ABOUT WINE Much can be, and has been, said about wine.  The main variables of grape, soil, weather and winemaker make it an endlessly fascinating and changing subject. However, by far the most important thing is to buy and drink wine that you enjoy without paying through the nose for it – and the key points to remember are as follows: - The best wines are the wines that you enjoy the most…..regardless of what the experts may say about what you like! Famous wine names mean high prices…..lesser known but equally good appellations (usually from a neighbouring village) offer far better value for money. Too much wine is drunk either too cold and/or too young…..over-chilling quality whites or not warming quality reds doesn’t allow the true taste, character or complexity to come out – and most wines do benefit from at least a year or two’s bottle age. Wine complements food…..the right wine with the right food is as integral a part of an enjoyable meal, no matter how simple, as any of the dishes on the plate. You get the wine that you pay for…..this is because nearly all of the costs, apart from the wine itself, are fixed. A little knowledge and adventure repays dividends…..a minute or two’s research and/or trying wines with names or made from grapes that you may not have come across before, rather than following fashions, pays for itself. Above all else, enjoying wine is all about buying and serving the right quality at the best possible price!   WINE TYPES Red Wine Our range of Red Wines features out of the ordinary Burgundies, value for money Rhônes, under appreciated Loires and a unique Trousseau from the Jura.  To the Red List >> White Wine Our range of Whites exemplifies the diversity, quality and value available from Burgundy, the Loire and Rhône Valleys, Alsace and the Jura.  To the White List >> Rosé Wine Our Rosé range is selectively restricted to the very best contrasting and dry styles from Burgundy, the Rhône and the Loire.  To the Rosé List >> Sparkling Wine Our outstanding range of Sparkling Wines features four complementary styles of value for money Crémant from Alsace and the Loire; plus classic Traditional, Rosé and Grand Cru Champagnes from Jean-Paul Brice of Bouzy that offer prestige quality at much lower prices than the Grandes Marques. To the Sparkling List >> Dessert Wine Our range focuses on the outstanding diversity, quality and value of Loire Valley Dessert Wines – and also features a wonderful, late-harvested Riesling from Alsace.  We plan to supplement this range in due course. To the Dessert List >> WINE REGIONS Alsace The wine region of Alsace in North-East France lies between the Vosges Mountains to the west and the River Rhine to the east, which forms the German border.  The Region is divided into two areas: the Haut-Rhin in the south and the Bas-Rhin in the north. Unusually for France, the basic Alsace Appellations (Crus) are named after permitted grape varieties (Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Gewürztraminer and, best of all, Riesling) that are grown within AOC designated vineyards, rather than villages.  Permitted grapes (especially Riesling) from the very best designated vineyards are classified as AOC Grand Crus.  All of these wines are distinctively dry, fragrant and fruity – rather than oaky.  In terms of quality, they generally offer exceptional value relative to many other better known French Wines.  This is especially true of our Alsace Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker, which is priced at under half of what comparable Grand or even Premier Cru White Burgundy would cost. The Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles AOCs are sweeter wines made from permitted grapes that are late-harvested and, therefore, have higher sugar levels than their dry counter-parts.  Our Alsace Riesling Vendanges Tardives is an outstanding example of this succulent type of wine – at a fraction of the price of comparable Sauternes. The Cremant d’Alsace AOC is méthode champenoise sparkling wine made from permitted grapes grown within the Alsace AOC Region, which we offer excellent examples of in white and rosé varieties – both at under £10/bottle. To the Alsace List >> Burgundy The wine region designated as Burgundy lies in the eastern centre of France.  Technically, it stretches from Chablis in the north, through the Côte d’Or (sub-divided into the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune) and Côte de Chalonnaise in the centre, down to the Mâconnais and then Beaujolais in the south. However, due to differences in either grape or soil, both Chablis and Beaujolais can in many respects be regarded as distinct wine regions in their own right. There are five main levels of AOC designation in Burgundy: Regional (e.g. Bourgogne Aligoté); Semi-Regional (e.g. Côtes d’Auxerre); Village (i.e. Cru – e.g. Marsannay); Premier Cru (a specified, very high quality vineyard within a Cru); and Grand Cru (a specified, absolutely top quality vineyard within a Cru).  Not surprisingly, within Burgundy’s 100 or so individual AOCs, prices closely mirror the level of designation. Accordingly, nowhere more so than in Burgundy, is it harder to find top-class wines at reasonable prices.  