• 29 December 2011

NEW YEAR OPENING

 

Bedales will be open for all your New Years Eve bubbles and wines and to help cast of the post Christmas blues. Our Spitalfields and Borough market sites will be open all day Thursday & Friday and right up till 5pm on New Years Eve, while Leadenhall will be open all day Thursday and for lunch on Friday before closing for the New Years Eve weekend. For a full listing of our New Years opening hours please see our locations tab above, otherwise all there is left for me to say is a Verry Happy New Year from everyone at Bedales.

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  • 19 December 2011

CHRISTMAS AT BEDALES

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our guests past, present and future a verry merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.

It's not too late if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, Bedales will be open all week this week, with all your wine gifts under one roof. Whether its taster sets, fabulous wines, gourmet hampers, decanters, glasses or vouchers we have it all. For more information see the article below or for our opening hours click on locations above.

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  • 5 December 2011

CHRISTMAS AT BEDALES

CHRISTMAS AT BEDALES

Its that time of year again, and finally the weather has caught up, so to warm you up and get you thinking of the Christmas fun to come have a look through our Christmas selection below and find a gift for those wine lovers on your list. Bedales will, as always, be your one stop wine gift shop, with everything from extravagant wines to fabulous foods, elaborate decanters to perfect box sets and everything in between.

Click on the link to the right to view our full Christmas Selection

Read all of CHRISTMAS AT BEDALES

  • 1 December 2011

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

SATURDAY 3rd DECEMBER 10am - 4pm

For the first time at Christmas, historic thoroughfare and shopping street, Cheapside will be pedestrainised for a day of retail magic coupled with fun events for all the family. Shopping hotspots; Cheapside, One New Change, Royal Exchange, Bow Lane and Leadenhall Market are all running special offers and events all day. From festive fashion to the finest Christmas cusisine, this is a truly unique way for Londoners and visitors to enjoy Christmas 2011. Leading visitor attractions such as St. Pauls, Museum of London, Tate Modern and The Barbican are close at hand so you can make the most of your day out right here in the heart of the city

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  • 25 November 2011

FREE CHRISTMAS WINE TASTINGS

JOIN US FOR FREE WINE TASTINGS

EVERY TUESDAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS

We know how difficult choosing Christmas wines can be; maybe you're looking for presents, maybe they're to drink accross the Christmas period, every one wants and needs something a little different so this year why not try before you buy.

Tuesday 29th November - "Satisfying Spanish & Regal Rioja"

Tuesday 6th December - "Beautiful Bordeaux"

Tuesday 13th December - "Comforting Cotes du Rhone"

Tuesday 20th December - "Sumptuous Sweet Wines & Peerless Port"

Read all of FREE CHRISTMAS WINE TASTINGS

  • 18 November 2011

BEDALES IN PRINT

In the recent Leadenhall Market magazine Bedales were lucky enough to be featured. Follow the link below to read the article.

http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/73135870?access_key=key-ke8fipwzp42vp9lnjbz

 

Read all of BEDALES IN PRINT

  • 2 November 2011

BOOK A CHRISTMAS PARTY AT BEDALES

BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY AT BEDALES

Its that time of year again, the nights are drawing in, the days are getting colder and we are all starting to think about Christmas. For better or worse there is always a lot to do, from buying presents, making arrangements, preparing dinner and as always the christmas parties. Whether its an office party, a get together with friends or an event for clients, Bedales is your party solution. Accross our three sites we offer a wide range of party options, from the small to the large, formal to informal, traditional or quirky our venues and packages offer a little of everything for everyone.

LEADENHALL MARKET

With room for up to 50 seated or 120 standing guests the function room at Leadenhall is our gem beneath the streets. A private area that can be adapted for numerous different uses, we offer catered and non catered options and boast a late licence and space for entertainment. With packages starting from as little as £10 per head take all the stress out of your party booking with Beadles of Leadenhall.

 

SPITALFIELDS MARKET

Our most intimate venue, Spitalfields Market can host groups of 15 - 30 in private and semi private settings. A wonderful location for small get togethers or hosted wine tastings we offer a range of packages to suit every style and budget.

