The Wine Centre

An introduction, and why we should be drinking more of it.

Sherry is one of the treasures of the wine world, but for a while now it has been woefully under appreciated. This “introduction to sherry” explains how the miracle of sherry and its myriad of styles come to fruition. Some of the finest examples are produced by the Valdespino and Barbadillo families, producers of the finest sherries since the 14th century. They represent some of the very best from the region and we are delighted to showcase them here. Such  extraordinary aromas, flavours and textures, a unique line-up ranging from the very dry to the very sweet. We hope you enjoy them. Read the rest of this entry »

Limited stocks of four very old and rare sherries have been released for sale as part of our sherry promotion, following a recent sale at Christie`s. Details below.

Antonio Barbadillo SA, the famous Manzanilla house, has recently released a small amount of very old and rare sherry. These wines are known in the Barbadillo bodegas as the “Reliquias”, or relics, due to their great age and extreme scarcity. Traditionally they were wines that were offered on special occasions to honoured guests of the Barbadillo family and have been lying in the bodegas for several decades. At Christies on Thursday 20th May 1999, 12 bottles of the Relics (3 of each style) were sold from between £360 and £420 per bottle, and according to Christies, achieved record prices for any Sherry sold at Auction. The buyers are known to be private collectors from the UK, continental Europe and the United States.

It is difficult to say precisely how old these wines actually are, but Barbadillo’s records report that they are in the region of 150 years old. The extreme concentration, austerity and complexity of these wines definitely substantiate these claims. Read the rest of this entry »

Anthony & Janet`s NZ Travelogue – For Anyone interested in our explorations, an insight into NZ travel and winegrowing, a look at sustainability, vineyard management, emerging styles, the bumper 2008 vintage sauvignon blanc, icon wines and … well, other stuff along the way.

“So we`re off to New Zealand courtesy of New Zealand Winegrowers. Our big prize as NZW`s Independent Wine Merchant Of The Year. We couldn`t be more excited.

We decided to get to business right away so on the plane over we tried the Forrest Estate Pinot Noir 2007 with the duck, and later, on the second leg from Lax, the Villa Maria Cab Merlot 2007 with lamb. These were two of a fine selection offered by Air New Zealand who clearly take both their wines and food very seriously. It is not for nothing they won Best Airline 2010! Their wine selection is a vigorous one involving a prestigious panel of wine experts, and their food operation, second to none, is overseen by top chefs Rex Morgan, Geoff Scott and Peter Gordon. Moreover, well done Air New Zealand for producing a fantastic wine guide. A great promotional effort for New Zealand wines and a credit to the airline. ”

Follow the link to read more of our travels:  New Zealand Wine Travel Log

We are delighted to offer 20% off all Riedel glasses and decanters for collections from The Wine Centre. Riedel glassware : proof the difference a glass can make!

 We regret no deliveries of glassware.

Our friday night wine tasting suppers are offered roughly once a month. Tickets are £35, £45 or £55 per person, depending on the evening and how high we raise the level of the bar! Tickets are limited to SIXTEEN GUESTS only, for one single table of eighteen including Anthony and guest speaker. Evenings are friendly, informative, informal and great fun!  Our supper evenings are also available for private hire, an opportunity for you to bring your friends, family or work colleagues.  Enquiries welcome.    

17th September: Claret with Supper - sold out 

7th October: Supper with Liberty - sold out

12th November: ”Christmas Party” with Pol Roger - sold out  

For information about the food being offered on our supper evenings please ask. Special provision can be made for vegetarians.  

Regretfully our supper evenings are all booked this 2010, however, please e-mail us if you are interested in attending events in the future. We will compile a `waiting list` and give these guests first right of refusal in 2011. Private party enquiries also welcome for 2011. Apologies to those of you we have not been able to fit in this 2010.    

Anyone not on our e-mail list who would like news of tastings and special offers please let us know.borges@thewinecentre.co.uk

Supper for Eighteen

Grape varieties influence a wine’s colour, aroma, flavour and style. The winemaker might shape the wine for his own purpose, and soil and climate will have their influences, but fundamentally the grape is the heart and soul of every wine and in learning about wine you will do well to focus first on the classics. Read the rest of this entry »

These are some of my favourite wines. Typical of their type yet surpassing the norm in quality, character and precision… Read the rest of this entry »