Hardy’s Nottage Hill Freshcase – new packaging concept

From the press release: “Ever opened a bottle of delicious, premium wine one evening and gone back for a second glass a week later, only to find that the wine is past its best?”

No, that’s never happened to me (wine doesn’t have a fighting chance in my house) but I do know people who don’t finish off a bottle in one sitting, they may even save it for (gasp!) a week ( Hi, Mom!).  Hardy’s, the Australian producer, has come up with a nifty new bag in a box  (Freshcase) which I received the other day to help those poor souls out. The big brands seem to lead the way in innovation, always willing to try something new, so here is the next big thing…

Hardy’s is calling  their new brand the Hardy’s Nottage Hill Freshcase and it’s big innovation is not only the volume, it holds 2.25 litres (equivalent of 3 bottles) but is 70% lighter then 3 conventional wine bottles, takes up much less space in the fridge and they say it will keep the wine for up to 6 weeks! That’s gotta be some willpower on the consumers part for it to last 3 weeks.

But I digress. The new packaging is pretty slick and sturdy looking but surprisingly light. They’ve thought of everything, the white wine box even has a little stand which lets the bottle sit at a downward angle in the fridge so you’ll be sure to get every last drop. The best part is that it’s 100% recyclable and made from sustainable stocks. The case box comes apart very easily for you to recycle. There is even a video on youtube to show you how easy it is to pull apart, which is a good thing because I was debating whether or not to just finish off the wine and rip open the box!

At the moment, there are two wines being produced, a chardonnay and a cabernet/shiraz blend. I opened the cabernet/shiraz a week ago and have been periodically having a glass in the evening. It’s an great example of Australian red wine, big and jammy, loads of fruit, a bit toasty, nothing too complicated,  goes well with cheeseburgers. So far so good. The wine seems to be retaining the same qualities nite after nite. And, it seems to be bottomless, the wine just keeps on flowing.  So, a WIN for the Freshcase!

I like the design, the wine is friendly and approachable and good value, retailing for £19.99. Hardy’s is rolling out the Nottage Hill on Nov. 11th in Sainsbury’s.

Blaggers Banquet – charity event

The Winesleuth was volunteered for active duty in the Action Against Hunger benefit dinner and auction to be held Nov 15th. Action Against Hunger was founded in 1995 by an international group of chefs, restaurant owners and food writers who’s goal is to end child hunger around the world. But this isn’t any ol’dinner and auction. It’s a Blaggers Banquet. Niamh of Eatlikeagirl , my Covent Garden market partner, came up with the terrific idea of putting on a benefit for the organization with everything being donated. From kitchenware to canapes, bottled water to wine and everything in between.

To quote Niamh from her blog…

…on November 15^th, we will be taking over Hawksmoor, the revered steakhouse in Liverpool St, for the blaggers’ banquet. This will be an exciting dinner created entirely by bloggers and using only food that they have blagged and that they themselves will cook and serve.

There will also be a blaggers’ auction, where we will be auctioning exciting items we’ve blagged. This auction will be two fold, a portion of it on the night, and the rest in the weeks following. Further details relating to the auction will be announced as they become available….

If you’re interested in donating, volunteering or even attending the event, drop us a line at blaggersbanquet@googlemail.com

Here’s a short vid of our first Blagger’s Meeting and what we hope to achieve….

 

“Brut Nature” Cava from Montau de Sadurni

Cava from Penedes

Here is another wine from Casa Leal that I got to try when I was sidetracked into the Restaurant Trade Show but rather then a Portuguese wine, it’s a cava from Penedes. The cava is produced by Montau de Sadurni.  The Sadurni family have been growing grapes near the village of Begues, 15 miles from Barcelona, since the 16th century and probably been making wine just as long but they have been marketing their wines and cavas under the Montau label since 1987.

The Arrels Montau de Sadurni is an extra dry reserve cava, we jokingly referred to it as a “diet cava” as it is a brut nature because it has only 2 gr/litre of sugar – now that is what I call a skinny cava!

