Wine Tasting Riviera . Wine Events Riviera . Fine Wine Works

Introducing our “Treasure Trove”

Helen Brotherton — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:05:13 +0000

Fine Wine Works Treasure Trove
Valid from 7th July 2010
Our Winefinder service procures wines absolutely to order from the best current sources in terms of Price and Provenance. We also take the opportunity to acquire small parcels of fine wines as we discover them throughout Europe – may we introduce our FWW Treasure Trove!

A selection of juicy and delicious tiny quantities of fine wines we have acquired recently:

All prices are HT (without tax). Call us or e-mail us if any of the wines are of interest to you.

Whites

1. WillaKenzie Estates Pinot Gris 2007
Willamette Valley, Oregon USA
27.00€

This Pinot Gris is made in a rich and complex Alsatian style, fermented in stainless steel, with generous aromatics and a pleasingly rich mouthfeel dominated by ripe ear, peach and a touch of grapefruit. This wine sees no wood and has flavours and aromas of stone fruit, orange blossom and honeysuckle with a light minerality and a crisp finish.

2. Flowers Estate, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2007
Sonoma Coast, California USA
61.00€
Showing balanced depth and complexity with a light straw colour. Aromas unfold with layers of lemon drop, pear, apricot and wet stone mineral. This vintage shows crispness and intense fruit on the palate – lush and balanced.

Reds

3. Château Pichon Baron Longueville 1996
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
130.00€

Pichon Baron, a leading Pauillac 2eme Cru Classé estate, is one of Bordeaux’s most illustrious “super seconds”. The best examples have layer upon layer of unctuous, vanilla scented and cassis fruit intermingled with cigar box and lead pencil shavings aromas – as they require cellaring for at least 10 years, this 1996 is drinking magnificently now!
Pichon Longueville Baron’s 1996 has turned out to be even better than I thought from cask. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (about 80%) resulted in a wine that has put on weight in the bottle. An opaque purple color is accompanied by beautiful aromas of tobacco, new saddle leather, roasted coffee, and cassis. This well-endowed, classic Pauillac should be at its finest between 2006-2022. Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) 91 points

4. “Cepparello” Isole e Olena 2004
Tuscany, Italy
70.00€
A barrique – aged 100% Sangiovese classified as an IGT – at the time of its creation in the 1980’s, a wine comprising 100% Sangiovese could not be labelled as Chianti!!

It boasts layers of vibrant fruit intermingled with subtle mineral and licorice notes, showing outstanding length on the palate and fine, noble tannins. A wine of extraordinary elegance, it has been stunning on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. That said, readers who want to experience this wine’s full array of tertiary notes will have to give this wine time to mature in the bottle. It is highly recommended. Anticipated maturity 2009-2022. Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) 95 points

5. Barbaresco “Asili”, Bruno Giacosa 2005
Piemonte, Italy
115.00€
Single vineyard traditional style Barbaresco, it shows remarkable balance and harmony in an incredibly pure, graceful style. The tannins are so finessed and elegant it is actually hard to perceive them on the palate. Here too, the wine shows awesome inner balance and poise.

Sweet raspberries, flowers, roses and spices are just some of the nuances that emerge from this incredibly delicious, promising Barbaresco. Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) 95 points

6. Barbaresco “Rabaja”, Bruno Giacosa 2005
Piemonte, Italy
95.00€
A different single vineyard – just as joyously exquisite!

Wonderful perfume in this Barbaresco with flowers and ripe berries, including strawberry. Full bodied, chewy and long. Massive on the finish. A superb wine. 95 points Wine Spectator

7. Dominio de Pingus 2001
Ribero del Duero, Spain
727.00€
A candidate for perfection in the world of wine – truly one of the most profound wines ever made in Spain. Miniscule production (less than 500 cases per year) in the hands of intrepid Danish winemaker, Peter Sisseck – one of the world’s most highly regarded and sought after wines. Peter’s aim is to produce “an unmistakeably Spanish wine” from 100% Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo).

It offers great fruit on the attack along with huge body, and notes of grilled meats intermixed with Provencal herbs, pepper, spice box, cigar smoke, and copious quantities of barbecue smoke-infused blackberry and cassis flavors. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2028. Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) 95 points

Power and restraint join forces in this muscular red. Alluring spicy aromas give way to a thick palate with flavors of plum, coffee, tobacco and mineral, backed by firm tannins. It remains balanced and fresh on the long finish. Best after 2006. 95 points Wine Spectator

8. Flowers, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2008
Sonoma Coast, California, USA
61.00€
Walt and Joan Flowers purchased 321 acres in the northern Sonoma Coast, high above the Pacific Ocean in 1989 with the intention of producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a place they believed to be uniquely suited to growing them. Fresh fruit aromas of raspberry, cherry and plum are followed by hints of violet, spice and pepper. Tannins are supple with a lingering finish showing cola, smoke and strawberry.

