Nice to see the old friends; Steven Spurrier, Joanna Simon, Hugh, Charles Metcalf Antony Rose and lots of new. Several are young, female, gorgeous and French. Good move.
I have always shied away from Press Tastings myself (these new events are the initiative of our Buyers). It's not that I'm shy. Just terrified. So, true to form, kept nipping out to our shop.
Played around with the displays in the Arch, trying to make wine bins that cost nothing - using old pallets - now that's something I've always loved; rough carpentry. It's in my blood.
Also recording a slideshow commentary to make the website a bit more fun. Watch out for that!
Evening...
Back to that huge vineyard, more stakes! Bang, bang, bang. And I get a text from the boy "Hi Dad! just stopped for lunch in Nuits St. Georges". Sons eh? Swanning through Burgundy on a 'Stag' do driving to Monte Carlo! Stag nights were not like that in my day! Bang, bang, BANG!
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Friday, 28 May 2010
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Catch up
Friday; Met The Queen at Windsor. Quite a moment for me; I grew up in Windsor. Started our wine company in Windsor. Oh! That my poor Mother had just lasted a few more months to hear about this. She'd have been up, down the co-op, all round Grasmere, no-one would have escaped "My son and the Queen!"
Perhaps, wherever she is, she'll now forgive me putting her beloved cottage on the market.
Saturday; drafted in to help the boy at his Marlow vineyard, now a beige hillside of stakes. 20,000 of them, all hammered in by hand. My right arm now twice the size of my left.
But in the sun, with a little breeze, the bare earth, chalky and stony, the kites watching from above, views across the Thames Valley, narrow here, where it turns south to Maidenhead. Rewarded with sausages grilled over a campfire and fine beer from the wonderful Rebellion Brewery next door; Magical.
Sunday; garden slave.
Monday; To Norwich to see another very good wine merchant.
Tuesday; meetings, meetings. All good. Quick taste of some new arrivals; the sparkling Pinot Grigio from Papavero will be HUGE this summer I think.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Perhaps, wherever she is, she'll now forgive me putting her beloved cottage on the market.
Saturday; drafted in to help the boy at his Marlow vineyard, now a beige hillside of stakes. 20,000 of them, all hammered in by hand. My right arm now twice the size of my left.
But in the sun, with a little breeze, the bare earth, chalky and stony, the kites watching from above, views across the Thames Valley, narrow here, where it turns south to Maidenhead. Rewarded with sausages grilled over a campfire and fine beer from the wonderful Rebellion Brewery next door; Magical.
Sunday; garden slave.
Monday; To Norwich to see another very good wine merchant.
Tuesday; meetings, meetings. All good. Quick taste of some new arrivals; the sparkling Pinot Grigio from Papavero will be HUGE this summer I think.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
So... To continue with the Laithwaites Philosophy bit
If our PURPOSE is just to be...the best way there is - anywhere - to buy wine and to be where wine really comes to life...
How do we do that?
All sorts of ways, a huge number of really.
But underpinning them all; a set of VALUES we aspire to. Sounds rather too grand and boring for a Blog, but bear with me; there are only eight;
1. The way we offer the BEST VALUE wine is by just really knowing our job.
We are proper wine merchants. We just do wine. We've been buying directly from wine-producers for a very, very long time.
More enjoyment per £ is what we offer. And why we are so successful.
(It's not about the cheapest bottles. Wine is, after all, mostly water, so cheap bottles are not all that hard to do. Lovely bottles though, for not very much, is what we aim at).
2. We give our OUTSTANDING SERVICE because we want customers to enjoy not just the wine. We want all contacts with us to be a bit of a treat too. And they are; warm, personal, genuinely caring, intelligent, knowledgeable and respectful.
3. We stay 'DOWN TO EARTH' and totally open about everything - like we've always been - because customers trust us as their friends. Which is important with wine where things can often be not what they seem to be.
