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Barbera it's a grape varieties native to Piedmont in the north-western corner of Italy. This grape gives wines that have a bright-red cherry character with soft tannins and a certain roundness. When matured in barrel and allowed to age in bottle for a few years, this turns to a denser, sour-cherry note.
The Vigne Marina Coppi "Sant' Andrea" Barbera 2015
It's a young and fruity yet full, intense and exceptionally well-balanced Barbera !
Bright ruby-red in colour. The bouquet has good intensity with hints of cherry and wild strawberries which follow on to the finish. The wine is complex, rounded and supple with a delicious fresh fruit character.
The winery's owner, Marina Coppi, is the daughter of the legendary cyclist Fausto Coppi, the first man ever to win the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. Though vines have always been planted at Castellania, a small village in southeastern Piemonte, it was only when Marina's son Francesco, along with his wife Anna, took over the property that they began bottling their own wine. They focus on the native varieties to make wines that are vibrant and well defined.
Barbera's uplifted acidity makes it a perfect partner of tomato based dishes.
Try it with...
RIGATONI WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND RICOTTA SALATA
You can find the full recipe online at http://www.grandcruco.com/…/vigne-marina-coppi-sant-andrea-…
You can try this and 40 other carefully selected wines for FREE ! Our prices start from as little as £8.95.
You always get a 15% discount and free delivery (within 5 miles) when you purchase a 12 bottles case.
Cheers !
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Montalcino wines are made within the municipality of Montalcino in the central Italian region of Tuscany. The Rosso di Montalcino is a red wine made only with sangiovese grapes; it bears a Controlled Designation of Origin classification that guarantees compliance with production standards.
Lighter than its famous big brother Brunello, the vivacious and elegant Rosso di Montalcino is best enjoyed young. Ready to drink just one year following the harvest, it is perfect for those who lack cellar space or patience to age their wines. It pairs well with dishes of medium robustness including Italian pasta and risotto, white and red meat dishes as well as hard cheeses. Its particular affinity for tomato makes it the ideal companion to tomato base sauces, but it also pleasantly complements an array of fancier options.
Today we suggest you to pair our Rosso di Montalcino, Poggio San Polo 2014 at £18.95
Bright and glossy ruby red in colour.On the nose it reveals aromas of small fresh berries and a trace of
sour cherry, melded with hints of blackberries and black cherries,followed by a hint of vanilla. A fragrant wine with satisfying intensity. On the palate it is warm, smooth and a medium-bodied with finely-balanced tannins. Dry and sinewy yet fresh with a persistent, aromatic finish.
With an easy to make and rustic..
PENNE WITH PORK RAGOUT
Ingredients
One 3-pound pork shoulder roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bay leaf
2 medium Spanish onions, sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 -inch piece Parmesan rind
Pinch red chile flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus for drizzling
1 pound penne pasta
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Method
Dry the pork well and sprinkle it on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and the pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the pork on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the pork to a plate and set aside. While the pork is browning, tie the thyme, rosemary and bay leaf into a bundle using butcher's twine. Once all of the pork has been browned, reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil no oil remains in the pot. Add the onions and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and cook until reduced to nearly dry, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan rind, chile flakes and the herb bundle and bring to a simmer. Return the pork to the pot, tucking it in under the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the pork is fork tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Remove the pork and shred into bite-size pieces using two forks. Remove the herb bundle from the sauce and add the pork back to the pot. Stir in the olive oil and half of the grated Parmesan. Keep warm over low heat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne for about 1 or 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, about 2 minutes, adding a ladle of pasta water as needed. Serve topped with the remaining grated Parmesan, or more as desired, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy it !
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Trump winery seeks guest foreign workers for its vineyards
Trump Vineyard Estates, the winery originally bought by Donald Trump and now run by his son Eric, has applied for guest visas for up to 23 foreign workers to help out in its vineyards. They would be paid $11.27 per hour, according to a filing published by the US Department of Labor, which must approve or deny the request.
Although president Trump is not directly involved in running the Virginia winery, restoring jobs for American workers was a key tenet of his successful election campaign. The new president has also criticised levels of immigration in the US, notably from Mexico. Trump this week nominated R. Alexander Acosta to be his Labor secretary.
Trump Vineyard Estates requires the 23 workers from early April until 27 October, according to its application filing. It has requested H-2A visas, which is a scheme to allow foreign agricultural workers to enter the US for temporary or seasonal employment. Workers on this scheme are not officially classed as immigrants.
It is common around the world for vineyard owners to bring in temporary foreign workers, particularly for the harvest season. Donald Trump bought the estate in 2011 and handed it to his son, Eric Trump, before going on to run for president of the United States.
