"Who's she?" I reply. "Lady I stayed with every summer as a child. In Vouvray. The one who saved Uncle Harry". "Pardon"? "You must have heard the story"? "What story"? "How in the war Harry and his mate crash-landed in a vineyard, were scooped-up by Madeleine and her Dad, hidden and sent home via the Resistance, and how we've been friends ever since"!
"I've been visiting Vouvray from nearly 40 years, and I swear I never knew that story"! "You must've. You're getting past it old cousin!" Maybe.
Call our Loire agent and Philippa Sydney tells me "Everyone knows of the story in Vouvray - it's quite a legend! I have just spoken to one of Madeleine's grandsons Fabrice and he would be delighted if you were to contact him ... His grandfather (who is no longer alive) apparently used to speak a lot about 'Arry' the English pilot who was shot down in the vineyards of Vouvray! Today it is Fabrice and Laurent the grandsons who run the vines, with father Marc in the background".
I will do that. Fascinating. And you never know ... maybe they'll have good wine. I'll report back.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Friday, 31 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Sitting with the dogs in the empty marquee the morning after the Laithwaites 'End-of-Year' BBQ at our house.
We've held a Company party here for decades now, but only when we feel we've earned it. Been four years since the last one!!!But everyone's worked 'till they've dropped this year and the result was good, so … Party on!
I am just sampling the leftovers. Sad, I know. But you might be interested. Because I don't choose the wines for the party. I think there's some sort of informal process goes on round the office. So what did the Laithwaites tribe choose to drink for their own party? Nothing pricey ... but then it’s only a barbecue and anyway the accountants always come and would get stroppy.
Whites
Quinta das Amoras from Portugal seems to have become our house drink. That and Le Vert Galant then surprisingly the Chilean Gewurztraminer Gran Valle de Niebla. All weird-grape wines with particularly marked, intense and unusual flavours. That's what you need at a Barbie.
Reds
The Homestead Victoria Shiraz Viognier is certainly the drink of choice with us right now since old Dr Jordan came over and did his tasting for us. All his wines have gone berserk at recent customer tastings too so it may well all be gone. But get if you can.
The special Bombero; Selección del Rey, the Ultima Edizione, the Harmans Road Cab Merlot (not so surprising as WE all know the secret of this wine's real name) and – very interesting, this – Chante Clair which we've launched as France's answer to Papavero and Black Stump. Clearly WE like it. It’s the perfect Barbie wine, I'd say. If anyone fancies trying out these wines I suggest you call and speak to one of what we call our Outbounders, or 'Bounders' for short. They were all here last night. They'll know what I'm on about and put a case together.
Whites
Quinta das Amoras from Portugal seems to have become our house drink. That and Le Vert Galant then surprisingly the Chilean Gewurztraminer Gran Valle de Niebla. All weird-grape wines with particularly marked, intense and unusual flavours. That's what you need at a Barbie.
Reds
The Homestead Victoria Shiraz Viognier is certainly the drink of choice with us right now since old Dr Jordan came over and did his tasting for us. All his wines have gone berserk at recent customer tastings too so it may well all be gone. But get if you can.
The special Bombero; Selección del Rey, the Ultima Edizione, the Harmans Road Cab Merlot (not so surprising as WE all know the secret of this wine's real name) and – very interesting, this – Chante Clair which we've launched as France's answer to Papavero and Black Stump. Clearly WE like it. It’s the perfect Barbie wine, I'd say. If anyone fancies trying out these wines I suggest you call and speak to one of what we call our Outbounders, or 'Bounders' for short. They were all here last night. They'll know what I'm on about and put a case together.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Meetings today at the Wine Bar (RedHeads, Theale) with the 'New Team'.
Brimming with ideas. Head-hurtingly creative they are. The ideas for the new Website are just so clever. We've been rounding up customers into a room and getting them to say what they'd really like on the Website. Apparently the customers are more imaginative than we are! Anyway, sometime this summer the site will start to sing. Then it will keep getting better.
