Happy New Year Everyone. Hopefully most of you have reflected on another fortnight of failed resolutions and are now emphatically back on the wagon. If you are, you have made the right choice, for the annual Cantina Caputo buying trip to the continent is in full swing. A new selection of producers, wines and vintages is on it’s way. This year however it is being done slightly differently, with a Honda S2000 and a very confused TomTom navigating us all the way from Chester, through Champagne, Burgundy and into Bordeaux. The vineyards and estates of the Rhone Valley, Languedoc and northern Spain also remain, excitingly, on the itinerary.

January is both the best and worst time of year to make any buying trip. Taking a well earned break from the Christmas rush and missing relatively little activity is balanced by the fact that life is very, very cold and most of Europe is closed. Nevertheless, consensus was reached and we arrived in Champagne on January 2nd, to be met with howling winds, driving rain and a serious thirst for some New Year fizz; Grand Cru if possible.

Epernay is Champagne HQ and a brief stroll down the infamous Avenue de … Read more…

Sunshine and temperatures resembling the summer months greeted us on Tuesday the 4^th of October as we geared up for the harvest at Vigne Mastrdomenico, producers of one of our favourite wines, Aglianico del Vulture ‘Likos’ from Basilicata in the south of Italy. 2011 is in many ways an unusual vintage, reduced crops and high sugar levels posing an economical challenge for some of the smaller estates. Nevertheless wineries with the potential to blend fruit from different parcels of vines will no doubt make balanced wines brimming with juicy dark fruit and the potential to sleep in the cellar for years to come.

Vigne Mastrodomenico, although being a relatively small outfit with a production of around 60,000 bottles a year, has 8 complex hectares of volcanic soli which have historically yielded grapes with the potential to create different styles of wine. Consequently a deep-rooted knowledge of what each row of vines will achieve means they can consistently produce balanced wines with finesse and character.

After the excitement and apprehension, the banter and speculation, heated discussion over the pros and cons of harvesting on any given day, the date was decided and an 8am start beckoned. With company owner Giuseppe … Read more…

The Guildhall in Chester provided an impressive setting for the first ‘Big Chester Wine Quiz’ hosted by Cantina Caputo fine wine merchants and Zebra Marketing. An noteworthy 75 people, representing various local businesses settled into an hours networking and with the help of Beato Bartolomeo’s refreshing extra dry Prosecco which needless to say went down very well, the evening was off to a great start.

As excitement grew and sporting banter flared up teams made their way to their seats and with five blind wines requiring the identification of both grape and country the candlelit 14^th century church descended briefly into silence and head scratching.

The jovial atmosphere soon returned however as a combination of dingbats, celebrity pictures and tough trivia rounds on Chester, current affairs and of course wine, soon provoked intense discussion. Naturally proceedings were washed down with Sicilian specialities, Nero d’Avola and intense white wine, Catarratto.

Walker Smith Way were worthy winners in the end after a close running battle with West Coast Energy. Holly Nelson, marketing manager at the Chester solicitor firm said, “We were delighted to have won the quiz and be presented with the trophy.  It was an excellent event and we will … Read more…