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!