Usually retailing at £39.95 there is a whopping £14.97 discount.

Champagne Joseph Perrier is a real mouth opener. Crafted from 35% chardonnay, 35% pinot noir and 30% pinot meunier from 23 crus to create a finely orchestrated cuvée and aged in the Joseph Perrier cellars for a minimum or 3 years.

The nose features citrus fruit peel and vineyard peaches with a gentle cinnamon and vanilla top note.

This offer is available in-store or to buy online

Thankfully our shelves are bolted to the walls!

Viewing : 5.30 – 6.30pm

Supper : 6.15pm hot supper served

Auction : 6.45 – 8.00pm

All items are available on a pre-order basis for anyone unable to attend the wine auction. Full details and auction list from Matt Thompson or call 01246 453399

According to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES), the 2012 harvest is estimated at 1.53m tonnes, the lowest total since 2007’s crop of 1.41m tonnes.

‘For many regions in eastern Australia, the damage sustained by vineyards during the wet 2010-11 growing season had a negative effect on the fruit set of this year’s crop,’ said ABARES executive director Paul Morris.

‘As a result, vines had fewer grape bunches with smaller berries on each bunch, although the quality is expected to be good.’

A 2-5% cut in production is likely across Australia’s warm climate zones of the Murray Darling, Swan Hill, Big Rivers and Lower Murray, which together account for about 60% of the country’s wine production.

Read full story on www.decanter.com

New Zealand had a "fantastic April", and promises to deliver very good quality wine once it hits the shelf, Philip Gregan, the head of the association, told TV ONE’s Breakfast.

"There were some regions that had a fairly tough time, but overall April’s been a fantastic Indian summer for us and we’re very hopeful about what consumers are going to see in the bottle."

The latest wine harvest has been a long time coming and it is unclear what volumes will be.

Read full story on TVNZ

Figures just released for the 2011 vintage, supplied by the Wine Standards Branch (Food Standards Agency) via DEFRA, shows volume production was down by just over 30% due to poor weather at flowering.
There are now 419 registered vineyards, up from 404 in 2010, while hectarage is up from 1,324 to 1,384, with the average size of vineyards also on the rise.

Read full story…

Written by Carol Emmas, Harpers

The Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes were harvested first. Everyone at the winery is very excited about the standard of this vintage and has high hopes for the Sauvignon Blanc 2012 after the 2010 vintage achieved a place in the FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blancs in South Africa. The Chardonnay in particular is looking good with Kenneth, Lutzville’s Chardonnay winemaker, revelling at the prospect of getting his hands on these prime bunches!

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes were picked at the end of April. The grapes were gently pressed and are now settling in tanks and undergoing oak maturation. The quality is looking fantastic!
Overall 2012 was one of the longest vintages on record for Lutzville – they started picking the Chenin in February and finished with the reds at the end of last month.

View the range of Lutzville wines

As well as our free nationwide wine delivery service we offer free local delivery and the ability to call in-store and seek the advice from our WEST trained wine experts.

www.barrelsandbottles.co.uk

Camino san Pedro Sauvignon Blanc 2008 is a light, delicate white wine elegant aromas of grapefruit and passion fruit. Harmonious and soft on the palate, with good fruit flavours and lingering length.

Camino san Pedro Shiraz 2006 shows notes of dark cherry and blackcurrant are prevalent on the nose. The palate is superbly balanced with smooth, ripe, spicy black fruit flavours.

These wines are from the high altitude Storks’ Tower Estate where the popular international varietals of Shiraz and Sauvignon are grown to be perfectly blended with traditional varietals. 100% stem removal, followed by a very soft crushing and temperature controlled fermentation at 24ºC for 10 days. The wine is left to rest for 3 months in American oak barrels

Both are well placed at £7.80 per bottle including VAT.

Available online or the same low price is available in-store – just ask for Matt or Mark.

On Tuesday May 1, thousands of Hunter Valley residents, including winemakers and farmers, will march on New South Wales Parliament House in protest. Winemakers are worried that CSG exploitation, which uses a process called “fracking” – involving injecting water into the seam – will deplete local water resources essential to grape growing.

The Hunter Valley Wine Industry Association said the New South Wales government’s strategic regional land use draft plan puts miners’ interests ahead of those of winemakers, landowners and residents, with particular reference to a clause allowing coal seam gas exploration proposals in those areas that are supposedly protected.

Read full story by James Heywood