SIPS AND TIPS - THE MRT PODCAST STUDIO
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Sips and Tips Number 9 26 January 2021
SIPS AND TIPS
Hello to a New Year (and doesn’t that seem like ages
ago?)
I guess many of us make resolutions in January. There is often much talk about self
improvement, getting slimmer, greener.. so it is in the wine world. I was delighted and
surprised
to be
presented
with this
bottle:
which seems to meet the criteria! It’s pIastic and it fits through a letterbox! I had never
heard of letterbox wine until this month. Those of you who were Zooming4Wine last week
will have heard me waxing lyrical about it. Subsequently MrT kindly sent me an article by
Jancis Robinson from the Weekend Magazine of the Financial Times.
In the article, Ms Robinson picks up on the theme of glass bottles (a topic in Sips and
Tips number 6) which can be an integral part of a wine makers USP or ‘story’. Discussion
about sustainability and recyclability and balancing this against the carbon footprint of
glass manufacture and transportation raises many complex issues.
Sips and Tips 1
Sips and Tips Number 9 26 January 2021
A consumer research project across 15 European countries found that the UK is less
keen on glass bottles for wine and recycles them less. Only 82% of those in the UK felt
that glass bottles are best for wine, compared to 91% of other Europeans. However
whilst 90% of glass is recycled in Switzerland and Sweden, with an average of 76% in the
other European countries, the UK lags behind at about 50%. Admittedly the infrastructure
and responsibilities for recycling vary from country to country.
This letterbox bottle is the brain child of Joe Revell and Santiago Navarro, of Garçon
Wines, whose interest in recyclable plastic was informed by observations made whilst
diving. The recycling debate is not as simple as it first seems. The fact that plastic
degrades which means it can be recycled fewer times than glass adds an extra
dimension to the discussion. On a practical level the UK is no better at recycling plastic
than glass.
Paper, such as that from recycled wood may provide some of the answers (see below).
The debate will surely continue, but meanwhile Borough Wines in London is offering
refillable boxes. I looked at the website and it’s not immediately clear whether these are
paper or plastic…
Jancis Robinson Weekend Magazine, Financial Times 16/17 January
2021
News and views
Fine wining and dining
A coveted Michelin star has been awarded to L’observatoire du Gabriel. The restaurant
was bought by the Boüard family who own Chateau Angélus in 2019.
Lost sheep
Sustainable farming has come to the vineyards of Champagne. Sheep are being used in
an effort to reduce the need for herbicides and promote ecological benefits. Eco-pastures
are also used in other parts of the world, such as California and New Zealand. Moet
Hennessey is part of the luxury goods LVMH group. The company is demonstrating its
commitment to ending the use of herbicides in its vineyards by funding a research centre
in the Champagne region. LVMH also intend to share knowledge and best practice
through the establishment of a University of Living Soils. Meanwhile 14 of the sheep in
their vineyard in Aÿ have been reported as missing.
decanter.com
The apprentices who sparkle
Jimmy Dougherty and Jamie Oliver stars of Jimmy and Jamie’s Friday Night Feast
declared themselves keen to champion English sparkling wine which is in the
Sips and Tips 2Sips and Tips Number 9 26 January 2021
ascendancy. During their visit to the Ridgview vineyard in Sussex they tried their hand at
blending base wines. The episode will be aired on 29 January.
Paper chase
The UK and Sweden have been chosen by Pernod Ricard for the launch of its
paper/plastic bottle for one of their Absolute vodka pre mixed drinks. They are committed
to using fully recyclable/reusable/compostable and/or bio-sourced packaging by 2025.
Together with rivals Diageo and Bacardi the race is on to prove their environmentally
friendly credentials. Diageo plan to release a 100% plastic free Johnnie Walker bottle
made from sustainably sourced wood later this year. Whilst packaging that will
“decompose in your back garden” is the Holy Grail for Bacardi who are developing a
plant-based alternative. Hopefully we will all be the winners.
Virtual immersion
The London Wine Fair has had to abandon its plans to be a hybrid event this year, and
will restrict itself to being online only. Despite this they are hoping it will be an immersive
experience featuring both large groups and one-to-one opportunities.
Percy Pig rules
Wine arriving in Northern Ireland from the EU via Great Britain will attract additional tariffs
unless it has been materially altered whilst on the UK mainland. This ‘policy pothole’ has
been widely reported in relation to the popular M&S Percy Pig sweets.
