The Rhona, NV, Graham Beck

Returning to the UK and no longer being a Majestic staff member meant that I ended up buying wines from other establishments.This is fine when one knows the area and can find the decent little wine merchants but is as depressing as country music if one doesn't.


After the epic sparkling lunch, my next old friend to visit was in Oxshott, only a hop and  a skip on the train from Wimbledon so I swung by M&S to see what was worth my holiday money. Luckily Marks and Spencer's seems to have stopped spending all their money on Take That adverts (money well spent by the way, superb eye-candy!) and have either paid their buyers a bit more or got them out and about a bit more to try some new wines.


 I was very happy with the selection, bubbles from England, Spain, Italy, South Africa and France all winking cheekily at me like enthusiastic speed daters.

Being in the UK for such a short time I picked the one that would be hardest to find in Tas-vegas. Wise choice. A cracker of a sparkler from Graham Beck's sparkling winemaker Pieter Ferreira, The Rhona is a Methode Cap Classique full of soft, plumptious, red fruits with a hint of something a little more serious and savoury rounding off the palate.


A fairly even split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from Robertson, Franschoek and Stellenbosch, whole bunch pressed with some time on lees to bring a rich, yeasty characteristic through this is a smash hit. If I was still in the UK I'd have a comfortable amount of this to see me through the party season and beyond. In fact, friend I went to see knows someone on the inside and she's done just that. Hopefully there will be some left when I head back in May....

No bubbles shocker part 2: Martinborough Vineyards

One of the things I particularly enjoy about working in the wine industry is that it is relatively easy to ask people you admire for advice or guidance. If you were a struggling musician the opportunity to ask David Bowie about custom made guitars or managing your identity in a cut throat industry would be nigh on non-existent. Although still would be wise to pick your questions wisely, I'm impressed by Tim Atkins pictures from his recent California vineyards trip but if I was to ask him for advice on how to improve my own pictures then he probably would tell me to start using a camera and stop using my phone....

Luckily for me after a morning with Helen at Ata Rangi I had the opportunity to have a flying visit with Paul at Martinborough Vineyards. In the UK I was lucky enough to sell the MV Pinot Noir and the Te Tera at Majestic Wine Warehouses but it is only when I found my way to New Zealand that I've tried some of their other varietals. I have always enjoyed the Te Tera as it is designed for younger drinking with it's bright, fresh, crisp fruit but it will also reward your patience if you tuck it away somewhere for a few years with some savoury, gamey complexity.

 

Like Helen, Paul was in the midst of pre-harvest prep and shared with me some more similarities in their wine making styles. He too takes a minimal intervention approach with the wines being left to ferment naturally and additions being used only when necessary. I asked him about 'natural' wine making where the wines really are left to make themselves and he seemed pretty keen to find out more about the whole shenanigans before sitting back and letting them sort themselves out in a truly hands-off approach!

As time was short I didn't do a full tasting as The Matterhorn has kept me in MV Sauvignon Blanc since I arrived in Wellington and Majestic kept the Pinot flowing so I snuck in a little Chardonnay as it's a real over looked gem. Everybody gets very excited about the Sauvignon and the Pinot but there are some absolute beauties in the kiwi chardonnay stable.

The MV Chardonnay kept the dream alive...crisp, fresh acidity balanced out with a hint of toastiness and a mix of fresh apples and stone fruits. An elegant and well structured wine it is drinking beautifully now but will continue to mature over the next few years. 

Sadly that was it for this visit to Martinborough Vineyards but next time I look forward to some more excellent chardonnay and possibly a play of the dinosaurs...

No.7: Domaine Chandon NV, Yarra Valley

I love LVMH as a luxury company because their wine goodies are just so deliciously desirable, I mean who wouldn't want a pure white kettle barbecue? Or the lovely deck chair to sit in whilst you're watching your dinner cook?

All the extras are so appealing as they are incredibly good quality. I still love my Moet & Hennessy bag that I was given after doing a bit of modelling for the launch of Moet Rose in the members bar I was working in over 10 years ago. It has been around the world with me and it doesn't look a day older, just like me! (I have a painting in the attic, everything is fine....)

Domaine Chandon is better known to its English drinkers as Green Point, the name of the location of Domaine Chandon in the Yarra Valley.  The thing with LVMH is the fabulous extra-curricular shop items are not a smoke and mirror diversion to the wines. There are many Domaine Chandon wines in the list and it makes sense to start at the beginning with the NV.

Ripeness is the key word for Domaine Chandon NV, fresh ripe pineapple, nectarine, apples, quince and lemons with hints of nougat and breadiness on the palate. The wine is clean, fresh and fruity which makes it ideal for shenanigans. Whether it's a birthday a wedding or a general get together this wine is a perfect choice for something you could happily drink a few glasses of on its own but without having to compromise on quality.

That said I'm not sure you can do better than a few glasses at Domaine Chandon on the patio overlooking the vineyard. You can, once fortified with good bubbles, raid the shop and not wince at the bill so you can fill your boot with a happy mix of wine and grown ups toys before someone chauffeurs you back home. Now that sounds like a plan....

No:20 DB Selection Sparkling Brut, de Bortoli

Just north of Yarra Glen is Dixon's Creek where the de Bortoli winery can be found. Previous to my current mission I was more familiar with de Bortoli's belting still and fortified wines. Having sold some of them at Majestic Wine in the UK it was always a staff favourite to put on the tasting counter as we could pretty much guarantee that the wine would sell out before the bottle was empty leaving just enough for a wee sample at the end of the day for the team.