4. We know wine can be so much more than just a tasty drink, there are a lot of additional pleasures; the people, the places, the history, the traditions. We make sure the customers gets to enjoy every ENRICHING EXPERIENCE there is.
5. SURPRISE! Customers expect a good wine merchant to 'take the lead'. They love new wines, new regions, curiosities and rarities from someone they trust. We've always supplied plenty of this, it's what we are known for.
6. ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS. Very important to look after them...with customers, suppliers, and staff. Very, very important these friendships.
7. ADDICTION TO SUCCESS. We have been very successful, so now we are rather 'hooked' on always getting an excellent result. This drives us on. This ensures we stay on top of all those little details that must not go wrong.
8. ENJOYING WHAT WE DO. Regarded here as Tony's oddest of all his odd beliefs. When I started I could make no money. For years. Treats like holidays, I became convinced would never happen. So I decided I'd do my daily job, my business, in as enjoyable a way as possible. Then I wouldn't need holidays. I am still enjoying it; the fun keeps us going. And it rubs off on customers too. They like talking to happy people. I hope that whenever anyone at Laithwaites has the choice "shall I do this the boring way, or the enjoyable way?" they know which way to go.
There you go. I said it wasn't Einstein. But maybe it'll help.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
How do we do that?
All sorts of ways, a huge number of really.
But underpinning them all; a set of VALUES we aspire to. Sounds rather too grand and boring for a Blog, but bear with me; there are only eight;
1. The way we offer the BEST VALUE wine is by just really knowing our job.
We are proper wine merchants. We just do wine. We've been buying directly from wine-producers for a very, very long time.
More enjoyment per £ is what we offer. And why we are so successful.
(It's not about the cheapest bottles. Wine is, after all, mostly water, so cheap bottles are not all that hard to do. Lovely bottles though, for not very much, is what we aim at).
2. We give our OUTSTANDING SERVICE because we want customers to enjoy not just the wine. We want all contacts with us to be a bit of a treat too. And they are; warm, personal, genuinely caring, intelligent, knowledgeable and respectful.
3. We stay 'DOWN TO EARTH' and totally open about everything - like we've always been - because customers trust us as their friends. Which is important with wine where things can often be not what they seem to be.
4. We know wine can be so much more than just a tasty drink, there are a lot of additional pleasures; the people, the places, the history, the traditions. We make sure the customers gets to enjoy every ENRICHING EXPERIENCE there is.
5. SURPRISE! Customers expect a good wine merchant to 'take the lead'. They love new wines, new regions, curiosities and rarities from someone they trust. We've always supplied plenty of this, it's what we are known for.
6. ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS. Very important to look after them...with customers, suppliers, and staff. Very, very important these friendships.
7. ADDICTION TO SUCCESS. We have been very successful, so now we are rather 'hooked' on always getting an excellent result. This drives us on. This ensures we stay on top of all those little details that must not go wrong.
8. ENJOYING WHAT WE DO. Regarded here as Tony's oddest of all his odd beliefs. When I started I could make no money. For years. Treats like holidays, I became convinced would never happen. So I decided I'd do my daily job, my business, in as enjoyable a way as possible. Then I wouldn't need holidays. I am still enjoying it; the fun keeps us going. And it rubs off on customers too. They like talking to happy people. I hope that whenever anyone at Laithwaites has the choice "shall I do this the boring way, or the enjoyable way?" they know which way to go.
There you go. I said it wasn't Einstein. But maybe it'll help.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Monday, 24 May 2010
"What...", said the man who looks after this website and all its twittering and flickering, "What on earth...do you lot talk about for a week solid, then?"
Well, at the 'Global Executives' me, I mostly listen and try, as befits my age, to look wise. My job. The managers do the talking. They talk without pause... fast, powerfully and passionately. They impress the hell out of me. They shatter me to bits!
