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Perfect Wines for Christmas!

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Want to find out what wines go well with your Turkey? Need to choose the perfect tipple for your mince pies? Look no further. The Big Yellow blog spoke to Matt, Big Yellow’s wine storage expert about finding the crispest whites and the boldest reds to accompany your festive season…

BYSS BLOG: We’re thinking of inviting our friends over the night before Christmas, what wine would you recommend as the warm up to the big event?

MATT:
Take it easy on Christmas Eve – there’s no good done by peaking too early and waking up on Christmas morning with a sore head. I try to stick to wines that are light in body and low in alcohol, these two are perfect:

Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros, California, 2007 £19.99 from www.thepurveyor.com

Domaine Carneros is owned by the Champagne house Taittinger who make some of my favourite champagnes. This Californian sparkler is made in the traditional method but is more Pinot Noir dominant than Taittinger giving it a bit more weight. The nose is up front and toasty with pronounced green apple, pear and meadow flowers. Light and expressive on the palate with a creamy finish, a great match with Salmon & cream cheese Bellini’s.

Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich, Kabinett Riesling 2010 £11.99 from Sainsbury’s

German Riesling can be an unbelievably good drink and exceptional value for money. Some of the finest, most intriguing wines that I have ever tasted have come from the Mosel Valley and this wine does not disappoint. Graacher Himmelreich translates to ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’ so this has a fair bit to live up to! Soft citrus peel notes intermingle with honey touches and a slate like minerality on the nose while the off-dry palate is filled with zippy acidity that is nicely smoothed out by some residual sugar. Nectarine and a lemon & lime sherbet length make this wine truly irresistible, as does the low (7.5%) alcohol, the perfect match to sweet chilli prawns.

BYSS BLOG: Both sound lovely, so what about Christmas day?

MATT:
In the morning when the kids have woken up far too early, are devouring/playing with whatever has been left by Santa, and are chomping at the bit to see what’s been left under the tree, it’s a good time to relax over a glass of something special. Hopefully you’re looking out at a snow covered street near a cosy fire, ready to sit down and enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts. Bubbles are the order of the day and although it may seem a tad early for popping corks your palate is at its optimum at around 11am! Here are a few options to fit any budget.

Chateau du Petit Thouars – Blank de Noir NV £13.80 from Griffinwell Wines www.griffinwell.com

Some great wines are made in the Loire Valley and are often overlooked by wine consumers meaning that there are some great bargains to be had. Made from Cabernet Franc, this wine shows attractive notes of honeysuckle and green apple. A great choice if you want Champagne quality at half the price.

Bluebell Vineyard Estates – Hindleap Blanc de Blancs 2008 £27.50 from The English Wine Centre

English wine is going from strength with champagne houses buying up swathes of southern England for potential vineyards; we really are making some world class sparkling wines. This Blanc De Blanc (meaning it’s made from 100% chardonnay) from East Sussex is made in the traditional method, so is champagne in nearly everything but name. A lovely, brioche like nose is backed up by a fine mousse with gentle green apple and citrus notes following through on the palate. Incredibly elegant and great value, if this was from a certain area in northern France you would be looking at twice the price, something to be proud of!

Bollinger Special Cuvēe NV Champagne (Widely available, around £40)

Well if it’s good enough for the Queen its good enough for me! This NV (Non-vintage) Champagne has a royal warrant and is blended of wines produced from various vintages to allow for a consistent house style year on year. Bollinger is a pinot dominant blend that has a fantastic biscuit like toasty-ness that is supremely drinkable, fantastic acidity will also get you salivating prior to lunch.

BYSS BLOG: We’re getting excited already just thinking about it! So what about the main meal?

MATT:
Traditional Christmas lunch has got to be turkey with all the trimmings, unfortunately all those added extras on the plate can make it a pretty hard meal to match wine with but also giving you the chance to have a bit of fun and experiment with.

I’m a big believer in choosing a wine that you love to drink over something you enjoy less but have just to suit the food you’re eating. We also usually have the added bonus of extra guests for Christmas meaning more than one bottle is usually required, this gives us the chance to do a bit of experimentation! Below are the wines that I will be sharing with friends & family over lunch on the 25th December.

Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montratchet 2008, £25.64 from www.waitrosewine.com

If I could only have one wine to go with the turkey this would probably be it. A good value premier cru Burgundy with an elegant intensity from well used oak maturation followed through with peach & hazelnut character and fantastically well structured mouth feel, would also work well if you are going to have roast chicken.

