La Mancha is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) for wines, with over 190,000 ha planted to vines, and is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world. 22,000 grape-growers and over 300 wineries (bodegas) are registered with the DO, which was formally created in 1976. The first written documentation on viticulture in the region dates from the 12th century, though it is generally believed that vines were introduced by the ancient Romans as in other regions of the Ib

The 2016 New Zealand Food & Wine Celebration took place at the New Zealand School of Food and Wine, directed by wine and food icon Celia Hay. The event took place between September 10th and September 12th and several experts from the Food and Wine industry conducted master classes, we attended gala dinners, participated in the tasting sessions for general public and we were present at the New Zealand Sommelier of the Year Award Gala. On Saturday afternoon, our director, Sophi

W&F Celebration Come along to our 3rd W&F Celebration from September 10 - 12 Walk through to the Wine Room to taste an impressive selection of wines from some of New Zealand’s most illustrious wineries and discover some new treasures including Escarpment, Pegasus Bay, Misha’s Vineyard, Trinity Hill, Elephant Hill, Osawa, Clos Marguerite from Marlborough and Pasquale from Waitaki. Also in the Wine Room you can taste Wines from Spain. Spain grows indigenous vines with poetic na

Quinta Sardonia is the brainchild of Peter Sisseck, owner-creator of Dominio de Pingus and one of the finest, most particular intellects operating on the Spanish scene. QS is a relatively new project of Peter’s, which I have been following since its inception. Biodynamic and organically grown, it is a high altitude ridge-andvalley site which Peter has planted and nurtured from scratch. The vineyard incorporates all that Peter has learned in both his old vine project Dominio d

Old Hands Roble 2013, the beautiful organic wine from the Spanish region of Alicante was awarded with the Gold Medal in the XVI International Wine Award competition for organic wines organized by the prestigious German academy of Mundus Vini. This renowned event receives wine submissions from all over the world, including the best and most exclusive wine regions. A highly qualified international jury comprising oenologists, wine-makers, professional wine traders, sommeliers a

Nestled in the rolling hills of Priorat, I wind my way up the steep cobble streets of the village Porrera. I knock what seems an anonymous door, but Carles Ortiz greets us as he is coming up the street. Getting here was no easy task, after catching a train from Barcelona to Tarragona, finding a hire car and following a few misdirections. He is so ecstatic we have made the journey, his sole purpose is to demonstrate what makes the wine so special here. A Brief History The bloc

La Rioja is considered by some the more commercial part of Spanish wine production, but there is a certain magic in a wine region that has reigned so well for over 100 years. Take a 30 minute drive from Logrono, to find the quaint "pueblo" of Elsiego. There, against the backdrop of mountains and ochre colours of the town, lies the colourful Marques de Riscal Luxury Hotel, their restaurants, and the Bodega. The City of Wine, is very deceptively named but very fitting. Marques

The Viñátigo winery turned 25 in 2015, and it does so proud to be a force behind research into endemic –though not necessarily native– grape varieties from the Canary Islands. Travel to their vineyards, which are located along slopes to the north of the highest volcano in Europe, Mount Teide, on the island of Tenerife. A trained chemist, Juan Méndez took over the reigns of his family business 25 years ago. At the time, this group of small wine growers made around 5,000 liters

The Monteabellón Avaniel Rosé is done with one of the most delicious varieties of grapes that exist, those who Spain has well kept with jealousy during the past hundreds of years; the Tempranillo grapes. Most of the famous Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines have been done with this kind of grape, and there's a reason why, but you will have to taste it to find out. Directly bottled from their winery cellar in the Spanish region of Castilla-Leon, to your own house door. This fabu

Exciting news! We are very happy to announce the newest addition to our product portfolio: Vergel 2014 - Organic red from Alicante Garnacha Tintorera, Monastrell, Merlot Selecting our best organic grapes, Monastrell and Merlot are vinificated separately in a traditional way to extract a typical quality from each. The Merlot lends aromas of pepper, black fruits and truffle while Monastrell lends the quality of our Mediterranean climate, making the wine very soft and fruity at

There are lots of great things happening down in the Hawke's Bay. Home to New Zealand's oldest wine region, its no surprise that the hospitality folk are highly knowledgeable and passionate about wine both from local growers and abroad. With the FAWC (Food And Wine Classic) Summer Series just around the corner, everyone is gearing up for a busy summer season. Despite the deluge of rain the week we visited, there was a warm buzz in town with new eateries opening nothing stops

Managing director, Sophie Cotter, visited our customers in Queenstown last week, and she wrote a little journal of the trip to share with us her experience. If you are planning on visiting this beautiful city, read about the best tapas bars in town and cosiest resorts to stay: Pinot Noir, Cardrona Lamb and Spanish Tapas Ah, Queenstown. What’s not to love about it? There’s something magical about this magnificent and dramatically scenic place that spins on its own vortex of