However I do have this one speaking job, myself. It's the philosophy bit; trying to get everyone to agree what we are here for, what we believe in, where we are going and why and all that.
It's important we all agree on these things. Otherwise, chaos. We bring in another Professor to help. Norwegian, this one. (No, I don't know why Norwegian...but he's called Scott which isn't so very Norwegian is it?)
You want to hear what we've come up with so far; Our "Purpose" and our "Values"? Of course you don't.
Rather have a tooth out.
But as I've discovered that many of my lot actually read my diary I thought I would try and put in it my work; the results of some of the hardest thinking I've ever done. Not Einstein but, for me, a big effort. Because my lot would clearly like to know what comes out of these days when all their managers disappear into a small room for a week.
So if the rest of you could just bear with us a while.
Our "Purpose" is easiest to write (though it took a while to think); we just want to be the best way there is - anywhere - to buy wine.
We just want our 'Laithwaites Wine' to be where wine really comes to life, better than anywhere else.
That's our purpose and why we are here.
Now the values we aspire to, that's a lot longer. That's going to take all week. But bear with me, I will get back to wine very soon. In fact, hot tip....here.
I think one of the very best wines we have ever made ourselves is the Laithwaite Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 which comes, perhaps surprisingly, not from anywhere in Bordeaux but from the village of Valvignieres in the Ardeche where Jean-Marc basically took over the co-op winery for about fifteen years, made a couple of great white wines and good 'everyday' reds, but had not, I thought, made a 'great' red.
I was wrong. Turns out he did. It just took time to mature. Try this wine now. Don't keep it, drink it. Eyes, shut, could be a ruddy Cru Classé!
JMS you ARE a French Genius! (That'll make his day)!
And there's a case of this CS sitting on my doorstep as I write. I do back my words with solid drinking.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
However I do have this one speaking job, myself. It's the philosophy bit; trying to get everyone to agree what we are here for, what we believe in, where we are going and why and all that.
It's important we all agree on these things. Otherwise, chaos. We bring in another Professor to help. Norwegian, this one. (No, I don't know why Norwegian...but he's called Scott which isn't so very Norwegian is it?)
You want to hear what we've come up with so far; Our "Purpose" and our "Values"? Of course you don't.
Rather have a tooth out.
But as I've discovered that many of my lot actually read my diary I thought I would try and put in it my work; the results of some of the hardest thinking I've ever done. Not Einstein but, for me, a big effort. Because my lot would clearly like to know what comes out of these days when all their managers disappear into a small room for a week.
So if the rest of you could just bear with us a while.
Our "Purpose" is easiest to write (though it took a while to think); we just want to be the best way there is - anywhere - to buy wine.
We just want our 'Laithwaites Wine' to be where wine really comes to life, better than anywhere else.
That's our purpose and why we are here.
Now the values we aspire to, that's a lot longer. That's going to take all week. But bear with me, I will get back to wine very soon. In fact, hot tip....here.
I think one of the very best wines we have ever made ourselves is the Laithwaite Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 which comes, perhaps surprisingly, not from anywhere in Bordeaux but from the village of Valvignieres in the Ardeche where Jean-Marc basically took over the co-op winery for about fifteen years, made a couple of great white wines and good 'everyday' reds, but had not, I thought, made a 'great' red.
I was wrong. Turns out he did. It just took time to mature. Try this wine now. Don't keep it, drink it. Eyes, shut, could be a ruddy Cru Classé!
JMS you ARE a French Genius! (That'll make his day)!
And there's a case of this CS sitting on my doorstep as I write. I do back my words with solid drinking.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Friday, 21 May 2010
Have just finished most of a week locked in a room with the Laithwaites 'Global'!!! management, and am now waiting at the Cardiologists.
Just a coincidence. No heart attack....but Boy! Do I have a bunch of hard-driving people! Of course they are all 30/40 and I'm 65 this year. It shows. No way can I keep up.
