Many of our Commercial customers are independent or neighbourhood restaurants so I thought it relevant to mention a recent report in Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review (28 January 2011) on independent/neighbourhood restaurants. Their research shows that despite this difficult time many of you are working really hard to maintain your customer base, which in turn means profits are up!

Gemma McKenna’s article ‘Independent and local restaurants uncovered’ suggests that “Eight out of 10 [independent or neighbourhood restaurants] have seen profitability stay the same or increase while the remaining 20% have seen profits fall. But any drop in profitability has been small, with almost two-thirds (62.5%) saying profits had only fallen by up to 10%. Almost all restaurants (92%) with expanding profits are experiencing growth of up to 10%, while the remaining 8% are growing between 10% and 20%.”

As you are more than likely aware of, wine can play a significant factor in your takings. McKenna quotes “...six out of 10 (57.5%) local restaurants saying [wine] makes up between 15% and 25% of their total turnover.” There were then two contradictory takes on this. Approximately a third of restaurants who participated in the survey said that wine accounted for less than 15% of sales but on the other hand 15% of those surveyed reported wine to account for up to 40% of their turnover. According to the stats, one in 3 local restaurants report that “wine sales are a growing part of the sales mix.”

Wine lists:

Layout – it appears that structuring a wine list by price and style is the most popular (35% of restaurants favoured each method). 

Grape Varieties - the report suggests that consumers remain in favour of their trusted grape varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio in the lead (30% each) followed by Sauvignon Blanc (25%).

Country of Origin – the survey reports that 35% of drinkers request French wine, 27.5% request Italian and 20% request Chilean. The countries least in demand at 2.5% (each) are South Africa and Australia.

Responsible drinking – it appears that as a nation we are not specifically asking for wines low in alcohol when dining out. This might be because when consumers are dining out they are looking to relax, unwind and indulge whereas the demand for low alcohol wines for consumption at home would be much higher. Harpers also report that “when it comes to how much people want to drink, 17.5% of customers are looking to drink more, while 72.5% haven’t changed their habits and one in 10 is keen to cut back.”

Again I would expect that in this economic climate people may reduce their bottle price rather than the quantity consumed in attempt to keep costs down but their dining out experience comparable with what they are used to. Ultimately people dine out for the experience; familiarity is a key concept into ones personal enjoyment or satisfaction of an occasion such as dining out. In short, people do not like change... but that’s an entirely new subject to discuss! Furthermore if you can gain customer trust and give them a rewarding encounter then they are more likely to come back time and time again. As many of you will know a regular customer base is a key factor in achieving growth.

Quality – with the increase in VAT to 20% and the duty we pay in the UK, unfortunately wine is getting more expensive. Harpers research suggests that this is yet to be passed onto the consumer as 57.5% of restaurants surveyed said that they have kept the price of their cheapest wine the same, compared to a third increasing the cheapest bottle price and only 7% reducing it. McKenna writes “this was reflected in an increasing number of customers seeking wine-by-the-glass (up 35%) and a 37.5% jump in customers’ sensitivity about price.”

Price – the survey conducted by Harpers reveals that the average bottle price for half of the participating independent and neighbour restaurants is between £15 and £19. 25% of those interviewed had an average price between £20 and £30 and the remaining 25% had an average price under £15 but predominately all wines have a minimum price of £12.

Wine is an important part of your trade and at Majestic Commercial we offer training for your staff and can help you design a wine list full of suitable wines in a functional format based on your clientele.  If you feel that Majestic could be beneficial to your business please contact us for further information.

For any existing Commercial customers who feel their wine list needs an overhaul to be in line with current trends, please speak to your account manager for more details.

Business Development Manager, Joe Dewhurst shares his optimum must have wines for all Commercial customers this Valentine’s Day. Contact your account manager to order to ensure you are all stocked up for what we hope is a busy weekend for the trade...

