Red Herring Wine Club News

Wines and Spirits for the State banquet

The wines (and two spirits) served by King Charles to US President Donald J Trump at the State banquet in September were splendid:

Winston Estate Cuvee 2016 (from 10.16ha north of Worthing, Sussex)

Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru (Domaine Bonneau de Martray) 2018

Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 2000

Pol Roger Extra Cuvee de Reserve Champagne 1998

After dinner:

Warre vintage Port 1945 (to recognise Donald J Trump as the 45^th, as well as 47^th, President of the USA)

Hennessy Grande Champagne Cognac 1912 (chosen as the President's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod's, birth year)

Bowmore Queen's Cask Islay Malt Scotch whisky 1980 (bottled for her Golden Jubilee in 2002)

Chateau Lafleur leaves appellation

Famous Pomerol estate Chateau Lafleur has announced it will withdraw from the appellation.  Pomerol is by far the smallest of the great red wine districts of Bordeaux, measuring just four by three kilometres and covering around 730ha.  It is known for producing intense and more tannic wines than neighbouring St Emilion owing largely to its clay whilst both districts have high proportions of the Merlot vine.  Unlike either the Medoc or St Emilion, there has never been a classification for Pomerol.

Lafleur is planted equally with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, which is an exceptionally high proportion of the latter, like Ch. Cheval-Blanc.  The decision to leave the appellation is from the 2025 harvest.  The owning Guinaudeau family says it wishes to move faster than the official rules permit to react to climate change.

Wine goes into metal containers

Vintners have used a variety of material to store wine, notably clay pots (amphorae), then wooden casks and glass from the 17^th century.  Now wine is being presented in aluminium, making it more lightweight, easier to recycle and transport.  It can also be cooled more quickly.  UK supermarkets are now offering wine in metal but any such packaging is only designed for a short shelf life.  After two years the lining of the can starts to degrade whilst the oxygen present will oxidise the contents.

New release from Penfolds

Australia's icon wine, Penfolds Grange, has just released its 2021 vintage which was made from 94% Shiraz and just 6% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is always sourced from premium vineyards in South Australia; for 2021, the vines were grown in three districts: Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and McLaren Vale.  Grange was the invention of a young, inquisitive winemaker, Max Schubert, with 1951 experimental and 1952 the first commercial release, taking its name from Grange Cottage which was constructed in 1845 for Dr Christopher Penfold, a medical practitioner who emigrated from Sussex.  Red Herrings have enjoyed Penfolds Grange on several occasions, most recently with the 1995 vintage at our Annual Dinner in 2024.

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Top New Zealand wines tasted

Ryan Morgan presented a stunning range of wines from Craggy Range to members in July.  Founded by the Peabody family in 1998, Craggy Range create award-winning wines from its two estates in Hawke's Bay and Martinborough, both on New Zealand's North island.  This year Craggy Range has been recognised by Drinks International as "the world's most admired wine brand."

Top Californian Tasting

Top Californian wines from Gallo's Luxury Portfolio were presented by Marie Weiss.  The range included J Cuveen20 (a stylish Brut created to celebrate the winery's 20^th anniversary),  Orin Swift's Blank Stare Sauvignon Blanc (from the Russian River Valley) and Rombauer Cameros Chardonnay (from fruit sourced where the San Pablo Bay meets the southern end of Napa and Sonoma valleys).  The single vineyard Talbott Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir, Denner Dirt Worship Syrah (from Paso Robles) and Louis M Martini Cabernet Sauvignon (from the Napa Valley) were among the red wines enjoyed by members

Louis Jadot Tasting

Members enjoyed a special tasting of Louis Jadot white Burgundies in the delightful setting of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Hall in May, tutored by Mark O'Bryen, Master of Wine

Chairman's Annual Report

Louis Pasteur wrote that “Wine can be considered with good reason as the most healthy and the most hygienic of all beverages”.  I hope our members agree after a bountiful year of Red Herring tastings.

I had no idea that when I founded the Club over five decades ago that we should thrive so well with a lively programme and membership so many years later.  Flares and flower power were then in vogue; narrow ties and stubby boots are now the theme.  Who knows where artificial intelligence will take us wine-wise!

Shabo winery

We continue to explore new vinelands and for the first time ever saw wines from Moldova and Ukraine.  It is a triumph that winemakers in those countries continue and their brave exports deserve support.  Ukraine has actually been making wine since the 8^th century BC and today often combine international grapes with native vines such as Shabo’s outstanding Cabernet Franc-Merlot-Saperavi 2019.

