is not my usual choice, however I found myself really enjoying this wine. While it does have a soft lemony fruitiness to it with slight hints of ginger, it was the beautiful floral rose notes that really grabbed my attention in the glass. Wonderfully balanced, it’s not a heavy wine, though I would say that this is one of those wines you would want to enjoy with food. As it happens, we were having plaice for supper that evening and this wine complemented the subtle sweetness of the fish perfectly. If, like me, you haven’t explored this grape variety before either, then I urge you to give this one a try…you won’t be disappointed.

This week I'ave been mostly drinking...

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

This week I decided to take a trip to the South of France…okay, this was only in a metaphorical sense through my wine choice for the week, but it worked in as much as this wine made me hark back to the wonderful sunny days of summer. Indeed, there was a beautiful lightness to this wine – it wasn’t over-powered with heavy tannins in any way, in fact it had an almost Pinot Noir quality to it. Having said that, this red also made me think ahead to the festive season, in part due to the lovely berry flavours present, and in part due to the slightly warming spiciness of Shiraz which was perfectly balanced with the Viognier in this blend. What is this wine I am referring to I heard you ask?! Well, it was the rather splendid Les Templiers Shiraz Viognier 2009. And, what an extremely versatile wine this is! Great to enjoy with food, such as Spaghetti Bolognese, or simply to enjoy on its own, and at only £8.21 inc VAT per bottle I’d say this wine is a hard one to beat.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking… an old friend once again!  It has been several weeks now since our last stocks of the wonderful Traditional method Pink Sparkling Reserve de Sours ran out leaving me high and dry without my lifelong companion.  Realising that the jolly, festive season was now but a stones through away (my wife has all but finished her seasonal shopping!) I went straight into panic mode and got some fresh stocks in place for myself, as much as anything else.  We now have two delightful pink sparklers to enjoy from Chateau de Sours, we have the regular long time friend the pink capsule and labelled with minimal ageing on the lees this Cabernet/Merlot blend is in fact a single vintage but a younger wine fresh and vibrant with not much in the way of over-fussiness.  The new wine is the GoldLabelled 2009 single vintage wine.  Now at this point to those of you that know this wine very well here is where a little confusion sets in, you see the normal Reserve de Sours is and has always been a single vintage too.  The difference being that the old wine was never produced or marketed as such that it was a single vintage, instead the vintage specific terroir characteristics were allowed to speak through.  So you can imagine my hesitation when it came to trying the “new” single vintage.  On closer inspection this is a different wine, the same blend but from an older vintage where the finest 10,000 bottles where left to age for a little longer (36 months in total) on the lees leaving a fuller fruitier wine to evolve.  At first taste this wine just burst in my mouth so full of flavour and any anxieties I had were quashed.  This is a stunning pairing of wines.  The old faithful reserve de Sours to me has that crisp canapé style to it to get an evening off to a swing, whilst the new single vintage entry at just a couple of quid extra has a fuller flavour but one with a slightly fruitier/sweeter feel to it so I reckon this would make a great dessert/digestif drink.

If you have not enjoyed them before then honestly you must pick up a bottle.  Yes this is one of those wines you can pick up elsewhere like M&S but please do remember they will liberate you of £20 for a bottle of the standard Reserve de Sours, at Exel Wines this is just over £12 per bottle.  Even the single vintage wine, at Exel Wines, comes in well below M&S’s £20 with our price tag being just under £16.  The single vintage is however a strictly limited edition wine and one that you are not likely to find many places other than at your local Exel Wines website (or indeed in our shop)!

This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

While out walking this weekend, I definitely noticed a more autumnal feel in the air as leaves on the trees are beginning to turn beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow and the evenings start to draw in once more. Summer salads and barbecues are now a thing of the past as we turn our attention to lovely stews and casseroles to see us through the cold days of winter that lie ahead. Even when grocery shopping I noticed that there’s been a move towards an increased selection of root vegetables. As a result, this also got me thinking about more hearty, warming food, and so I decided to prepare liver and onions for supper last night. While I was quite happily cooking away, I did however consider what wine might be the best choice to accompany offal. Like game, offal is quite distinct in flavour so the wine has to be able to complement this without over-powering it. Lamb’s liver is quite delicate in flavour however, so I decided that a full-bodied red would be just too heavy. I wanted a wine with tons of fruitiness, but without any predominant spicy heaviness to it – so as a result, I opted for a Pinot Noir, and Tinpot Hut Pinor Noir 2009 from Marlborough in New Zealand which was spot on! Full of wonderful fruity flavours of cherries, redcurrants and plums (you’ll note the continued autumnal theme going on!), this is a superb soft wine with delicate and subtle oak characteristics which complemented our meal, including the dessert of bread and butter pudding perfectly!

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking...

