During a happy week in Japan I was able to acclimatise myself for the subsequent freezing conditions back in the UK. I missed the snow which fell in Tokyo while I was enjoying dinners in Hiroshima and Fukuoka, several stops down the bullet train line to the southwest, but the clear, crisp, weather conditions made this beautiful country even more special.

Immediately after landing we met the Japanese translators of Inside Burgundy over a cheerful meal. They have already pretty much done the translating and were full of questions, having ferreted out any inconsistencies in the text with impressive attention to detail. There are also some fascinating insights into language: did you know that in Japanese there are no single words for brother or sister – you have to specify elder brother, younger brother et cetera. So now I have lots of homework checking whether Denis is older than Jean-Pierre and so on.

Food throughout the visit was always very good and often magical – particularly a great sushi meal washed down with Krug Grande Cuvée and Puligny-Montrachet Combettes 2002 from Leflaive. Now at last I have learned that the slivers of ginger are to cleanse the palate between different bites of sushi rather than to act as another condiment. Congratulations also to l’Alliance restaurant for brilliant wine and food pairings over a dinner based around lafon Meursaults and a trio of 2006 Clos de Vougeot.

I have just returned from a couple of days in Bordeaux with the aim of getting the initial thoughts on the much-awaited 2011 Bordeaux campaign, but mostly to decide on the blend for our next vintage of Good Ordinary Claret (GOC as it is known internally) and Good Ordinary White. My role as a fine wine buyer is mostly to source the best parcels of the rarest and most exclusive wines the world has to offer. But I also relish the opportunity to participate in the elaboration of our Berrys’ Own Selection wines: it is a very different, exciting and humbling experience. The most important point here is not the brand but the juice and how to make the best possible wine that would appeal to the largest audience at fantastic value. It has to be a Bordeaux in style but it also has to be ready to drink. It has to be round and generous to please the everyday drinker but with a bit of intellect and refinement for those in search of something more classic.

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Food and wine matching is something I’m passionate about and I think even the best wine knowledge is a bit limited if you don’t know which wine would best match your Monday night lamb casserole! As this is such a vast subject, and obviously quite subjective, I can only offer some guidelines; ultimately your personal taste and that of your guests should be considered first. Here are some helpful tips, plus a fantastic recipe from our Head Chef, Stewart Turner – why not use the tips and tell us what style of wine you’d pair with this dish?

Match the weight of the food to the weight of the wine. Full-bodied wines complement heavy, rich foods so that neither overshadows the other.

Match the flavour intensity of both (e.g. rich/intense flavours like Sauvignon Blanc and asparagus, mild flavours like Chablis and shellfish) and also consider the wine’s fruit character (the raspberry flavours in Pinot Noir complement duck the same way a delicious fruit sauce would).

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For this second blog on the region of the Alto Piemonte (Lessona, Bramaterra, Gattinara, Boca) I assessed 25 wines covering mostly vintages 2009 – 2004 from 12 producers: Cantine del Castello Conti (Boca), Antonio Vallana (Boca), Antoniolo (Gattinara), Antoniotti (Bramaterra), Sperino (Lessona),  Le Piane (Boca), Patriarca Franco (Gattinara), Travaglini (Gattinara), Tenuta Sella (Lessona), Nervi (Gattinara), Iaretti Paride (Gattinara), Franchino Mauro (Gattinara). And who better to help me do this than a dozen Langhe producers, a couple of whose wines were planted surreptitiously in the midst to give context (edge)!

I had been much looking forward to this tasting, having been to the region some months before (see my blog: ‘Bramaterra, Gattinara and Boca – the Côte Rotie of Piedmont?!’) There I had met a new generation coming through, mostly speaking a different language to that of their parents (Conti, Barbaglio, Antoniotti, Vallana); there were stirrings of new (foreign) investment (Le Piane, Nervi, Montalbano); I had heard how the regulations were changing rapidly to reflect a rising demand for Nebbiolo (Boca, Bramaterra); and how the (US) market was now taking a keen interest, though this time perhaps less in bulk, more in bottle. I fancied that in the face of global warming this formerly cool spot for Nebbiolo might just come into its own, and their slightly lower alcohols and extra freshness perhaps giving them an advantage over their Langhe cousins.

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We are delighted to welcome a new addition to our Berrys’ Own Selection family: our delicious Argentinian Malbec. Sourced by our South American buyer Simon Field MW, from the celebrated producer Pulenta Estate in Mendoza, the wine fills a hole that has been present in our range for some time, and to celebrate the launch we thought we’d gather together some staff opinions to share with you.

