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A totally irresistible semi-sparkling organic rosé from our favourite Prosecco producer La Jara, but in this case they use a little bit of the red grape Raboso, to give the wine its lovely pale coral colour. The nose is delicate and fruity, led by aromas of ripe strawberries and raspberries. The palate is fresh and tart, full of gooseberry and redcurrant notes. Try pairing this wine with risotto or pasta, or simply having it as an aperitif. Just for the fun of it, I leave you with a fun fact. The Italians call the string around the bottle a spago. It has no function other than that it looks nice. And that is exactly what makes it a real Italian wine. Beautiful on the inside and beautiful on the outside. A feast to watch and a feast to drink. -
La Jara, based in the heart of Prosecco country just south of Conegliano, make a superb range of organic wines including some excellent Proseccos such as this. Being a frizzante it's got a soft sparkle and in some ways helps the fruit character stand out that bit more. With masses of fine bubbles and flavours of apple, peach, pear and ripe citrus fruits it's a very approachable style that's perhaps a bit too easy to drink. Certainly a step above a lot of other Proseccos. It's freshness makes it a great 'anytime' fizz. It's also really good alongside nibbles like olives, or tortilla chips and dips. -
Márcio Lopes studied as an engineer, but cut his winemaking teeth working for two years with Vinho Verde master Anselmo Mendes in Melgaço. He then travelled to Australia where he made wine in Rutherglen and Tasmania, another cool climate region. He returned to Portugal in 2010 to start his own projects, including Pequenos Rebentos in Vinho Verde. He initially started working with Alvarinho and Trajadura (known as Albariño and Treixadura in Spain) from the sub-regions of Monção and Melgaço. These areas have a very particular microclimate, with slightly less Atlantic influence than the rest of the region - winters are cold with moderate rainfall and summers are hot and dry. During 2016 he also started to grow and vinify local varietals Loureiro. He now farms 5ha of vineyards, planted on granite, as well as buying some grapes from selected growers who also work in the same sustainable way and without herbicides. His winemaking is low intervention, he ferments using natural yeasts, and like many of our producers he believes that if the fruit is good enough he will make quality wines with balance that reflect his terroir. This seems to be working - his wines are distinctively fresh and vibrant, showing bright and clear typical variety aromas. -
Filipa Pato is the confirmation of the old saying "son of fish knows how to swim". Although she followed the footsteps of her father Luís Pato, even in her academic training, Filipa always wanted to have her own world, her own project, where she would show her ideas, and go up with her own pulse. It was the 2001 harvest, a great year in Bairrada, which would provide all of this. That year, she decided to walk on her own feet, creating her dream. The success was immediate, and soon she rose to the status of one of the most brilliant winemakers in Portugal. The wines are the result of Filipa's innovative and brilliant spirit. They were quickly at the forefront of national and international criticism. In 2011, with her husband William Wouters, a prestigious Belgian Sommelier and owner of the Pazzo restaurant in Antwerp, Filipa receives the title "Newcomer of the year". -
The Castro Ventosa estate was founded by the Perez family in 1752 and has been in the family ever since. They own 75 hectares of Mencía vines in Bierzo, making them the biggest owners of this varietal within the D.O Bierzo. For this wine, younger vines are used from 17 parcels across the Valtuille de Abajo village zone. Vines range from 20-40 years and viticulture is conventional, everything is done by hand and vines are not irrigated. Pair it with hard cheese, pasta, red meat, roasted vegetables. -
This great wine is from Luis Seabra, former Head winemaker at Niepoort. He focus his winemaking on the distinct soil types in the Douro valley with minimal intervention. Fresh, mineral driven red that showcases the purity of fruit achievable in the Douro valley. Pair with roast game or poultry, or ratatouille. -
