Following the success of last years ‘Big Chester Wine Quiz’ we are delighted to hold another one, only this time bigger and better. Cantina Caputo and Zebra Marketing are once again teaming up and in support of local charity, EYF, are hosting an evening of wine tasting and local trivia.

The previous event was a huge success with teams from key local businesses taking part before local law firm Walker Smith Way eventually lifted the trophy. They will be keen to take it home again and will no doubt be in competitive form.

The event will take place on Thursday May 31st at the Guildhall, Chester and will be an excellent lead into the summer. Join us at 6.30pm for a glass of Prosecco and mingle with other local businesses before the quiz starts. Regroup with the rest of your team at 7.30pm and try to identify five blind wines. Don’t worry if your wine skills are not too polished as there will be plenty of opportunity to redeem yourselves in a variety of different quiz rounds.

We hope you will consider entering a team of between three and six people for a fantastic night of fun, food and wine with … Read more…

Many would argue that Barolo needs no introduction, yet for an equal amount this legendary wine remains shrouded in mystery as jaw dropping prices only create more barriers to discovery. Iconic names such as Aldo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Paolo Scavino are well coveted, their presence compulsory in any serious cellar, but what of the other tiny estates of Barolo and where does one start when seeking to indulge in the hedonistic pleasures originating from this infamous stretch of land?

Barolo should be and often is, the rich, dramatic, powerful and masculine expression of the Nebbiolo grape, a grape that has found a perfect home in the subtle microclimates of elven communes of the Langhe area of Piemonte in North West Italy. The name Barolo takes its name from the commune of Barolo, which along with La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba is the most important.

So why is Barolo so good? Well firstly, in 1980 Barolo was promoted from its DOC status to DOCG and subsequently new, sensible and forward thinking conditions were set down to ensure overall quality was maintained and a few poorly made examples didn’t spoil the wine’s historically good reputation. Maximum yields were … Read more…

Brunello di Montalcino is part of the historic elite of Italian wines.  Centred around the small town of Montalcino in the south of Tuscany, this Sangiovese based treasure is often labelled as one of the finest wines in the world. Brunello, on it’s day, is a big rich wine of full body, fleshy texture and dry velvety tannins. Common aromas of black berry, black cherry, chocolate, leather and violets contribute to the complexity normally found in Brunello wines and combined with a lively acidity they are often the perfect partner for Italian cuisine.

Like many Italian wines deeply rooted in the areas cultural heritage, there exists the usual philosophical clash on what Brunello should actually taste like. At the centre of the debate is the variations of wood ageing. Traditionalists argue that true Brunello should spend far longer in large oak barrels to soften and refine the wine. Modernists however have successfully lobbied to reduce the minimum ageing requirement down to two years with at least four months in bottle. A reduction in ageing requirements ultimately facilitates the use of more charred barrique which imparts more internationally fashionable flavours such as vanilla, woodsmoke and chocolate. While there is weight behind both … Read more…