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Full time wine merchant, occasional pirate, voodoo child

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Diversity In Adversity

I’m only 5 days into 2020 but from a vinous perspective it’s got off to a pretty good start. It’s included Jura, natural wine, orange wine and of course showings from Italy and Argentina. I hope the rest of the year continues to be as diverse. Providing we’re not all blown to bits obviously. Really … Continue reading Diversity In Adversity →

wineman147 wine tasting, wines, wines and spirits 2 Comments 5th Jan 2020 7 Minutes

A Blog Entry 36 Years In The Making

1983 was a tough vintage in Burgundy. It was a bad year in the Lake District too; indeed it was, for 36 years ago today I was hatched into the world. As was foretold in the prophecies ‘For shall appear a man from the north; pale of skin and thirsty of tongue. Around the globe … Continue reading A Blog Entry 36 Years In The Making →

wineman147 wines Leave a comment 15th Sep 201915th Sep 2019 6 Minutes

A Bunch Of Pictures

It's very far away It takes about half a day To get there If we travel by my, dragonfly No it's not in Spain But all the same You know It's a groovy name And the wind's just right No it's not in Spain. It's in Somerset. And the wind is just right, as are the soils, aspect & everything else about its location. Also, who travels by dragonfly these days? A giant soaring eagle is the way to go. Or you could drive to England's smallest cathedral city, Wells, & then head over to the village of Worth & then you'll find Fenny Castle Vineyard. In 2005 Gill & James Cummings had the idea to plant a vineyard on their land but the day jobs of raising both Suffolk Sheep & a family took priority. In 2009 James finally went to Plumpton to study viticulture & winemaking. They planted their first vines (Bacchus) in 2011 & Pinot Noir & Ortega soon followed. The vineyard itself overlooks Glastonbury Tor & has a unique *rock chat klaxon* composition of tea green & red marls alongside the mineral Celestine. So unique is this that it's officially a Special Site of Scientific Interest. The vines are trained using a combo of VSP & Lyre. If that doesn't mean much to you, don't worry; they're ways of maximising the efficiency of the vines that balance growth of fruit & leaves. I remember tasting the BdN when judging at the IEWA & loving it. As soon as I feel on top form this is the first bottle I'm cracking. I'll celebrate #EnglishWineNight vicariously through you good folks. That Fenny Castle Magic is a really groovy place... Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions @fennycastlevineyard @greatbritishwine @winegb @theiewa @tastebristol #EnglishWine #EnglishWineNight #RockChat #JimiHendrix @winegbwest

I'm gonna run to you I'm gonna run to you 'Cause when the feelin's right I'm gonna run all night I'm gonna run to you To be honest, it's more of a very short walk. My cellar really isn't that far away. I mean, it's far enough away that once I return I need to sit down with my chosen bottle and relax for the rest of the night... It was only after selecting this track that I realised the only thing Bryan & Tim Adams have in common is their surname. But I haven't prepared any other songs so I'll have to run with it. Tim Adams is an icon of Australian winemaking and deservedly so. Tim & his wife Pam first started in 1984 with their friends Bill & Jill Wray, who were Coopers. Well, they were Wrays but Coopers at the same time. They make barrels alright! They started as a small operation making some wine & oak barrels. In '87 they formed separate businesses so each could focus on their specialism & remain firm friends to this day. It was that same year that Tim purchased the winery that is still in use today. The estate covers 150 hectares or so in Clare Valley, 130 clicks north of Adelaide, with some vines approaching 60 years of age. Tim's wines go for more elegance than power & he makes some wines of extraordinary value. This Shiraz spends 24 months in US hogsheads & is beautifully integrated. It still feels young & fresh with a lovely depth of vibrant fruit. Clare itself only accounts for 3% of Aussie wine production & is especially well known for its excellent Rieslings. The region was named by one of the first people to plant vines there, back in the 1840's. Edward 'Paddy' Gleeson named the region after his home county back in Ireland. Well, the feelin's right so I'm off to Zoom up some buddies and chat more Aussie wine. Bonza. Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions @wineaustralia #Australia #redwine #Shiraz @timadamswines #ClareValley

Over the last couple of weeks I have featured some wines from Danebury Vineyards in Hampshire. You may recall me from such hits as Angie and The Chain. Have I got a tune lined up for you for later on...*feels the tension grow* Join me this evening as I talk chalk soil, gold medals and Danebury Vineyards with Caroline Stevens, their sales and marketing manager. Caroline has her professional wine qualifications and many years experience in most facets of the wine trade. She has developed the sales of wine of this long established vineyards, for over the last eight years. Danebury has a fascinating history and it would have held its first Cellar Door day this weekend, but of course the gates are shut. Caroline would have been walking through the vineyards with her visitors and talking though the wines, but instead she is talking to me about this small distinctive vineyard and the delicious white wines it produces. Hope you can join us at 7pm to find out what goes on behind the label of Danebury Vineyards.’ Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions @daneburyfizz @greatbritishwine @winegb @vineyardsofhampshire #EnglishWine #Englishwinenight