Don't lose sleep! There's no need to panic this Valentine’s Day, here at Majestic Commercial we have an amazing array of wines, which will complement your wine list and add some great specials to your wine offer. I will only get chance to mention just a few of them here, but this mixture of personal favourites, must buys and hidden gems will hopefully assist you along your way and will add to your customer's special day!

Château Saint Roch-les-Vignes 2009 Côtes de Provence

We all know rose is always a well-liked preference for Valentine's Day, it would therefore be daft of me not to recommend a classy, elegant, French rose from the Côtes de Provence. The Château Saint Roch-les-Vignes is a delicious, mouth watering rose, oozing in class. The stylish, curvaceous bottle is pleasing on the eye, and the wine doesn't disappoint. At just £5.40* ex-VAT, not only is it a great buy but it is a marvellous match with salads or Mediterranean style foods and would be a fantastic start or finish to ones evening!

La Poda Sauvignon Blanc Verdejo 2009 Vino de la Tierra Castilla y León

Sauvignon Blanc has become one of the most fashionable and popular wines in the UK market today, with most people having heard of or tasted the crisp white wines from Marlborough, New Zealand. The next wine I would like to advocate should be on everyone's special's list, a Sauvignon Blanc/Verdejo blend called "La Poda" from the Castilla y Leon region, to the North West of the capital Madrid. Not only does this region offer great value for money, but it offers something slightly different. The Sauvignon Blanc is prominent and powers through with its citrus character but the Verdejo adds a further dimension. This local grape variety adds a peachy, apricot and citrus twist to the wine, making it the ideal accompaniment to fish, seafood and even sushi. An absolute bargain at £4.15* ex-VAT.

Rioja Reserva Vendimia Seleccionada 2005 Muriel

However, if rose or Sauvignon Blanc isn't for you or you simply want that added element of style, why not try a red wine from the famous region of Rioja in Northern Spain? The Muriel Rioja Reserva 2005 offers great value for money at just £4.99* ex-VAT. After 24 months of maturation in French oak and a further minimum of 24 months ageing in the bottle before its release, this wine would definitely appeal to most. The deep ruby colour, the softness of the vanilla and the hints of chocolate and mildly spicy tannic finish make this wine an ideal complement for tomato based pasta and tapas dishes.

Fill your boots, have the confidence that these wines will not only accompany your dishes and have that element of surprise, but most importantly boast that added dimension to Valentine's Day!

*prices are ex-VAT and based on buying a minimum of 2 bottles of each wine. Valid until 2nd May 2011.

Joe Dewhurst

Mark Murphy, Business Development Manager of the South and South East recently organised a fabulous evening of wining and dining at one of his accounts based in Bletchingley, Surrey. Here he tells us about the success of the evening along with the wines chosen by Mark to compliment the superb menu...

A recent telephone call from one of my customers led to a fabulous evening of food and wine matching with the culinary delights created by recent Masterchef (BBC TV) Professional contestant Ben Piette. Ben is a very skilled cook for sure, and he made it to the semi-finals of the show where he ended up cooking in Tom Kitchin's eponymous Michelin starred restaurant in Edinburgh. Sadly he was knocked out at this stage by the eventual winner of the competition, but he received high praise indeed for his work.

Ben will shortly realise his dream in opening his first restaurant in Surrey (more of that very soon). Prior to his latest adventure he was hospitality chef at McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, cooking for the likes of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Ben provided me with a selection of starters mains and desserts which I duly paired with some cracking wines (see below). The evening proved to be so successful that the Red Lion pub in Bletchingley was in danger of being absolutely packed to the gunwales! The final head count numbered 95 and we could have sold double the number of tickets. Ben chose some interesting dishes with great flavours and I needed to delve into our huge range of wines to find some choice nuggets to partner them. For me there were many highlights but the grilled sardines paired with the Bastide Roussanne was a real hit for the entrée dish. Roussane is typically found in expensive Rhone whites such as Condrieu and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but here we have a superb lemony fresh wine with crisp acidity to work well with the oily fish, delicious.

