Oz Clarke, who needs no introduction, and Anthony Rose, Independent columnist, Decanter writer and member of The Wine Gang, were at odds over the 2002 vintage, Anthony found the wine lean and would drink it now and Oz loved the cedary characters and would keep it for future drinking. 2003 was described as ‘Atypical’ and I found it very giving on the nose and palate – lots of juicy fruits with a fresh finish. One to watch perhaps…

2004 generated even further debate as Veronique explained that Haut-Bailly’s practice in recent years had been to select better fruit but not less. They continue to push the quality but also the quantity as they don’t want to make less wine. Simon set the tone for this wine by announcing (bragging) he was delighted he had bought as much 2004 as he had done. Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak (not an insult, that’s his website name),  added: “It has a generosity of fruit but is rich and elegant, it’s lovely.”
Of the legendary 2005 Max said: “At this higher level this wine has different dimensions and layers of complexity. This is a very different wine at this stratospheric level.”

Simon harked back to his childhood, saying that Rowntree’s Fruit Gums (the red ones) reminded him of Haut-Bailly. Neal Martin brought as back to the present day by saying: “2006 is a dark horse and the great lost vintage of the last ten years; it’s a really good wine.”

Jancis Robinson MW, again no introduction needed, had remained uncharacteristically quiet until now but delighted Veronique by saying “Your 2008 is amazing, I think it’s fantastic.”

A smiling Veronique added: “It really shows what we want to achieve at Haut-Bailly. What we have tried to do in the last 10 years is keep the style but grow the density and keep the intensity. 2008 is not a big blockbuster, just very well-balanced.”

Oz pronounced the 2010 vintage as “pure” and Simon closed this fascinating tasting by saying how you could see how the wines had become more concentrated as we went through the vintages.

It was an honour to be part of this superb event. On a daily basis I share an office surrounded by passionate fine wine salesman who are always singing the praises of this chateaux. Big Si (Simon Staples) has said on a number of occasions how the wines have really come into their own in the last seven years and tasting 11 vintages really demonstrated this.

For more videos with Berrys’ wine experts, including food and wine matching expert Nick Page, visit the video diaries page of Jazz FM

Definitely Delamain – A Fine Cognac Tutored Tasting was presented by Delamain’s Director Général Charles Braastad who captivated the gathered audience of 28 for two hours during which he presented eight Cognacs.

The first thing we learned as beginners was that you only need your nose in a tasting to appreciate Cognac. There is no need to taste, we were told. I thought this was a tasting…..! Another point we soon noted was that Cognac shouldn’t be confused with brandy – brandy can be made anywhere around the world but Cognac is just from Cognac in France, obvious really I guess.

Delamain Pale & Dry was the first in our flight of eight samples. As with all Delamain Cognacs, it is from the exhaulted region in Cognac known as Grande Champagne with the average age of 25 years. Apparently this is their ‘entry level’ Cognac and it was delicious…I couldn’t wait to see what the others tasted like.

We tasted Delamain’s Gensac la Paullue, a single vineyard, (30-year-old); then a clear favourite with the men, Vesper (35-year-old); followed by the1979; the Extra (40-year-old), onto Tres Venerable (55-year-old) to Reserve de la Famille. This was an astonishing 60-years-old. What became clear was the incredible value in Cognac. If you compared it to a 40-year-old whisky for example you would be looking at two or three times the cost. Which is amazing considering it is such a handmade product – from the expert blending to the hand labelling of each bottle.

Delamain is a serious producer of haut couture Cognac, they only produce Grande Champagne premier cru Cognac and have no V.S or V.S.O.P level, as Charlie said “We start where others finish, with X.O.”

The tasting ended with Delamain Le Voyage, never before shown at a tasting. Charles told us it took two years to develop Le Voyage, which is a unique blend of lots of years ranging from 1847 to 1947. What an honour! Priced at £5,100 a bottle, this was the most expensive drop of anything I have ever tasted.

What a voyage this tasting was.

He is also joined by Director of Ch. Gruaud Larose, David Launay, to taste Ch. Gruaud Larose and Sarget de Gruaud Larose.

But back to the wintery weather. One of our favourite coctails, ‘The Rusty Tack’, is a sophisticated take on a classic whisky cocktail that blends equal measures (we recommend 35ml) of The King’s Ginger and Cutty Sark Whisky, and is bound to keep the chills at bay.

The toothsome combination of ginger and citrus flavours makes The King’s Ginger a natural store cupboard essential and we have also put together some pudding recipes that include The King’s Ginger.

There are doubtless many other delicious ways to include this seductive liqueur in your cooking – let us know if you’ve come up with any yourself!

