November 22nd, 2011
Fine Wine gift ideas for the festive season

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Wine Gifts
Wine Gifts

For that special wine gift, why not send someone one of our wine gift vouchers. We have gift vouchers starting at only £25, all the way up to £100 …we will post the gift voucher to the lucky recipient with instructions on how to redeem the voucher – all they have to do is decide what to spend it on from a large selection of our Fine Wines, Champagnes, Bargain Bottles and Mixed Cases.

A little bit more about us;   Taste the difference with Vin Vino Direct… exclusive online wine merchants with a huge selection of specialist, fine and rare wines from around the world – we have wines from boutique growers that you cannot find from any other online wine merchant. We have one of the largest collections of French claret wines in the UK…plus, an amazing range of Italian fine wines, French fine wines and grape varieties – all available for your wine cellar today. We are internationally accredited as Bordeaux specialists and renowned for our exclusive and unique fine wines online at all prices.
For those special wine gifts we have a large range of Champagne, wine gift vouchers and mixed cases of wine.
With an original and interesting portfolio of sought-after growers, we are the only online wine merchant in the UK offering these exclusive wines to you. Buy wine online with Vin Vino Direct and tantalise your taste buds today…

November 22nd, 2011
Chateau Thebaud – Domaine Poiron Dabin, Pinot Gris

WineEarlier this month, a small group of Sommeliers in France referred to our 2006 Pinot Gris from Chateau Thebaud as ‘Un Vin Piege’ – a trap wine on ‘blind tastings’, confusing it for Condrieu (Rhone). With a very small allocation of only 2,000 bottles of each produced each year you need to buy as much as you can – the two wines that we currently import are delectable and are only ever produced in sun drenched years.  We also have the amazing Pinot Gris Rosé available – both wines are only £9.25 

Grower Profile

Jean Michel and Laurent, two brothers own a sumptuous well established Domaine in the Loire – Atlantique, 15kms south of Nantes. Their 60 hectares on the undulating hillsides provide 3 hectares dedicated to Pinot Gris Rosé. The privileged silex and granitic rocky soil, overlooking the Maine Valley gives their Pinot Gris Blanc complexity and expressive exotic fruit of melon and mature pears, with a sensual smoothness on the tip of the tongue.

November 21st, 2011
An Italian Merlot from the boutique Fiegl vineyard

Fine Wines Online

Fine Wines Online

ITL271largeThe Azienda Agricola Fiegl vineyards are located on the gentle slopes of Oslavia, a village north of Gorizia in Italy. It is here that for long generations, the Fiegls have been producing wines which have gained world-wide recognition. Century-old tradition meets modern technology in the wise and insightful research for quality, to reach the harmony and balance which can be found in every single drop of the Fiegl and Villa Dugo selections of wines. The history of the property can be traced back to 1782 when a vineyard called “Meja” was sold to Valentino Fiegl. And now, after two centuries the Fiegl brothers, Alessio, Giuseppe and Rinaldo are still running the 30 hectare estate, 25 of which are planted with vines. It is a family-run company that has achieved important results in the field of wine making, continuing its tradition in genuine products and unchanged respect for nature.

This Merlot is a deep ruby red wine – a full and fragrant aroma with a soft bouquet of wild berries, fruits and an underlying hint of vanilla. With a 13.5% vol alcohol content, it is ideal with roasted meat and game…serve at 16-18°C for perfection.  This is another exclusive wine that we carry from this boutique Italian producer – click here to order.

oslaviaThe Area:  The Collio Goriziano stretches across the hills north of the province of Gorizia on the Slovenian border. The particular soil of the region, called “ponca” in the local dialect, technically flysch, provides the vine with important minerals which clearly mark Olsavia’s wines.
Flysch is made up of marnas’ (calcareous clay) and sandstone’s (calcified sand) stratified submarine sediments. Flysch is typically a deposit formed at the beginning of the orogenetic phase (about 50 million years ago), contemporaneously with the mountains’ building, composed by fissile sedimentary rocks. It is definitely the best ground for vine-growing – aided also by the climate, which is particularly temperate thanks to the influence of the nearby Adriatic Sea and the airiness of the area because of the Northeast wind (Bora). For these reasons Oslavia, can justly be considered one of the best vineyard terrains of the Collio.