We had a little drink to celebrate. Don't know how but the Bar have got hold of a case of Henry's Wedding White which he made to be served last year at the nuptials. Called 'KR' (the bride's initials). Quite what he put in it he is mysterious about. But certainly a lot of love! Was a big hit. Still is. There are 85 bottles left. It’s a real one-off - there's only one K. R.!
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
We had a little drink to celebrate. Don't know how but the Bar have got hold of a case of Henry's Wedding White which he made to be served last year at the nuptials. Called 'KR' (the bride's initials). Quite what he put in it he is mysterious about. But certainly a lot of love! Was a big hit. Still is. There are 85 bottles left. It’s a real one-off - there's only one K. R.!
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
Friday, 24 July 2009
Email today from Andree Ferrandiz; our agent in the Midi.
Delighted we are buying from Embres et Castelmaure again. The first place she ever took me. To see the wild men. And their surprisingly beautiful, subtle wine. Reminded me .... When the hunters of Castelmaure go after the wild boar (apart from their winemaking it’s all they do) up on the baking hot 'Serre' they take their wine.
The older men have a great day. The lads – who drive the beasts towards the guns have a dangerous day. When it’s all over any remaining bottles are buried to the neck in the favoured spots. To be ready, cooled, for the next hunt.
Remember this. When serving their Pompadour Corbières. Bury it first.
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
The older men have a great day. The lads – who drive the beasts towards the guns have a dangerous day. When it’s all over any remaining bottles are buried to the neck in the favoured spots. To be ready, cooled, for the next hunt.
Remember this. When serving their Pompadour Corbières. Bury it first.
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
St Colombe. Everyone now has another reason to come down to Bordeaux. The 'Comptoir de Genes' is now fully open.
Just too late for our recent party down there ... but on time and on budget. Miracle wrought by the adorable (but fiercely energetic) Anne-Marie.
Now you can dine elegantly and very well in St Colombe's next door village. To do 'elegant' when all around you are cases of wine – it’s a wine warehouse as well, with tables set between piles of boxes - that's not easy. But she's done it. It’s the coolest space around!
The Story
We've always got our groceries Chez Guimberteau at St Genes – a short bike ride or long vineyard walk away. (I even have an old pic of the Sixties we went with Old Charlo the Mule and a buggy). A great shop. A real shop. (I do not enjoy supermarkets). And its being also a Bar was no drawback.
But ... old Guimberteau started getting a bit creaky - as you would, 40-odd years of never shutting except Christmas Day. And wanted to sell. No takers! Facing the loss of the heart and soul of her little village, Madame le Maire; Claudy Gomme ( 'our' Claudy - with us since 1974) appealed for help.
One of her parishioners; Anne-Marie was keen to pack-in her commuting to Paris Banking job, spend more time with her young family and run the enterprise. We, as big fans of that 'Grand Designs' programme, were intrigued by the possibilities of the semi-derelict buildings. The Pound was strong – then – so we bought the buildings and she bought the business.
To cut this short; as well as shopping and having a little drink, you can now dine in a new, beautifully restored high roofed space – bit like a church nave – and dine very well but simply and affordably.
Check out Anne-Marie's website. And pay a visit. You can buy most of the La Clarière wines there at the same price as at the winery. In fact all the wines – mostly Cotes de Castillons – are at ex-cellars prices. These are of course much lower than the UK. In fact they are much lower than just down the road. Starting at €4! You don't get down anywhere near that in St. Emilion!
The wines of all the good local growers are here; from Domaine de l'A and Aguille, us ... and many more.
Le Comptoir de Genes isn't one of our Companies, it’s all Anne-Marie. But I would be so delighted to see this little example of a rural renaissance succeed. And I know all of my customers would just love it – and meeting Anne-Marie, Claudy, their families, all the staff of the Comptoir and all the inhabitants of St Genes and surrounding villages.
See you at the bar. Mine's a 'petit rosé'.