There were some classic pairings such as Rioja with lamb, juicy Argentinian Malbec with steak and the delightful Gruner Veltliner (from Austria) with baked fillet of salmon and pea purée. It was also nice to offer some more adventurous couplings such as the wild mushroom risotto with Barbera d'Alba from Forville.

The front of house team had a very busy evening as the guests arrived and then ordered their choice of three dishes. They certainly had to up their game to ensure that the dishes arrived on time and at the correct temperature. As we passed ten o'clock all the guests had been served and the food had been universally well received. Ben came out of the kitchen to receive a warm applause from the diners.

The evening was a great success and although we may not be able to provide a Masterchef contestant every time, gourmet evenings are proving a real hit for our customers. Showcasing great food with exciting and fresh wine ideas really does stimulate interest as well as bringing in welcome business. There are an endless number of possible themes to choose and I would urge you to speak to your local account manager to discuss potential ideas. Above all these evenings are great fun for both staff and customers alike and we certainly need a boost in the current trading climate!

STARTERS

Grilled sardines with watercress salad, extra virgin olive oil vinaigrette and capers

Wine match: Domaine La Bastide Roussanne 2009

Goats cheese and sticky red onion tart with lemon thyme pastry, baby leaves and aged balsamic

Wine match: Parcel Series Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Ham hock terrine with wholemeal and seeded home made bread and winter chutney

Wine match: Morgon 2009 Chateau de Pizay

MAINS

Baked fillet of salmon with pea puree, broad beans and lemon hollandaise sauce

Wine match: Gruner Veltliner, Weingut Pfarre Weissenkirchen 2009

Grilled rib eye steak with confit shallots, fondant potatoes and poivrade sauce

Wine match: Gouguenheim Valle Escondido Malbec 2009

Lamb two ways (braised shoulder and roasted rack) with Mediterranean tomato compote and rosemary oil

Wine match: Rioja Gran Reserva, Gran Vendema 2002

Wild mushroom risotto with parmesan shavings,dressed rocket,pesto and a poached egg

Wine match: Barbera d'Alba delle Vigne Vecchie 2007/2008 De Forville

DESSERTS

Pear and vanilla sponge with red wine and raspberry syrup and clotted cream

Wine match: Elysium Black Muscat 2007 Andrew Quady

Warm chocolate tartlet and orange sauce, bitter chocolate sauce and pouring cream

Wine match: Essensia Orange Muscat 2007 Andrew Quady

Ginger panna cotta with ginger ice cream, mixed berries and garibaldi biscuits

Wine match: Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Concha y Toro 2006

Mark Murphy

To conclude the travel stories from the Commercial team's visit to the Haut-Lirou winery, in the Pic St Loup appellation, Business Development Manager Karim Ghazanfar talks to us about vinification in the Pic Saint-Loup...

To most in the wine trade The Languedoc represents good value wine that can offer a taste of France at a snip of the price of the supposedly more romantic wines of Bordeaux and the nearby Rhône Valley. The Francophile wine drinker has traditionally had to compromise on quality when exploring or experimenting with the Languedoc as the low prices are partially fuelled by large scale production. With wine there is a simple equation; the more you produce, the worse the juice!

What struck me as we entered the "caves" at Domaine Haut Lirou was the scale, or lack thereof. In front of me stood 4 rows of barrels, 20 barrels deep stacked 2-3 high. Having previously visited wineries in Penedes, Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Beaujolais where the cellars contained anything up to 40 times the number of barrels, I got the distinct feeling that quality was of central to this producers recent success.

