WinesWithAttitude, Author at Wines With Attitude

Sauvignon Blanc wine by Wines With Attitude

All about Sauvignon Blanc

ALL ABOUT SAUVIGNON BLANC It is probably no surprise that Sauvignon Blanc features in the top 10 most planted wine grapes in the world.* Check out any list of the most popular wines in the UK and Sauvignon Blanc will be close to, if not at, the top. We Brits have fallen big time for the whole Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc brand and whilst there are many great examples of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, there are also many other amazing Sauvignon Blanc styles which are explored in this guide to Sauvignon Blanc. Read on to find out about the Sauvignon Blanc grape and where it is grown, the characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc wines and what they taste like plus what to eat with Sauvignon Blanc. SAUVIGNON BLANC GRAPE FACTS & CHARACTERISTICS White grape variety Sauvignon Blanc is also known as Blanc Fumé, Blanc Fumet, Fumé Blanc and Muscat-Silvaner. The name is derived from the French for wild’ “sauvage”. Sauvignon Blanc has often been confused with Savagnin Blanc which is believed to be one of its parents. Chile has in the past imported what it thought was Sauvignon Blanc and only in the 1980s was much of it discovered to be another grape variety, Sauvignonasse. Sauvignon Blanc is a parent of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Sauvignon Blanc is an early ripener and the vine’s growth is vigorous which means that it is best grown on poor soils in cool climate areas to rein it in and slow down leaf growth, which can also be tamed with pruning. Its naturally high yields mean that Sauvignon Blanc can be – and is – used to produce huge volumes of inexpensive wine but keeping costs low by not pruning leaf coverage prevents the grapes from ripening and leads to herbaceous or green notes caused by compounds called methoxypyrazines – remember how grassy flavours and aromas used to dominate many Sauvignon Blanc wines? On the other hand, left too long on the vine, overripe grapes can produce wines dominated by big tropical fruit flavours so picking at just the right moment is crucial, depending on the characteristics the winemaker is aiming for in his wine. Sauvignon Blanc is a naturally pungent or aromatic grape with good acidity. Cool climate regions again are best to prevent this acidity dropping too much as sugars rise in the ripening grapes. Rather than being mainly used for high volumes of more commercial entry-level wines, Sauvignon Blanc is increasingly being produced in the mid to high price range and as its characteristics can be influenced by different factors in the vineyard and by different techniques in the winery, very different styles of Sauvignon Blanc wine can be produced as you will read below. WHERE SAUVIGNON BLANC IS PRODUCED According to the University of Adelaide’s Database of Regional, National & Global Winegrape bearing areas, vineyard area dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc globally almost doubled between 2000 and 2016. Circa 50% of plantings are concentrated in three countries – New Zealand, France and Chile. NEW ZEALAND SAUVIGNON BLANC Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the best-known Sauvignon Blanc these days but in fact the grape variety was only planted there in the early 1970s. Pioneers like Brancott Estate and Cloudy Bay saw the potential for Sauvignon in Marlborough’s largely cool climate, and other producers followed to such an extent that the grape is now the most planted in New Zealand and accounts for 72% of the country’s total wine production. And according to NZWine.com, three quarters of all New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is planted in Marlborough. FRENCH SAUVIGNON BLANC Despite the huge influence of New Zealand in Sauvignon Blanc’s history, more Sauvignon Blanc is still grown in France than in New Zealand or indeed any other country, spread across the country but mainly in the Bordeaux, Loire Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon wine regions. Before the emergence of Marlborough Sauvignon, the cool-climate Loire Valley’s Sancerre was considered by many as the epitome of Sauvignon Blanc (and still is to many). Pouilly-Fumé is perhaps less well-known but very similar in style. Better known for its red wines, Bordeaux has long grown Sauvignon Blanc for a range of different wines, dry and sweet. And in Languedoc-Roussillon Sauvignon is used mainly for cheap and cheerful, fruity IGP (or vins de pays) wines. CHILEAN SAUVIGNON BLANC Sauvignon Blanc is Chile’s most planted white grape variety accounting for c. 10% of the country’s and 12% of the global vineyards although, as mentioned above, some of the older plantings are Sauvignonasse. Stick to wines from the cooler parts of the country like San Antonio, Bío Bío and the Leyda Valley for the more elegant wines. There are further Sauvignon Blanc vines in many countries around the world but not in huge concentrations. It is worth mentioning South Africa however which is increasing its Sauvignon Blanc vineyards and creating some fine examples of sauvignon, often with crisp gooseberry characteristics. WHAT IS SAUVIGNON BLANC LIKE? It used to be said that you could tell a glass of Sauvignon Blanc by a distinctive smell of cat’s pee. That odour, now referred to as boxwood since certain species of boxwood apparently emit a similar smell when flowering, is thankfully no longer a common feature of the wine. In fact there are many different aroma/ flavour profiles for Sauvignon Blanc that have evolved as winemakers use different factors in the vineyard (such as different clones, quality and type of soils, vine pruning methods and harvesting dates) and different techniques in the winery (such as different fermentation temperatures, using oak barrels for fermentations and/ or ageing, malolactic fermentation, lees ageing and blending). All these different factors make it difficult to define one Sauvignon Blanc style. There are various ways to try to paint the picture but all involve making generalisations – I make some regional generalisations but perhaps key to the styles of Sauvignon is whether your wine is from a cool or warm climate area: COOL CLIMATE SAUVIGNON BLANC Cool climate Sauvignon will be lighter in colour and

What does acidity in wine mean?

What's in my wine?

