User Archives: Caviste-Blog

Peter Schell: Spinifex, Barossa Valley

Check out our Spinifex range

Schwarz Dustkicker Hunt & Gather @ £12.95

Casa Marin Cipreses Sauvignon Blanc 2009 @ £19.95

Vina Leyda Sauvignon Blanc Garuma 2010 @ £11.50

The wines all received at least 92 points and are the highest scores form Costers del Segre. Tharlan Syrah gets 95 points - surely a Spanish icon in the making?

As many of you will know, Caviste Odiham is located inside the Newlyns farm shop. As you can imagine, we have a very close working relationship with them and thought you would like to hear about some of their exciting news...
Newlyns Cookery School have launched their first ever cookery competition open to everyone who loves cooking over the age of eighteen living in Hampshire. The winner of ‘The Newlyns Hampshire Amateur Chef 2012’ will win a one night stay for two people at the Four Seasons Hotel Dogmersfield, and a Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer. The three runners up will each receive a Newlyns Hamper worth £100. Deadline for applications is 1st June 2012 and short listed chefs will be notified by 20th June 2012. The final round of the competition will take place at the Newlyns Cookery School between 10am and 3pm on Saturday 7^thJuly2012. To enter please call 01256 704128 or download an entry form from www.newlyns-farmshop.co.uk

Caviste has really made an effort in the last 12 months to move closer to more sustainable ecologically sound wines. It is at the core of our mission to support winemakers who not only make delicious wines, but who also leave nature to do as much of the work as possible. The results, we feel, are generally truer to the concept of terroir, purer in style and more natural to taste.

Therefore we are extremely proud to be taking part in The Real Wine fair on Sunday 20th May in London. Here our sister company Carte Blanche Wines and a number of our other suppliers will be showcasing over 200 producers and their wines in one of the biggest events of its kind ever held in the UK. The term Real Wine relate to wines made without the need for chemicals and unnatural ingredients in the grape growing and wine making process (excluding sulphur, which is only used in tiny quantities).

In attendance there will be natural producers, Biodynamic producers and organic producers as well as many seminars by the likes of Jamie Goode and Christine Parkinson. Food will be on offer for all palates and, if this event is anything like similar tastings in the continent, there will be an awful lot of fun. Which after all is what wine should really be about.

Caviste will be showcasing our Real Wines throughout the month of May, with special offers and tastings to help you get a better idea of this ever popular movement in the UK wine market.

To book tickets at £20 each please call into your local Caviste store.

We hope you enjoy it.

Just like Willy Wonka's Golden Tickets, each Caviste 'Mystery Case' contains a very special prize: a single bottle worth at least £45!

You only spend £100 on these limited edition and specially selected cases which are both exceptional value and very exciting.

The remaining 11 bottles will be a mixed selection of white and red wines to titilate the taste buds and provide everlasting pleasure (figuratively speaking). Probably worth getting two cases to make the thrill of discovering something new and exciting last just that little bit longer.

Forget Sherlock Holmes and visit your local Caviste store to solve the riddle of your Mystery Case....

Caviste's scotch whisky range is one that is constantly evolving to reflect a cross-section of styles and prices.

We work very closely with the highly respected bottler Gordon & MacPhail and ship direct from their Scottish warehouse. Plus we also have a small range of cask-strength, single distillery whisky's from Woodwinter that are bottled are under their own  name, without mentioning the distillery concerned just using style and age to describe themselves. However, a little detective work and diligent use of the internet and you can work things out for yourself...

All in all Caviste are the perfect place to shop for the whisky lover this Christmas!

Please check your local Caviste shop for availability.

WHISKY RANGE December 2011

BENROMACH 10yr Old – Speyside- £29
The first bottling to be released with an age statement from production of spirit that commenced after the distillery was reopened by G & M in the 1990's. Well balanced with rich sherry influences, hints of fruit and nut chocolate. Elements of ripe forest fruits develop - raspberries and brambles. With a delicate and rounded smoke present.

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE LEDAIG 1993 – Mull - £37
Tobermory Distillery on the Isle of Mull produces two styles of whisky - Tobermory and Ledaig. Ledaig is the old name of the distillery. The whisky has a sweet, aromatic nose,with fruity and creamy flavour.

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE TEANINICH 1995 – Highland - £30
The distillery is located near Alness and was founded in 1817. Fruity, sweet and spicy

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE BENRINNES 1993 – Speyside - £32
Taking its name from the predominant peak among the mountains overlooking the heart of Speyside, the 1993 vintage has sweet Sherried edge with rich summer fruit influences.

