Left feeling a little RAW...

The second of my wine excursions to London in May was a real eye-opener. Wanting to broaden my knowledge, I signed up to attending the RAW Artisan Wine Fair and having never tried natural wine before, I naively assumed it would just be like buying an organic courgette - tastes like a normal courgette, just give it a good rinse first!


In the strictest sense of the word, natural wine means that nothing is added to or removed from the wine during the wine making process - no sulphites, finings, filtration, sugars, foreign yeast, staves, chips or pH adjustments. In my mind - no way of maintaining a consistent product. That can be explained away in a retail environment in some flowery way like "each wine has its own character", but the lack of anything to preserve the wine and stop its oxidation means that every bottle is extremely volatile. The RAW Fair, created by natural wine pioneer Isabelle Legeron MW, aims to bring together the best examples of these natural wines from around the world.

The biggest issue that I immediately noticed was where RAW chose to bring these wines together. Yes, the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane is hip and edgy just like the wine on display, but the venue had no air conditioning - a disaster waiting to happen with such fragile wine. Walking into the brewery I joked "it's like a greenhouse in here, that can't be good for the wine?...". Secondly, and I appreciate that it was Brick Lane - the venue was crawling with smartly-dressed, but extremely imposing and intimidating security. It made the whole atmosphere very uncomfortable. It's a wine tasting... Compared to the EWP tasting the previous week, which I've already blogged about, it was such a contrast. In my opinion, it was just an epic, epic mistake on venue selection by the organisers. It has to be said though, that the atmosphere was absolutely buzzing, with everyone seemingly excited to be involved in such a successful event. So many of the producers were incredibly passionate about their product and extremely eager to chat, in a much more approachable and real way than at a stereotypical wine event.

Many of the producers that I spoke to were seeking wholesale representation in the UK, which I can see being a real struggle for them under the conditions provided. Their product will spoil quickly if stored at too high a temperature and in my opinion they're already fighting a losing battle with the wine's presentation already questionable, being unfined and unfiltered. I just can't get my head around who would buy these wines in a commercial setting and as such, why these producers would cripple their opportunities in the marketplace by making it. Based on my experience at the RAW Fair, I certainly wouldn't be confident in selling any natural wine at The Wingerworth. I'd say that at least half of the wine that I tried was oxidised to the point of being undrinkable (or certainly unsalable). I'd say that an extremely generous 5% was mildly enjoyable. The rest had an underlying oxidised taste of wet cardboard [thanks to my principal wine supplier, Peter Bamford of Modern French Wine for the tasting note!]. Aside from the "wet cardboard" note, Peter also suggested that "bruised apple" is a good indicator of oxidation. Very interesting - looking back at my notes I saw that particular descriptor had cropped up an alarming amount. In fact, our "wine guy" Simon suggested that for the most part if they had been put next to a decent scrumpy from Devon, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Indeed, after returning home a lengthy and surprisingly passionate debate on the event and natural wine in general ensued via email between myself, Peter and our Simon. Similarly, a slightly shorter and less intense discussion fired up on Vivino. Generally I think people "get it" - "it" being the idea and reasoning behind natural wine. It's all about going back to the basics of winemaking, using techniques used before science and technology [dare I say it] improved production methods. The process of winemaking has evolved over hundreds of years and I was actually surprised to learn that the wines of the previous century were generally far more heavily sulphited than modern wine. The problem is that although the intention is good, the wine is generally just not good enough.

Dare I quote Peter? I'll quote Peter. I have his permission...

"This sort of wine is insane. It goes off if it ever goes above 15 degrees C. For even the apparently-tasty ones, age them a few months and they'll have gone off too. For restaurant environments (warm storage), they're all the more insane. Therefore you shouldn't worry about getting these sorts of wines from me - I avoid them like the plague! They're a horrible blight on the industry though; particularly afflicting many good growers in my beloved Beaujolais. What a terrible waste!"

Based on my limited experience of natural wine at this event, I honestly can't say that I disagree.

Now just to provide balance, I did mention that there were a handful of enjoyable wines on display. The pick of the crop for me were two Californian producers and Seresin Estate from New Zealand. That said, one English producer that I liked did mention that they hadn't been entirely truthful with regard to the entry requirements for the event - I'd have like to include them in my Top 5, but if they're not legit...

