It was a celebration of structure, style, shape, shades, silhouette, scent, subtlety with a semblance of sweetness, spiciness and seasoning!  The Pickering Cellar was transformed from the home of Berrys’ Wine School, to an elegant catwalk last Saturday. Think whimsical, enthralling, stylish, inspiring and magical…

To celebrate Mothers’ Day, we invited two great St James’s neighbours to join us in our cellars: Lock & Co. Hatters and Floris (also Royal Warrant holders and old established family companies). The day was an extravaganza for the senses!

Shelagh Foyle, bespoke perfumer for Floris gave the first private launch of two forthcoming fragrances, ‘Royal Arms’ in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee and ‘Victorious’ in celebration of the Olympics. Sylvia Fletcher, the ladies couture hat designer for Lock & Co. Hatters, treated us to the first private viewing of her Spring collection and Lisa Redman, couture’s best kept secret in the UK, provided her sensationally stylish Spring and Summer day and evening collection.

The conclusion was a fantastic food and wine matching luncheon in the Napoleon Cellar. The most highly voted successful Spring matches were:

2009 Tres Olmos Classic, Bodegas Garciarevalo, Rueda
with Baby spinach & wild garlic tart, with parmesan flavours

2010 Pouilly-Fumé, Coteaux Les Cornets, Domaine Alain Cailbourdin
2011 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
with Pavé of brill on poached young leeks, shellfish bisque

2005 Rioja Tinto, Finca Allende &/or 2001 Viña Ardanza, Reserva La Rioja Alta
with Seared fillet of beef, new season artichoke & wild mushroom

2008 Berrys’ Sauternes
with Tasting of white chocolate, passion fruit & blood orange

We take great pride in considering ourselves to be the closest link between the people who make wine, and the people who drink it, so it’s always a fantastic opportunity for us when the winemakers themselves come to visit us. We were treated by Mandy Weaver, Sam’s wife, to a line up of four fantastic wines, showcasing not only the established traditions of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, but also their new Viognier, very much a rarity from the region.

Named after Sam’s Shropshire birthplace, Church Pulverbatch, Churton’s winemakers pride themselves on their organic and biodynamic practices, where every effort is made to make sure the wines and the vineyards are as natural as possible. Sam and Mandy keep cattle on their land near their vineyards, strongly believing that a real understanding and embracing of agricultural techniques helps to achieve the best from their wines. Sam spends hours at a time with the grapes, analysing everything from skin to pips to make sure he doesn’t miss a trick when it comes to making the end product.

That being said, Churton is no stuck-in-the-mud traditionalist, as evidenced by their new Viognier, and also their plantings of Petit Manseng are the first to be seen in New Zealand. Their plantings and vineyards are shaped like a side of beef, and thus various different plots have been given names like flank, topside or brisket. The ominously named ‘abyss’ has the vines end in a sheer drop from a cliff face, making picking the grapes from that vineyard a surely unenviable task!

As for the wines they were excellent as expected, and the new 2010 Viognier seemed, by general consensus, to be the favourite, offering beautiful floral notes on the nose, and a crisp, slightly spicy taste on the palate, with the faintest hint of residual sugar. The 2009 and 2010 Sauvignon Blancs were also highly coveted, with a richness and mouthfeel indicative of really exquisite and ripe grapes, and the 2009 Pinot Noir upheld the excellent standard of Marlborough Pinot Noir with aplomb.

All in all it was a wonderful selection of wines from a unique and charming producer. Thank you very much to Mandy for giving us the opportunity to taste them, and we look forward with excitement to Churton’s future developments!

Celebrating Berry Bros. & Rudd’s significant investment in one of San Francisco’s most exciting businesses, three Berrys (Simon Berry, David Berry Green and Geordie d’Anyers Willis) and three Rudds (Edward, Richard and Lizzy) visited the historic brewery to meet the Anchor Brewers and Distillers (ABD) team, led by the dynamic ex-Skyy entrepreneurs Tony Foglio and Keith Greggor.

