On Friday we officially opened the Chai au Quai;

On Friday we officially opened the Chai au Quai; Laithwaites new French home by the Dordogne in Castillon. I cut the ribbon in front of Le Maire (my old friend and one time rugby captain, Michel Jouanno) and the President of the CIVB; the Conseil Interprofessional des Vins de Bordeaux Alain Vironneau - a great honour for me. (The French do openings the other way round to us; you cut your own ribbon then give the distinguished guests a bit of ribbon to keep).

President Vironneau said I was like Merlot! Because like Merlot, my origins were in this area of Bordeaux, but I have since spread around the whole wine world. I thought he was going on to say that like Merlot I was soft and round! But he didn't. He like many Bordeaux folk was not too impressed when we changed our name to Laithwaites from 'Bordeaux Direct'.

But now, with the opening of this magnificent cellar he felt I had returned to my roots and demonstrated my fidelity to Bordeaux. He hoped all my customers would do likewise! I replied, if I remember rightly, (because I wrote my speech in English but had to speak it in French) that I had a lovely feeling of being amongst old friends - I was, actually. There were friends there I have known for 42 years, fabulous to have them all together for a good 'do'.

As a student I had worked here - even in this very chai - and learnt the history of the Bordeaux wine trade; a thousand years old and once the greatest trade of any kind that the world had ever seen.

This trade was built by the great merchants in their Quayside 'chais' - who still ruled Bordeaux when I came here, but who have since faded, as the 'Chateaux' have grown in numbers and influence. In this Chai, the last - and most magnificent on the Dordogne, we are going to do our best to return to the glory days. Because the region is struggling today. Not perhaps the 'summits' of Bordeaux wine, but certainly the mountain below needs help. Needs new ideas and perhaps new rules. (The very next day the new Minister of Agriculture said she'd be looking at changing a few rules. In Bordeaux you are not allowed to put grape varieties on labels. You cannot make blends between regions, even if that would make a nicer wine. All this and more needs looking at.) I think they’ll get there … they’ve certainly the best raw materials you could hope for.

I like traditions but I pointed out that our customers are no longer inclined to drink wine they don't really enjoy just because of tradition. Then we got the invited crowd inside ten seconds before the heavens opened.

The place was immaculate. Mark and Denis who run the Chai had the assistance of half a dozen English girls and guys from the Theale office. And Brigitte who 'does' for us here had laid on a friend who cultivates oysters at Arcachon, a Dutch friend who makes cheese near here and our amazingly good local baker. With all our Chai wines open (plus a Chilean and Australian just to remind the Bordelais of what they are up against!). And with Jean-Marc doing his wine super-star bit, it was a good 'do'.

The sun came out at the end and the old river looked beautiful enough to make you cry. Emotional day. I would have loved Monsieur and Madam Cassin to see this, and Old Monsieur Appelghem who owned this place and employed me here. A long, long, very long time ago.

Venice in June … Papavero fans pop up in the funniest places!

The Italian % of our sales continues to rise dramatically ... Papavero, the red 'poppy wine' takes much credit (more on that later), but it seems that it's the whites that are really exciting your tastebuds at the mo ... So, off to the top region for whites … and a great time to visit as the 2006 vintage is being talked about as the best in many a year (emphatically here in the north – and pretty much all the way down south). Happy times indeed for Italian wine lovers.

Land in Venice and a drive through the evening to Conegliano; Prosecco country. Great hospitality! At 11 p.m. they were waiting up for us and there was a chilled bottle of Prosecco plus prociutto, salami and cheese set by the fire in the old Locanda. And another on ice in the bedroom! Bit of a waste, that second one. Have to be sharp in the morning!!!
Lovely morning. Sun shines on the terrace, vineyards and mountains and, at breakfast we (Thomas our Italian Buyer, Al, a writer, and me) start on the fizzy stuff.....strictly for the camera you understand! Though I have to say if anyone wanted a breakfast wine then our new 'Fragolino' would fit. Not that, under Euro regs, legally, it is a wine, due to this local habit here of throwing a few strawberries as well as raisins into the vat.That makes it a 'beverage'. But it tastes like a wine; a really lovely one. Maybe like a Dolcetto or Freisa. Just with more strawberry! And it does go well with their breakfast. I imagine the local peasantry of old up in their sunny Alpine meadows watching the old cows, with a hunk of cheese, slice of ham and the fresh Fragolino cooling in the brook. Not a bad life. Offered a glass to the gardener, passing on his mower (closest I could get to a good peasant). He tasted thoroughly, expressed happy approval, but let his foot slip and eliminated a small rosebush. But that was him showing off to camera; NOT the Fragolino's fault!!

We settled the deal, and it’s a very good one. The not-a-wine Fragolino will be shipped for July. Not a lot. So, if it appeals top you, and you wanted to put in an advanced order now, that would ensure you get some...just in case its over-popular.

Then on to the stunning Palladian 'Villa Sandi' to meet an equally stunning Signora. And have a look at her Prosecco. A rushed visit sadly. Wouldn't have minded a tour of one of Palladio's finest houses - one that I think I remember drawing for Art A-level, half-century or so ago. Wouldn't have minded more Prosecco with the Signora either. Anyway, on to near the Austrian and Slovenian borders north of Udine; deepest Friuli where they don't always speak Italian, but where they do make the most fabulous range of white wines in all Italy. (some good reds too but the whites are the ones I've really fallen in love with). Alessandro and his team at the little cooperative winery of Banear - our star winery here - are even more welcoming than usual. They just won this huge, important Trophy as this year's top white winery and so had laid on a celebratory fishy feast. All bottling had stopped and everybody turned their hand to grilling buckets of almost everything you get out of the sea hereabouts.