Firstly, our South American buyer and the man responsible for sourcing the wine, Simon Field MW, elaborates on the origin of the wine, the beauty of its native Argentina, and just what makes our Malbec quite so exquisite:

“For a long time there has been a gap in our New World Own Selection Range, and for a long time we have been tasting and exploring in an effort to fill that gap. New Zealand Pinot Noir, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, Australian Chardonnay… all totemic and all emblematic of what is best (and in many instances worst) of the countries in question. But no Argentinian Malbec!

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I spent a fascinating week in Hong Kong leading up to Chinese New Year. The Year of the Dragon is now in full swing and so, it would appear, is a new found appreciation for Burgundy.

Among the high spots were the ‘Long Lunch’, a sort of mini Paulée held at the Hong Kong Cricket Club, who supplied a match to watch to boot. However we spent more time concentrating on the wines than on the cricket, generous guests bringing bottles from Lafon, Blain-Gagnard, Vougeraie, Roumier, Grivot, de Montille, Rossignol-Trapet, Perrot-Minot, Cathiard, Rémy, Fourrier, Dugat-Py and more.

The key will be to encourage appreciation right across the range and this should be possible. Wines such as Sylvain Loichet’s Ladoix Bois de Gréchon have found favour already, and good quality Bourgogne Rouge is being snapped up. As we expected, the learning curve develops frighteningly quickly.

We did many more wine events this year with Cantonese food which is a stimulating development. I like the idea of having lots of bottles open on the table so you can grab a sip of whichever one might please you with whichever nibble of dim sum or peking duck catches your fancy. Dishes which I really enjoyed this week included braised pomelo skins and some baby roast pigeon. Apparently I was just too late for seasonal snake soup.

Just back from my annual visit to the Loire where I assessed the vintage, caught up with Berrys’ suppliers, visited some new names to get a clearer perspective & dwelt on some of the issues influencing Loire wines, particularly those of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé.

The 2011 Loire vintage was shaped, as elsewhere in Europe, by the unusually warm and dry spring that signalled an early harvest. This was compounded in the Loire by the lack of a preceding winter; Sancerrois David Sautereau remarked that there were no frost days during this period, compared with twenty-five the previous year. Consequently Sancerre’s ‘ban de vendange’ (official start date) came on 1^st Sept, after a cool and damp July/August that threatened to upset the party with outbreaks of rot. The Caslots in Bourgueil commenced on the 15^th Sept, versus 1^st Oct in 2010. For Nöel Pinguet at Gaston Huet, harvesting on the 27^th Sept. was an unprecedented early start but proved fortuitous in his (US owners) quest for drier Vouvray – something that’s he’s finding harder to come by these days. A fine, warm September facilitated fermentations to dryness, especially for those departing from the norm in using wild yeast (i.e. already present in the winery) as opposed to cultured. Acidities are generally on the low side making the pretty wines delicious in the early to medium term, without the grip or zip of the 2010s, but still fresh thanks to the cool summer. Yields are normal, certainly above the small, sun-tanned crop of the 2009 vintage.

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In an ideal world, every wine lover would have the chance to travel the globe visiting each and every wine region. Yet the sad truth is that with work and home commitments (and no lottery win!) this isn’t usually possible. I’ve been spending most of my holidays in wine regions for years and still have a huge list to tick off. So that’s why we’re immensely privileged here at Berrys to welcome a stellar line-up of wine producers every year to our programme of tastings and dinners. This allows us and our customers to learn from these wonderfully passionate winemakers first-hand without making the trip – and let me tell you, there is nothing like meeting the person who has nurtured the grapes and crafted the wine to help you appreciate it more fully.

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In life, many a Thursday evening can pass with a glass of something whilst cooking, a moan at the lack of decent television and an early night in preparation for the weekend ahead. Last night was no such evening. I sashayed along to Cocktail Hour & Champagne at No. 3 St James’s Street for Berrys’ only Champagne and Cocktail specific event of the year, where special guest ‘bacchanologist’ Mark Jenner of the Connaught was shaking up an exciting range of drinks. The development of Spirits within Berry Bros. & Rudd is further acknowledgment that Cocktails are more exciting than ever and not just for the stereotypical demographic but more about a genre of drinks that can integrate with our everyday lives.

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A week in November spent tasting the first samples of the 2010 vintage proved to be not only highly enjoyable but also, in the context of all the doom and gloom pervading every facet of life at present, an uplifting experience. Listening to weather reports in the days before the start of the harvest there was no evident reason to believe that a great vintage was in prospect, as the conditions throughout the crucial month of August had not been particularly hot. In September, however, the temperatures had shot back up, and a welcome burst of rain between the 20th-25th freshened up the vines pre-harvest and put paid to fears that they would shut down because of drought.