Viña Cubillo wines come from the vineyard called Viña Cubillas, some 4 km away from the bodega, which as with all of the other vineyards, was bought by our founder. Historically these wines were called "Special Harvest". For 143 years, four generations of the López de Heredia family have devoted themselves to producing exceptional and unique wines. Masterpieces which have achieved that which the founder of the company, Rafael López de Heredia y Landeta, defined in the late nineteenth century as the "Supreme Rioja". Vineyard care, a scrupulous selection of grapes, ageing in oak barrels in the heart of deep underground galleries, and the later ageing in bottles, all contribute to making these illustrious wines with their exceptional bouquet. Decant it for an hour if possible, It goes perfectly with all meat dishes, tapas and assorted antipasti, sausages, small game and wild mushrooms. -
Manchuela is the spiritual home of the Bobal grape. Clos Lojen made by Bodega y Viñedos Ponce is a biodynamic and pure 100% Bobal from limestone soils, fermented in big oak casks. Bobal is the 2nd most planted red variety in Spain yet so little of it reaches the heights of which it’s undoubtedly capable. With a naturally deep colour, high levels of tannins, high acidity and an ability to be exciting as either a blending partner or a mono-varietal wine, momentum needs to be gained with Bobal, till then we seek winemakers that do exciting things and produce wines that are fun to drink. As per Juan Antonio Ponce own words “I want my wines to be bought by any ordinary person. We must be able to reach consumers in a straight-forward manner otherwise beer will cannibalize our markets.” -
The best white wines of Spain are made of Godello from the region Valdeorras in Galicia. More and more this wine is can be seen in many wine lists across Ireland as its increasing popularity is par to the Albarino from Rias baixas or the Rueda's Verdejo. Rafael Palacios the maker of this wine comes from something of a winemaking dynasty. His father, uncle and brother are all highly regarded winemakers across Rioja, Priorat and other parts of the country. Rafael himself cut his teeth working on his father's Rioja estate, prior to training and working in Bordeaux and Coonawarra, South Australia. Rafa started this project in 2004 in the then little known region of Valdeorras, home of a few ancient plots of Godello vines. This grape variety was virtually extinct in Spain but Rafa and a few others realised its potential and extensive replanting of the variety began. The Louro is crafted from younger vines but is selected from plots that produce more age-worthy wines. Fermented with indigenous yeast and aged in used foudre, Louro showcases Rafa’s talent at balancing the minerality of the grape with the richness and texture of the élevage. Pair it with baked whitefish, bluefish, fish and vegetables, grilled fish, grilled whitefish, pasta with fish, poultry, rice with fish, roasted fish, roasted foods. -
Olivier Riviere, founder and winemaker at Rayos Uva Rioja, is originally from Cognac. He studied in St-Emilion and then made wine in southern France and Burgundy before moving to Ribera del Duero in 2004, when he started leasing land and purchasing fruit for his new Spanish blends. Finally, in 2013, Olivier bought his first 3.5 acres in Rioja Alavesa; Rayos Uva is now in its sixth vintage. Olivier's holdings are substantially larger now, but he still sources fruit from his favorite bodegas. Grown by Bodegas Lacus where Olivier is also the winemaker, this 2021 is a blend of hand-harvested Tempranillo and Graciano that is semi-carbonically fermented in tanks with wild yeasts. Aged 10-12 months in tank and concrete foudre. An exciting Rioja with a French artisanal sensibility. Slightly filtered. It is recommended to open the bottle half an hour before consuming it to express the true potential. -
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A rich and satisfying Ribera del Duero red, from a quality focussed micro producer Quinta Milú. This is a family run project in the Ribera del Duero from the Asturian viticulturist Germán R. Blanco. A small project which for nearly 10 years now has looked for wines which tell us about where they were born, a small village by the name of La Aguilera situated in the province of Burgos. Germán makes his elegant, fruit-forward wines using foot-treading, wild yeast fermentation and minimal handling. Not filtered, not clarified and not stabilized is his ethos. All his wines share a delicious rusticity, purity of fruit, and incredible freshness. Germán calls this— his flagship wine— a “vino de pueblo”, which translates as “a wine for every day and for everyone.” Pair it with braised meats, steak, game, lamb, root veggies, hard cheese or just have it on its own. -
