Huge news
A major piece of news from yours truly to fill you in on for those who haven't yet heard. After almost two years with The Wineyard & Deli, I have decided to move on to a new challenge with another company, and will complete my time here on Thursday 2nd June (with a tasting I hasten to add). The past 22 months have been absolutely fantastic from start to finish, and that is in massive part thanks to each and every one of you brilliant people. Our customers have been the reason I bounced out of bed every morning, the reason I worked hard to find exciting new products, the reason I (still) work silly hours, and the reason I have been so incredibly passionate about what I do. You guys always light up my day when you walk in the door and stop for a quick chat, tell me how amazing you thought last night's wine was, share a laugh about something that's happened, or bemoan the state of the world, and I am going to miss you all an incredible amount. I hope I leave you all with a little bit more educational nonsense in your heads about the wonders of wine, the brilliant of beer, and the seductiveness of spirits, but if not, well, you probably didn't miss too much anyway! It's been an enormous pleasure to learn a little bit about the diversity and deliciousness of our good friend alcohol, but the bigger pleasure has always been sharing it with you all. For anyone who would like to keep in touch once I'm gone (or know what I'm going to be getting up to next), my personal e-mail address is benjaminphodgkinson@gmail.com and my personal Facebook account can be found here: http://facebook.com/cptcheerful - Please do feel free to add me as a friend, or drop me an e-mail, and we can continue to swap knowledge and recommendations for new things to try! You can also follow my personal Twitter account at http://twitter.com/thewineyard_ben (I'll be renaming my account at some point in the next few weeks, but if you follow me now, you'll remain a follower after the change). In the meantime, I'm not done here yet! In an effort to make sure you all remember me for at least a few days after I disappear, we've got some great tastings to come in the next few weeks. First up, Ben Johnson and I are hosting another of our world famous Mixology Evenings on Friday 20th May (he's promised me a good send off!). Following that, Friday 27th May will see me leading a tasting of my favourite wine discoveries of the past couple of years. I'll be picking out a selection of wines that have really rocked my world and bowled me over with their flavours and intensity; one not to miss. Finally, I'll be capping off a brilliant two years on my very last day in the shop (Thursday 2nd June), with a beer tasting which will showcase some of the drinks responsible for my decision to join the beer trade in my next role! I'll include some incredibly rare and unusual beers, and will be showing off what a tremendously diverse, flavourful and intense experience beer can provide your palate with. Again, one not to miss! Each of these 3 events will cost you £15 to get in, but tickets must be booked in advance, and places are limited. If you're interested in coming along, get in touch via any of the usual means.I hope I'll see you all within the next 3 weeks anyway, but once again, a truly enormous and heartfelt thank you to each and every single one of you for making this job one of the best experiences of my life so far. I'll miss you.Ben H
Wine of the Month: KIKI
As the start of May approaches, it's time for us to move on to a new Wine of the Month (False Bay Pinotage having been very popular, and long surpassed the month-long spell in the spotlight it should have had). With all the glorious warm and sunny days we've been enjoying lately, May's choice could not be more appropriate. A feisty little number by the name of "Kiki", this is a fantastic quality Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand. But it isn't just any old Sauvignon Blanc. This particular Sauvignon Blanc is the product of the immensely talented and widely revered winemaker, Ant Moore. But this isn't just any old Ant Moore Sauvignon Blanc either. This is his sparkling version. Yes, that's right, a Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc! How ace does that sound, right? Very. Very damn ace I'll have you know. Turning heads at two separate trade tastings we've attended, this was also a standout wine at our Sauvignon Blanc night in-store not too long ago. Definitely the most popular wine of the night in terms of sales, it also was a favourite for the majority of those who attended. The wine delivers all the usual fruit flavours you'd expect from a Marlborough Sauvignon, and the bubbles combine with the typical crisp acidity that coarses throughout the wine, giving it a really mouth-watering character. Trust us when we say, this stuff's immensely drinkable. In fact, ask Anne what she thinks of it next time you see her serving in-store. When I saw her today, she confessed to demolishing an entire bottle herself the other night! Or ask Christine, who absolutely loved it when she tried it at said Sauvignon Blanc tasting. Or ask Ben, who's responsible for having ordered ridiculous quantities of the stuff in preparation for the Wine of the Month promos! Price-wise, if you want to try a bottle, you're looking at £11.99 a bottle. If you want a couple in for the weekend, we'll knock a bit off on 2 for £22. Once you've tried it however, you'll be back to stock up in bulk, so we'll help out and give you £12 off a case (£60 for 6). Has anyone tried Kiki before? How about another sparkling Sauvignon Blanc? Post your comments below, or e-mail us at wineyardanddeli@gmail.com. Better yet, drop us a tweet, or pop a comment on our Facebook wall.
