Laithwaites

Wyfold Vineyard, Brut, 2009

torsten — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:23:58 +0000

Wyfold Vineyard, Brut, 2009

Rock star, film director or actor - you haven't really made it to the top unless you own a vineyard. If you want to be up there with Aykroyd, Banderas or Coppola making your own wine is now an even better status symbol than a private jet. In the case of Barbara Laithwaite I suspect the motivation was different. Like her husband Tony, the co-owner of the UK's biggest wine company has stayed away from the limelight, and I'd be surprised if she'd own a jet. She also resisted the urge to buy an existing winery in California or Provence and instead planted vines in the Chilterns to make sparkling wine.

Fast forward a few years to find the Wine Rambler sitting down with a glass of 2009 Wyfold Vineyard brut.

torsten Monday, 17/06/2013

Max Ferd. Richter, Mülheimer Sonnenlay, Riesling "Zeppelin", 2011

torsten — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:09:52 +0000

Max Ferd. Richter, Mülheimer Sonnenlay, Riesling "Zeppelin", 2011

Following last week's review of a kick-ass aged Mosel Riesling it seems only fair to follow up with an exploration of a much younger Mosel wine's ass-kicking abilities. Today's hero may just be a baby in comparison but it comes with a good family history and a coup de grâce delivered by one of the grand masters of ass-kicking, Dr Indiana Jones. Most importantly it comes with an airship (not included in the price sadly): "the wine most often drunk during the flights of the 'Graf Zeppelin' (airship)", as the label proudly claims in German.

torsten Wednesday, 24/04/2013

Danaris, Grüner Veltliner 2011

torsten — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 07:28:37 +0000

Danaris, Grüner Veltliner 2011

2013 has now begun in earnest, and for the Wine Rambler that means it is time to start regular service again and write about wine. With our focus on Germany you would naturally expect the first bottle of the year to be of Teutonic origin - but, behold!, it is not. Geographically and linguistically Austria may not be far away, but even if some see the Austrians as Bavarians with charm, the Austrians themselves insist on their independence. Every single screw cap or capsule of Austrian wine says so in proud colours.

So why not pick a German wine as the first in 2013 on this (mostly) German wine blog? Well, first of all because we are not *that* German, but more importantly because of: tradition, quality and availability.

torsten Wednesday, 09/01/2013

Pairing Wine and Music? "Tasting Notes" radio programme launch at Laithwaites Wine

torsten — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 02:21:58 +0000

Pairing Wine and Music? "Tasting Notes" radio programme launch at Laithwaites Wine

Music does not taste. Wine does. Rather obvious, but not nearly as simple as you may think. What we perceive as the taste of wine is actually our brain combining all sorts of information and the tongue only plays a relatively small part in this. What we see, know or hear, everything has an influence on how we taste. And as music and wine are often enjoyed together Classic FM and Laithwaites Wine argue it may be worth thinking about how to match them.

To make this point they hosted a wine and music tasting in London last week and the Wine Rambler went to investigate.

torsten Monday, 19/11/2012

Wine over the roofs of London - Laithwaites Winter Press Tasting, September 2011

torsten — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:42:16 +0000

Wine over the roofs of London - Laithwaites Winter Press Tasting, September 2011

London, wine metropolis. You may not think of it in those terms, but I have learned to appreciate the dynamic wine scene and the exciting range of wine events and venues here. You can explore wine in cellars built into Thames or railway bridges, at fantastic food markets, in world class restaurants, you can drink it on bridges spanning the river, at the Tower of London, in post-modern temples of glass, and you can engage with wine merchants with centuries of history, with entrepreneurs with new approaches or with a vibrant scene of wine writers and communicators. It is an exciting place and I love every minute of being here - especially when a unique place and wine meet.

I would like to invite you to share one of those moments with me.

torsten Tuesday, 22/11/2011