Virgin Wines Extend Tasting Programme

Virgin Wines has launched its national wine tasting programme for 2011 and will be visiting more cities than ever before.

Virgin Wines was launched in 2000 and sources boutique-quality wines from talented, undiscovered winemakers who make their wines with love and passion. They stock over 450 wines and in the last 12 months the company has introduced 19 winemakers and 59 new wines to the UK.

In addition to hosting wine tasting events in London, Manchester, Norwich, Leeds and Edinburgh, the online wine retailer will be heading to Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Belfast, Reading, Sheffield and Nottingham. The programme commences on 3rd March in Cardiff and culminates in Nottingham on 10th November.

Events range from small, intimate tastings in new destinations to large, flagship events in the established locations. You can expect to taste from a wide selection of wines from around the world, and meet with winemakers and Virgin Wines’ team of personal wine advisors and wine buyers. Tickets range from £10 to £15 and customers who place an order on the day will receive the ticket price off the total price of their order, as well as a complementary bottle of red or white wine, which certainly must be a reason to attend?

Commenting on the tasting programme, Jay Wright, Managing Director of Virgin Wines said: “We’ve held wine tastings in London, Manchester and Norwich for a number of years now and they have always been very successful. Last year, we decided to extend the programme to visit a handful of new destinations including Leeds and Edinburgh. We were delighted with how popular these tasting events proved to be and, as a result, have decided to more than double the number of events we host this year. We are very excited to be visiting both Wales and Northern Ireland for the first time, along with a number of cities in the Midlands and Southern England. Wine tastings are a great way for us to meet with our customers and show them our range of wines.”

For further details about Virgin Wines’ national tasting programme visit www.virginwines.co.uk

For those of you attending the Bristol event, come and say hello!

Cheers!

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But, why not Australia?

As a Wine Industry professional, I host many tastings, events and training courses. And at each of these events I feel it is my duty, as an ambassador of Australian wines, to attempt to change peoples perceptions from Aussie Plonk to Australian Fine Wine.
There seems to be three defined types of people when it comes to New world wines. New World devotees, truly open minded Wine drinkers ready to tackle all corners of the worlds wine regions and the old-world-guard. I would love to try and expose the huge array of different wine regions in Australia to those Francophiles


and show that not all Aussie wines are rich, buttery and oaky Chardonnay's or 16% fruit bombs.
So, for those who are interested in learning a little more about this wonderful country, here are my favourite, stunning, complex and ancient wine regions of Australia.

Tasmania

Tasmania, known for its spectacular beauty and pristine environment, now has more than 40 vineyards and wineries, many of them boutique producers. Tasmania's cool maritime climate lends itself to the production of elegant wines with excellent natural acidity, ideal for sparkling wine production and the two grape varieties commonly used in its production - Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

One of Australia's only true maritime wine regions, Mornington Penisiula is surrounded by Bass Strait, Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay. The landscape is open, with gently undulating hills and a moderately cool to very cool climate. Despite, or perhaps because of this marginal profile, Mornington Penisiula has come to prominence as a region that can coax the very best of Pinot Noir, ranging from hauntingly delicate styles to those that are intense and lingering. the constant factor is the purity of the varietal expression.

Adelaide Hills, South Australia

The Adelaide Hills run in a north-south direction and form part of South Australia's Mount Lofty ranges, approx 14 km east of the city of Adelaide. First planted in the late 1970's, there are now over 80 wine grape growers and 20 wineries in the region. The climate is considered to be relatively cool, resulting in wines that are typically fresh, fragrant and aromatic, yet crisp and food friendly with distinctive acidity and fine structure. Sauvignon Blanc is the most widely grown variety in the Adelaide Hills and is also one of Australia's most significant contemporary wine styles.

Beechworth, Victoria

The picturesque town of Beechworth, perched precariously on a hillside, was built around a gold rush when it was discovered in 1852. Established in the 1980's commercial viticulture is practiced on a small scale and the passion and talent of winemakers attracted to the region has seen many brands build a devoted following. Located three hour's drive north-east of Melbourne, this historic gold-rush town is also home to many talented artists and artisans from around the world. Principal grape varieties grown are Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.

Perth Hills, Western Australia

Viticulture has been practiced for over a hundred years in the Perth Hills, albeit on a generally tiny scale. It is located just 22km from the state capital Perth and is a pretty region- lush, native plant vegetation grows side by side with exotics introduced from around the world. Many of the best white wines to originate from this region are made from Chardonnay and the style is often generous and full-bodied. The major red varieties grown are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.

Orange, New South Wales

Orange has an established reputation as an orchard region, although grape vines were first planted commercially in 1980. Located 250km from Sydney, the region is dominated by Mount Canobolas, which provides the high-altitude slopes and hence the cooler climate. Spectacular panoramic views are enjoyed by many vineyards. While Orange successfully produces many varieties the main stand outs are Merlot and Chardonnay.





Back in January I attended an Australian trade tasting where Andrew Jefford (regular Decanter Magazine contributor) hosted a masterclass on Australian 'Terrior'. Terrior is a French term, that encompasses all the elements that combine to help grapes grow and ultimately create wines, eg Warmth, sun light, soil types, rain levels etc. Andrew has spent the last 15 months in Australia and truly believes that "there are many australian winemakers who not only understand the Terrior of their vineyards but are making wines which reflect that diversity of Terrior with a range of new and intriguing profiles" This is my belief also, with wines such as Eden Valley Rieslings, Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noirs, McLaren Vale Shiraz, Coonawarra Cabernets and Margaret River Chardonnays, Australia has a wealth of diverse regions and winemakers who are creating wines of 'place', and should no longer be feared or looked down upon.

3Coqs Brasserie Bristol

On a rainy January evening my family and I thought we would try out a new venture from 3 well-known Bristol Chefs. The 3Coqs is on the famous Whiteladies Road in Clifton. An area of Bristol known for it's upmarket buildings, affluent residents and posh boutiques. The 3coqs, however, is situated above Sainsbury's, and beside the railway station in an old commercial space. So first impressions were not of a typical 'French', small, quaint and cosy restaurant. The open kitchen was a very nice touch though. I love to be able to see into a kitchen, to see the Chefs in action, to see if they are messing about or if they are actually passionate about what they are doing. Being a Wednesday night in January, the restaurant was quiet. However, this was a plus, as the service received was great. Friendly, efficient and helpful. The Maitre'd even brought me samples of different wines on their list as apparently she could "Tell you were into Wine" How right she was!

I checked out the menu online earlier that day and had my heart set on a certain dish that then wasn't on the menu in the restaurant, which was a little annoying but the substituted dish was delicious. A smoked Eel salad with picked Cucumber and Brik Pastry. It was light, simple yet elegant and matched wonderfully to the first carafe of wine, a southern french demi-sec. Most of the dishes on the menu are available in starter or main course size which I think is a great way of offering something a little different to your guests.




My main was superb, Breast of Wood Pigeon, with pureed potatoes, baby chard and small sweet onions. It was a 'main' course size but a hearty one at that. The pigeon was cooked perfectly and was deep, gamey, and succulent, while the onions balanced the dish with their sweetness.




A thumbs up was most definitely given after the dessert. A Cassis Sorbet. It was quite intense, and once again, there was quite a lot of it, but my, it was tasty. I had it with a dessert wine from the Monbazillac region for France which was well priced. In total, four, three course meals, 2 carafes of wine, and a dessert wine came to £130 which, I thought, was very reasonable.




This restaurant it a must if you are into simple food, simple flavours, cooked fantastically well.

Cheers!





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