Wish you were here...
Tonight's line up. Yum!
Wine of the Month: False Bay Pinotage 2009
£7.49 or 2 for £14.00! An absolute stunner for the price.
Tasting: Sauvignon Blanc Night, Sat March 19th
This ought to sell itself really, given how much you guys adore Sauvignon Blanc, and really, who can blame you? What a tremendous little grape it is! The wines of Marlborough, New Zealand, dominate the Sauv Blanc scene at the moment, with their slick marketing and packaging, and their trendy gooseberry flavour profiles. They really are the coolest customer in town at the moment when it comes to wine.
Regardless of where it's from, a Sauvignon Blanc is guaranteed to be crisp, tart, and refreshing. There's always great acidity keeping things lively and zesty, and there's usually some utterly divine citrus fruit kicking about your mouth after you knock back a glass or two after a long hard day's work. And if we get to the food matching side of things for the dinner party host in you, nothing beats a Sauv Blanc with shellfish or seafood for my money. Knock together a nice light dish with mussels or prawns and a bit of linguine, keeping your flavours nice and simple, and whack out a cold crisp glass of Sauvignon and you are well and truly on your way to a winner ladies and gentlemen. Although they are arguably the best in the world right now, the Marlborough wineries aren't the only ones capable of making some seriously scrumptious wines. The South Americans and South Africans have sharpened up their act big time, with Chile and Argentina leading the way, delivering some superb value for money stuff at smart prices. On the higher end side of things, the Loire Valley in France has some serious quibbles with Marlborough's claims of being the best, and is still crafting some of the most elegant, sophisticated expressions of the grape you will find in the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume appelations. The Americans and the Aussies also love this grape too, producing their own fairly distinctive styles, and of course, lest we forget, there are other grapes besides Sauv Blanc that can deliver all kinds of fab flavours with that refreshing acidity that makes your mouth water so much.Stuff like Semillon and Riesling from Australia can be just the ticket for the Sauv Blanc fan looking for something similar, but new. They usually taste of lime, apple, and other citrus fruit, and can serve up some massive acidity that will have you practically drooling in seconds. Elsewhere, Austria has something of a cult following for its best white grape, Gruner Veltliner. A different set of flavours, but with that super crisp refreshing style still central to the offering, this can be a lovely change of pace too. Another terrific option is Italy's top quality white grape, Verdicchio. Again, crisp, refreshing, and full of citrus fruit, this is a full-flavoured alternative that blows Pinot Grigio out the water! So now you're feeling rather thirsty and wanting a glass or few, you should be nice and interested in joining me for a top notch evening of the stuff! If you're a fan, this is an event not to be missed. I'll be running you through a brilliant assortment of the above wines, demonstrating just how fantabulous this grape is, and providing lots of little pearls of wisdom you can whip out to impress your friends with, and of course, some light-hearted banter along the way. I'll also be serving up some samples out of the deli, suggesting some good food matches and highlighting some of the delicious stuff we stock on the food side of things. It's also a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about wine in general, and is a thoroughly fun night out. If you'd like further details, or want to book your place, get in touch right away, as places are limited. Tickets are £10 each, and include all your wine and snacks for the evening. There will also be discounts on the night. Tel: 0152440001123 Princes Crescent, Bare, Morecambe, LA4 6BY
wineyardanddeli@gmail.com
http://twitter.com/thewineyard_ben
http://facebook.com/wineyard
Spanish Tasting Weekend
Our next tasting at the Morecambe shop is in the diary, as part of a themed weekend that we'll be running in conjunction with Wines From Spain. They're generously providing an array of food and material for us to use over the course of a Spanish tasting weekend in the shop, so on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of January we'll be offering up samples of lots of different Spanish products including wines of a variety of styles, sherry, brandy, and possibly even some beer if we can source something interesting in time.