Celler del Roure is making very interesting wines with local grape varieties in the Valencia area. Many of these old, indigenous varieties are largely forgotten and Cullerot highlights three of them (Verdil, Tortosina, and Merseguera) together with Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo, Malvasía, and others. In addition to their focus on indigenous grape varieties, Celler del Roure is employing traditional vinifications methods: hand harvesting, fermenting with native yeasts in stone lagars, and aging in very old clay amphorae. Cullerot has a bit of skin contact, and is medium bodied with notes of stone fruit, tropical notes, apple skin, and clay-y minerality. A great, truly interesting, "almost-orange" skin contact white wine, for less than €20. -
Gotes was the last to be incorporated into the Portal del Priorat's wine family, the Alfredo Arribas project in this denomination, and was envisioned to highlight the freshness of Priorat wines; gotes (drops) of freshness, like dewdrops. Don't expect to find in Gotes the more usual Priorat typicity, with profound maturity and intense minerality. Gotes reflects another type of Priorat wine, refined, in the French style (we mean 'French' as in Burgundy), with a fresh and floral profile. The typicity of Gotes is rooted in the countryside, in its notes of aromatic plants, and in that delightful warmth, because although fresh it is Mediterranean. Another special feature of Gotes is the polish and attention to detail it emits; it's an elegant wine; it has clearly been crafted by experts. If Gotes is refined on the nose, it's positively explosive on the palate! It grows and grows, with lots of volume and a very seductive sweetness and velvety texture. Gotes is fruit, but a very varied fruit cocktail: red fruits, black fruits, both fresh and jammy, the odd juicy stone fruit like mango (the Garnacha always leaves its mark) and fresh grapes that provide a citrusy touch. Ideal with dishes of a upper middle power taste. Will be excellent with a salad of figs and duck ham with Parmesan shavings. It will also be great taking with red meats, duck breast grilled or thigh kid with cider and soft alioli. -
Master of none - Playing with words referring to themselves not being an expert in any one varietal or wine style hence the saying: “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Clever and humble, nonetheless, their wines are at the forefront not only of South Africa but in the world with the amazing wines they are producing. If you enjoy reds on the lighter end of the spectrum such as Pinot Noir or Gamay then Pieter's 'Master of None' will definitely be up your street! It comprises a blend of 5 different grape varieties from tiny vineyard plots across 6 distinct regions; 40% Grenache from Wellington, 30% Cinsault from sites in Darling and Stellenbosch, 8% Pinot Noir from Elgin and a further 8% Syrah from Swartland. Unusually, Pieter then tops up the blend with Voor Paardeberg Chenin Blanc, adding aromatic freshness to the finished wine. It drinks like a top-class Beaujolais – super bright and juicy, bursting with wild strawberry, cherry and with an earthy, smoky undercurrent. Enjoy at room temperature or slightly chilled – perfect for summer drinking! “In 2004, a lady came to my house to buy wine. She asked for anything but Shiraz. “I don’t drink Shiraz”, were her exact words. I poured her a glass of wine. She loved it and bought 3 cases. It was a straight Shiraz. It’s a fact – we do judge the book by its cover.” -
Moment of Silence is a South African wine made by superstar wine maker Pieter Walser. He buys in the fruit to make this blended wine of Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. It has been aged in old oak and it is a rich, powerful wine. Some of the fruit comes from vineyards which are over 50 years old.Stunning, all rounder, there is nothing you can fault in this wine. Aromas of candied lemon, cooked apple and mango with a core of minerality. Soft and voluptuous, it has a lovely ripeness and a fleshy, creamy mouthfeel, which leads to a perfect tangy freshness giving some zip to its otherwise mellow feel. -