5. Balciolo, Valdonica Toscana Riserva, Tuscany, Italy, 2012
Dr Martin Kerres founded this winery "by accident" when searching for a Tuscan summer home. He fell in love with the small town of Maremma and now aims to produce the best wine in the region. His young Sangiovese wines were planted in 2009 and have a surprising depth of flavour and character. The vineyard's location high on a Tuscan hillside overlooking the Mediterranean benefits from plenty of sun as well as cool sea breezes. Cherry, raspberry, redcurrant and cranberry on the palate, with a peppery, spicy, vanilla finish and chewy tannins. The wine is biological and organic, but does benefit from 28mg/L of sulphites and filtration - possibly explains why I liked it.  Previous vintages have raked in awards and to be honest, the bottle would look pretty sexy on a shelf. That said, I'd have probably scored higher if their representative (I believe Director of Sales) wasn't the most miserable man I've ever come across.

4. Blanc de Noirs, Weingut Georgium, Karnten, Austria, 2012
Everyone should know by now that I like a cheeky BdN and this was the pick of the event for me. I headed over to the Georgium stand after a recommendation from our GM James, who said this wine was worth a taste. Aside from the wine being good, it looks from their website as though the winery would be a great place to spend a weekend! Producing purely from Burgundian varietals, their BdN contains no sulphites and is produced using only traditional methods. The red fruit comes through in the form of tart raspberry and a hint of under-ripe strawberry. High acidity also gives a citrus and gooseberry edge, creating a wine that would be perfect to sip outside under the warm summer sun.



3. Estate Zinfandel, Coturri Winery, Sonoma Mountain, California, USA, 1996
The age of this bottle goes against everything I've discussed earlier in this blog - if truly un-sulphited how do they do it? It was actually very enjoyable! The vineyard was first planted in 1967 and its unique position high on Sonoma Mountain ensures slightly cooler temperatures in the summer and conversely slightly milder winters due to the South-Easterly exposure. Incidentally, we also tried their 1987(!) Estate Zinfandel and 1980(!!!) New Vine Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which would have made my Top 10 had there been one, but for my palate were slightly too old to hit the Top 5. Being used to relatively young Zinfandel, the palate took me by surprise. This Zinfandel was smoky and slightly earthy, with a honeyed raisin nose. The palate had more raisin, along with plum, red cherry, raspberry, and herbs, leading to a slight spice on the finish, with a hint of old leather, more smoke and cured meat. The tannin was medium to high and slightly chewy. All round a very interesting and interesting aged Zinf. It's true that sulphites will have dampened all of these flavours that were bursting through - a great example of how to do natural wine properly.

2. "Rachel" Pinot Noir, Seresin Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2012
The guys at Seresin had four Pinot Noirs on show and the quality was evident throughout, but the "Rachel" blend really stood out for me. Robert Parker has actually given the 2010 vintage 90 points and the wine has stood up well with all of the top critics. Located in the Wairau Valley near Marlborough, we get all of the expected nuances of wines from this corner of New Zealand. Light in body, with high acidity and lots of fruit. Whereas the "Tatou" PN was bigger, deeper and more earthy, I thought that the "Rachel" was more approachable, easy-drinking and fruity - the things I guess most people look for in a New Zealand Pinot. The nose was sweet and fruity, predominantly ripe strawberries with a touch of plum. More strawberry on the palate, along with red cherry, redcurrant and a touch of pepper and lots of spice from the oak. Seresin's range is currently for sale at Wine Direct, but at the price I wouldn't say they are exceptional value for money.

1. Zinfandel, Old World Winery, Russian River Valley, California, USA, 2009
Is it just coincidence that another Californian Zinfandel has made it into this list - is it where my tastes lie, or is it just that the guys over in Western California are leading the way in this style of wine? Either way, I thought this wine was delicious. In fact, it was the only wine of the day that I went back for a second taste. The winemaker, Darek Trowbridge, was such a character and extremely eager to tell us about his wines. His whole selection was great and I need to particularly mention the 2010 Abourious, which at $55 on his own website shows how regarded these wines are. His Zinfandel, however was the star of the show for me. Fresher and fruitier than the 1996 Coturri above, the palate was full of darker blackberry and black cherry flavours, along with sweet tobacco, baking spice and rounded with nice, chewy tannin.


