As the year draws to close, The Wine Tipster has reflected on some of his favourite wines and in particular those he feels would be ideal over the festive season. Here is his selection;

Champagne and Sparkling
Prosecco Masottina DOC Brut Treviso – BBR, £13.95
Masottina make a seriously fine range of Prosecco and their Brut is a crowd-pleasing Prosecco with fine bubbles and intense, fruity aromas of apple, lemon and grapefruit with a lovely hint of spice and ginger.

Canard-Duchêne Authentic Brut – Waitrose, on offer at £25.49

Completely underrated Champagne house who make excellent fruity and complex bubbles that offer great value. Their fresh Authentic Brut has lovely balance  of citrus fruit, white flowers and red fruits. Look out for their Charles V11 range too, which are very refined.

Gauchezco Vineyard Sparkling Pinot Noir Rosé Extra Brut– Ocado, £14.99
Gauchezco represents the traditional Gaucho culture from Argentina. This is a producer which is a name to watch and their 100% Pinot Noir sparkler is full flavoured, well balanced, stylish with attractive cherry fruit flavours and zingy acidity.

 

 

 

Whites
Zalze Chenin Blanc 2015 Vineyard Reserve – Co-op, £8.99
The Co-op have really stepped up their wine selection in the last few years and this South African Chenin Blanc from Zalze is an excellent recent recruit. This is the perfect dry easy drinking white to be enjoyed over the festive season with tropical, ripe pineapple and peach aromas, balanced fruit and crisp acidity.

Yalumba Viognier 2015 – Waitrose, £12.99
Australian producer Yalumba pioneered a renaissance of this rare, exotic and alluring variety. Devotion and hard work have seen Yalumba become internationally recognised as one of the world’s most accomplished Viognier winemakers. This is a Grade One performer made by a Grade One producer who bring this grape variety to life and capture the attractive peach and apricot flavours. Top wine.

Reds
If you’re looking for a perfect pairing for your Christmas turkey, then Jackson Estate ‘Vintage Widow’ Pinot Noir 2013 from Marlborough, New Zealand would be ideal. Currently on offer at £16.99 at Majestic when bought as a case of 6 bottles or save 25% at Ocado(RRP £19.49 – available from Majestic Wine & Ocado). ‘Vintage Widow’ is named in recognition of the partners and families of those who are overlooked during vintage. This 2013 is a wonderful and delicious combination of cherries, plums. spice and herbaceous character and ‘Vintage Widow’ 2013 will benefit from decanting a couple of hours before serving.

Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Villages 2015 – Waitrose, down to £6.74 from £8.00
This popular and versatile Rhône is a must for the Christmas basket. Great with lamb or ideal if you like a glass of red with character. For the fuller style to match with beef then try their Les Dauphins Vinsobres 2013 Côtes du Rhône which is great value at £11.99 from Waitrose.

 

 

 

 

Sweet
Elysium, Black Muscat 2014, Andrew Quady, Majestic – £9.99 per half bottle
Elysium is Greek for Heaven, a fitting association for this excellent wine made by Andrew Quady. Virtually black in colour, with a rose-like aroma, very intense on the palate and full of fantastic rich velvety fruit, yet has great balance and is not too cloying.One of the few wines that can stand up to chocolate puddings. Or try it poured over ice cream for the ultimate after-dinner treat!

Fortified
Sandeman 20 year old Tawny Port, Waitrose, £29.99 down from £37.40
Sandeman are globally recognised for the quality of their tawny ports and the 20-year-old should be part of the cast of any Christmas lunch. A wonderful rich and elegant combination of flavours of dried apricots, honey, nuts, spices, vanilla creates an endlessly complex wine that has a brilliant length of finish which goes on and on. Great with nuts, mince pies and hard cheeses like Grana Padano. The Wine Tipster features Sandeman Tawny Port on a regular basis because they are so versatile and not just a port for Christmas!

 

Here are a couple of good reads for the Festive period.