Consequently, our range of Burgundies focuses on the lesser known but better quality Regional and Cru AOCs from the best producers – at correspondingly more reasonable prices than their more famously designated neighbours. Except for Beaujolais, which is made from the Gamay grape, most red (and rosé) Burgundy is made exclusively from the Pinot Noir grape.  Likewise, with the exception of Bourgogne Aligoté, virtually all other white Burgundy is made entirely from the Chardonnay grape.  Although attempts are made to make wine from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in other parts of the World, most connoisseurs agree that by far the finest are produced in Burgundy - and our Marsannay Blanc and Fixin Rouge are proof that cru class Burgundies can be obtained at reasonable prices. To the Burgundy List >> Champagne The Champagne Wine Region lies in North-East France to the east of Paris, west of Alsace and north of Chablis.  The Region is in two physically separate parts: the famous Marne area around Reims & Epernay; and the less distinguished Aube area south-east of Troyes. Although a little still white and red AOC designated wine is produced in the Region, the vast majority is sparkling and carries the basic Champagne AOC.  A level up from this, and only in the Marne area, Champagne produced from a select number of designated village vineyards is entitled to be classified as Premier Cru, and from an even more selective few as Grand Cru.  At all three levels, individual Champagnes range from dry (Brut), dryish (Sec), medium dry (Demi-Sec) to medium sweet (Doux). Most Champagne is blended in two senses: from at least two or often all three of the red (Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier) and white (Chardonnay) grapes that are permitted to make Champagne; and also from several vintages.  Contrary to popular conception, then, most White Champagne contains some red grapes. When it is made only from red grapes, it is known as Blanc de Noirs.  Likewise, good Rosé Champagne should be (but isn’t necessarily) made  purely from Pinot, while Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay is, of course, necessarily white and known as Blanc de Blancs.  Like Port, but unlike most still French AOCs, Champagne vintages are only (meant to be) declared in outstanding years and, although the grapes in Vintage Champagne may still be blended, they should all be from the same vintage. There are around 20,000 growers in Champagne, of whom an increasing number (nearly a quarter) now also produce their own Champagne.  Accordingly, the majority of grapes are still sold to the big brand names (the so-called Grandes Marques), who by blending the rough with the smooth are able to maintain reasonable quality consistency in return for fancy prices. All of our Champagnes are Brut, and supplied exclusively from Jean-Paul Brice in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy.  Sourcing these Champagnes directly from this top-class, independent grower and producer, enables us to offer premium quality at prices lower than the Grandes Marques charge for their basic blends.  While Brice’s Brut Tradition Blanc and Brut Rosé are classical models of what Champagne should be, his four luxury Grand Crus would still be exceptional at twice the price that we are able to offer them at! To the Champagne List >> The Jura Nestling in Alpine France between Burgundy and France’s Swiss border, the Jura Wine Region is perhaps France’s best-kept wine secret.  Within the Jura, there are several Regional AOCs, of which the most extensive is the Côtes du Jura.  In many respects, including extensive plantings of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, the Jura’s vineyards are an easterly extension of the Côte d’Or in neighbouring Burgundy – except that the best Jura wines are distinguished by being produced from indigenous grapes that are unique to the Jura.  Red Côtes du Jura from the Trousseau grape, and White from the Savagnin grape. Due in part to the Jura’s relative remoteness, it is essential to visit its winemakers in order to procure their wines and it is certainly fair to say that our Côtes du Jura Trousseau and Savagnin are distinguished and distinctive wines offering excellent value that won’t easily be found elsewhere in GB. To the Jura List >> The Loire No other French Wine Region offers the combination of range, diversity, quality and sheer value for money that is available from the Loire Valley.  This shouldn’t be a surprise given that the Loire is France’s longest river (flowing for 635 miles from the Ardèche in the south to Orléans in the north and then west to Nantes on Brittany’s Atlantic coast), and that for much of the way its banks (and those of its various tributaries) are lined with vineyards that carry one or other of the Loire’s many AOCs. The fact that the Loire is mainly renowned for its dry white, Sauvignon Blanc wines (Pouilly-Fumé & Sancerre being the most famous) and tart Muscadet, entirely belies the fact that in Anjou & Touraine the Loire also produces much of the World’s finest dry and sweet white wines from the Chenin Blanc grape, and some reds from the Cabernet Franc grape that are at least the equal of many more famous Clarets, at bargain prices. Outstanding examples of this are our dry white Jasnières, sweet white Coteaux du Layon-Rochefort Village and Bourgueil Rouge. It is for all these reasons that we offer such an extensive range of white, red, rosè, sparkling and dessert wines from many of the Loire’s best but not so well-known AOCs, and