This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking…

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking… outdoors, which as we all know is a cue for every purveyor of drinks to enjoy gallons of rose, sparkling wines and crisp fresh whites.  Well, as always this wine merchant has to go and be a little different.  With the glorious sunshine that has been baking us in our gardens for weeks now, my good wife and I decided that a spot of camping was in order. Now, when I say camping with my wife, this must involve Egyptian cotton, cosy pillows, an inflatable mattress and at least one thick luscious duvet!!  So with the car packed to the rafters with everything to make a Cairngorms camping trip as comfortable and homely as possible, off we set to a nice little quiet spot we know.  When it comes to camping and outdoor living in general, I get an obsession with icy rose and cold whites but it is just a tad…well, impractical.  Especially when keeping a stock of your favourite tipple at just the right temperature during camping can be a challenge. Combine that with our fondness for a barbeque at any given opportunity, and all the signs point to a red (cue gasps of shock and surprise).  The important decision is which red, yes a nice Pinot NoirBeaujolais works well (especially if the bottle gets a little chilly later on at night), but for me when it comes to camping where everything is food orientated then there really is nothing better for that than a good, basic well made Italian.  So for me it was the Enzo di Sette Rue Primitivo priced just shy of £8.50. This red has a delightful balance between fruit and oak, and an easy drinking softness yet food friendly meatiness, but most of all it really does not mind you drinking it from a tumbler!

Susan Ross, Logistics Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking Rose wine – the summer has finally arrived, and its arrived with a bang, with temperatures so high how will we cope?

We can with a glass of nicely chilled Rose.  My choice this week being SartoriVilla Molino Pinot Grigio Blush delle Venezie (2012).  I once had the envious task of visiting this Lake Garda based producer, quite a few years ago now, but the trip was such a fantastic experience that the memory lives on.  This is a family based production with vineyards around the beautiful city of Verona and a stone’s throw from the scenic Lake Garda – a trip that should be on everyone’s “to do” list.

This wine is dry in still, not too alcoholic and therefore perfect for sharing on an afternoon get-together.  Crisp and refreshing in style, slightly aromatic with a beautiful pale copper/pink in colour.  The downside?  Maybe just a tad more-ish!  Nothing wrong with that!

Clive Holroyd, Database Developer

I had an attack of conscience this week. Those of you who read my last blog entry may recollect that I more or less ordered you to buy the Welgegund Pinotage. Reflecting on this, it occurred to me that drinking wine is very much an experience of the senses and of course so many other things can affect that pleasure - the food you are eating, the music you are listening to, the weather, the company - I could go on. What, I thought, if I had exhorted you to obtain the wine based solely on a propitious set of circumstances that artificially enhanced my initial impressions? I decided that more research was required and enlisted three others to share a bottle with me. The results are in and I am sorry to report that I have uncovered the Achilles heel of this particular wine, not apparent in my previous tasting. Hard to believe though it is, the bottle contains a mere 75cl of liquid and this amount is woefully inadequate for four people. I am forced to recant my previous advice. Don't buy a bottle; buy several and share the pleasure with some deserving friends.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

As I’ve been pretty busy over the last week, unfortunately I have not really had an opportunity to indulge as much as I would like! However, since I was working in our retail shop on Saturday, I did get a chance to have a little taste of two fantastic wines. To explain (and avoid any ambiguity), we always open a bottle of white and a bottle of red for tasting between 12-4pm on a Saturday afternoon so that customers get a chance to try some of the wines that we sell in our shop. This week we opened Maison Champy Macon Villages France 2010, a beautifully mellow white burgundy which has delicious peach and melon flavours lightly softened in oak. It is just the sort of white wine I really enjoy – full of flavour, but with a creamy softness…yummy. Another of the wines we had on tasting was Bodegas Escudero Razon Spain 2006. I'm a huge fan of Bodegas Escudero Cava Rosado, a sparkling rose made by the same producer so I had high hopes for this red wine, and I'm glad to say that I certainly wasn't disappointed. A blend of Grenache and Tempranillo, this is a full-bodied red packed with jammy fruitiness with a tiny hint of vanilla and subtle spices. I would imagine it being a great accompaniment to tomato based pasta or Indian dishes, chilli con carne, or simply with some white stilton and olives…mid-morning as I write this, but I'm going to stop there as anymore food suggestions and I will not be able to resist having my lunch early! 

