Welcome Back

I trust you've all summered well and have returned from your far-flung villas spiritually invigorated and with a renewed dedication to drinking great wine. Apologies for the recent radio silence, sadly not due to indulgent absence, but from overseeing a regime change. Karen moved on in early summer, Ross began his graduate trainee life at RBS but I can't seem to get rid of Pat or Cheryl! I've had a hectic few weeks on the transfer market, with three new recruits to introduce to you: Dave Raftery has spent the last 28 years as a Trading Standards officer, but I've always believed that everybody deserves a second chance in life. His wine knowledge is profound and you'll note from his impressive proboscis that he is naturally endowed to appreciate wine. And a warm welcome too for Nic', a bright and bubbly addition to the team who'll no doubt charm you into spending far more that you intended to. Also hopping on board is young gun James, who's fitting in back-breaker sessions with his undergraduate studies. As ever, I will lead by example and hope they will soon exhibit a similar dedication to customer service, interspersed with bi-polar episodes of grumpiness and abuse. Come and say hi.

Meet the Machines If you haven't had a play on our wine sampling machines yet, come on down! It really is great fun and a brilliant way to discover new wine styles. We have 32 wines permanently on taste, and as of next Friday, you'll also be able to order a platter of charcuterie or a cheese board to accompany your tasting 'session'. If you've got friends up for the weekend, or fancy a pre-dinner drinks tasting, why not pop along. The cards can be 'loaded' with any value above £10- they also make lovely gift cards if you're struggling for ideas.

What 'the Machines' also allow us to do, is put on a line-up of similar wines for you to compare and contrast. From today, and for the next two weeks, one of our four machines will be dedicated to the Joy of Sauvignon Blanc. Eight different expressions of the nation's favourite white variety from all corners of the globe, from £6.50 Chilean Sauvignon, to Greywacke Wild Sauvignon from New Zealand, to the greatest Sauvignon on the planet, Silex Pouilly Fume from the late Didier Dagueneau at £125/bt. Sample prices range from 50p to £7.50 for a taste of 'Silex'. Sounds like a fun quarter of an hour to me!

Special Offers

I sold the most expensive bottle of wine I've ever sold today. £4550 for a bottle of 1863 Vintage Port. All it took was a few phone calls and I didn't even need to carry the stock! So, what shall I blow the proceeds of this sale on? A luxury weekend away with the Missus? Socks? No, I will make do with my existing range of socks and settle for the marital bed, and use the proceeds of the sale, Robin-Hood-style, to subsidise the following range of everyday belters for you poor people:

Cracking Pairs @ £6.50

I've bitten that many bullets to get to these prices, I've got a mouthful of shrapnel wounds. We've stuck to our guns in refusing to stock wines that we wouldn't happily put our name to and drink ourselves and have selected a range of wines that offer great flavour, balance and unbeatable value. You'll note they're not dressed up as 'was x, now y' (where y=x/2)- they're £6.50/bt full stop. And before you ask, no further discount applies, unless you buy a bottle of £4550 port.

Marktree White: Sauvignon and Semillon sourced form the prime Frankland River zone of Western Australia. Pear, lemon and passion fruit combine to produce a fresh, zippy white that slips down a treat. Red: The key to the success of this is freshness. All that ripe, funky fruit but it's lifted, fragrant and alive. Merlot and Cabernet are sourced from higher altitudes in the Victorian Alps, with the Cabernet treated to a length in American oak barrels. Smooth, cherry and plum fruit, with a touch of spice and a classy finish.
Pellehaut White: An aromatic, floral, fruity, complex white made from a good old mix of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Gros Manseng, Colombard, Uncle Tom Cobley and all. Zesty, grapefruity, light and easy. Red: Another 'throw it all in blend' that turned out good! Merlot, Tannat, Cabernet, Malbec and even Pinot Noir feature to produce a supple, fruit-forward red, with blackcurrant and cherry notes with a touch of pepper.
Sierra Grande White: There is much bland, lifeless Sauvignon emerging from Chile, but this is sourced from dry-farmed, hand-harvested old vine fruit and delivers an impressive burst of lime and kiwi, with a fine, racy finish. Red: This really is extraordinary for the money. A merry Merlot from up in the foothills of the Andes, from a cooler climate than most Chilean regions, capturing all that sun-blushed fruit flavour but with a little more restraint and class and none of the jamminess that blights lesser versions.
Cape Heights White: A nicely textured white from South Africa's signature white grape, Chenin Blanc. The first hit is of ripe apple followed by a gentle slap in the face from zestier, crunchier notes. Red: A modern-style Shiraz from the Western Cape with a bright dollop of berry fruit, a subtle spiciness and an impressive, fresh finish. Dangerously gluggable, but be warned, it’s 14.5% alcohol!
Campo Flores White: From the sun-drenched vineyards of central Spain, a tangy, citrussy white made from organic grapes picked in the cool of night by crazed vampires. Red: A plump and juicy red that captures the summer berry charm of Tempranillo. From organic grapes, so less likely to induce a nasty hangover! 10 wines there. Return an email to reserve a bottle of each and you'll get a free nod of respect upon collection.

STOP PRESS

Thorn Clarke, Barossa A multi-award winning pair, from a winery awarded 5 stars by James Halliday. This pair really over-deliver at £10/bt. But we're not happy with over-delivery. We want to uber-deliver. So you can indulge in prime Barossa Shiraz and Eden Valley Chardonnay, whilst stocks last, for £8.50/bt. I too have no idea how we do it. Chardonnay A vibrant mouthful of peach, melon and tropical fruit with a leesy richness and subtle toastiness from a brief exposure to French oak. Shiraz This has spent 12 months in American oak to impart that sweet, smoky spice note that works so well with Shiraz. A good mix of berry and plum fruit, super- smooth, with a very stylish finish.

I'm sorry. I appear to have been sucked into the great illness of our time. Enough of the special offers - yes, we all like to bag a bargain, but surely we should focus more on what we're buying and less on what we're saving. My pet hate is when people come into the shop and ask 'what have you got on special?' to which I like to reply 'my favourite silk boxers.' The new website, which I'm hoping will finally 'go live' in 10 days, will feature a section devoted to 'A few of our favourite things' with a focus on wines that deliver exciting flavours, soul and value. I've spouted on enough already, but will be back atcha next week with news about the Grand Tasting (Sunday 17th November- save the date!) and other events.

Hopefully see you in-store soon!

Thanks
Jon