WHAT DOES ACIDITY IN WINE MEAN? This Wines With Attitude guide covers everything you need to know about acidity in wine – how you taste acidity in wine, what causes it, which wines have high acidity and which are low in acidity, whether high or low acidity is better plus tips on matching high acid wines with food. Wine writers use the word “acidity” frequently – I know that I write the term often in my Wines With Attitude tasting notes. Conscious that some consumers may be wary of the words “acidity” or “acidic”, I try to vary the words I use to describe wines displaying acidity so you will see terms such as fresh, bright, zesty, zingy, refreshing, tangy and crisp though whether these really convey the true meaning could be debated. It is simply difficult if not impossible to avoid using “acidity” because it is one of the essential components of a good wine. So, if we can’t avoid the term, let’s find out more about it. HOW TO TASTE ACIDITY IN WINE Acidity is not a taste as such (if your wine tastes of acid then you have a problem) but it can be detected by a tingling sensation on the sides of the tongue. When you taste a wine with high acidity such as a Sancerre, your mouth will water more than usual – just as it does when you bite into a sharp Granny Smith apple or drink unsweetened lemonade. It whets the appetite, making you want to take another bite or sip. WHAT ACIDITY ADDS TO WINE structure and longevity; a wine low in acidity is less likely to age well stability by helping to keep bacteria and microorganisms at bay colour; the more acid, generally the more stable, intense and more vibrant the colour flavours; just as lemon can lift flavours in fish, acidity makes wine refreshing or crisp and leaves you wanting more similarly, acidity can sharpen the aromas of a wine. Hot tip: Tannins and acidity in particular can clash so avoid wines with high levels of both WHAT CAUSES ACIDITY IN WINE? Acidity is naturally present in grapes as it is in many foods and different varieties have different natural levels of acidity – Nebbiolo and Sauvignon Blanc for example are at the high end of the scale and Grenache and Viognier are at the low end. The level of acidity is also affected in the vineyard by soils, location and the weather or vintage. The level of acidity in grapes first increases but then declines as the grapes ripen on the vine and the level of sugar rises. It is therefore key to the natural balance of a wine that grapes are picked at the right time i.e. when acidity and sugars are at “optimal” levels. Why? Well, if acidity falls too much, a wine could be considered flat or “flabby” with dull flavours and a higher susceptibility to spoilage and infection. Too much acid can make a wine seem too sharp or even bitter. It is all a balancing act for the winemakers as they also need to consider fruit flavours, sugar and therefore alcohol levels. Winemakers might be tempted to adjust the acid (or the sugar- or both) and are generally permitted to do so within the boundaries of local regulations. Acidification, generally by the addition of tartaric acid, the most dominant acid in grapes, can be undertaken to increase acidity in warmer climate areas but can result in poorly made wine, especially where the adjustments are made post fermentation where the added acid has less chance to blend with the wine. A good taster can often recognise poor acidification as there is a very artificial acidic taste to the wine. Acidity is usually naturally lowered by malo-lactic fermentation or secondary fermentation, a process often encouraged by winemakers as it softens the acidity, converting malic acid into lactic acid and carbon dioxide. Deacidification may also be permitted by adding a carbonate – and though acid levels are reduced this can leave calcium tartrate crystals in the wine. These crystals are harmless but can deter some consumers from buying or drinking a wine. One type of acidity in wine that is not desirable is volatile acidity, essentially acetic acid or vinegar. A small amount is produced during fermentation but it increases in a wine exposed to air and in large quantities spoils the wine. Hot Tip: If you smell vinegar or nail polish remover in a wine, send it back WHICH WINES HAVE HIGH AND WHICH HAVE LOW ACIDITY? I could get scientific and talk about measuring total acidity and pH levels in wine but I’ll keep it short and just say that wines generally have a pH between 3.3 and 3.7 which sits in between black coffee with a pH of 5.0 and orange juice with a pH of 3.0. Few wines therefore are more acidic than a glass of your morning orange juice. But which wines should you opt for if you prefer to avoid those wines – here are a few tips: Hot tip: White wines tend to have higher acidity than red wines Almost all red wines undergo malo-lactic fermentation to convert harsh malic acid to softer lactic acid but not all white wines do; for example producers tend not to use MLF for Sauvignon Blanc but for producers of white Burgundy it is essential for the style. Lighter style red wines tend to have higher acidity than heavier, more full-bodied reds. As mentioned above as grapes ripen the level of acidity in them increases but then declines as the level of sugar rises. In cool climate areas such as Burgundy vines can struggle to ripen fully so grapes generally have higher acidity and lower sugar. Conversely grapes grown in warmer climates tend to have low acid and high sugar. Hot tip: Cool climate wines tend to have higher acidity than wines from warmer regions Very dry wines tend to have good acidity but this does not mean that