Natural wine really isn't for everyone. It's a gamble, but I suppose everyone loves an occasional gamble and in the instance of the above examples it really paid off. It's interesting, it's different and it's raw, just as the name of the event suggests. It has attracted a whole new audience to the world of wine - a younger audience, and that's not a bad thing. Unfortunately the wine itself is also incredibly fragile, it's temperamental and it's too often, well, bad... I leave the RAW Wine Fair with a much greater knowledge of natural wine and although I'd never turn down a taste or a sample, I feel that it's just too much of a risk to buy, whether for myself or for the pub. Whilst I understand the concept and though process behind natural wine, I just can't get my head around why anyone would actually produce it.

English Pub, English Wine!

So I've not blogged for a good 5 months now, it's about time I got going again!... An exceptionally busy Christmas at The Wingerworth was followed by having our first baby at the end of January, then moving house just 5 weeks later. The past few months can be described using every emotion imaginable, more often than not paired with incomprehensible exhaustion. But it's all good, because there's been plenty of wine along the way!

I've got so much to write about but my return to blogging has to begin with something that I've grown incredibly passionate about - English wine. Although I've tried a fair bit of the stuff over the past few years, my eyes were truly opened during my visit to London in May, to attend the English Wine Producers Trade and Press Tasting. Aside from brushing shoulders with some of the industry's big-wigs, I was privileged to try around 120 delicious English wines, some of which were just stunning. Genuine world-beaters! I have, of course, uploaded the majority of my tasting notes to Vivino now, but having been blown away by the quality on show I was disappointed to find that English wine was not a recognised style on the app. Since then I've started a small crusade to raise awareness and even created a petition to be presented to Vivino at some point in the not too distant future. Please do show your support!

There were so many brilliant examples and styles represented at the EWP tasting, it was difficult to choose favourites. But I've done it and here are my Top 10 English Wines of 2015:

10. Denbies Wine Estate, Juniper Hill, NV
Bowland Wines - £12.95
If you like crisp, grassy Sauvignon Blanc this is the wine for you. Nestled in the Surrey countryside, I actually visited the winery when I lived own that way whilst studying at Tante Marie. It's nice to think that I probably walked between the vines that bore this wine, but Juniper Hill makes the list on its own merit, not just nostalgia. In terms of single varietals, Bacchus was the most represented at the event, but aside from Bolney's offering, I found them to be too austere and tart. This blend of 40% Bacchus with 60% Ortega was lovely - in fact, it has just picked up an IWSC silver medal! Some might be surprised to find that the blend results in SB-like qualities, as Bacchus is actually a hybrid of the Germanic grapes Silvaner, Riesling and Muller-Thurgau and Ortega is Muller-Thurgau crossed with Siegerrebe. It's the cooler British climate that brings higher acidity and "green" notes to the wine. Juniper Hill is highly floral, with lots of freshly cut grass, herbs, tart gooseberry and a long, fresh finish. The high acidity is mouth-puckering, but not at all astringent.

9. Bolney Wine Estate, Pinot Gris, 2014
The Wine Society - £16.00
When I think of Pinot Gris I long for rich oiliness, powerful spice, apples and a floral edge. Indeed, the trepidation I had with an English Pinot Gris is that it will lose all of that lovely elegance and opulence that distinguishes it from, well, Italian Pinot Grigio... However, Bolney's position just 14 miles from the South coast in Sussex gives an interesting topographical advantage to their wines. Close enough to benefit from sea breezes, whilst far enough to be slightly sheltered and far South enough to maximise on sunlight and warmth. What results is an almost Alsatian example, full of green apple, pear, waves of mountain flowers and a honeyed sweetness that is beautifully balanced by the high acidity. What I really like about this though, is just how easy-drinking it is. I've got a bottle waiting on the rack for a sunny day.

8. Camel Valley, White Pinot Noir Brut, 2011
Waitrose Cellar - £28.99
Camel Valley are one of the "big boys" on the English wine scene and have been producing award-winning wine for decades at their gorgeous Cornwall vineyard. If you're ever in the area, their tours are highly recommended. I have a real soft spot for Blanc de Noirs. Whilst I do love Chardonnay, it's not for every occasion and there's something pleasing about getting a hint of sweet, ripe strawberry in your fizz, which is dampened down in a Classic Cuvee. As a 100% Pinot Noir, this BdN is surprisingly rich on the nose, with luscious strawberries and cream on the palate. If you're choosing a fizz to accompany Wimbledon-viewing, this has to be the one! Elegant, with a fine mousse and a hint of white pepper on the long, long finish. What an absolute delight of a wine!