Domaine Du Chateau-Gris, Clos de Lupe, Bourgogne 2007 £78.60 per case of 6 from www.bestofwines.co.uk

Sometimes a wines texture and balance can be its most important characteristics, helping to make it compliment what’s on your plate. This wine is terrific value, with smooth tannin and a silky mouth feel, the red fruit is soft and doesn’t overbear.

M.Chapoutier, La Bernardine Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2009 £24.99 from Sainsbury’s

With or without food this is a fantastic wine and at the price point one of the best wines I’ve tried this year. Well layered black fruit that slowly evolves into a smokier, sweet spice and cherry. Black fruit follow through on the well balanced palate picking up morello cherry and liquorice notes, very sexy stuff.

BYSS Blog: And to finish the meal off?

MATT:
There are many well known cheese & wine matches (blue stilton & Sauternes is one of my favourites). A great wine that will go with a number of hard cheeses and also incredibly well with the traditional Christmas pud would be….

Apostoles 30 Year Old Palo Cortado NV 375ml Half-bottle £15.99 from Majestic

Palo Cortado is one of the rarest kinds of sherry and nothing like what granny uses to keep in that dusty old cupboard. This is a relatively dry light wine with an immense intensity on both the nose and the palate. A bit like a liquidised Christmas cake in itself it is full of nutty, dried fruits with toffee and caramel notes. I may just skip the pudding and have a glass of this instead!

BYSS Blog: Thanks Matt, Have a great Christmas!

MATT: You too!

BYSS Blog: Wine Storage Starts from £6.50 per week. If you need a quote just visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/wine-storage Big Yellow’s Wine Cellars have their own Facebook page too. Why not become a fan at www.facebook.com/thewinecellars and get regular updates from Matt.

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Wine Storage Master Class With Tommasi: Amorone & Valpolicella

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Hi again! It’s Matt the wine manager at ‘The Wine Cellars’ located at Big Yellow Self Storage’s Fulham branch with an update to the wine blog from our recent Amorone & Valpolicella Master Class with wines from Tommasi.

Tommasi is a family run company established in 1902 by Giacomo Tommasi who have steadily built up their estate and now own 135 hectares of vineyard in Verona as well as an estate in southern Tuscany. They have some of Valpolicella’s finest vineyards and were the first producer’s to use the Guyot cane pruning system to promote better grape ripening. They eschew the use of small barriques for traditional larger Slavonian oak vats to let the wine speak for itself.

Rafael Valpolicella Classico Superiore, 2009 (£11.99)

This wine hails from the Classico (best) part of Valpolicella and has firm ripe black cherry, plum & liquorice on the nose with redcurrant and cherry dominating the palate. The well-balanced acidity keeps the palate lifted and fresh, the perfect partner for pizza or pasta dishes.

Arele Apassimento Rosso Veronese IGT, 2009 (£12.00)

A complex nose of dark chocolate and black cherry morphing into grilled lamb & Provencal herb with time in the glass. The palate has fresh acidity and baked red & black fruits that linger in the mouth, good stuff that will benefit from a few years bottle ageing.

Ripasso Valpolicella Classico Superiore, 2009 (£14.50)

Tommasi’s Ripasso has a restrained power with dense, concentrated black fruits and delicate pot pourri on the nose. The palate is well-balanced expressing succulent blackcurrant & bitter cherry fruit with a long, spiced finish.

Crearo della Conca d’Oro I.G.T, 2008 (£14.50)

Inky blackcurrant rather than cherry fruits dominates the nose with a pleasing smoky medicinal edge. On the palate the fruit is expressive and again leans more towards blackcurrant and plum than red fruits, although it does sacrifice some of the fresh acidity Valpolicella is known for but makes up for it on the length.

Amorone della Valpolicella Classico (£24+)

Now for the big guns! It is always interesting to taste the same wines from different vintages the two we tried on the night were the 2003 & 2007 both relatively good with the ‘07 coming out as the slightly better.

2007
Fragrant, rich red cherry dominates the nose moving towards more concentrated cherry brandy notes with some time in the glass, elegant and majestic. The palate is filled with concentrated black cherry and plum fruit that calls to mind the feel of a vintage port devoid of the added aguardente spirit, powerful but with enough acidity to stop it from becoming cloying.

