Bear with us while the new website is being updated..

January 30th, 2012

For regular users of the site, you will notice its not the same as it has been.  We are beginning to role out our site improvements along with incorporating our new logos and colours (previously purple if you hadn’t been here before).

As with any work in progress, there may be some glitches and it will take a bit of time before its all settled and in place, so we would ask you to be patient with us and the site, but as of this point in time everything is still functioning as it was before and you can continue to place orders as you normally would do so.   New parts of the site are not linked together yet, so if you try and click on something and it doesn’t work, its still being finalised and will be operational soon. 

Over the next few weeks  you will notice changes in how things operate along woth the look of various pages, but we would hope that by the time its all complete it will be a much more user friendly and enjoyable experience.

The old logo and colours were this:

The old logo you may be familiar with...

The old logo you may be familiar with...

 Our new logos and colours are like this:

The New Logo and colours...

The New Logo and colours...

The new logo and colours in reverse...

The new logo and colours in reverse...

We hope you like our new re-designed logo’s and believe me its taken quite a lot of deliberation to settle on design and colour, but we think we’ve got a good one this time!! 

Any feedback is always welcome, so let us know what you think by emailing shop@kwmwine.com

Before I forget, a big thank you to Nick Moffett at www.nickmoffettdesign.co.uk  for having the creativity to come up with the new logo for us and to Steve Sims and his team at Sims Designs  our website engineers for having the patience and skill to make my designs and ideas come to life, so thanks guys for all you help to date.

All the best

Andrew & all at KWM Wines & Spirits

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January Sale Items… Grab a bargain or 3 while they last…

January 3rd, 2012

January is a time for us to take stock, freshen up the ranges and clear out some things which are maybe over stocked or which underperformed in the recent Christmas and New Year Period.  All the products listed below come with a full money back guarantee if you’re not 100% satisfied (which we’re sure you will be  of course).

Peruse at your leisure and order for your pleasure….

For full list of what’s available please click on this link but here’s a quick selection of some of what’s available: (Over 70 products discounted)

Wines

The Ned Marlborough Pinot Grigio 2009  RRP £9.99 per bottle - SAVE 25%!

Now only £7.50! 

Duval Leroy Vintage 1999 RRP £39.99 – SAVE 25%

Now Only £29.99

Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Pomal Rioja Reserva 2006 RRP £10.99 – SAVE 23%

Now only £8.50!

Chateau de la Ligne Bordeaux Superieur 2006 RRP £14.99 – SAVE a massive 40%

Now only £9.00!

Pelorus Vintage Sparkling 2005 by Cloudy Bay RRP £22.50 – SAVE 29%

Now only £16.00!

Te Koko 2007 by Cloudy Bay RRP £22.99 – SAVE 17%

Now only £19.00!

Crane Lake Californian Wine Range RRP £6.99 – SAVE 21%

Now only £5.50!

Gonzalez Byass La Concha Amontillado Sherry RRP £9.95 – SAVE 29%

Now only £7.00!

Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne RRP £110.00 – SAVE 23%

Now only £85.00!

Mitolo McLaren Vale Serpico Cabernet Sauvignon RRP £32.99 - SAVE 21%

Now only £26.00!

Wild Rock Elevation Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc RRP £13.50 – SAVE 30%

Now only £9.50!

Carta Roja Gran Reserva Monastrell  RRP £11.99 – SAVE A MASSIVE 46%

Now only £6.50!

Spirits

Springbank CV Campbeltown Single Malt RRP £32.95 – SAVE 17%

Now only £27.50!

Canadian Club Rye Whiskey RRP £19.95 – SAVE 25%

Now only £15.00!

Lockes Blended Irish Whiskey RRP £18.95 – SAVE 21%!

Now only £15.00!

Grey Goose La Poire Luxury Flavoured Vodka  RRP £33.95 – SAVE 26%

Now only £25.00!

Finlandia Finnish Grapefruit Vodka RRP £16.25 – Save 20%

Now only £13.00!

Bacardi Limon Rum RRP £18.95 – Save 21%

Now only £15.00!