For those of planning your trip to Venice then The Wine Tipster can highly recommend this excellent guide; Venice an entire world by Mario Anton Orefice published by Marcianum Press at £9.35

Corkscrew by Peter Stafford-Bow, published by I_AM Self Publishing, 2016,£9.99 from all good bookshops.

Settle down, grab a glass of fizz and have a good laugh at an improbable tale of a professional wine buyer. Mark my words, you will enjoy!

Cheers to a Happy Christmas and New Year.

The Wine Tipster is aiming to finish 2016 on a high and will be busy over the festive season at Kempton, Warwick and Cheltenham. The Winter Festival at Kempton takes place on Boxing Day and December 27th featuring high class Grade 1 racing, entertainment for all and lots of festive cheer.

The Boxing Day meeting features three Grade 1 races including the Festival’s flagship race, the 32Red King George VI Chase which has been won by greats such as Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Kauto Star and, most recently, Cue Card, who must have a great chance of following up last year’s success. As ever, you can follow his tips in Racing Plus, with Boxing Day’s selections in the Christmas Eve issue. More information about The Winter Festival can be found here.

Start your New Year celebrations early at the very popular Warwick racecourse on New Year’s Eve and catch up with The Wine Tipster for some food, wine and racing chat. On New Year’s Day, join the first day of ITV’s racing coverage at Cheltenham. This signifies the beginning of an exciting new period and I wish all the best to the presenters and all the team.

Across all the Jockey Club courses you can sample a great selection of excellent wines including English wines from the Best of British Selection. Highlights include Nyetimber Classic Cuvée from Sussex and Chapel Down English Rosé from Kent. Other favourites include Château Leoubé Rosé, Catena Appellation Vista Flores Malbec, Brunello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi, Masut Estate Pinot Noir from California as well as some great Champagnes especially the Moët & Chandon vintage for a celebration.

Wherever you are over the festive season, go and enjoy some fantastic racing!

Merry Christmas.

Betfair Tingle Creek Chase Day is one of the highlights of the Sandown Park calendar. The day combines two Grade 1 races, the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase, both run over 2 miles providing a great day out for everyone.

The meeting is named after a steeplechaser who started his career in the USA and moved to the UK in 1972 to be trained by Tom Jones at Newmarket. Tingle Creek developed an affinity for Sandown Park contesting 6 consecutive runnings of the Sandown Pattern Chase. He never fell in 49 starts over fences in Europe and won a total of 23 races. Even in his retirement, he lost none of his enthusiasm and until 1955, returned ever year to parade past the stands prior to the race named after him.

This year, Sire De Grugy nearly made it three Tingle Creek wins, however after an epic battle, the winner was Un De Sceaux. The Sire De Grugy owners were so proud and sporting even in defeat.

Other highlights came from Altior on the Saturday for Nicky Henderson with an eye-catching success from Messire Des Obeaux and please don’t forget about the second, the very talented Ballyandy. Stunning performances.

During the day, The Wine Tipster was presenting in the Equus restaurant. The star wines were Bolney Estate Pinot Gris 2014 from Sussex, the Morgan Winery Twelve Clones Pinot Noir 2010 from St Lucia California and Brunello di Montalcino 2009 from Banfi in Tuscany. The Equus restaurant gives you a great dining experience as well as great viewing point for the whole of the course, including the famous railway fences.

The Wine Tipster’s winners included the impressive Dino Velvet 8/11, Dashing Oscar 7/2 and Back At Midnight at 10/1, which certainly pleased guests in the Equus restaurant.

The Wine Tipster will be presenting at the William Hill King George Festival on the 26th and 27th December at Kempton. You can also catch The Wine Tipster at Warwick on New Year’s Eve.

Finally a big shout out to Martina Flood and Hannah Bevan from Jockey Club Catering who have done such a top job at Sandown and have been great to work with. All the best for the future.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster was in action at the Ideal Home Christmas Show recently presenting the wines of Jackson Estate from Marlborough, New Zealand. He enjoyed taking to the stage again in the Food & Drink theatre.
The Jackson family arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and in 1855 Adam Jackson bought the first blocks of land in the heart of the Marlborough region, along what was to become known as Jacksons Road. John Stichbury is the fifth generation of the Jackson Family to farm the land. In 1987 John and Jo planted the first vines and the first wines were released in 1991 under the Jackson Estate label. Jackson Estate believes in a few very simple principles – the best modern winemaking techniques; a respect for vineyard sites; and unerring pursuit of varietal integrity; and through this a strong, identifiable and much admired style.

