Saladini Pilastro Falerio 2007 (Italy)

A delightfully lemon oil, lime and pear scented wine. Light on the palate with just a slight prickle of grass and loads of lemony pear flavour. Great with Sea bass. Certified Organic.

Hellfire Bay Chardonnay 2008(Great Southern, Western Australia)

Hellfire bay was named after a weird Southern Hemisphere phenomenon - ball lightning, which occurs occasionally when you get this far South. The early settlers who were exploring the coast were understandably terrified by it. This is a full bodied wine with a rich intensity from oak ageing. Since the wine is made from super ripe fruit - the oak adds to the wine rather than be used to hide poor quality ingredients.

Gran Sasso Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008 (Italy)

Meaning 'Great Stone', the winery takes its name from the Gran Sasso mountain in Abruzzo. I blind tasted this wine against a number of others, three of which retailed at a pound a bottle more, and it easily came out top. Textbook Montepulciano, it is deep coloured, clean, fresh and pure on the nose, light, soft and fruity on the palate.

Winner of Silver Medal at The International Wine Challenge 2008. A Wine of the Month in Decanter Magazine, April 2009 of the best affordable wines to snap up and drink now

Stirrings 'Mojito' Mixer

Add mint leaves, soda water and rum for the perfect Mojito. 16 Servings (946ml, 32floz)

Cycles Gladiator Pinot Grigio 2007/09 (California, USA)

Melon and citrus flavours are underscored with a delicate honeysuckle perfume. The flavours are a blend of sweet grapefruit and lemon with a hint of honeydew. We will be skipping the 08 as quite simply we don't like it! and moving straight onto the 09.

Chateau La Rose Du Pin Blanc 2008 (Bordeaux, France)

Full of fresh lime/lemon sherbert flavours that come from the 15% Semillon in the blend, adding an extra layer of flavour to the grassy and herby sauvignon that makes up the remainder.

Named as the 'Star Buy' white by Jane Macquitty in The Times (11th July 2009), who said:

“Mouthwateringly, squeaky stainless-steel-aged, dry white Bordeaux with so much tingly, lemon and lime fruit on the tongue that it would be hard to find a zingier summer white. Not as strident as the Loire sauvignons, the Bordeaux versions like this sauvignon-led ’08, with only 15% Semillon in the mix, make happy summer aperitifs as well as punchy white meat and fish wines.”

Chateau de l'Hestrange Bourgogne Chardonnay 2009
(Burgundy, France)

Made at one of the highest estates in Burgundy the owner of this estate, Laurent Metge-Toppin (nick-named the ‘Mange-Tout’) has been described as “The flying wine-maker working in the clouds of Beaujolais.” If he was English he would also be politely described as ‘slightly eccentric’ as when not working on his own estate Laurent also consults at the Siam winery in Thailand where they harvest using both elephants and punt-like boats in the drainage ditches to carry grapes back to the winery for processing! In Thailand the current wine-vintage is 2553 as they use the Buddhist calendar.

L'Hestrange respects the environment by promoting the use of natural fertiliser and keeping the use of weed killers to a minimum. Pruning and harvesting is done manually. In 2000 Laurent decided to plant on the east facing hills, vines of Chardonnay from Burgundy.The vines are situated between 450 to 550m high, on the steep hills facing South east and at the end of the summer they benefit from the hot days and cool nights which are perfect for maturation.

Delas Freres Coteaux du Tricastin 2008

Made from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault with very attractive open aromas, principally pepper and raspberry and a soft easy drinking palate.

Named as one of 'France's 50 best value wines under £ 15' in August 2009's Decanter magazine. Who gave it the following review: "*** Youthful, crushed berry fruit nicely jammy with a touch of natural tannin to firm it up. 2009 - 2012."

Old Well House Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (South Africa)

There is an elegant creaminess to the gooseberry fruit on the nose of this attractive South African Sauvignon. Ripe tropical fruit cocktail flavours on the palate are cut through by a fresh grassiness and palate-cleansing acidity, making it a versatile food wine.

Château l'Hestrange Rosé 2009
(Beaujolais, France)

Made at one of the highest estates in Burgundy the owner of this estate, Laurent Metge-Toppin (nick-named the ‘Mange-Tout’) has been described as “The flying wine-maker working in the clouds of Beaujolais.” If he was English he would also be politely described as ‘slightly eccentric’ as when not working on his own estate Laurent also consults at the Siam winery in Thailand where they harvest using both elephants and punt-like boats in the drainage ditches to carry grapes back to the winery for processing! In Thailand the current wine-vintage is 2553 as they use the Buddhist calendar.

Made by rather more conventional methods this wine is left to ferment with its skins for three days before the now lightly tinted juice is separated from the colourful skins. This results in a delicately pale salmon -pink coloured rosé with blackberry and strawberry fruit aromas and more red berry and slightly plumy fruit on the palate. Best served chilled (8º-10º) as an aperitif. Unusually for a rose it will keep for a few years gaining a nice spicy roundness with time.

As well as being served as an aperitif the clean dry style and freshess of this wine and can be drunk with the local "cuisine lyonnaise" from the region it is made in (delicious but wickedly unhealthy cream and butter laden dishes) or some spicy oriental dishes.

Always one of the top selling wines at our Summer Wine Festival.