9. WillaKenzie Estate, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007
Oregon, USA
33.00€
Named after the soil that defines it, WillaKenzie Estate is a small family-owned winery dedicated to the highest expression of terroir. They make wonderful wines exclusively from the Pinot family of grapes. This Pinot Noir offers complex aromas of red and black fruits with attractive floral tones and a touch of spice. The finish is long with hints of candied fruit and spice and beautifully combines elegance and concentration, finely balanced acidity and well-integrated tannins.

10. Howell Mountain Red, Duckhorn 2004
Napa Valley, California, USA
87.00€
From one of North America’s premier producers of Bordeaux varietal wines comes this blend (57% Cab Sauv, 32% Merlot, plus Cab Franc and Petit Verdot) from two Howell Mountain vineyard sites. A wine of exceptional structure and extracted aromatics of peppermint, chocolate, bramble, soy and ginger spice. On the palate it is lush and mouthfilling with Howell Mountain’s signature wild berry and currant flavours, alongside notes of toasted marshmallow, espresso, earth, sage and sandalwood. Extraordinary!

11. L’Ecole 41, Seven Hills Vineyard “Perigee” 2005
Washington Satate, USA
61.00€
Perigee exemplifies elegance: the essence of the Estate’s Seven Hills Vineyard – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (56%), Merlot and Cab Franc, it shows smooth, silky red cherry and blackberry fruit, with rich, floral and spicy aromas of cinnamon and mocha on a vivid, mineral, earthy finish.

Perigee 2005 – 92 points (Wine Advocate)

New Wine List available shortly!

Helen Brotherton — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:47:32 +0000

In the next few days you’ll start to see a few changes creep onto the FWW site, not least of which is a fully revamped wine list. After a few jaunts around the country earlier this year we find ourselves with an expanded portfolio of Distributorships and have been appointed agents for two French wineries to represent them in the Alpes – Martimes. There are a few old friends we’ll be sticking with – new vintages plus a few range extensions, but we are most proud to now be working closely with both Château des Chaberts in the Var and Domaine de Mourchon in the Southern Rhône village of Séguret.

There is so much more to Provence than simple quaffing Rosé so we’ve opted to list Chaberts most premium range – a red, white and a rosé all at 17.75€, that all have a full trophy cupboard of awards and medals and offer real class and complexity. Betty Cundall, who runs Château des Chaberts, will admit she is fiercely proud of the Chaberts rouge and is delighted we will be giving it a high profile this Summer at our tastings and events. Also, although we have been championing our fabulous range of Vilmart champagnes since early 2009, we do recognise that there are some fun party occasions where you need something a little frothier and less serious. Chaberts happen to do a traditional method Provence rosé sparkler in a most glamorous frosted bottle for a fantastic 12.60€. Made in exactly the same way as champagne but using local Provence varietals, serve well chilled at around 6 – 8?C and enjoy passion-fruit, raspberries and roses in a glass!

Over to the Rhône and the Estate we used for our Grape Escape tour, the fabulous Domaine de Mourchon for warm hearted juicy Grenache and Syrah based stunners. We’ve listed their luscious rosé “Loubie” at 7.25€ (something a bit more intense and punchy than our delicate Provence flowers), their eminently quaffable “Tradition” at 8.75€, a Côtes du Rhône – Villages – peppery, packed with berry fruit and smooth as silk, and their incredibly dense and brambly Grande Réserve at 15.00€. As a special introduction to our new list, we are offering a case of 12 of the superb 2006 Grande Réserve for the price of 11 bottles, representing a saving of 1.25€ per bottle! Amongst other projects with the McKinlay family at Domaine de Mourchon, we are working on developing a trio of wines to package specially for Nice Rugby Club for their next season – we’ll keep you posted as we progress.