2003
The nose on the ‘03 was really starting to show what difference a few more years in bottle, and a lesser vintage gives. On the palate fruit was more subdued but the wine had better overall integration with dried fruit characteristics dominating especially on the length, a wine that demands some thought (and a decent slice of cheese!).

Look out for these wines next time you’re buying a bottle! Need more space to store your wine? We now offer purpose-built, climate-controlled cellars – with all the flexibility you’d expect. Drop in to the Big Yellow Self Storage Wine Cellars in Fulham next time you’re in the area.

Speak soon,

Matt

Matthew Wicksteed
Wine Manager
T: 020 7736 5020

The Wine Cellars
71 Townmead Road
Fulham
London
SW6 2ST

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Bodega Catena Zapata Master Class

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Hi again! It’s Matt the wine manager at ‘The Wine Cellars’ located in Big Yellow Self Storage’s Fulham branch with an update to the wine blog from our recent Catena Zapata event.

We had the opportunity to invite Mariela Molinari to The Wine Cellars who is a winemaker at Catena Zapata. They have been established since 1902 and have become one of Argentina’s premier wine makers. Catena’s Alta range has regularly been awarded 90+ points from leading wine authority Robert Parker, making it some of the best value for money wine in the world.

All wines tasted on the night were of outstanding quality and here are my top picks:

Catena ‘Alamos’ Malbec 2009 £7-8 (Available at Majestic, Slurp & other retailers)

A fantastic nose of black cherries, plums, coffee and warm Bakewell tart. With a long, toasty blackcurrant and melted liquorice length on the palate. Amazing value for money!

Catena Chardonnay 2008 £10.95 (Majestic, Slurp)

Many people have steered clear of Chardonnay in recent years but this is sure to get everyone back on side. A delicate, creamy nose that reminded me of freshly cut pineapple. On the palate you get lovely, refreshing green apple, tropical fruit and light creamy finish from auspicious use of oak, again great value for money. Mariela informed us that the soon to be released 2009 is even better, so keep an eye out for that one!

Catena ‘Alta’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 £23.95 (Majestic, Slurp)

Although not the grape variety most associated with Argentina, this was my top wine of the tasting and could easily match up to most old world cabernets at twice the price! A very classy, complex nose showing rich cassis fruit, liquorice, desiccated coconut and after eight mints! Incredibly well balanced on the palate with intense bramble fruit and an amazing length.

Keep an eye out for my top picks next time you’re buying a bottle!

Bye for now,
Matt

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Henschke Master Class With Simon Woods

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Hi everyone! It’s Matt the wine manager at ‘The Wine Cellars’ located in Big Yellow Self Storage’s Fulham branch with an update to the wine blog from some of the events we’ve had recently.

At the end of September I attended the high profile, fine wine tasting of Henschke wines at The Wine Cellars in Fulham, hosted by the West London Wine School.

Renowned wine journalist Simon Woods presented the tasting of the iconic wines from Henschke, Australia. Henschke wines have gained international recognition as some of the finest wines produced in Australia and amongst the most sought after wines in the world. The tasting worked through the excellent single varietal and blended wines within the range, leading up to the famous Mount Edelstone Shiraz (£55-£60) and the classic Cyril Henschke Carbernet (£60-£70).

Simon Woods is a well respected wine journalist with a plethora of awards under his belt. He won the title Online Wine Columnist/Blogger of the Year at the Louis Roederer International Wine Writer’s Award 2010 for his blog, Drinking Outside The Box. Simon has contributed to numerous magazines, is editor of the award-winning Which? Wine Guide as well as co-coordinator of the annual International Wine Challenge.

Simon was fantastically entertaining, using his easy going personal style to guide the wine enthusiasts through the tasting of the stunning range of Henschke wines. His informal approach is very accessible and he even likened some of the wines to famous bands.

The event cost £45 and included nibbles, tasting notes and professional ISO tasting glasses. To find out about future events held by the West London Wine School and hosted at Big Yellow’s wine cellar facility, The Wine Cellar’s in Fulham visit westlondonwineschool.com. All events and courses are designed to be relaxed and fun and you don’t need any previous wine tasting experience, just so long as you are passionate about good wine.

Keep an eye out for more tasting reviews in my wine blog!

Bye for now,
Matt

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Meet The Wine Maker – Jeremy Gordon

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

On 22 September, myself and twenty others had the chance to meet Jeremy Gordon the wine maker for the Amelia Park label as he hosted the tasting session of premium west Australian wines for the West London Wine School at The Wine Cellars. We enjoyed the quality of the Amelia Park wines on offer and were guided through the tasting process by the wine making legend, Jeremy Gordon himself.