As a presidential hopeful, Trump promoted his family’s Virginia winery while on the campaign trail. ‘It’s the largest winery on the East Coast,’ he said last year. ‘We make as good a wine as you can get anywhere in the world.’ In Virginia, a campaign named ‘Stop Trump Wine’ has asked Virginians to boycott grocers and stores selling products connected to the president.
Swan Valley wine area declared disaster zone after floods
Western Australia's Swan Valley area has been declared a disaster zone after some of the worst flooding for decades damaged urban areas and also vineyards.
Summer floods caused ‘extensive damage’ to several Swan Valley vineyards, as well as urban areas and city parks, according to officials.
Photos showed vines half under water.
The un-seasonal flooding is some of the worst in living memory and, to complicate matters, has arrived at harvest time.
City of Swan mayor Mick Wainwright declared a state of emergency this week as the area tries to deal with the consequences of floods that have left vines, public parks and streets under several feet of water.
Local media reported that the damage to wine grape growers in the area could be between $10 million and $15 million Australian dollars, citing estimates by Darryl Trease, the president of the Grape Growers Association of Western Australia.
However, precise damage reports to vineyards were not immediately available.
Swan Valley lies just outside of Perth. It is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, and settlers first planted vines there more than 180 years ago.
Export revenues for US wine reach new high
At 45.9 million cases, down 10.5% on 2015, shipments – 90% of them from California – dropped to their lowest level since 2012, but the strong dollar helped producers to increase their revenues by 1% on 2015.
Exports to the UK – California wine’s biggest overseas market – were up 18% by value and 5% by volume to $337 million and more than 13 million cases respectively.
This led the Californian Wine Institute UK trade director Justin Knock MW to claim that California was ‘on track’ to hit its target of achieving $400 million in UK sales by the end of the decade.
Meanwhile, shipments to China rose 46.6% by value and 11% by volume**, attributed to ‘meaningful growth in higher-value products’ by Christopher Beros, Wine Institute trade director for China and Pacific Rim.
While helping the value of shipments to grow during the year, the strong dollar poses a competitive challenge for producers and importers.
‘As the dollar moves towards parity with the euro, export volumes to Europe are down in most countries, mainly in the lower-priced segment,’ pointed out Paul Molleman, Wine Institute trade director for Continental Europe.
While exports to the EU as a whole rose 10.1% to $685 million, the value increase excluding the UK was just 2.7%, he added.
California’s main export markets experienced contrasting fortunes during 2016, with Canada, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland and Singapore all down in value terms.
However smaller markets, such as the Philippines, Dominican Republic and Taiwan, recorded strong gains.
There was particular disappointment in Japan at President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, since key competitors such as Chile and Australia already have free trade agreements with Japan, and thus lower duty tariffs.
Cheers!
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We have always had our gorgeous Fleur de Clinet 2010 in the shop and we think we will continue to stock it for a good long time due to the amazing quality Chateau Clinet imparts upon all of their wines. But now we have another one from them!
RONAN BY CLINET 2012 @ £12.95 EACH
Year on year, the attention to detail given to this mini Clinet draws closer to the Grand Vin. The wine is rich, round, open and expressive. Loaded with black a red fruit with a beautiful texture. Delicious on its own would be a fantastic accompaniment to roast lamb or grilled red meats.
And what better to go with a lovely merlot than a nice piece of lamb? We thought some lamb shanks would go beautifully.
LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
4 lamb shanks, around 1 lb / 500g each (Note 1)
2 tsp salt, separated
Pepper
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil, separated
1 cup onion, finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
1 cup carrot, finely diced (optional) (Note 2)
1 cup celery, finely diced (optional) (Note 2)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2½ cups red wine, full bodied (good value wine, not expensive! Note 3)
28 oz / 800g can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock (or water)
5 sprigs of thyme (preferably tied together), or 2 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves or 4 fresh
Sauce
½ to 1½ cups hot water
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
2. Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy based pot (dutch oven is ideal) over high heat.
4. Sear the lamb shanks in 2 batches until brown all over, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove lamb onto a plate and drain excess fat (if any) from the pot.
6. Turn the heat down to medium low. Heat remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil in the same pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Sauté for 10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
7. Add the red wine and turn up the heat to medium high. Bring it to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to mix all the brown bits into the wine. Simmer for 3 minutes to evaporate the alcohol a bit (Note 4).
8. Add the remaining ingredients (including remaining 1 tsp salt and pepper) and stir to combine.
9. Place the lamb shanks into the pot, squeezing them in to fit so they are mostly submerged. (Note 1)
10. Bring back up to simmer, cover, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours (see notes for slow cooker).
11. Turn the lamb shanks, cover, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes (so 2½ hours in total). The lamb should be very tender, the exposed surface above the liquid should be browned and the sauce should be reduced down to about ¼ of the original amount.