This week I 'ave been mostly drinking...

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

It was a busy week last week, but despite this I did manage to enjoy a glass or three of some nice wine! Exel Wines attended the Three Wine Men event in Edinburgh over the weekend with Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkins, and I was lucky enough to be helping out  at the Sunday session…and taste some of the lovely wines we had on display! One of the wines we took with us was Songlines Shiraz 2005 which I had never tried before - I have tasted the Bylines Shiraz 2005 by the same producer, and this has become one of our office favourites. The Songlines Shiraz is quite different in style to the Bylines Shiraz however, and while both are the same vintage and both are made from 100% Shiraz there are reasons for this distinct difference. Firstly, the grapes in the Bylines Shiraz are grown on younger vines than that of the Songlines Shiraz, and therefore give a higher yield. This makes the Bylines Shiraz more punchy with an intense aroma and a rich, full-flavoured fruitiness. The grapes in the Songlines Shiraz, on the other hand, come from much older vines and therefore, the structure and balance of this wine is quite different. Songlines Shiraz is a mellow wine, ample and round with more subtle tannins…a wine to be appreciated with a nice roast rib of beef! 

Mark Powrie, Orders Team

This week I have enjoyed Chateau Reynon 2006, which I would describe as a wine of considerable character for the price-tag. Deep ruby in colour; brambley fruits to the nose and a firm backbone of fine tannins. I had this with pie and mash and it was a great match. Regular readers may note that I prefer wines which have had a few years in the bottle, which don’t break the bank. I would add this to that list.

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking a genuine new discovery in the Ca Dei Frati Lugana Brolettino 2011.  This 100% Turbiana grape (somewhat linked to the Trebbiano di Lugana and Verdicchio varietals) is a stunning wine of the Lake Garda region, full at 14% Abv and with a nice gentle oak ageing that softens the acidity.  Despite the oak this wine remains fresh and vibrant, crisp and elegant.  Rather than reading my usual sprawl why not check out this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Exel Wines You tube Channel.

Ally Moir, Shop Assistant

Well what a weekend it has been for barbecues and what greater pleasure than drinking wine with a friend on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  We shared some Biferno Rosso, a lovely Italian red from the Molise region, a lovely fruity wine with just the right amounts of tannin to go with the barbie food. We also enjoyed a very light, easy on the alcohol Frascati – also very easy on the wallet – just great for the hot summer day.

Clive Holroyd, Database Developer

Whilst everyone else chose to watch Andy's triumph with the traditional Pimms, strawberries and cream, I chose instead to drink Stellar Organics Running Duck Cabernet Sauvignon paired with Wensleydale with cranberries. Lovely and no headache the following morning despite the stress of those four match points. Also this week my first bottle (and there will be many more) of the amazing Welgegund Pinotage. Delicious. Buy some. Enough said.

Susan Ross, Logistics Manager

Well, summer is finally here, and following on from our stint at the Three Wine Men event in Edinburgh last week, I ‘ave mostly been drinking Aigner GrunerVeltliner Sandgrube.  This is a perfect cooler for the hot weather we've had over the last few days but also a great wine to match up with Asian food, green salads and seafood.  Try it with grilled asparagus with a scoosh of lemon and grated parmesan.  A good belter of acidity along with softer earthy notes from a small family run producer which oozes quality.  If you want to try something completely different, give this one a go.

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking...