We also have the following wines from this small producer;

  1. 2005 Sauvignon, Villa Dugo – Fruili Isonzo
  2. 2005 Chardonnay, Villa Dugo – Fruili Isonzo
  3. 2005 Tocai Fruilano, Azienda Fiegl
  4. 2005 Ribolla Gialla, Azienda Fiegl

November 21st, 2011
Another French treat from Bordeaux – ‘Black Merlot’ from Château Fongrave

Fine Wines Online

 ‘Black Merlot’ from Château Fongrave

We’re pleased to be able to get our hands on another parcel of Black Merlot wine from the acclaimed Fongrave winery in Bordeaux…a little over 18 months ago we had the 2007 vintage, however, you’re now able to get your hands on the 2005 ‘aged vines’ vintage …and my goodness it’s good!

Francois Brouard is the owner of Château Fongrave, located in Saint Andre du Bois in the south of the Gironde – a world famous region recognised for producing diverse varietals and quality.

Tasting Notes: Issue of very old vines, dark cherry colour, remarkable bouquet of liquorice and mint – barrel fermented and full bodied with a soft final fruit of juicy blackberries …click here to buy online….and enjoy!

November 20th, 2011
Wine news: ‘Space-age’ wine – growers get help from satellites

 A number of English vineyards have signed up to make use of a satellite imaging service to boost harvests.
 
spacewine1The satellite measures a vineyard’s reflectivity in a number of colours in the visible and infrared.  The Oenoview system, first launched in France last year, analyses the images to determine vine leaf density, soil water content and grape bunch sizes. The English Wine Producers trade group said that wines made using the system could be available as early as 2011. Oenoview was developed by the Institut Cooperatif du Vin in France along with Infoterra, a subsidiary of aerospace firm EADS Astrium.spacewine2

The system relies on the fact that reflectivity at different wavelengths can give information both about the vines’ foliage and the soil in which they are growing. The quantity of foliage is linked to the quality of the grapes because it is an indirect measure of the amounts of sugars and tannins contained in them. There is an ideal time to harvest each bunch, but not all bunches are ready at the same time. The satellite data cuts the vineyards into two-metre-square “pixels”, corresponding to about four vines each, and the software assigns each pixel a colour-coded “leaf area index”.

“If there is an even distribution of blue or red images in a field, the leaf area index suggests that the grapes can be harvested altogether,” said Oenoview programme manager Henri Douche.  “But if the map shows defined red and blue areas, it helps the owner to care for and harvest sections of the fields to produce top quality wine.”

Julia Trustram Eve from English Wine Producers said: “Innovation is at the heart of the English wine industry and vineyard owners are keen to use technology that complements their wine-making skills. “Developing a pilot programme to use space technology is a smart and exciting next step.”

First published by the BBC on 03/11/09

For more wine news and wine reviews, visit Vin Vino’s ‘Fine Wines’ blog – click here

Fine Wine Online

A little bit more about us;   Taste the difference with Vin Vino Direct… exclusive online wine merchants with a huge selection of specialist, fine and rare wines from around the world – we have wines from boutique growers that you cannot find from any other online wine merchant. We have one of the largest collections of French claret wines in the UK…plus, an amazing range of Italian fine wines, French fine wines and grape varieties – all available for your wine cellar today. We are internationally accredited as Bordeaux specialists and renowned for our exclusive and unique fine wines online at all prices.
For those special wine gifts we have a large range of champagne, wine gift vouchers and mixed cases of wine.
With an original and interesting portfolio of sought-after growers, we are the only online wine merchant in the UK offering these exclusive wines to you. Buy wine online with Vin Vino Direct and tantalise your taste buds today…

We’ve some great new wines from Australia just out this month for you to try;

  • 2010 Chardonnay, Woolshed – click here
  • 2010 Shiraz, Woolshed – click here
  • 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Woolshed – click here
  • 2010 Pinot Noir, Woolshed – click here
  • 2008 Black Shiraz, Leaf Series – click here …the best Shiraz you will taste for a long time!

November 20th, 2011
2010 Italian red Merlot from Veneto

The Salvalai Winery is of international reputation – it has won medals as far afield as Ontario! Their range spans from the marvellous Merlot to the finest and delicious Flaio Primitivo. Mixing the best of the traditional methods with the latest stainless steel technology, their wine making is supreme, and the results show in producing always consistent wines of very high quality.

This featured wine is the 2010 Merlot from the Salvalai estate – The wine is a dark ruby wine, medium bodied with an instant fragrance of wild red berries, velvety and leaving a clean round taste with plenty of fruit still on the finish.