     

Our proud host Valere explained the vinification and maturation methods. Staunchly traditional, the winemaker insists that the grapes are hand sorted, de-stalked and the vatted by gravity alone to preserve the freshness of the fruit. Each walled area of the vineyard and each grape variety are vatted and vinified separately, usually for between 4-8 weeks at a relatively low temperature. This allows fresh fruit flavours to prevail in the wine, whilst allowing sufficient time for complex flavours and structure to develop. During fermentation, the winemaker performs daily rack and return and punching down to facilitate the release of colour, polyphenols, aromas and tannins. Once fermentation of the red wine is complete, a light press is performed and the free run and press juices are blended before maturation.

Maturation is carried out in French oak barrels. Whilst some experimentation has taken place with American, Slovenian and Russian oak, unsurprisingly French is still considered the best! Different coopers are used every year depending on the expected quality and style of the vintage. Usually one third of the barrels are new every year and at over 600 Euros a piece, it's no wonder that some of Domaine Haut Lirou's wines sell for close to £30 a bottle! The wines are usually matured for 12-16 months to impart oak influence and complexity on the wine with barrels being topped up every 15 days to account for evaporation and leakage. After maturation is complete, the wines are blended and bottled. My pick was the L'Esprit du Haut Lirou 2006 AOC Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint Loup which is a blend of 65% Syrah, 25% Grenache and 10% the massively underrated Mourvèdre. Try it with freshly hunted, medium rare wild boar char-grilled on the barbeque.

Karim Ghazanfar

Following on from the Commercial team's visit to the Haut-Lirou winery, in the Pic St Loup appellation, Business Development Manager Karim Ghazanfar shares his findings regarding the viticulture in the Pic Saint-Loup...

"These are the three best wine regions in the Languedoc: La Clape, Grès de Montpellier and Pic Saint-Loup," declares Valere, who is our host from Domaine Haut-Lirou during our visit to the region. We are sitting on wooden benches at the back of a Land Rover, being driven around under the shadow of the Pic Saint-Loup (658m). North of Montpellier and 30km from the Mediterranean coast, these are some of the most rugged vineyard tracks in the South of France. If it didn’t feel like it at the time, most of certainly felt the effects of the bumpy ride the next day!

Valere is accompanied by José, who has been working with the vines since the 1970s, and looks over each plant as if he knows it personally. As we move between different vineyard sites he can't help stopping to check on some foliage or to move a branch from here to there. Instinctively I begin rearranging the vines myself. I quickly stop myself - might our guide object to my intrusion of his vines?

In broken French and plenty of hand gesticulation I ascertain that Haut Lirou have been involved in much experimentation in the vineyard over recent years. We look at Syrah, Mouvèdre and Grenache, grapes synonymous with the region - and the most highly regarded; we then discover plantings of Muscat, Viognier, Petit-manseng, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Most of these vines (mere infants) are yet to reach the 7 year minimum age to be classified under the Languedoc appellation, but perhaps within the next 20 years will be set to rival their cousins from illustrious areas of Bordeaux of the Rhone?

Each plot appears also to have slightly idiosyncratic spacing between each vine. The vines on our left, for example, may contain twice the number of vines per hectare (somewhere in the region of 6000), yet produce half of the yield to those on the right. It is the stress that the vines go under - either through competition, draught or lack of nutrition - that gives the Syrah in this plot the incredible concentration that is so typical of the region.

As we climb higher (the average vineyard altitude in the Pic Saint-Loup is between 150m and 250m) we feel the breeze increasing, the terrain becoming less hospitable and the vegetation becoming more varied. The wild vegetation, known as the "garrigue", gives rise to aromas of rosemary, thyme, juniper, clove and pine (reminding me of Christmases gone by). While essential to the biodiversity of the soil, they also have a profound effect on the flavours developed in the wines. The ultimate philosophy here is to create an expression of the terroir, which is exactly what you will get once you take your first sniff of the Pic Saint-Loup 2009 by Domaine Haut Lirou.

Karim Ghazanfar

Regional Sales Manager Matt Willshire tells us about the Commercial team's visit to the Haut-Lirou winery, in the Pic St Loup appellation and their experience in blending wines...

