Category Archives: Ramblings and Rants

The Tipping Point

March 26 2010

tippingDuty on wine in the UK has gone up nearly 30% in three years (to £2 a bottle from this weekend), compared to 15% over the previous seven. Only Finland, Sweden, Eire and the UK have duty over 50p a bottle, and there’s no duty at all in Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Portugal and 10 ten other EU countries. France, with just 3p duty, is not far away – literally.

Will Middle England have to put up with being fleeced by the Government for wine at home for much longer? Watch this space…

Feel free to comment, as we’d like some help in shaping our cunning plan.

Pinotgate: Gallo taken for a ride

February 24 2010

bottlesribenaThe biggest wine scam for years hit the headlines this month as 12 French merchants and Co-op executives from the Languedoc were fined and given suspended jail terms for flogging the equivalent of 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to the US giant Gallo for their brand Red Bicyclette.

We don’t know whether to laugh or cry, or both. I couldn’t stop laughing when I first read about it – until I pictured the image of the guy chuckling at a gag before realising that the joke was on him. It’s immensely damaging to France, and especially to the Languedoc, at a time when French wine exports are plunging. Having spoken to a few of our customers in passing, more than one mentioned the Austrian Anti-Freeze scandal. And that was 25 years ago.

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Pinot-Chio: 12 Great Quotes

February 23 2010

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1. “Our vines are cultivated in the Languedoc-Roussilon region with Old World passion and simplicity. Made from carefully selected grapes prized for their character and balance, the flavor reflects France’s famous winemaking expertise, but with a relaxed style.” Red Bicyclette website, home page.

2. “Between 2006 and 2008, Languedoc exported 160 million bottles of Pinot Noir which is odd, considering the entire region produced only 67 million bottles of Pinot Noir.  You do the math, but that is a boatload, no, an aircraft carrier-load of fake wine.  How could this happen?  Greed, my friends, and a mega-producer like Gallo and their flagship Languedoc wine, Red Bicyclette, to support it.” David Flaherty, Grapes and Grains, NYC.

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Pinotgate: Sideways and Freedom Fries

February 22 2010

sideways_wideweb__430x2551It all started here.

“Um, it’s a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It’s uh, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it’s neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot’s potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they’re just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and… ancient on the planet.”

Miles, from the Oscar-nominated 2004 film, Sideways.

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5 Tips for Choosing Wine in a Restaurant

January 22 2010

dsc_0009Jean-Marie Pratt – pictured here in informal attire – has been the Head Sommelier at Gordon Ramsay’s eponymous three Michelin star restaurant in Chelsea for three years, and is off on 1 February on a sabbatical, working in wineries around the world. Before he flies off, he has these words of advice to customers when choosing wine in a ‘fine dining’ restaurant.

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We’re up, thanks, but how was it for you?

January 15 2010

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Hot on the heels of the positive spin coming from the major UK retailers about their Christmas sales, including Majestic’s 12% increase in the nine weeks of the festive season, we’re delighted that our UK wine sales were up 35% by value in November and December compared to the same months in 2008. This excludes Bauduc Bond sales which don’t count just yet, as they are filed under ‘Bordeaux futures’.

What’s quite interesting is that we actually sent out less emails out to customers in 2009, contrary to what you might think: six from 1st October to Christmas – one a fortnight – compared to eight in 2008. We’re learning that no-one likes being inundated with crap when an occasional offer or seasonal reminder will do. Our Christmas Gazette –  “A Season to be Jolly” – sent in the UK post certainly helped.

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What Le Fungus? The Funniest Vineyard Clip of the Decade

January 07 2010

benaudRichie Benaud OBE, the famous Australian cricketer and commentator, needs little introduction.  What isn’t so well known is that he bought a vineyard in France to enjoy during his retirement. Like vines, the old ones are the best, and this audio sketch is our favourite of the last decade. Thanks to Tom G and Andrew Q for sharing it. We like it because it’s a little too close to the truth for comfort and sums up our first ten years here (“it’s votre derrière if les grapes morts”).

Play Richie Benaud’s chat with his French vineyard manager

Top Bordeaux: Investment of the Decade

December 10 2009

chartservletHere’s a sobering thought at this time of year, especially if you’ve been drinking your stock of old Lafite. A report in the Guardian, entitled ‘How alternative investments have fared since 2000’, showed that the top wines from Bordeaux have been the best investment since 2000, ‘earning returns that far outstripped equities, gold and property.’

In short, the ‘Big Eight’ – Lafite, Latour, Margaux, Mouton, and Haut-Brion (the five First Growths from the Left Bank) along with Pétrus from Pomerol, and Cheval Blanc and Ausone from St-Emilion (all Right Bank), have all proved to be solid performers.

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Champagne Going Cheap

December 08 2009

img_0336It’s the silly season as UK supermarkets do battle over Champagne prices this Christmas. The marketing directors of many of the Grandes Marques must be hopping mad, as Morrisons have been selling Moët at just over £14 and Bollinger at £17.95. It’s 43 euros in our local caviste near Bordeaux (right).

Several wine and money-saving sites have been keeping tabs on the best deals. Decanter’s website covers both the UK supermarkets and the High Street, while moneysavingexpert.com can be relied upon to chisel out the savings in times like this.

The independents have been less than impressed with some of the more spurious claims of 50% off, and they’re right to expose any deliberate attempts to con the consumer. Or should we just grit our teeth and rise above it?

The Future of Wine – The Videos

November 15 2009

rioja-wine-futureUnfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the Wine Future conference in Rioja last week, as I had already signed up to host a corporate event in, er, Coventry. The good news, however, is that nobody took a video of me talking to lawyers and bankers about moving from a career in London to running a vineyard in Bordeaux, or of me hosting the wine tasting, but they did film some key speakers at the Wine Future conference.

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