Wednesday, 30 January 2008

I had an exhausting and exhaustive trip to South America in November, and I spotted some new up and coming areas. The wines from Argentina have improved remarkably and the value is probably the best from any New World exporter. However, Patagonia was for me the most exciting part of my time in Argentina. As you fly in after a two hour small-plane transfer some 700 km south of Mendoza, leaving behind vast areas of unassuming pampas (and the odd oilfield), you see this stretch of 80km long x 8km wide greenery that is founded on the bountiful waters from the Rio Negro and the confluence of the rivers around the city of Neuquen. This area is a major provider of fruit to the Argentinean domestic consumer. There are seven or eight wineries springing up - the reason is that the provincial government is being foresighted enough to realise that the indigenous oil and gas industries will not last forever, and they therefore are giving tax breaks to interested entrepreneurs to diversify into other industries. Wine is one obvious candidate.

Perhaps the wine side is the most interesting though, as long as quality really can deliver from here and there are good signs that it can. There are up to seven wineries (the largest and most state-of-the-art being Uruguayan-owned Finca Fin del Mundo); while the more traditional Humberto Canale have been in Rio Negro for nearly 100 years.

I am now in the process of determining how many of the wonderful wines I saw could be accommodated in one way or another on our assortment, so watch for developments in the coming months....

Written by Nick Room, Wine buyer South America

Monday, 28 January 2008

I have to admit to some bias here as I work for Waitrose in the buying department, and I am responsible for buying this wine. That said, this is one of the wines that I buy most often myself for drinking at home, as it is fantastic value and offers a huge amount of vibrancy and juiciness for a relatively small sum of money. I think the organic viticulture has a lot to do with it, and the simple, traditional winemaking, with no oak. I think this is one of the best value wines in the Waitrose range.

Written by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, Wine buyer

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Friday, 25 January 2008

I seem to have a reputation in my office for having a sweet tooth. Is it because there’s ALWAYS chocolate on my desk or in a box under it, or is it because I usually have a fork to hand whenever a piece of cake heads my way? Anyway, the Burns Night supper isn’t just about haggis – the traditional pudding is called Cranachan – ingredients included oatmeal, raspberries, whisky and honey – click here for our recipe. And with that combination of whisky and honey, there’s only one thing to drink with it: Drambuie!

Written by Dave Thornton

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

'Frenzy' and 'Stampede' are often associated with January sales on the high street, but if there's one wine which falls into the same category it's Cloudy Bay, or more precisely, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Regarded by many as New Zealand's flagship Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, it's always in high demand and just like other wine merchants we're only allocated a small parcel. Ours is due soon, so look out for the Cloudy Bay and Fine Sauvignon Blanc mixed case. In the case of 12 there are two bottles of Cloudy Bay and I've added two bottles each of five other of our best Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. If you're in need of a Cloudy Bay fix a little sooner, we have a mixed case of six including a bottle of the equally excellent Cloudy Bay Chardonnay...

Written by Dave Thornton, Product Manager Waitrose Wine Direct

Tuesday, 22 January 2008

It was smiles all round the office recently as Linda, our content producer, proudly announced that she had passed the spirit and sparkling wine sections of her Wine and Spirit Education Trust Diploma.
Waitrose is very proud of its links with the WSETand is a gold patron of the organisation. We currently employ over 180 wine specialists who all hold WSET qualifications. If you have an interest in wine, the WSET courses are fun, educational, involves lots of wine tastings and are available throughout the country

Written by Simon Hayward

Monday, 21 January 2008

With Burns night approaching I thought it would be good to suggest two very different styles of whisky you could enjoy with the traditional burns night supper. For those who like the smoky peaty characteristics of Islay whiskies I can suggest the Laphroaig Quater Cask. Double cask matured this whisky has a smooth sweetness which is followed by an intense peatiness. If smoky flavours are not for you then you could try the 12-year-old Old Pulteney which comes from the most northerly distillery on the mainland. A superb deep amber highland malt which is clean and smooth with a subtle hint of sherry and sea salt.