Reading this, you’d think our wine list was all French – but think again! We really enjoy setting ourselves the challenge of sourcing non French wine here in France. I believe French customs officers think we are a bit bonkers when we go to them with various paperwork to import wines from other countries – “surely we ‘ave enough wine ‘ere??” But scour the globe we do, and the list now has wines from New Zealand, Chile, Germany, California, Spain and much more. We are particularly looking forward to sharing Delta Vineyards exquisite strawberry scented Pinot Noir from Marlborough (19.50€) with you and introducing you to the wonders of the grape variety Alvarinho from Vinho Verde DO in Portugal (16.00€) – the most perfect seafood wine ever. Also, banish memories of sickly Liebfraumilch which has done so much damage to Germany’s image in the wine world – we have two of Ernie Loosens wondrous Rieslings from the Mosel to tempt you – a spine-tingly yummy Kabinett from the Erdener Treppchen vineyard that is all apples and honey at (14.75€) and heavenly, spicy nectarine filled ethereally enchanting Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese (18.75€)

On the whole, we have chosen just a couple of wines to star on our list, but we can usually get other wines from the same producers – just ask. The list itself also has Food Matching suggestions and full descriptions of what to expect from each wine. Also new for Summer 2010 is our FWW Treasure Trove – a small selection of parcels of “ready to drink” Fine Wines, mostly Bordeaux. These wines will change and come and go, so when you spot something you think is an amazing bargain from say, St Emilion, in the Trove you best snap it up as we cannot promise to find the same again. This will be appearing as a special section on the Wine List page – just as soon as our web wizard, Ben from Pure Design International can magic it up for us.

Love the Loire

Helen Brotherton — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:38:44 +0000

In between teaching on our WSET® Wine Courses this month, I’ve been busy dreaming up themes and ideas for our forthcoming programme of Gourmet Dinners and Food & Wine Matching events. I suppose being forced to open several bottles from each region with one’s students (we do spit, actually!!) constantly refreshes the memory as to what wonders there are out there to be sipped and studied. The region closest to home that has really made me sit up and be impressed, has been the amazingly diverse Loire valley here in France.

It perfectly wends its way westwards from the very
heartland of central France, giving us elegant Sancerre’s through a dazzling array of fizz’s, white’s, red’s
and pink wines, from searingly bone dry to lusciously and intensely sweet and honeyed. I know my students were all taken aback and seriously stupefied to discover the versatility and variety of Loire wines.

So I’ve opted to take this as my theme for our 1st dinner on the 12th March. Numbers are limited as we will be having a cosy indoor evening with a log fire blazing rather than our more extensive Summer events out on the Terrace overlooking the Med! We shall no doubt kick off with one of the many top notch sparkling wines from the region – made in the same way as Champagne (i.e. Traditional Method) a delicately creamy Saumur will be offered to whet the appetite whilst I entertain with some facts and figures about our chosen region. I’m hoping to track down some Smoked Eel for a pre-dinner nibble I
have in mind….. We shall then glide through a starter of Oysters with Spinach & Beurre Blanc alongside a perky, yeasty and intensely savoury Muscadet Sevre et Maine sur lie. You cannot think of the Loire without marvelling at the array of amazing goat’s cheeses so I shall conjure up a voluptuous Twice-baked Goat’s Cheese Soufflé with a Carrot and Sweet Vouvray wine sauce. The archetypal partner with high acid goat’s cheese is a wine similarly high in acidity (the mouth watering tingly sensation you
experience with some particularly crisp wines gives an indication that there is plenty of refreshing acidity). So we shall travel along to the far East of this great wine country and tackle a really excellent Sauvignon Blanc – a Pouilly Fumé from the producer Laporte – we tried the Les Duchesses PF on the Advanced course last week and it knocked many a pricier wine into a cocked hat, as they say!

The centre piece of the evening is probably going to be my take on Coq au Vin with a Loire twist – think tasty Guinea Fowl with a deep Red Wine Sauce – I’ll be introducing the much under valued but immensely subtle red wines of the region here: I’ve long been a fan of the silky, raspberry fruited Chinon’s and St Nicholas de Bourgeuil wines made from Cabernet Franc. But I’m still toying between that and another Fish course to illustrate how certain lightish red wines can work with fish….hmmm, Loire Perch in a Chinon Sauce, perhaps? The finale will be a delicious Pear Tarte Tatin, which if I can lay my paws on the pear species, Belles Angevines (from Anjou) will be absolutely authentic of the Loire – apparently the buttery squidgy caramelised pastry pud, the Tatin is believed to originate from the
area. Also, orchard fruits are text book collaborators in the food & wine matching world for the honeyed apple character of the great sweet wines for the Loire. Here Chenin Blanc comes into its own and I shall be unearthing either a Coteaux du Layon, a Montlouis or a Bonnezaux to meet the challenge.

And so with drooling lips I ask you to check out our Forthcoming Events page for more details and how to book for this fine Dinner experience –at 60€ per person all inclusive, this is a real must!
Look forward to seeing you in March!