On the Friday evening, at 8pm, we'll also be hosting an in-store tasting for a small group of you, talking through the different wines in greater depth and helping to showcase Spain's more unusual and lesser known products. Tickets are £10, and must be bought in advance.To book, you can contact us via one of the following methods:E-mail: wineyardanddeli@gmail.comPhone: 01524400011
Twitter: @TheWineyard
Facebook.com/WineyardOr of course, visit the shop and talk to us in person.23 Princes Crescent, Bare, Morecambe, LA4 6BY
Impromptu venison sausage thing I made with LOTS of tasty wine
Being ridiculously busy at this time of year doesn't leave me with a whole lot of time for planning what I'm going to eat this week, or organising my shopping all that much. Having wandered briskly round Sainsbury's at the weekend grabbing random veg, fruit and meat, and a few other bits & pieces, I got back from work around half 9 last night absolutely starving.
Raiding the fridge and cupboard I just pulled out an assortment of stuff that came to hand; Venison sausages (never tried before), chestnut mushrooms, leek, shallots, baby carrots, and some random Italian herbs (I forget which now, I'll look when I get in and try and update this later). There was also about half a bottle of Le Fou Pinot Noir 2009 (France) left from the week before on the side, a highly suitable match for the night's culinary adventures since it works terrifically well with gamey meats and dishes. Being pretty knackered and lazy (it was getting on past 10 at this point, and a good 14 hours since I'd left that morning), I went for the 'all in one' approach. I.e. I stuck everything in a large oven dish, with some nice extra v olive oil & butter, the assorted herbs and some cracked black pepper. After the food was in and mixed up, I poured a very healthy slug of the Pinot in after it all, probably about a quarter to a third of the bottle (I couldn't be bothered to make gravy), and shoved it in the oven at 190C for about 40 mins giving it all a good stir around half way through. What came out was pretty damn tasty. The herbs all worked really well with the richness of the venison, which was gorgeous, and the wine complemented the meat superbly. It's a gorgeous wine anyway, an old favourite of mine that I've put on for a few tastings recently with a lot of appreciative responses, and the combo was just lovely. As an added bonus, with the broth being 99% quality booze, not only was it super tasty, but it also left me feeling terrifically warm and fuzzy inside. Bonus! The wine itself (I had a small glass left to drink with the food, as if it was really necessary) is lovely and soft, with scrumptuously smooth tannins, lots of cherry and bramble fruits, and plenty of upfront flavour. For less than a tenner (£8.99), it's well worth it's price tag. Really easy drinking, but totally delicious stuff. And the food? Well I'll be having some more of those sausages for a start. Venison sausage sandwich for breakfast anyone? It was bloomin' gorgeous!Update: My top lesson learned from all of that is to use decent wine for cooking. It was so much nicer than stuff I've cooked with cheap wine before. Makes an incredible difference.
Keith Tulloch Per Diem Red 2008 (Australia)
For less than £10 a bottle, we're in business. Hurry up and get ordering. You'll not be disappointed.
I thought about leaving the blog post at that to be honest. The wine speaks for itself that well that I feel like I'm not going to do it justice throwing together my own quick thoughts. But what the heck, I'll give it a go anyway. Keith Tulloch, for those of you not familiar with him, is something of a legend in wine making circles. His reputation is phenomenal, and pretty much every wine he makes receives critical acclaim across the board. The wines he makes generally emulate the styles of the masters that have been at work in France for centuries. The Rhone in particular is a big influence, with his top-end Shiraz receiving favourable comparisons to the Syrah that comes out of Hermitage. Equally favourable are the comparisons between his beautiful, elegant Chardonnay, and the creamy whites of Burgundy. Per Diem represents the make-up of another French classic. The combination of grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot) are traditional Bordeaux varieties. Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (85% of the blend), the wine has good structure and is medium-bodied. The Merlot helps keep the tannins lovely and soft, and the Petit Verdot lends complexity and fragrance to proceedings. Aromatically intriguing, the aromas give you an indication of the swirl of flavours that await. There are a number of spices at play, some herbaceous minty notes, raspberries, and black cherries, amongst other things. Get the wine in your mouth and feel out the flavours and there's more depth and intensity of fruit to come. Sweet ripe black cherries, and big, juicy, luscious dark plums are bounding around your palate. There's plenty of the aromatic stuff shining through, as well as more savoury notes balancing things out. Despite the lovely soft supple tannins, there's good acidity in there which keeps things nice and vibrant too. All in all, it's a superb wine, at an excellent price (£9.79). I've ordered plenty in, and we'll be opening a bottle over the coming weekend so you can try it for yourself, just in case you don't trust my opinion. I'll probably stick a special offer on it too. If you can't get in to the shop yourself, don't forget we deliver across the UK. Shipping costs £10, and you get 5% off 6+ bottles, and 10% of 12+. We can also make up mixed cases. Drop me an e-mail to wineyardanddeli@gmail.com if you're interested.November 2010 at The Wineyard & Deli, Morecambe
Wine Tasting
Our next wine tasting in-store is taking place on Thursday November 4th, at 7pm. The theme is "French Wines Under A Tenner" and will involve a nice broad range of styles and regions, reds and whites, maybe even a bit of fizz or dessert wine too, and with all the wines costing £10 or less! Bargain hunting time, and also a superb opportunity to re-evaluate any preconceptions or prejudices you may have against French wines. Their stuff can be sensationally good, and doesn't always require a new mortgage to buy, so get your palate at the ready, and make some new discoveries with us! Tickets are £10 and are already selling well, so don't leave it too late to book yourself in for an evening of super wines at affordable prices.
