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Good afternoon wine lovers !
As usual here at Grand Cru we are ready to open our weekly selection !
As the weather gets chillier this week we’re suggesting you three spicy, bold and characterful reds to warm you up as well as two aromatic whites, perfect for a dinner party aperitif.
William Robertson Chenin Blanc 2015 at £9,25
An appealing light straw colour. Light with lovely ripe, attractive rounded fruit. Fresh floral nose and an exciting acid balance. Enjoy now as ana aperitif or with seafood, smoked salmon, roast chicken and pork.
Langlois, Sancerre, Chateau de Fontaine-Audon 2013 at £17,90
Pale straw yellow with greenish hues. The bouquet is intense, pronounced, pleasantly aromatic and typically varietal with citrusy and exotic fruit notes. On the palate, very good balance and freshness with a slightly astringency on the finish. Marked minerality.
Gayda Figure Libre Freestyle Rouge 2013 at £13,75
With a helping hand leant by the guys behind The Chocolate Block, South Africa's cult wine, this is one not to be missed. A very big, full bodied wine with red cherry flavours fitted out with black fruit backgrounds. Pepper and spice playing their vital role too.
Izadi Rioja Reserva 2011 at £12.95
Bright ruby red in colour with intense aromas of red fruit. On the palate lively red and black fruit flavours abound with gentle hints of oak, spice and toast. Well rounded and wonderfully balanced with a remarkable freshness on the long finish.
Mitolo Jester Shiraz 2013 at £12.25
Deep, dark red. The nose is bright, lifted and aromatic,with raspberry, blackberry and mint chocolate characters. The palate is concentrated with a luscious rolling texture and packed with fresh blackberry and plum, dark chocolate, liquorice and a hint of white pepper spice. The wine is juicy and plush with silky tannins that linger, providing a drying, savoury finish.
Come and taste themat the shop or simply order them here on our website!
Cheers !
The Grand Cru team
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- Written by Henry Conway
- Category: News
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NEXT WINE TASTING EVENING
MAISON NICOLAS PERRIN PORTFOLIO TASTING
Thursday the 27th of October from 8 pm to 10 pm
In occasion of this special event we will taste the excellencies of Maison Nicolas Perrin an exciting new venture born born from the cooperation of two of the great families of the Rhône, Nicolas Jaboulet, and the Perrin family of Ch. de Beaucastel.
In essence the finest producers in the south of the valley have harnessed the expertise of one of the greatest names in the North to forge a new and dynamic range, working with some of the best growers in some of the best vineyards.
All will be accompanied by platters of appetizers which will be served at mid-evening.
Towards the end of the evening guests, if they wish to, can complete their order forms which will be collected by the staff who will take care of processing them. Bear in mind that just for the evening you will be entitled to a 10% discount on all of our products.
The cost of a single ticket is £35. To get your tickets you can drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 020 8650 0085. We will be very happy to get your place booked but remember we can't hold to a booking for more than two days.
We are looking forward to seeing you there.
The Grand Cru team
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- Written by Henry Conway
- Category: News
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Rioja wines are known for being very food friendly.
They obviously pair particularly well with Spanish food especially lamb and pork and recipes that contain red peppers, pimenton, garlic and saffron.
The main thing to bear in mind is the style - whether it’s a young (joven) rioja which retain a fresh fruitiness with very little tannin or an older (Crianza or reserva) one which would be more robust and complex.
A Crianza Rioja like our
Izadi Rioja Reserva 2011 at £12.95
is a sure match to the local dish ALBONDIGAS (meatballs in a rich sauce).
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
500 g (17.6oz) minced beef or lamb
0.25 quarter of a Spanish onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 pinch Salt & black pepper
1 sprig of flat parsley
1 slice of white bread
100 ml (3.5fl oz) milk
1 egg
SAUCE
4 tbsp Spanish olive oil
0.75 3/4 of a Spanish onion
4 garlic cloves
1 small carrot
1 small tin of green peas
1 glass of Spanish red wine
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
1 pinch Salt
1 tin of chopped plum tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
METHOD
Soak the bread in the milk. Finely chop the garlic, Spanish onion and flat parsley
Whisk the egg and mix all the ingredients together in a baking tray and knead this dough with clean hands for 2 minutes (don't over work it as the meatballs will become rubbery).
Make balls by rolling the mince between your hands and lay them on a baking tray.
Roast them in the oven with a drizzle of Spanish olive oil for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with some Spanish olive oil, then fry the finely chopped garlic, carrot and Spanish onion until transparent.
Add the thyme, rosemary, salt, sugar, pepper and the glass of Spanish red wine and flambé.
Let the wine reduce by half and add the chopped tinned tomato. Cook for five minutes, add the green peas and meatballs and cook all together for another five minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked.