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

This week I’ve been mostly drinking…both from the new world and from the old. Firstly, I really wanted to try a product that we only started to stock a short while back… Frostpocket Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from Marlborough, New Zealand. Wow, and was I blown away by this one?! It’s absolutely bursting  to the brim with passion fruit flavours, both on the nose and on the palate with underlying hints of gooseberry and lime. This isn’t a wine you need to have with food either, in fact I’d say that it’s one you should enjoy on its own in order to fully appreciate the extremely intense flavours going on in it. This is no wine for the faint-hearted…far from it, this is a wine that really packs a punch!

The second wine I decided to try this week was the Bordeaux Blend, Chateau De Curcier2006. Again, there was nothing subtle about this wine. However, due to the structured tannins going on in it, I’d definitely call this a ‘foodie’ wine. It is also a wine that really benefits from decanting for a hour or two (something that is regrettably often overlooked, but which many old world wines really do require) in order to release and bring to the fore the lovely forest fruit flavours and chewy tannins. We enjoyed this wine with our traditional Sunday roast lamb, which seemed to complement and stand up quite well to the wine – perhaps that was due to the richness of flavour of the lamb. In any case, this 2006 vintage Bordeaux Blend is one I would really recommend…and at £10.20 per bottle inc VAT it’s fantastic good value for such a well-rounded wine that is full of character.

Russell Wallace, General Manager 

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking… in the land of the (allegedly) free!  That’s right back from the annual vacation which this year brought me to the land of Minnie & Mickey Mouse, and more pointless incomprehensible rules, regulations and state by-laws than you could shake even the shortest of sticks at, the USA!

When in a wine making country I always argue that why would you drink anything but the local plonk, always that is except that it can be really rather difficult in the USA.  The main problem we have always encountered as wine buyers is that wine in the US is just so difficult to source that it often leaves us with little but the most mass market bland wines possible for the export market.  Here is the issue, the US is a huge country with a huge domestic market.  The amount of the country that grows grapes and makes decent wine is relatively small in comparison, this means that most of the good, boutique and family made wines are snapped up by thirsty US tourists, visitors and friends of the vineyard.  This is fantastic for the vineyard as it allows them to sell all of their production at a premium price, it does however mean that the average British wine buyer can really struggle to find something that is not only good value but also good quality and made with a bit of passion.  After all if the average vineyard can sell most of their production direct to the consumer within the US why would they consider those outside the US looking for a discounted price to offset our high transportation costs?  Combine this with the impossibly difficult to fathom alcohol import and export legislation (even shipping within the US is difficult!) and you have a difficult situation.

This is mostly why I am generally very prone to making US wines one of my last recommendations, but having just been there I did get reacquainted with an old friend the Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.  It is really quite hard to place this wine.  It features the punch of a New Zealand S.B. but none of the intense minerality, the fruitiness of the Chilean and weirdly something of a Chablis type quality.  What else is hot in the USA?  Weirdly the go to house wine (or at least the couple of restaurants I went to where I paid attention) in the USA, Pinot Grigio seems to be the hot topic!  It is not something I have hugely gotten into previously, or ironically during my holiday!  I am not sure why but it has taken until right this moment for me to get my head around it, on my last visit to Napa some 3 or 4 years ago I did not encounter it knowingly even once, yet on this visit it was featured on every restaurant list.  My suggestion is get a bottle from our selection give it a whirl and let us know your feedback!  Failing that/too cheeky?! give us a couple of weeks and check back at this blog as I think I will just have to give one or two a try.

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Took my eldest son back to start his second year at university this weekend. Funnily enough as a parent this was harder than last year when he started; then he was unsure of himself and we could dispense advice based on our own (dimly remembered) experiences. This time however he's confident, self assured and knows more about what's going on than we do. It's finally sinking in that he's spreading his wings and starting to make his own way in life - we've spent 19 years nurturing him to this stage but now he's got there its surprisingly difficult to deal with. Anyway, that made me all nostalgic and I started thinking back to some of my memories of him growing up. About 10 years ago we spent two weeks travelling around France with a small car and a tent. Our final few days were spent in the Loire Valley and I still vividly recall a wonderful meal sitting at an outside table at a bistro - a warm lazy summer evening and a delicious red wine to drink. That was a Rasteau, now an appellation in its own right, but at the time part of the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC. Ever since then a Côtes duRhône red has had the power to take me straight back to that holiday and remind me of a confident 9 year old requesting 'champagne si vous plait' when the waiter asked what he would like to drink. As he's now 19 (my son that is, not the waiter) and old enough to drink I thought a bottle of Domaine Coste ChaudeVisan Cuvee La Rocaille 2006 would remind us all of the occasion. It's a delicious full bodied red with lovely cherry and forest fruit flavours; there's a generous 30% discount on our website, so you can snap up a bottle for a mere £10.32. It's like a very slightly less fruity version of my personal favourite (which I may have mentioned once or twice before) the Welgegund Pinotage which is a very generous 40% off at the moment so you can buy a bottle of heaven for only £13.01. I'm certainly filling my wine rack at this price.