COMPLIMENTARY Wines of Distinction A FRESH START ISSUE: #004 WINTER 2015 Welcome Another year is upon us, where does the time go? Contributors I always enjoy the start of the year in Brought to you by the wine geeks at Matthew Clark the northern hemisphere vineyard, it’s time to take a moment after the busy Siobhan Irons is Tiffany Mogg is harvest, take stock and assess the one of our buyers our Wine Marketing fruits of labour. and after spending Manger. Having 9 years working in worked in the wine With this in mind, we’ve caught up the On-trade fol- trade since 2007 with many of our producers and wine lowed by a stint at Majestic, couldn’t she can’t imagine makers to bring you the latest from resist getting even doing anything else, their vineyards, and really understand closer to the product by applying for “it seemed an obvious choice for me, what makes them tick. buying role. Three years later, every most people that work with wine have day is still different and she loves the a natural affinity towards food as well I’ve been grilled on all things French feeling of finding that gem that will coming together with friends and family. in ‘Maison du Vin’ and we also delve make someone’s day and add that I am very lucky to work with such like- little extra to your wine list. further into France with The Pleasure minded people, some of which have become the best of friends.” Tiffany Maker, Jean Pierre Sauvion who David Kelly David is just about to shares his love for the Loire, and also holds her WSET Diploma and is a pass the four year qualified WSET Educator. have a quick chat with the lovely Laure mark with Matthew Columbo who updates us from The Clark, two of which Rachel Love is Rhône. have been as a spending her tenth Wine Development year in the wine trade Despite the quieter season for those Specialist. He’s just but her passion for in the north, don’t be fooled about started his Wine Di- wine started earlier preparation for harvest in the southern ploma so you might than that through hemisphere...or indeed how busy we just find him buried in a book over the regular family holidays are here at MC, with over 180 new next year! to wine regions of France. Her career in the industry wines added to the range, we can’t Zoe Coombs is our began at Majestic Wine in 2004 and wait to share them with you. We’ve Wine Development even dropped in a few exciting new Specialist for the has travelled extensively to wine regions additions over the next 44 pages...so South West, with around the world, completed her WSET keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive a passion for wine, Diploma with a lot of fun had along the she’s an integral way! Rachel joined Matthew Clark in preview of them. part of the team, 2013 as Wine Development Specialist having started with and has recently qualified as a certified We love to talk all things wine, so why Matthew Clark in WSET educator. not drop us a line , better yet, I’ll see 2000 and working within the On-Trade you at our exciting London Wine event since she was 18. The last couple Emmy Webster on the 3rd of March #WhyWeLoveW- of years have seen her achieve her is our resident PR WSET Diploma and qualify as a WSET ine guru and spends Educator. most of her time talking about, Cheers! Laurie Davis, our resident Aussie, writing about and Simon has always had a tasting wine. Work- passion for wine ing closely with our which started when Matthew Clark wine geeks as well as picking grapes in suppliers, and wine makers alike, her school holidays knowledge and thirst for the category for Bruce Tyrrell in is growing by the day. Her love for the the Hunter Valley. On-Trade stems from having ran two After a 16 year On-Trade outlets, she is content on stint as a chef in the UK and OZ, he either side of the bar! joined Matthew Clark 14 years ago, turning his wine habit into a career. Having worked on the sales side for many years, he now sits as our Wine Controller. 02 04 ISSUE: #004 El Camino New Kids on the block Brian Meacher from Don Wine Controller Laurie Jacobo, delves into his Davis tells us about the Contents very own Pilgrimage new kids in town Matthew Clark | Vini | Winter 2015 through Rioja @MatthewClarkLtd 05 10 PLEASE NOTE Façonneur de Plaisir THE CODES LISTED NEXT TO WINES La Maison du Vin ARE OUR PRODUCT CODES WHICH Meet the pleasure maker We get together with CAN BE USED TO PURCHASE WINES. who adores the Loire Purchasing Director Simon PRICES QUOTED ARE LIST BOTTLE Jerrome to find out what’s PRICE. THESE ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT BUT MAY BE SUBJECT TO happening over the Channel CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. 