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In the run up to Christmas, our cellars beneath our No. 3 St James’s Street shop are always buzzing with tutored tastings, fine wine dinners and wine schools. What I love about teaching at Berrys is that our customers are always so keen to learn, and I suppose it’s easy to be enthusiastic when you’re learning about wine!

No matter how much theory you read about a certain wine region or grape variety, the best way to learn about wine is to taste it. This might seem like an obvious thing to say, but knowing that Chablis lies on Kimmeridgian clay won’t necessarily help you choose a wine to accompany your grilled salmon, whereas remembering the crisp minerality on the last Chablis you tasted will.

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Located in Italy’s toe, Calabria presents a very different landscape to that of Puglia’s stilettoed heel. Different not just geologically but also in the way their society appears to be woven together. The net effect has obviously influenced the character and quality of their wines. In November last year I ventured south, in search of the (holy) Gaglioppo, an ancient grape responsible for the elegant Cirò DOC.

Cirò is the prime three thousand hectare viticultural zone lying on the east coast of Calabria, overlooking the Ionian sea to Puglia on the horizon. Compared to the fresh, damp, granitic terroir of the western, Tyrrhenian sea coastline, Cirò’s location is sheltered by mountains, dried by African sirocco winds while enjoying sedimentary calcareous clay soils. Its eucalypt-dominated landscape conjures up visions of Australia (the trees were introduced to combat malaria, absorbing excess water), while the undulating coastal range up to 250 metres above sea level reminded me of Santa Barbara (minus the fog).

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The start of a new year is always an exciting time for me as it gives me the opportunity to look back on the highlights of last year’s Wine Club – the tastings, dinners and meeting with our Masters of Wine to choose the perfect wines for the Wine Club cases! It also gives me a chance to think about all the exciting events and new wines we can look forward to this year.

The Wine Club Walkaround tasting is the first event on the Wine Club calendar every year, and I always look forward to seeing our regular attendees and meeting new members for the first time. Last year’s Walkaround theme was a preview of the May cases, which gave members a chance to try the wines from every Wine Club case. It also gave them the opportunity to meet the buying team who love getting direct feedback from the people who drink the wines they choose.

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Personally, I think Beaujolais is brilliant. Yet it presents us with a paradox. Having achieved phenomenal worldwide brand recognition in the 70s and 80s with their light, fruity ‘Nouveau’ style, many Beaujolais producers are now trying to disassociate themselves from this style and hence from the very source of their success. Why? Well, human nature being what it is, as soon as the popularity of Nouveau became evident, certain producers jumped on the bandwagon with such gusto that they began to produce huge quantities to meet demand, and as is often the case, quality suffered severely. This is not to say that all Nouveau produced is of poor quality, or even that those producers whose quality did drop weren’t also producing other excellent styles of Beaujolais – but in the branding of any product, including wine, perception can be more important than reality. And most people’s perception of Nouveau (and by association, of Beaujolais in general) is still that of a thin, acidic, banana-and-bubblegum-scented wine which is barely more than alcoholic Ribena. The region’s image suffered so badly that by May 2003 Jancis Robinson MW had described Beaujolais as in ‘self-avowed crisis’ due to slowing demand, with ten million litres of surplus wine sent for distillation in that year alone.

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With Christmas less than a week away, now is the time for panicked last-minute purchases and hurried preparations for that all important Christmas Dinner on Sunday. With that in mind, we’ve put together a basic guide to festive food and wine matching!

Remember that the most important factors to consider when matching food and wine are:

• Match the weight of both the food and wine. Full-bodied wines complement heavy, rich foods
• Match the flavour intensity of both (full-flavours like Sauvignon Blanc and asparagus) and also consider the wine’s fruit character (the raspberry flavours in Pinot Noir complement duck the same way a fruit sauce would)
• Match or complement acidity in wine and food (high-acid wines complement fatty foods the same way lemon cuts the greasiness of smoked salmon)
• Salt is not found in wine but does clash with tannic wines, so avoid this pairing
• The more texture a food has (fatty food like duck or chewy food like steak), the more tannin the wine should have
• Always remember to serve a wine with greater sweetness than the food. Sweetness in wine also acts as a foil to rich foods (Sauternes and foie gras is a classic pairing)

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Last week I led a group of Berrys’ suppliers from across Italy to Tuscany to exchange views and experiences with five Chianti Classico counterparts, including Bibbiano, Badia a Coltibuono, and Castello di Ama. A fascinating experience viewed through the eyes of Italians, and at the same time reminding me of just why ‘Chianti-shire’ remains such a pull for the Inglese!

