Monkeyshed Wines

So the season is upon us! What more to say than we have the wine for you. A cracking Champagne to toast friends and fortune. Whites and reds to fortify you before, after or instead of a bracing walk. And even something deliciously sweet to ensure everyone looks just that little rosier. And despite the chancellor's bah humbug duty rise it all comes with only 15% VAT - the long and short of the smoke and mirrors is spend over about £90 a case and the lower VAT really should mean lower prices (and does with us). Read on....

Everyday prices, exceptional wines.
It felt right to be doing our little bit to help the global recovery! We've chosen three whites and reds and helped with case deals on our already rock bottom pricing - to be shared with friends or for a guilt free glass at the end of another hard day, lunch or whatever. Read on.....

Unaffordable luxury - unaffordable in the "you can't afford to miss it" kind of style!
This month we've put together a selection of six wines unashamedly match with their perfect food partner (or the likes.....) all inspired by the latest visitor to the lab that is our kitchen Valentine Warner's What to eat Now.
A mixed dozen for £120 or click on each wine to see any further case deals.

Two Whites:
► Loimer Kamptal Riesling, Austria '07 – Get the oysters out and start celebrating like you mean it.
► St Veran, Les Chailloux, Domaine Deux Roches, Burgundy '06 - This is good Chardonnay at its versatile best. Stick with the Riesling for the lighter more delicate fishy things but any weight and this is your man. We're workshopping a winter barbequed pork when the clouds part and I'm guessing this will be the baby (if you can't drink proper wine that is).

Four Reds:
► Cotes-du-Rhone, Domaine St Cosme, Gigondas, France '07 – I think this will be the red partner for the pork above. There is a wonderful earthy character in this wine which stands well out in the sea that is Cotes-du-Rhone and if you are playing with rabbit or wood pigeon you could do worse.
► La Vendimia, Palacios Remondo, Rioja ’07 – Next dish after the pork barbeque on the list of Valentine Warner's dishes that need dissecting in a controlled environment is his Lamb Birria. A Mexican lamb stew. La Vendimia is made for lamb and I've been waiting all my life for someone to invent Mexican food that lives up to my expectations - no pressure then. The wines crunchy youth will work a treat with the spice and any other spicy dish you might want to throw at it.
► Heinrich, Red, Neusiedlersee, Austria '06 – A luxuriously polished wine, at once earthy and velvety if that doesn't conjure up images of ... well best leave it there. This I'd try with a classic rack of lamb or for a twist perhaps Val's wild mushroom lasagne? The wine is delicate enough to enhance rather than overpower the delicacy that is often overlooked in an pasta dish.
► Mercurey, Vieilles, Vignes, Francois Raquillet, Burgundy '04 – This is great stuff, wants beef and I'm heading to the venison pie, most of the game and just sitting back to read the rest of the book with this old favourite.

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Everyday drinkers chosen to take the hit and miss out of the superstore wine selection lottery.
Criteria: Must hit both the cheeky little quaffer spot and the wallet with such a satisfying pleasure that you’ll forget those evil greenfield killing monoliths and support not just your local butcher, fishmonger, fruit and veggerer but also the wine merchant too!

This month, in doing our own small bit to help save the world, we've put case offers on all six of our special selection for November. Wines to be shared with friends, tippled guiltlessly after a hard day, add a zing to lunch........ its an oyster out there.

White:
► Calbuco Semillon Chardonnay, Chile '07
– Try a dozen for £60 (£5.00 each)
► Alpha Zeta, Chardonnay, Veneto, Italy ’07
– Try a dozen for £72 (£6.00 each)
► Pinot Grigio Corte Giara, Veneto, Italy '07
– Try a dozen for £80 (£6.67 each)
► A mix of whites
– £69 for four of each of the three above

Red:
► Calbuco Cabernet Merlot, Chile '07
– Try a dozen for £60 (£5.00 each)
► Colonia Las Liebres, Bonarda, Argentina '06
– Try a dozen for £72 (£6.00 each)
► Il Faggio, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy '07
– Try a dozen for £75 (£6.25 each)
► A mix of reds
– £69 for four of each of the three above

Christmas coming early isn't just about window dressing and lights, we hope you'll agree.