Customers, though, should know the truth. If you enjoy your Laithwaites it really isn't down to me. I just hog the limelight. In reality there's a group of people here who - whilst they say they love the job - regularly work themselves into the ground keeping this train steaming ahead, growing and evolving quite amazingly.. All around the world.
Why the world? - I get asked that a lot.
"Because it's there", I say. But that's stupid really isn't it?
Thing is ... it's tougher running a wine business in the UK than it was in my young day.
We have wine taxes now out of all proportion.
We have all the Puritans endlessly wittering on "wine is a bad drug!" NO!!! it's not, it's been a much-needed comforter for western civilisation for 5000 years and you ain't going to take it away now when we need it more than ever!
We have those five huge UK megagrocers crushing the life out of all small business.
We have a pathetically weak £, and everybody is feeling the pinch one way or another.
But... hey-ho, life goes on. Mustn't grumble. Could be worse. British Spirit, Eh!
So thank you, Laithwaites people, all of you, customers especially, keep it up, we'll not let the Bbbbbb's get us down will we. No. Cheers, then!
Meantime we'll see how the Americans, Australians, Swiss, Germans, Chinese and..... like our wines. (Turns out they like them a lot)! Which is a reassurance.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Customers, though, should know the truth. If you enjoy your Laithwaites it really isn't down to me. I just hog the limelight. In reality there's a group of people here who - whilst they say they love the job - regularly work themselves into the ground keeping this train steaming ahead, growing and evolving quite amazingly.. All around the world.
Why the world? - I get asked that a lot.
"Because it's there", I say. But that's stupid really isn't it?
Thing is ... it's tougher running a wine business in the UK than it was in my young day.
We have wine taxes now out of all proportion.
We have all the Puritans endlessly wittering on "wine is a bad drug!" NO!!! it's not, it's been a much-needed comforter for western civilisation for 5000 years and you ain't going to take it away now when we need it more than ever!
We have those five huge UK megagrocers crushing the life out of all small business.
We have a pathetically weak £, and everybody is feeling the pinch one way or another.
But... hey-ho, life goes on. Mustn't grumble. Could be worse. British Spirit, Eh!
So thank you, Laithwaites people, all of you, customers especially, keep it up, we'll not let the Bbbbbb's get us down will we. No. Cheers, then!
Meantime we'll see how the Americans, Australians, Swiss, Germans, Chinese and..... like our wines. (Turns out they like them a lot)! Which is a reassurance.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Thursday, 20 May 2010
To East India Dock where in the early days I would come to collect my very first cases of wine shipped on the boat from Bordeaux.
Whatever the dockers had not nicked that is. (Serious pilfering by almost everybody connect with wine shipping back then was the real reason why I bought a van and drove to Bordeaux every month to get it myself).
Now apart the odd crane the docks - and dockers - are gone and its where they hold the annual London Wine Trade Fair. Big bash. Well organised.
Spend my time going round the 'fringe' countries and regions; Georgia; dangerous, but well.... as the birthplace of wine its worth spending more time on, India; 65 producers now...perfectly OK but wondering....why???? , Bulgaria; in the 70's early 80's HUGE for us but then lost the plot.
However there was just one Cabernet that reminded me of what we used to sell by the shipload...but we'll never see those crazy Commie prices again. All capitalists now and need to make a profit. The Comrades never worried about such things. Ah! VinProm! Croatia; when it was Yugoslavia we did a fair trade.... Possibly come-back time? If they'd just smile and be helpful.
Turkey; anyone alive old enough to remember 'Buzbag'? Still there. Very nice now. But twenty times the price. A good organic chap. And.... What's that golden dome glinting in the light? Oz Clarke doing his bit on the mike to promote Turkey. So that's it then...the oracle has spoken; next year its Turkey.