The King’s Ginger Snaps
Ingredients:
50g unsalted butter
50g caster sugar
50g golden syrup
50g plain flour
1/2 tsp grated root ginger
Grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp The King’s Ginger
The Cream:
250ml double cream
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
1 heaped tsp of stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped finely
2 tbsp The King’s Ginger

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Melt the butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour, lemon zest, grated ginger and The King’s Ginger to this mixture; stir until well combined. Drop one teaspoon of the mixture onto the baking sheet, 10cm apart. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until bubbling, lacy and a deep caramel colour.
Remove from oven. Let the snaps cool slightly, and then lift with a palette knife. Quickly roll around the handle of a wooden spoon to form a tube shape. Cool on a wire rack. These can be kept in an airtight tin for a week. Serve with The King’s Ginger cream.
Whip the double cream to soft peaks. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Chill until serving. This can be piped into the ginger snaps or served alongside in a small pot.

The King’s Ginger Truffles
Ingredients:
200g good quality dark chocolate
175ml double cream
5 tbsp The King’s Ginger
1 tsp of finely chopped drained stem ginger in syrup
Line a baking tray with cling film. Break the chocolate into small pieces and drop into a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to the boil and pour over the chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate is melted. Add The King’s Ginger and the chopped stem ginger. Mix well. Leave in bowl and allow to cool to room temperature (about 2 hours).
Using a melon baller or teaspoon, scoop out bite sized pieces and roll into even shaped balls. Roll in cocoa powder and place on baking sheet. Chill in the fridge. Serve with after dinner coffee and a chilled shot of The King’s Ginger.

For more cocktail and recipe ideas click here. To learn more about The King’s Ginger watch this fun video.

As part of this opportunity, the successful candidates will learn the time-honoured art of making The Glenrothes and the time-honoured skills that have been passed down from generation to generation. The winners will spend time working at each stage of the whisky-making process: testing the purity of the water source at the distillery’s two springs; milling the malt to achieve the golden proportions of husk, grits and flour; mashing to ensure maximum extraction of sugars in the wort; adding yeast to the washbacks and overseeing fermentation; slowly and carefully distilling new make spirit in our tall copper pot stills. From there the winning Whisky Makers will be involved in making casks at the cooperage, laying down casks for maturation and rolling casks to the warehouse.

The Whisky Makers will nose single malt from maturing casks to assess whether the contents are of sufficiently exceptional quality and maturity; only the top 2% of the distillery’s output is bottled as The Glenrothes Speyside Single Malt Whisky. Finally, the Whisky Makers will have the opportunity to create their very own selection of The Glenrothes – a unique bottle with their own hand-written tasting notes on the label.

After work, the Whisky Makers will enjoy the simple pleasures that Speyside has to offer; a spot of fishing, dining in the local Highland restaurants or perhaps a picnic in the hills surrounding the distillery. The Whisky Makers will stay in Rothes House, a private home belonging to the family that owns The Glenrothes. As with the distillery, Rothes House is not open to the public but is reserved for VIP visits. After making their own bottle of The Glenrothes, our whisky makers will spend their final day of the trip in Edinburgh, visiting The Scotch Whisky Experience and having dinner with Scotland’s pre-eminent whisky writer, Charles MacLean.

Entry is simple; entrants supply their name and personal details and then be invited to answer in 50 words or fewer why they are the perfect candidate for the job. Hundreds of runners-up prizes will be offered too. Entries will be accepted in English, Spanish and Chinese.

The competition will run until 31st January 2011 and can be entered at http://www.theglenrothes.com/uk/whiskymaker/

Wine and technology geeks can tap into our vinous knowledge and the shiny iPad’s magical multi-touch screen makes reading easier and browsing and navigation far simpler, and much more intuitive.

Whatever time it is, wherever you are, take a look at the brand new Vintage Charts, producer Profiles and Wine Ratings. We have listened to your feedback on our iPhone App launched last year and we have enhanced the search functionality and you can now filter by price and vintage rather than just the previous keyword search of wine name, region, producer and grape. We have also improved the transactional function which means it’s now even easier to purchase through the free App.

But don’t fear – you can still enjoy original favourites like tasting notes from our Masters of Wine and the Virtual Wine School video tutorials.

This is the must-have upgrade for all Fine Wine aficionados, whatever the size of your cellar – or portable communication device!! Download the free App at: www.bbr.com/app.

Understanding Barbecue Cooking

Barbecuing is a fast-cooking method that seals in food’s natural juices and flavours.  The high temperatures quickly sear the outside of the food and carmelise its sugars and fats, which further intensifies the natural flavours and also adds sweetness to the finished dishes. Sweetness is often accentuated by the use of marinades and sauces, such as barbecue or sweet and sour sauce.  Sometimes there’s a chilli and spice element to be considered too, as well as the smokiness that’s imparted from the charcoal, so you need to serve wines that will balance any spiciness in the dish as well as complement the intensified natural flavours of the food.