Russell Wallace, General Manager – As you have probably gathered from my recent blogging and Facebooking, I have mostly been sampling some divine Brazilian Wines. For those of you that missed it, where have you been? For around two years now Exel Wines have been paving the way in Brazilian wine in the UK. We started out with a lot of scepticism from all corners, I guess owing to the lack of knowledge over this emerging region. With the wine industry being centuries old, it is no mean feat to break a “new” kid onto this decidedly old block. I say new, but wine making has been going on in Brazil since the mid 1800’s, when a combination of Italian and Brazilian immigrants brought their vines, techniques and passion for wine making to their new found home. Over the years they have perfected the art and got to grips with what works in their new territory. The hardest thing to explain is what exactly Brazilian wines are about.  As a nation they grow an astounding variety of grapes, unlike their Argentinian neighbours who instead opt for a more subtle complex style of wine making. For me though the main characteristic of Brazilian wine is a general sense of unusualness. My favourite this weekend has to be the Marselan from Casa Valduga.  Marselan is a red varietal developed in Bordeaux in the 1960’s. It never really took off, despite being full of flavours, the tiny grape size made for a generally uneconomic wine.  Casa Valduga experimented and found the grape took well to the soils in Campanha, in Southernmost Brazil, and despite the low yields from these smaller grapes the Valduga family opted for quality, not quantity and decided that the quality of the wine could not be denied. This wine is lightly French oaked and displays an endlessly evolving medium body that would work well with game.  I also developed, over the course of a four day stint in London and the Taste of London Fair, a bit of a love affair with Casa Valduga’s Brut 130. A traditional method sparkler made with just Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, 30 months on Lees (that is nearly vintage Champagne territory!) and just a touch of French oak ageing. I have been waffling on for the last few weeks about my love of various Champagnes; well this is just the ticket - a real crowd pleaser and more UK-palate friendly than its French rivals.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator – …red wine! Yes, after a short spell enjoying some lovely white wines I’ve returned back to my good old red wines with Esk Valley Syrah 2009. And, what a red it is. This New Zealand Syrah is spicy and rich, full of dark cherry flavours with warming hints of black pepper – an easy-drinking wine ideal for a relaxed evening on the patio after the sun of the day has gone down. It is also a great wine to have with food, and my recommendation would be to enjoy a glass along with an indulgent supper of duck pate, stuffed olives and tangy blue cheese…yum!

Mark Powrie, Orders Team – This week I have been mostly drinkin’…Grant Burge Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an abnormality to me. A sparking red!!!!! I have tried these in the past and not really liked them. This one is very, very different. The deep ruby wine with elegant bubbles is complex, earthy and very fruity.

As the sunshine has started to show its head, this sparkling red is a great one for sitting and sipping in the garden. It can be drunk at room temperature or for a major twist, chilled in the fridge over a little ice!!!!

This should be tried before it is commented on as it is a real head turner!!!!!!

John Read, Marketing Intern – I have to admit that on the whole I am not much of a wine drinker, however it was my sister’s birthday at the weekend and in actual fact as part of her present I treated her to a rather popular choice from Portugal, Conde Villar Vinho Verde Branco (2012). Having enjoyed a variety of wines whilst she was on holiday in Portugal recently I hoped that this wine would serve to bring back some good holiday memories. To avoid my sister’s present disappearing in the one night we let her take the bottle home unscathed as we already had our supply for the evening in the form of Moon River Pinot Grigio (Hungary 2011). Despite this being at the lower end in terms of what Hungary has to offer from the Pinot Grigio variety, even I was tempted to try this refreshing wine and enjoyed it for its vitality and contrasting concoction of flavours with notes of peach and grapefruit blending together to create a ripe and zesty finish. All in all, it’s a vibrant option to have at the party or on the dinner table that won’t break the bank.

A weekend in the life of Exel Wines

It is not an unusual statement to hear that people are quite envious of a life in the wine trade and I have to be completely honest, I love it.  So I thought that with this entry I would share a little more indepth some of the more interesting goings on over this weekends rather manic events.

