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Old Italian wine made modern... Meet Ameri

Posted by Joelle Thomson on

Ameri is a stunning special new addition to our fine wine cabinet, which is 100% Sangiovese made using the traditional governo method; an old Italian winemaking technique where a portion of grapes are dried on the vine late in the season, then added into the wine to assist fermentation and boost complexity.  Buy Ameri here This wine is made by Podere San Cristoforo, a winery based in Maremma on the Tuscan coast. This is a beautiful warm area which the Italians refer to as the California of Tuscany. When the Sangiovese grapes are fully ripe, the shoot is cut on...

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Shock and awe at Best of the Best 2021

Posted by John Shearlock on

It was a night that had it all. A $40 blend derailing a Rolls Royce single malt, a jaw-dropping shocker of a mystery whisky and an ode to a fart… what more could you ask for!I’ve facilitated a few of these now and thought I had seen it all… but there’s never a dull moment with whisky. It keeps you on your toes and often when you think you’ve got it sussed, it does something strange.Ok, let’s be fair, it wasn't the lineup we would have picked at the start of the year if we’d had our way, but there...

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Bubbles for every budget

Posted by Joelle Thomson on

Bubbles for every budget

Did you know that sales of pink wine outstripped white wine sales in France way back in 2009? It seems like a surprising statistic but there you go; pink wine has been on a roll for over a decade, globally, and now it's the turn of pink bubbles. Here are three top notch sparkling wines made from a mixture of red and white grapes, all treated to a light pressing or, in the case of the champagne, a little red wine blended in to provide the colour. Pink bubbly three ways - how they are made The following is an...

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Summer of Albarino

Posted by Joelle Thomson on

Summer of Albarino

The Albarino grape is still pretty new to this country but it’s going down a treat, not only with wine drinkers but also with those who work hard to grow the grapes in our often tricky maritime climate. Which leads us directly to the main secret to Albarino’s success - its relatively thick skin.  Not all of us can relate but it's to Albarino's credit that it has developed a skin thick enough to withstand the tropical, relatively warm, relatively humid and wet climate of north west Spain, which is its traditional homeland. This region is known as Galicia and it...

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Is pink Prosecco new?

Posted by Joelle Thomson on

Is pink Prosecco new?

Well, yes, and no… It’s an Italian thing... Pink Prosecco is a new name for an old style of wine that combines two of many wine lovers’ favourite things – pink wine and bubbles. Pink bubblies have been made for a long time in the Veneto in north east Italy, but they could only be labelled Prosecco as from 2020. The change was a legal one. It took place in spring last year when it was approved by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Rules regarding rosé prosecco mean it has to comply to five key criteria. The five keys to pink prosecco Like all...

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