7. Astley Vineyards, Late Harvest 2014
Hoppocket Wine, £16.19 (37.5cl)
Oh that's right, I've recommended a little-known English dessert wine! There were three on offer at the EWP Tasting and this was just stunning. What I like about Astley is that they're understated - exclusive you might say! With no website or online shop, they rely on reputation, word of mouth and the steady stream of awards that they keep winning year upon year. But that's fine, because their ethos is all about quality - using low yields to consistently make top quality wine. Based just North of Worcester, all production happens at nearby Three Choirs Vineyard. This Late Harvest wine is 100% Siegerrebe (Madeleine Angevine crossed with Gewurztraminer). What results is a generally low-acid wine, though some acid does creep through as a result of the cooler climate in the UK - not that this is a problem, because I think it creates a great balance to the wine. As expected with Gewurz, delicious aromas and flavours of lychee are prominent. In this instance accompanied by honeysuckle, candied lemon peel, ripe pear and a beautiful floral honey finish.

6. Nyetimber, Blanc de Blancs 2007
Berry Bros & Rudd, £39.95
This is the first of two wines from heavyweights Nyetimber to have snuck onto my Top 10 list. Whilst many raise an eyebrow at the price-point their wines command, it is clear when you compare them to the rest of the field that they are doing something truly special in their small corner of West Sussex. We added this wine to our list at The Wingerworth last year and it has been a huge hit with anyone who has tried it. Just to affirm how good it is, the 2007 BdB recently scooped an IWSC gold award. Being a BdB, it is of course 100% Chardonnay and the reason it scores so highly for me is the sophistication with which the grape shines through. The nose is so inviting - a rich buttered toast aroma, with Earl Grey tea and slight hints of yeast. On the palate traditionally British flavours of apples and elderflower join the party, along with nuts and buttered brioche on the long, complex finish. It's just a joy to drink a sparkling wine like this - it honestly makes me wonder why anyone buys Champagne! Speaking of which, just a quick note about their Classic Cuvee blend - although it just missed out on my Top 10 (mostly because I didn't want three Nytimber on there) it's on offer at Waitrose (£23.99) at the moment and out of this world value at that price!

5. Hattingley Valley, King's Cuvee 2011
Slurp, £63.99
If Nyetimber are pushing the price-boundaries for English wine this King's Cuvee is certainly giving them a run for their money. So what makes this Hampshire wine so special? Well firstly it's a limited release, which will undoubtedly raise the price bar slightly. But most importantly, it's just very, very good! Unlike their Classic Cuvee (90% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier), the King Cuvee is a blend of 72 % Chardonnay, with 14% each of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This gives the wine a bit more freshness and fruit, but that said, Hattingley Valley do seem to heavily-Chardonnay their wines. The good news is, I like that!... The nose is buttery as you'd expect, with apples, pear, hints of ripe stone fruit and fresh dough. I'd like to see a bit more age on it, but given the limited nature of its production, I'm not sure if much will remain in 4 years time for it to compete like-for-like with the Nyetimber. Do I like it? Oh, yes! Would I pay over £60? Errr....

4. Chapel Down, Blanc de Noirs 2009
So I said I had a soft spot for BdN and this is a top example for me. The annoying thing is that eager to purchase, I couldn't find it for sale anywhere online! In fact so rare is this wine at the moment, that I couldn't even find an image of the bottle!... Having chatted with a Vivino friend, I understand that it won't be released by Chapel Down until their 2008 Pinot Reserve (50% Pinot Noir, 50% Pinot Blanc) has all been sold. The Pinot Reserve itself is another great fizz, which might have slipped into the Top 10 and is currently on offer at Majestic for £19.98, so there's really no excuse for us not to stock up an get our Summer drink on!... Back to the BdN - with 97% Pinot Noir and 3% Pinot Meunier, this fizz is a bit of a fruit-bomb. Whilst some producers concentrate their efforts on a very small core range (2-3 wines in some cases), Chapel Down have so many interesting and well-made varietals/blends in their portfolio. Again, I was only chatting to someone yesterday evening about their Flint Dry (46% Chardonnay, 14% Reichensteiner, 12% Schonburger, 7% Huxelrebe, 7% Bacchus, 6% Muller-Thurgau, 5% Pinot Blanc and 3% Ortega) in particular, but just how consistently good their range is - I mean, who's mind works to make a blend like that?!... The BdN is full of delicious red fruit flavours - strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, with a fine mousse that spreads the flavours to every corner of the palate. In addition we get hints of green flavours including ripe lime and crisp green apple, leading to a slightly spiced finish. So what makes it stand out from the Camel Valley above? I think it's just more interesting and complex on the palate (whereas the CV is easier-drinking - both have their merits!...). Either way, I can't wait for this to be released.