Helen Brotherton
08.02.10

Cheers to a New Year – and RESULTS!

Helen Brotherton — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:21:54 +0000

Bonne Année to everyone from us, the dynamic duo that is Fine Wine Works! Firstly, a warning! Don’t take all this abstemious alcohol-free detoxing too seriously! I find if one is too strict about the dietary and non-drinking regime as one’s New Year’s Resolution then it’s all too easy to stumble. My advice (from a hardened “stumbler”) is to moderate one’s drinking habits after the endless feasting season and to drink less but BETTER stuff.

Forget all those tempting discounted abrasive & acidic champagnes that the supermarkets tempted us with in November and December, and stick with a glass of elegant and supremely superior Vilmart, for example. Yes, I know that’s a plug for our fabulous Champagne house, but one shouldn’t forget Madame Lily Bollinger’s earnest self analysis of her drinking habits regarding champagne:

“I drink it when I’m happy and when I’m sad.
Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone.
When I have company I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and I drink it when I am.
Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.”

So this is a gentle sneak preview of the fact that I shall be revamping our small, but perfectly formed Wine List in the next couple of weeks. Some of the tried and tested favourites, which represent cracking value in the sub 8€ price point will stay. But I also want to introduce some more unusual and superior premium wines up to 20€ (and just over). These should appeal to those discerning palates who have perhaps had the good fortune to attend one of our Wine Tasting Dinners or Fun Wine Events during 2009 and have had their horizons broadened to include some exciting non-French wines. Not least the revamp and upgrade of the Wine List may attract graduates of our WSET® Wine Courses who have had the opportunity to taste a myriad of delicious and unconventional International wines. Watch this space (and look out for our Winter 2010 Newsletter to be published shortly) for details on some of the new wines we have selected (through rigorous and demanding tasting sessions, hee hee!) and which will soon be available through Fine Wine Works.

On a final note, I just want to congratulate the students who tackled the (my first) Level 3 WSET® Advanced Course in Wines and Spirits last November and whose results have just been sent through to me! Hurrah – a 100% Pass Rate with half of the students (including my swotty husband, Nigel) achieving Pass with Distinction, the ultimate accolade and award for this exam which is the equivalent of a UK “A” Level. We have a full programme of Wine Courses covering all 3 Levels this Winter / Spring and all dates and details can be found on our website under “Training”. If you want to chat through which option might be best for you, please do not hesitate to pick up the phone to us on 06 42 15 51 21.

Cheers
Helen Brotherton
13.01.10

“Snow Business like the Wine Business!”

Helen Brotherton — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:31:46 +0000

We have just returned from a mad pre-Christmas Wine trip by car to the UK to visit the necessary “rellys” and friends, exchange pressies and deliver festive bottles of Vilmart champagne to all our
nearest and dearest. I suppose one of the teensy downsides of becoming the sole representative of a chic, exclusive artisan and award winning grower Champagne house, is that everyone expects to be given a bottle of the magic fizz at Christmas time! Not that we are complaining – we know how much pleasure a sip of sensational Coeur de Cuvée can bring!