All offers available until 31st January 2012 while stocks last.  Click on this link to see the full selection currently available

 

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Christmas Order By Dates

December 6th, 2011

With Christmas fast approaching please see below for the last order by times and dates, to ensure your purchases arrive in time for Christmas:

Northern Ireland – 5pm Tuesday 20th December

Republic of Ireland – 5pm Monday 19th December

UK Mainland - 5pm Monday 19th December

UK Scottish Highland & Islands – 5pm Sunday 18th December

International Orders – 5pm Monday 12th December

These dates and times are last times for placing orders to ensure delivery for Christmas delivery and are dependent on the stock being immediately available for dispatch.

If you have any worries, queries or questions about this please do not hesitate to contact us by phone on +44 (0) 28 417 62400 or email on shop@kwmwine.com and we will be able to advise on any issues you may have.

Hope you all have a great Christmas and many thanks for your continued support of KWM Wines & Spirits /www.kwmwine.com

Best Wishes

Andrew & all at KWM Wines & Spirits

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Innocent Bystander Yarra Valley Wines

November 3rd, 2011
 

 

 

Beautiful Yarra Valley's Rolling Hills

Beautiful Yarra Valley's Rolling Hills

 

 

Established in 2004 by Phil Sexton, Innocent Bystander is an independent winery focused on producing quality, flavour driven wines from carefully selected vineyards in the Yarra Valley and beyond. They dodge the bland direction and market dominance increasingly exerted by large corporate winemaking groups.

They see themselves as the Innocent Bystanders.  Designed for small batch winemaking, the winery is built around gravity flow principles and has set a new standard for small-batch winemaking and modern cellar door presentation. 
With artisan bread, house-roasted coffee, a cheese room and a bistro featuring the best in local and seasonal produce, Innocent Bystander really does go against the grain with this modern take.

All these add-ons are no gimmick though as the wines themselves have overtime increased levels of complexity and texture with greater use of wild fermentations and restrained oak handling.

Innocent Bystander Chardonnay 2010

Innocent Bystander Chardonnay 2010

2010 chardonnay
Innocent Bystander Chardonnay is full of Yarra Valley’s alpine influences and flinty soils, producing a taut, citrus-y, refreshing, textural Chardonnay, rounded out with creamy oak notes. This wine drinks well on release but will reward cellaring for 3-5 years. Try this with fresh Turbot in a chive sauce or Roast Chicken with Chipolatas.

This received the full Burgundian treatment: Yarra Valley grapes were hand-picked, whole bunch pressed and lees stirred in barrel. That labour intensive approach has resulted in an elegant, complex wine of good balance and depth of flavour. Try with shellfish.
Jeff Collerson – Daily Telegraph, 2011-04-09

Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2010

Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2010

2010 Pinot Noir
The 2010 Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir spent 10 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak. Medium ruby-coloured, the nose reveals smoke, raspberry, and cherry. Ripe and forward, this tasty Pinot can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years. It is an excellent value wine.

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Dom Perignon 2002; Historic Sparkling Sensation

October 28th, 2011

Some History…

Dom Pérignon (1638–1715) was a monk and cellar master at the Benedictine abbey in Hautvillers.  In 1670 he was the first to blend grapes in such a way as to improve the quality of wines and deal with a number of their imperfections, a process today which is crucial to the production of Champagne.

Dom Pérignon also introduced corks, which were fastened to bottles with hemp string soaked in oil in order to keep the wines fresh and sparkling, and used thicker glass in order to strengthen the bottles (which were prone to explode at that time).  The glass for these bottles actually originated in England at the time as the English had the technology to produce strong enough glass to withstand the pressures created in the bottle throgh the secondary fermentaion.

Dom Perignon 2002

Dom Perignon 2002

The development of sparkling wines as the main style of production in Champagne occurred progressively over the 19th century, over one century after Dom Pérignon’s death as still wine was also important to the region at this time, however with unreliable vintages the decison to move to blending across years and develop the Sparkling style was an obvious one for quality and financial purposes. 

The first buyers of Dom Pérignon 1921 were 150 customers of Simon Bros & Co, the company that imported Moët in the United Kingdom, which ordered the first 300 bottles.  The wine got immediate attention in the marketplace and 100 boxes were shipped to the United States shortly thereafter.  James Buchanan Duke, the billionaire who had founded the American Tobacco Company, ordered 100 bottles for himself.