CONNOISSEURS CHOICE GLENDULLAN 1993 – Speyside- £32
Glendullan Distillery was founded in 1897 and was the last of the original seven distilleries of Dufftown to be built. An elegant Speyside whisky with ripe fruit notes and a sweet vanilla edge.

OLD PULTENEY 8yr Old – Highland  - £24
Pulteney distillery founded in 1826, is the most northern distillery on the mainland of Scotland. Well balanced with a rum and raisin edge with a rounded hint of sea-air.

OLD PULTENEY 17yr Old – Highland - £49
46% cask strength
The Winner, Spirit of Whisky Fringe Award 2011
The 17-year-old predominantly features ex-bourbon cask maturation, with the addition of spirit that has been wholly matured in Spanish wood ex-sherry casks, predominantly Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso. This adds a subtle depth and complexity to the whisky, making for an outstanding after-dinner drink.

SCAPA 2000 – Orkney - £37
One of only two distilleries on Orkney, this malt shows more characteristics of its wind-blown home than its more mellow neighbour, Highland Park. Floral with subtle grassy notes, hints of lavender and a subtle sweetness.

MACPHAIL'S COLLECTION TAMDHU 8yr Old – Speyside - £24
Tamdhu is one of several distilleries to be built along the Strathspey railway line. The whisky is a vital component of "The Famous Grouse". A delicate citrus edge - fresh oranges. With a slight smoke and a rounded hint of toasted malt.

SECRET STILLS 6.5 1988 – Highland - £35
A special bottling from a distillery founded in 1797, in the small Highland village of Oldmeldrum. A vanilla edge with a hint of toasted malt. (Glen Garioch)

Bruichladdich 10yr Old – Islay - £37
Today, while most of the Islay and Jura distilleries are controlled from corporate management offices in London, Paris, Tokyo, New York - even Trinidad - Bruichladdich is owned by a small number of private investors – many with Islay connections - and is registered on Islay and pays UK corporation tax.
Bruichladdich has had a chequered past but lineage, pedigree, connection, continuity are the hallmarks... read more here.
It's a fascinating story and a beautiful Scotch whisky!

LAPHROAIG QUARTER CASK – Islay - £32

Laphroaig Quarter Cask takes its inspiration from the small casks often used for Scotch Whisky in the 19th century and frequently transported across the Glens by packhorse.
Full bodied with a nose reminiscent of burning embers of peat in a crofters fireplace, hints of coconut and banana aromas. Complex and smoky yet offers and surprises the palate with a gentle sweetnes. Read more about Laphroaig Quarter Cask on their dedicated web site.

GLEN CALDER – Blend - £17.95
Gordon & MacPhail's award winning Blended Scotch Whisky. Smooth and balanced with citrus fruit - oranges, grapefruits and a slight nuttiness. There are spicy flavours with a floral note and a drying smokiness. Caviste's very own 'house' Scotch!

HANKEY BANNISTER – Blend - £14.95
www.hankeybannister.com
Brilliant value and top quality. Highly recommended

CLASSIC MALT COASTAL SET - £36
(1x20cl each of Caol Ila 12yo, Clynelish 14yo & Talisker)

WOODWINTERS THE ONE – Single Barrel Cask Strength 22 years -Speyside 50cl - £45

WOODWINTERS THE TWO – Single Barrel Cask Strength -  Highland 50cl - £29

WOODWINTERS THE FOUR – Single Barrel Cask Strength 21 years - Islay 50cl - £49

Click on the schedule to view full size!

We are delighted that Tim Atkin MW has chosen Patrick Piuze's Chablis, Terroir de Fyé 2010 as his Wine of the Week. www.timatkin.com.

We shall be toasting Patrick's success with a glass of chilled Chablis tonight!

We were delighted to read this review by Sally Easton on her web site www.winewisdom.com.

We think Sally sums up much better than we could the new spirit and some of the recent changes at Caviste.

Please do give it a read when you have a moment. Best of all you'll fund that the Labastida Crianza Rioja that Sally reviews is in our Christmas Crackers festive promotion - and at 6 for £80 you save over £1.50 a bottle making now the perfect time to try this wine - and it's great with roast Turkey too!

('Christmas Crackers' promotion available in store only)

We've been fans of the Percheron wines from South Africa's Coastal Region for quite some time. Both the  Percheron Shiraz Mouvedre and Percheron Chenin Viognier are firm favourites with our regulars in all three shops.

So we were delighted to hear that Jancis Robinson had named the Percheron Old Vine Cinsault 2010 as her current wine of the week over at www.jancisrobinson.com.

Red the full article here and buy Percheron Old Vine Cinsault 2010 online.

Best thing about this wine? It's currently on offer at only £5.50! (normal price £7.95) Who says good wine has to be expensive?!

www.Caviste.co.uk/blog - wines worth talking about