 

BOROUGH MARKET

With the opening of our brand new cellar bar in the basement of Borough Market we can now offer private hire of this our most unique of venues. Whether its a party or a tasting the cellar bar is private and intimate with room for 30 people seated, feel closer to your wine with our collection of wine books, mementoes and eclectric information that adorns the walls.

For more information about any of our sites or the party packages on offer please contact borough@bedaleswines.com or any of the branches directly.

 

 

DRINKERS | TASTERS | ADVENTURERS

WINE WITH TASTE

 

Read all of BOOK A CHRISTMAS PARTY AT BEDALES

  • 24 August 2011

Pincho Monday's at Borough

Please join us on every Monday evening between 5pm-7pm
for a fantastic selection of
Traditional Spanish Delicacy
PINCHO'S
Simply order any Wine or Beer from our wine list
and get a mix of three Pinchos for Free!
Enjoy!
http://www.buttonshut.com

 

Read all of Pincho Monday's at Borough

  • 11 August 2011

Bedales Flag Tasting

Our Late Summer evening Flag Tastings are back in town on Tuesday nights from 5pm-9pm.

3 different legendary wines to tase, tasting notes and maps provided and widen your knowledge and experience of wine.

Every week the wines will change and there will be a wine Guru on hand to give you any further information you need.

 

  • 6th  of September - Aromatic White Grape variety £12
    Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer
  • 13th of September – Argentineans Malbec £12
    La Salta, Mendoza, Patagonia
  • 20th of September – Spanish rising stars £13
    Ribera del Duero, Penedes and Galicia
  • 27th of September – The Red Italian Job £13
    Piedmonte, Veneto, Tuscany
  • 4th of October- Bordeaux £14
    Right bank, left bank
  • 11th of October- What is a Biodynamic wine made of? £15

  • 18th of October . Bubbles en folie £15
    Champagne, Prosecco and Cava
  • 25th of October – booking only- Aspirational  Bordeaux £25
    1975, 1978, 1985 in Bordeaux

 

Please come along at Borough Market, Spitalfields Market and Leadenhall Market on Tuesdays evening it will be fun and great discovery.

Arnaud Compas , Bedales Wine Drinker

  • 30 April 2011

Bridge over troubled waters

At last the bridge construction moves into its final stages. Bedales has been sufffering the constant road closures, and noise of the construction of the bridge on to of the railway viaduct across Bedale St.

Today it starts to move !

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  • 5 April 2011

Something Very Exclusive

It's pretty sad when someone passes away, but when it's you uncle's, cousin 3 x removed, auntie's brother, it doesn't hit home so much. However, when they leave you the opportunity to purchase their cellar contents, then you see them in a very different light.

We've had the chance to get hold of just such a cellar, with some very special wines, e.g. 3 bottles of Château Clos de la Cure Saint-Emilion Grand Cru  1998 or 6 bottles of  Château Clos Mazeyres Pomerol 1983 then we have to wish for some more relatives!

Have a look at some of our other discoveries and reserve your bottle now by calling Emanuelle on 020 7403 8853.

But hurry up, first come, first reserved!

Click the link to read all about the wines.

Read all of Something Very Exclusive

  • 12 March 2011

Bedales Wine Club

The annoying thing with wine is that you never know if you like it or not before tasting it. Very often you just refer to the label, if it inspires you, you hope the wine would please you, but sometimes you could be disappointed…

 

At Bedales we have sorted out the blind-buying issue! Not only do our wine specialists travel the world to find the most amazing wines, but now, every month we will host a free wine tasting for you to taste the wines before buying. Every month we invite you to Borough Market to meet with our wine specialists and try our latest spectacular selection.