Oh, is this the way they say the future's meant to feel? Or just twenty thousand vines standing in a field? And I don't quite understand just what this feeling is But that's okay 'cause I'm all sorted out for seaside Errazuriz. Jarvis Cocker is a man of great taste & sophistication so I have no doubt he would love this Chilean Pinot Noir as much as I do. Chile has built, & maintained, a strong reputation for solid, entry level wines. I'd add strong varietal purity to that too. However, because of this I think Chile is sometimes overlooked when it comes to exciting wines. (Yes, that is a broad generalisation before you feel the need to point it out) Chile is a viticultural paradise. It's clean, healthy & remains free of Phylloxera. That pesky little bastard just can't find a way in. It's such an amazing place to grow vines. We tend to think of Chile as a series of east-west valleys & while this is accurate & important, we also need to think longitudinally. Chile is 3,000km long (roughly, I've not measured it exactly) but only 160km wide. This means that Chile has coastal regions, central, & Andean. These three only increase the diversity & make the wines more interesting. Errazuriz, founded in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errazuriz (Feliz Cumpleaños amigos) are today one of the country's leading producers. Pioneers of Syrah, they also led the way in exploring coastal vineyards. This Pinot Noir is grown only 12 clicks from the Pacific & shows fabulous freshness. It spends 10 months in new French oak but it's beautifully integrated. In the middle of the night It feels alright, but then tomorrow morning...I'll remember drinking a great bottle of Chilean wine. Vamos a Chile! Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions @errazurizwines @hatchmansfield @winesofchile_uk #Chile #PinotNoir @fiona_mottershaw @_.emilysilva._ @theoxfordwinecompany

After an ill-advised law conversion and a long spell of waitressing I found the right path, and that was wine. The first step in my career, which I now look at as hugely serendipitous, was a job at The Oxford Wine Company (where I still work now) as a shop manager. Despite being midway through my WSET Diploma it was a huge learning curve with customers who (rightly) expect you to be able to tell them in varying degrees of detail about all of the 1200 wines in the range. After the Diploma, I decided I was done with wine education. However, it became clear that I’m a huge nerd and never feel quite comfortable unless there’s an exam on the horizon. That, combined with a life-changing trip to Soave, led me to where I am now - knee-deep in the MW study programme. @_.emilysilva._ Emily took over my role at The Oxford Wine Company 5 years ago. Amazing how time flies. Emily wowed her customers and colleagues alike with her energy, enthusiasm and ability to come up with new ideas. If Emily were a wine she has described herself as being a Riesling: "sometimes sweet, usually sharp, and with an occasional sparkle." I'm amazed Emily has agreed to join me as she dislikes poor writing and laziness. I imagine she hasn't actually read anything I've written then *chortles*... ... ... *tumbleweed* If you want to know more about life in the indie trade, being an MW student or Victorian detective fiction and gory revenge tragedies do join us as I talk to Emily about her #PourDecisions Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions

#Repost @jeantoridesign (@get_repost) ・・・ May is National Share a Story Month in the UK so we're sharing an image from our children's book, Leo's Birthday Adventure, with Leo the Falcon in the kitchen. In these strange times, it's the kitchen stories we're filling up on: 🎁 the gifts of homemade pizza & cake from our wonderful neighbours here in Umbria; 👩‍🍳 cooking some incredible recipes from our favourite vegan cook, Christine @conscious_cooking over in New York who we knew from Hong Kong; 🎸the amazing guitar singing comedian & wine expert, Lee, who we follow over in Oxfordshire @wineman147; 🍔 and the return of the Umbrian cooking kings at the @boteghino in Trestina with their delicious take-away sandwich and hamburger creations. Thank you for the deliciousness and thank you for the stories! Keep safe. . . . #shareastory #nationalshareastorymonth #picturebookillustration #nssm #spendtimetogether #readaloud #beautifulbooksforfamilies #smallprintbooks #readwithyourkids #raisingreaders #storybooks #kidsbookstagram #jeantori #jeantoribooks #kidlitart #childrensbookillustration #lockdownstories