To buy online at only £7.40, click here

Italian wines are one of Vin Vino’s specialities – to see the complete range of our Italian wines online, please click here

November 20th, 2011
Fine wines online – our collection

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We are one of the UK’s largest stockists of fine wine so you’ll find we have a selection that is second to none – in fact one of the best selection of Clarets in the UK. And whats’ more, our easy-to-use search facility makes finding the wine you’re looking for a doddle – (click the picture above to go straight to the wines).

The fine wines are categorsied from the prestige regions of Graves, Haut-Medoc, Margaux, Pauillac, Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien …and they are all here, in stock, in the climatically-controlled warehouse.

November 20th, 2011
It’s all in the bubbles …the science of Fine Champagne!

Champagne

Champagne...it's all about the bubbles

Well it’s official at last …the tiny bubbles in our beloved Champagne do actually give the drink flavour, and glasses that promote bubbles will improve the drinking experience, scientists say.

And now the science bit….research shows there are up to 30 times more flavour-enhancing chemicals in the bubbles than in the rest of the drink. Wine experts say the finding changes completely our understanding of the role of bubbles in sparkling drinks. The study is reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Commenting on the research, Dr Jamie Goode, founder of wineanorak.com, said: “In the past, we thought that the carbon dioxide in the bubbles just gave the wine an acidic bite and a little tingle on the tongue, but this study shows that it is much more than this.”  According to Dr Goode, the research demonstrates that using fluted glasses for sparkling wine and Champagne is more than simply a matter of etiquette.
“Glasses that encourage more bubbles to come up are going to be better,” he says. “At the bottom of proper Champagne glasses, they put a little bit of (rough) glass, which encourages the nucleation of the flow of bubbles.”

Essence of Champagne:  Dr Gerard Liger-Belair of Reims University, France, is one of the authors of the PNAS report. He said: “It’s the very first time that we have been able to detect the fine chemistry of champagne aerosols which are really the essence of Champagne.”

decxmas04Dr Liger-Belair admits to having been “obsessed” with bubbles all his life. He used an ultra-high resolution mass spectrometer to study the detailed chemical composition of the aerosols emerging from sparkling wine and Champagne.
The research could lead to even better tasting sparkling drinks – “The flavour of sparkling wine is determined by the contribution of hundreds and hundreds of different components. We have to detect which of these components are important in the aerosols.”   Dr Liger-Belair and his colleague Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin, of the Institute for Ecological Chemistry and Molecular BioGeochemistry in Neuherberg, have studied five Champagnes and high-quality sparkling wines so far. They discovered that in all cases the bubbles were very much richer in the essential flavours of the wine.

Krug Champagne

Krug Champagne

According to Dr Goode, the findings may explain why champagnes and sparkling wines produced using the “Champagne method” taste so nice.   “It seems that the traditional Champagne method ensures that there is a fine stream of bubbles, which, presumably, will give you a more enduring aromatic lift.”

The next stage of the research is to compare the raw scientific data with the subjective reactions of expert wine tasters to discover the precise chemicals in the bubbles that give the best tasting drink, and then to explore the possibility of making Champagne and sparkling wines taste even better.

For a wide choice of Champagnes, visit Vin Vino Direct – we have a wide range of prestigious Champagnes available…from the rare 1989 Krug Clos du Mesnil, the opulent 2000 Vintage Dom Perignon, through to the little known award-winning Ayala Majeur Brut Rosé – an expansive collection to indulge yourself with.

November 18th, 2011
Christmas Champagnes – a trendy collection from Billecart Salmon

billecart salmon logoFounded in 1818 the Billecart family has lived in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ since the mid-sixteenth century. The House was established when Nicolas-François Billecart married Elisabeth Salmon. The Grande Marque quickly established an international reputation with a US subsidiary being set up in the early 1840′s. Russia became the company’s major export market but this trade collapsed after the 1917 revolution. Eight years later the decision was made to sell off the firm’s vineyards and the money raised was invested in the winery and cellars.CHA054

The fifth generation of the family still own and run the company today. The style of House – less ‘dosage’ and quality fruit ageing for longer on the lees….the wines; light, fragrant and full flavoured with great complexity and longevity…..

This featured Champagne is the Billecart Rose….a truly romantic Champagne. A pale pink colour adorned with glints of gold – fine notes of red strawberries with a biscuity and creamy finish.

 Grape Variety: 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. To start off the Christmas festivities…click here to order.