(Claudy Gomme, Kaye Laithwaite, me and Anne-Marie Galineaud in Le Cave a Vin restaurant.)
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
Now you can dine elegantly and very well in St Colombe's next door village. To do 'elegant' when all around you are cases of wine – it’s a wine warehouse as well, with tables set between piles of boxes - that's not easy. But she's done it. It’s the coolest space around!
The Story
We've always got our groceries Chez Guimberteau at St Genes – a short bike ride or long vineyard walk away. (I even have an old pic of the Sixties we went with Old Charlo the Mule and a buggy). A great shop. A real shop. (I do not enjoy supermarkets). And its being also a Bar was no drawback.
But ... old Guimberteau started getting a bit creaky - as you would, 40-odd years of never shutting except Christmas Day. And wanted to sell. No takers! Facing the loss of the heart and soul of her little village, Madame le Maire; Claudy Gomme ( 'our' Claudy - with us since 1974) appealed for help.
One of her parishioners; Anne-Marie was keen to pack-in her commuting to Paris Banking job, spend more time with her young family and run the enterprise. We, as big fans of that 'Grand Designs' programme, were intrigued by the possibilities of the semi-derelict buildings. The Pound was strong – then – so we bought the buildings and she bought the business.
To cut this short; as well as shopping and having a little drink, you can now dine in a new, beautifully restored high roofed space – bit like a church nave – and dine very well but simply and affordably.
Check out Anne-Marie's website. And pay a visit. You can buy most of the La Clarière wines there at the same price as at the winery. In fact all the wines – mostly Cotes de Castillons – are at ex-cellars prices. These are of course much lower than the UK. In fact they are much lower than just down the road. Starting at €4! You don't get down anywhere near that in St. Emilion!
The wines of all the good local growers are here; from Domaine de l'A and Aguille, us ... and many more.
Le Comptoir de Genes isn't one of our Companies, it’s all Anne-Marie. But I would be so delighted to see this little example of a rural renaissance succeed. And I know all of my customers would just love it – and meeting Anne-Marie, Claudy, their families, all the staff of the Comptoir and all the inhabitants of St Genes and surrounding villages.
See you at the bar. Mine's a 'petit rosé'.
(Claudy Gomme, Kaye Laithwaite, me and Anne-Marie Galineaud in Le Cave a Vin restaurant.)
Visit Laithwaites.co.uk
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Am on the road. Doing the round of shop tastings. Croydon, Theale and last night Binfield (Bracknell).
Started out me waving photos around. Now I actually have slides to show on a screen. This keeps up, by next year I'll have a backing group! Next stop is Solihull. Have to brush up my Brummie. But what's up with Beaconsfield. Was I rude or what? Our second best-selling shop and no-one wants to come hear the Chairman droning on? Come on Beacs!
Wines that seem to be doing well once I explain them are; VC (innovative rule-breaking Chai creation), Oriol Rossel Cava … although once tasted it really does sell itself, Laithwaite Rosé 2008 and Moonlighters from RedHeads continues to hit the spot.
Wines that seem to be doing well once I explain them are; VC (innovative rule-breaking Chai creation), Oriol Rossel Cava … although once tasted it really does sell itself, Laithwaite Rosé 2008 and Moonlighters from RedHeads continues to hit the spot.
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
VINEXPO Bordeaux was quite a week.
It is the biggest and arguably the best international wine trade fair, held biannually, and attended by literally thousands of wine producers and buyers from around the world. It is slick, smart, professional and thankfully cool ... after the searing heatwave in 2003, the organizers were obliged to install air-conditioning thereby saving countless bottles of samples, not to mention Buyers, from 'stewing' in the heat.
By day, the Laithwaites Buying team walked the endless corridors of the Show, to and fro, up and down, from supplier meeting to tasting, to supplier meeting. It's a marathon though; 4 Halls, the largest of which is a 1km end to end ....