The phrase about Englishmen and their castles hung in the air as we wound up lengthy drives towards imposing castelli, owned often by Marquises and Counts, their hunting dogs and helps scurrying between vast, draughty halls. Such a setting, I could see, would strike a chord with homesick Brits, gazing up at these fortresses, rich in heraldry, noble pride and cobwebs; their largely not-for-profit viticultural activities propped up by EU subsidies, preserving an ancient feudal landscape… for now.

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I have just emerged from under the cosh of preparing January’s Grand Burgundy Offer unveiling the 2010 vintage. This time of year is always very high pressure – firstly we need to taste the whole range of wines – around 500 of them – and prepare tasting notes; then there is the frantic whipping in of prices and allocations form producers who promise to let us know the news by the end of November but rarely do. I should look up the French word for Deadlines.

Too late now, the offer has gone to the printers and will land on doorsteps throughout the land in time for the new campaign to kick off on Wednesday 4th January. Then the fur will fly because the wines are exceptional in 2010 but there is very little volume compared to last year. Delicious reds in a classic style, with excellent balance between fruit, acidity and tannins. The whites are also mostly very impressive, generous wines with good acidity, while Chablis is superb.

Jasper Morris MW

Spurred on by an impressive display of Italian wines made from autochthonous southern grapes at the June’s event ‘Radici del Sud’, as covered in my blog, I took to the road last week to explore the vineyards of Puglia, stretched out across the ‘heel’ among the olive groves, in an attempt to find out where the opportunities lie.

What is clear is that Puglia has a great chance to make world-class easy drinking wines. I mean, just look at its terroir: ample sun, vines air-conditioned by salty breezes criss-crossing the Puglian heel between the Adriatic and Ionian seas, flat land for ease of mechanisation (and for replanting as and when), fertile red clay over limestone soils giving ripeness as well as natural minerally freshness, and a lattice of roads making vineyard access and fruit delivery a speedy operation. Estates seem to be large enough too to enjoy scale and are now better equipped. Bottled whites seem less in evidence at present; a shame as I think the sunny, salty style shown by Bombino Bianco, or more lemony Fiano could offer a refreshing alternative to new world offerings. Reds remain the meat and drink of the region, with a significant proportion of most cantina’s production sold in bulk as ‘vino di taglio’ (see below). Yet it’s their Rosato (Rosé) that catches the eye, not least on account of its pretty salmon pink colour and deliciousy juicy stone fruit accessibility.

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Wine dinners are more common than Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong at present. To be honest one can get a little blasé about the frequency you get to drink great wine. However once in a while you experience a night that just stops you in your tracks and takes you that little bit closer to your maker! Well last week, unexpectedly, I managed to find myself sat at dinner – awaiting some of the finest food in Hong Kong (we were at 2 Michelin Starred Amber)… oh and also a vertical of the iconic First Growth going back to 66!

This grand Event did have a rocky evolution. Poor Big Si The Wine Guy was down to host but had to pass the baton onto me (tough life), and then 24 hours before Frederic Engerer (the genius behind Latour’s incredible run in the modern era) had to urgently fly back to Bordeaux as well. I had a feeling the event was cursed and all the bottles would end up corked! Fortunately we had the perfect replacements in Jean Garandeau (Ch. Latour’s Sales and Marketing Director) and Jeremy Quievre (Latour’s Asia Representative) – who were both at Amber hours before decanting and fine tuning the evening with more detail and tactical acumen than Sir Alex.

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One of my personal favourites, and also a favourite restaurant of the wine trade, is the excellent Trinity in Clapham Old Town. Billing itself as a neighbourhood restaurant, but in reality far finer than your everyday local, Trinity champion seasonal eating in a fine dining, yet relaxed manner. The wine list in varied and well-priced (for London) and the Chef’s Cellar is a very welcome addition – fine wines sourced from around the globe with a £20 corkage and VAT added to the cost price. I wish more restaurants would follow suit, as after all, fine wine can only add to the experience of a good dinner and transparency on costs will result in more people ordering the wines. A debate for another day though!

With provenance becoming a buzzword in the kitchen, as well as the wine world, Trinity have gone to a new level, offering a Beef fortnight, where they butchered their own Longhorn heifer and offered various cuts with suitable accompaniments. The original idea came from a Pig week they ran in the summer, which led to too much success, and I’m told the Beef fortnight sold out in a little over a day. Luckily we got in in time and had pre-ordered the Bavette, an under-rated cut that is often overlooked.

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