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The exciting Muhr-Van der Niepoort project began in 2002 as a collaboration between Austrian PR guru Dorli Muhr and celebrated Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort. Although the name is taken from the village of Prellenkirschen, all of the grapes for the white are sourced from the Spitzerberg, or a continuation of it. A blend of 90% Gruner Veltliner (35 year old vines) and 10% Riesling (planted in 1950), the grapes see some skin contact in the fermentation, imbuing the final wine with tension and extract, a mouth-watering savoury salinity and clearly-delineated spicy flavours of white pepper, fennel and cumin. Deep and a touch wild on the palate but with enormous personality and interest, its deep savoury style will appeal to lovers of edgy yet serious food-friendly whites. -
High on the hills of Austria there is more than just a lonely goat herd - there is also a fantastic winery, considered one of the country's best. Pittnauer has a long winemaking tradition in the region, and in 2006 moved to more biodynamic practices. The results are delicious, environmentally friendly wines with years of experience behind them. Now prepare yourself for some varieties you've probably never heard of - Pittnauer's Pitti Red Blend is made from blaufränkisch and Zweigelt grapes with a small quantity of Merlot added to the mixture. These varieties shine brightest in the Austrian climate, where they come together to make a stunningly delicious, full bodied wine reminiscent of spicy Shiraz. The ‘Pitti’ is a blend coming from vines that average 12-15 years in age and are planted on sandy clay mixed with limestone. Dark ruby in colour, the wine has tight tannins with black berries, cherries, cranberries and fresh acidic structure. Whispers of tobacco and liquorice. Ticks all the boxes of quality, drinkability and affordability and yumability. -
Weingut Birgit Eichinger was founded in 1992 by Birgit Eichinger and her husband Christian, who started out with roughly nine acres of vineyards shed from her parents' business, over time the vineyard area was expanded to 23 acres in the best traditional sites of Strass. This is a single-vineyard Grüner, from a vineyard whose loess (loose and sandy) soils and southward face are perfect for the cultivation of traditional Kamptal-style Grüner. The Birgit Eichinger Grüner Veltliner Strass Kamptal impresses with its elegantly dry taste. It was put on the bottle with only 1.8 grams of residual sugar. As one can of course expect with a wine, this Austrian naturally enchants with the finest balance in all dryness. Taste doesn't necessarily need sugar. On the palate, the texture of this light-footed white wine is wonderfully light. Due to the balanced fruit acidity, the Grüner Veltliner Rhinestone Kamptal flatters with velvety mouthfeel, without missing out on juicy liveliness. The finish comes with mineral notes of the soils dominated by loess soil and sandstone. -
When Dirk Niepoort started with the vinification of this wine, he had several big amphoras prepared. He became so proud of the wine's development and made everybody so curious about his new wine that he invited a few people to taste it.…but because of this, the wines got destroyed. The wine got too much air and sadly he had to throw it all away. He started all over again, with one part red and one part white – but this time nobody was allowed to taste it before it was ready. Nothing was opened, the visitors were only allowed to observe… that's where the name "Voyeur" came from. When it was finished, he tasted the wines and they where both so amazingly delicious, that he could not decide which one was his favorite so he radically mixed them into one. Dirk Niepoort is a 5th generation winemaker and still today it is an independent business with great ports and wines under their name. Not sure if it was the Dutch side of him but he had the guts to do it and it worked! Voyeur is a wine of expression. It is not concerned with individual grape varieties or specific vineyards, but more establishing what it is possible to do in the Douro. Voyeur 2018 is a light, vibrant ruby red with some orange and brick red tones. Its exuberant and floral bouquet combines aromas of red fruit such as redcurrant and raspberry with an earthiness typical for wines fermented and matured in clay. The palate is elegant, with vibrant and fine-grained tannins noticeable on the mid-palate, ensuring that the fresh fruit character persists deep into the light and moreish finish typical of a low-alcohol wine. We will hear more about this wine in the near future as it is changing ways of thinking in the industry. Comes in 1 Liter bottle. Enjoy it! -