 

This month’s tasting is on Tuesday 29th March 2011. We are arranging three sessions at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. We’re offering you the chance to try all six wines, and take home a case for just £69.00 on the night, or have it delivered to your doorstep for an extra £10! The case includes:

 

  • France, Chateau Fontfroide, Bordeaux, Red (2007)

“Intense dark fruit driven by a ripened Cabernet Sauvignon combined with an intense palate of the juicy Merlot fruit” 

  • Italy, Azienda Agricola Vignabaldo, Umbria, Sangiovese, Red (2008)

“Rounded, harmonious, full of fruit with a lovely mouth-filling finish” 

  • France, Alain Grignon, Monastier, Shiraz, Red (2009)

“The fruit have been sunbathing all summer long and ripening, slowly concentrating the red juice in the berry” 

  • France, Auguste Bonhomme, Chardonnay ‘Sauvage’, White (2009)

“Incredible freshness combined to a lovely aromatic fruit; hints of grapefruit and William pear” 

  • Chile, Viu Manent, ‘Secreto’ Sauvignon Blanc, White (2010)

“Flinty, mineral notes combine effortlessly with guava, nectarine and white peach” 

  • France, Domaine de Beaupre, Semillon, White (2009)

“Fragile pear drop and stoned fruit profile on an underlining ‘garrigue’ and lavender notes”

  • And a voucher for a free glass of Champagne at any of our three branches! 

 

Join Bedales Wine Club and discover our delicious, hand-picked selection of wines. We want to offer you to discover the wine by understanding the country, the region, the microclimate, the vineyard and the grower. Every wine tells a story. Let us tell you the story!

 

If you would like to attend and join the ranks of the casual connoisseur, just reply to this email and let us know you want to be part of the adventure! Contact Camelia at wineclub@bedaleswines.com to reserve your place.

 

 

"It is time to reclaim wine as something individual, pleasurable and occasionally extraordinary."

Arnaud Compas, Bedales Official Wine Drinker

 

Kind regards,

 

The Bedales Team

  • 24 November 2010

Amazing Pre Christmas Wines Parcel

Straight from France

 

 Bottles   Bottle price

- Champagne Jaquesson Cuvée N°733
Exclusively made with First and Great growths, 10 year old

 

2

 

£65

- Rivesaltes Cuvée Amédée de Besombes Singla 1979
A Proprietary Blend wine from Languedoc Roussillon in France

 

2

 

 £55

- Rivesaltes Domaine Rose Villa 1959
Just a handful of wines can stand the true test of time

 

1

 

£80

- Rivesaltes Ch.Villargeil 1938
Unique 

1

£99

- Champagne Jaquesson Millésimé 2000

1

£89

- Bordeaux Bonnet Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1986
From the outstanding 1986 vintage,  It is nicely focused and elegant with a long finish  

 

 24

 

 £30

 Book your wines for christmas at arnaud@bedalestreet.com

Read all of Amazing Pre Christmas Wines Parcel

  • 24 November 2010

Christmas at Bedales is simply spectacular

  

Christmas at Bedales is all about winter days spent with fantastic clarets, relaxing Central Otago Pinot Noirs, amazing Malbec from Argentina, powerful Tuscan Sangiovese and best friends.  Christmas at Bedales is about you fulfilling your wildest wine dreams. You can even throw a Christmas lunch and dinner party or two, and do not let anybody stop you from having a fabulous Christmas wine tasting.  We have sipped and selected for you special wines for the Christmas season.

Our selection of festive treats makes perfect gifts. Gabi, kassia, Greg, Manu, Colleen, Kat and the all Bedales team have their arms opened to welcome you.

 To avoid any disappointments this Christmas: book your event, order your cases of wine, ask for a tailor made wine selection and food matching NOW.  at arnaud@bedaleswines.com

From the Cellar at Borough market packed with splendid wines

Arnaud

Bedales wine drinker

  • 6 November 2010

Mulled Wine

Mulled wine has returned to all our locations. Cinnamon stained, brandy enriched and high in antioxidant reservatrol, Bedales house blend - secret formula of which is secretly guarded - is very popular in cooler times.

Do stop by to drink in from a sturdy mug, or take it away on a march of the streets in a cup. (Your co-workers will think it is coffee!)

If that is too hot for your sensibilities, please try our new range of Slovakian wines at Bedales, Spitalfieds.

  • 1 November 2010

Putting a Price on Pleasure?

Bidding at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, an Asian buyer secured three bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild 1869 for $232,692 a bottle, or $29,000 a glass.

Although the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction, there was no guaranteed the wine would be drinkable.

Is this a putting a price on pleasure, or an astute business decision? -What do you think?