Enjoy it !
www.gradncruco.com
- Details
- Written by Henry Conway
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NEXT WINE TASTING EVENING
MAISON NICOLAS PERRIN PORTFOLIO TASTING
Thursday the 27th of October from 8 pm to 10 pm
In occasion of this special event we will taste the excellencies of Maison Nicolas Perrin an exciting new venture born born from the cooperation of two of the great families of the Rhône, Nicolas Jaboulet, and the Perrin family of Ch. de Beaucastel.
In essence the finest producers in the south of the valley have harnessed the expertise of one of the greatest names in the North to forge a new and dynamic range, working with some of the best growers in some of the best vineyards.
All will be accompanied by platters of appetizers which will be served at mid-evening.
Towards the end of the evening guests, if they wish to, can complete their order forms which will be collected by the staff who will take care of processing them. Bear in mind that just for the evening you will be entitled to a 10% discount on all of our products.
The cost of a single ticket is £35. To get your tickets you can drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 020 8650 0085. We will be very happy to get your place booked but remember we can't hold to a booking for more than two days.
We are looking forward to seeing you there.
The Grand Cru team
- Details
- Written by Henry Conway
- Category: News
- Hits: 1602
From central Italy, the Verdicchio grape's style ranges from fresh everyday white wines to richer examples capable of aging for ten years or more, particularly when produced around the area of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica.
Beautifully crisp and refreshing, Verdicchio has no obvious fruit flavours beyond a hint of citrus but is the perfect easy-drinking companion for a range of dishes including light young cheese, olives and light white meat. It would also work well with seafood and fishy pasta dishes and even handle tricky-to-match artichokes.
Today we want to suggest you to match our
Verdicchio di Matelica,Cantine Belisario,2015 at £12.95
Pale with green highlights. Abundant aromas of vibrant grapefruit, white flowers and hints of honey dominate the nose. The palate shows refreshing acidity, interesting mineral characters, a light hint of ripe fruit and a final burst of zingy lemon to lift the finish. A beautifully balanced wine, with a soft mouthfeel that retains a wonderful lifted, fresh character.
With this exceptional and easy to make SPAGHETTI ALLE VONGOLE (Spaghetti with clams)
Ingredients
Kosher salt
6 ounces spaghetti
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
2 pounds cockles, Manila clams, or littlenecks scrubbed
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Method
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5 quart pot. Season lightly with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, swirling pan often, until just golden. Add red pepper flakes and continue cooking 15 more seconds. Add wine, then clams; increase heat to high. Cover skillet and cook until clams open and release their juices, 3-6 minutes, depending on size of clams. As clams open, use tongs to transfer them to a bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to skillet; bring to a boil. Add pasta to pan. Cook over high heat, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and has soaked up some of the sauce from the pan. Add clams and any juices from bowl to pan, along with parsley, and toss to combine. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and drizzle with remaining oil.
Enjoy it !
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- Written by Henry Conway
- Category: News
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Good afternoon wine lovers !
It's time to crack some bottles ! Our weekly selection is out and ready to be tasted.
Being this weekend our very first birthday today we want to introduce four NEW ENTRIES that you'll have the chance to sample along with other this Saturday here at Grand Cru!
Here's our new wines :
Delta Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2015 at £12.95
A wine with great concentration and a classic spectrum of flavour. It has a depth of blackcurrant notes and blackcurrant leaves on the nose with hints of peach and passionfruit. The palate is textural and mouthwatering with passionfruit and mineral flavours. Fresh acidity with underlying green herbal notes adds focus to the wine.
Verdicchio di Matelica `Vigneti del Cerro`, 2015 at £12.95
Pale with green highlights. Abundant aromas of vibrant grapefruit, white flowers and hints of honey dominate the nose. The palate shows refreshing acidity, interesting mineral characters, a light hint of ripe fruit and a final burst of zingy lemon to lift the finish. A beautifully balanced wine, with a soft mouthfeel that retains a wonderful lifted, fresh character.
Aglianico del Vulture `Pipoli`, 2012 at £11.95
Garnet red in colour. The nose has layered, highly complex aromas with hints of underbrush, violets and cocoa. Full-bodied, the wine has a sweet red fruit character with delicate oak nuances and persistent fruit notes through to the finish.
`Grillos Cantores` Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 at £13.20
Beautiful ruby red colour, with a characteristic nose of red fruits and black cherries. Hints of spice, black pepper and green tea develop in the glass. On the palate, the wine is silky, generous and broad, with soft tannins. Its excellent acidity is supported by subtle minerality and an elegant finish.
Help us out to celebrate our 1st Birthday by coming this Saturday the 1st of October
Hope to see you there !
Cheers !