At the heart of Anchor Brewers lies ‘Anchor Steam’ craft beer, whose history dates back to 1896 (an anagram of 1698!) to the period of the Gold Rush. The craft beer brand was established as a national icon, distributed to 50 of the United States, during the ownership by Fritz Maytag from 1965 onwards. In fact it could be said that Fritz established the ‘craft beer’ (micro-brewery) category; one that is now exploding at the expense of the more mainstream beer brands. San Francisco being at the heart of this national thirst for artisanal products; a movement epitomised by Anchor Steam beer along with eight other Anchor beers, such the bitter hops flavoured ‘Liberty Ale’.

Fritz recognised the importance of high quality to support the brand’s value and loyal following; production was thus limited and prices remained high. In fact production started at 600 barrels/annum and has since risen to 100,000, 60% of which is sold in bottles, 40% in draft. He had imported copper fermenting tanks from Germany; continued to ferment the ‘Anchor Steam’ beer in flat beds, initially fashioned out of redwood now from stainless-steel (the ‘Steam’ rising as the beer cooled off); and only whole dried hops, imported from Washington State, the UK and from New Zealand are used (as opposed to pellets for the volume brands). And just as with Scottish single malt whiskies so the Anchor Brewery values the quality of the Sierra Nevada water used in the process. Overseeing all this is Mark Carpenter, who’s brewed alongside Fritz since 1971. In fact so important is delivering a quality beer to their customers that Anchor beers transport their produce to the East Coast via the railroad and not on boats rolling through the Panama Canal.

Along with producing and distributing their own craft Anchor beers, ABD also represents two imported beers: Scotland’s cult Brew Dog and Australia’s pale ale, Cooper’s.

To Anchor Brewers Tony Foglio and Keith Gregor have added the Anchor Distilling Company (ADC), a nation-wide distribution company that unites a wide range of family-owned spirit brands such as Luxardo, Hirsch Kentucky Bourbon, and Calvados’s Château de Breuil with Berrys’ range of No.3 Gin, Own Selection Scotch Whiskies, Single Cask Rums and Cognacs, The King’s Ginger Liqueur, and Pink Pigeon Mauritian Rum. ADC’s President is David King, formerly of BB&R Spirits.

Anchor Brewers and Distillers therefore presents itself as a centre of excellence for artisan beers and spirits, based in San Francisco – one of America’s most historic cultural cities. It’s a very exciting (lateral) move for Berry Bros. & Rudd, particularly for the wealth of talent and resources that ABD brings with it.

How did you get into wine?

Like many students, I developed a healthy interest in wine (and gin….and vodka…!) at university and after graduating with a degree in English and Latin Literature, decided to pursue a vinous path, rather than the more obvious routes of publishing or teaching. I joined the graduate scheme at Majestic Wine and learnt a huge amount about both wine and management, passing the WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits whilst working my way up to Senior Manager.

What brought you to the role of Berrys’ Wine Club Manager?

After five years, I was ready for a new challenge and a move away from the shop floor. After a brief stint as a Wine Advisor in Berrys’ Sales and Service department, I got the job as Wine Club manager. I love speaking to customers and I love all the behind-the-scenes work that running the Wine Club involves, so it’s a perfect combination for me and felt like a natural progression from what I’d done before.

What is a typical week like for you?

With a new selection of cases every other month, my working week runs very much to a revolving schedule. If a delivery is imminent, I will be setting up orders and ensuring everything runs smoothly with our despatch team.  At other times, I can be found tasting wines and writing my part of the detailed tasting notes that accompany each and every wine we send out in the Club. I also write a monthly newsletter for members and work on organising Wine Club events, such as the Walkaround tasting we hold each spring and the ever-popular formal dinner in the summer. A big part of each day is spent speaking to and responding to members’ queries and questions. I love how my job is an ever rotating series of mini projects; this makes it varied and always interesting!

What do you like most about your job?

I think Wine Clubbers are some of the nicest customers I’ve ever dealt with. It gives me enormous pleasure to help people, in some small way, to discover their likes and dislikes in the world of wine. When members tell me their Wine Club membership has helped them become more confident in selecting wine, I feel as if we’ve achieved our goal of discovery and education.