Matching Wines to Barbecue Food

Grapes grown in hot climates ripen easily and the wines made from them are full-flavoured and taste sweeter/riper. Often there is more residual sugar in a hot climate wine than a cool climate wine, hence they seemingly taste ‘sweeter’. These characteristics match those found in barbecued food. The ripeness or sweetness in some wines also will balance the flavour of any smoke and any heat and spice. So hot climate wines like those from California, the Med, Australia and Chile are often the best choice.

For more delicious alfresco dining ideas, why not come along to our Wines & Beef Barbecue Day this Saturday 3rd July at Berrys’ Factory Outlet in Basingstoke?!

If you can make it along to the event then you can…

…SAVE 15% or more on everything in Berrys’ Own Selection, including spirits, wines and fortifieds – plus there’s at least 25% off all our other bin end wines

…TASTE a vast array of wines, specially selected with barbecues in mind

…TRY Sarah Purdon’s fabulous Belted Galloway beef which will also be available for you to buy (in limited supply so arrive early)

…GET A FREE Berrys’ apron worth £15 when you spend £100 or more in store and become the smartest barbecue chef in town this summer!

…TAKEAWAY a free copy of Berrys’ Wine & Barbecue leaflet, which is full of great wine matching tips and tasty recipes from our Head Chef

Plus Sarah Purdon, who produces the best beef we’ve ever tasted, will be on hand to talk about and offer you tasters of her sublime beef. Sarah will also have beef available to buy on the day, but supply is very limited, so, once again, you’ll arrive early if you don’t miss out…

The App allows you to browse our list of over 2,000 wines, as well as consult tasting notes, maturity guides and even watch the popular ‘Virtual Wine School’ videos from both iPhones and iPod touch devices.

Our web guru, Charlie Bennett, believes the App is the perfect way to allow customers to have access to the wine list and extensive information at any time. One of our favourite features is that it can be accessed without being connected to the Internet, so you can see all the wines and their details at any time, wherever you are – very handy for impressing friends in restaurants.

Other features of the App include the ability to check the information in multiple currencies, as well as options to display prices as single bottle, cases, or in bond, as well as a keyword search functionality which allows users to browse the list by wine name, wine region, producer and grape.

You can download it for free from www.bbr.com/iphone or http://itunes.com/apps/berryswinelist

The excitement has almost lowered to a low buzz following our success in last week’s wine awards.

On Tuesday night (1st September) www.bbr.com was hailed as THE best wine website at the Decanter World Wine Awards – and rightly so! Website Manager, Charlie Bennett, works tirelessly (and relentlessly) to constantly improve and evolve the site which Decanter describes as: “…setting a benchmark for wine retailing around the world…” They particularly identified this blog and our use of Twitter during this year’s Bordeaux En Primeur campaign as ‘exciting’ features.

The website was recognised further at the International Wine Challenge on Wednesday evening (2nd), when we received the ‘Direct’ Merchant of the Year Award, but more on that later…

On arrival to the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, the venue for the IWC Awards, Berrys’ representatives Rebecca Lamont, Simon Field MW and Charlie Bennett were requested for a photo shoot and presentation of certificates (see above). At this stage we found out we had won En Primeur Merchant of the Year, Rhône Specialist of the Year and been highly commended for Regional Merchant (London), Bordeaux Specialist and Burgundy Specialist – great start! My colleague Emily (the bastion of this blog) and I were greeted by the wine trade’s now infamous double act Charles Metcalfe and Tim Atkin MW. Despite our job normally just involving time-keeping and bag-holding, Tim insisted he had his photograph taken with us. We are, what he describes as, the best PR on the telephone (see below). Is that like saying we have faces for radio? Best not dwell on that…so I just had another slug of my Charles Heidseck fizz which had now warmed nicely by the oppressive heat of the room.

Soon after, the main event kicked off in dramatic style with lucky finalists swooping down the grand staircase to rapturous applause. Now it was time to reveal the rest of the prestigious Wine Merchant Awards. There were 13 categories and Berrys was shortlisted for Direct Merchant of the Year and Wine Educator…
…Fending off nine competitors including Waitose and Majestic, we were crowned Direct Merchant of the Year for bbr.com and our marketing collaterol and received a highly commended certificate for Wine Educator. You can hear our cheers of delighted captured on this short video clip…

Winning one out of 13 is awards didn’t prepare us to be crowned Wine Merchant of the Year ahead of the likes of Marks & Spencer and Majestic who had won other categories. Berrys’ buyer Simon Field MW was as shocked as we were and when he heard his name he wove his way through the crowd to collect the golden gong. This is the ultimate wine Oscar and one we hadn’t won for a couple of years so it was wonderful to be recognised as the best of the best.

Dinner was served and the celebrating commenced into the early hours.