Amelia Park Wines produce five quality wines from one of Western Australia’s most renowned winemaking regions, Margaret River. The tasting session allowed customers to enjoy all five bottles including the Amelia Park Cabernet Merlot, Margaret River, 2009 (£18.50). The award-winning La Violetta ‘La Ciornia’ Shiraz Viognier (£30) one of the best Western Australian wines tasted recently at the school was also on offer for guests to try.

For those who don’t know Jeremy Gordon, he is undoubtedly one of Australia’s most highly regarded winemakers and has recently won one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy, which is added to his already vast collection of honours. Jeremy believes that the success of a good wine starts with the vine, so he works closely with a select group of premium vineyards to achieve superior and consistent fruit quality resulting in elegant, irresistible wines.

Also included in the event were 8 locally sourced wines with full tasting notes, a tasting sheet, professional tasting glasses and a range of nibbles. Big Yellow’s wine storage facility, The Wine Cellars in Fulham is the host for all of the wine tasting events and wine courses provided by the West London Wine School.

For more information and to book future tasting events and wine courses go to westlondonwineschool.com. All courses and events are open to all (you do not have to be a wine expert), and are designed to be a relaxed and fun environment for enjoying quality wines.

Stay tuned for more reviews of these fantastic events in my wine blog.

Thanks,
Matt

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Superb Wine Tasting Events At Big Yellow Self Storage’s Wine Cellars

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Hi, I’m Matt, the wine manager at ‘The Wine Cellars’ located in Big Yellow Self Storage’s Fulham branch. I will be regularly updating this wine blog to inform you of the exciting events we have coming up at The Wine Cellars at Big Yellow Self Storage.

At Big Yellow Wine Cellars we’ve teamed up with the West London Wine School to provide wine loving Londoners with some exciting wine tasting events. You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to attend these events, as they are led by experts who will guide you through the tasting process step by step. The sessions are designed to be a relaxed and fun environment for any wine enthusiast.

Prices start from £20 and include a minimum of six wines, tasting foods, comprehensive tasting notes on the selected wines as well as professional ISO tasting glasses. As well as the tasting sessions, there are also many different wine courses available which focus on specific types of wines or regions such as the four week Discover Italy course or the eight week Introduction To The World Of Wine.

For more information on upcoming events or wine courses visit WestLondonWineSchool.com, all their events and courses are held in The Wine Cellars at Big Yellow’s flagship store in Fulham.

To find out how you can benefit from storing your wine collection in our climate controlled cellars, with unlimited access to your wines seven days a week from 5am until 11pm, visit us at our Fulham store or our Specialist Wine Storage page for more information and a quote.

Look out for my reviews of recent wine tasting events coming up on the Big Yellow Self Storage Wine Blog,

Cheers,
Matt

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Organise Your Wine Cellar On Your iPhone

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Forgetting what you have in your wine cellar could be a thing of the past thanks to the Cellar and Open Cellar applications available for your iPod and the Open Cellar software for your home computer.

Cellar is an iPhone, iPod or iPad application, which is designed to help you organise your wine collection wherever and whenever you like. The application acts as a swipeable showcase of your wine rack. You can categorise your wine bottles, edit what is in your cellar and browse through your collection.

Any bottles you have removed to drink or sell can be discarded to the ‘Garage’. This feature recognises that the particular bottles are no longer a part of your collection, but saves them in the Garage for future reference.

Don’t have an iPhone? Not a problem!

Open Cellar is an equally useful programme, which you can download for free onto your Mac or PC. You can also purchase the ‘Open Cellar’ app for your iDevice, which can be used alone or can be synchronised with the computer software.

The application allows you to organise your wines and provides information on where each bottle is produced, who it’s produced by, specific attributes and value. You can rate every bottle and add purchasing and taste notes for personal reference.

There is an option to build multiple racks and the application can show you the exact location of each bottle in your cellar, allowing you to find your wines quickly and easily. Touching a specific bottle on the screen displays a summary of the wine and highlights where matching bottles are positioned in your cellar. There is also an online database where you can back up your wine catalogue information, so you will never lose your records.

At Big Yellow Self Storage we know the importance of storing wine properly. At our flagship store in Fulham we offer specialist, climate controlled wine storage rooms which you can access 7 days a week. To find out more information about how you could benefit from wine storage visit The Wine Cellars section of our website.