 

  • 31 October 2010

Wine Intelligence Alert

According to a Norwegian study of over 5000 very willing human guinea pig, a link has been discovered between moderate wine consumption and ‘higher cognitive function’. Participants were followed over a seven year period.

Researchers discovered that compared to women who drank less than once a fortnight, women who drank wine on at least four occasions in the same period delivered a score demonstrating improved brain power. In contrast, addition, women who failed to consume any alcohol at all returned the lowest scores.

The study is arguably one of the most significant in the past 30 years, building on the image of wine as a tonic to help prevent dementia. Researchers attribute red wine’s antioxidants to a reduced cognitive decline.

To see the government recommended safe limits of alcohol consumption, click here.

 

  • 28 October 2010

Bedales Recommends 'My Archipelago' by Kit Chapman

Kit Chapman MBE, UK hospitality industry personality, award-winning author and TV presenter, has published his fourth book. In this epic saga, written from the sublime peace of his Aegean archipelago, Chapman unravels the turbulent story of his family. It is a tale of fortunes won and lost, of bitter rivalries, death and suicide, moral angst, and the all-consuming love affair of his parents, Etty and Peter...

Born into a long line of glamorous hoteliers, Kit stumbles upon the truth and potential scandal, surrounding the unexpected death of his famous grandfather, Henry Prüger, once General Manager of the Savoy Hotel in London. It is a black secret which his family has covered up for nearly eighty years. The shock of Prüger’s death in 1929 affected his three teenage sons for the rest of their lives. And for Peter, the youngest, the trauma was assuaged only by his passionate romance and marriage to Etty in Greece after the war.

The story continues in Taunton, at The Castle Hotel, where the young family – Peter, Etty, Kit and Gerald, settled, and lays bare the struggles of the two sons to break free from their controlling and egocentric mother. Later, when Kit and his wife, Louise, join the family business at the Castle, their bitter conflict with Etty splits the family and brings the Castle to the brink of bankruptcy.

My Archipelago is a powerful and extraordinary story. For Chapman it is also a journey of reconciliation – an attempt to understand, forgive and heal the scars left by his battles with his parents.

My Archipelago follows Chapman’s fourth book. An Innkeeper’s Diary, published in 1999, is an amusing and waspish account of a year in his life at the Castle. And his two volumes of Great British Chefs were award-winning studies of the state of gastronomy in the UK.

My Archipelago (ISBN: 978-0-9557127-1-5) may be purchased from Amazon.

  • 24 October 2010

Chile in Vogue

According to Off Licence News, the seamless rescue of 33 Chilean miners earlier this month has helped prompt 'a surge' in sales of wines from the country. Indeed Chile’s total off-trade sales grew some '12% in volume and 14% in value'...

Bedales offer a great seleciton of tasty treats from this fascinating, chilli pepper shaped country. These include the popular wines of Viu Manent, especially those from the flamboyantly labelled 'Secreto' range. Beyond the distinctive labels by Chilean artist, Catalina Abbott are six varietally themed wines: Malbec, Carmenere, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.

Do make a journey to us to raise a glass to the miners!

  • 10 October 2010

Bedales Participate in 'Oxjam'

Bedales Proudly Presents...

The Oxjam Acoustic Stage

Leadenhall Market Vaults

22nd October

7pm-11pm

Be part of The Oxfam celebration of independent live music, food and fun.

Local music, global impact.

See: http://oxjamleadenhall.wordpress.com or ask within

  • 1 October 2010

Digging Flavours in France

Here is a little intriguing insight into French wine...

Winemaking dates back to the sixth century BC when southern Gaul was settled by the Greeks

Most French wines are labelled according to the geography in which they were made. Hence Sancerre, Chablis, Bordeaux all relate to towns or regions where the wine is produced. This is because French vignerons believe that the soil where the grapes are grown is more important than the varieties of grapes used. This is called 'terroir'

Each year, France produces 7-8 billion bottles of wine

France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and competes with Italy for the position of being the world's largest wine producer

Merlot is the most commonly planted red grape in France; Ugni Blanc is the most abundant white

Stop by our stores to taste why France's rich abundance of wine styles has endured for so long...