5 best summer wines by Wines With Attitude

The 5 best red wines for summer and why

Wine & Food, Wine Styles

5 BEST RED WINES FOR SUMMER – and why! When the weather turns warmer, many wine drinkers turn to white or rosé wines but what about those who prefer to stick to red wine whatever the weather? Which red wines are better suited to summer? As you might imagine, most heavily oaked big-bodied red wines can seem just a little too oppressive in hot summer weather so below are the features you should look for in your summer red wines, how to serve them and my suggestions for the 5 best summer red wines whether served chilled or at room temperature. FEATURES OF THE BEST SUMMER RED WINES As in any season, you should always be looking for wines in the summer that have balance, that is those where the alcohol or ABV level sits harmoniously with the acidity, tannins and level of sweetness in the wine. When none of these items sticks out like a sore thumb, then you know you are onto a good wine but of particular interest for summer-friendly red wines specifically are those that have: a light body low tannins soft texture relatively high acidity and fruit flavours in abundance. Why some red wines are better for summer Here are the reasons why the features mentioned above are better in summer red wines. Heavier red wines have usually acquired their body or structure from one or more of the following: oak ageing, extended lees ageing and / or high alcohol levels although certain grape varieties are also more likely to produce fuller-bodied wines than others. Wines with more extract (what gives the wine more body, colour and flavour) and / or with high alcohol have a heavier sensation in the mouth from the dissolved solids and the viscosity of the alcohol so will appear to be less refreshing in warmer weather. Heavily tannic wines which can seem a little “rustic” if the tannins have not yet softened are similarly more likely to have been aged in oak or undergone a long maceration. The tannins can make the wine seem heavier and harsher; although it may have started to develop more complex, spicy and savoury flavours, the wine may not seem as light and summery as a wine with lower tannins. Wines with low acidity generally feel rounder which again makes a wine feel more full-bodied. Higher acidity will make the mouth water and will also counterbalance any excess sweetness in the wine, therefore making the wine feel more refreshing. Another reason why unoaked or lightly oaked red wines are a good choice in the warmer weather is that wines fermented and / or aged in stainless steel have less interaction with the air and so retain their primary fruit flavours like fresh red and black berries and fruits, flavours that we associate more with the summer and which complement summer foods in general. Wines that have developed vanilla, toast or coconut for example from oak or dried fruit and meaty flavours from prolonged oxidation or ageing seem better suited to colder weather. In addition savoury flavours in red wines can taste rather metallic if the wine is served below room temperature. Fruit flavours are often also enhanced in lighter red wines by a process called carbonic maceration which also minimises the exposure to oxygen. Whole bunches of grapes are sealed in a tank or vat with CO2 to get rid of oxygen (rather than pressing the grapes first) and fermentation starts automatically after a few days with the result that more colour, soft texture, fresh fruit aromas and flavours are produced in the wine with lower tannins extracted. So, for summer reds, look for light, soft, fruity wines with low tannins, low or no oak influence and high acidity, like the following… THE 5 PERFECT RED WINES FOR HOT WEATHER Here are my suggestions for the 5 best summer red wines this year, wines that will suit the warmer weather we (hope for and) have during the UK summers and that won’t clash with the lighter foods that we tend to eat in the warmer months. BEAUJOLAIS Gamay is the archetypical fruity red wine and it is essentially the grape used for Beaujolais red wines which are some of the lightest, fruitiest red wines you can find. Gamay wines taste of raspberries and red cherries with a hint of black pepper and are generally very refreshing. The Beaujolais Cru wines are the high end of Beaujolais wines, with slightly more intense fruit flavours and they can usually be kept for longer. This sustainably produced Fleurie from Domaine des Fonds for example has a beautiful perfume with aromas of red berries and roses. It tastes of sweet cherries, strawberries, plums and red berry compote with hints of some savoury notes giving it a bit of oomph. It’s mouth-wateringly good. Or look at other Beaujolais wines like this lovely Morgon. PRIMITIVO In fact, whilst it was proved in the 1990s that Primitivo and Zinfandel are in fact the same grape variety, the fruity southern Italian Primitivo wines are often lighter and fruitier than US Zinfandels. However, I make an exception to this “rule” as Precedent Zinfandel “Evangelho” Contra Costa County 2018 is really elegant and light enough to enjoy on a warm evening. This American Primitivo / Zinfandel smells delightful – fruit and floral aromas rise out of the glass as soon as the wine is poured. The flavours do not disappoint and include blackberries, blackcurrants with hints of cranberry, red plums and chocolate, a touch of marzipan, pepper and spices such as cinnamon and cloves. I realise that this makes Precedent Evangelho Zinfandel sound like a BIG wine but in fact it is both elegant and complex. NERO D’AVOLA Nero d’Avola is grown extensively in Sicily and Puglia in southern Italy as it is well suited to the heat of those regions. Whilst occasionally you will find heavier versions, most are soft, fruity wines like this organic Nero d’Avola from family-run winery, Caruso & Minini. Its mouth-watering fruitiness is

Red & white megaphone against a bright blue background

7 reasons why wine duty should be cut

Wine Prices

7 reasons why wine duty should be cut Every time there is a budget in the UK, the wine industry awaits with bated breath the decision of the Chancellor on alcohol duty. In 2022 when this blogpost was initially written there was no official budget. However a mini budget announced by short-lived Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, in Liz Truss’ short-lived government froze duty on wine. It could be said that that was one of the few good decisions of that budget. The subsequent Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, soon scrapped that decision, clearly not understanding the reasons why wine duty should be cut or frozen. Let’s find out why it makes sense to cut wine duty. Duty on wine & why it should be cut: A wine merchant’s view As a reminder alcohol duty is, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) “a tax that is charged on alcohol produced or processed in the UK or brought into the UK for consumption.” You may not notice increases in duty directly as this tax is paid by your retailer when the wine leaves a bonded or customs-controlled warehouse to go onto their shop shelves or to be sent directly to their customers; it is incorporated into the price that you pay. And we all know how wine prices, like everything else, have been rising in recent years. Duty on wine has long been charged at different rates according to the type of wine and according to alcoholic strength. In 2022 £2.23 of the price of a bottle of still wine between 5.5% ABV and 15% ABV was duty. That excluded value added tax (“VAT”) incurred on the excise duty which took the total duty up to £2.68. And don’t forget of course the VAT of 20% on the bottle of wine itself. The excise duty rate – £2.23 on still wine and £2.86 on a bottle of sparkling wine – was regardless of whether the bottle of wine cost you £5 or £50. This by the way is one of the reasons why the starting price of my wines with attitude is around £15. For a £5 bottle of wine (in 2022), £3 or 61% is made up of duty and VAT whereas ‘only’ 31.5% or £4.73 of a £15 bottle of wine went to the government. But don’t get me started on the subject of cheap wine, let’s get back to the government’s penchant for increasing duty on wine. The UK government’s policy paper on duty on alcohol then stated that all alcohol duty would rise by the Retail Price Index every year. This meant that in Jeremy Hunt’s first Budget the wine industry was expecting the Chancellor to raise those rates of duty by about 12.6% (Sept 22’s RPI rate) to £2.51 for still wine and £3.22 for a bottle of sparkling wine, ignoring VAT. Gulp! You might think that a rise in line with inflation is fair – there was (and still is) a huge deficit to sort out after all – however there are a number of things to bear in mind… The 7 reasons for cutting duty on wine 1. We already pay very high rates of duty We already pay rates of duty that are way higher than most EU countries. Although we are no longer in the EU, a comparison with 27 other countries is worth making. The level of excise duty payable on wine is set locally in each EU country; the EU just sets a “harmonised minimum rate” of alcohol duty for wine. That harmonised minimum rate for still and sparkling wine however is… €0, yes €0. So each country is free to choose what it charges and many countries choose not to charge any duty at all on wine (though the EU is reviewing its current practices). In the chart below produced from 2018 rates per hectolitre (in Euros according to the European Commission Excise Duty tables) you can see that 14 of the then 28 EU members did not charge excise duty on wine; in 2020 it was 15 of 27. Some of those that do charge excise duty only apply the charge to sparkling wine. If we compare the UK with EU countries, the UK pays one of the highest rates, the third highest rate after Ireland and Finland. The top 4 countries including the UK paid over €100 more per hectolitre than each of the rest of the excise duty paying countries; in the UK in 2018 we paid about £1.10 more in duty per bottle of still wine than Lithuania and about £2.42 more per bottle than France. Duty on wine in the UK rose by an average of almost 6% p.a between 1987 and 2021 whereas the annual rate of inflation averaged 3.3% over the same period. It doesn’t seem quite fair somehow does it? 2008 was the worst year for wine lovers – the rate of duty rose 9% in March and then 8% in December. 12.6% seems a lot to stomach in one go. 2. The ever-declining value of the £ To make matters worse the value of the pound declined by almost 21% over the same 35-year period. Events like Brexit, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine have all contributed to sterling’s recent acute devaluation with the rising costs of holidays abroad and of imported goods being felt by all. 3. Rising inflation At the same time that excise rates escalated and we receive fewer Euros or US dollars for our pounds, inflation has been rising and most recently at an alarming rate so we have a triple whammy. 4. Doubts that higher duty means lower consumption Health is cited as one of the main reasons for the high rates of tax on alcohol and there is no denying that it makes sense to support the health services required for alcohol-related illnesses. Whilst much is made about high levels of duty being a much-needed means to reduce alcohol consumption in the UK,