By night, however, we turned into serious party-goers ... Monday saw us under-dressed but made most welcome at Chateau La Gaffelière, tucking in to mouth-watering oysters and foie gras - seriously upmarket 'nibbles' - around the pool, by the light of a large hot-air balloon moon. Tuesday was Chateau Lafite night; a taste of First Growth magic (it's a slippery slope).
Wednesday was a fairy tale - Fete de la Saint Jean at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou; a sumptuous feast in a beautiful setting, 8 different vintages of the Chateau's wines going back to 1961, served from magnums commentated through the evening by such eminents as Serena Sutcliffe, David Peppercorn and James Suckling. And throughout the dinner, we watched as huge bonfires along the terraces and lawns together with a Son et Lumiere show, turned the Chateau slowly but surely into a burning inferno before our very eyes - wonderfully dramatic and totally unforgettable.
By Thursday evening, Clare our now-local Bordeaux buyer, was the 'last man standing'. She soldiered on, attending the traditional last night Fete de la Fleur, hosted this year at the beautiful moated Chateau d'Issan in Margaux. It also marked the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Commanderie de Bontemps, a guild established to celebrate and promote the appellations of Medoc, Graves, Sauternes and Barsac.
Clare was enthroned as a Commandeur d'Honneur which involved much pomp and ceremony, robed in heavy golden damask velvet and swearing allegiance to the regions, to the death . 'PAR LE BONTEMPS, POUR LE BONTEMPS, TOUJOURS BONTEMPS!' .. a Good Time all round.
So Clare's now officially a 'Good Time Girl'!
By day, the Laithwaites Buying team walked the endless corridors of the Show, to and fro, up and down, from supplier meeting to tasting, to supplier meeting. It's a marathon though; 4 Halls, the largest of which is a 1km end to end ....
By night, however, we turned into serious party-goers ... Monday saw us under-dressed but made most welcome at Chateau La Gaffelière, tucking in to mouth-watering oysters and foie gras - seriously upmarket 'nibbles' - around the pool, by the light of a large hot-air balloon moon. Tuesday was Chateau Lafite night; a taste of First Growth magic (it's a slippery slope).
Wednesday was a fairy tale - Fete de la Saint Jean at Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou; a sumptuous feast in a beautiful setting, 8 different vintages of the Chateau's wines going back to 1961, served from magnums commentated through the evening by such eminents as Serena Sutcliffe, David Peppercorn and James Suckling. And throughout the dinner, we watched as huge bonfires along the terraces and lawns together with a Son et Lumiere show, turned the Chateau slowly but surely into a burning inferno before our very eyes - wonderfully dramatic and totally unforgettable.
By Thursday evening, Clare our now-local Bordeaux buyer, was the 'last man standing'. She soldiered on, attending the traditional last night Fete de la Fleur, hosted this year at the beautiful moated Chateau d'Issan in Margaux. It also marked the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Commanderie de Bontemps, a guild established to celebrate and promote the appellations of Medoc, Graves, Sauternes and Barsac.
Clare was enthroned as a Commandeur d'Honneur which involved much pomp and ceremony, robed in heavy golden damask velvet and swearing allegiance to the regions, to the death . 'PAR LE BONTEMPS, POUR LE BONTEMPS, TOUJOURS BONTEMPS!' .. a Good Time all round.
So Clare's now officially a 'Good Time Girl'!
Monday, 6 July 2009
Wyfold. Oxon. Wilting during the day, it was good we only started the vineyard work at 5.30pm.
A good crowd from the office came for an evening of 'tucking in'! This refers to gathering the new branches that have escaped and tucking them back into their wire corset.
But it could also refer to the after work supper. Normally it’s sausages and a nice fire to keep us warm. No fire tonight, but a fantastic paella cooked - or is that 'performed' out in the open. Once again the perfect wine seemed to be a rosé. I had some sample bottles of our Henry's pink. It vanished.
Vineyard looking fit and healthy. Flowering well in the heat. After six years ploughing and rotovating the vineyard is just a sea of stones - a veritable little Châteauneuf! - and yes the stones do retain the day's heat and keep things warm at night.
