Matt's Blog

25 September 2006

Disturbed it’s been over a month since I contributed to this page so thought I’d better think of something since Mark’s blog now has almost as many pages as the website.

Being something of the calm before the storm at the moment in the wine trade, the retail side isn’t exceptionally busy, but the trade agencies are diligently holding as many tastings as possible in order to try and encourage guys like us to order an excessive quantity of booze in for Christmas.  Sometimes it works.

Being very largely retail (we never intended on targeting wholesale for the first year or two, but quite a few restaurants have approached us for help and well…. you don’t say no, do you?) we don’t normally cross paths with many on ‘the other side’, but trade tastings are the exception:  Bar Managers and waitresses aplenty, taking full advantage of the chance for a ‘jolly’ whilst I’m trying to do a serious job in spotting the gems and isolating the turkeys in a room full of literally 100’s of wines (Liberty’s Autumn tasting… 317 to be precise).

One lubricated lady disturbed my concentration to wax lyrical about one particular Italian bottle, Fossacolle Brunello di Montalcino 2001, a truly fantastic red, well worth its £30 price tag – at least it would be if not for the fact that it was notably corked.  Never mind.

Speeding your way through such a comprehensive tasting is often made easier by a large quantity of branded dross from the larger companies that concentrate more on the name and the label in an exasperating effort to sell more mass-produced ribena.  These can be quickly sidestepped as there is absolutely no way I’m having a bottle on my shelf with a jaded looking female deer on the label under the title ‘Bored Doe’.  It’s just not going to happen.

Although I’m not going to mention names here since we haven’t received our deliveries yet, but rest-assured, between Mark and I from the many trade tastings attended we have highlighted a total of about 30 gems to be added to our already extensive wine list in time for Christmas.  We will no doubt feature a considerable number on our Christmas tasting and hope to see you there.

Slainte,