My job also gives me the opportunity to work with some incredibly knowledgeable people throughout the business. The Wine Club buying team includes Masters of Wine and experts in their field of expertise. Tasting and discussing Club wines with them is always interesting and although it might seem intimidating at face value, they are all broad minded and passionate about wine, and as interested in my opinions as they are in each other’s – it’s a pleasure to be able to tap into their vast knowledge.

I also meet regularly with Berrys’ Head Chef, Stewart Turner, to discuss the recipes for the Dinner Party Case. The buying team and I select the wines and then Stewart and I taste them together and decide on delicious recipes that will complement the wines. It’s a great way to approach food and wine matching and often gives me inspiration for my own dinner parties. Stewart is very passionate about food and always has an eye on what is seasonal and interesting as well as being aware that not all of us (myself included!) have chef skills or his knowledge of ingredients. We work hard at making the recipes accessible but a bit different from something you could find in a cook book.

What are the most difficult or challenging aspects of your job?

Although the buyers select the wines for the Club cases, part of my job is to check we don’t repeat wines in the same case and that each case represents a good mix of styles and price points, so there is something for every occasion in there. With a delivery every other month and nine cases to choose from, this can be quite a task! Keeping up with new wines and the latest up-and-coming areas is also a challenge, but the wine trade is very dynamic so this is part of any job in the industry.

What advice would you give someone considering a career in wine?

Wine is a truly fascinating product to work with, always evolving (literally, in the bottle and figuratively, in terms of new trends) and it’s increasingly diverse. I’ve met countless people who have come to the wine trade later in life, on realising their previous career wasn’t as fulfilling as they thought it would be and relished the idea of working with something that had become a hobby. It’s also a small enough industry to feel very personal. If you’re thinking about it, consider taking a course with Berrys or the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) to find out if it’s for you.

What’s coming up for Wine Club in 2012?

I’m looking forward to meeting some new customers and re-acquainting myself with others at the Walkaround tasting in a few weeks’ time and also at the Wine Club Dinner in July. Plus we’re planning some great wines over the next few months for the Club cases and will be introducing more one off guest cases to give members even more choice and flexibility. Finally we’ve recently introduced a 10% discount for members that hopefully will continue to help participants get value from all their wine purchases.

If you’d like to learn more about Wine Club, drop me an email wineclub@bbr.com or call me on 0800 280 2440.

When I was asked to pen on my favourite wine,
I thought, ‘this is mad! All are favourites of mine!”

Whether Chablis or Claret, dry Riesling or Sherry,
Any nectar from grapes will make me quite merry,

When it comes to tradition, they say I’m quite deft,
Decanting with grace; passing Port to the left,

But actually readers, now I come to think,
I daresay there’s one that’s my favourite drink,

A supreme, sublime indication of class,
You’ll never find me without this in my glass,

Blue Nun is its name! It’ll never get tired,
It’s… hang about readers, I’ve just been fired.
-Steffan Griffiths, Berrys’ Marketing

Now there is a wine that for me stood out from the rest,
It was matched with a perfectly cooked smoked Duck breast,

They tasted great together; a match made in heaven,
I didn’t give it ten out of ten – more like an eleven!

A mouth feel of Bramley ripe fruit and spice on the palate,
Felt like hitting your tongue with a chocolate-game mallet,

This is a great wine with balance and length there’s no dispute,
So to Jean Grivot’s 2001 Nuits St Georges, I stand and salute!
-Emma Brown, Berrys’ Marketing 

A romantic night in,
With my handsome beau,
Is still not as good,
As a tasty Meursault,
Though sometimes I favour,
A red from Bordeaux,
Pichon-Lalande,
Even Château Margaux,
Straight from the glass,
Or decanter they flow,
Each one of these wines,
Leaves me aglow.
- Sophie Nicoll, Berrys’ Marketing 

Snotty wine waiters in cafés,
Make you wish that you’d ordered a latté,
“The Chablis looks good,
Does it go with the pud?”
“Oh no sir – your palate’s quite passé.”
-Alun Griffiths MW, Wine Buying Director 

Vanilla Pink Pigeon
You are my religion
With ginger and lime
You’re oh so divine.
- Georgia Gibson-Ford, PR intern 

Now listen here Claret,
Got a bone to pick with you,
I’ve spent all of my money
On Ducru-Beaucaillou.