A woman looking at a glass of red wine that she is swirling

15 signs that you’re a wine buff!

Misc.

A tongue-in-cheek look at the clues that might suggest that you are getting bitten a little too excessively by the wine bug. Are you a wine drinker, wine lover or wine connoisseur?

Bordeaux vineyards in the autumn with golden leaves on the vines

7 key facts about Bordeaux wine

Wine Regions, Wine Styles

7 KEY FACTS ABOUT BORDEAUX RED WINE The Bordeaux wine region is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe with a reputation for producing some of the world’s best red, white and dessert wines, though possibly the red wines or clarets are the best known. This guide to Bordeaux red wines describes what kind of red wine Bordeaux is, what Bordeaux wine tastes like and what is so special about it. Does Bordeaux deserve its reputation? All you need to know to help you understand the Bordeaux wine region and its red wines. BORDEAUX GRAPES Most Bordeaux red wines are blends – and more often than not you won’t see what the composition of the blend is on the label. 1. Bordeaux red wine is usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc Merlot is the most widely grown black grape at 66% of production with Cabernet Sauvignon at 22.5% and Cabernet Franc at 9.5%. Other grape varieties are allowed – until recently just Malbec, Carmenère and Petit Verdot – but these three combined account for only about 2% of production. Cabernet Sauvignon brings black fruit aromas and flavours such as blackcurrant and black cherries as well as notes of green pepper, liquorice and tobacco. It adds colour, tannins and body and takes well to oak, all of which extend the ageing potential of the wines. Merlot tends to add red fruit flavours like raspberry and plum but in warmer vintages it moves towards black fruits like blackberries; its tannins, body and acidity are much softer than Cabernet Sauvignons, hence why they can be a great match. Cabernet Franc is a good addition for its mouth-watering acidity and raspberry and herbaceous notes; it also adds “pencil shavings” aromas to some Bordeaux wines. Since 2021 four more black grape varieties are permitted, the aim being to add varieties more suited to the higher risk of rot and mildew which come with the changing climate, but they will only be allowed to make up 10% of any Bordeaux blend. These new varieties are Touriga Nacional which is grown extensively in the Douro region for port and ripens late and the lesser-known black grape varieties, Marlesan, Arinarnoa and Castets. BORDEAUX TERROIR I’m sure you won’t be surprised, this being a French wine region, that terroir is key to understanding Bordeaux wines. The Bordeaux region has traditionally been split into two key areas for red wines, Right Bank Bordeaux and Left Bank Bordeaux. In fact the Entre-Deux-Mers region, situated between the Dordogne and the Garonne rivers and best known for its white wines, produces more red wine than white wine, but most of it fits within the generic Bordeaux rouge and Bordeaux supérieur appellations. 2. Left Bank & Right Bank Bordeaux reds traditionally differ due to different terroir & grapes Wines from vineyards situated to the north of the Gironde and Dordogne rivers are sometimes known as Right Bank Bordeaux wines. Generally this area has limestone soils with clay and gravel in some parts. Historically more Merlot has been grown in these vineyards. Typical Right Bank Bordeaux wines include St Emilion, Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac and Cotes de Castillon. Wines from vineyards situated to the south of the Gironde and Garonne rivers are sometimes known as Left Bank Bordeaux wines. Generally this area has clay soils with gravel in the vineyards which typically are part of larger estates than on the Right Bank. Historically more Cabernet Sauvignon has been grown on the Left Bank as the grape is more suited to the well-drained gravel soils. Typical Left Bank Bordeaux wines include Médoc and Haut Médoc, St Julien, Margaux, Pessac-Léognan and Graves. The climate in Bordeaux on a general level is known as moderate maritime; although temperatures can soar in the summer, there is a moderating influence from the Gulf Stream and proximity to the Atlantic ocean brings rain. Some vintages are more friendly to Cabernet Sauvignon and some to Merlot making some people talk of left bank and right bank vintages but that’s only part of the story because of course different parts of Bordeaux have their own micro-climate. BORDEAUX VINTAGES Published with the express permission of Editions Benoit France As the weather can differ so much from year to year and impact on the grapes in many different ways, vintage differences can be huge. 3. Vintage is important This is why there is such a kerfuffle in April each year as hundreds of wines from the previous year are tasted and compared and vintage reports are written. I have been to some of these tastings and they are actually quite hard work. The wines are still developing in barrel and the Cabernet dominant wines in particular can be quite chewy and tannic; the teeth end up being black after several samples have been tasted. It’s a real skill to be able to work out which are the wines that will taste fabulous when they are actually ready to drink; effectively you are testing the wine’s age-ability so that those who wish to invest early (‘en primeur’) can do so. I personally prefer to wait a couple of years before attempting most Bordeaux wines – and they say for optimum Cabernet-dominant high quality wines, you should wait 10 years before opening the bottle. Rarely do you see a vintage declared as poor; if it is not fabulous, it is usually ‘difficult’. Here’s a summary of a selection of Bordeaux vintages showing the impact of the weather on the quality and quantity of wine produced: 2020: warm Spring weather encouraged early budding which with an Indian summer made for a potentially long ripening season; harvesting was early and the vintage considered outstanding for red wines 2017: lower yields because of extreme frost in late April and hailstorms in some appellations in August but the smaller output is considered to be high quality, very supple and for earlier drinking than usual. 2016: stunning vintage; ideal weather conditions meant high quality,