We were greeted by the head wine maker, Monsieur Le Clerc, who had a challenge for us. We had to blend samples, of the different wines he uses at the estate, to find the optimum cepage (or blend). The red wines of the Pic St Loup are generally blends consisting of Syrah and Mourvedre, so there was a great chance to understand the decision making process that has to happen every year.

The samples we had to make our blends from were:

- 2 wines produced from Syrah but from different vineyards

- a wine made from Mourvedre

- a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre aged in new oak for six months

We were split into pairs for this task, Al (Fleming) and myself, Jo (Draper) and Matt (Thomas), and Sean (Beveridge) and Karim (Ghazanfar). We were given beakers, with the volume levels marked, so that we could be exact with our proportions.

The 4 wines we had all had their own distinct characteristics:

The first Syrah wine was soft, round and fruit driven, whilst the second was more full-bodied with higher tannins and a distinct peppery flavour on the palate.

The Mourvedre was quite green and herby and the oak aged blended wine was (unsurprisingly) quite oaky.

It also became apparent that slight changes in the percentages of the wines making the blend had quite dramatic impact to the resulting wine. As such, we all had several attempts at making our blends, before finally we all arrived at what we felt were the best wine. As it happened the three groups had made widely divergent styles of wine.

Karim and Sean had opted for a blend that was high in Mourvedre, 36%, 14% oaked blend, 26% of the first Syrah and 24% of the second Syrah. The resulting wine had a nice black fruit character and a green, vegetal edge. Matt and Jo were very taken with the oak aged wine and had put a large proportion of that in their blends. Al and I had gone for 50% of the softer Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, 15% oak aged wine, and 20% of the more full-bodied Syrah.

The wines were judged by Monsieur Le Clerc and ours was in fact close to his own cepage from these wines. In fact he chose only to use 5% oak aged wines, just to give structure but not to to overpower the elegant red fruit flavours.

Matt Willshire

A recent trip to the Languedoc, coastal region of Southern France took part of the Majestic Commercial team around some of the best wineries in the region. Key Account Manager Naomi Course shares her travel stories from Day 1 of the trip.

Gerard Bertrand

After a successful career in rugby Gerard Bertrand returned to his roots which are of the viniferous kind he grew up with, the only sign of the sportsman Gerard was the exceptionally tall spittoon designed for the 6ft 8ins gentleman.

We were met at the airport by the charming Tim Smith from Gerard Bertrand who pointed us in the direction of the car covered with England flags and whisked us for a quick unplanned stop at Château de Pennautier for lunch. Which was an excellent plan as along with the crisp fresh berry fruitiness of Pennautier Rose and the dark fruit of the Château de Pennautier matched my duck and cheese perfectly (well we have to learn about food and wine matching somewhere…)

We then went onto Gerard Bertrand, an elegant Château and restaurant surrounded by the stunning Garrigue scenery and began a fantastic cross tasting of the full Bertrand range.

I think we can all be guilty of lumping the Languedoc and especially the Roussillon area into a mass of indistinguishable Mourvedre, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache blends and this sort of tasting really highlights both the array of styles and qualities and the versatility of the grapes depending on the blend.

Highlights for me were the Grenache Blanc, and the individual village wines from area, all terroir driven and really showing the influence of the microclimate on the vineyard (though this was highlighted later that evening - we had sat outside until dark in the warm evening but towards Tautavel half an hour away they had been hit by hail so heavy it needed snow ploughs to clear the roads.

While impressed with our Pic Saint Loup and Montepeyroux that we currently stock another Cote du Roussillon Village Tautavel showed excellent  age worthy structure with dark rich chocolate, and medium ripe tannin and 70% Grenache gives lots of chunky berry fruit

Another favourite was La Forge - a small parcel of 100 yr old Carignan vines and 40 year old Syrah vines giving a concentrated intense fruit followed by a earthy finish with hints of spice and vanilla on the finish followed with and medium fine tannins. Not much change from £35 but well worth the price.