12. Carefully transfer the lamb to a plate and pick out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
13. Skim excess fat off the surface of sauce. Use a stick blender to puree the sauce to make it smooth and thick. Use hot water to adjust the thickness and intensity of the sauce. (Note 5) Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
14. Serve the lamb shanks on mashed potato or cauliflower puree with plenty of sauce!
Cheers!
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US wineries see big jump in direct sales
US wineries sent 17% more wine direct to drinkers in 2016 versus 2015, topping the five million-case barrier for the first time.
Shipment value rose faster, by 18.5%, to $2.33 billion. It’s the first time direct-to-consumer sales have exceeded $2bn, said the report, compiled by trade publication Wines & Vines together with Sovos ShipCompliant. Most US states now allow some level of direct shipping, allowing wineries and drinkers to cut out the traditional three-tier model of distributors and retailers.
But, direct-to-consumer sales were still only 8.6% of the total US retail market for wine last year – and that doesn’t include restaurant or bar sales.
Small wineries selling wines at $20 and above were instrumental in driving growth in 2016, according to the Wine & Vines report. It drew a link with tourism, suggesting that tasting room visitors were ordering wines to drink at home. It also said that social media and online ordering had helped to make this easier.
Large wineries also enjoyed strong growth, especially in volume, but the report said that this was partly due to some estates being re-categorised from ‘medium’ to ‘large’ after expanding their output. Of the wines ordered, a disproportionate number of wine lovers ordered Pinot Noir direct from the winery. Pinot accounted for nearly a quarter of orders, double its market share in the total US wine retail market, excluding bars and restaurants.
Zinfandel made up 9% of orders, but barely figures in the overall US retail market. Several critics have tipped Zinfandel for a comeback after years in the doldrums. The report also highlighted some issues for wineries to consider in the future.
Millennials are an unknown quantity, it said. ‘Though Millennials are not yet impacting the shipping channel significantly, we expect their impact to grow over the coming years,’ said the authors.
It added wider economic growth has helped wine sales in general and that consolidation in the wholesaler distribution market was making smaller wineries more reliant on direct shipments to build sales.
But, it warned against an assumption that growth is inevitable. ‘How this increasingly important distribution channel reacts to recession is not documented.’
How Mouton Rothschild and David Hockney joined forces
The next-generation family members at the head of Château Mouton Rothschild have held a special event with David Hockney in London to officially reveal the artist's sketches for the Mouton 2014 wine label.
All three children of the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild joined David Hockney and guests at a ceremony at Spencer House on Friday evening 3 February. They revealed Hockney’s initial artwork that culminated in the label for Mouton Rothschild 2014.
Mouton announced Hockney as its artist for the 2014 label late last year, but that marked the culmination of many months of work.
At the Spencer House event, attendees heard how Hockney initially sat down to discuss the plans with Julien de Beaumarchais de Rothschild, one of three children of the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild.
De Beaumarchais said that Hockney drank a beer and he ordered a glass of wine.
Hockney, who was in London preparing to open a large retrospective exhibition of his work at Tate Britain, was a friend of the late Baroness Philippine, who died in 2014. He dedicated his label artwork as a tribute to her work at the Bordeaux first growth château over several decades. De Beaumarchais was joined by his siblings, Philippe Sereys de Rothschild and Camille Sereys de Rothschild, at the Spencer House event.
Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, eldest son of Baroness Philippine, was in 2014 officially named as successor to his mother as chairman of the supervisory board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA. Spencer House mansion is owned by Earl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. But it has been rented and restored by Lord Rothschild since the 1980s.
eBay signs deal to add more than 1,000 wines to sale list
eBay said consumers would gain direct access to WineDirect’s winery partners – the Napa-based company works with some 1,600 small and medium-sized producers – on the eBay Wine marketplace.
The new partnership includes wines not normally available online, and customers will also be able to send wines as gifts for special occasions.
The news comes as a Wines & Vines survey released this week revealed that more premium wine lovers in the US are going straight to the winery to buy than ever before, with US producers sending 17% more wine direct to consumers in 2016 and the value of sales exceeding $2bn for the first time.
Meanwhile, eBay said Champagne and red wine were the two most searched wine-related terms on its site, while a California Pinot Noir is the top-selling wine.
‘We’re excited to empower small and mid-sized wineries by connecting them with eBay’s millions of customers through our innovative partnership,’ said Joe Waechter, president and CEO of WineDirect.
‘This is a fantastic opportunity for wineries to share their passion and their product with new audiences, and for shoppers to gain unparalleled access to wines direct from the source.’
In August last year, eBay stepped up its wine presence in the UK by joining forces with mail order merchant Laithwaite’s.
The online marketplace, which launched its US wine platform across 45 states in less than a year ago, also announced that its wine operations would expand into Germany later this month.