Independent review of Wines With Attitude

Misc.

REVIEW OF WINES WITH ATTITUDE It is always nice to receive good feedback about Wines With Attitude whether for its service, its products or for both. In fact any feedback is useful so that I can improve things for my customers, newsletter subscribers and followers. I was very flattered that this unsolicited review of Wines With Attitude was the first review of independent wine merchants written by Paul Howard of Wine Alchemy. Paul writes on wine and related subjects and has received various wine awards over the years like the Food & Drinks Awards’ “Wine Education Expert Award 2017” and Best Wine Education Expert 2017 at the Global Excellence Awards. In his independent review of Wines With Attitude Paul writes “…the $64,000 question. Would I buy again from Wines With Attitude? The wines were excellent, and Lindsay’s earnt my trust, so absolutely. Do check it out.” Although I have taken the liberty of adding a few photos and updates in square brackets[…], the words below are Paul Howard’s independent review of Wines With Attitude: “INDIE WINE MERCHANTS – #1, WINES WITH ATTITUDE” I’ve meant to start reviewing Independent Wine Merchants for some time. These specialist wine businesses may be bricks, they may be clicks, or they might be both. The first to feature here is a young company, Wines With Attitude. But first, a preamble. Why Independents are worth your time and money It has long been my belief that the independent wine retail sector is best for high-quality, interesting wines. Usually, these are also accompanied by excellent customer service. I say this in the knowledge of once being Contributing Editor for the ASDW magazine and buying from many. It’s how I prefer to buy wine in the UK. Obviously, some are better than others. All independents must have a talent for uncovering exciting wines and be friendly and approachable. Otherwise, they won’t survive, never mind thrive. Additionally, many of their wines come directly from the winegrower. It often means such wines would otherwise never be available. Hence I think independents are sources of far better and far more interesting wines. These are the places to discover quality, flavours and memories. Supermarkets democratised wine and helped turn us into a wine drinking nation in the past. Now they have too many mass-produced bland brands, and their ranges have shrunk considerably. At an indie, you’ll taste the difference (if you’ll pardon the pun). I don’t intend to cover every indie merchant as there are now, according to Wine Intelligence [now part of the IWSR], some 750 independents in the UK. Indeed, the number of independents has grown in the last ten years by 50%, mainly thanks to the internet. No longer a dying breed, this is once again a vibrant sector worth your trust and hard-earned. Some are traditional with a long history; some are young mavericks. All seek to offer a better alternative to the Big Four supermarkets and their ilk. My Motivation Time to be clear about my motivation for these reviews. These reviews are without financial rewards from those independent merchants. Rest assured that I’m writing because I’ve bought wine from them with my own money and enjoyed the customer experience. So any review is on merit, not because they paid me or wanted some specious advertorial. With that in mind, please read on. Wines With Attitude I first met Lindsay Cornelissen, who set up Wines With Attitude Ltd., while judging at the IWSC [International Wine & Spirits Competition]. While still working in financial services in the City, Lindsay became WSET Diploma qualified. That parallels my wine career, so I found a kindred spirit. Lindsay created Wines With Attitude in March 2014. It was born out of her disappointment when buying wines in supermarkets and via mail-order wine clubs. She finds the frequency of poor quality one-dimensional wines shocking. I do too. She has eighty or so wines online, mostly in the £12-£45 price range, mainly from artisanal wine producers. The idea is to help wine-lovers drink better, though not necessarily more expensively. Hence I thought I’d try Wines With Attitude out with my own money and without asking for any favours. It wasn’t mystery shopping, but the proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. Firstly, the Wines With Attitude website is easy to navigate. The wines easy to search for by country, region, grape, and style. Most importantly, there’s plenty of great wines too; from classic styles to curious grapes. Importantly, all are ready to drink, though many will continue to improve. Each has good descriptions, customer reviews and hints on food matching. The minimum order is six bottles, but you can mix and match them. There’s even a single-bottle gift service for that special someone. The road test Buying is easy and secure thanks to SagePay and Trustwave [now sperceded by WooPayments and Stripe]. I particularly like their privacy policy and that the bottle prices include Duty and VAT. Unlike some! Delivery is free to most mainland UK on orders over £200.00. Otherwise, it’s £15.00. If you live in their vicinity (Potters Bar in Hertfordshire) then delivery is free. My advice is not to be put off by delivery costs. London City Bond keep all the wines in storage. Not only does that guarantee that wine storage conditions are top-notch, but it also means a high-quality delivery service too. Beware online merchants that keep stocks in their spare bedroom and cut delivery charges by skimping on quality. It won’t seem like a bargain if you need to deal with breakages or rubbish delivery times. I received my tracked wine order the next day. That exceeded my expectations, and I didn’t get any special treatment. My bottles were also reassuringly well wrapped. I’ve had crummy experiences with damaged orders from others in the past, but not here. Wines With Attitude also have a weekly Newsletter, (a good way to keep up with new wines coming in and regular offers), a Blog, and even an App coming soon; Android on the Google

Wines With Attitude In The Press, Woman & Home magazine

A day in the life of a reluctant model

Misc.