Four wines were tasted; Named after owner and Founder John Stichbury, Jackson Estate ‘Stich’ Sauvignon Blanc 2015 is distinctly aromatic and intensely flavoured finishing with refreshingly crisp acidity. It has won many awards and received critical acclaim. This would be a perfect accompaniment to fish and chips. It is also a special wine for The Wine Tipster as it was the first New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc he bought in Waitrose so he will always have a soft spot for it.
RRP £13.29 – available from Waitrose, Majestic, Ocado & Tesco.com. Many seasonal offers available.

The Grey Ghost is the giant gum tree planted in 1867 by John’s great grandmother, Alice and today graces all Jackson Estate wine labels. Jackson Estate ‘Grey Ghost’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 shows fresh bright notes of elderflower blossom on the nose with white peach and citrus supported by a beautiful underlying rich farmhouse cheese character. This is an outstanding Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which is wonderful blend of barrel fermented juice and stainless steel juice, with lees ageing to add further texture and complexity. A top wine for pairing with chicken in a creamy sauce or full flavoured fish dishes including mackerel, monkfish and trout.
RRP £18.00 – available from Majestic, TheDrinkShop.com & Tesco.com. Many seasonal offers available.

Don’t forget about Chardonnay! The Jackson Estate ‘Shelter Belt’ Chardonnay 2013 shows fresh citrus and honeysuckle flavours which follow through to the palate and are enriched with hints of warm biscuity lees. An unctuous texture and fine acidity lead to a long lingering finish. ‘Shelter Belt’ has some barrel and stainless steel fermentation, with nine months ageing in oak and is a lovely of intense Chardonnay fruit and subtle oak. This wine would lend itself well to white meat dishes and lovely fish like turbot.
RRP £17.00 – available from Ocado & TheDrinkShop.com. Many seasonal offers available

If you’re looking for a perfect pairing for your Christmas turkey, then Jackson Estate ‘Vintage Widow’ Pinot Noir 2013 would be ideal. It is named in recognition of the partners and families of those who are overlooked during vintage. This wine will benefit from a couple of hours in a Decanter and is a wonderfully versatile wine for food pairing as game, roasted turkey, lamb, mushroom risotto and vegetarian tarts like stilton and celery all work.
RRP £19.49 – available from Majestic Wine & Ocado. Many seasonal offers available

Or you could splash out on their stunning Jackson Estate Gum Emperor Pinot Noir 2011, a single vineyard Pinot Noir named after the Gum Emperor Moth Opodiphthera Eucalypti that makes it home on the edge of the vineyards. Dark brooding aromatics are lifted by higher notes of violets, blackcurrants and spice. Flavours of black plums, licorice and earthy forest floor tones combine to form a truly complex wine. Big full-flavoured dishes like game, beef and a mushroom tart are all fab pairings
RRP £26.99 The Drink Shop.com, Rollings Wine Merchants (Harpenden), Christopher Piper Wines & Cheers Wine Merchants.

The winery continues to combine its advanced winemaking techniques with an old world approach. A new Pinot Noir winery is being built at the moment and is due to open next year. They are rightly proud of their winery, as such, welcome visitors by appointment to their home in Marlborough – Jackson Estate .

It was also a pleasure to catch up with charismatic winemaker, Matt Patterson-Green who has been creating these stunning wines for over a decade and to present them to the enthusiastic audience.

