This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking…

Russell Wallace, General Manager

This week I ‘ave been mostly drinking...gin. Now, if I am honest, when it comes to gin I am usually very easy to please with one of the usual store cupboard favourites. However, sometime ago I stumbled upon Williams Extra Dry, Great British Gin. Williams Chase Distillery like to be a little different. They started off by distilling potatoes to make their premium vodka. Once they perfected this, they felt that the resulting spirit was just too full of flavour and would overpower the botanicals that are added to make their gin. So, they went back to the drawing board and came up with a wonderful apple based gin.  Now a bit of background and clarification for you.  When making gin you first make a basic spirit, essentially vodka, which is then re-distilled with added spices and flavour enhancing loveliness (juniper being the best known) to create gin.  So when making a mass market gin more often than not this base spirit is bought in en-masse (and ‘en-the-cheap’) and simply re-distilled into gin. Williams Chase are, however, quality farmers at heart and their aim in what they do is to produce the finest spirits possible all from their own single estate ingredients. So good was the base for their gin, that they have now even started to sell this as the naked apple vodka (not tried here at Exel Wines but most definitely available to purchase upon request). But why the Extra Dry and not the Williams Chase Crisp and Elegant? Well, that is simple really. They are both fabulous gins, and if I wanted to just look at the bottle I would pick the Williams Chase Crisp and Elegant. At Exel Wines however, we prefer to bring in a good dose of value for money - with this factored in to the equation at £6.50 per bottle cheaper, and with Williams Extra Dry, Great British Gin being on special offer this week, you can’t really refuse, can you?

Susan Ross, Logistics Manager

This week I ‘ave mostly been drinking...Trapezio Tinto 2008.

A short and sweet post from me this week, but one not to be missed. This is a blended wine from Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and produces a modern, friendly style with a deep fruit like perfume. It is youthful, powerful with great structure, designed to be smooth and elegant. With a fresh style and complex character this will be a hit with all taste buds and perfect for any occasion, any time of the year.

Dianne Barrie, Company Administrator

Well, as I had a few days off this week I took the opportunity to relax and recharge the batteries. I find cooking a relaxing pastime, however during the week I find it difficult to make anything elaborate or exciting so when given the opportunity I like nothing more that to take time to prepare food that’s not so haphazard and rushed. Of course, wine is an important part of the enjoyment of any meal, and it’s an opportunity to taste wines that I perhaps wouldn't be inclined to try otherwise. So, to the first wine which was Heredad Ugarte Viura 2012 from Spain. This is a fresh, florally wine yet soft with only a slight dryness and very little acidity. This wine went particularly well with the lovely flavours of the smoked haddock and leek tart we had for lunch on a fine summer’s afternoon. The next wine we indulged in was a red from Italy; Camillo De Lellis Biferno Rosso Riserva Doc 2009. A lovely blend of Montepulciano, Trebbiano, Toscano and Aglianico grape varieties. This is not a heavy overpowering red, it’s a more subtle wine with a pleasant dryness which went perfectly with our rich supper of home-made lasagne, garlic bread and salad. All-in-all a very enjoyable and relaxing long weekend…well, we all need to indulge a little from time-to-time!

Mark Powrie, Orders Team

This week I was working in the shop and had the chance to try Brockman’s Premium Gin. Now I am not really a gin man, however, it has always intrigued me. Brockman’s Gin smells very fresh, summery and crisp. The first sip, I could imagine sitting out in the garden on a nice summers day, plenty of ice in the drink and topping up my tan quite happily. I could also imagine sitting with a group of friends and trying out all the potential cocktails that could be made from this interesting, very different gin. This is definitely something special, and if you are a gin drinker then this is one for you.

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

I realise you're probably getting tired of hearing about my love affair with a certain South African Red, so thought I'd better try something different from our warehouse this week. I was planning on cooking a Spanish style Chicken and Chorizo bake over the weekend so I thought something Latin might go down quite well. The Carmenere grape is a recent discovery for me, and one that has quickly become a favourite with its soft fruity flavour. I noticed that we had a few bottles of the Falernia Carmenere Syrah Reserva Chile 2009 left so I snapped one up. The complex social lives of teenage sons meant that the planned menu disappeared out of the window, but no matter, the wine was delicious on its own with smooth black cherry and blueberry flavours, and the hint of paprika on the nose suggested it would have gone very well with the non-existent chicken and chorizo.