why we highly recommend you to try them. To the Loire List >> The Rhône The Rhône Valley Wine Region lies in South-East France, running due south of Lyon from Vienne, via Valence & Montélimar, down to Avignon in Northern Provence. Geographically and wine-wise, the Rhône divides into two distinct areas: the Septentrionale in the North and the Méridionale in the South. In the North, from Vienne down to Valence, the valley slopes are spectacularly steep and almost all the wines are premier cru class, accounting for only about 10% of the Rhône’s total production. Northern Reds are made exclusively from the Syrah grape, while the Whites are predominantly from either Marsanne, Roussanne or Viognier. In the South, from Montélimar down to Avignon, the valley flattens-out into a vast plain of vineyards producing Reds, Whites & Rosés that combine character with balance and finesse by blending the Grenache grape, in either its red or white form, with an array of up to 12 other grape varieties. Here, the basic AOC designation is Côtes-du-Rhône, with Côtes-du-Rhône Village designating cru class quality and those allowed their own village name (e.g. Lirac & Tavel) being premier crus. While Burgundy & Bordeaux have always been rightly regarded as counter-part sources of France’s finest Whites & Reds at top-class prices, so the Loire & Rhône have been respectively and rightly renowned as France’s best sources of quality Whites & Reds at value for money prices. However, things have moved on over the past 20 years. Just as the Loire’s big name Whites from Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé now command very fancy prices, prices for the Rhône’s most famous Reds from Hermitage & Côte Rôtie in the North and Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the South have reached stratospheric levels. At the same time, the quality of neighbouring Whites in the Loire & Reds in the Rhône has improved exponentially but prices have remained reasonable. Likewise, while the Loire now also produces top-quality Reds at real value-for-money prices, so the Rhône has also become an abundant source of exceptional, food-friendly Whites at very user-friendly prices. As with the Loire, it is for these reasons that we also offer an extensive range of Reds, Whites & Rosés from both the Northern & Southern Rhône’s best but lesser known and correspondingly reasonably priced vineyards. Our Lirac Rouge & Blanc from the South, and our Saint-Joseph Rouge & Blanc from the North, are outstanding examples. To the Rhône List >> RED GRAPES Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is a relatively winter resistant and early ripening red grape that in Bordeaux is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in most Clarets, especially in St.-Emillion.  However, it is in the Anjou and Touraine areas of the Loire Valley, particularly in riper vintages like 2003, where Cabernet Franc reaches its “silky apogee” (Hugh Johnson) in the form of our Saumur Rouge, Saumur-Champigny and, best of all, Bourgueil Rouge and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil. To the Cabernet Franc List >> Gamay Gamay is the red grape of all Beaujolais.  It is grown to produce relatively light but very fragrant wines. Examples of the finest are in our mixed cases of Cru Beaujolais from the renowned Cave du Bois de la Salle. In the Loire Valley, it tends to be blended with Pinot Noir to produce balanced but not too heavy reds and rosés – such as our Cheverny Rouge & Rosé. To the Gamay List >> Grenache Noir Grenache, in both its red and white forms, is a fruity grape with relatively low acid and high alcohol levels. It is the backbone of all Southern Rhône wines, where it is blended with a multiplicity of up to 12 other local grapes to produce wines of real character, quality and value for money. Our Côtes-du-Rhône and Lirac Rouges and Tavel Rosé are excellent examples of red Grenache at its blended best. To the Grenache Noir List >> Pinot Noir Pinot Noir is the red grape of fine Burgundy and, with its cousin Pinot Meunier, of Champagne.  Elsewhere, it never quite seems to reach the same sublime, scented heights – but Pinot Noir can produce some excellent wines in the Jura and the Loire, such as our Menetou-Salon Rouge & Rosé; while our Saint-Romain Rouge shows that the real thing can come from Burgundy without being exorbitantly priced. To the Pinot Noir List >> Syrah Syrah is the noble grape of the Northern Rhône, where (unlike Shiraz, as it is called in Australia) it produces rich, aromatic red wines such as our Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Cornas that not only have genuine power but also sophistication and balance. Increasingly, nowadays, Syrah is also blended to add real body and spice into the Reds and Rosés of the Southern Rhône. To the Syrah List >> Other Red Grapes Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre are aromatic red grapes that are blended with Grenache Noir and Syrah in the Southern Rhône to produce Reds and Rosés of real character and complexity, such as our Côtes-du-Rhône & Lirac Rouges and Tavel Rosé. César is a red grape that is grown in the Chablis area, small amounts of which are traditionally blended with Pinot Noir to give Reds such as our Irancy a slightly spicy edge. Pineau d’Aunis is a red grape that is unique to the Loire Valley, where it is grown to produce light, delicate wine such as our Coteaux du Loir Rouge, which is a good alternative to and change from Beaujolais. Pinot Meunier is a red grape variant of Pinot Noir, which is blended into many Champagnes to give balance. Our Brut Tradition Blanc from Jean-Paul Brice is an exemplary example of this. Trousseau is a red grape that is unique to the Jura Wine Region, where it used to produce wine not unlike good red Burgundy – but with a bit more bite. Our Côtes du Jura Trousseau is very popular with customers who have tried it. To the Other Red Grape List >> WHITE GRAPES Chardonnay Chardonnay is the white grape of Burgundy and, together with its red Burgundian counter-part Pinot Noir, of Champagne too.  