  • 27 September 2010

Cool Runnings, Borough Market

Bedales are delighted to announce the imminent re-launch of the cellar at our flagship Borough Market store. A comprehensive refurbishment masterminded by Managing Director, Arnaud Compas sees a fully enclosed private tasting suite and fine wine store, with adjacent 'wine walkway' leading to modernised customer loos. 

Arnaud anticipates that the new suite will become a well-known, busy environment for a global collective of winemakers to present their wares to an increasingly wine savvy crowd, just moments from the hectic market life above.

Keep your eyes on this blog - photos will follow shortly, plus dates outlining a series of grand re-launch parties for the wine glitterati, which of course includes Bedales wine drinkers who have known this space over many years.

The Wine Revival Has Begun - Think Bedales, Drink Bedales!

  • 22 September 2010

How to Store Bedales' Bottles

-Keep them in the dark away from fluorescent fixtures and sunlight

-Store cork stoppered bottles on their sides to prevent corks drying out and allowing spoiling air in

-Wine should not be warmed – keep it well below 24°C

-Don’t disturb the wine by moving it until you intend to drink it

-Keep the humidity at approximately 70%

-Isolate the wine from bad odours

Remember to take Arnaud's advice on when to drink your beautiful bottles!

  • 20 September 2010

How Not to Drink Wine...

Courtesy of Borat:

  • 15 September 2010

How to Open Wine without a Corkscrew

...as Show to us by our friends at 28-50:

  • 13 September 2010

Matsuri at Spitalfields

Japanese Matsuri – Celebration of Japanese Culture 18th September 10am - 6pm

Enjoy a taste of Japan’s rich culture at this unique and special festival across the Spitalfields Estate, which will include an art, craft, music, dance, food, theatre, puppetry, games and family activities. A range of specialist Japanese food stalls, free children’s entertainment and workshops and a free performances on the main stage.

Don't forget to takeaway a glass of Bedales' fine Prosecco to enjoy alongside...

Ouzo Omeshiagari Kudasai!

  • 9 September 2010

Open House - September 18th and 19th

Leadenhall Market will be part of Open House London, the capital's greatest architectural showcase, on 18 and 19 September 2010. 

The initiative is a simple but powerful concept: hundreds of great buildings of all types and periods open up their doors to all, completely for FREE. It is a truly city-wide celebration of the buildings, places and neighbourhoods where we live, work and play, and is your opportunity to get out and get under the skin of London's amazing architecture.

For more information see: http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/

 

  • 5 September 2010

New Masters of Wine Announced

The Institute of Masters of Wine have announced no fewer than nine new members. This raises the total to 289 across 23 countries.

From the UK, these include Chilean communicator and regular face of BBC's 'Saturday Kitchen', Peter Richards. 

In order to become an MW a candidate must pass theory and practical parts of a gruelling examination and also prepare a 10,000 word dissertation showing original thought and research.

Dr Josef Schuller MW, Chairman of the Institute said: 'the Institute is delighted to welcome these nine new Masters of Wine. They demonstrated a unique set of skills in the art, science and business of wine. They must now honour the tradition of excellence upon which the Institute was founded and act as ambassadors for wine at large as they pursue their individual careers as members of our international community...'

  • 31 August 2010

Spitalfields Gets Makeover

Our bright, modern venue at Old Spitalfields market has been given an overhaul. What was the fine wine section has been given a fresh coat of red - or 'Bedales' burgundy' paint and is looking incredibly smart. Meanwhile the rarer bottles have been incorporated into the main shelving scheme making it easier for you to choose.

The improvement allows more space for you to sit and sip your fine finds, or even to enrole on a private tutored tasting or wine party with wine warrior, Colleen Rafferty.

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on our work.

In the meantime, here's some strikingly good news from Tedd Goldfinger at the University of Arizona School of Medicine to help encourage you to stop by:

'Wine could preserve your memory. When researchers gave memory quizzes to women in their 70s, those who drank one drink or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all. Wine helps prevent clots and reduce blood vessel inflammation, both of which have been linked to cognitive decline and heart disease. Alcohol also seems to raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, which helps unclog your arteries...'

Cheers from the team!

  • 23 August 2010

Be a Star with Vedett...