Wines With Attitude in the press A day in the life of a reluctant model! In my personal life I have always been the first to shy away from publicity, keeping a low profile on social media and hiding behind others when the cameras are out. How things have changed since setting up my business. I have had to put on my big girl pants and embrace publicity for the sake of the business… here was my biggest challenge putting Wines With Attitude in the press. And with some success… Wines with Attitude has featured in the press on a number of occasions including an audio podcast with e-commerce guru Chloe Thomas in 2017, quotes in the Independent and the Huffington Post, several mentions of my wines in Decanter magazine and my career transformation from corporate life to setting up Wines With Attitude featured in a book by Midlife Unstuck. My biggest challenge however was facing the cameras to feature in the March 2018 issue of Woman & Home. What an experience! The focus of the article was women who have moved out of careers in the large corporate world to set up their own small businesses, the aim to provide inspiration to others. Although I have told the story of my journey – from heading up a corporate client relationship management team in the City to selling wine online – many times before I was quite nervous about my interview. I needn’t have been as journalist, Samantha Downes, soon put me at ease. I can still recall clearly the moment of my epiphany mentioned in the article – my “Plan B moment” which set me off on the track of gaining the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits and sowing the seeds for the business. The thought of the next step – the photo shoot for the article or glam shoot as W&H called it in November – was the most painful for me because of my uncomfortable relationship with the camera. For the W&H team however – picture editor, photographer, stylists and hair & make-up ladies – it was all in a day’s work. It was more relaxing than I had anticipated – all decisions re outfit, hair, make-up, the general “look” and even the poses were all made for me. Fortunately the three of us featured were all available on the same day – a greater degree of flexibility is one advantage of working for yourself – so we had the chance to meet face-to-face and have our photo taken together. We had not met before the shoot but immediately clicked, having so much in common; we have met up since that day, laughed at the thought that we no longer have any stress in our working lives and continue to share our connections and our experiences of developing our businesses. We are already looking forward to our next catch-up. Through her company, Mosami, Sarah Greenaway, works with talented British designers to create contemporary and unique jewellery with timeless style and elegant design. Each beautifully crafted piece is mindfully sourced from small and artisanal businesses that genuinely care about their people and environment so you can wear it in the knowledge it is doing good for the people who made it. It was inspiring listening to Sarah’s story and her passion for ethically produced jewellery – Mosami is proud to be one of only ten jewellers in the world to pioneer Fairtrade silver. She really gave me food for thought. Jennifer is making a huge splash in the petite fashion world with her brand, Jennifer Anne. Having struggled when she was a City lawyer to find stylish clothing designed exclusively for petite women, Jennifer decided to create her own range despite having no experience in the fashion business. Each piece is meticulously and creatively designed with everything in proportion specifically for the smaller figure; and everything is made in the UK using high quality fabrics. Any petite-sized working ladies looking for smart, tailored outfits will find inspiration in her collection. I hope we do provide some inspiration. A big thank you to Woman & Home for bringing us together! P.S. Several people have asked me about the boots – they are from L K Bennett! In another blogpost you can read an independent review of Wines With Attitude. Cheers! I am passionate about good quality wine and set up Wines With Attitude to share that passion with other wine lovers. If you’re feeling sociable why not follow me on social media or share my blog with others? Facebook Linkedin Instagram Pinterest independent producers personally chosen especially for you

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The Best Wines to Drink with Asparagus

