We were lucky enough to have a visit from Tim Heath, wine maker at Cloudy Bay recently, who let us taste a wonderful selection of Cloudy Bay’s latest releases, including the ever-popular (and rightly so) delicious 2009 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  In this video he gives us a quick run-down of what makes Cloudy Bay special and why 2009 is such a lovely wine:

I was invited to the brilliant gastro-pub, The Wellington Arms,  in deepest darkest Basingstoke a couple of nights ago by a bon viveur of a client. Sadly, as I’m not the most well organised person, I’d left it too late in the day to plunder my own cellar (housed here rather than home, as the temptation is too great!) so I had to make a hasty stop in the shop to pick out a bottle of something modest and appropriate.

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Nigel Greening of Felton Road Estate in New Zealand talks about biodynamics in the New World

Two of the aspects of Biodynamics which I personally find least convincing are the preparations (500-508), and the calendar. Unfortunately these are probably the two areas that also get the vast majority of the publicity associated with Biodynamic farming, largely because of the “Harry Potter makes some potions” aspect of the whole thing.

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Nigel Greening of Felton Road Estate in New Zealand gives us an insight into his recent trip to Dubai…

OK, The land of concrete and dust is finally come. Fittingly, I flew in on an Emirates A380, the largest plane in the world. It is an astonishing bit of kit… apparently there is a spa with showers in first class, where they will shortly be pouring our wine (first, that is, not in the shower!)… typical that the wine travels better than I do! I have to ‘make do’ with business, no shabby choice with large beds, and a very roomy bar to lounge in. The thing is just ridiculously big; I think they have to keep the upper deck pressurised even when the plane is on the ground, it is so tall.

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Lying in a patch of heaven on Napa’s prime Rutherford Bench is John Williams’ Frog’s Leap winery; an oasis of viticultural life; an island of humility & fine wine, but not a frog in sight!
 We were lucky enough to have John come to Berrys to tell his story over dinner; of how, in the late ’70s, this East Coast dairyman went West in search of fresh pasture, only to stumble on an ancient frog farm. Time at Stag’s Leap Winery then convinced him and his friend and associate, Larry Turley, that there was more to life than cows, prompting them to sell their Harleys and move into wine; 1981 was their first vintage, achieving instant recognition, not least on account of the label!

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 With more than 1,000 years experience between them, The Bunch is a group of six wine merchants representing the independent sector. With growing competition from supermarkets and high street off licences The Bunch provides a voice for the independents, all be it quite a softly spoken one.

Former Berrys’ employee and now famed wine writer for The Daily Telegraph, Jonathan Ray, persuaded The Bunch to provide a mixed case of affordable wines perfect for those feeling the pinch. The final selection represents classy but modern alternatives to classics like Barolo and Bordeaux, Champagne and Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Condrieu and Chianti – all for the bargain price of £99 including delivery.

Tantalise your taste buds with a delicious Viognier from Domaine de Coudoulet. This wine dances with delicate apricot notes and a peach-stone texture. Alternatively, the Gran Marius from Bodegas Piqueras in Almansa, Spain is great with red meats and cheese dishes.

Click Here for further details of the offer and a full list of wines with tasting notes.

To order this unique case drawn from six of the UK’s finest independent merchants at the credit crunch-busting price of £99 (inclusive of delivery), CLICK HERE or call 0870 900 4300.