Wine~Works
Wine & Beer Tastings with a Difference
English Sparkling Wines: A Threat to Champagne?
As big supporters of English Sparkling Wines and showing them regularly in our wine tastings, we found this recent article in Harpers more than just a bit interesting.
English sparkling wine could become the biggest threat to future Champagne sales if the quality and diversity of offer continues to improve.
That was the prediction of Jean Smullen, wine educator and journalist, at a special seminar focused on global sparkling wine at Vinitaly in Verona this week.
"England is the biggest competitor for Champagne," warned Smullen, "and the Champenois need to become more aware of that."
Smullen said in the past the most prestigious sparkling wines have come from France, but now they have serious challengers amongst English winemakers.
Speaking at a special tasting seminar, ‘Bubbles across the Waves', Smullen claimed England had the potential to dominate the sparkling wine category in terms of quality and prestige and that English sparkling wine was one of the strongest categories emerging on the international wine scene. "It is a force to be reckoned with," she added.
England has also, she stressed, played a significant role in the history of sparkling wine production, dating back to its beginnings by supplying glass strong enough to hold a carbonated beverage. "The sparkling wine industry owns its origins to the English and their glass making abilities rather than the French," she added.
But despite its historical connection, England has not gone on to become a major player in the sparkling wine category, until potentially now. "If I got this in a blind tasting, I never would have said ‘England'," said Smullen, after tasting the Bolney Estate Blanc de Blancs Brut 2007.
It has been a strong couple of weeks for English sparkling wine producers in the international market following the success of their first stand at Prowein last month
"Watch this space," said Smullen, "particularly for sparkling wines."
We can arrange a sparking wine tasting here in London or anywhere in the UK or if you prefer any type of champagne tasting, beer tasting, wine and chocolate tasting just to name a few your private wine tasting or corporate wine tasting is always in good hands with Wine-Works.
A ‘Winebulance’??
I saw this photo yesterday and thought it quite amusing so decided to share it.
Always ready to accept any funny wine related pictures or cartoons that you have.
Can you imagine this vehicle pulling up to your corporate wine tasting or your private wine tasting? We must get one.
A ‘Winebulance’??
I saw this photo yesterday and thought it quite amusing so decided to share it.
Always ready to accept any funny wine related pictures or cartoons that you have.
Can you imagine this vehicle pulling up to your corporate wine tasting or your private wine tasting? We must get one.
A ‘Winebulance’??
I saw this photo yesterday and thought it quite amusing so decided to share it.
Always ready to accept any funny wine related pictures or cartoons that you have.
Can you imagine this vehicle pulling up to your corporate wine tasting or your private wine tasting? We must get one.
A ‘Winebulance’??
I saw this photo yesterday and thought it quite amusing so decided to share it.
Always ready to accept any funny wine related pictures or cartoons that you have.
Can you imagine this vehicle pulling up to your corporate wine tasting or your private wine tasting? We must get one.
Duty Rates Rise Again!
As both a private and corporate wine tasting event company, we are always interested in news that could affect prices.
From Harpers Weekly
The wine and spirits industry have reacted with dismay that the Chancellor has scrapped the duty escalator for beer but left it in place for wine and spirits.
While beer will enjoy 2% duty cut, wine and spirit duty will rise by 5.3% on Sunday. The increase will add 10p of duty to a bottle of wine and 53p to a litre bottle of spirits.
The latest rise means that consumers will have seen wine duty increase by 50% and spirits duty by 44% since the escalator was introduced in 2008, putting an additional 67p on a bottle of wine and £2.38 on a 70cl bottle of vodka.
The duty escalator will continue to see wine and spirits tax rise by 2% above inflation until 2015.
Spirits giant Diageo said that increasing duty on spirits while cutting it on beer punished the UK spirits industry for success. "Scotch is the UK's biggest food and drink export. This move risks that success," it said in a statement.
The Scotch Whisky Association said the move was "unfair, incomprehensible and undermines one of Britain's major industries in its home market."
WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said it made little sense to single out beer, particularly as legal precedent suggests the move could be against European trade rules.
"If this was designed as a measure to support pubs it seems misplaced: over 41% of drinks sold in pubs are wine and spirits, contributing £9.4 billion per year. The Chancellor's decision ignores the growing value of the English wine industry and the UK spirits industry, which accounts for 18% of all jobs in the EU spirits industry," he said.
Footnote: This recent rise will do nothing to restrict cross Channel shopping which is already costing the Exchequer untold millions in lost tax revenue
Our years of experience in the business always ensures we source the best deals for the best wine tastings, champagne tastings, beer tastings, or whiskey tastings so even hikes like these means you will still get value for money.
Morrisons Taste Test
I saw this article in a recent issue of Harpers and as it was so interesting I thought it worth reproducing.
