Wines £15 - £30

Aged in used barrels so as to impart less characteristics of the oak, yet keeping its softening effects on the wine. No ageing in bottle is necessary due to its natural occurring oxidation, meaning this wine will (if kept properly) last many months after opening, with no change in profile.

In the glass you can really see the beautiful colour of this amber nectar, with citrus, orange peel and ripe apricots on the nose. Followed on the palate by cinnamon, hints of dried fruit, a smooth roasted hazelnut, with a surprisingly persistent finish.

José Maria da Fonseca

Charming and sophisticated Rose Prosecco from one of the region's most quality-minded producers. Zucchetto have made this delicious glass of summer berry joy in a crisp Extra Brut style to ensure maximum refreshment.

Zucchetto

Powerful passion fruit and stone fruit aromas. The palate has flavours of ripe citrus, fresh nectarine and peach. Textural with a subtle bitter twist on the bright and long finish.

Bodegas Naia

From the eastern shore of the Neusiedlersee comes this beautifully botrytised blend of Welschriesling and Chardonnay. By affording the grapes an autumnal stay of execution whilst the early morning mists roll in off the lake to meander, untrammelled through the vineyard, growers are rewarded by the sight of their previously ripe, healthy grapes shrinking and shrivelling on the vine as the moisture is drained from them and they end up resembling a cross between a sun-dried tomato and Keith Richards. The trade-off of this risky procedure is to concentrate the sugars within the grape resulting in naturally sweet wines that combine a honeyed sweetness with refreshing acidity. Trust me, you are going to adore this.

The Symington family may be better known for their Port houses and Douro vineyards (Graham’s, Dow’s, Warre’s and Cockburn’s are perhaps their most recognised labels) but latterly they have expanded their interests south of the Douro and this gorgeous white from Alentejo offers all the evidence one needs that they have not been wasting their time. Arinto has the reputation of being the country’s finest white grape and it forms 75% of the blend here alongside Verdelho. Barrel fermented before ageing for 7 months in cask this is a pretty serious style of white with a real richness and intensity.

Te Mata is amongst New Zealand’s oldest wineries, founded in 1896 and enjoying a reputation for producing some of the country’s most iconic wines. This Estate Syrah from Hawkes Bay has a fabulous intensity and depth whilst retaining a grippy structure that steers it clear of any hint of flabbiness

Fiona and Niall Shiner had been living in Hong Kong for 18 years when they returned to Britain to take on Niall's parents' property at Amberley. Niall continued with his career, but mother-of-three Fiona decided to plant some vines at the property following a comment by her mother-in-law that the Romans could have grown vines there. The first acre was planted in 2007, with the acquisition of an old cattle farm on the (really quite steep) hill opposite and converting an old barn into a winery in 2016. A third vineyard side since been acquired taking the current area under vine (but not all producing grapes yet) to 58 acres (23ish hectares), still firmly in the ‘tiny’ bracket.

Made only in exceptional years and from the oldest parcels of Bacchus the Orpheus is a richer and heavier proposition than most UK produced Bacchus. Aromatic with gooseberry and elderflower on the nose and hints of tropical fruits, on the palate it builds from rich, creamy lemon to subtle tropical fruits. It has great flavour length and structure, lingering long on the finish which is dry and well rounded.

The white Santenay Clos de Malte is a rich and structured wine. It is elegant and fresh, with fruity, citrusy aromas and a hint of woody notes.

A single vineyard Pinot Noir from the cool Elgin region near Grabouw. Elegant and light in style, with an abundance of ripe red berries, juicy strawberries and subtle spices on the nose which follow through on the palate where it marries perfectly with a savoury meatiness.

Longridge Wine Estate

Maison Roche de Bellene

Favourite Son Cabernet Sauvignon is made up of two parcels of fruit from the Coonawarra region; the first is grown on our estate ‘Abbey’ vineyard while the other is sourced from the ‘Williams’ family vineyard, which is located a five minute tractor ride from Parker. Our Cabernet has benefited from a wonderful growing season. Following harvest – in April – the fruit was fermented in 20T static fermenters before being transferred to second and third fill French oak Hogsheads for 9 months maturation

Rich dark fruit notes, milk chocolate and toasted pine all feature harmoniously together. Grippy, drying tannins lead into a moreish, lingering finish.

Parker Estate

An intense bouquet, full and fragrant with hints of berries is followed by a palate that is harmonius, full-bodied and rounded with slightly sweet notes.

I Pastini

From indisputably the best area for rosé production in southern France comes this fruity number full of delicious strawberry and peach notes with smooth, fresh and ethereal structure on the finish.

Château des Ferrages

Effectively, this is White Beaujolais from Domaine Romy’s vineyards at the southern end of the region. It obviously still qualifies as Bourgogne and is made very much in the Burgundian style with a short lees ageing to preserve its aromatic, fresh and buttery character. Nicolas Romy and his father Dominique are very much of the natural school of winemaking with a hands-off approach to vineyard management and low intervention in the chais. Properly classy this

A mixologists dream, with eleven cultivars from eight regions make this juicy, lighter-style red. Blackberry, cherry and strawberry with a herbal twist makes this the ultimate thirst-quencher.

