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Hello World!
Jun 01 20200The Finca La Estacada estate resides in the La Mancha region of central Spain (about 40 minutes drive from Madrid). It has strong historical roots and is not only the site of the Roman built road between Segóbriga and Completum (modern-day Alcala de Henares) but was also once owned by Queen Maria Christina, the widow of Ferdinand VII. The modern winery that exists today was built in 2001 and is an idylic marriage between past and present with a focus on producing interesting wines often utilising grape varieties uncommon in the region.
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Oliver Zeter Goes Back To His Roots
Jun 01 2020The wines of Pfalz producer Oliver Zeter have featured in previous Wine Club cases when I've focused on his affinity for the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety - a real oddity for this part of Germany. Oliver got his passion for Sauvignon Blanc when spending a year working at a South African vineyard. Upon returning the Pfalz he felt that there were enough similarities between the vineyards he had experienced abroad and those of his birth place to successfully cultivate varieties other than Riesling.
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Chateau Burgozone
Jun 01 2020The wines of Central and Eastern Europe are sadly underrepresented on the UK wine scene, owing largely to a totally unjustified reputation for poor quality coupled with strong support by their domestic and neighbouring markets. I have included wines from Romania previously in the Wine Club, but this month I would like to turn your attention to a Bulgarian producer which caught my attention at a tasting earlier this year.
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Carignan, Wines to Watch Out For
Jun 01 2020People are always asking me which new styles and grape varieties will be coming into vogue in the near future. It is with perhaps surprising regualrity that my answer will actually be something that has been in production for many years. The increased focus on the Carignan grape variety backs this up with the vines used to produce this particular wine having spent over a century in the wine trade. That's almost as long as Weavers has existed!
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A Family Affair
Jun 01 2020As is so often the case in wine production, the Vina San Esteban winery was set up by a father and son team who themselves come from a long line of grape growers. Founder José Vicente had been well established in the Aconcagua Valley for many years but it was his son Horacio whose passion for the finished product led him to first France and then California to learn the the art of winemaking.
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Cooperation in the South of France
Jun 01 2020Despite lacking the same global recognition and prestige of the illustrious wineries of the likes of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the South Western corner of France has an equally long and important history.
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Les Vignerons D'Estézargues, Wines in Harmony With Nature
Jun 01 2020People often ask me for my take on the sulphite free 'natural wines'. These are commonly featured in the press and I must admit that they appear to be gaining some traction, even if its only in the psyche of the wine-drinking public due to their rarity on UK wine shelves.
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Catalan Wines
Jun 01 2020The Catalan region in the North East of Spain has many wines of international renown, most specifically the deep brooding reds of Priorat and the popular sparkling Cavas. There are however a multitude of styles produced here and today Catalonia stands as Spain's second most important wine producing region.
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The Original 'Flying Wine Maker'
Jun 01 2020The concept of the 'flying winemaker', who takes charge at multiple wineries - often in different countries, has become a familiar practice in recent years. These phenomenally experienced and highly skilled individuals tend to have unparalled knowledge of terroir, vineyard, and winery practices. They specialise in parachuting into struggling producers who need guidance of how to best utilise their wineries and vineyards.
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Grandé Rosé, Gosset Unique Amongst Champagne
Apr 20 2020We have been working with Champagne Gosset for many years now. Here, Mary reviews one of her favourite Champgane houses, in particular the Grand Rose.
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Great Wine From Puglia
Apr 01 2020It's fair to say that we've gone a little Italian crazy here at Weavers, but I make absolutely no apology for it! It can be really hard to find good quality Italian wines in the UK and we just seem to have come across a real flurry of them at the moment, and I'm not about to pass up the opportunity to stock them.
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Traditional, Unique and a bit Different - It Must Be Austria
Apr 01 2020After our longstanding partnership with our previous supplier of Austrian wine came to an end Mary set herself the task of finding a producer with a great history and wines that are exciting and a little bit different. Allow us to introduce you to Domäne Baumgartner.
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Sheer delight from Alan McCorkindale
Apr 01 2020There are many ways in which a winemaker can reduce their carbon footprint and minimise their impact on the ecological balance of their vineyards. Common options include reducing the use of pesticides or picking the grapes by hand rather than using heavy machinery. Kiwi winemaker Alan McCorkindale however, has opted to make the most of another local resource. wines.
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Ripasso: Amarone’s Little Cousin
Apr 01 2020This is one of my all time favourite wines, it has all the character and richness of some of the more famous big Italian reds but at half the price!
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Classic Claret with a difference.
Apr 01 2020The vineyards of Bordeaux are split down the middle by the river Garonne and this distinction largely defines the wines that are produced there. Almost all Bordeaux wines are blend of numerous varieties but those made to the east (the right bank) are predominantly Merlot and those to the west (the left bank) Cabernet Sauvignon.
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Colinas from the Douro
Apr 01 2020You may not know it but the grapes of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Cao are probably the three most widely consumed grape varieties of the festive season. This is due to the fact that they are the key component of Port.
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A Classic off-dry Style
Apr 01 2020The appellation of Vouvray lies in the Touraine department of the Loire Valley and is home to one of Frances best loved and most versatile wines. The wine itself depends greatly upon the conditions of the vintage with cooler years resulting in dry and sparkling wines. In hotter years however lusciously sweet dessert wines in the style of Sauternes are produced with some having phenomenal potential for aging.
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The Most Under Appreciated Grape of Portugal
Apr 01 2020The Terra d’Alter vineyards are structured according to the new world approach, designed with the assistance of the University of Fresno, California. The vines are planted using modern training and irrigation techniques, facilitating treatment and ensuring quality. They cover extensive plains and gentle hills, always providing intense exposure to sunlight which assists the grapes’ development, maturation and quality. Many indigenous varieties are grown including the Encruzado variety in this months case.
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