I think we all fell for the range and quality of VDNs (Vin Doux Neutrals) traditional sweet aperitif wines made in a variety of styles from the fresh grapey Muscat based styles to the nutty honeyed Rivesaltes, complex with excellent length, well worth buying.

A interesting new wine they have produced is the Gris Blanc, and Grenache Gris mutation that produces a pale pink skinned grape. The wine was a Pinot Grigio blush alternative, pale pink in colour with soft apples and pears and a light fresh mouth feel.  

Fitou

Arriving in Fitou  we pulled up to Mont Tauch, a very smart winery and saw the transport for the vineyards were quad bikes lined up outside.  Recalling a complete lack of capability on such mobiles (discovered through a slight mishap in the Maillard vineyards in Burgundy…) I began to regret the 3 glasses of wine with lunch..
 
We whizzed (ok, not so much me with the whizzing) along different areas of the vineyard with the head winemaker, looking at terroir and the 3 grades of vineyard quality in the area. His knowledge of each area and obvious passion was very impressive considering the huge areas we were covering.

All the vine growers are supported by Mont Tauch's vignerons who give them advice on how to work the best practice, time to pick, also how to improve the vineyard into the next category if the terroir is suitable. Each is listed with a code which after harvesting lets the winery decide which blend it will be used.

The dry hot weather supports organic winemaking as less treatment is needed by the vines. Mont Tauch growers are committed to sustainable agriculture, restricting the use of chemicals by having technicians to inspect the vineyards and give constant advice and support while training growers on subjects of biodiversity and controlling yields. This enables the best selection to take place at vintage and really sets the ground work for the future.

Even those studiously concentrating on/staying on(!) the road could not miss the fantastic scents in the air, wild rosemary, thyme and olive trees are abundant and the herbaceous scent everywhere. The unique landscape really does impart on the vines as the herby and black olive aromas cropped up in the later tasting.

We were introduced to a new grape, Marsalan which is a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir authorised for Vin de Pays in the 1990's. It was especially created for the area as it copes with a wet and dry climate and is resistant to rot. A later tasting of the L'Ancien Comté Marsalan showed a deep coloured wine with all the fruity berry character from the Grenache and the Cabernet lending tannin and structure. The wine is full of ripe black plums and cherries giving a rich mouth feel with medium fine tannins to balance the fruit.

The vineyard pests in Mont Tauch are wild boars, a pest that can quickly cause havoc in the vines but does mean you can combine eradicating pests from the vineyard in the fine form of a days shooting followed by an enjoyable stew to match with the local wines.

The other pest of course are the tasty vineyard snails who were collected by Diddier (of Les Douz fame) and led to feast for three weeks on thyme and rosemary before being invited to a BBQ in the vineyard where they really were the star guests with a nice alioli and a baguette.

The Fitou tasting took us through their full range, with three levels, highlighting the difference in a single predominate varietal range, terroir driven and single village wines.

The predominantly Grenache based wines were generally aged without oak  to highlight the fresh fruity character. The chunky fruit had a earthy meatiness in the terroir driven maritime wines and full bodies with good ageing potential in the village wine Montluzy.

The Syrah based varietal wine was soft and supple with approachable ripe red fruit. The 'terroir d'altitude' gives the continuing ripe reed fruit the addition of creamy vanilla and sweet spice with hints of milk chocolate. The village wine 'Le Tauch' was a powerful deep purple wine, robust red fruit, sweet spice and hints of liquorice on the finish.

Carignan had longer ageing in new oak. Red fruit aromas are fresh without oak but combined with spice and vanilla add extra complexity to the wines. The terror driven wine comes from using older vines giving it a perfumed smoky complexity to the fruit. The Village wine 'Les Hauts de Paziols' is rich but elegant with a long finish.