Also, the exercise ensures sufficient allocation of boot space for the slightly bonkers return journey, which requires us to load up with a wild and whacky range of non – French wines bought in the UK to bring back down to the Riviera to use on our WSET® courses. We have quite a run of courses planned for the first quarter of 2010 and naturally, as per the WSET® syllabus requirements, need to have particular wines from all around the world for the practical (and very pleasant) side of our courses. You try sourcing a Hunter Valley Semillon, and Austrian Grüner Veltliner or a Dry Oloroso Sherry here in b****y France.!! Love ‘em to bits, of course, but it is a tad frustrating that an entire wine producing nation has no interest (or belief that anyone else could have an interest) in tasting anything other than French wine. We have yet to suffer a routine Customs search at Calais by perplexed Douane officials if they open our boot and find 100+ bottles of eclectic “foreign” wines stashed – one day, it’s bound to happen.
The snow chased us down from North Yorkshire to Dover: we crossed the channel OK, only to meet the blizzards head on in Northern France, which slowed down our homeward journey and meant an extra unscheduled stopover en-route. As the snow and ice got heavier and road conditions worsened, we hoped that Day 2 of our journey might see us as far as a Northern Rhône overnighter – stupidly started fantasising about a white St Joseph followed by a hearty Crozes Hermitage to accompany dinner that
night. But, the Great Snow God was in charge and forced us off the road and to head for shelter in Maçon by mid-afternoon. So Supper was a more Burgundian affair with a simple Maçon Blanc Chardonnay to accompany the snails (curious how when in Burgundy, one cannot avoid the lure of these funny little molluscs with garlicky butter…), then a more robust Beaujolais, a Morgon, with our Côte de Boeuf. All extremely pleasant and a testimony to the old Food & Wine Matching adage that you won’t go far wrong if you stick to the traditional fare of the region with the local wines.
So here we are, counting down the hours to the BIG DAY! I would imagine most of you have already decided on what you are going to drink to celebrate Christmas 2009. Funnily enough, having ranted
earlier at how frustrating it is to be limited to just French wines when living in France and envying the UK for their hugely diverse and exciting global wine availability, when it comes to Christmas, you just can’t beat the classics! Champagne is a must – I know, I’m trumpeting the “V” word again (Vilmart), but myself and my marvellous husband will be indulging in a glass (or 3) of the classic vintage Grand Cellier d’Or 2003 as we open pressies. Lunch (for the first time in I think, 25 years….) is being cooked by SOMEONE ELSE!!!. All we have to do is show up at 1.30pm brandishing a couple of pre-chilled Vilmart Grand Cellier NV and we will be admitted and fed and entertained royally! The Turkey feast
itself will, I gather, from one of my ex WSET® pupils who has kindly invited us, is to be accompanied by a trip round France encompassing the Loire, Burgundy and Bordeaux – can’t wait.
Never one to leave the apron hung on its peg for long, and not having had the task of preparing the
festive bird itself, we are having a very English Boxing Day Buffet for friends and with a Glazed Ham, a Home-made Raised Pork Pie with Piccalilli & Winter Coleslaw followed by Raspberry & White Chocolate Trifle & Mince-Pies, we are sticking local, however, for the wine. Chateau de Chaberts in the Var with their cut above Provence wines will provide the quaffers for our Boxing Day gathering.
The trick is to spend “just the right amount” on your Party Wines: go too cheap and you’ll find your indoor house plants suffering from a surfeit of poured away plonk and all your guests will remember is
the hangover. Don’t raid the cellar for the good stuff, either – nobody will notice or be nearly reverential enough if the atmosphere is convivial. Take the time to select a pair of good “all rounders” to see you through and to please everyone. As we seem to be sticking to France, may I suggest you turn your thoughts to the Southern Rhône for the Red and to the lesser known villages (avoid the mad prices demanded by Châteauneuf du Pape, for example) – go for a Visan, a Séguret or a Vacqueyras. For a
White, the fashionable variety at the moment is Sauvignon Blanc – no need to go over the top with a Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé – try a straight varietal from a good producer of one of the above – my mind has wandered to the Sancerre producer La Porte, whose simple Vin de Pays Sauvignon Blanc (from the same vineyard area – durrr!) but at half the price,is a no brainer!

That’s it folks! Fine Wine Works is signing off for 2009 – your last chance to share any quality time with us is at our New Year’s Eve event in Cannes on 31st December (check out our Forthcoming Events page for details).

Bon Fete!

Helen Brotherton
22.12.09

“Valking in a Vilmart Vonderland”

Helen Brotherton — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:35:31 +0000

Oh, gosh is that a hideously, schmaltzy, yuck way of introducing what we are up to over the festive period with Christmas? Sorry, folks, that’s me!! Bit on a wave of excitement here at FineWineWorks with our recent activities with our very own Vilmart champagne. Firstly, we’ve brought in a supremely experienced “Marketing Marvel” in the form of John Burke – a trusted friend, a graduate of all 3 levels of our WSET® Wine Courses with FWW (so he’s really seen us in action with a corkscrew), and coincidentally an amazingly experienced Marketing Consultant with a background history of working with some of the real big guns in the industry.