Further afield, South America featured twice with Brazil and Chile.  The Club secured the only company to exclusively import Brazilian wines to the UK which meant we could taste Pizzato’s wonderful Semillon and the Teroldego variety grown by Don Guerino.

Joe Fattorini

Some star speakers tutored events, such as Joe Fattorini, the well-known presenter on ITV’s The Food Programme, who gave the background to Concha y Toro wines from Chile.  We are honoured that so many leading tutors flew in for our events – from Sophia Perpera from Greece and Sara Silva from the Algarve to Remus Turcan from Moldova and Jean-Christophe Darriet from Bordeaux.

Ana Carvalho has supported the Club for several past tastings including Quinta do Noval Port and wonderful Tokay.  This year she showed first growth Sauternes, Château Suduiraut with both dry and stylishly rich examples.  Ana produces the most informative of tasting booklets which has encouraged other speakers to follow.

Lanson cellars

It has not been just still wines!  Dan Corry tutored a dazzling array from Lanson, one of the great names in Champagne founded in 1760.  The range included the elegant Blanc de Blancs Brut and the prestige cuvée Noble Brut 2004.

Staying in Europe, wines of the Algarve were shown for the first time and may have surprised many to encounter southern Portugal’s traditional grape, Negra Mole.  Greece, still little known, proved an equally popular event.  Will Lyons in The Sunday Times described Greek wines as “the Burgundy of the eastern Mediterranean.” Martin Champagne came from the Rhône to reveal some of the secrets to the wines of Chapoutier, a pioneer of biodynamic viticulture whose labels are also in braille.

Venues

Panter & Hall gallery

Our venues have included two lovely art galleries: the Angela Flowers Gallery in Cork Steet and the Pall Mall home of Panter & Hall, whose directors are Red Herring members.  We experimented with a dinner to follow a tasting and chose Bellanger on Islington Green.

The Club has been thrilled to be hosted diplomatically.  Our good friends at the Portuguese Chancery, whose Ambassador and Trade Counsellor are always so supportive, welcomed us back and we were delighted to go to both the Brazilian and Chilean Embassies.  A special “thank you” is due to the private client investment managers, J.M. Finn, who hosted the Moldovian evening in their attractive City offices.

Committee

None of these activities could have been held without a hardworking and enthusiastic Committee. Dr Richard Peatfield, our Membership Secretary, handles our circulars with dexterity and flair.  Andy Dixon keeps the website current and is great with pouring.  Nick Seymour continues as the invaluable first tasting contact for members, uncorking untold numbers of bottles and ensuring their pouring!  Ros Warwick services our demanding appetites for cheese and biscuits – purchasing, cutting and delivering ever greater quantities.  We have the accounting skills of Peter Russell and subsequently his wife, Gillian, as our most helpful Hon Treasurers; we thank them for keeping our books in order.

Although outside the Committee, may I also thank Julia Dixon and Susan Peatfield for their continuing help – and my wife, Helen, for her constant encouragement.  As Chairman, it has been a privilege to work with such a team but, above all, I thank members for their continuing support.

Conal R Gregory, Master of Wine

Chairman

May 2025

Algarve tasting at Embassy

The Club visited the Portuguese Chancery for the April tasting - Algarve wines.  Sara Silva, Director of Algarve's Vitivinicola Commission, travelled to London to tutor the stunning range of nine wines.

Global Wine Production Falls

The lowest wine volume for 60 years was produced in 2024 owing largely to adverse weather (from early frosts and flooding to droughts) and economic pressures, according to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine.  The estimate is 231 million hectolitres, a 2% decline on 2023 and 13% below the ten year average.

In Europe, France experienced  the greatest fall with production reduced by 23% to 36.9 million hectolitres.

Wine halves heart attacks

Scientists at the University of Barcelona have discovered that a glass of wine each evening halves the risk of suffering a heart attack and stroke by comparison with those who do not consume.  They report that drinking a bottle of wine a week could be as good as taking statins.  Wine - both white and red - has a "much greater protective effect" than formerly thought.

The research - published in the European Heart Journal - involved testing the level of tartaric acid which is naturally found in grapes and detectable for five to six days after consumption.  Those who imbibed only one to three glasses a week were at 38% lower risk of heart disease.

Many studies of Mediterranean regions where the population regularly consumes wine and enjoys lower rates of heart disease have pointed to the benefits of antioxidant polyphenol compounds found in wine.

New Premier Cru for White Burgundy

To reflect the finer quality wine which can be achieved on clay-limestone over their peers, two white Burgundy districts have been awarded Premier Cru status commencing with the 2024 harvest.