Wine & Food

Best wines to drink with asparagus Asparagus is one of those foods that are notoriously difficult to pair with wines; others include artichokes, vinaigrette, lemons and chilli. So difficult is it to find the best wines to drink with asparagus and not be overcome by its unique and slightly bitter taste, that some wine writers will advise not to drink wine at all with it. But there are wines that will create a good pairing with this much aligned vegetable – it’s just a matter of looking at the characteristics of asparagus, what it is being cooked with and how the taste might change with different wines in order to find the best wines to drink with asparagus and asparagus-based dishes. Why asparagus is so difficult to match with wine As I am sure you are aware, green asparagus which is more commonly eaten than white asparagus in the UK, has a strong and quite distinctive flavour. This is the first problem when trying to find wines to pair with it as that strong flavour should not overpower the taste of the wine. We should therefore aim for wine with a fairly powerful taste. The strong asparagus flavours are vegetal, some might even describe them as grassy, which is not surprising as they come from chlorophyll which develops as the asparagus pokes out of the soil until it reaches around 20cm in height when it is harvested to meet the increasing appetite for it. These green flavours can make wine taste bitter and acids in the chlorophyll can give the wine a metallic edge; wine with low acidity and with predominantly fruity rather than vegetal flavours could clash. And then there is a slight bitterness on the finish of the asparagus itself which will emphasise any bitterness, tannins and oak flavours in wine. A fairly strong-flavoured wine with high levels of acidity and vegetal flavours, no bitterness, low tannins and subtle or no oak flavours sounds like it will be the best option. This is why Sauvignon Blanc is usually the first suggestion and sometimes the only suggestion to drink with asparagus – and if you like your asparagus steamed or gently boiled with no other accompaniments, then Sauvignon Blanc is ideal. If you are not a Sauvignon fan, then opt for a crisp Austrian Gruner Veltliner as its profile is more vegetal than fruity. Often however asparagus is just part of a dish rather than the main attraction and so let’s consider various asparagus-based dishes and tackle them individually because the other ingredients need to be given consideration when choosing your wine; a top tip is to consider the most dominant component of a dish and use that to match with wine. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS AND BUTTER There is nothing nicer, in my view than the first asparagus of the season steamed or boiled just until ‘al dente’ and served warm with butter melting on top of it. You might be tempted to reach for that Sauvignon Blanc which meets all the criteria above but the richness of the butter adds another dimension and needs a wine that is also fairly rich and less acidic than a Sauvignon Blanc. Consider a Chardonnay with good acidity as the fat in the butter could dilute any crisp acidity in the wine and make sure it is an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay as a strong oak influence could clash with the bitterness of the asparagus. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS AND HOLLANDAISE SAUCE Hollandaise is a classic sauce to accompany asparagus; made from egg yolks, butter and lemon juice, it’s rich and so needs a wine with refreshing acidity to cut through that richness. In this instance I find champagne is the best option or a Chardonnay – even a full-bodied Chardonnay that has seen oak but only as long as it has the necessary crisp acidity. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS SOUP Usually made with cream and some sort of stock, asparagus soups can potentially be very rich so again a richer wine makes more sense than a Sauvignon Blanc as long as it’s not so overpowering that you will lose the delicate flavour of the asparagus. I would suggest an Austrian Gruner Veltliner which has a sharp acidity and is generally pretty food-friendly but especially for dishes with a lot of herbs and green vegetables. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS RISOTTO A creamy asparagus risotto or a creamy vegetable risotto where the distinctive flavour of asparagus dominates needs a wine which combines a bit of body and good acidity so a Sauvignon Blanc could work as long as it has body or consider this white Rioja which, unusually is composed of 50% crisp Sauvignon and 50% Tempranillo Blanco for the body. A cool-climate Pinot Grigio or Pinot Bianco would also work well. Top tip – if your plant-based risotto also contains mushrooms, you could choose a light unoaked red wine. As they are a more savoury vegetable, mushrooms can make some wines seem more acidic and less fruity so a savoury red wine with lower acidity like a Pinot Noir or a Nebbiolo would be ideal. WINE WITH CHAR-GRILLED ASPARAGUS Similarly adding the savoury bite of char-grilled or barbecued asparagus would be well-suited to a light red wine. A fruity red with quite intense flavours would be ideal but a wine with high tannins should be avoided as they could emphasise the char-grilled nature of the asparagus. Again a light Pinot Noir would work or a fruity Bardolino. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS WRAPPED IN HAM If serrano or a similar dried cured ham is wrapped around asparagus, another key element comes into play and that is salt. Highly tannic wines would clash with the saltiness and make the ham and the wine taste metallic so it is best to stick to white wine like a crisp white Rioja. WINE WITH ASPARAGUS VINAIGRETTE A double-whammy here with the vinegar in the dressing also a major consideration and probably the most dominant taste of the dish – but you also need a wine to make the asparagus shine through. Sauvignon Blanc’s acidity could

Vintage-champagne-for-celebrations-from-Wines-With-Attitude

Vintage Champagne: Is it worth the price?

Wine Prices, Wine Styles

VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE; IS IT WORTH THE PRICE? Vintage champagne is often talked about in much revered terms and the prices it can sell for suggest a far superior product to non-vintage champagne but is vintage champagne so much better than non-vintage? This blogpost looks into what exactly vintage champagne is, how vintage champagne differs from non-vintage champagne and what vintage champagne tends to taste like in comparison to non-vintage. In addition we look into the best vintage champagne years, how long vintage champagne can keep, how best to appreciate vintage champagne and whether it is worth the premium. First let’s look at non-vintage and vintage champagnes and the differences between the two. NON-VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE Non-vintage champagne is produced year on year in a consistent house style and, to achieve that consistent style, champagne houses have to use a blend of wines produced from grapes from different vineyards picked in different years, often many different years, and usually, though not always from all three of the authorised champagne grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Reserve wine is kept back each year to use in the non-vintage blend (or cuvée) and accounts for about 20% of the total blend. It is a real skill producing that consistency of style that non-vintage champagne tends to have given the differences each year in grape quality and weather and taking into account the effects of ageing on the reserve wines. So, if you find a non-vintage champagne that you really like, I always recommend that you stick to that brand because you can be pretty sure that the taste and quality will stay the same. In my case de Castellane non-vintage Brut Champagne (above) has been my favourite for many years and remains so which is why it was the first wine that I wanted in the Wines With Attitude portfolio. VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE Vintage champagne is not produced every year but only when the producer deems the vintage to be worthy – it is usually about three or four times each decade. Some champagne houses only produce vintage champagne, Dom Perignon for example, which means that they don’t produce champagne every year, adding to the rarity value – and to the price. All the grapes used to produce a vintage champagne must be from the year’s harvest specified on the front label of the bottle. No reserve wines from other years can be added. They are generally still blends however as the winemaker mixes the juice from different grapes and from grapes from different plots with different terroirs but instead of looking for a consistent style, they are trying to achieve the best tasting champagne from the best grapes grown in the specific conditions of that vintage. Each vintage champagne will therefore taste different; even a specific champagne house’s vintage champagne will taste different each year it is produced. There are some who think that, even in vintage years, the priority for most champagne houses has to be the non-vintage champagne as that is what they sell most of; it has to be hoped that using the better grapes for the vintage champagne does not compromise the known style of the non-vintage champagne but there are some who believe that it does. HOW & WHY VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE TASTES DIFFERENT Non-vintage champagnes must mature in bottle for a minimum of 15 months of which 12 months must be on the lees (mainly a deposit of yeasts which forms after the second fermentation in the bottle has finished, as seen in the photo). Vintage champagne spends longer ageing, at least three years. In practice it is often much longer before any wines are released – two to three years for non-vintage and four to ten years for vintage. The additional ageing time means that vintage champagne develops more body, more complex flavours and a smoother texture. In younger non-vintage champagne the primary flavours will be fruit – citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit and stone fruits like peach and apricot. In non-vintage champagne that has aged a while a buttery or creamy texture and secondary flavours like brioche/ toast and nuts may start to develop. These secondary flavours will be more intense in vintage champagne because of the longer ageing; in addition the body will be fuller, the wine richer and further earthy flavours and aromas like leather and mushrooms may be present. Read more about the taste of champagne. HOW LONG VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE CAN KEEP Vintage champagne is likely to age better and for longer. Non-vintage champagne should generally be drunk within 36-48 months of bottling (remember it has already aged at least 12 months in bottle before release) whereas non-vintage champagne can be kept for five to ten years or longer (after its minimum three years ageing in bottle). THE BEST VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE YEARS Of course it is all a matter of taste but generally the following years are considered to be the very best vintages of the 2000s – 2018, 2012, 2008 and 2002. HOW TO ENJOY VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE I would recommend serving vintage a little less chilled than non-vintage champagne say at 12-14°C so that the complex flavours of the wine are not masked. Also allow the champagne to breathe for 15-30 minutes so that the layers of unique aromas and flavours have time to unfold. Sit back and enjoy! IS VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE WORTH THE PREMIUM? Vintage champagne is generally currently priced at around £40-£60 but can be hundreds of pounds per bottle; the fact that vintage champagne represents only 5% of total champagne production and the longer ageing time account to some extent for the difference in price. But at the end of the day, you are taking a bit of a chance; although the winemaker is trying to impress with a wine made from the best fruits from the best years, it really is all a matter of taste. Whether you think a wine is worth the premium, depends on the particular vintage and the particular wine and your own