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How To Start Your Own Wine Collection

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

You don’t necessarily have to be a wine expert to begin your own wine collection, there is plenty of help and advice available to get you started. We have compiled some of the best tips and tricks to get you on your way to developing a cellar, which will have your friends green with envy.

There will always be something about wine you didn’t know, no matter how advanced your knowledge is. Education is paramount in becoming a successful wine collector. Read as many wine books, columns and websites as you can. Where possible, visit your nearest vineyard (or take the opportunity to go next time you are holidaying somewhere renowned for wine production). Look out for wine tasting events as these sessions will help you decide which wines to add to your collection. To really develop your knowledge on the subject, it would be a good idea to take a wine course.

There are 3 main categories of wine;

1. Drink it now,
2. Keep it for 2-5 years
3. Keep it for 5 years or more.

If you don’t know which category your wine falls into, you will not get the best from your bottle. The majority of wines (about 90%) do not improve with age and are meant to be drunk within the year. Seek advice from wine merchants, as they should be able to provide a knowledgeable service about the best wines to buy and how long to keep them.

Although you should be confident in your own taste and build a wine collection which will adhere to your own preferences, you should also broaden your horizons and buy new wines, which you have not tried before. The more you experiment, the better you will be at differentiating between the countries wines come from. For example, with time you may be able to tell whether a particular chardonnay comes from Burgundy, New Zealand or California. As you get more confident, you may even be able to taste the difference between different regions of the same country.

Make use of the various promotions and discounts on offer. You can usually get money off when you buy wine by the case. Alternatively purchase directly from the wholesaler or make use of any friends in the restaurant business by placing orders through them. To get the best deals shop around for wine clubs – these can often save you lots of money as they cut prices for their members.

Organisation is a key aspect to your wine collection. Once you have brought your wine make sure you put it in good order. This is essential to avoid getting in a muddle, and ensuring you do not waste a valuable bottle of wine, which is not yet ready to drink. Cataloguing your bottles in a book will help you know what you have and when you can open or sell your bottles. If you open a bottle, make sure you log it and add tasting comments alongside the notes, for your future reference.

Tailoring a storage solution for your new collection is one of the most important things to consider. Improper storage of your wine can ruin your stock so it is essential to store your wine under the right conditions.

At Big Yellow Self Storage we know the importance of storing wine properly. At our flagship store in Fulham we offer specialist wine storage rooms. Our private cellars are climate controlled and computer monitored. You can even access your vintage vinos 7 days a week. To find out more visit The Wine Cellars section on our website now. For more information about wine tasting courses and events visit eatmytown.co.uk.

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The 2009 London Wine Show Unleashed

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

This month sees the return of The Wine Show, held at The Business Design Centre in Islington from Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th October. It’s the country’s biggest consumer wine show and well worth a visit if you have even a slight interest in wine!

A great chance to taste a large number of wines from all over the world and meet world famous wine critics such as Oz Clarke and Tim Atkin MW. With the option to buy wine at the event it’s a great chance to get your cellar topped up and discover new and interesting wines.

Having thoroughly enjoyed last year’s event, I would highly recommend heading down, although Friday and Saturday evenings are not for the faint hearted!

Tickets range from £12.50 – £55.00 depending on which level of tantalisation your palate desires. Visit wineshow.co.uk for full event details.
Cheers,

Matt

Wineshow

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Wine Is Like Men, Some Turn To Vinegar

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

…But The Best Improve With Age

When on holiday, we all like to make the most of bargains we can get while away. Wine, one of life’s true pleasures, is one of our most favourite items to bring back. Quite right too! The cost of a bottle of wine in England has soared by 44p in the last 12 months. Tax hikes have led to the average price of a bottle of wine to leap up to £4.26. In any case, if you’re in Bordeaux, it would just be bad manners not to bring back a bottle or two!

Once you get home, however, your new found love needs a good home. Unless, of course, you plan to drink it all at once! At Big Yellow Self Storage, we know that there are key factors that contribute to good storage of wine. Temperature, light and vibration are all very important to ensure your favourite tipple does not turn into nasty plonk. We can place your wine in one of our specially designed wine self storage units. Whenever you decide to have that dinner party to tell friends about your fantastic holiday, you can ensure that the wine will taste just as brilliant as when you bought it.

Visit the wine storage area of our site for more information.

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