Year: 2021

Posted on by

New Wines from Australia for Christmas….

It’s a great time of year to start to source and look for something really exciting for the festive season, whether it’s for your own personal consumption or as an individual and beautiful gift.

Look not further than here for such inspirations! I have already explained in the previous post about the lovely wines that Mr Whirly has imported from Alcardet in Spain: affordable, and yet well made wines that are “Sustainable” and look after the world and planet. Wines that you can buy direct from Mr Whirly, just please send me an email.

Just arrived this week are some new wines from Australia: its taken a while to get back to my old place, where I started to import wines from, but we have managed to focus on some sensational wines from some small vineyards that I have been working with for close to twenty years now. These wines are from the following vineyards & will be on the Whirly wine website next week for you to buy! If you would like to pre-order please do so at [email protected]

Three Drops, Mount Barker, Western Australia: Cabernet Franc 2018 and Shiraz 2018

Brick Kiln, McLaren Vale, South Australia: Brick Kiln Shiraz 2018

Passing Clouds, Bendigo, Victoria: Graeme’s blend 2018 ( Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend, a classic old school wine)

Lillypilly, Leeton, New South Wales; Lillypilly Noble Blend 2018 and Fiumara 7

Below is a press release from Three drops received from the owner, Joanne Bradbury. I am importing a new wine from them this December, their delicious Cabernet Franc

Media Release

3DROPS WINS GLOBAL FINE WINE CHALLENGE

3drops from Mt Barker has won one of the world’s most prestigious wine awards for its 2018 Cabernet Franc.

The wine was named Best Red in Show at the invitation only Global Fine Wine Challenge with results announced today.

It also won top trophy honours in the Class 15 – Cabernet Franc in the competition which features the best New World wines.

The competition is restricted to the top 120 wines from each country, including Canada, New Zealand, North America and South Africa.

Global Fine Wine Challenge Director, Ross Anderson said the award to 3drops “is a phenomenal result when you look at the wines they were up against, it is just staggering”.

Mr Anderson said the awards were akin to the Olympics of the global wine industry with countries competing against each other.

The awards, previously known as the Six Nations Wine Challenge (est: 2003) didn’t run last year because of COVID-19 restrictions, but in 2019 was dominated heavily by entries from New Zealand.

The 2019 Wine of Show went to Canada’s 2013 Cuvee Catharine Cart Blanche Blanc de Blanc from Henry Pelham Family Estate.

The 2019 Wine of Show went to Canada’s 2013 Henry of Pelham Family Estate Cuvee Catharine Cart Blanche Blanc de Blanc. The 2019 Red Wine of Show went to America’s Hartford Family Winery Dina’s Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel 2016. New Zealand’s Church Road Grand Reserve Chardonnay 2018 took out the 2019 White Wine of Show.

The last time an Australian wine won Wine of Show was in 2017 when Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2015 took out the Chardonnay trophy, White Wine of Show and Wine of Show awards. 

There are no recorded Australian Red Wine’s having ever secured the Red Wine of Show trophy 

Owner of 3drops, Joanne Bradbury, said the award was a credit to the efforts of winemaker Rob Diletti who had been making 3drops wines since 2003 and to viticulturist Ray Williams who planted the original vines and still manages the Wragg Road and Patterson’s vineyards.

Ms Bradbury said the Cabernet Franc trophy and the Best Red of Show were 3drops most significant awards to date.

“We are excited and honoured that a Cabernet Franc grown on our family farm has been selected as the best red wine in the Global Fine Wine Challenge.”

Posted on by

Wines for the festive season from “Mr Whirly”: sustainable “Organic” and “Vegan” wines as well as some more exotic offerings…

Mr Whirly says:

” It’s that time of the year again and it’s a lovely time to look forward to this oh so special time of the year that we hold so dear to our hearts here in this wonderful land of ours. A time where the family comes together and for the first time in two years we are able to enjoy Christmas once again in the proper way. I think therefore its a lovely time to eat and drink well but let’s drink with care and attention to the environment and also to ourselves. Drink in moderation. Drink less and drink better.

With this in mind I shall be putting together a few delights for you to enjoy. I will start with a mixed case of “Organic” and “Vegan” wines for all the family at a sensible price point, wines that have been made in a sustainable way for the soil and earth. There will be an affordable mixed dozen and half dozen available online from the 1st December and I shall send out a link in a post to both cases. As I always do at this time of the year I shall also put together a more salubrious offering for your to enjoy, as a half dozen that you can order as you wish, double up if you like and order 12.