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So the season is upon us! What more to say than we have the wine for you. A cracking Champagne to toast friends and fortune. Whites and reds to fortify you before, after or instead of a bracing walk. And even something deliciously sweet to ensure everyone looks just that little rosier. And despite the chancellor's bah humbug duty rise it all comes with only 15% VAT - the long and short of the smoke and mirrors is spend over about £90 a case and the lower VAT really should mean lower prices (and does with us).

Our Stars for December carry on from the start made in November. Now that we have finally managed to track down the ingredients - what a trial - we are making an all out assault on those tantalising treats from new favourite chef Valentine Warner. What we've tried so far has lived up to the mighty high expectations notes to follow.

The National Open Art at Chichester went off a storm and with all but a few paintings returned to artists or new owners our family is almost reunited. We've carried over our Art Lovers Selection just to celebrate.

With our Quaffers we've defied the best efforts of Darling Alistair - he's demanded an extra 12p per bottle in duty - and kept our fighting prices in place - Merry Christmas! Grab the Alpha Zeta Chardonnay and the Il Faggio Montepulciano and you are guaranteed impressive presents from any you spring these stars on.

The VAT change really does us a favour at the top end and all our feature wines in the Focus on Burgundy have come tumbling down - buy now or be sorry, very sorry.

Finally, our business grows and thrives on your loyal support and word of mouth. To help expand our merry band we'd like to offer a bottle from our tasty selection of olive oils to all those that introduce a friend! Winners all round I think you'll agree.

Stay tuned for more.....

This box is put together as a tribute to the National Open Art Competition now over but we thought the box should live on just a bit longer. Another year of sweat and innovation and it is better than ever. From the vast field of over some 1200 works a select 118 make for a worthwhile trip to our southern shores.
The dozen selected (two of each of the wines featured below) is on offer at £100 (usually £111.40 no less) and available whilst the show lingers.

Two Whites:
► Chablis, Denis Race '06
An elegant backbone to provide a structure for creative souls anywhere.
► Tinhut, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand '07
Something exciting and edgey that draws a thoroughly modern story from classic roots.

Four Reds:
► Colonia Las Liebres, Bonarda, Argentina '06
A solid earth base of understated character. One that deserve careful consideration.
► Il Faggio, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Italy '07
A wine that captures all the warmth and colour of the Adriatic.
► La Vendimia, Rioja, Palacios Remondo, Spain '07
New, vibrant and brilliantly bright.
► Heinrich, Red, Neusiedlersee, Austria '06
Polished and elegant, from a solid earthy core this wine opens to reach unexpected heights.

Try them if you dont believe me!

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This was just too tasty to leave behind but I did have to wonder, will anyone want to drink an Austrian “Red” made from a blend of what might as well be three varieties of cabbage? Well if not they certainly should!
This is really good. Almost like drinking velvet. It has a rich, luxurious and envelopingly softness up front and through the middle with just the right amount of solid backbone to hold up the rear and stop it loosing all shape in a pool of loveliness. To the blend. The Blaufrankisch is deemed to bring the alluring fragrance of good Gamay and some of the gaminess of Syrah. It is long and sinewy on the palate. St. Laurent brings colour, depth, delicacy and balance. Zweigelt is named after the good doctor who crossed the Blaufrankisch and St Laurent - an obvious move I hear you cry as one!
I really like this. Try it, I think you will too.

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It’s probably best not to delve too deep into exactly what Bonarda is. Ostensibly its native to Italy but there seems to be a certain amount of confusion at home as to what it really is. What is safe to say is that with Malbec, a native of Bordeaux and Cahors, it has found much greater popularity, success and a new sense of purpose in its new home from home Argentina.
Scrummy, a full, rich wine with a damsony tone to its exuberant fruit and great terras argentinas earthy weight.

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Yum! It really is hard to beat a good Garnacha as the saying goes? Juicy, supple and approachable but this has a depth and complexity that just keep you going back for more if only to put your finger on exactly what it is you are tasting.
This comes from the Aragon plains and must be drunk with slow roasted little lamb to be fully appreciated.

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Wow. Amarone is a real mind blower and this is no exception. Good modern purity and deliciously perfumed flavours on both nose and palate.
Amarone is never cheap but this is good value and really punches well above its weight, treat yourself.