Last weekend, Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire enjoyed a perfect day for the 60th running of Hennessy Gold Cup. Run over 3 miles and 2½ furlongs, the £200,000 Hennessy Gold Cup is one of racing’s biggest tests for horse and jockey, won by many of racing’s best loved stars including Mandarin, Arkle and Denman. This year, the trophy was presented by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Wine Tipster backed Native River who set off as 7-2 favourite and crossed the line half-a-length in front of fast-finishing Carole’s Destrier (25-1) with Double Ross (50-1) a gallant third. Native River not only jumped well but showed he’s also a stayer in an impressive and exciting finish. It was also The Wine Tipster’s nap of the day in his On The Box column in Racing Plus continuing his fantastic tipping run.

This win formed the middle of a treble for trainer Colin Tizzard, a yard in great form at the moment, enjoying wins for Thistlecrack and Ultragold (9-2) in the bet365 Handicap Chase.

The Wine Tipster took some time out to chat with Radio Berkshire where he shared his tips and enjoyed a warming cocktail appropriately named, Horse’s neck. It is a combination of Hennessy Fine de Cognac with ginger ale and a slice of lime. Ideal for a winter’s day at the Races.
This Friday and Saturday The Wine Tipster will be presenting at The Tingle Creek Christmas Festival at Sandown Park in Esher. Sandown Park is a wonderful racecourse and, as ever,we have two cracking days of racing ahead.

See you there!

Last weekend, The Wine Tipster, continued his magnificent form with another 4 winners. There were 3 winners at Cheltenham with Taquin Du Seuil, winning The Bet Victor feature race on Saturday Moon Racer and Fox Norton on Sunday in addition to Wells du Lune at Wetherby.
It was also a significant and emotional weekend for trainer Nicky Henderson. On the positive side, Sprinter Sacre was paraded at the racecourse on his retirement. This finest of all two-mile chasers has achieved the unthinkable, with Henderson planning it all every step of the way, nurturing him back to fitness. The 10-year-old banked more than £1.1m from 18 wins, nine at the Grade 1 level which includes a rare hat trick of success at all three of the major spring festivals – Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown in 2013. With Nicky Henderson as a patron, let’s hope that Sprinter Sacre will soon be playing a role at horse racing charity, Greatwood.
Sadly, Remembrance Sunday this year will probably remain in Nicky Henderson’s memory as the day that Simonsig had to be put down after breaking his leg. The 10 year old grey sustained the injury as he fell at the third fence during the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday. Simonsig won 8 races from 13 starts despite being plagued with injury throughout his career.
The Wine Tipster will be at Haydock this Saturday at the Betfair Chase, a fascinating clash between Coneygree and Cue Card.

With four winners out of seven on Saturday, The Wine Tipster is on winning form. He successfully backed Gentleman Jon (9/1 backed at 14/1) who won the feature Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton, Thomas Brown, Growl and Un Temps Pour Tout in his On The Box column on Saturday. This sparkling form follows on from his successful tips in recent weeks with Rosie Briar tipped up at Doncaster at 20/1 and Antony in the competitive Sodexo Gold Cup Handicap Chase at 11/1 (backed at 14/1).

This weekend, he will be presenting at The Open at Cheltenham where he will be combining his key passions, talking racing, wine and food. The Open provides three days of adrenalin-packed action with the highlight of the first half of the Jump season, the BetVictor Gold Cup.

Racing also takes place on Sunday (the only Sunday racing that takes place at Cheltenham throughout the year) with entertainment for the whole family to enjoy as well as six races on the card including feature race, The Greatwood Hurdle. Greatwood is the fantastic horse welfare charity who care for retired racehorses and educate disadvantaged children and young adults with special educational needs.
Look out for The Wine Tipster’s selections in On The Box in Racing Plus on Saturday with the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham the main race of the day.

Neil Phillips, racing pundit, twitter tipster, wine connoisseur, Champagne & Sparkling expert and wine performer can be followed @thewinetipster and also at www.thewinetipster.co.uk

Whether you are planning a party over the festive season or are just looking for something sparkling to enjoy over the next few months, here are a few sparklers that I have enjoyed recently and will no doubt be popular with your guests.