3. Wiston Estate, Sparkling Rose 2011
Swig, £35.95
Wiston were one of the surprise packages of the EWP event for me - their wines are consistently brilliant. In fact, their Brut only just missed out on a Top 10 spot for me. I'm not usually a fan of rose wine, but this pink fizz from West Sussex blew me away - it's hands down the best rose I've ever tried. So much care goes into everything at Wiston, it's not surprising that their wines end up as good as they are - just take a look at their website (and label story). It's one of those rare wine moments, where your jaw hits the floor, it all sinks in and then a big grin creeps across your face. You cannot help but smile, I challenge you! And I'm not the only one who feels this way - it's just casually picked up a Gold Decanter Award, as well as  IWC Gold and Sommelier Wine Awards Gold... 57% Pinot Noir bangs in bundles of delicious fruit including sour cherry and raspberry, as well as adding a delicious spice to the finish. 33% Chardonnay adds richness and opulence without being overbearing - buttered brioche on the nose, with citrus folding its way into the complex palate. It's sublime, stunning, sexy, Summery and sophisticated! I've already put my neck on the line with the Nyetimber, but find me a better sparkling rose Champagne than this and I'll eat my hat! Unbelievable...

2. Nyetimber, Demi-Sec NV
Majestic, £25.98
We're getting to the business-end of the list now and this second offering from Nyetimber stopped me in my tracks, just as the Wiston did above. OK so a Demi-Sec is hard to pair with a meal, but you could quite happily drink this at the start of your meal, at the end of your meal with a fruit-based dessert or basically any other time that you wanted... Made from 100% Chardonnay, this wine has all of the brioche, butter, toast and lemon that you'd expect, but this is folded in with almonds, stone fruit and did I detect a hint of pineapple? The high acidity cuts through the richness of the grape and provides perfect balance to the higher sugar content. I've used this word a few times today, but it's stunning. I've also got to say that Majestic are doing us a great service at the moment by giving us 33% off these incredible wines!

1. Litmus Wines, Element 20 2012
Waitrose Cellar, £16.99
So my top wine - a still wine, not a fizz! This wine gets my top vote not only because it's exceptionally good, but because it completely took me by surprise. It's everything that I love in a white wine and I just wasn't expecting that an English producer could defy the British climate in producing a wine like this! It's rich, opulent, creamy, buttery, toasty and biscuit-y - just the things I look for when I'm searching for a good Californian Chardonnay. A carefully considered blend of 48% Chardonnay, 48% Bacchus and 4% Pinot Gris, this is the latest wine to find its way onto our list at The Wingerworth as part of a feature on "Our Favourite Wines". Praise indeed, but praise deserved!... The Chardonnay provides the bulk of the richness, bringing an amazing buttered toast nose and a lovely oily mouthfeel, along with a butterscotch sweetness to the finish. A refreshing mineral edge comes from the Pinot Gris and Bacchus brings bundles of crisp apples and slight acidity for great balance. The wine's name "Element 20", comes from the fact that the soil in which it's grown is rich in calcium, which also comes through on the finish. Oak ageing further enhances the flavour, adding a nutty edge and bringing all the flavours together. This is quite simply the best English wine you will find. Go on, treat yourself...

I feel so strongly about this, we've now got some serious world-beating fizz and white wine on our hands in the UK! I could only pick 10 favourites for this blog, but my original shortlist was 24-long. The EWP Trade Tasting left me with an enormous sense of pride for what British winemaking has achieved and how it is progressing in the wider world of wine. As a British pub, we felt that we were taking a bit of a gamble by adding a couple of English wines to our list over a year ago as a quirky feature, but it's much more serious than that now. Our "feature" has grown to 9 wines (certainly the most extensive offering in the area) and everyone who tries the wine loves them. Come on EWP, just as the cheeky chaps in California left Bordeaux stunned in '76 in the Judgement of Paris, let's sort out a Blind Tasting Competition against Champagne - let's get the cane out of the cupboard and give those boys across the Channel a damn good thrashing...