His past experience was with some of the biggest drinks companies (for example Diageo) where their marketing budgets were absolutely stratospheric! (he conducted the UK research that led to their sponsorship of the McLaren Formula One team with Johnny Walker Black Label). And its come to this….a non-paying position as Chief Marketeer and person “who knows what they are doing” with Fine Wine Works to truly launch, promote, encourage and assist us to endorse the extraordinarily different, “breathtaking” and exciting champagne house of Vilmart & Cie.
We’ve instigated campaigns with all the local media (check out the Riviera Times website and monthly publications, look out for our revealing interview in the Riviera Times and hear me whiffle on about the fab Vilmart champagnes on Monaco’s Riviera Radio). We’ve thrown caution to the wind and are madly offering a “first bottle free” when you order 12 of our gorgeous 92 Parker Points breathtaking “Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV” (normal RSP 35€). We have given an in depth interview which appears in this Dec / Jan “Riviera Reporter”. We’ve hooked up (‘scuse the pun) with Dan & Lucy Luger at Nice Rugby Club – watch this space for some rather exciting “co-promotions”, including a very romantic plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day in February (are you seeing hearts, roses and pink Champagne….????)
We are, as ever, proud sponsors of the International Club of the Riviera and wearing my professional ex-actress “hat”, I was deeply content and happy to be asked to join the panel of judges for the International Schools of the Riviera Speech Contest on 13th November. I assumed my stage name of Helen Patrick for the evening, and was, (quelle surprise?), vociferous in my thoughts, feelings and beliefs about the contestants that night. Public speaking, holding an audience and enchanting, informing and illuminating them is no easy feat and I think the final winner and (very) close runner up performed a brilliant feat – well done!
A few people have been asking if I have a secret Mulled Wine Recipe as a Wine Expert and Gerant of FWW – yes, I do! Some of you came to find out for yourselves at the International Club’s “Fusion Christmas Gala” last Saturday on La Croisette, Cannes (see www.internationalclub.fr) for piccies. If you didn’t join us for a glass – my secret is to stud a whole orange with cloves, then roast it in the oven for 40 mins. Add to a large heavy casserole with a couple of sticks of cinnamon, 2 or 3 star anise, a couple of bottles of red wine, 1/2 litre of orange juice. A triple shot of port, a double of brandy and a single of Cointreau or triple sec and a scoop of sugar to taste (try fair-trade brown sugar for a richer, more caramelised character).
Our Vilmart champagne will also be offered at the ICR’s New Years Eve Event – c’est moi doing the catering so please allow a brief plug!
No surprise, then, as to what we shall be brandishing when invited for a social event over the festive period, and I’m afraid our long suffering friends and family will all (secret present alert*%$//???””£*) be getting a bottle of Vilmart champagne in their Christmas stocking this year 2009. It’s the wine of choice when celebrating anything – and here’s to all of us who have “survived” and indeed enjoyed 2009!

Helen Brotherton
07.12.09

Advance! Advanced!! – Our 1st Advanced!!!

Helen Brotherton — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:42:47 +0000

Phew! We’ve done it!! And I very much do mean “we” in this instance – our first WSET® Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits, with me as Tutor for the 5 Day course, and hubby Nigel, embarking onthe course as a Student. Well, its over now – the last run to the bottle bank under the cover of darkness, (with over 100 bottles opened over the 5 days, not even FWW can pretend this is normal
household consumption as we tip the glass into the recycling bin!).

Our morning ritual is no longer driven by the need to revise furiously (Nigel) nor to put the finishing touches to a lesson plan or double check a Wine fact (Helen) in the magnificent Hugh Johnson “Wine Atlas” or to confirm the ampelography and parentage or synonym of a particular grape variety with Jancis Robinson’s excellent “Vine’s Grapes and Wines”. Nor indeed, is the kitchen a buzz with late night cooking madness that is us setting out to provide a first class lunch for all the students each day as a welcome respite from the intense vinous absorption of knowledge and wine itself. I have to say, though, that the FWW lunches during a Wine Course have become almost legendary as I try and match a menu to the wines we are likely to have opened during that mornings Sessions.

During the Advanced course we dined on a Seafood Lasagne with various dregs of Chablis and Chassagne Montrachet; a classic Coq au Vin with a passable Nuits St Georges and my Sweet and Sour Pork met its match with a selection of Rieslings from Germany, Alsace and Australia. The last day (yup, the “big Exam in the afternoon” day) of the course gave me the dilemma of the last two course work sessions being Fortified (Sherries and Ports etc) and Spirits. Not ideal as a match for Lunch! However, we’d skipped tasting the two Greek wines in a previous session as the WSET had reviewed and revised some of the Wine regions before this new academic year and Greece, alas, had fallen from grace and was no longer part of the mandatory tastings. I had, however, already purchased said wines as the course had originally been planned for earlier this year in June – you have to be one step ahead with sourcing some of the wines for these courses…have you tried picking up Greek wines here in France?? So, a flash of inspiration and the final days “brain food” consisted of a Meze of the usual Taramasolata, Hummous, stuffed Vine Leaves and a particularly garlicky home-made Tzsatziki. Then I griddled some Oregano Marinated Lamb with Olive Oil for a sort of Souvlaki, served with a big, fresh and juicy Greek Salad of Feta, Tomato and Cucumber. The Greek white, a Vilana from the Peloponnese was a bit underwhelming but the Xynomavro from Naoussa hit the spot superbly. I think, having checked the candidate’s Answer Sheets and assessed the Practical Blind Tasting element of the exam, that “a little of taste of Corfu” at lunchtime prepared the students admirably for their arduous 2 hour long exam. The papers themselves were couriered back to London for final marking, so we shall just have to wait with baited breath for the results!