Please do have a look at the wines online though. There are some fabulous vintages of old Bordeaux that I have added recently that would make some sensational gifts for Christmas, as well as Port from Porto: Lillypilly Fiumara 7 and Fortified 1998 Shiraz from Leeton Australia, that are the perfect match with Plum pudding and Stilton cheese; Magnums of Valpollichella that need to be opened 48 hours before Christmas day, to be the perfect match with Roast beef; Graziano Tocai Fruilano 2012 from Mendocino, California, perfect with a rich sticky toffee pudding and custard on the day or something similar: Lillypilly Noble blend 2012, perfect with a Steamed ginger pudding or fresh fruit salad. As well as these really individual offerings we offer Gin and Single malt Whisky by the bottle from small and local distillers as well as Olive oil from Velenosi in Marche, one of my favourite vineyards I work with. In short there are a host of lovely gifts for your family and friends that are being added all the time to the website on the online shop. But do look now, some of the wines are only available in very limited stocks and in order to guarantee delivery before Christmas, please order by December 20th.

Thanking you, happy hunting and any questions about the pairing of any wines with any food styles, so you can get the most out of each wine, please do email me direct and I will personally email you back just as soon as I can.”

Mr Whirly

Posted on by

Bodegas Alcardet; ” Organic” and “Vegan” wines, ” Gea”range, Toledo, Spain. New wines have arrived into the UK, October 2021!!

As Mr Whirly indicated in the last post Whirly wines is focusing his wholesale business on Farm shops now, away from the trials and tribulations of the poor restauranteurs I have had the joy of working with for 20 years now. Sadly alot of my restaurant clients are no longer in business, due to Covid, so in order to survive, Mr Whirly and Whirly wines had to switch markets in the last year. This has been, as one can imagine, really hard work, but this core range of wines for farm shops, was inspired by a request by Joanna Hodgson at Piercebridge farm shop in County Durham, my first farm shop client & thanks to Joanna they have inspired my business to create this market.

The wines have just arrived from Toledo in Spain. They consist of the following wines, three whites and three reds;

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Verdelho

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo

The wines are fabulous for every day drinking: the whites are crisp and clean and with positive acidity. The Reds are soft in tannins and easy to drink, fruit led but restrained.

The wines are £10.50 a bottle and can be bought privately by emailing me direct. Minimum order is 12 bottles. Please email me [email protected] or call me on 07821 968111

Thanking you

Mr Whirly

Posted on by

‘Organic”, “Vegan” and ” Bio-Dynamic” wines are the focus for Whirly wines in 2021…

“Lets walk on with hope in our hearts for a brighter light ahead in 2021.” The focus for this year is undoubtedly going to be the sourcing of some quality “ Organic” and ” Vegan” wines at really competitive prices for wholesale and private clients. It’s what people are now looking for, wines that are “sustainably” made and wines that have that care and attention too. So trust in “Mr Whirly” and allow me to guide you through a list of wines that I already have that are “Organic” as well as some ideas for the future. Indeed very shortly I shall be posting on the e-commerce page a range of half a dozen ” Organic” wines for your to enjoy this March, discounted at 10% for you lovely, regular clients, who have supported me through thick and thin.

I have a great mixed case of wine on offer at the moment too, just in time for Easter. Click on the link below to have a peep! Click on the link below:

https://whirlywine.co.uk/product/mr-whirlys-affordable-mixed-half-dozen-for-christmas/

Whirly wine “Organic “offerings…..( delivered ” free to your door” in SW postcodes, whatever quantity you order)

Mr Whirly’s Organic, Bio and Vegan wines…..

Rosé

Mehofer, Rose, 2019, ( 100% Zweigelt) “ La vie en Rose”, Mehofer, Wagram, Austria; ” Strawberry’s and Cream in a glass! A pure delight for this summer of 2020. This is a brand new line of wine for Mehofer so its really exciting to show you an Austrian Organic rose!”: £13.95

White

Gruner Veltliner, Klassik, 2019, Mehofer, Wagram, Austria: £13.50

Mehofer have been Organic for over 20 years. Gruner is the main white grape of Austria. Its soft, low in alcohol and is the perfect lazy Sunday afternoon wine whilst you prepare your roast. Apples and pears, slick and shiny with some fresh acidity.