Prosecco Villa Sandi IL Fresco DOC, Treviso, Italy

The Villa Sandi head office is a Palladian style masterpiece dating back to 1622. It is surrounded by fertile countryside in which fields and farms, nowadays as well as in the past, pay homage to the local history. A vibrant setting where nature and architecture live in total harmony. The Moretti Polegato family have been devoted to wine for many generations and have fostered this ancient tradition by promoting grape growing in the area on a modern basis. Giancarlo Moretti Polegato carries on the family tradition today. The winery has won many awards over the years. Grapes are grown in the area between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Villa Sandi bottles its Prosecco to order – one aspect of the winemaking process that makes it different from many other producers. The must is held in tanks at zero degrees, and the secondary fermentation (in Prosecco this also happens in tank – the charmat method in French winemaking terminology), and bottling are done in batches. The use of added sulphur is low – around half the legal limit – and alcohol is always around 11.5% abv. Lovely easy drinking refreshing fizz with a light zesty nose. A little apple and pear with a creamy texture with a dry finish.

Stockists: Dolce Vita Wines, Annessa Imports, North South Wines, House of Townend (North and Midlands), The Wine Importers (Scotland). Pricing around £10.99.

Some Restaurants in London with Villa Sandi Prosecco in the wine List are:
Theo Randall at the Intercontinental
Lucio Restaurant
The Cavendish
Locanda Locatelli
Stafford Hotel

Campo Viejo Cava, Catalonia, Spain

Campo Viejo has a long history dating back to the Roman Empire however it has only been in the last century that the name has become synonymous with Rioja wines. From the first vintage in 1959 to the creation of their signature ‘Rioja Bottle’ in 1961 and the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art sustainable winery in 2001, they have been at the forefront of Rioja winemaking. From the vine to the bottle, they adhere to sustainable winemaking practices. The winery is also seamlessly integrated with the environment to minimise their impact whilst allowing them to create vibrant, colourful wines that are a true expression of Rioja’s Tempranillo.

The Cava Brut Reserva NV is made from musts produced from carefully selected grapes (a blend of Xarello, Parellada and Macabeo) and vinified at a controlled temperature. It then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, following the traditional method. The resulting cava is aged as a Brut Reserva for 18 months. A complex nose with fresh floral aromas.  Tropical apricots and limes on the palate with a peachy edge. Citrusy finish with good length.

Stockist: Tesco Wine by the case £54.00 (£9.00 per bottle)

Champagne Canard-Duchêne

In 1859, a cooper named Victor Canard, and Léonie Duchêne, a winegrower’s daughter, met in Ludes. After a whirlwind romance, they were married and in 1868 decided to join their family names and establish the Canard-Duchêne Champagne. Away from the large Houses based in Epernay or Reims, Canard-Duchêne  is unusually situated in Ludes, on a hillside, at the very heart of the Montagne de Reims Regional Natural Park where a rich diversity of vines and forests, rare trees and wild fauna make this an exceptional setting. A firm favourite of Nicolas II Tsar of Russia, Canard-Duchêne was granted the right to adopt the symbol of the Russian Empire, a double-headed eagle. A sword was added to honour an ancient tradition of the Napoleon cavalry, to present a sword to the hussars in victory. The Hussars used the sword to remove Champagne corks, a tradition still known today as “sabrage”. It is now part of the Thiénot group, owner of its own label Champagne Thiénot, plus Joseph Perrier and Marie Stuart.

For many years, the House has adopted a strict policy of sustainable development and respect for the environment and its Champagnes are crafted entirely from organic grapes.

Canard-Duchéne Cuvée Léonie Green NV, Champagne, France £40.99

Cuvée Léonie Green NV is just such an example of quality winemaking, innovation and a Champagne that should have a much wider audience. Made from organically grown grapes, this blend of 50% Chardonnay, with an equal split of Meunier and Pinot Noir has a wonderful freshness, combined with citrus fruits, roundness and crispness, Delicious!

Stockists: Southsea Wine Company, Vintage Wines

Cheers!