Only when the product is good enough will Bedales veer from vino. One such example is premium Belgian beer brand, Vedett, who brews a stylish Extra White and Extra Blonde.

With origins dating to 1945, Vedett Extra Blonde (5.2% abv) is currently enjoying a renaissance in trendy bars and cafés across Europe's capitals, which is why we stock it in all our venues. When poured in the appropriate, ornate glass, a delicate, herbacious aroma gives way to an enthusiastically hopped and long-lived on the palate. 

Developed two years ago, Vedett Extra White (4.7% abv) has a wonderful, frothy texture bevelled by citrus zest and a bitter finish. It is made patiently and unfiltered with wheat, hops, coriander and dried orange peel.

Although both bottles boast an iconic, retro-look, Vedett are offering fans the chance to see their image printed onto labels. For more information see the vivid web site at http://www.vedett.be/ and click 'Be A Vedett!'

Stop by over the next weeks for offers on both these boutique beers...

Next time, it's back to wine...

  • 19 August 2010

Borough's Lush Reserve List

The Borough market team are proud to present a selection of boutique Bordeaux and brilliant Burgundy at breathtakingly bargain prices...

Simply add £8 corkage to the retail price and we will decant your bottle and serve it to you in pristine glassware. Please note though - we have extremely limited stock of these fine bins.

We look forward to titillating your taste-buds!

Bordeaux (Claret)

  • Cadet Du Claymore 2005 (£18.25)
  • Gourdin Saint Emilion 2002 (£27)
  • Coutelin Merville St. Estephe 2001 (£29.99)
  • Ht. Moulin Eyquem de Bourg 2000 (£55)
  • Cos d’Estournel Saint-Estephe 1997 (£99)

 Burgundy

  • Remoissenet Bourgogne 2006 (£19.25)
  • Givry Vieilles Vignes Parize 2008 (£22)
  • Alex Gambal deux Papis 2007 (£28.89)
  • Puligny-Montrachet Bzikot 2008 (£47.75)
  • Irancy Benoit Cantin 2007 (£27.25) 
     
  • 16 August 2010

Are Beer and Champagne Best Served Alike?

According to the French Journal, ‘Agricultural and Food Chemistry’, scientists have discovered the secret to maintaining the fizz in a glass of Champagne: pour it as you might a beer with the glass held at an angle. 

Apparently sparkling wine remains bubbly longer when poured this way rather than pouring it straight into the glass and waiting for the mousse to settle before topping the level up. 

However, some experts suggest that the process is ungainly. Champagne expert, Tom Stevenson, says it is ‘a really naff way to serve it.’

The research also stated that by serving Champagne at a lower temperature, you are also likely to retain more fizz.

But what do you think?

  • 9 August 2010

Tasting Harmony on Your Table

The synergy of food and wine brings intense pleasure. My intention is to suggest some tried and tested combinations alongside provocative espousals (opposites after all attract)

 

But firstly, some guidelines…

  • As a general rule, avoid strong wines with chilli-studded foods - overt alcohol enrages capsicum. Try not to ‘tip the scales’ - flavour weight in glass and dish should be equally expressed, otherwise you will bump into wobbly aftertastes.
  • Think about texture. Scouring pad-like tannins in vampiric reds will grindingly brush foods like soft, flocculent cod back towards the Atlantic and turn the average cheeseboard into a sluggish affair. And befriend refreshing, palate cleansing acids, a major component of Italy’s most versatile ingredient, the tomato, hence the need for a reassuring, quenching bite in the wines.
  • Above all, be brave. Enjoy matching mature, truffle-scented Champagne with crystalline, pineapple-scented Parmesan off-cuts - bubbles cut through fat. And tantalise with temperature; why not chill light reds, like buoyant Beaujolais, and sip with sole or fine-sliced turkey? Pour near frozen tawny port over crème caramel.
  • Occasionally veer off the main road down the ‘ABC’ path (Anything But Chardonnay) and encounter the individual intoxication of obscure grapes. Arouse with aromatic Albariño! Campaign for Campania’s minerally Falanghina!
  • One further point - the maxim ‘local wine with local food’ is largely outdated. Whilst invigorating white Sancerre and fluffy goat’s cheese undoubtedly are a top match (goats in fact roam those picturesque, castle overlooked Loire vineyards), we live in an age of seemingly unstoppable culinary globalisation. So shun geographical ties and become a roaming gastro-sapien...