Naomi Course

Key Account Manager Ben Austin gives us an insight  behind 3 Commercial Exclusive Pinot Grigio's  - a must-have for any wine list...

The battle for middle earth has begun! With 3 epic Pinot Grigio’s fighting for glory. At 3 different price points, they each have individual strengths. The proportion of UK wine drinkers buying Pinot Grigio has increased by 30% over the past 3 years; however the quality within our range has continued to beat off the competition with a large spear like weapon (the sort of weapon Aragon would use!). Our brave warriors are:

Alfredini Garganega/Pinot Grigio, 2009

60% Garganega; 40% Pinot Grigio

Alfredini would be like the pawn on a chess board, it’s the front line, ready to take the hit from enemy forces. It’s very much a pouring Pinot Grigio, able to satisfy different tastes. This wine has a fresh, floral nose, with melon and pear tones. On the palate there is an underlying acidity, and classic crisp, zesty lemon and limes flavours. It also has a unique richness imposed by the inclusion of Garganega, which is the grape of Soave wines. In conclusion the Alfredini is a brilliant, drinking wine at a price that is extremely competitive.

Pinot Grigio Malandrino, IGT 2009

100% Pinot Grigio

Malandrino would be the second line of defence, the Archers, nimble, agile with pin-point accuracy. It has an enticing floral, perfumed and white flower aroma on the nose and is very much the classic Pinot Grigio on the palate, showing crisp, zesty, citrus notes. It is very much a wine that serves a purpose. People who enjoy a wide range of styles will enjoy this Pinot Grigio.

San Giorgio Pinot Grigio 2009

100% Pinot Grigio

San Giorgio would be the heavy artillery, trundling along smashing through everything in its path. With an intense freshness, zingy lemongrass, citrus and floral aromas this wine is a Pinot Grigio drinkers Pinot. Yet, on the palate, it disguises itself with crisp, elegant honeysuckle and citrus flavours. Lying, waiting to attack with its delicious stone fruit finish.

Furthermore the prices of these brave souls, standing tall with their screw caps held high, are at levels of which you would be able to offer your customer excellent value for money. Contact your Account Manager for further details.

Majestic Commercial's Senior Account Manager Ian Cuthbert briefs us on some of this seasons fantastic Champagne offers...

With the festive party season just around the corner it is time to start making that difficult decision on which fizz you plan to serve to impress your guests.

With a wide range of styles, brands and price points to choose from I have put together a couple of suggestions that will guarantee your party is a hit!

Laurent Perrier NV

£21.28 excluding VAT

The largest family run Champagne House, Laurent Perrier’s house style is one of freshness, elegance and balance. The dominant grape variety is Chardonnay which exhibits aromas of citrus and white fruit. The rounded and expressive fruit flavours makes this classy Champagne the perfect aperitif or accompaniment to Canapés. On offer at £21.28 ex-VAT (until 31st January 2011; thereafter returning to £29.79 ex-VAT) this Grande Marque Champagne offers genuine quality and value, giving any festive occasion a feeling of luxury and style.

Buy Laurent Perrier NV here

Jacquart Brut NV

£12.77 excluding VAT

Accounting for 8% of the entire production in the Champagne region Jacquart is an up and coming Champagne house which offers real value without any compromise on quality. With a nose of pear and freshly baked bread, the palate is enhanced by an elegant mousse with a good length of citrus and gingerbread flavours. This fresh, crisp and lively Champagne punches well above its weight this Christmas with an offer price of £12.77 ex-VAT (until 31st January 2011; thereafter returning to £21.28 ex-VAT).

Buy Jacquart Brut NV here

Further to our blog post about the Majestic Commerical team's recent visit to Italy, Ben Nicholl talks to us about the wineries themselves. Third and final leg of the trip was to Cantina Valpolicella di Negrar...

After two days of predominantly drinking Pinot Grigio, Vespaiolo, Prosecco and Peroni Nastro Azzurro it was time to travel from Breganze to Valpolicella to learn about some serious reds.