One final “share” with you all: the intriguing results of a little Champagne tasting we did on the penultimate day! You are probably aware by now, that we are the sole representatives of Vilmart champagnes here on the Côte d’Azur and so convinced are of their sheer quality and “wow” factor that we wanted to “blind taste” them head to head with market leaders in their particular category. As we had a room full of Wine Professionals and Yacht Crew, all candidates for the course and as we had to crack open Champagnes anyway as part of the syllabus, we pitted our Vilmart Grand Cellier Brut NV (35€) against the standard Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV (also approx RRP of 35€). Only one vote went to the Veuve whereas the Vilmart (or at this stage it was simply Wine B) was otherwise unanimously praised for the finesse of its mousse, the creaminess of its texture and the full on elegance of the liquid in the glass. The second duo was our top of the range premium Vilmart Coeur de Cuvée 2000 (74€) versus the mighty Dom Perignon 2000 (approx 120€) – one would think that the extra Fifty smackers would have leapt out and throttled you in terms of obvious quality and class, but alas, it was a tricky call between the two of them. This time it was Vilmart’s (Wine A this time) energy and freshness which captivated the tasters against a rather vegetal and subdued DP – a bit of a triumph for our “just different” Vilmart wines. Do check out the Vilmart page on the website to get the full story (and place your orders for Christmas, of course!!)

Helen Brotherton
05.10.09

NEW Wine Course Training Dates for 2010

Helen Brotherton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:50:35 +0000

Always one step ahead of the game, Fine Wine Works have put together a programme for early 2010 covering all 3 Levels of the WSET accredited Wine Courses – check the Training Dates link under the Tab for Training! Although we work very closely with the Yachting industry, our courses are very much open to everyone. If your work schedule doesn’t fit in with any of these NEW dates, please do contact us to discuss your specific requirements. We do have a remit from the WSET to travel outside the Riviera, particularly to the shipyards of Europe to New Build Superyachts so don’t worry if you are not planning on being in the Mediterranean anytime soon.
Helen Brotherton – 21st October 2009

Monaco Yacht Show – what a week!

Helen Brotherton — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:33:22 +0000

FWW at Monaco Yacht Show

The sun shone, the Red Arrows flew, the Super yachts gleamed and we poured and poured!!! Four hectic days manning the Riviera Times stand at the Monaco Yacht Show, offering glass after glass of our Vilmart Grand Cellier champagne to ours and their clients, colleagues, prospective customers and yacht crew. In exchange for the champagne plus some sexy Vilmart prizes for their readers, we were able to
be at the Monaco show for the full 4 days, getting to meet up with brokers, shipyard companies and most importantly, putting a face to some of the crew members who will be attending some of our WSET® Wine Training courses this Autumn.
All sorts of possible new clients for our Wine Tasting Events also presented themselves – we still have heaps of follow up to do. Everyone was seriously “wowed”by the quality of the champagne on taste and even people who swore blind they never drank the stuff, enjoyed sipping this heavenly nectar with us.
The Riviera Times & Zeitung team happily launched their new website and invited people to subscribe on line in exchange for a chance to win a “jeroboam” (that’s a Double Magnum for those who don’t know – equivalent to 3 Litres!) of the Grand Cellier. The oversize bottle certainly looked impressive on the stand and drew envious looks when we finally pulled the winner’s name out of the hat on Saturday – thank heavens it was someone who was still actually at the show and could come by and collect it! It had dawned on us as the entry slips for the competition started to pile up, that between us we had attracted such a cosmopolitan range of nationalities to the stand and not all of them lived on the Riviera
– could have been a bit sticky trying to bubble wrap it and post it to Hong Kong!!!
I met a charming chap from the British Consulate in Milan who asked me if I could tell him the classic mix for a Martini cocktail (I advised him the high quality French vermouth Noilly Prat was what he was looking for – oh, and just to “waft” it over the gin and not drown it!); Nigel had a near brush with royalty as he passed just inches by Prince Albert of Monaco and we gave a glass of champagne (or three), to the team of “Yachting Matters” to celebrate its current issue with a top notch article about Wine Training for Crew by…..ahem, me!
Getting the train in and out of Monte Carlo each day, then the drive from the station home, was spectacularly knackering and yet a very pleasant way to get there each day. As the train trundles along the coast past Beaulieu sur Mer and Villefranche you can spot some very elegant yachts at anchor which takes your mind off the fact that you have your nose buried in someone’s armpit – it was quite busy all week so a seat was a luxury!
To conclude, we think it was a good partnership with the team at the Times & Zeitung and the arrangement worked really well for both parties – I can see us doing the same again next year! Watch this space for details!!