After about 3 these shows become a blur. Stagger out to get to Marlow in time to join the 'volunteer' Press Gang Party helping Henry bang in more of his 40,000 stakes. (See his blog). Exhausting day. Very exhausting day.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Now apart the odd crane the docks - and dockers - are gone and its where they hold the annual London Wine Trade Fair. Big bash. Well organised.
Spend my time going round the 'fringe' countries and regions; Georgia; dangerous, but well.... as the birthplace of wine its worth spending more time on, India; 65 producers now...perfectly OK but wondering....why???? , Bulgaria; in the 70's early 80's HUGE for us but then lost the plot.
However there was just one Cabernet that reminded me of what we used to sell by the shipload...but we'll never see those crazy Commie prices again. All capitalists now and need to make a profit. The Comrades never worried about such things. Ah! VinProm! Croatia; when it was Yugoslavia we did a fair trade.... Possibly come-back time? If they'd just smile and be helpful.
Turkey; anyone alive old enough to remember 'Buzbag'? Still there. Very nice now. But twenty times the price. A good organic chap. And.... What's that golden dome glinting in the light? Oz Clarke doing his bit on the mike to promote Turkey. So that's it then...the oracle has spoken; next year its Turkey.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Sorry to have gone quiet. Been on hols in The Lakes (English). More beer than wine.
Back yesterday to meet Tim Hanni a Master of Wine and I think a Professor of Wine from California who likes to be thought of as wine's top troublemaker. Basically he is one of those academics who likes to tear down as many of our precious beliefs as possible. 'Shibboleths' isn't it? What you tear down?
Like our cherished belief that red wine and red meat are made for each other. Amino acids from both working to mutual benefit. All that stuff. Not true apparently. We made it up.
I could believe that. Maybe. Because in my work I've often come across these anomalies. Like....if you go to the Mosel Valley for lunch they'll likely take you into the forest for a rich venison stew and give you a slightly sweet low-strength white wine with it! And it will be delicious. Try doing that in a London restaurant and the sommelier won't be able to hide his sniggers.
His basic point is that the Wine Trade is far too cliquey and turned in on itself to be much good at communicating with most customers - or potential customers. He has a point.
Tim also has hard evidence that we all have different palates. Some of us can taste things that others just cannot. He tested a roomfull of Laithwaites Finest. Sure enough.. A lot of difference.
Which basically means if I'm banging on at you about some wine being all voluptuous and round, you, because you're a hyper-sensitive and I'm not might be be finding the stuff bitter as hell.
Some people find your run-of-the-mill Pinot Grigio to be virtually tasteless. Others find the same wine quite flavourful, thank you.
Yes, well, if wine was all dead easy it wouldn't be as fascinating would it?
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Like our cherished belief that red wine and red meat are made for each other. Amino acids from both working to mutual benefit. All that stuff. Not true apparently. We made it up.
I could believe that. Maybe. Because in my work I've often come across these anomalies. Like....if you go to the Mosel Valley for lunch they'll likely take you into the forest for a rich venison stew and give you a slightly sweet low-strength white wine with it! And it will be delicious. Try doing that in a London restaurant and the sommelier won't be able to hide his sniggers.
His basic point is that the Wine Trade is far too cliquey and turned in on itself to be much good at communicating with most customers - or potential customers. He has a point.
Tim also has hard evidence that we all have different palates. Some of us can taste things that others just cannot. He tested a roomfull of Laithwaites Finest. Sure enough.. A lot of difference.
Which basically means if I'm banging on at you about some wine being all voluptuous and round, you, because you're a hyper-sensitive and I'm not might be be finding the stuff bitter as hell.
Some people find your run-of-the-mill Pinot Grigio to be virtually tasteless. Others find the same wine quite flavourful, thank you.
Yes, well, if wine was all dead easy it wouldn't be as fascinating would it?