Although it’s also the World’s most popular and potentially elegant white grape, outside Burgundy Chardonnay is far too often over-oaked in futile efforts to reproduce the natural Burgundian flavour that simply succeed in overwhelming Chardonnay's natural elagance and richness. Our Marsannay & Saint-Romain Blancs are classic examples of natural Chardonnay at reasonable prices, while our Côtes d’Auxerre Blanc and organic Chablis also exemplify the natural minerality that is unique to the Chablis area. To the Chardonnay List >> Chenin Blanc Chenin Blanc is arguably France’s most versatile, under-rated and (correspondingly) under-valued white grape.  It is widely planted in the New World where it is making increasingly good wines.  Combining smoothness with good acidity, it makes a very enjoyable antidote to proverbial Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  However, it is in the Anjou and Touraine areas of the Loire that Chenin Blanc reaches its heights, where it makes sublime wines ranging from dry to sweet to sparkling – all of which feature extensively in our range. To the Chenin Blanc List >> Grenache Blanc Grenache, in both its white and red forms, is a fruity grape with relatively low acid and high alcohol levels. It is the backbone of all Southern Rhône wines, where it is blended with a multiplicity of up to 12 other local grapes to produce wines of real character, quality and value for money. Our Côtes-du-Rhône & Lirac Blancs and Tavel Rosé are excellent examples of white Grenache at its blended best.  To the Grenache Blanc List >> Marsanne Marsanne is the main white grape of the Hermitage area of the Northern Rhône, where it is the mainstay of some exquisite, food friendly Whites such as our Crozes-Hermitage & Saint-Joseph Blancs. To the Marsanne List >> Riesling Unlike many un-initiated members of the Public, most wine experts rate Riesling as the World’s greatest white grape.  The truth lies somewhere between the two.  People are haunted by 20th Century memories of artificially sweetened examples from Germany – but have allowed this to blind themselves to both the bone-dry and naturally sweet glories naturally and consistently achieved by Riesling in the French Wine Region of Alsace.  This means that truly World-Class Rieslings are available from Alsace at prices that are attracted by many other far more ordinary wines.  Our dry Riesling Grand Cru Rosacker and our sweet Riesling Vendanges Tardives from Alsace are both magnificent examples of this. To the Riesling List >> Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc wines are distinctively aromatic and refreshing.  Outstandingly pungent examples are produced (at a price) in New Zealand but, again, it is in the Loire Valley that the finest are produced.  Here, subtler aroma combines with an almost indefinable, grassy minerality (quite unlike Chardonnay) – but again, in the case of famous Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, at fancy prices.  That is why, as a real value-for-money alternative, we offer Francis Audiot’s less well known Sauvignon Blanc from next-door Menetou-Salon, which is at least the equal of most but the very highest priced of its neighbours. To the Sauvignon Blanc List >> Other White Grapes Aligoté is the other white grape, with Chardonnay, of Burgundy.  It is crisp and ideal with seafood or as a dry apéritif, straight or classically mixed with cassis to make Kir.  Our Bourgogne Aligoté is from top-class Chablis producer, Jean-Marc Brocard. Bourboulenc, Clairette and Picpoul are aromatic white grapes that are blended with Grenache Blanc in the Southern Rhône to make food-friendly Whites with character such as our Côtes-du-Rhône & Lirac Blancs and Tavel Rosé. Pinot Blanc and Pinot Auxerrois are white cousins of Pinot Noir that are traditionally blended with Chardonnay to produce Crémant d’Alsace Blanc. Romorantin is an ultra–rare white grape grown uniquely around Chambord in the Loire’s Touraine area, where it was first planted in 1519 by French King Francois 1st.  It is only used to produce Cour-Cheverny, which is usually dry, crisp and tasty, but in very sunny vintages such as 2003 can also be late-harvested to make a delightfully sweet dessert wine known as Solea.  Our range features top-class examples of both versions. Roussanne is a tasty white grape that is grown in both the Southern and Northern Rhone, and blended to produce our Côtes-du-Rhône & Crozes-Hermitage Blancs respectively. Savagnin is a dry, hazlenutty white grape that is unique to the Jura Wine Region, where it is used to produce our Côtes du Jura Savagnin and an almost sherry-like, local liqueur known as Vin Jaume. To the Other White Grape List >>