My bank account weeps,
When I pull out my card,
It knows that it’s crying
For my Château la Garde.

If the taxman comes round,
I’ll hide under the floor,
Obscured by my magnums,
Of Château Latour.

The kids can’t go to uni,
There’s no money left,
All that Haut-Brion,
Has left me bereft.

Now everyone’s left me,
But I’ll never be alone,
Clutching my cases,
Of Château Ausone.
- Steffan Griffiths, Berrys’ Marketing 

Alsace to Zindfandel,
Tropical fruit to that cat pee smell,
Napa to the Cotes du Blaye,
Dom P to Chateau Le Gay,
Chilterns chalk to the Rhines great slate,
There’s a hell of a lot that makes wine quite so great.

Marlborough to Oregon,
It’s all just Pinot, let’s have some fun!
Chablis’s a flinty beast,
NV Krug if you want some yeast.
Barolos hills, so soft, so hazy,
Acidity and tannin? Try Sangiovese

Gamay to Garganega
Fancy some Mouton? Or stick on that Vega?
Shiraz or Syrah? Do we really care?
When are glass is dry,empty and bare.
To all things vinous my cap I do doff,
Now, out of my way dudes, Big Si needs to quaff!
- Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director 

It’s Valentine’s day,
That one day of the year,
Where every taken man,
Has something to fear.

Their expectant faces,
Their questioning looks,
You know you can’t do it,
With just CDs or books.

It must be a present,
With style and pazaaz,
The kind that their friends,
Will be yearning to have.

But here, my friends,
Is a brilliant solution,
To put off all fights,
And needs no elocution.

Just buy her this bottle,
It’s not a hard sell,
Seal your lover’s heart,
With ’07 Fonbel
- Alex Ross, Bin End Shop 

As you can see, we’re a poetic bunch,
Don’t you think we deserve a long lunch?
It seems I cannot stop speaking in verse,
All this rhyming, I think, is a little perverse,
There’s nothing much left for me to say,
Except have a fantastically happy St Valentine’s Day. 

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!

Argentina’s signature grape, its calling card, call it what you will, the grape variety to match the most ambitiously chiselled slab of barbequed beef… Well, aspiration can only metamorphose into achievement if the product in question is fully worthy of both the romance of expectation and the commercial reality of market forces. The wine, in short, has to be the best in its class.

All this was probably not going through my head when riding across the foothills of the Andes with Eduardo Pulenta last March. The sun was high; the snow was crisp, the uplands dazzling. All seemed well with the world, and in such circumstances it seemed far more appropriate to discuss an Own Label Malbec, than, say, the re-emerging spirit of nationalism surrounding the foggy topic of Los Malvinas. Eduardo was excited by the idea, but was rather embarrassed to advise that demand for his best plots of Malbec was such that it may be tricky. However, as it was to be for BBR, he would see what he could do… What he could do, the very next day, was to present a fantastic line-up of potential blends, each teasingly different, each capturing the unique spirit of its privileged Alto Agrelo Mendoza terroir. When one is spoilt for choice, one does not resist the temptation to make the choice and I am delighted, ten months later, to see the results in bottle. We went for a wine that was ripe, fruity, unabashed and hedonistic… all of that is sui generis and its absence would have been an omission, but also, and perhaps more importantly, a wine with subtle tannins, very crisp acidity and an extraordinary elegance on the finish. The wine wears its 14.5 % alcohol with dignity and aplomb. The BOS Argentinian Malbec is, in short, a most worthy addition to our range.”