#Repost @chattingwine (@get_repost) ・・・ What a bloke! @wineman147 did an awesome podcast with us a few days ago which will be released next week about buying wine in the uk. Buying wine in the uk can be really tricky whether it is in the supermarkets or at a wine merchant. Lee tells you all about what to look for and what to watch out for. Handy tips and top advice from a very knowledgeable man ... ... ... Very kind words there from @chattingwine This superb podcast, set up recently by George Sandbach of The Oxford Wine Company and Sandy's Piano Bar has just featured in @vanityfair (alongside Dame Judi Dench no less) I was delighted to be asked on to talk about buying wine in the UK. It's a subject that's obviously very close to me and one I feel very strongly about. Keep an ear out for it going live over the coming week. #winetime #winetasting #buyingwine #cheapwine #affordablewine #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions

Black hole sun Won't you come And wash away the rain But be careful...don't wash away the awesome Llicorella soils at the same time. Yes, Black Hole Sun, we love those... *apologises in advance* Black Quartz Soils...*tumbleweed* Laboured, tenuous, absurd. This is my best pun yet. I'll 'fess up...I've had an outstanding request for this song for ages & this is the best I can do. It has given me an excuse to open this brilliant and unusual white though. So there. Priorat is probably my favourite Spanish region but it is more associated with big hitting reds than white or rosé. Garnacha might be the star here but there is some nice support from Pedro Ximenez. This variety, better known as the staple of Montilla-Moriles (where it accounts for around 70% of plantings) is one of Priorat's few permitted whites. So what of the name Llicorella? Priorat is famed for its soil, which is low in organic matter but with a rich inner life...sorry, rich mineral content. Laid down during the Paleozoic era this soil is a combination of black slate, mica & quartz. The Paleozoic era was roughly between 540 to 250 million years ago. It lasted only slightly longer than lockdown. I often find great mineral tones in Priorat reds & I find the same here. I've not drunk a great deal of still white PX but this is a superb piece of kit. Here is where most people would write a tasting note...but I don't do those. Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions #PedroXimenez @grapemindsoxford @g_woody91 #Priorat #Whitewine #Soundgarden

Hush Hush I thought I heard it calling my name Hush Hush It cost me twenty quid But I love it just the same Back in 2016, which feels like 30 years ago now, Tesco added 20 new wines to their 'Finest' range. Amongst these new additions was their first English sparkling. This was in response to 'customer demand.' So even then, consumers were after quality English fizz. It's no surprise then to see such love coming the way of English wine at the moment. As #EnglishWineNight is focusing on the south east, it seemed like a great time to open this. Richard & Leslie Balfour-Lynn bought the manor (built in 1503) in the mid 80's. In 2001 the 160 hectare grounds became available for purchase. Richard & Leslie took full advantage & by 2002 had planted their first vines. The first harvest came in 2004. Their first release, 10,000 bottles of sparkling rosé, won a gold medal at the IWC in 2008. Since then they have gone from strength to strength. Everything the estate produces comes from their own fruit. Plantings now cover 15 hectares in a frost resistant area. When the Balfour-Lynn's bought the land they asked the Turner Family to carry on as viticulturists. The family have looked after this land (previously used for farming & agriculture) for 3 generations. This fruit has wonderful energy & tension that carries through into the wines. This Finest example is a traditional blend & obviously traditional method. We often talk about price points with English wine but at sub £20 this is attainable, stylish & utterly delicious. Hush, hush Thought I heard it calling my name now Hush, hush I'm going to drink this and I'm not to blame anyone Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #winemerchant #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #instawine #winestagram #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #wineporn #winereview #wineeducation #winepuns #itsjustgrapes #winesocial #pourdecisions @winegb @theiewa @hushheath @tescofood #EnglishWine #EnglishWineNight

#Repost @daneburyfizz (@get_repost) ・・・ When it’s time for wine try a change and click on an English wine ! This is Danebury Vineyards finely balanced Madeleine Angevine who was recently serenaded by @wineman147 . If you like guitar and the #rollingstones stop by @wineman147 and look it up. This wine deserves a serenade, the grapes are from 25 year old vines which produce a delicate wine full of orchard fruit flavours and hint of tropical, making a refreshing wine with citrus finish . Check out our website in our bio. . Pair with this seasons new #asparagus #cheers #winewednesday #shoplocal . . . #englishwine #foodandwinepairing #englishvineyard #hampshire #englishasparagus #wineandfoodpairing #whitewine #buy local #winetime I tasted this Mad Ange a couple of weeks ago and absolutely loved it. Bright, vibrant, characterful and so full of energy. Go find yourself a bottle and enjoy. It will make those dark clouds disappear. Remember: it's just grapes. #wine #winelover #winedrinker #winetasting #wineeducator #winenerd #corkdork #winetime #wineoclock #winesof2020 #winesofinstagram #drinkbetterwine #winereview #wineeducation #winesocial #pourdecisions

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