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Someone wanted more information about our businesses around the world
Try these websites:
In Australia we are 'Laithwaites Wine People http://www.winepeople.com.au/
In the USA we were 4 Seasons, but are becoming Laithwaites Wine www.laithwaiteswine.com
In Hong Kong we are www.laithwaiteswine.hk And of course, here in Britain, we are www.laithwaites.co.uk
We also have other small businesses around the world and of course the heart of what we do in Bordeaux, Le Chai, where we make our own wine.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
In Australia we are 'Laithwaites Wine People http://www.winepeople.com.au/
In the USA we were 4 Seasons, but are becoming Laithwaites Wine www.laithwaiteswine.com
In Hong Kong we are www.laithwaiteswine.hk And of course, here in Britain, we are www.laithwaites.co.uk
We also have other small businesses around the world and of course the heart of what we do in Bordeaux, Le Chai, where we make our own wine.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
So good to be back in Bordeaux
Spring is well on here. It's been hot. Now it's cool and drizzling but the smell of the earth and that new growth really quickens the blood. The vines all have bright green hats. The cuckoo is going nonstop and the turtle-doves are getting excited, and everything else seems happy.
We got to the Castillon nursery early and bought all our baby tomato, courgette, pumpkin, pepper, chili, aubergine plants. Also the petunias geraniums and begonias. We almost beat the rush. You could get trampled; terrifying hordes of well-built mesdames who need their plants NOW. "C'est un Bordel, Ici" shouts one, like it was my fault!
Escape and on to the Chai au Quai.
In full transformation. About eight noisy carpenters and plasterers. Plus the old owner; Jean-Pierre having a sneak. What we now call the 'Dordogne Chai' is getting to look as good as the original 'Grand Chai'.
In between the two great halls we will soon have Jean-Marc and Mark's 'Atelier' where they will blend and sip all day creating their masterpieces. Good life, eh? No, the work rate is very high here as Mark makes clear in his Blogs.
There will also be the Keyholders room, warmer and more comfortable than before. Don't go now though. It's a tip.
What was a dark, dusty and scary upstairs (you could clearly see through the old floorboards) is now a vast light, bright and airy loft. Good for tastings and receptions. Teams from the UK will come here for two-week stints. They'll carry on with their jobs but just be in this magical place - instead of Reading - surrounded by vineyards and a wine culture second to none. We think they'll be inspired. In fact we KNOW they'll be inspired. For this was their idea, really. Many years I've brought all our staff here to Bordeaux on group visits, but only for 48 hours. "We want to stay, we don't want to go home!" they'd cry as we poured them back on the plane. Well, now they can.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
We got to the Castillon nursery early and bought all our baby tomato, courgette, pumpkin, pepper, chili, aubergine plants. Also the petunias geraniums and begonias. We almost beat the rush. You could get trampled; terrifying hordes of well-built mesdames who need their plants NOW. "C'est un Bordel, Ici" shouts one, like it was my fault!
Escape and on to the Chai au Quai.
In full transformation. About eight noisy carpenters and plasterers. Plus the old owner; Jean-Pierre having a sneak. What we now call the 'Dordogne Chai' is getting to look as good as the original 'Grand Chai'.
In between the two great halls we will soon have Jean-Marc and Mark's 'Atelier' where they will blend and sip all day creating their masterpieces. Good life, eh? No, the work rate is very high here as Mark makes clear in his Blogs.
There will also be the Keyholders room, warmer and more comfortable than before. Don't go now though. It's a tip.
What was a dark, dusty and scary upstairs (you could clearly see through the old floorboards) is now a vast light, bright and airy loft. Good for tastings and receptions. Teams from the UK will come here for two-week stints. They'll carry on with their jobs but just be in this magical place - instead of Reading - surrounded by vineyards and a wine culture second to none. We think they'll be inspired. In fact we KNOW they'll be inspired. For this was their idea, really. Many years I've brought all our staff here to Bordeaux on group visits, but only for 48 hours. "We want to stay, we don't want to go home!" they'd cry as we poured them back on the plane. Well, now they can.
Visit laithwaites.co.uk
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