Three-quarters of consumers lack confidence when it comes to choosing wine according to recent research by Morrisons Cellar, so to help overcome this the multiple retailer has unveiled an online Taste Test which it says will help will help consumers to buy with more assurance.
The survey of 2,000 shoppers showed that women were least confident when it came to purchasing wine, with 64% admitting to feeling baffled, while 54% of men said they couldn't tell their Shiraz from their Chardonnay.
"Interestingly, consumers know the flavours they like but when it comes to wine, the category appears to mystify the majority of people and usual common sense does not apply," said Simon Harrison, commercial director for new business development at Morrisons.
The Taste Test, which was developed by Bibendum and is also now available as a Facebook app, identifies four categories of flavour, each broken down into 13 profile numbers, ranging from sweet (0-3), fresh (4-6), smooth (7-9) or intense (10-12). The theory goes that when shoppers find out which taste profile they most prefer, they can then match this with the wines on shelf, which have also been allocated taste profiles by the six-strong wine team.
After taking the Taste Test, over 71% of survey respondents said they would feel more confident about buying wine and over half were introduced to new wines they had never tried before.
Since the launch of the Taste Test, 37% of consumers have been revealed to be "fresh" drinkers, who would be drawn to a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, while "smooth" operators account for 32% of respondents happiest knocking back a Merlot. One in five of shoppers prefer a "sweet" flavour, and would be satisfied with a Moscatel, while only 8% prefer the rich intensity of wines like a full-bodied Shiraz.
More men than women were found to prefer "sweet" flavours (23% as compared with 20%), while one in three women identified most with "smooth" flavoured wines such as a full-bodied Bordeaux. Women were also revealed to be the more adventurous sex and keenest to try out new wines.
New Partnership with in2global Events
New partnership formed!
Wine-Works is pleased to announce our new partnership with in2global, a top events company, who are renowned for providing an exceptional, bespoke service organising business events covering many Corporate sectors throughout the UK.
Our first joint event, held in Manchester recently, was an unparalleled success receiving rave reviews from the client, who had never experienced a 'wine tasting' such as this before.
We look forward to working with Beccy and her team and to building a successful business relationship.
Wine-Works prides itself in providing only the very best service to our Event Co's partners and are always striving to create new and innovative wine themed events.
For more information on how we can work with you please call us on 020 8747 8299 or send us an e-mail.
Now working closely with Luton Hoo Hotel & Spa
We are absolutely delighted to be working hand in hand with the great people at the Luton Hoo Hotel and Spa.
We will continue to offer the very best in Corporate Wine Tasting Events at this fantastic venue throughout 2013 and beyond.
We have already hosted 5 very successful tastings and are looking forward to many more.
Our thanks to Richard, the Events Team, Catering Staff and all the staff at the hotel for their exemplary and first class service.
Don't hesitate to contact us for more information or call the Hoo directly on: 01582 734437.
Why you should put your wine in a blender?!
I had just had to share this link.
Most of know that some red wines, especially those which are robust and tannic require some aeration prior to drinking.
Some people opt for simply pouring the wine into a decanter, others bubble air through the wine with one of those fancy gadgets while others still insist on simply removing the cork.
But this guy takes decanting and aerating wine to new levels.
Follow the link and please let us know if you have tried it, and more to the point: does it really work?
http://www.chow.com/food-news/116093/why-you-should-put-your-wine-in-the-blender/
Thousand-pound Burgundies in £3m UK government cellar
I suppose it comes as no surprise that our elected officials aren't scrimping when it comes to their wine tastings......your taxes at work! Thousand-pound bottles of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, as well as Chateau Margaux, Cheval Blanc, Cos d'Estournel and other fine wines were served last year at official functions, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office last week.
English wines had a decent run at UK government hospitality functions, with English still and sparkling wine accounting for 36% of bottles uncorked in the year to the end of March 2012, with 2,400 bottles of Chapel Down's Bacchus 2010 purchased for receptions. At dinners and other functions, officials opened 294 bottles of English sparkling wine, including 121 bottles of Nyetimber Classic Cuvee Brut 2005, 98 bottles of Nyetimber 1998 and 43 bottles of Denbies Cubitt Reserve 2006, plus several bottles of Ridgeview Cuvee Merret Fitzrovia Rose 2004 and Merret Grosvenor 2006.
All wines were bought or released by the government's hospitality cellar, which holds around 38,000 bottles with a market value of £2.95m, according to the first annual wine cellar statement published by the Foreign Office this week. A detailed list of wines used, released to Decanter.com, also shows guests' thirst for top-end Bordeaux and Burgundy. Among high-end wines opened at official dinners were 23 bottles of Chateau Margaux 1982, currently priced at £700 per bottle, and 25 bottles of Margaux 1986, priced at £388 each. Guests also drank 64 bottles of Cos D'Estournel 1989, around £250 each, five bottles of Cheval Blanc 1983, currently selling at between £356 and £440, plus three bottles of Angelus 1989, costing £250 each.