 We also have 3 more great Champagnes from Billecart Salmon to entice you;

  1. Billecart Brut Reserve - Tasting Notes: 41% Pinot Meunier, 34% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay 40% of Reserve Wines are used, aged for a minimum of 4 years – reflections of bright yellow, floral freshness, lemony, mouth filling taste of ripe pears.   Click here to order

  2. Billecart-Salmon Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc - Tasting Notes: Issued from five Grand Cru of Côte des Blancs, Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger, and a blend of two different years. Light gold – aromas of white greengages. Well evolved finishing with a citrus minerally freshness.  Click here to order

  3. 1998 Grand Cru Vintage Billecart-Salmon - Tasting Notes: The quest for “finesse, balance and elegance” has always guided the making of the Billecart-Salmon Champagnes. Made from 100% Chardonnay with a 9/10 rating for the 1998 vintage. Luminous gold colour, revealing citrus, fresh almonds, gingerbread and white chocolate on a palate of rich fruits with apple and lychee -  a true masterpiece.   Click here to order.

We don’t pretend to stock the mundane Moet Chandon champagne or Lanson champagne – we specialise in Veuve Clicquot vintage champagne, Laurent Perrier Rosé champagne, Bollinger champagne, Vintage Dom Perignon champagne, Krug champagne, and Krug Clos du Mesnil …for all your champagne gifts and to buy champagne online, please visit our website.

 

Taste the difference with Vin Vino Direct… exclusive online wine merchants with a huge selection of specialist, fine and rare wines from around the world – we have wines from boutique growers that you cannot find from any other online wine merchant.

We have one of the largest collections of French claret wines in the UK…plus, an amazing range of Italian fine wines and French fine wines. We carry wines covering over 66 grape varieties, including the favourites of Shiraz, Merlot, Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Pinot Grigio – all available to buy online for your wine cellar today. We are internationally accredited as Bordeaux specialists and renowned for our exclusive and unique fine wines online at all prices.
For those special wine gifts we have a large range of champagne, wine gift vouchers and mixed cases of wine
With an original portfolio of boutique wine making growers, we are the only online wine merchant in the UK offering these exclusive wines to you. Buy wine online with Vin Vino Direct and tantalise your taste buds today…

November 18th, 2011
Wine reviews – the red Shiraz grape variety

ShirazSyrah and Shiraz are one and the same grape, but outside France it tends to be known as Shiraz due to the huge influence Australian Shiraz wine has had.

The Aussies also led the way in improving the popularity of Shiraz among winemakers and these days it’s grown around the world, from Spain to Argentina … it’s travelled a long way from its homeland in the Rhône.

Syrah thrives in a warm climate producing dark, complex, long-lived wines with powerful, rich berry fruit. In more moderate climates it can develop a sought-after peppery character and has tremendous ageing potential.

Did you know?Shiraz red wine

  • In Australia, Shiraz/Cabernet blends have become a modern-day classic
  • Australia’s greatest red wine, the iconic Grange, is made almost entirely from Shiraz with just a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon depending on the vintage
  • In France (and increasingly, the New World) Syrah is often blended with a dash of the white grape Viognier

You can buy our best red shiraz online – to get straight to a complete listing of our wines, click Shiraz wine  or Syrah wine … but some favourites of ours to buy online are;

2007 Syrah di Sicilia – Terre Nuove – Classic Italian red wine, glimmering red with black tints and a bouquet effusing into juicy morello cherries with a taste of warming nougat. Price – £5.90 (was £6.25) – click here for more

2007 Monte Valonga Syrah – Valle del Cinca - Spanish red syrah, a brilliant dark cherry red, medium dry with a good body that leaves the palate full of fruit. Price – £7.40  click here for more

2006 Châteauneuf du Pape – Domaine de Cristia – French syrah from Rhone, a fine deep red with a wonderful bouquet of truffles, pepper and nutmeg. Expansively rich, robust on a spicy black cherry finish.  An amazing 90/92 Points, The Wine Advocate R.P.   Price – 26.40  click here for more

2007 Shiraz – Arlington Estate – classic Australian red wine; a dark cherry colour – the nose displays floral followed by raspberries and capsicum with tremendous softness. Superb drinking!  Price £7.75  click here for more

2008 Pepper Black Shiraz – Leaf Series – classic Australian shiraz wine. A deep black colour with a huge bouquet of ripe plums, blackberries and a vanilla pepper underlay. The palate is full of flavour - chocolate, black figs and a dazzling finish of liquorice and spice.  Price £9.60  click here for more

 

For shiraz wines, shiraz wine deals, cabernet shiraz, shiraz, red shiraz, shiraz red wine …then click onto Vin Vino Direct – the home of exclusive wines.