17 bottles sold at an auction in Christie’s in New York City in June 2004 were part of that order (Doris Duke, the billionaire’s daughter, had kept them in her cellar).  According to Dom Pérignon cellar master Richard Geoffroy, the 1921 vintage had a “distinctive bouquet comprising sandalwood, vanilla and praline”.  Until the 1943 vintage, Dom Pérignon was produced from regular vintage Moët & Chandon Champagne that was transferred to the special 18th Century-style bottles after extended cellaring.

In 1981, Dom Pérignon was chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles. The magnums of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 served on that July 29 carried a special insignia created just for the ceremony.

Dom Perigon 2002 in Coffret

Dom Perigon 2002 in Coffret

The Current Release…

The 2002 Vintage has been regarded as one of the best of the recent vintages of Dom Perignon and the best since 1996, and equal to the famed 1990 in terms of scoring by Robert Parker.  The 2002 is the house’s current release.  Aged for 7 years on lees the current release wines were disgorged in 2009.

**eRobertParker.com: 96 Points**
Antonio Gallioni for eRobertParker.com

“The 2002 Dom Perignon is at first intensely floral, with perfumed jasmine that dominates the bouquet. With time in the glass the wine gains richness as the flavors turn decidedly riper and almost tropical. Apricots, passion fruit and peaches emerge from this flashy, opulent Dom Perignon. The wine’s volume makes it approachable today, but readers in search of more complexity will want to cellar this for at least a few years to allow for some of the baby fat to drop off. Geoffroy describes the vintage as very ripe and adds that some of the Chardonnay showed the ill-effects of the hot growing season in the somewhat burned, dehydrated fruit that came in that year. This bottle was disgorged in July, 2009. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2032.”

**Web Exclusive Price:  £97.00 per bottle  RRP £119.00**

Read more on Dom Perignon at wikipedia.org or Dom Perignon’s Offical Website

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Allegrini; outstanding Veneto producers

October 21st, 2011

The Allegrini family are regarded as one of most important land-owners involved in agricultural work and local traditions and have played a leading role in the history of Fumane and of Valpolicella since the 16th century.

Giovanni Allegrini also known as “the barrel spider” started working at a very young age and perfected the art of wine-making with great skill and an all-embracing passion. He was a straight forward, instinctive man who built an agricultural concern that was solid, efficient and innovative.   After the premature death of Giovanni in1983, his three offspring took over the company and have run it ever since with great passion and ever increasing skill.

Their portfolio of properties are now extending beyond the boundaries of Veneto with interests in Bolgheri under the Poggio al Tesoro label and in Tuscany under Poggio San Polo.   Their negoiciant arm is that of Corte Giara, which produces fanatastic value for money wines from the Veneto region as well.

However Veneto is where is started and this is where the major focus continues to be with traditional styles as well as modern takes produced.

Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2007
Complex flavours from smoked meat and raisined berries to mocha and violets this is a wine for enthusiasts and connoisseur’s alike.  One of Veneto’s best wines, the Allegrini Amarone is a benchmark for the style. 

Allegrini-Amarone-07 

Allegrini La Grola 2007 / 2008
A full-bodied wine, intense and elegant. Deep ruby red in colour, it has a wide and embracing bouquet with scents of wild berries and juniper, tobacco and coffee essences. Made from Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Syrah and Sangiovese grapes grown in La Grola, one of the most prestigious vineyards in the Valpolicella Classico area in terms both of history and position. The high plant density and the resulting low yield work together to give this wine its unique concentration. It can age for 10 – 12 years.It makes a perfect partner for red meat, either roast or in brown sauces, especially lamb. It is also delicious with stewed or grilled mushrooms and with mellow, aged cheeses.

Allegrini-La-Grola-08

Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2008
Palazzo della Torre comes from the plot of land that encircles Villa della Torre, a veritable jewel of the Italian Renaissance. The wine is made using an innovative take on the ‘ripasso’ technique. Most of the grapes are vinified at harvest time, while the rest are set aside to partially dry. In January, the wine blended with the juice from the raisined grapes undergoes a second fermentation. Thanks to the Ripasso technique, this wine has a particular structure and aromatic qualities, combined with an elegant and harmonious personality. A complex wine with pleasant raisined nuances and a long, lingering finish.