Signing up for our times
Fuelled by the impact of the pandemic lockdowns, Majestic have created a Director of
Subscriptions. Mark Capon who previously worked for Laithwaites identifies this as a
“pivotal moment for the business, and for the sector as a whole”.
harpers.co.uk
Food pairing
Dark Horse are matching eight of their wines to recipes from India, Japan, Mexico,
France, Australia. The aim is to be innovative and challenge the more traditional pairings.
Graft Wine pops up
I missed the pre Christmas pop up shop in Seale, but hopefully it proved to be a success
and will herald other similar ventures.
Mirabeau boxes clever
Belle Annee will be available as a bag-in-box from Waitrose who quote a 35% increase in
sales wines of wines utilising more eco-friendly packaging.
Flat packing
Sips and Tips 3Sips and Tips Number 9 26 January 2021
The Co-op started stocking the letterbox bottles of Banrock Station Merlot and
Chardonnay as featured above this month.
drinksretailingnews.co.uk
Nothing new under the sun
Florence’s beautiful architecture has been hiding a secret solution for thirsty wine lovers
in plain sight. In June 2019 three young friends opened a restaurant, Babae. They were
then forced to close because of the pandemic. Disappointed, and keen not to give up on
their business, they discovered their very own inbuilt solution. The obvious option was to
capitalise on their buchette del vino : wine window (literally wine hole). These portals
became common in the seventeenth century during the Bubonic Plague as they provided
a socially distanced way of selling food and wine. There are 180 to be found in Florence -
a good excuse for a visit once we can. Meanwhile there are some delightful images
online. For Babae their buchette not only “gives happiness to the local people” but has
become a ‘must see’ tourist attraction.
bbc.co.uk
Although the origins differ, buchette del vino are not dissimilar to the Puss and Mew
vendors in London in the 1730s. The social destruction caused by the rise in gin
consumption in the early eighteenth century led to a number of Acts of Parliament. As the
situation became more urgent, the sale of gin was outlawed in 1738. In defiance of this
Captain Dudley rented a house in the City of London and posted a picture of a cat in the
window. Discreet advertising informed potential customers that inserting coins in the
cat’s mouth would yield gin from a pipe under the cat’s paw. It soon became common
practice : customers would sidle up to hatches or windows and simply request ‘puss’. The
illegal vendors would respond ‘mew’ as a drawer was slid out to take payment in return
for a measure of gin. Hence ‘Puss and Mew’ premises, and ‘pussy’ becoming slang for
gin.
Shopping around
Online sources of letterbox wines include FunkyPigeon, Prezzybox, BoroughBox,
Bloom and Wild. Some companies even offer the opportunity to personalise the label to
suit any occasion.
WineRack
Their online offers change at the end of January, so check what is available. they also
have a number of offers instore. They offer a call and collect service.
Waitrose
Giesen Dillons Point Sauvignon Blanc £6.99 [£9.99]
Gabriel Meffre Saint-Vincent Cotes du Rhone Blanc £7.49 [£9.99]
Sips and Tips 4Sips and Tips Number 9 26 January 2021
Hartley’s Block Sauvignion Blanc £7.49 [£9.99]
Berkenhautskloof Porcupine Ridge Syrah £5.99 [£8.49]
Recchio Bardolino £6.49 [£8.79]
Bird in Hand Sparkling £11.99
[£15.99]
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Pecorino taste the Difference £6.00 [£7.00]
Sainsbury's Central Coast Californian Chardonnay Taste the Difference
£8.50 [£10.00]
Trivento Malbec Reserve £6.00 [£8.00]
Bellingham Bernard The Series Syrah £10.00 [£14.25]
Majestic
There are offers of up to 25% off selected wines from the Americas.
Prices quoted are for mixed six, or [per bottle]
Domaine La Hitaire ‘Les Tours ’2019, Cotes de Gascogne £6.99 [£8.99]
Cecchi Chianti DOCG ‘Governo All’uso’ 2018, Tuscany* £7.99 [£11.99]*
Firepeak Pinot Noir Edna Valley £15.99 [£22.99]
Zuccardi ‘Q’ Malbec 2019, Mendoza £11.99 [£15.99]
* sold out online, phone the store
Snippets
Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilised
André Simon Wine merchant, gourmet and
prolific writer about wine
Wine is like the incarnation - it is both divine and human
Paul Tillich Philosopher and theologian
Here’s hoping that the vaccine be with you SOON.
Cheers
Jane
Wine for Fun 2
Sips and Tips 5You can also read