Later, we cracked open a bottle of the Malbec ourselves to see what we thought of the result of Simon’s extensive efforts; read our thoughts below… Comments from Laura Atkinson, Oli Barton, Lucy Christopher and Steffan Griffiths.

Laura – My initial thoughts are that this is a very serious-looking wine.

Steffan – It certainly looks the part, doesn’t it? A very deep dark red.

Laura – Dark as a dungeon. This really is true Malbec, just from the colour of it you can suspect that this is going to bear all the grape’s hallmarks, black fruit and underlying power.

Oli – (nosing) You’re right about that, there’s some really impressive intensity to this, that you get straight away off the nose.

Laura – It’s out to prove something, and I think it would reward some patience, to let it calm down somewhat.

Lucy – A little aeration would go a long way towards bringing out the Malbec’s full potential I reckon. I’m not sure you’d even need a decanter, just pouring it would help.

Steffan – Definitely, simply pouring it into a jug and back into the bottle would give it the air it needs!

Oli – Despite that, this is still terrific nonetheless. On the palate it’s got really ripe, plumy fruit, and the tannins are beautifully silky.

Laura – Very full bodied. And it’s incredibly aromatic. You really wouldn’t expect a wine this serious for the price point, and even as I speak it’s still developing in the mouth.

Oli – This really reminds me of a Southern French red we tried the other day, it’s got the same rich fruit characteristics and the same complexity, and while the end product is different it almost harks back to the days of Malbec being part of the Bordeaux blend.

Laura – I see what you mean, but there’s no doubting this is Malbec from the New World. The slightly leafy, herbaceous note and the real crisp acidity on the palate means that this is definitely something to go with food. Something heavy like a good steak, and, although it’s not exactly seasonal, chargrilled bbq meat!

Lucy – Oh it’s a foodie wine, while it’s lovely I think the acidity needs something to cut through, like, as you said, some filling food.

Oli – Personally I love the herbaceousness of it, yes some people might accuse it of being slightly on the green side but there are distinct notes of herbs such as thyme on the finish, and it’s terrific. This really is serious Malbec that’s not going to break the bank.

We tried it again later on that day, having left it for a while after some contact with air…

Oli – Instantly you can tell that that has more fruit. Way more. It’s still intense, but it’s does it far more subtly, a wave of fruit aromas washes over the whole affair and makes it a lot more elegant.

Steffan – Very true, it’s lost none of its power but it’s definitely more supple, smoother.

Oli – It’s brilliant, it’s lost nothing of the things that made it great: the delicious herby flavours are still there on the finish, but now the summer fruits have opened up and you get the whole potential that was hinted at earlier. Terrific.

Laura – Now we just need a rare steak to wrap things up!

The second piece of advice is entirely contemporary and is not necessarily fuelled by vestigial memories of the allegedly dipsomaniacal General by the name of Galtieri and his unwise territorial aspirations…..If you mention a wedding, shall we say a Royal Wedding, even the most urbane of your hosts may well think you are referring to the crooner Michael Boublé, who has just married a local girl in Argentina in a Hello Magazine-style splendour, the regality of which one would be unwise to question. Such confusion is not born out of xenophobia, but rather from a radically different cultural backdrop….which is quite refreshing in its own way…….

The third and most important piece of advise involves wine (at last, I hear you say)  and is an exhortation to visit Pulenta Estates, surely the most impressive property in Mendoza , if not  in all of Argentina. With vineyards in the Agrelo and Uco Valleys, Pulenta are making outstanding wines, principally from Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, but also from Merlot, Cabernet Franc. Pinot Gris, Torrontes and even Pinot Noir……….a veritable vinous canon, but one with Malbec firmly established as its key ambassador.  I was lucky enough to visit with harvest in full swing and the promise of an outstanding crop empirically evidenced by healthy sweet grapes and rich, ripe flavours in the musts and young wines. At over 1000 metres, the vineyards are a web of contradictions; flat yet entirely hand harvested, densely planted, yet low yielding; completely impractical without the expensive drip irrigation yet in full- view of the snow-capped Andes. The corollary of these contradictions is evidenced in diurnal temperature variations and  resulting wines with naturally high levels of both sugar and acidity, which in turn engender the essential contradiction which lies at the heart of all fine wines; the dramatic interplay between freshness and acidity on the one hand and the fruit and the tannin the other. Argentina’s altitudinous vineyards enact this tension with great aplomb and the wines are now regarded amongst the very best in the New World. And not before time!