This weekend sees the start of the 2016/17 jump season at Cheltenham after the summer break where we can look forward to16 exciting days of top class Jump racing over the season. Leading horses, jockeys and trainers return to the spiritual Home of Jump racing for The Showcase meeting with 7 races on each day.

In addition to the excitement of the racing, you can enjoy a wide variety of experiences at the racecourse. The Wine Tipster has worked with Bibendum Wines and The Jockey Club Catering team, led by General Manager Phil Roberts, to compile a wine list to suit all palates and to match with the various dishes served around the racecourse.
There has never been a better time to try British wines so to celebrate this, look out for ‘Best of British’ still and sparkling wines on the list. Come racing and enjoy the following wines;

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée NV, Sussex, England
Nyetimber is a pioneer of English sparkling wine with its earliest mentions being recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086. They now own 170 hectares of vineyards in Hampshire and Sussex which are devoted to the classic trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The Classic Cuvée shows all the elegance and refinement you would expect, with delicate citrus, fresh mineral, and lifted white blossom notes.

 

Bolney Estate Foxhole Vineyard Pinot Gris, Sussex, England
The Bolney Estate was established in 1972 with 3 acres of vines. Nowadays, the estate spans 39 acres and is one of the few wineries in England specialising in red wine. The founders were inspired by the potential to create delicate red wines similar to those from New Zealand. Their work has helped to cement England’s position as a country capable of producing quality wines consistently. Current winemaker, Samantha Linter took over in the 90s and since then the estate has gone from strength to strength. This is a refreshingly zesty white wine with fragrant aromas of elderflower, jasmine and pear.

 

Chapel Down English Rosé, England, Kent
Chapel Down produces a world-class range of sparkling and still wines, together with the award-winning range of Curious beers & cider. It is this iconic chalk soil, the same as that of Champagne – just 90 miles to the south, coupled with our cool climate that enables them to produce truly world-class sparkling wines, as well as aromatic white wines and elegant light red wines from grapes such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Bacchus.
This wine has lovely aromas of a British summer pudding, ripe juicy summer fruits. Crisp and fresh, with flavours of rhubarb compote and rosehip. An easy drinking wine to share with your friends and family.

See you there!

The finale of the European flat racing season took place at Ascot this weekend. The QIPCO British Champions Day, now in its sixth year, is the richest raceday in the British calendar and the chance to see the World’s finest horses and jockeys battle it out for a piece of history. It featured the end-of-season championship races for Ten-furlong horses (The Champion Stakes), Milers (The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes), Sprinters (six furlongs), Long distance horses (two miles) and Fillies and Mares (one mile and four furlongs).

Almanzor capped a brilliant season with victory for France in a thrilling Champion Stakes at Ascot. The 11-8 favourite, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, beat Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Found. Minding achieved a seventh Group One success to land the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for jockey Ryan Moore, with a tremendously performance beating the high-class Ribchester. Jim Crowley was crowned champion jockey for the first time.

The Wine Tipster spent the day tipping in various restaurants around the course and in particular enjoyed catching up with Chef Raymond Blanc in the Parade Ring on the 2^nd  Floor where Raymond brings his expertise from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, which has two Michelin Stars. He also enjoyed the opportunity to visit one of the Bollinger bars at the racecourse as Bollinger Special Cuvée is poured at all Ascot hosted events throughout the year and Ascot work with Bollinger to match key champagne offerings to menus at the Royal Meeting. He was also able to recommend one of his favourite wines, Framingham Sauvignon Blanc 2015 which was being served at Caviar House and Prunier. A classic Marlborough style with a mineral edge delivering characters of passion fruit, grapefruit and redcurrant made by Dr Andrew Hedley, who was born in Gateshead and has made wine in New Zealand since 1998.

The Wine Tipster featured on Racing UK with their presenter Tom Stanley pulling a pint of the full-flavoured and delicious Windsor Knot from the local Windsor & Eton Brewery. This brewer are producing a marvellous range of ales including their Golden Ale Knight of the Garter and Guardsman Best Bitter.

It was a truly spectacular day of racing combined with entertainment and food making it one of Ascot’s premier days.

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