Bodega Badiola, was founded in 2018, part of the Peninsula Vinicultore Group when they bought an old company in the in Rioja Alavesa, the Basque region in the east and south east of Rioja. Their vineyards are situated on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria, mostly tiny parcels the average size being only 0.3 hectares with an average vine age of 50 years but some of the vines are obviously significantly older. With respect for the environment, minimal spraying of copper and sulphur only are used, so all but Organic. The Las Parcelas comes from 300 carefully selected parcels of old bush Tempranillo vines planted in limestone soils, resulting in elegant wines that are fresh and age worthy due to the balancing acidity. The winemaking philosophy is to keep that purity and freshness by careful use of oak, giving a real point of difference to the traditional oaky Riojas. On the nose and palate, the fruit is very much to the fore with cherry and blackberry fruit with hints of spice and with fresh acidity and almost chalky tannins from that limestone soils. Though it is still young give it some air and it really blossoms, drinking significantly better at dinner rather than lunch when first opened, so will keep well too. -
Badiola is a winery in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Founded in 2018 by acquiring an existing winery, Badiola offers village and single vieyard wines that display the freshness, elegance and depth of flavours which distinguish the great wines from this part of Rioja. Badiola cultivates over 300 parcels of extraordinary vineyards on the slopes of the Sierra Cantabria, mainly in the villages of villabuena de Alava, Leza, Samaniego, Laguardia, Navaridas and Banos de Ebro. Averag age of the vines are 50 years old which means that fruit is of outstanding quality and well the vine is well inserted into the soil and not as prone to climatic issues that may arise. This wine is made from high quality, low yelding grapes from hillside(Laderas) vines on limestones soils, without the need for carbonic maceration to mask unripe or unhealthy fruit. About a quarter of the wine is aged from 4 to 6 months in new barriques of top quality French and American Oak, for added complexity and texture, but not overt oak character. A versatile and very satisfying drinking wine and a great example of cooler climate Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa. A good match with both meat and fish-based tapas, mezze, rice dishes and pasta. -
Vinos de Montaña is from a range of mountain wines on high-altitude vineyards in Sierra de Gredos and other historic growing areas in the Sistema Central, the mountain chain that divides the Iberian Peninsula in its Northern and Southern halves. Based mostly on very old Garnacha vines on granite soil, the wines are perfumed, delicate and fresh, displaying the character of their vineyard parcels and villages. This organic wine even though is from a recent created bodega/company, is from old vines revived in the mountain where wine was produced for decades. The Spanish market seemed to picked up on it, as it is becoming increasingly popular with the new enthusiastic wine drinkers generation. Recommended pairing with grilled vegetables, sausages, roasted meats, small game, cured cheeses. -
Graciano is one of Spain’s best kept wine secrets - a red grape with thick skins that is a tricky one to grow, which means there’s precious little of it about, even in the vineyards of the Rioja, where it is one of the traditional ingredients in the wine of the same name. This Biio-Organic wine has ruby red color with violet rims. On the nose aromas of wild flowers and ripe fruit, strawberry and blackberries. On the palate it is fresh and fruity, with a good level of acidity and moderate tannins. -
Merinas comes from the Bodegas y Viñedos Fontana, located in the town of Cuenca. The name Merinas is also a reference to the merino sheep, the most famous sheep breed in the world which, incidentally, sometimes seems to scurry around in the vines. A crisp, aromatic white wine, showing great purity of aromas and a precise expression of the Verdejo grape. Bright, pale straw yellow, with intense, fresh notes of grass, fennel and white pepper. Dry but juicy on the palate, with excellent balance, a moderate alcohol of only 12,5% with a persistent, slightly mineral finish. Excellent as an aperitif and with pasta, salads, poultry and fish dishes.
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