The History

The Cantina Valpolicella di Negrar was founded in 1933 and their original mission, which still stands today, was to help the small grape growers within the valley of Negrar to work together for mutual benefit and to improve the cultivation of vines and production of wine.

Today it advises and co-ordinates the activities of around 200 grape growers across a total of 500 hectars, all located on the hillsides of the Valpolicella Classico region to the north west of Verona.

The Cantina di Negrar is set up to handle all stages of production for the grapes it takes in, including fermentation in small batches, maturation and ageing, and finally the bottling process.

The Majestic Tour

Our visit started at in the bottling plant. The hi tech equipment will bottle up to 7,000 bottles per hour. During the time we spent at the Cantina over 10,000 litres of Valpolicella went in at one end and 24 shrink wrapped pallets of wine in six packs came out at the other end ready for export to the UK market. Whilst we witnessed over 10,000 bottles going through the production line, the total annual production is over 6 million bottles, of which 75% is exported.

The corner stone of the range are four wines and like any great wine producing area it’s a combination of grapes, soil, climate and the wine making process that give them their distinctive style.

Starting with the same three grapes it is the winemaking process that shapes the wines.

Corvina - 40% to 70% of the blend
Rondinella - 25 to 40% of the blend
Molinara - 5% to 15% of the blend

And it is from these grape varieties that the four key wines from Cantina di Negrar are made.

VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC

Matured in stainless steel vats, the Valpolicella Classico is medium-bodied and well balanced.

It is a typical Italian red and a fine companion to both the chicken pappardelle and mushroom risotto that we ate at the restaurant in Negrar.

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC

Amarone is one of Italy’s greatest wines and one that is the peak of expression of the Valpolicella area: a blend of land, tradition and human input. Grapes are picked by hand, normally around the first ten days of October. A further selection of healthy whole bunches are laid out in crates or on straw mats to dry for 120 days. This "appassimento" process shrivels the grapes and concentrates sugars, colour and flavour. The dried grapes are de-stemmed and pressed in early February. Maturation takes place in oak for 18 months using both 225 litre French barriques (Allier and Nevers oak) and 50 hectolitre casks. A further 6 months ageing in bottle before release.

With 15% alcohol it’s full-bodied, rich and backed by structured, yet velvety tannins.

VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE "RIPASSO"

Like the Valpolicella Classico this wine is stored in stainless steel vats but Amarone skins are added for a second fermentation or "Ripasso" with maceration for 15 days. The wine is transferred to barrels for 24 months. Minimum of 6 months in bottle before release.

A combination of the "Ripasso" process and extra ageing creates a well balanced, full-bodied red that’s velvet-smooth with harmonious tannins.

RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO DOC

The grapes to make this sweet red wine are also laid out in crates or on straw mats to dry for 120 days.

The resulting wine has an intensely fruity and fragrant bouquet with generous sweet flavours and velvety tannins. It’s traditionally served with local cakes and biscuits; it can also be matched with dark chocolate and creamy blue cheese.

It’s the drying process that makes the wine unique and a fair amount of the fabulous winery is dedicated to the "appassimento" process.

Amarone

However the birth of Amarone was thanks to a 'lucky oversight' in 1938 when Gaetano Dall’Ora, one of founder of Cantina Valpolicella di Negrar, and the cellar master tasted from a vat of Recioto that they had forgotton to rack.

Both expected the wine to taste like vinegar, but instead they found a new style of wine – no longer sweet but robust and full flavoured, yet elegant.

In this forgotten cask, the traditionally sweet wine of Verona had undergone a complete fermentation, turning the sugars into alcohol and the Recioto had been transformed into something altogether different; deep, powerful and with a note of bitterness.

It had become true Amarone and it is today the most prestigious wine of this part of Italy and lies very much at the heart of Cantina Valpolicella di Negrar identity.