18 24 Starter for 10 16 Our very own David Kelly Lifetime 28 serves up delightful tales Achievement Award Wine faults, the facts Wine training, top tips Ensure the wine you serve along with his top 10 Take a journey through the life of Robert Mondavi Our Wine Development is in the best possible Specialists give us their condition, and know what top tips to keep your staff could be spoiling your wine. 30 at the top of their game Vidal Estate 34 We catch up with head Cellar Door wine maker Hugh Crichton We meet new wine maker from one of the oldest from Kleine Zalze, Alistair wineries in Hawkes Bay Rimmer Matthew Clark | Vin | 1 hat’s not to like? A classic wine region with immense history Wproducing hand crafted wines made beside the River Ebro for 1000 ‘s of years – probably. Ah and the Tapas run – when you first find the top of the ‘Calle Laurel’ in the oldest part of Logrono town, it is like you have just gate crashed the most amazing outdoor party. Then you notice the bars, one, two, three, four, and then several more masked by the throng. It was a wet Wednesday evening in September – people were standing in the narrow street laughing, eating and drinking. As we threaded our way to a corner I noticed that the bars were full, some more full than others apparently ntil a recent visit to a according to their Tapas speciality or reputation El StoryCamino by or size – cavernous most are not. This adds Brian Meacher Uthe Don Jacobo Winery hugely to the old streets charm. The outdoor in Navarette a small village socialising seemed to be part queue, part slow shuffle on towards the next bite and glass of in Rioja Alta just outside the wine. I loved it, the corner that I assumed was regional capital Logrono, the end of the street merely led onto an even longer stretch with even more tapas bars. my personal experience of a ‘Pilgrimage’ – meant my was expertly steered by my hosts, Javier Martinez and Andrea Stehle from Don own journey down to Spain Jacobo Winery who explained that there is I via Stanstead airport and nowhere else like it in the world. They travel a lot and I’m inclined to take their word for it Bilbao and the short drive at this point. I’ve counted 8 bars so far, and down to one of my favourite we’ve only been into two. We have some serious work to do. We head on again after wine regions. Since my last greeting some Dutch importers who were visit a few years ago I hold also paying homage to this unique wine and food pairing opportunity. I didn’t lose count of the prospect of a chance to the bars exactly, but I probably forgot to keep do the famous ‘Tapas Run’ in count after visiting about 7, or possibly 9. So a mental note of the total number of bars in the Logrono in some reverence. Calle Laurel was never on the cards. I checked afterwards it’s around 50! What a cracking start to my visit. ‘ Camino de Santiago’ Pilgrims Way Ponferrada Santiago de Leon Compostela Logrono Astorga Burgos Don Jacobo Winery La Rioja region vineyard Ebro River and the old town of Miravet 2 | Matthew Clark | Vini was at the Don Jacobo winery early the next morning, expertly covering my La Rioja region near Logrono Iparacetamol top ups and happily enthusing to some Matthew Clark customers visiting from the UK. fter a tour of the barrel cellar – a truly wonderful sight, we walked blinking out Atowards the old winery and the ready to harvest vineyards of Tempranillo beyond (I wrongly assume another grape squeeze and bitter sweet bite to check on progress is coming next), actually we strolled along a dirt ooking at a map of European track curiously marked with Scallop shells at Pilgrimage routes since, Rioja sits intervals and arrived at some ruins – a 12th in very good company as most century pilgrims resting place. I was curious L routes take in wine growing areas such about these and the steady stream of walkers as Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy and the heading West. Standing in the ruins we thus Rhone. I can only assume that these received a history lesson from my host and regional wine names and reputations wine maker at Don Jacobo, Javier. travelled far and wide at least in part Logrono street cafe always knew that Rioja was special in the thanks to the hundreds of thousands of hearts of wine lovers, that its wines had pilgrims who have travelled to Santiago de Ibeen renowned for centuries and that for Compostela over many centuries.