The DB Sparkling Family Selection is pretty much in the same vein as it is an instant treat. Fresh ripe lemons, apples and a hint of pineapple on the nose followed through on the palate with fresh bread, touch of yoghurt and white blossoms make this a very enjoyable sparkler. I nearly forgot to write a tasting note for this wine as the combination of a sleeping child, Glee and a great glass of fizz of a Friday evening was one of those pleasures you can't measure.

The frozen sausage analogy (why not all champagnes are created equally)

The frozen sausage analogy is to be brought out whenever you are thinking about scrimping on a sparkling wine purchase or when you're just good old fashioned skint. For this example I will be basing it on the UK as I've not been in Tasmania long enough to be critical of your sausages but to be honest the general gist is pretty easy to grasp irrespective of your location.

Frozen 'economy' sausages are at the bottom of the sausage scale. Made from the sort of "meat" that is rejected for dog food, a purchase of this is always a mistake. The thinking goes that if it's only for a recipe/party it doesn't matter but then when tooth meets gristle the fun is over and it is impossible to eat any more. The other end of the scale is the butchers sausage (local not in-store supermarket)  or Debbie and Andrew's because they are pig meat not pig bottom. http://www.debbieandandrews.co.uk/. 

Just because you can buy cheaper doesn't mean you should. Obviously real sausages are far more expensive than the mystery meat ones but going cheap as possible is actually a false economy. See also cheap shoes, seafood, ice-cream, chocolate and Ryanair. Particularly Ryanair. For further suspicious sausage enquiries please contact this man, Jamie Oliver.

Champagne is perfect for the frozen sausage analogy. Nobody drinks the £10 el cheapo champagne and thinks what a beauty this is far better than the Green Point (Domaine Chandon) we ditched just because it didn't say champagne on the label. When it comes to champagne, pay as much as you can afford, and if you can't go over £10-15 then buy a sparkling wine instead.

If you're one of those people who think that if it doesn't say champagne then it is in some way poor quality then I can assure you that everyone else is having a good giggle as they knock back a glass of Roederer Estate or some other gem. Top end sparkling beats lower end champagne. Fact.

Sparkling wine can be more difficult to negotiate as it encompasses the rest of the world but if I'm skint or having a bash, these are my staples to see me through until that glorious day when I can buy a case of Krug and not worry about keeping the roof over my head! 

Fuck it, I'll live in the box and be the happiest hobo in town. Whilst i still have my fragile grip on reality, here are my suggestions....

I think if you want to play safe with a big well known brand then you're in pretty safe hands with Lindauer. Despite putting dirty, dirty Pinotage ( it's a bit like this... ) in their rose  , which is actually quite nice so don't be too scared, the whole range does the trick and generally will come in under £10.

Cava wise I'm a Codorniu girl, they're all well made and lack the hairspray quality that has given Cava such a bad reputation. So without the whiff of Elnett, the combination of Reina Maria Christina Vintage and a plate of Serrano ham is a joyous dream. If you're having pre-dinner nibbles, ham, nuts, olives that kind of jazz then this would be a welcome treat for your guests.

Prosecco is the current golden child of the sparkling wine gods so it's availability is far and wide so just look out for DOCG it's new fancy pants classification and you'll be headed towards the better stuff. During my years at Majestic, I comfortably got through a heroic amount of this stuff and despite my galloping bias the customers have managed to award it 4 and a half stars for its effort so it's not just me.

English sparkling wine is very much butchers finest so it's not going to be the cheapest drop but it is worth every penny. That said it is possible to buy some dynamite vintage stuff for under £30 so grading on a curve it's excellent value for money. 

Other French sparklers can be a bit of a treat but I'm going to be controversial here and say that Burgundy isn't the finest of it. They're good grapes are not sent off to fizz so they're adequate but not massively exciting. There's some great Cremant de Loire and Blanquette de Limoux to be had without getting too far over £10.

If it really, really must be champagne and sometimes it must, then I have two words; Tactical shopping. Keep a sneaky eye out for offers, seasonal deals, bin ends any type of promotional deal really. It can be a bit of a schlep but it does pay off, having a nosey around Waitrose in Tenterden I stumbled across a half bottle of Krug for £37. Enough said.

Where to buy....

Majestic Wine Warehouses Majestic Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Despite my galloping bias towards the Majestic folks, I'm not on my own in acknowledging their scorching deals on champagne and sparkling wines as if you snooze you lose with so many people on to them so act quick to score your fizz fix.

Oddbins Oddbins Sparkling Wine and Champagne

I love Oddbins because they sell Tasmanian sparkling wine Jansz. And Bollinger's neighbour Ayala.

Your local wine merchant

Usually rubbish for a bargain but great for low production interesting wines and random bin end bargains.

Waitrose Waitrose Champagne and Sparkling wine

Aside from the half bottle of Krug they sell some belting English sparklers and some very good champagne gift sets at good prices.

Netto

Stay with me. In between the wheelchairs, circular saws and German baked beans are random champagne offers. Useless as  a regular, reliable source of fizz.

Champagne Warehouse website

If you want a small growers champagne but don't know where to start then these are the folks you need to talk to.

Supermarkets Tesco ASDA, Sainsbury's Morrisons

Approach with caution, use sausage analogy. Often supermarkets have large posters of screamingly good offers but limited stock. Clean them out and then do your food shopping locally.

Hope this helps, parties are always better without gristly sausages and nasty fizz.