.The newcomers are Les Mures (7.09ha) for Pouilly-Loche and Les Longeays (7.50ha), Les Petaux (2.76ha) and Les Quarts (12.45ha) for Pouilly-Vinzelles.  The overall district is Macon.  The new sites will be restricted to 58 hl/ha from the usual 60 hl/ha.  All are excusively planted with the Chardonnay vine.

New White for Pichon-Baron

Bordeaux estate Chateau Pichon-Baron (formerly known as Pichon-Longueville-Baron), based in Pauillac in the Medoc district, has created its first dry white wine.  Called "Les Griffons de Pichon Baron", the vines originated in Chateau Suduiraut, in Sauternes, which is under the same ownership.  The vines were grafted in 2018 onto 20 year old plants.

Brazilian tasting at Embassy

Red Herrings were recently welcomed to the Brazilian Embassy by kind invitation of HE The Ambassador, Mr Antonio Patriota and enjoyed a tasting of Brazilian wines tutored by Nicholas Corfe (of Go Brazil Wines & Spirits).

Top Chilean Tasting at the Chilean Embassy

The Club's November tasting of stunning Top Chilean Wines was held at the Chilean Embassy at the invitation of HE Ambassador of Chile, Dr. Ximena Fuentes.  Our speaker was TV wine expert, Joe Fattorini who tutored an evening of Don Melchor and The Cellar Collection from Concha y Toro.

Argentina recognises Criolla Chica

Argentina's National Viticulture Institute has approved the Criolla Chica vine (also known as Listán Prieto for its wine from the 'table' wine category to 'quality' (Vinos de Calidad).  This means that in future the wine can reveal its geographical origin.

It has also been recognised as making red wine as in the past it was restricted to the pink (rosado) category.

Wines of Moldova Tasting

The Club held a unique tasting of wines from Moldova which was held in the appealing City atrium of wealth manager, J.M. Finn.  The tasting was tutored by Remus Turcan from Purcari who had flown from Chisinau specially for our event.  The range included an orange amphora wine produced from the autochthonous vine Viorica and Nocturne Rara Neagra de Purcari from the Rara Neagra grape.  Purcari is the most awarded wine producer in the world!

Donation to Royal Marsden

At the Club's Annual Dinner, members sought the special empty magnums of Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque Champagne which were modelled on a design by Gallé and contributed to our appeal for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.  Others donated funds directly.  The appeal was to recognise the treatment given to our former Hon Treasurer, Doug Keating.

Oldenburg Tasting 

For our March tasting, Adrain Vanderspuy presented a range of wines from South Africa's famous boutique winery, Oldenburg Vineyards, based in Stellenbosch.

Veuve Clicquot under water

Champagne House Veuve Clicquot (part of LVMH) is experimenting with storing bottles in the sea.  The idea came from the discovery of Veuve Clicquot which had been in a Baltic Sea shipwreck dating from 1852.  Recent tastings of the 19^th century Champagne showed the wine to be in a remarkably good condition which is explained by the lack of light, absence of oxygen, high pressure and consistently cold temperature.

Wonders of Alsace - Dopff Au Moulin

The Club returned to St. Mary's Moorgate for an evening of Alsace wines from producer Dopff Au Moulin tutored by Etienne-Arnaud Dopff, 13^th generation Head of Dopff Au Moulin.

The evening commenced with two sparkling Crémant wines then progressed through the classic Alsace grape varieties - Pinot Gris, Riesling (including one not yet commercially available) and Gewurztraminer.   Etienne thanked the Club for the organisation and the enthusiasm of the Red Herring members attending the event.

Wines of Bohemia

The Club was delighted to visit the Embassy of the Czech Republic for a special tasting of wines of Bohemia which was tutored by Alzbeta 'Betty' Sutera.  Betty was born in south-east Moravia and studied viticulture and winemaking before moving to the UK.  She is the founder and CEO of Wines of Bohemia, based in Bath.

The wines included a Traditional-made sparkling Riesling/Pinot Blanc (Bohemia Sekt), a crisp 2020 Sylvaner from Svoboda, a late harvest Pinot Blanc 2020 and a wine made from the little known Palava vine (a crossing between Gewurztraminer and Mueller-Thurgau).  The nine wines shown concluded with a delicious sweet Gewurztraminer 2019.

Alzbeta (Betty) Sutera

DRESS CODE

The Club asks that members and guests dress smartly when attending tastings as many of our venues are prestigious and have dress codes.  Gentlemen are asked to wear a jacket and tie.  Please remember to inform your guests in advance of the event.