Written by Michael Simpson-Jones, Spirits buyer

Friday, 18 January 2008

As the game season is drawing to an end I was recently able to enjoy a rare treat – woodcock. The rich and intense gamey flavour was always going to be a difficult wine match and my choices ranged from Australian Shiraz to northern Rhône but in the end the choice was simple: Pinot Noir and in particular red Burgundy – yes the old favourite. The choice was between a mature or a youthful wine; a mature wine with a well hung bird could be over powering imparting too much ‘gameyness’, while a younger wine could be too fruity. After much consideration it was down to the ripe fruit and complexity of the De Bortoli, Combe du Bas 2005 Gevrey Chambertin. The secret: the wine is true to its Burgundy origins but with a new world steer making it the perfect combination of fruit and earthy flavours!

Written by Simon Hayward

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

January is stocktake month in many businesses and it's no different for Waitrose wine. This is the time when we get the occasional discovery in our warehouse and last week I was told that a few pallets of Rutherglen Durif had reappeared, having been 'missing presumed sold' since June. For those who haven't enjoyed this Australian wine in the past, it's an unusual grape variety created by a Dr. Durif. It's not dissimilar to a Shiraz and if ever a wine were to be called a blockbuster, this is it. It's full-bodied, almost black in colour and 14.5% alcohol! Wines don't come much bigger than this. It's also from the excellent 2005 vintage and, courtesy of our warehouse, has had the benefit of a few months' bottle-ageing already. Snap it up while there's some left!

Written by Dave Thornton, Product Manager Waitrose Wine Direct

Monday, 14 January 2008

Monday is big food and wine matching day in the office – it’s when all the reports from the weekend come in and Simon, our customer service expert, had a brilliant one on Saturday. Cooking up a pork roast and serving it with home-made apple sauce, buttered savoy cabbage and roast potatoes, Simon savoured it all with the Maverick Chenin Blanc. In his words the wine has, “a nice waxy texture, great acidity that cuts through the fattiness of the food and works well with the crackling. Fresh yet with depth it has ripe slightly tropical fruit flavours.” The recommendation: don’t over chill it, 45 minutes in the fridge before serving is enough.

Written by Linda Bexell

Friday, 11 January 2008

“Must be the monsoon season,” Sophie, our production assistant, said as she walked in this morning. Cold, wet and perhaps a bit grumpy, we’ve been sipping tea and eating toast all morning until realising that it’s actually Friday and the weekend is soon here. So what’s the preferred drink when it’s grey, rainy and frankly quite miserable outside? I had a snoop around…
“Whisky and ginger ale in front of a warm fire,” Sophie said, “it’s very warming.”
“I’ll be making sausages and really good mash tonight”, Simon said, “and drink a nice, warming red – a Grenache or Shiraz.” Euan, our social events organiser, is also thinking red, “a glass of nice medium-to full-bodied red,” he said would be ideal for a day like to today or if its beer Guinness or something with a bit of body. Myself, I’ll be warming up with a glass of Islay malt – the really smoky and peaty sort...

Written by Linda Bexell

Thursday, 10 January 2008

Fresh, crisp and hot off the press, our new mailer is in the post and Andrea, our production guru, is ‘thrilled’ with the cover. Don’t miss the ‘Wine resolution 2008’ feature focusing on great little gems to try in the New Year. Also, our product manager Dave has put together some excellent mixed cases; try the Winter Warmers for a bit of January warmth! If you’re not on our mailing list, sign up here to receive your copy!

Written by Linda Bexell

Wednesday, 9 January 2008

This time of the year is all about resolutions and as most of them involve something rather painful I was quite happy when our customer service expert Simon found this one from Jane MacQuitty, “Wine drinkers’ most important 2008 resolution is to get matey with a wine merchant and make use of their free advice, tastings and the finest and rarest wines on their shelves” (Sunday Times, 5 January 2008). Now that’s a resolution that suits me! If it suits you as well, we’ve got plenty of wine specialists in our branches or if you shop online, contact our wine advisors for expert tips!

Written by Linda Bexell