©2006, The Birmingham Post
In terms of gastronomy and fine wine, South Warwickshire is a happening place. While The Post's food critic, Alison Davison, waxes lyrical over the choice of restaurants and gastropubs, the locals have been well served by such stalwarts as C. A. Rookes in Stratford and S. H. Jones in Leamington, amongst others.
Since the beginning of last May, they have been joined by a new kid on the block, Vinology, a joint venture between Matt Cowan and Mark Archer, who previously worked together at S. H. Jones, over a 5-year period. Having learnt their trade, both wanted to break away in a new direction, and place their own stamp on a wine list to reflect their passions and tastes.
Their new premises are located in Henley Street, just opposite Shakespeare's Birthplace and, in addition to stocking a carefully chosen assortment of fine wine, they also offer a comprehensive range of Malt Whiskies and fine ales from local micro-breweries.
They are both searching for well-made wines with character. Matt favours the classical French regions, as well as the South of France and Spain, whereas Mark's preference lies with Australia and Italy. Their current list, an eclectic mix of old and new, is the result of extensive trade tastings, and will certain produce a frisson of excitement to any self-respecting wine-lover crossing the threshold of their shop. The partnership are also looking to ship wines direct from Burgundy and the South of France.
Two such examples are from Domaine Bergan, producing Vins de Pays from Languedoc. The white Viognier, "Grain d'Automne" 2005 (£5.59) has scents of apricot and lime blossom, with lively acidity and a spicy edge on the palate. The red Petit Verdot 2004 (£5.99) tastes of juicy plums and dark berries, seasoned with spice, and provides a reassuringly firm structure.
The average customer spend-level is currently around £8 to £10, and amongst Mark's favourites are the Gine Gine Priorat 2002 (£9.99), a Spanish Garnacha/Carignan blend, and the Stella Bella Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (£9.99) from Western Australia.
Matt's choice is the more traditional Domaine de la Galopiere Bourgogne Rouge 2002 (£8.99) which they ship direct. This is made by a winemaker who, until recently was simply a fruit farmer, but has now turned his hand to wine-making. It's not an easy task to find a decent red Burgundy at under a tenner, but this demonstrates good Pinot character, with red fruits underpinned by lemon-tea.
Matt and Mark are both aware that there is a thriving community of wine-lovers in Stratford, and see their mission as weaning the public away from supermarket plonk. Throughout the year, they are therefore organising regular tasting events for both wine and whisky lovers, as well as conducting gourmet food and wine nights in association with Queans in Leamington and Malbec in Stratford. To find out more, visit www.vinology.co.uk, or telephone: 01789.264586.
A ten-minute drive will take you to The Kenilworth, located in the heart of the town of the same name. A curious mix of a 16th century building, fitted out to the latest contemporary design, the main hub is around the cocktail bar, fronted by Richard Gilliam, the Midlands' leading mixologist. Here, one can enjoy an extraordinary range of cocktails, fine whiskies or Champagnes.
Naturally, there is also an impressive array of wines by the glass, whereby the owner, Stuart Insall, is striving for easy-drinking, forward, fruit-driven styles. Little wonder the focus is on New World wines.
The Kenilworth also hold regular tasting events and I recently attended a presentation by Adrian Taylor of IVINI, the UK's representative of the Californian film director and winemaker, Francis Ford Coppola, best known for the "Godfather " film series.
From a Sicilian family background, food and wine has played a significant role in the Coppola lifestyle, and in 1975 he invested in the Inglenook Winery, located in the Napa Valley, California. The estate was originally founded by Gustav Niebaum, a 19th century navigator and sailor, who made his fortune in furs.
Over successive generations, the vineyard had become fragmented and so Coppola used his resources to reunite the estate, producing his first wine in 1978. It was called "Rubicon" in tribute to Julius Caesar who crossed the river from Gaul in order to invade Rome. There was "no turning back" and it has since gone to become one of California's top 5 iconic wines.
Production, though, is tiny and IVINI only receive an allocation of 60 bottles a year. Realising the need for a broader base, in 1995 Coppola launched the more populist Diamond Label series, made from bought-in grapes.
Moving through the range, we started with the Sauvignon Blanc 2004. It's a hot climate style, with sp icy tropical fruit and grapefruit flavours, which, personally, I found flabby and characterless. This was followed by the Chardonnay 2004, a full-bodied peach and butter cocktail, enlivened with butterscotch and vanilla spice.
The Syrah includes around 10% Petite Sirah, which is often referred to as Durif. It's soft and high in alcohol, with flavours of blackberry jam. More to my preference is the 2001 Merlot, where the addition of 25% Syrah, permitted under Californian wine laws, gives structure to its leathery ripe plum flavours.
The Diamond Label Claret is, in fact, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec and, once again, this was too over-ripe and jammy for my palate. More successful, though, is their Zinfandel, from a red variety brought over to California in the 1820s from Southern Italy. This had the air of Black Forest Gateau, all cherry and chocolate and just perfect for a wine-bar tipple.
The Kenilworth are the only bar in the UK to list the full range of the Coppola Diamond Label series. For more details, visit www.thekenilworth.co.uk, or telephone 01926.779473.