A man of conviction but by no means a zealot, Eric Texier likes to push the boundaries. Despite having no experience or contacts in wine, Eric decided to give up his career as a nuclear engineer and study winemaking in 1992, interning with Jean-Marie Guffens at Verget in Mâcon. Lacking the network to buy his own vineyard, Eric did his time with established winemakers then made négoce wines with the fruit of like-minded purists. Although he considers his approach to viticulture to be that of an old-fashioned paysan, don’t be fooled. Eric is more of a pioneer than he would have you believe. His fresh take on an old terroir has been instrumental in reviving appellations of the Northern Rhône that would otherwise have been lost. The estate consists of two very distinct terroirs - Brézème in the Drôme (left bank of the Rhône) and the Ouvèze valley in the Ardèche (right bank). Brézème is a limestone hillside facing south, the last ridge of the Vercors Massif at the mouth of the Drôme river, whilst the Ouvèze valley, on the Ardèche side, marks the geological separation between the Massif Central and the Cévennes, where the vineyards facing south, are granitic with a mixture of schist and gneiss on its surface and islands of limestone.

Declassified to Vin de France, as opposed to the more usual Côtes-du-Rhône due to its production method, a blend of 55% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 15% Clairette (a white grape).

All fruit is organic, harvested by hand, partly de-stemmed and co-fermented with native yeasts in open-top concrete tanks. As with all Texier wines, no extraction techniques are employed, aged in concrete for 12-18 months, unfined, unfiltered and bottled with only the smallest amount of sulphur. The blend of red and white grapes producing a joyfully bright wine, with crunchy red fruit, beautiful texture from the concrete fermentation, and incredible purity and drinking pleasure.

It’s kind of “Beaujolais but not as we know it.” Louis Latour as any fule kno, is one of Burgundy’s longest established companies, producing a huge range covering every appellation in the region. Venturing further south, this is a blend from some 35 different vineyard sites and whilst it is pure Gamay (obv) it is quite deceptively full flavoured. More in the way of dark fruit than one might expect and deeper in colour.

Eshcol was the original name of the estate. First planted in the 1800s, the wines made here helped establish Napa’s early reputation for quality. Eshcol Red is an authentic Bordeaux-style blend sourced primarily from the younger blocks of the main ranch.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc

This red blend opens with bold fruit-forward aromas of blackberry and dried cherry. On the palate, bright red fruit gives way to modest tannins and nicely balanced acidity, making it ready to open for almost any occasion.

Trefethen Family Vineyards

With a history going back to 1883, Wente is America’s oldest family owned winery. Based in Livermore to the east of San Francisco Bay, they have extensive vineyard holdings across the central coast area including, as the name suggests, along the southern hills. Half a lifetime ago (well 31 years ago to be precise) I was fortunate enough to spend a Sunday afternoon at the estate tasting (drinking) eating and playing all manner of “garden games” whilst on a trip with a whole bunch of international wine buyers – it’s the kind of memory that sticks with you. What’s the wine like Chris? In a word, generous. Full flavoured with the whole California Cabernet thing going on of blackberries and cassis. 12 months in a mix of French and American oak adds an extra dimension and at this time of year, in terms of food, I’d be thinking barbecue

"Zweigelt you say, Chris? Isn’t that an Austrian variety?” Absolutely, well spotted but this comes from t’other side of the planet in Nelson, New Zealand. Admittedly, Hermann Seifried was born in Austria but grew up amongst orchards rather than vineyards whilst his Kiwi wife, Agnes was raised on a sheep farm. Nonetheless they were amongst the first to plant vineyards in the south Island back in 1973 and I recall well a fabulous visit there in 1998. Whilst Hermann and Agnes remain key members of the team, the day-to-day running of operations is now handled by children Heidi, Anna and Chris. The vineyards now extend to some 330 hectares and the range includes this gorgeous New Zealand expression of Zweigelt – it’s every bit as spicy and bright as its Austrian cousins but maybe just a little more lush and rich

Gradis’ciutta is the name of the hilltop village where winemaker Robert Princic grew up - a quiet village in the Collio sub-zone of Friuli, close to San Floriano del Collio, surrounded by vineyards that his family had tended for generations. In 1997, with a background in oenology and a deep respect for the land, Robert founded the winery that now bears the name of his childhood home. I can’t be sure but I’m starting to get the impression that Pinot Grigio is starting to be seen as a slightly more respectable grape these days. 7 or 8 years ago the country seemed awash with entry level wines, the sales of which were determined exclusively on price. In truth, the mushrooming of Pinot Grigio sales through the early part of the noughties were way in excess of what could realistically have been produced but we won’t dwell on that, simply celebrate the arrival of wines which reflect far better what the grape can achieve. Really quite generous with melon and peach flavours to the fore and a beautiful balance on the palate

