Wines in the press, July 4-5

Here is what the national wine critics had to say over the weekend of July 4-5.

The Guardian
Victoria Moore is upbeat to see the 2007 Rhône reds hitting our shelves. Not a vintage generally admired in France, says Moore, "but while it poured in much of the country that summer, the southern Rhône remained defiantly dry".

Wines in the press June 26 - 28

What the critics have to say in this weekend's news.

Wines in the Press - June 19 - 21

What the critics had to say this weekend

Blason de Bourgogne relaunches with first ad campaign

HwCg is re-launching its Blason de Bourgogne brand under the slogan "We Are Blason" with a new look, more premium varieties and a major consumer advertising campaign.

My Taste

Value is the name of the game at Asda, finds Claire Hu.

Profile: Alvaro Marcos Garcia, of Theo Randall, on being asked for ice cubes in a Bordeaux cru class and Sauvignon Blanc with steak

Award-winning sommelier Alvaro Marcos Garcia thinks wine communicator Olly Smith is from another planet and thinks the customer is always right, even if they do want a Sauvignon Blanc with their steak.

Carol Emmas - Skalli in Sète

From Châteauneuf-du-Pape we travel to Sète in the Langeudoc, for a tasting of all wines under the Skalli range with winemaker Laurent Sauvage.

All water is not equal, says Noura's Nicolas Angelina

Noura's Nicolas Angelina discovers there's more to water than meets the eye

Maison Trimbach joins Enotria

Maison Trimbach, one of Alsace's most famous wine producers has announced it is joining agents Enotria's portfolio from May 1 in a move to up its profile in the UK market.

Jean Trimbach, 12th generation of the founding family, said: "We are not in the habit of changing agents - this is the first change for us in 35 years. But we saw in Enotria the capability to really develop our On Trade presence in the UK. Enotria's reach, as well as their strong wine credentials, make them an ideal partner for us."

Carol Emmas -Roaming around the Rhône

The great thing about a wine trip is how much you can learn from a two or three day visit to a producer or an area - as it doesn't matter how much you read, you can never learn fully from the pages of a book.

Daniel Marzotto on how he ended up at Osteria dell'Angolo in Westminster

Daniel Marzotto, the assistant manager at Claudio Pulze's latest restaurant, Westminster's Osteria dell'Angolo, on the twin challenges of learning English and convincing customers that food and wine matching is still worthwhile in a recession.

Comments - Duncan Watts

It's not enough just to list a good selection of wines in your restaurant, says Duncan Watts, owner and managing director of the Rocket group, you also have to find ways of making that list accessible to your customers

Latour first of the blocks with lower price

Opinion: The Tate's Hamish Anderson on holding your ground in tough times

Hamish Anderson, head sommelier at the Tate, explains how to get your priorities right in challenging times.

Sotheby's sales soar

Sotheby's has bucked the trend of economic gloom after the auction house's latest wine sale netted receipts of nearly £600,000, some 10% above its top estimate.

Laughing Matters

Croak Rotie is the latest wittily named wine brand to poke fun at traditional French wine regions.

Laughing-matters-Croak-Rotie

Laughing matters
First we had Goats do Roam, then Bored Doe.  Now Croak Rotie is the latest wittily named wine brand to poke fun at traditional French wine regions.

Tastings

Winetraders Portfolio Tasting, Hallgarten Druitt Annual Tasting, Maisons, Marques et Domaines Portfolio Tasting, Mentzendorff Portfolio Tasting, Australia Day Tastings and Pol Roger Portfolio Tasting.

Wines in the press, February 14-15

Our review of what the critics had to say in this weekend's national press

Burgundy favourite makes on-trade debut

Blason de Bourgogne has made its on-trade debut, almost seven years after it first appeared in the UK take-home market.