We start on Friday afternoon, after having spent a luxurious morning off (the first for a couple of weeks I might add, no weekends in this game!) I hit the office to get myself, the stock and some notes for this evenings tasting for the Helensburgh Wine Society.  I will be presenting an introduction to a number of different vineyards and styles of wines from Spain.  It will be a drive of more than an hour and a half to get there but before I set off I also need to get things prepared for the weekends festivities at the 3 Wine Men tasting in Edinburgh, so corkscrews, business cards, slow pourers, wines and much more besides all need organising so we can be off at 9am prompt tomorrow, Phewph!

Back to Helensburgh, and whilst it is a long old drive it really is quite the beautiful one.  We are kicking off at 7.30pm and I get there in good time so I can stop by the shops and pick up a drink and a sandwich based dinner to gorge on while I re-read my notes and make sure that all the interesting facts and funny stories stick in my brain.  Whilst I am not a natural speaker, I have always forced myself into it and I genuinely enjoy being able to introduce people to new wines, new information and more tan anything simplify the attitude towards wine.  This one I must confess though I am struggling with, last weekend was all about Brazil and the wines that we import from this emerging country and in the back of my mind is begining thoughts about the wines that we are showing tomorrow.  I arrive however at Helensburgh at the local yacht club and get myself set up and meet the first arrivals of a truely kind and friendly bunch of wine enthusiasts and most of my anxieties are laid to rest.
We kick off with the Cava Rosado from Bodegas Escudero in Rioja, followed up by a variety of light refreshing whites from the Mercedes Eguren Sauvignon Blanc, through the White Rioja from Heredad Ugarte up to the Verdejo from Protos that I know if all else fails is alwasy a show stopper.
The reds are a fairly standard run through in terms of the style: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva etc.  The wines however are really interesting and gretly recieved the Crianza and Reserva both from Heredad Ugarte appeal to different people depending on their preference.  The Gran Reserva goes out of Rioja and on to Protos from the Ribera del Duero.  A 2004 Vintage this is a corker of a wine and really interesting to delve into and watch it evolve in the glass as the air gets to it.  We finish (as I always try to) with something completely different. A Rioja, a reserva by technicalities but just sublime and to my taste owing more to a complex Bordeaux this is the wonderful world of Bodegas Valsacro and their wine Valsacro Dioro. from Ancient vines, they could have kept this in oak for a few more months and stuck a shiny Gran Reserva label on this, as it is they do not even advertise the reserva! Instead they opted to use the amount of oak this wine actually needed and left all of the evenings attendees finished on a high.

After the gruelling drive home it was straight to bed with no supper at 11.30pm for a solid nights rest before an early start to get to the office to catch up on a little of Fridays office work beore packing up the car (note to self always take the car to Edinburgh parking a van for a full day in Edinburgh is neigh on impossible, learn from experience!!) with the wines, trolleys and extra bits and bobs to see us through the weekend.

Today we are off to the 3 Wine Men event in Edinburgh where we are sure of some interesting chat, lots of enthusiastic wine enjoying public and of course the charismatic 3 chaps themselves, Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin.  For this we have the old faithful Reserve de Sours (great we can use the old "It's £12 per bottle, yes you can buy it from M&S but you pay £20 for the priviledge" line to its death!), 3 entirely different Gruner Veltliner from Aigner in Austria, 2 Shiraz from Songlines Estates (made by the legend John Duval), and finishing off as always with something totally different a Pinotage unlike any other, the unbelievable Welgegund.  From the off the selection seems to have done the trick everyone loves the reserve de Sours, the 3 Gruner Veltliner spark everyones interest, the Shiraz speak for themselves and their legenday winemaker and the Pinotage is forced upon everyone if not by me then by all three of the Wine Men coming back for more after more after more!  The event works on the Saturday in 2 sessions from early afternoon and a late afternoon stretching on until 7.30pm by the end of which everyone is dead on their feet from a long day but thoroughly enthused by such a positive reaction by everyone.

Home for shortly after 9pm for a few minutes relaxation follwed by another sound sleep before up and out again on the Sunday for the final session of the event this time from 12 noon till 4pm.

Thus finishes a long weekend, just enough time to get the weeks shopping in, cook up a storm for dinner and start another week on Monday morning!