Mr.Wheeler's Journal
English wines are on a roll - this year it is estimated that another two million vines will be planted. England’s vineyards have doubled in size in the past 8 years and tripled since 2000. There are currently 7,000 acres under vine across 164 wineries and a record breaking 15.6 million bottles were produced in 2018, 130% higher than the previous year’s crop in 2017 and far exceeding the previous record of 6.3m bottles in 2014.
This year, New Zealand is celebrating 200 years since the country’s first vines took root. In September 1819, Yorkshire man and Christian missionary Samuel Marsden planted 100 vines in New Zealand’s far north but it would take a long time for a true wine industry to flourish.
As the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy compete for the title of most in-demand fine wines in the world, with ever-increasing prices the result of this rivalry, there is still a classic region in France where one can find outstanding value for money at every rung of the quality ladder– the Rhône Valley.
Dry White Bordeaux is one of the wine world’s most exciting, yet regularly overlooked wine styles. Having been blessed with the opportunity to taste extensively in the region on numerous occasions, the Mr.Wheeler team always returns to the UK full of excitement about the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion blends enjoyed during their travels.
At the end of January the Mr.Wheeler team were treated to an extensive blind tasting of Red Bordeaux with an upper budget of £15 a bottle from our current portfolio. The aim? To understand the true value of our wines in the glass, to spot strengths, weaknesses and to understand the true depth of our offering. Unbeknownst to us, our Buyer, Ben Godfrey, introduced a “ringer” to the tasting. We’re extremely pleased he did!
Few varieties are more keenly debated than Chardonnay. There is an army of people who will avoid a wine labelled as Chardonnay at all costs, and those who argue that it is the finest white grape available. What is for certain is that it is one of the most versatile grape varieties, and this versatility has been both the reason for its rise and the reason why so many have been put off it.
Sauvignon Blanc's popularity seems to grow and grow, with no signs of this changing just yet. As the British palate has developed a taste for drier, more aromatic whites, Sauvignon Blanc has come into its own. Few varieties can match its fragrant, zesty and refreshing youthful appeal.
Pinot Noir is a true connoisseurs variety, as no other variety seems to reflect its terroir so exactly in the finished wine. For this reason it is loved by winemakers the world over, but at the same time it causes them some of their greatest headaches. This thin skinned variety will develop too quickly in hot climates, rot too easily in wetter climates and be damaged by frosts in colder climates.
Early January is always an exciting time in the UK wine trade, the highlight of which is most certainly the release of Burgundy’s latest vintage. Coinciding as it does with our exhaustive tastings across growers and ranges, it is an industrious time for the Mr.Wheeler team as we busily add the final touches our own hand selected offer.
There is no better way to really appreciate and understand a wine than to enjoy it in the company of the winemaker who made it, and when that winemaker is Kevin Judd, the man who did more than any other to firmly put Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the map, the opportunity is one certainly not to be missed.
Day three of my 2017 Bordeaux tastings was met with a bright and sunny start as we escaped Bordeaux city for the rolling hillside of the region’s Right Bank. St Emilion and Pomerol lay in wait and most importantly for my palate, a break in play from the tannic impact of young Cabernet Sauvignon led wines!
Day two in Bordeaux’s Left Bank and our attention turned to the classic communes of St Julien, Margaux and Pauillac. Pessac-Leognan had already provided a delicious range of wines, where the very best examples displayed delicious candied notions of redcurrant, with vibrant freshness and well integrated tannins. La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion itself led the way as the star wines of the campaign so far, for both red and dry whites.
Following the excellent preceding twin vintages of 2015 and 2016, it was never going to be the easiest task for 2017 Bordeaux to fire the imagination of buyers. Quality across those two vintages had been brilliantly received by critics and private customers alike. Many wines ticked all the boxes for both high quality drinkability, whilst also delivering strong investment credentials for those buyers who were so inclined.
This time last year, Burgundy was a source of great excitement, and it was difficult to imagine anything from the region matching the exuberance and irresistible charm of the 2015 vintage. But 2016 has now arrived, and brought us a fascinating and delicious counterpoint - at its best, the equal of 2015 – and in some cases maybe even better. 2016 has an altogether different, but no less irresistible appeal, shining with elegance, purity, classical refinement and a great sense of place.
The recent resurgence of rosé wine
No longer is rosé perceived as a poor relation to the more sophisticated reds and whites, but is instead becoming the fastest growing wine category. In the past, rosé wines have not experienced great popularity. Traditionally, they have been over-sweet, often used as a cheap, introductory wine, before wine drinkers develop more sophisticated tastes and move onto more acidic, drier grapes. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence of rosé, with new varieties being developed and an increasing variety appearing at wine merchants and on restaurant menus.
We want to help wine lovers expand their oenological vocabulary along with their palette. We've compiled our first A - Z glossary of useful wine terms.
Mr.Wheeler always strives to help customers choose better wine, and so one lucky wine enthusiast will be given the opportunity to win two tickets to the acclaimed WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) beginner’s wine tasting course, worth £358.
Increasing numbers of people are flocking to virtual wine sellers, opting to purchase their fine wines online and taking advantage of the many benefits that online retailers have to offer.
We all know the British tendency to gather eclectic wine and food from around the world, often to a fault. Fajitas share menu space with lamb shanks and balti, and every wine producing country in the world is represented on the list. Argentine Malbec rubs shoulders with Chilean Merlot on a list that could be from Wetherspoons or the best local restaurant. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s very safe.
Better wine drinking means experiencing a greater level of enjoyment and satisfaction. For us, it is about empowering Mr.Wheeler customers to be able to choose wines based on knowledge and insight provided by us, and an understanding of what they enjoy. It’s a constant battle to convince people to “buy better” with so much choice out there in the supermarkets – but when you do and taste the difference, my goodness it’s worth the extra.