The cava is produced in the champagne methode meaning it is fermented twice, in vat and then in bottle, aged for 2 years and then sent on it’s merry way. Cava is usually made from xarello, parellada and macabeu and this is no exception. I really liked this cava, lovely, aromatic notes of baked apples and dried figs it had a certain creaminess on the nose that carried onto the palate - nutty, briochy, no bitter notes which can be found in cava sometimes, with spritely bubbles that weren’t too aggressive. A clean finish to round it off.  11.5% alcohol.

The family only produce 40,000 bottles a year and it’s going to be retailing here in the UK for £8 so snap some up if you see it. Available from Casa Leal

Miguel and Barbara from Montau de Sadurni

A funny thing happened on the way to the S. Africa mega tasting….Portugal

Brompton Hall, Earls Court

I was on my way to the South Africa mega tasting the other day at Earl’s Court and somehow inadvertantly talked my way into the Restaurant Trade Show going on next door. Now you’re probably wondering how do you get a big wine show confused with a restaurant show? It’s easy when there are loads of people milling about outside with name tags pinned to their lapels. Well, we realized our error early on when we were greeted by stands and stands of kitchenware once inside but leave it to The Sleuth to find the wine!

Miguel Leal

Filoco branco 2007

And find it, I did. Sure it was shunted off to the side of the show but who did I run into but my pal, Miguel Leal from the Portuguese importers, Casa Leal. He was introducing few new Portuguese reds and whites to the UK market.

We tried the Filoco branco, 07  from the Douro (branco is Portuguese for white). A dry, vibrant, refreshing white wine with lovely citrus aromas and flavours. Made up of the Portuguese varietals malvasia fina, ribagato and viosinho it is the perfect food wine, loads of floral aromas but dry and vibrant with an excellent citrus character, we could imagine enjoying this with dinner on a sulty Lisbon summers eve. 13.5 % alcohol but it sure didn’t taste like it and what’s more, the producer reckons it will last for 8-10 years! I’d love to try it with a bit of age.

Also sampled the Quatro Caminos ‘08, barrel fermented white wine, composed of arinto and antao vaz from the D.O.C. Alentejo. This one had been fermented in new French oak and then aged on the lees for a further two  months so I think it’s safe to say their objective was to tame this wine down. And it was an elegant wine, creamy and fruity. I detected a very limey character along with some nuttiness and ehoes of cream soda, a nice long finish to this wine allowed me to savour it for some time afterwards. I really liked this wine, so different and interesting! 14% alcohol but just a fab wine, thinking it would be a perfect partner for grilled fish or a nice firm cheese.

Obidos' classic label

There were quite a few reds but the one that really stood out – the Quinta das Ceijeiras Reserva 2003 from the D.O.C. Obidos. Obidos is part of the Estremadura region which is situated north of Lisbon.  The grapes benefits from a long ripening season and their proximity to the cool breezes of the Atlantic coast. The DOC takes it’s name from the medieval fortressed town of Obidos which sits on top of a hill and surrounded by a fortified wall. The vineyards are in the surrounding area. The Quinta das Ceijeras is a blend of castelao, aragonez and touriga nacional and is aged for 2  years in oak vats before moving onto the bottle for another 2 -3 years. There is some serious mellowing going on here but those varietals do need a bit of softening before drinking. The wine had a sweet and spicy nose, hints of prunes and black pepper but even so, it was still quite fresh on the palate, fleshy ripe black fruits with a nice vanilla spicey edge to it, long and supple, this wine just slide down with a mocha finish. A good match with something big and gamey, venison perhaps or a strong cheese. This wine recently won the Trophee Prestige at the Les Citadelles du vin in Bordeaux and a bronze medal at the Decanter Wine Awards 2009. 14% alcohol.

Just a side note on this wine. It’s one of the oldest Portuguese table wine brands and has been produced since the 19th century. The label is a bit old school but they’ve been marketing it this way since 1926. Hey, if it ain’t broke….

I’m going to Portugal this week for the European Winebloggers Conference 2009, can’t wait to see what vinous treasures I’ll uncover while I’m there!

All wines are available from Casa Leal