Allegrini-Palazzo-delle-torre-08

Allegrini Corte Giara Valpolicella 2010
Made from the local Corvina variety with a a splash of Rondinella, this is a delightfully fresh and fruity wine that drinks extremely well on its on or goes well with tomato based dishes. One for the here and now, not a keeper.

Corte-Giara-Valpolicella-Pagus-2010

Allegrini Corte Giara Valpolicella Ripasso 2009
**Gold Medal Winner: International Wine Challenge**
Deep ruby red in colour, with the perfumes of dark cherries characteristic of good Valpolicella but given a hint of the richness and slightly raisined notes reminiscent of Amarone. Perfumes of cinnamon and walnuts blend with ripe, slightly bitter cherries and give way to a rich, ripe fruity palate with just enough tannins to support the fruit and a fresh twist of acidity on the finish.

Corte-Giara-Ripasso-08

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Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

October 18th, 2011
Barossa Valley is regarded as Australia’s premium Shiraz producing region.  Lying north of Adelaide in South Australia, the earliest recorded viticulturalists settled here in the late 1800’s after emigrating from Germany and Silesia.  (Hence the often Germanic names on wine labels, Glaetzer, Henschke, Lehmann etc)

 

Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

Glaetzer Bishop Barossa Valley Shiraz 2009

A century after the pioneers landed Colin Glaetzer established Glaetzer wines; a family owned winery dedicated to producing premium Barossa Valley wines.  Today, Colin’s son Ben carries on the winemaking tradition.  Under Ben the Glaetzer wines have flourished and have become somewhat of a cult among the wine collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Ben’s philosophy is to make unique, elegant wines with minimal intervention, regarded as classic and unmistakably Barossan.  He has an uncanny ability to blend tried winemaking techniques with a modern flair.  This approach has gained him much praise among both the critics and the wine drinking public.  Ben’s range of wines consistently hit some of the highest scores from top wine critic’s Robert Parker and Australian specialist James Halliday.  

The Glaetzer ranges consists of only 4 wines; Amon Ra Unfiltered Shiraz, Anaperenna Cabernet Shiraz (formerly Godolphin before 2006), Bishop Shiraz and Wallace Shiraz Grenache.  Fruit for all these wines is sourced wholly within the Barossa Valley with vines ageing up to 120 years old contributing.   

The Bishop Shiraz gets its name from Ben’s mother Judith as this was her family name before marrying Colin and becoming Glaetzer.  The symbol on the label is that of Venus, represents women and feminine energy which is fitting as this wine is a testament to the women in the Glaetzer family.

The key to this fantastic wine is a blend of fruit from 35-120 year old vines sourced from the northern sub-region of Ebenezer district of the Barossa, a district which is regarded as producing some of the best fruit in the region.   The Shiraz from these older vines gives structure and enhances palate profile.

The intensity of black fruits, espresso and dark chocolate give way to a hint of cloves, nutmeg  and black pepper. The palate has density yet also displays savoury, textural components and fine grained ripe tannins.

Glaetzer Bishop 2009 is fresh and flavoursome and finishes with impressive length and depth.  This particular vintage shows rich colour and vibrancy with a fragrant nose.   It is a vintage which will benefit from at least 5 years ageing and last for a further 20.

Great to enjoy and savour on its own or its ideal with rugged red meats such as steak or herb crusted lamb.

Critics: Robert Parker score: 89/100 | Wine Spectator: 90-100 | James Halliday Score: 94/100

£21.99 per bottle | £126.00 per case of 6

www.glaetzer.com

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Crystal Head Vodka – Clearly Unique…

October 14th, 2011

The first thing you will notice about Crystal Head Vodka is the striking packaging which has an interesting story behind it.

Crystal Head Vodka

Crystal Head Vodka - Certainly Unique

The legend is a controversial archaeological mystery.  13 crystal heads have been found in regions around the world, from the American southwest to Tibet.  They’re dated between 5,000 and 35,000 years old, and were supposedly polished into shape from solid quartz chunks over a period of several hundred years, although according to engineers they bear no tool marks to tell us exactly how they were made.

The heads are thought to offer spiritual power and enlightenment to those who possess them, and as such stand not as symbols of death, but of life.