Roter Veltliner, Klassik, 2019, Mehofer, Wagram, Austria: £13.95

” Roter ” means Red. ( Gruner is green) yet this is a white wine? Why? It’s picked before they turn red, hence there are no red grape skins to make the red wine. Roter is a little fuller than the Gruner. Still apples and pears but slightly riper and fuller yet it’s another slick offering from this talented young winemaker, Stephan Mehofer.

Riesling, Klassik, 2019, Mehofer, Wagram, Austria; £14.50

Dry Riesling. Not Sweet like a great deal of the wines from Germany next door. Another quality offering from Mehofer, pure, soft and elegant with some notes of fresh pear and quince and a little oiliness on the palate and a hint of petrol on the nose but by no means is it prevalent. Another top wine, another top vintage. Drink now or cellar for up to 5-7 years since it will develop in the bottle.

Red

” Red for Tapas”, La Mancha, Spain: £9.75

New wine just arrived October 2020 for the Autumn. It’s all about Organic and Vegan and value for money when it comes to wine and this wine ticks all the boxes. Soft and gentle, this wine combines Syrah and Tempranillo, its very easy to drink and is rich with Autumn fruits of plum, blackberry and cherry on the palate. A winner of a wine at that crucial £10.00 price point mark. Give it a Whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

Rosso Piceno, 2017, “ Organic and Bio- Dynamic” Sangiovese & Montepulciano, Velenosi, Marche, Italy: £11.50

Montepulciano and Sangiovese, again the former taking the lead in the %, 70-30. Very elegant and fruit driven wine, really exciting offering with some bright acidity blended in with fruits like cherry, plum and violets. It can be drunk now or in the next 2-3 years.

“Chateau Domaine de Viaud”, “Cuvée Prestige”, Cote de Bourg, 2015, Bordeaux: £22.50 ( Vegan & Organic)

” Certified Organic , Vegan & Biodynamic ” Bordeaux is hard to find. Finding subtle and exciting Bordeaux with these add on’s even more tricky. The Bordelais are reluctant to change their philosophy over centuries, which is understandable and many grow their grapes in a ” Sustainable” way too.Philippe Betschart is a man I have known since 2009 when I first visited the vineyard and he was converting to this ” Organic” way. I subsequently bought the 2009 and 2010 vintages which were great vintages and very successful here in the UK. We now continue this relationship with the wonderful 2015 vintage, which is soft and so alluring. This wine is gentle at 13.5% alc vol, with some Autumnal berry fruit, tabacco and forest floor notes on the nose and palate. Its a beautifully balanced wine that I would recommend anyone who loves Bordeaux, but is often disappointed, to taste.”

Zweigelt- Cabernet, 2015, Klassik, Mehofer, Wagram, Austria: £15.95

“I love this wine! It’s perfect now as a match with duck and soft game. Its full of smokey summer fruits like strawberry and raspberry, but it’s not too fruity don’t worry. The Cabernet gives this wine depth and fullness.”

Posted on by

Wine of the Month; January 2021

ORGANIC, “Chateau Les Graves de Viaud”, Côtes de Bourg, 2015, ” Cuvée Prestige”, “Bio Dynamic” and “Vegan” Bordeaux

New wine! Arrived December 2019.

Mr Whirly says:

” Certified Organic , Vegan & Biodynamic ” Bordeaux is hard to find. Finding subtle and exciting Bordeaux with these add on’s even more tricky. The Bordelais are reluctant to change their philosophy over centuries, which is understandable and many grow their grapes in a ” Sustainable” way too.

Philippe Betschart is a man I have known since 2009 when I first visited the vineyard and he was converting to this ” Organic” way. I subsequently bought the 2009 and 2010 vintages which were great vintages and very successful here in the UK. We now continue this relationship with the wonderful 2015 vintage, which is soft and so alluring. This wine is gentle at 13.5% alc vol, with some Autumnal berry fruit, tabacco and forest floor notes on the nose and palate. Its a beautifully balanced wine that I would recommend anyone who loves Bordeaux, but is often disappointed, to taste.”

13.5 % alc vol

£22.50

TO BUY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

“Chateau Les Graves de Viaud”, Côtes de Bourg, 2015,” Cuvée Prestige, Eleve en Futs de Chene, “Vin Biodynamique” et ” Organic”.