Onto the practical side…

 

Adventurous Matches:

Roasted Rabbit, Pan Fried Foie Gras and Sweet Corn Flan with ‘chewy’ Tannat (a grape which shares its first letters with tannin) softly blended with blackcurranty Cabernet Sauvignon. Rich in antioxidants, health-conscious local imbibers live long under Tannat’s heart-friendly auspices and so can you. The wine’s dark, dense structure and alcoholic force effortlessly break downs the rabbit’s lean protein, quells the compact foie gras, luxuriously coats the sweet corn and absorbs the juicy fat.

Gossamer thin Beef Carpaccio with a perimeter of spicy rocket, shavings of parmesan and a trickle of oil and balsamic work in harmony with a nitrogen cold rosé. Try a gutsy Grenache from the Rhône which should relax the fibrous carpaccio, adding bite to joust the vinegar, all without tannicaly intruding upon this light dish..

Kumquat, gardenia and lime scented Albariño from Galicia has a tailored acidity that fuses favourably with Thai Asparagus and Red Pepper, or even Soft Shell Crab with Jalapeño. whereas relatively cool climate Western Australian Riesling provides a blotting paper dry, firm, slightly appley backbone that brings verve to stir-fried fayre such as Pike Dumplings.

Austria’s current debutante, ‘Groovy’ Grüner Veltliner, a dry, peppery, pungent, but alpine pure white. Try it with Alaskan Black Cod with dried lemon and tomatoes. Another acclaimed match with such fragrant dishes - generous, glycerous Turkish Delight and lychee scented Gewurtztraminer…

Stop by in store for more Epicurean advice - we're always happy to help!

  • 4 August 2010

Borough's New 'Outdoor Room'

Pictured: our brand new terrace room at Borough Market. The tasteful, well-lit space provides an intimate remove from the bustle of the market major.

Join us for a well equipped slate of the finest artisan cheese and charcuterie and a supple, refreshing vinous recommendation such as 'eos' (pictured below).

The low-sulphite Syrah from Spain's Penedés region provides a long draft of peppered blueberry and blackberry and is an elegnant and engaging way to absord our hearty duck and pork rillette.

  • 26 July 2010

Wedding Wines

July and August are the most popular months in which to get married. And so here are some wine words of advice for those planning to get 'hitched', hitch-free...

Firstly, two obvious statements... It is not good form to drink before the wedding - a rule applied to guests, bride, groom and priest. A registrar may call a halt to proceedings if they suspect signs of intoxication. Nor is it wise for the day's orators to self-inebriate before their duty is done - actually a surprisingly facile temptation in a convivial atmosphere.

Keep things simple and traditional at the Wedding Breakfast. Sauteed veal sweetbreads with late harvest Fallanghina may tempt the epicurious, but such culinary showmanship will distract from the main event. A suitable objet trouvé: the dark red velvet coloured, sapele mahogany scented claret (red Bordeaux) from Château Reynier. Cuvée Héritage is traditional, evoking rich, home-baked Polish chocolate cheesecake. With white, apply a non-exuberant Chardonnay. From between Mâcon and Beaujolais, Domaine de Vignemont is a couth, crowd-pleasing example: juvenille, but not jalopy. Satiably satay on the nose, on the palate, a food-friendly pincer like acidity grasps, enthralls, then releases with a citrus and pine nut sigh.

The actual toast must be made with white Champagne. Wine from France's most northerly region is considered the definitive, auspicious, liquid starter pistol to married life. Even though some supermarket own-branded bubbles can be bright and elegant, save them for home consumption. Economically, a smart packaged brioche scented rendition from an established house like Champagne Philipponnat, will ensure a consistently-consistent non vintage, lighter style for far less than the more ostentatious Grand Marques...

Do pop along to discuss your requirements with our friendly team...

  • 22 July 2010

Introducing Bedales Trade!

Our new concept is to sell superb bottles at trade prices direct to the public... See our quirky parchment poster above for more information.