Lighter-wine-bottles-to-reduce-carbon-footprint-by-Wines-With-Attitude

Lower Carbon Footprint with Lighter Wine Bottles

Misc., Serving & Storing Wine

LIGHTER WINE BOTTLES = LOWER CARBON FOOTPRINT Reducing the weight of wine bottles is a small but relatively easy way to reduce wine’s carbon footprint. This blogpost looks at why some wine bottles are so heavy, how light they could safely become and the obstacles on the path to lighter wine bottles for the wine industry. In the face of climate change, the wine industry like others has been undergoing a slow but steady transformation for several years in order to reduce its carbon footprint. Great strides have been made in the vineyards and in wineries especially in the mid-range and premium areas of the market but attention is now turning to the bigger problems of packaging and transportation which together are responsible for about 50% of the carbon footprint of wine. The focus for many within the industry – mainly because it is considered a quick win – is reducing the weight of wine bottles. HOW HEAVY ARE WINE BOTTLES? As regular readers of my newsletters will know, heavy wine bottles are a real bugbear of mine; I just don’t see the need and feel it is such a waste especially as many of the heaviest seem to come from New World countries and therefore have to travel long distances to reach the UK market. It is believed that the average weight of empty still wine bottles is about 550g; in my very unscientific experiment over several months, I reached a very similar conclusion with the heaviest bottle weighing in at a phenomenal 985g, yes, almost 1kg before wine is added, which would make a case of 12 full bottles weigh almost 21kg. You have to have sympathy for warehouse operatives and couriers that have to lift such heavy loads on a regular basis. WHY ARE WINE BOTTLES SO HEAVY? Champagne and sparkling wine bottles need to be strong enough to contain the pressure from the bubbles but the focus in this blogpost is on still wine bottles and they don’t have the same excuse for heavy bottles. It used to be widely believed that heavier bottles contained wine of a better quality and without doubt many brands helped to spread that belief but it is quite simply a myth. Some wine producers, brand managers and sommeliers use the related excuse that consumers expect a heavy bottle but there is of course very little if any data to support that and, as consumers are becoming much more aware of climate change and sustainability, that argument doesn’t hold much weight – if you excuse the pun. In fact, whilst one of the main drivers for reducing the weight of wine bottles is the environment and a second is reducing costs, a third driver is the number of consumers becoming more interested in more sustainable and lower carbon products generally. Glass is still the best container for wine as it is inert but current thinking is that for wines that are meant for quick consumption (within 1 to 2 years) or in small formats, alternative packaging may be the answer (and that’s the subject of a future blogpost). In an ideal world glass would therefore just be used for wines that are meant to age in bottle for several years. Nevertheless, those glass bottles need not be so heavy. Bottles only need to be strong enough to prevent breakages which mainly occur on the filling line and in transportation. WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM WEIGHT FOR WINE BOTTLES? What the optimum weight for wine bottles should be is a difficult question to answer as there are other considerations like bottle shape and secondary packaging to consider. Apparently Burgundy bottles are much easier to make lightweight than Bordeaux bottles which have more defined shoulders and could be as light as 350g without the need for additional packaging to prevent breakages in transit. It is clear though that the whole supply chain needs to be taken into account in order to find the optimum weight. The lowest weight that is believed to be achievable for glass wine bottles is believed to be about 350g, down from an average of about 550g currently. The good news is that experimentation with these lighter bottles has not required any changes to production lines and nor have producers who use lighter bottles had negative customer feedback. In a debate on the subject at London Wine Fair 2023 Nigel Greening, proprietor of Felton Road wines, said that since using 417g bottles for five years, they have had no pushback at all from customers and no decline in sales which suggest that customers have accepted the new format without question. There is already an example in the drinks industry in the UK because, as long ago as 2007, many spirits producers agreed to reduce the weight of their bottles from 525g to 320g and that has been accepted by the market. Several large retailers in the UK are in the process of signing an accord to move to wine bottles weighing 420g or less by the 2027 vintage. 420g is also the weight that state-controlled wine importing organisations in Canada are using as the maximum they will buy. That figure seems to be a good starting point. One simple solution to reduce the weight of bottles would be to shorten the neck of wine bottles. This is already something that is being done with screwcap-topped bottles but it is more difficult with bottles sealed with a cork. Other suggestions are to reduce or do away with the punt and simply to reduce the thickness of the glass. THE CHALLENGES TO REDUCING WINE BOTTLE WEIGHTS The biggest challenge, as with most things, is encouraging people to change their mindsets and some of the traditional practices within the industry and this would need to come from the wine producers, wine associations or appellations to brand managers, logistics companies, retailers and consumers. For example, some wine regulators or appellations are very prescriptive about the size, weight and shape of wine bottles to

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