With Mount Tupungato as an appropriately grand backdrop, Pulenta’s guest accommodation (aka El Ranchio) is located in the middle of the vines, between a plot of Malbec and one of Sauvignon Blanc to be precise…. Lavender-clad pathways, irrigated lawns, an enormous out-door clay oven and a well-stocked cellar welcome the visitor to a stay that will inevitably be peppered with the finest cuts of  beef and, needless to say,  the most delicious wines. The adamantine purity of the peaks of the Andes , the incredible light and soothing breezes have all , quite unusually,  awoken a modest sense of adventure in your correspondent as the accompanying evidence, of an equestrian nature, bears witness. There is something beguiling about such a landscape, about its people, so wonderfully represented by Eduardo Pulenta (above left) and his family and, of course by the wines themselves. The only way to understand the jewel that is Pulenta is to meet the people and to walk amongst  the vines; this is  a truism , but one that seems even more relevant in such  magical surroundings as these……and one which provides a perfect excuse to visit this brave and , if one may use such a word, this majestic country.

After a week of pump-overs, leaf-extraction, grape-sweeping and crate-hosing, I was feeling both exhausted and euphoric. Despite the mountains of delicious Mexican food I was devouring each lunch I had lost on average one lb every 24 hours and my hands were bruised, cut and swollen. It was a tremendously rewarding 10 days.

 What struck me most about my short time at Frog’s Leap was the daily commitment to excellence. From  the overall dedication to sustainable farming (I have seen the benefits of dry farming with my own eyes now) to the speed and efficiency assigned to even the most menial task; I have rarely seen a team work harder. The winery’s philosophy is borne out of an awareness of the soils, climate and surroundings; a respect for the people you work with and an undertaking to produce outstanding wines that deeply reflect the area from which they emanate.

When you next open a bottle I urge you to spare a thought for those who made it, from the pickers to the oenologists, the coopers to the great wine families of the world. Wine is an industry that’s all about people and remembering that can only serve to increase your enjoyment.

For what with global warming and wild fire, Rick’s Giaconda vineyards, planted in the early 1980s with the Chardonnay first bottled in 1986, have been feeling the heat of late. So six years back he grafted Nebbiolo onto half a hectare of wilting Pinot Noir. He’s happy with the result, as are the hacks at the Wine Advocate apparently, rating his Nebbiolo as the best tasted outside Italy. I sense though that his new business partner Michel Chapoutier is not so keen, preferring Syrah instead. Rick stresses he’s not out to make a me-too Barbaresco or Barolo style wine, but one that reflects the lower pH  granite and schistous soils that lie on the Victorian Alp foothills at between 500-700 metres above sea-level, made with the same painstaking care that characterises all his wines; wines that are truly hand-made, without recourse to yeast, pump or filter.

He lost no time in getting amongst a small selection of Piemontese friends/producers I’d lined up for him – Mario Fontana, Davide Rosso, Maria Teresa Mascarello, Teobaldo Rivella and Luca Roagna – quizzing them about everything from the amount of leaves left when thinning to the levels and timings of sulphur additions.  And to return the compliment, he shared out a bottle of his exquisitely poised 2008 Chardonnay and compact blue-blooded 2006 Warner Vineyard Shiraz both no doubt benefiting from Rick’s dabbling in the occult:

evangelical biodynamicist and friend Alex Podolinsky visits Rick from time to time…

And who better to visit during this particularly hot and humid spell than this former air-conditioning engineer from Queensland – although I’m not sure if he ever did get around to mending Cascina delle Rose’s dehumidifier that packed up recently, much to owner Giovanna Rizzolio’s despair.