Simon Field MW, Author at The Buyer

By Raul Diaz on April 17, 2021

Simple but delicious: grilled sardines with

Raul Diaz – Best wine and food recipes: Chardonnay & Sardines

Raul Diaz continues his series of picking a classic, but simple recipe to go with the world’s most famous and widely planted grape varieties. This time round he turns to Chardonnay, much maligned by wine purists for many years, that has now bounced back to become one of the benchmark grape varieties and styles in the world. But what do you pair with it? For Diaz there is nothing better, particularly on a nice sunny day, to grill some sardines and serve with Chilean-style salsa – Pebre. Read and enjoy…

Posted In: chardonnay, raul diaz, sardines, slider, wine, wine and food

People People: Producer

By Sumita Sarma on April 16, 2021

How the Mullineuxs are empowering their staff with Great Heart Wines

When it comes to diversity and inclusion there is so much we can all learn from the actions and inspiration of others. Like the steps that Chris and Andrea Mullineux have taken at their award-winning South African winery, Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines to both involve and reward all their permanent staff by sharing the profits of a new wine brand, Great Heart Wines, with them. Sumita Sarma talks to Chris Mullineux about how the scheme works and the other steps the winery is taking to help develop and support its team.

Posted In: chris mulllineux, diversity, great heart wine, inclusion, mullineux & leeu family wines, slider, south africa, sumita sarma, wine, wineproducers

People: Producer

By Tim Ford on April 16, 2021

Domaine Gayda’s Tim Ford: After the frost where do we go from here?

So what now? This is the question winemakers throughout France are asking themselves after the devastating crop losses of April’s frosts. What is the strategy for the future? and how can losses be mitigated moving forwards? Tim Ford, co-founder and MD of Domaine Gayda in the Languedoc, assesses the impact of the ‘cruellest month’ and considers how this affects his plans to expand in the region.

Posted In: Domaine Gayda, Ford, frost, Languedoc, slider, Tim Ford

Suppliers

By Jon Barmby on April 15, 2021

Armit Wines

Website
www.armitwines.co.uk

Email
restaurant@armitwines.co.uk

Phone number
020 7908 0600

Twitter
@Armit_Wines

Instagram
@ArmitWines

Posted In: Armit wines, the buyer, wine importer, wine merchants, wine supplier

People People: Producer

By Richard Siddle on April 15, 2021

Jean-Luc Thunevin: taking Château Valandraud to first growth status

Bordeaux is full of Chateau owners and families who have been born not just into wine, but some of the best places in the world to make it. Not Jean-Luc Thunevin. His success in Bordeaux has come through all his own work, starting as a garagiste winemaker, before developing Chateau Valandraud from half a hectare of land into a first classified growth of Saint Emilion. Richard Siddle talks to him about his extraordinary life that has taken him from his home land of Algeria to become one of Bordeaux and France’s most celebrated winemakers and influential producers.

Posted In: Bordeaux, chateau valandraud, jean luc Thunevin, slider, wine, wine producer, winemaker

Tasting

By Richard Siddle on April 15, 2021

The stunning scenery of Alsace is matched by the world leading quality of its wines

Millésimes Alsace goes online with first DigiTasting®

There is quite a competitive set of wine regions that could compete to be both the most idyllic, but also the best at producing wine in the world. But with its combination of castles, towers and pretty villages, plus its spectacular range of white wines, serious Pinot Noirs and characterful Crémants, then Alsace would have to be one of the favourites. As we are currently not allowed to travel to see Alsace for ourselves, Les Vins d’Alsace has come up with its first DigiTasting® event that offers buyers the chance to meet producers online for one-to-one personal tastings, as well as pre-order samples to taste and take part in masterclasses and debates. Richard Siddle explains how it is going to work.

Posted In: Alsace, digitasting, millesimes alsace, wine buyers, wine tasting

Insight

By L.M. Archer on April 14, 2021

France’s wine regions count the cost of April’s frost damage

There’s nothing new about an April frost in France, but precocious ripening of vine buds earlier on in the growing cycle is becoming increasingly common due to global warming. Combined, the two have had a devastating effect on wine producers throughout France. From Bourgogne to the Sud de France, vine growers grapple with the catastrophic effects of this frost event which began on April 5 and lasted up to three days. LM Archer talks to winemakers through the country and gets a snapshot of how some of the major wine regions have been affected, as they count the cost.

Posted In: french wine, frost, LM Archer

People People: Producer

By Richard Siddle on April 14, 2021

How Bordeaux’s Château des Arras is united by two sisters

There is a strong family – and female – bond at Château des Arras, which sits in Saint Gervais, just outside Bordeaux, as it is run by sisters Anne-Cécile and Marie-Caroline Rozier who have been in charge of winemaking since their mother, Claudine, took over the estate in 1993 following the death of their father and husband. Together all three now run a successful and organic independent winery, along with gites and bed and breakfast business. Richard Siddle talks to Anne Cécile and Marie-Caroline Rozier about their family and nature-driven winemaking philosophy.

Posted In: Anne Cecile Rozier, chateau des arras, Marie-Caroline Rozier, wine, winemakers, winemaking

Tasting: Wine

By Peter Dean on April 14, 2021

Why Bodegas Roda breaks all the rules with the new Cirsion 2018

Bodegas Roda is a relatively new estate in Rioja but one which has made waves ever since it came onto the scene in the 1990s. Like many of the top bodegas it has an individual approach to how it makes its wine and is not afraid to break the rules. Its super-premium Rioja, Cirsion, for example is aged in French wood for just eight months and made from a selection of very old vines from over 30 vineyards. On the launch of Cirsion 2018, Peter Dean had an audience with the team and tasted the new wine alongside vintages from 2010, 2009 and 2004 to assess its unique properties.

Posted In: Agustin Santolaya, Bodegas Roda, Cirsion, Cirsion 2018, Peter Dean, Rioja, Tempranillo, Victor Charcán

People People: Supplier

By Richard Siddle on April 13, 2021

Long Read

Corney & Barrow’s Rebecca Palmer: demands of a wine buyer

The fact so many of Corney & Barrow’s senior management team that have been with the business for some time has been a major plus during Covid-19 such has been the need to radically change the way it does business. Richard Siddle talks to Rebecca Palmer, associate director and head of commercial buying for the wine merchants, about what has been by far the most eventful 12 months in her 15 years with the business and how the team’s collective experience has been invaluable in first re-assessing what it needed to do and then, with all hands to the helm, go out and achieve it. It is also an opportunity for her to reflect on how her wine buying role has changed in her career and what she now sees as the key attributes and skills needed to be an effective, quality driven, but also highly commercially focused wine buyer in the UK wine industry.

Posted In: Corney & Barrow, Covid, rebecca palmer, wine, wine buyer, wine distributor, wine importer, wine merchants

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