Sitting, admiring the tumbling vineyards and the little Alps whilst wolfing down steaming mountains of cockles, mussels, cuttlefish, squid and I'm not sure exactly what fish. All just griddled with oil, parsley and garlic. And all washed down with 'our' newly gold-medalled 'Visionario' Friulian white. Its a cracking blend of six varieties … a speciality in the region and I can't figure out why we don't see more of them over here. I guess it's usually quite expensive (makes the deal on Visionario all the more special). Few do a better blending job than Alessandro. Touch of the mad genius about him. 'Visionario' means 'crazy man', I think. Either way, can't wait for our customers to taste this.

It’s a full, dry style, just very different. You can't drink Chablis every day after all, and this makes a lovely change but does the same things. Aromas of flowers and fruits, (but subtle, not O.T.T.), it fills the mouth, long-lasting flavour, and a super-clean finish, with a tiny sting in the tail. A class act. Do get some. If it wins any more medals they'll put the price up.

Must stress this is one of only a handful of times in my life I've been fed like this at a winery. The plates just kept coming. Just brilliantly good timing, turning up today! Andrea was there. He's sort of Our Man in Italy, latest of a series over the years, starting with old Renato Trestini who was Andrea's mentor too. You can't do Italy without good guides. It is impossible for non-Italians to unravel the rules.

Some friends came up from Forli - Marco and Scipione - these are the guys who do our top-seller; Papavero a wine crafted at all their three wineries; Sicily, Romagna and Piemonte. This is more 'brave, 'New World', new-thinking that flouts all the Euro rules in single-minded pursuit of... 'what blend will most please customers'? They must have got it right; Pap-AAH-vero as I must apparently try to remember to call it is hugely popular (our most popular red ever Thomas reminds me).

We drank it that night in Venice at a tiny Trattoria in a washing-hung square between San Marco and the Rialto and talked late about the boys' new passion for the vineyards of Sicily. They are doing a lot with organic vineyards that are also volcanic !! Sounded very exciting!

Next day flung open my shutters, said 'Buongiorno' to Victor Emmanuel and his horse slap in the middle of my view, before being lugged around to every celebrated viewpoint to pose with the lads for the photos which my designer lot increasingly ask for. Bit late in the day to become a supermodel - but there are worse jobs.

By the Rialto a bunch of burly men with tattoos approach. But worry not, they turn out to be avid customers; just off HMS Sutherland homeward-bound to Plymouth from a 9 month tour and keen to get at the Laithwaites cases and other delights awaiting them at home. I could kid myself, but it was the bottle of Papavero that drew their interest. Glasses of Papavero and photos all round; We give the matelots our magnum of 'the poppy wine' then dive in a boat and race across the lagoon, airport, home.

Short, but very sweet trip. Date made for the next; Up Etna, Sicily. The new Australia, they say! Has about the same vineyard acreage! Mmm!

Laithwaites celebrates its LARGEST International Wine Challenge Medal Haul!)

I’m delighted! All the hard work put in by our dedicated buying team to hunt out the very best wines has paid off … Laithwaites has triumphed yet again in this year’s International Wine Challenge held in London last month. In total we clocked up 242 medals for our wines – the most awards we’ve won so far in this big competition – including 19 Golds and an impressive 42 Silvers.

The IWC is one of the largest wine competitions in the world, and each year wine merchants and producers make sure that the date is marked clearly in their diaries, ready to send in their best wines for judging. It’s probably one of the most prestigious too, with a panel made up of international and UK judges from across the wine industry – top journalists, critics, buyers and winemakers, all passionate about this fantastic product.

Only the very best wines triumph! All wines entered into the competition are tasted “blind”. There are 1000s upon 1000s of entries! And there is palpable excitement amongst the trade while anxiously waiting for the results to come out. After all, these awards are very highly regarded and sought-after.

So it’s a great pat on the back for us, but even better news for you as a customer – you can be sure that the wines we offer are the best. We love all our wines and only stock the ones we believe are first rate, but it’s always nice to know that the experts think so too!

And it’s always interesting to note which regions did well. This year France came out on top with 83 medals (2 Golds and 14 Silvers) – well, it is the spiritual home of wine after all – and Australia followed hot on its heels with 56, including 7 Golds and 12 Silvers. Next up were Spain (33 medals, of which 6 Golds and 1 Silver), Chile (21 medals, of which 1 Gold and 4 Silvers) and Italy (21 medals, of which 3 Golds and 5 Silvers).

What does all this mean? The great Old World producers from countries like Spain and France are still the ones to beat, but the New World offers some seriously good buys. In short, the world of wine is very much alive and kicking. I’ll drink to that!

Many of our winning wines are brand new and will be arriving in our cellars shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for offers on these fabulous wines – they make for some of the most delicious, best quality and top value drinking around!

“This amazing result is a vindication of the extra efforts our Laithwaites buying team go to in their quest for the highest quality wines.”, said Peter Greet, Laithwaites Head of Buying. “To have that recognised by such an elite group of international tasters is going to give all Laithwaites staff and customers something to celebrate – and it looks like we’ve won more top awards than any other company in the country”
Peter Greet, Laithwaites Head of Buying.