On Saturday November 13th, we'll be breaking into some beers, with a superb tasting of darker beers in the works! Obviously we'll be including some excellent examples of the porter and stout styles, but we'll also take in one or two darker Belgian beers, and of course, some of these barrel aged, whisky and bourbon influenced creations that have been making you wonder just why on Earth somebody would spend so much on one bottle of beer. To cap off the night, we'll be tasting a beer that rivals amongst the best taste sensations I have EVER had the pleasure to come across, in the form of BrewDog's Tokyo. It's a beer that costs £10.99 and weighs in at a jaw-dropping 18.2% alcohol, so we'll be sipping slowly and savouring this nectar of the gods. Tickets are also £10, and on sale now.
Online Tasting
Saturday November the 20th sees us focus on beers for a second time in 2 weeks, with a return to our seriously popular online beer tasting format which allows you to join in the fun of tasting from your own home (no taxis or babysitters to worry about)! You'll be able to take part on either Facebook or Twitter, and the theme will be IPAs (India Pale Ales), with pre-made packs on sale through the shop, but with the option for you to join in with any other IPAs you might find lying around at home or at *cough* inferior other retailers. ;) We'll be spending the evening discussing the style, its origins, more recent reincarnations, and just what exactly our own personal favourites are. More details coming soon on our beer blog.
Mixology Evening
The Wineyard & Deli's first ever Cocktail Night for the great people of Morecambe and Lancaster takes place on Thursday November 25th at 8.00pm, with our very own resident mixologist on hand demonstrating how to make a range of delicious drinks, and discussing what you can use all those odd bottles of liqueurs and spirits for, that litter your cupboard after the Christmas period. We also intend to have pre-made packs of the ingredients used on the night on sale at super prices, so you can go away and try your own hand at your favourite cocktails of the evening.
An immensely exciting announcement for us, The Wineyard & Deli is opening its second shop in Fulwood, Preston next week! From Monday 1st November, the wonderful people of Preston will have access to all the brilliant stuff that has made the first Wineyard & Deli store the talk of the nation (cynics out there, we get people traveling from all over I'll have you know). Featuring our superb range of wines, beers, spirits and liqueurs, as well as all the fantastic food stuff we source from all over, The Wineyard & Deli is sure to be Preston's must-see shop of this Christmas period. If you have friends who are local, tell them to get over to the old Wine Rack in Fulwood and see what we've done to the place.
Next Tasting: French Wines For Under A Tenner!
Our next tasting at The Wineyard & Deli will be focused on the value for money side of French wine. Taking place on Thursday 4th November at 7pm, I will be picking out some of my favourite wines that cost less than £10, demonstrating that France can make affordable, accessible wines in a vast range of styles. Including reds, whites, roses, and possibly even some fizz or dessert wine, the evening will be a great way to open your eyes to the amazing wines that are being crafted just over the channel. A lot of people dismiss French wines, assuming that they're too expensive, uninteresting, or simply not tasty. They couldn't be further from the truth though. French wine making is the benchmark that other wine makers around the world judge themselves against, and increasingly, French producers are sharpening up their pricing and marketing in response to the challenges the rest of the world's wines have thrown up. If you like to try new wines, or are one of the many people who don't drink French, then this event is a must attend, as it will truly open your eyes to the fantastic quality and value for money that can be had from this classic wine making country. To book your tickets, which cost £10 each, you can get in touch with us by phone (01524400011), by e-mail (wineyardanddeli@gmail.com), on Twitter, on Facebook, or of course by coming in to the shop and seeing us in person (we love a friendly face).