Helen Brotherton
05.10.09

3 Day Grape Escape Wine Tour to the Southern Rhone

admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:25:31 +0000

Dates 5th to 8th JUNE (3 nights)

795€ per person (mid Season)

Places are limited to EIGHT (plus your Guides and Hosts, Helen & Nigel)

What’s included?

Travel in an air-conditioned Mini Bus (pick up and drop off)
Accommodation in a luxury “The Winemaker’s House” Gîte with Pool on a Wine Estate.
Accommodation includes all linen, towels, heating, Wi-Fi, TV etc. 5 x Bedrooms – 3 x Large Double and 2 x Twin. 3 x Bathrooms (one with bath, two with shower)
FWW will provide all Tea, Coffee, Water & Soft Drinks during the stay at the Gîte
http://www.domainedemourchon.com (for pictures and more info on the estate)
All meals (including Continental Breakfast each day) and wines (except where specified)
In order to fit all 8 guests comfortably, we will be taking a car as well as the Mini Bus – this should leave space for some wine purchases along the way!
A full itinerary of tastings, winery visits, vineyard explorations and guided tours, a wine themed dinner and much more……

DAY 1 – Saturday 5th June

Depart Vence, Antibes or Nice (depends on consensus of guests) 09h00
Noon – Picnic Lunch with Wine provided by FWW
(e.g. a Selection of Cold Cuts, Charcuterie, Cheeses & Patés with Bread and Salads & Patisserie & Fresh Fruit for Dessert)
Approx. 14h00 arrive at the Winemaker’s House – settle in and make yourselves comfy.
15h00 – Domaine de Mourchon Winery & Estate Visit plus tasting of their full range of award winning wines
19h30 – Dinner at a local Restaurant in Séguret – 3 Course Menu plus ½ bottle of wine per person included in price

DAY 2 – Sunday 6th June

09h00 – A full day of Winery Visits and Tastings that should leave your palate and mind wanting for nothing in wine terms!! An unrivalled opportunity to visit the stunning and diverse vineyard landscapes of Châteauneuf du Pape, Gigondas, Rasteau and Vacqueyras and visit at least 2 different Domaines in the region to taste through the differing and exquisite wines of the region. Your FWW wine expert, Helen, plus a local guide, Olivier, will be there to guide you through the mysteries of terroir, the regions grape varieties and give you an opportunity to taste some of the very finest wines of Provence.
13h00 – Restaurant lunch (probably Vacqueyras but TBC) – Menu and ½ bottle of wine per person included
14h30 – Tour continues
18h30 – return to the Winemaker’s House for a bit of a relax!
19h30 – Aperitifs on the Terrace overlooking the Vineyards then FWW will provide a full BBQ – juicy rare steaks, sausages and brochettes to accompany the gutsy, tannic and utterly delicious Côte du Rhône Villages reds of Domaine de Mourchon. As fully fledged Rhône wine experts after your day of tastings and visits, FWW propose a gentle Wine Quiz to test your vinous knowledge and to continue sipping and enjoying the ambience as the evening draws to a close.

Day 3 – Monday 7th June

10h30 – After a bit of a “lie-in”, Nigel of FWW will be on hand to drive you round the region to pick up a bit of culture! The itinerary for this more mellow day may include the Roman ruins of Vaison la Romaine, the stunning Mont Ventoux, and the pretty village of Séguret itself. Lunch is not included on this day, so you are free to wander, sight see and pick up a light lunch at your leisure….but be warned! Back at the ranch, Helen will have been preparing for the Grand Finalé:
19h30 – FWW will host a Six Course Gourmet Degustation Food & Wine Matching Dinner, showcasing wines from both the Northern & Southern Rhône – a full Wine Tasting Dinner to satisfy the most demanding of Gourmands and with the added appeal of enjoying it in situ – in the beautiful arena of vines that is Domaine de Mourchon.

Day 4 – Tuesday 8th June

Return to the Riviera – we haven’t planned a departure time, so we can leave after Breakfast and when it suits the party.

Price: 795€ per person (TTC)

To book, we will need a deposit of 395€ per person (cheques made payable to NHB Riviera SARL) by 12th APRIL.