The people behind this vodka are Dan Aykroyd, a well-known actor, musician, entrepreneur and spiritualist;  Along with his partner and veteran fine artist John Alexander.  Together they researched the legend and from this inspiration the idea was born.

When the making of the bottle was completed it was declared to be a bottle of unsurpassed complexity and quality.  The next question was what to put in it?  And with that vodka became the drink of choice.

The vodka is distilled 4 times from the purest deep glacial water originating in the unspolit landscape of Newfoundland on Canada’s eastern most coast.  After distillation the new Vodka is filtered through what are know as Herkimer Diamonds,  500 million year old rare crystals found in New York state.  The entire process makes Crystal Head vodka as pure as vodka can be.

Herkimer Diamonds

Herkimer Diamonds

With the fantastic story behind it and the high quality standard of the vodka which is incased in its wonderfully interesting bottle I think that this product is well worth the £64.95 price tag.

 crystalheadvodka.com

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Food & Drink: Chicken Teriyaki

October 12th, 2011

A Recipe from Nigella Lawson for a quick and easy midweek dish.

chicken_teriyaki_image

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sake (Japanese rice wine) (Click here for a Chinese Rice wine option)
  • 4 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp grated fresh root ginger
  • splash or two sesame oil
  • 750g/1½lb chicken thigh fillets (no skin or bones), preferably organic, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tsp groundnut oil
  • 300–450g/10½oz-1lb sushi rice, cooked according to packet instructions

Preparation method

  1. Mix the sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, ginger and sesame oil in a dish that you can steep the chicken in: I use a 23cm/9in square ovenproof dish, but anything similar would do. Add the chicken pieces and leave for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the groundnut oil in a large, shallow, lidded frying pan (or lidded casserole) and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces from their dark marinating liquid to the pan. Fry until they look cooked on the outside.
  3. Pour the remaining marinating liquid over the chicken pieces in the pan and bring to a bubble, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and cook for about 5 minutes – cut into a piece of chicken to make sure it’s cooked through.
  4. Remove the cooked chicken pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon (you could keep them warm in a bowl covered in aluminium foil) and turn the heat up under the pan to high to let the remaining liquid boil down to a thick, dark syrup.
  5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, stir well so that they are all coated in the sticky, savoury syrup, then serve with a comforting pile of sushi rice and perhaps some steamed pak choi or greens of your choice.

Wine Choice

The spicy/sweet elements of this dish are the key to matching the wine.   An ideal choice would be a Gewurztraminer (Gewurz means spicy) which is becoming increasingly widely planted throughout the world.  However its spiritual home and where it is often at its best is Alsace in North-Eastern France .  The region here is cool climate with plenty of sunshine and has quite low rain.  Another region which is ideal for Gewurztraminer is Marlborough in New Zealand.

The Gewurztraminer is typically quite poweful on the nose with notes of rose petal, lychee, turkish delight all popular descriptors.  The palate tends to have a lower acidity and is fuller bodied with a spicyiness evident on the finish.  

Try the Cave de Hunawihr Reserve Gewurztraminer 2008 as an ideal accompaniment. £10.99 per bottle or £61.00 for a case of 6.

A second option would be a dry Sherry such as Fino or Manzanilla

Recipe sourced from Nigella’s Kitchen on www.bbc.co.uk

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Amarula Cream Liqueur – Africa’s Liqueur

October 11th, 2011

Amarula Cream Liqueur is a globally recognised award winning brand whose label carries the majestic Pacydorm elephant.  It’s made from a blend of nature’s pure fresh cream and the mysterious taste of the wild marula fruit.

Amarula - Africa's Liqueur

Amarula - Africa's Liqueur

“The spirit of Africa” is made with Marula fruit from the Marula tree and not a manufactured essence or supplement.  This super creamy nectar with the Marula flavour rules at the start then all the nose promises mingle into a great taste sensation.  Dark chocolate joins the party with a possible hint of citrus.  Some creamy toffee notes lead into a long full flavoured finish.

The proof is in the tasting.  Imagine Safaris on a faraway plain, unwinding as the sun goes down.  This amazing drink goes down beautifully with any mood. Enjoy Amarula Cream Liqueur chilled from the fridge, over ice.

Buy Amarula Cream Liqueur here: £12.99 per bottle

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