But you do need that sun. We have it so far!
What a difference from last year!
But it could also refer to the after work supper. Normally it’s sausages and a nice fire to keep us warm. No fire tonight, but a fantastic paella cooked - or is that 'performed' out in the open. Once again the perfect wine seemed to be a rosé. I had some sample bottles of our Henry's pink. It vanished.
Vineyard looking fit and healthy. Flowering well in the heat. After six years ploughing and rotovating the vineyard is just a sea of stones - a veritable little Châteauneuf! - and yes the stones do retain the day's heat and keep things warm at night.
But you do need that sun. We have it so far!
What a difference from last year!
Friday, 3 July 2009
The nicest thing happened at Dalemain. This lady came up to compliment our service.
I'm sort of used to this. But this one went further. She said "I so love dealing with your people, I sometimes think I even prefer the Ordering of the wine even to the Drinking of it.”
That's a compliment and a half. I mean she was clearly enjoying the wine very much. I am very proud of my lot on the phones. The finest in the land!
We’ve just finished our fiscal year. Slightly ahead of target! Which I find amazing when you think back to the daunting news at the beginning of this year and how it just got worse as it went along.
I would like to go round and thank every single customer.
We are to celebrate with the revival of the 25-year tradition of the Company Barbecue at our house, next month.
I'd like to invite all customers too. But the garden is now barely big enough to take the whole Theale office.
And for customers we do have more 40th festivities planned. The one on the Aircraft Carrier fell through alas. (The Navy needed it for something better apparently). But we still have others in London and Windsor.
Captured on camera – take a look at all the pictures from the Dalemain tasting on our new Flickr page.
That's a compliment and a half. I mean she was clearly enjoying the wine very much. I am very proud of my lot on the phones. The finest in the land!
We’ve just finished our fiscal year. Slightly ahead of target! Which I find amazing when you think back to the daunting news at the beginning of this year and how it just got worse as it went along.
I would like to go round and thank every single customer.
We are to celebrate with the revival of the 25-year tradition of the Company Barbecue at our house, next month.
I'd like to invite all customers too. But the garden is now barely big enough to take the whole Theale office.
And for customers we do have more 40th festivities planned. The one on the Aircraft Carrier fell through alas. (The Navy needed it for something better apparently). But we still have others in London and Windsor.
Captured on camera – take a look at all the pictures from the Dalemain tasting on our new Flickr page.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
I was talking to Jane of Dalemain about marmalade. As you do.
No, really, you do, because she's built up this big Annual Marmalade Competition at Dalemain. You'll have read about it in the papers. I reckon marmalade's all fine but what she really ought to try her hand at is 'Vin d'Orange'.
Another old tradition. Just more French. Do this at home. When you peel oranges don't throw the peel away but drop it in a jar of 'eau-de-vie'. A young cognac would do. When the jar is full of cognac and peel, (no flesh, just peel) leave it a few months. Then blend the resulting rather bitter spirit with dry white wine and sugar to taste.
This bittersweet combination, served chilled, with little cheese biscuits is what Madame Cassin habitually served before lunch. Monsieur stuck to his Scotch but the guests always wanted her 'Vin d'Orange'. Great appetite sharpener. Re-cycling at its best!
Captured on camera – take a look at all the pictures from the Dalemain tasting on our new Flickr page.
Another old tradition. Just more French. Do this at home. When you peel oranges don't throw the peel away but drop it in a jar of 'eau-de-vie'. A young cognac would do. When the jar is full of cognac and peel, (no flesh, just peel) leave it a few months. Then blend the resulting rather bitter spirit with dry white wine and sugar to taste.
This bittersweet combination, served chilled, with little cheese biscuits is what Madame Cassin habitually served before lunch. Monsieur stuck to his Scotch but the guests always wanted her 'Vin d'Orange'. Great appetite sharpener. Re-cycling at its best!
Captured on camera – take a look at all the pictures from the Dalemain tasting on our new Flickr page.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)