The Bouyer family have been cultivating these vineyards for 8 generations but it is only in the past 60 or so years that they have steered away from the co-operative to whom they had been selling their grapes and started focussing on producing and marketing their own wines. This is slightly unusual insofar as it is 100% Merlot and consequently a slightly lighter, fresher style of Bordeaux. No namby-pamby lightweight but certainly a little more plush and fruit forward than some of its peers

Founded in 2020 by Santi Degasperi (Descorchados Winemaker Revelation of the Year in 2022) and Nicolás Monforte (recognised as Tim Atkin’s Young Winemaker of the Year in 2024) Nakkal is one of Uruguay’s foremost “natural” wineries. Named after the Nakkales, ancient priests of the lost continent Atlantis who, apparently, guarded the knowledge, energy and wisdom of humanity for centuries. Among its principles, to intervene as little as possible with the sole purpose of guaranteeing collective well-being so that’s nice. Tannat has established itself as Uruguay’s “signature” grape and frequently expresses itself as a big, larger than life character but in Santi and Nicolas’ hands it’s gone through a bit of a training programme and is much lighter with ripe red fruit to the fore and much softer tannins. Try it lightly chilled

La Despensa Wines from Chile’s Colchagua Valley is owned, organically-farmed and operated by Matt Ridgway, originally from Dorset, and his Chilean wife Ana

Dry-farmed on less than 12 inches of winter rain per year, this is a different take on Pais compared with wines from this variety further south in Chile. Hand-picked grapes. Open-top bin fermentation with native yeasts. 14 days from picking to pressing, no extended maceration. Aged 100% in Flextank.

Fresh and super easy-drinking. Very clean with typical Pais notes of strawberry and perhaps a hint of sour cherry with added depth and concentration from the old vine fruit.

Hand-picked grapes. Open-top bin fermentation with native yeasts. 14 days from picking to pressing, no extended maceration. Some fairly typical savoury notes of tomato and sour cherry, but counter-balanced by the fruit-forward nature of the style of wines we produce. Tannins and acidity will help the wine age gracefully for several years or it can be enjoyed immediately.

Aromatic, spicy, mature forest fruits, notes of ripe plum and damson on the nose. Velvety and sumptuous on the palate - plum, rich vanilla and sour cherry give way to a fine, long, structured finish with ripe tannins. A full-bodied wine which exudes elegance.

Tenute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi Di Gresy

The Quercus wines are made a stone’s throw (a couple of miles, anyway) from the vineyards of Collio. Goriška Brda is Slovenian for Collio Goriziano, and while these hills may be divided by a political boundary, viticulturally they are one and the same. The result is fresh, modern wines that offer extra terroir-driven elegance for a very keen price.

This is from a variety of parcels on the ‘Butte de Chaume’, predominantly from younger (10-12-year-old) vines and predominantly from schist soils. The depth and luxurious texture from these vines is absolutely astonishing and seems all the more remarkable when you know that the wine is fermented and aged only in stainless steel. Harvesting is in small boxes and the grapes are cooled before a long, slow (4.5hrs) pressing in the cool room. Wild yeast ferment, partial Malo. Even at this ‘entry level’ and despite all the richness on show, this wine is beautifully precise and has exciting, bright, engaging acidity at the finish. It’s probably about twice the price of ‘yer average’ Anjou Blanc… which makes it quite outstanding value!

Chateau de Plaisance

Malvasia Nera di Brindisi (not to be confused with Malvasia Nera di Basilicata. obviously..) is another of these lesser known varieties that apparently have been knocking around Puglia for centuries and are only now emerging into the daylight of single varietal bottlings

Intense ruby red colour with purple tinges; pronounced aromas of red fruits, with hints of plum and spices. Full-bodied and well balanced, with a lively tannin and a pleasantly lingering finish of ripe red fruits.

Malvasia Nera di Brindisi (not to be confused with Malvasia Nera di Basilicata. obviously..) is another of these lesser known varieties that apparently have been knocking around Puglia for centuries and are only now emerging into the daylight of single varietal bottlings

Intense ruby red colour with purple tinges; pronounced aromas of red fruits, with hints of plum and spices. Full-bodied and well balanced, with a lively tannin and a pleasantly lingering finish of ripe red fruits.

Harvested from two sites in Suffolk and Essex, our Pinot Gris is carefully hand-picked to ensure the highest quality fruit. Expect bright orchard fruit, quince and crisp greengage, delivering a wine with freshness, purity and a clean, vibrant finish.

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garncaha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.

Bright and aromatic with cherry and berry characters and a hint of liquorice. The palate is complex with layers of plum, bramble and forest fruits, all supported by fine tannins, and long and elegant on the finish.

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

lbarino, that’ll be Spanish then, right?Wrong! Zippy, aromatic and unapologetically refreshing with hints of citrus peel, peach and a salty edge that screams coastal drinking, even if the nearest sea view is a laptop wallpaper. A cracking example of why Albariño continues to win friends at an impressive rate.