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This wine was always a bit of a no brainer when putting together a new list for the Harvey Nichols empire. Always delicious and always a benchmark example of such a classic Italian style. I’ve toyed with it since giving up the luxury of such a vast range and decided in the end that Valpolicella was perhaps a style too far. But I still couldn’t resist trying the new vintage at a recent tasting. Delicious, as ususal, but somehow richer, purer, slightly more vibrant and delicious than I remember? Screw cap! Bored of waiting for the legislators to catch up (and this too is a theme of the family) the Allegrinis declassified from Valpol Classico to straight Valpol in ‘07 and bottled under a screw cap.
Now the wine gets a listing simply for being quite a tasty tipple at the perfect price.

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A cousin of the Alpha Zeta range that so tickles my fancy!
Matt Thomson has weaved his magic with fruit from Abruzzo this time around. Ripeness is never a problem for such a warm region. The challenge is to capture the richness but keep it focused and clean.
So here you are - all the rich flavours of the Abruzzan Med in Technicolor, extra bright, clear and focused.

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Can I get away with the Princes of Denmark being Plantagenets? Probably not, but Plantagenet is one of the original wineries in the Great Southern region of Western Australia and was set up at Mount Barker, not a million miles inland from Denmark, W.A.. So now you know.
This is a classy number. Big on fruit and oak but both are checked by some wonderfully levelling acidity, the key to the wine’s excellent balance. The class of the fruit and wine making skills of John Durham bring a depth of complexity to the wine.
Tidy, very tidy indeed.

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Really juicy friendly stuff. The Deux Roches crew make a range that never disappoints. The common signature throughout is ripe full opulent flavours. That’s what this is all about, and all the tastier for it.

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I’ve got a thing about Fred Loimer’s wines.
In fact it probably goes further than that to my introduction to Austrian wines. An invite came through to a tasting at the Austrian Ambassador’s Residence in Belgrave Square about two seconds from my old Knightsbridge office. It seemed churlish not to. I waltzed up expecting something along the lines of the slightly mad, slightly unwashed, slightly hippy, boho crew that had revealed themselves as the Swiss wine trade. Not a bit of it. I clearly hadn’t read my invitation and dared to turn up around lunch time not in full ball gown and feeling particularly underdressed. An extraordinary atmosphere of very much alive imperial majesty leagues removed from their alpine neighbours. The wines are similarly leagues apart. If the Swiss offer slightly too high altitude versions of their neighbours in France, Italy and I suppose Germany, Austrian wines are truly singing their own song. The best are absolutely fantastic with a brilliant combination of purity and richness.
The Loimer wines deliver.

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Amazing stuff from the shores of Lake Garda. The problem with wine from such a picturesque and well know spot is finding one that firstly wants to and secondly can live up to your holiday memories or fantasies. At Ca dei Frati both are well and truly taken care of.
The Dal Cero family are winemakers who put in the hard work finding great vineyards, cropping low and respecting their fruit. Stunning wines of great depth and complexity that all but the very, very best holiday memories will struggle to put in the shade.

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A particular favourite of mine ever since we first met over a crowded table in Sydney many, many moons ago.
Semillon has been at home in the Hunter valley for as long as Australia has produced wine. Picked early it was Hunter Valley Riesling, a little riper it became Hunter Valley Chablis and the full monty was unleashed as Hunter Valley White Burgundy. Labelling has changed a bit but the variety of styles remains.
Brokenwood now make two Semillons. Their ILR Semillon is an admirable tribute to the classic Lindemans Hunter Valley range of yore. Their real success is with their straight Semillon which is light, fresh and just perfect dry white for relatively early drinking. It will blossom if you manage to loose a case in the depths of your cellar for a few years too.

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Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Each: £9.95
INTRODUCTORY OFFER - A dozen for £107 (£8.92 each)

Speaking as the inhabitants of the Monkey Shed we could hardly do anything but like a wine called Tinpot Hut. Indeed just as our name links our past and present (we live in Chico’s old digs) so too does Tinpot Hut link the sheep (well it had to be really) rearing history of Marlborough to its present guise as a winemaking mecca. Lyrical enough?
The Hut is a solo venture of Fiona Turner erstwhile co-conspirator, in many a caper, of the ubiquitous Matt Thomson. The grapes come from her own property in Blind River and other specially selected sites, from contacts carefully ferreted away over the years for just such a solo venture.
The wine has lovely depth and intensity and a Sauvignon pungency that is leavened by a lovely minerality on both the nose and palate.

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