Among the Burgundies, guests enjoyed 38 bottles of Domaine de la Romanee Conti Échézeaux Grand Cru 1990, priced at around £960 each. The list also revealed more modest tastes at some functions. The most-opened Champagnes were 42 bottles of Heidsieck Heritage Brut NV, currently on offer at £22.50 per bottle in Waitrose, and 48 bottles of Louis Roederer Carte Blanche NV, available for between £30 and £40 each. Concha y Toro Merlot was the red wine served at receptions. In total, the Foreign Office spent close to £49,000 on wine purchases in the year to the end of March 2012. As part of efforts to make the cellar self-financing, it sold £44,000 of wine, including 120 bottles of Chateau Ausone 1978, and received a further £10,000 from sales to other government departments.
Despite the amount of English wine served, the government could do more to promote our wines abroad. 'They use our wine at functions and we're delighted about it, but they should be doing more,' Chapel Down's sales and marketing director Guy Tresnan said. 'UK embassies in Hong Kong, China and Vietnam are desperate to get English wines in. We should be shouting about it.’ From a recent Decanter Magazine article.
We don't often get a call for corporate wine tastings that use thousand pound Burgundies but are happy to accommodate any class of wine. If your budget is more modest we can still find the best wines available to make your wine tasting event shine whether it is corporate or private.
Bordeaux braces itself for ‘winemaker’s vintage’
The Bordeaux 2012 harvest will be several weeks later than in recent years – and the smallest since 1991, according to the agriculture minister. Difficult climatic conditions during the growing season, from a rainy spring and early summer to a searingly hot August, have meant that 2012 looks to be another ‘winemaker’s vintage’ – as difficult vintages are usually dubbed.
Rain during April, May and June put heavy pressure on the vineyards, and the cold temperatures meant flowering was inconsistent. Most winemakers report that the warm end of July, and hot August, salvaged what was looking to be a disastrous year. But with temperatures reaching 40 degrees over several days in August - the 9th, 10th, 25th, and 27th were particularly hot - meant that some grapes shut down entirely, and others were scorched by the sun.
Meanwhile the damp spring and early summer meant widespread mildew has also caused problems, with many winemakers reporting treating their vines up with protective sprays (usually sulphur-based) up to ten times over the growing season. Jonathan Ducourt, of Vignobles Ducourt, which owns 13 chateaux and 440ha across AOC Entre deux Mers and AOC Bordeaux, told Decanter.com ripening has been ‘inconsistent’. ‘This period was very stressful, although we were able to keep the vineyards in good shape.
Ducourt expects to start the young vines of Sauvignon Blanc on 11 September, followed by the older Sauvignon vines from 14 September. Semillon should follow the week after, then Merlot by the end of September. By contrast, the first grapes of the 2011 vintage were harvested during the week of 15 August. ‘It is too early to have an idea about the Cabernet Sauvignon, as it is still not ripe,’ Ducourt said. ‘We will wait as long as weather allows, then we will have to harvest block by block.’ After that,‘depending on what comes in’, there will be a lot of ‘different processes’ to do in the winery. ‘It’s another winemaker’s vintage,’ Ducourt said. Across France, similarly challenging conditions means winemakers are expecting the smallest harvest since 1991, according to agricultural ministerStéphane Le Foll. From a recent Decanter article
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All the girls loved it and most were quite giggly by its conclusion. Look forward to the next one!
- Sarah H
It was a fantastic experience and great to do something different. And, most importantly, my brother had a great time’
- Ed
We were absolutely delighted to be chosen to host Hagar’s Charity Fundraising event in Central London! Lots of fun and importantly…lots of money raised for a very good cause!
- Jane W
Hagar Charity EventThank you for a well-organised and entertaining event last week at Luton Hoo. We had much fun and I thought you handled the crowd of “would-be-wine-boffins” very well.
- Dorte Wigg
IK Investment Partners Limited
100 VoucherThe Wine Guy says...
"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food."
"I should say upfront that I have never been in a cellar in my life. In fact, I can see no reason why anyone should ever go into a cellar unless there is wine involved."
"Beer is made by men, wine by God."
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"High and fine literature is wine, and mine is only water; but everybody likes water."
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"Sir, I did not count your glasses of wine, why should you number up my cups of tea?"
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"White wine is like electricity. Red wine looks and tastes like a liquified beefsteak."
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"Wine is like the incarnation-it is both divine and human."
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"Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved."
"A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine."
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