Sample a variety of wines as you discover the labels to look out for this season.

Ask a member of staff when you can turn up, taste away and dip into the conversation too. Our staff will be on hand to offer tips and advice, as well as the odd choice nibble to help things go down smoothly.

Wine Events are listed on each store’s web page. To book your place, RSVP with your local store, which can be found here: majestic.co.uk/storelocator

Watch Ian from Majestic Wine Muswell Hill hosting a Wine Evening below.

Tickets for the tastings are available online at: wineshow.co.uk
Use the code WINE2 for 15% off advance tickets (excluding Saturday).

Majestic are running a FREE Food and Wine Pairing Masterclass over the entire weekend on our stand. Come and say hello.

A few weeks ago, the organisers of the ‘Good food would choose Bordeaux’ campaign invited us to take part in The Great Bordeaux Cook-off, in which members of the nation’s wine trade would compete to create some Bordeaux-friendly taste-sensations to be judged by professional chefs. Never ones to shy away from a bit of friendly (or even unfriendly) competition, the Majestic team of Kim Smith and me, aka The Not-Very-Hairy Bikers were all too keen to give it a shot.

We were drawn in the starters category, against the ‘Birds With Bottle’, wine writers Mel Jones MW and Sandra Clement. A restaurant kitchen is a hot, frantic, exhausting working environment, but we all just about managed to get our creations out on time. How the professionals endure it for an entire evening, turning out dish after perfectly-prepared dish, I will never know. This video simply doesn’t do it justice!

Unfortunately, our herb-crusted mackerel fillet with oriental noodle salad was no match for The Birds’ excellent tiger prawn risotto, but we had great fun nonetheless, and I still maintain that our dish would have made a great match for a classic white Graves! Mel and Sandra were formidable opponents, who went on to place runners-up in the final, so there was definitely no shame whatsoever in losing to them… in fact, the overall standard of cooking by all the entrants was remarkable, clearly showing that there’s an unmistakable foodie streak running through us wine enthusiasts. Although Kim and I will quite happily admit that we’ve always been better at eating than we are at cooking!

Where’s Ripon?

Ripon is a cathedral city and market town in North Yorkshire.
The Majestic store is located on North Street – just by the clock tower.

What’s What in Ripon? via wikipedia

Ripon is the fourth smallest city in England.
It is one of only two cities in North Yorkshire, the other being York.
Ripon is a tourist destination due to its close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites the Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey.

Why Ripon?

Ripon is in an prime location to let even more people know about the Majestic experience. Everything Majestic has to offer is now closer than ever: daily instore tasting, staff with expert wine knowledge, fine wine, free parking, free delivery… and all our Wine events: Wine Walks, Wine Courses and Wine Evenings.

Opening Events? Yes Please!

Free bottle of Prosecco di Conegliano when you buy your first mixed case of 6 bottles of wine until 24th October
Tasting Weekend with fizz, cheese & charcuterie Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd October

Contact

Email: rip@majestic.co.uk
Phone: 01765 609 067
Twitter: @majesticripon
www.majestic.co.uk/ripon
Address: 30 North Street, Ripon, HG4 1HJ

£6 off a full price ticket (rrp £20) to the Wine Gang Wine Fair

London: Saturday 29th October 2011: 12 noon to 6.00pm, Vinopolis
Edinburgh: Saturday 12th November 2011: 12 noon to 6.00pm, The Merchants Hall

Buy smarter and drink better is the Wine Gang motto and the Wine Gang Wine Fair aims to help you do just that. Come along to try a range of hundreds of wines priced from £6 to over £100, from some of the world’s best producers. We are there too, along with top retailers from across the UK.
Tutored masterclasses are available at both events, including much awarded Argentinean superstar O Fournier, the icon wines of Australian winery Yalumba, the Rhone wines of Michel Chapoutier and Portuguese Wine Writer of the Year Tom Cannavan presenting his top discoveries.
Sign up for your chance to taste some of the 600 wines on show, learn about wine on one of the free wine walks with The Gang and join in with lots of competitions and fun on the day.

Tickets for the tastings are available online at: ticketSOUP.com
When you pay, enter the voucher code: TWG2011
£6 will automatically be deducted from the price of every ticket you order for London or Edinburgh

Enjoy a fun-packed day of wine tasting and entertainment in the company of the Three Wine Men: Oz Clarke (the much loved wine and beer expert on Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure) Olly Smith and Tim Atkin MW (Saturday Kitchen, The Mail on Sunday and others).
There’ll be hundreds of different wines from all over the world to taste; have a drink with us and pick up some great wines while you’re there.

Buy tickets via: www.threewinemen.co.uk
When you pay, enter the voucher code 3WINEFIVE and £5 will automatically be deducted from the price of every ticket you order

Offer Expires: 05/12/2011
This voucher cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

ThreeWineMen on Facebook
@threewinemen on Twitter

Weston-super-Mare is in a great location for some of our customers who would usually travel to our stores in Taunton and Bristol, so from now on they will be able to go wine shopping or attend events in store such as The Wine Course much closer to home. As with all our stores they will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of our highly trained staff and get to enjoy and appreciate wine as much as us!

Majestic Weston-super-Mare is located just off the A370 on Phillips Road by the Winterstoke Roundabout and as usual has ample Majestic parking. Open Monday to Friday 10am – 8pm it is the perfect place to pop into on your way home from work to stock up for the weekend. As with all Majestic stores we are open 7 days a week and Weston-super-Mare is open 9am – 7pm on Saturday’s and 10am – 5pm on Sunday’s and bank holidays.

The team of 3 consists of Andy (manager), Lauren (assistant manager) and Chris (trainee manager) who will be on hand to help with all your needs, whether you’re looking to try something new or planing a party.

Pop in today to browse our new store and I know they will be delighted to see you! We have free in-store tasting every day and their tasting counter is available to view on the Majestic Weston-super-Mare webpage. You can also follow them on twitter @majesticwsm to see the latest news from Andy, Lauren and Chris.

Each year Majestic stores all over the country open their doors for a special customer wine tasting. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet the local team, taste a wide variety of new wines and indulge in a relaxed evening of food and drink.

Anthony Gordon from the Ecommerce department assisted at the Chalk Farm Majestic tasting a few weeks ago. Here’s his report on the evenings festivities.

Not one to turn my nose up for an evening of food and wine I happily volunteered to join the team at Chalk Farm for their May customer tasting. A recently re-fitted store, squeaky clean and on arrival all preparations were set with Champagne on ice. Things were certainly off to a good start!

As with many social events you can pretty much guarantee that everyone magically arrives at precisely the same time. This tasting was certainly no exception to that rule. With doors open and food prepared by 6pm we waited for the first guest… waited… and then at quarter to seven it happened. Within ten minutes suddenly the store was a buzz of chatter, popping corks and clinking glasses. The Chalk Farm tasting had begun!

The format: Champagne on arrival, an introduction to the local team & 20 wines to taste. Staff at your side to help with questions and refills. Gourmet food was provided with a selection of Italian meats and cheeses to nibble, chosen to compliment certain wines.

Champagne or sparkling wine? Heavy reds or Kiwi sauvignons? Old classics or new surprises? All palates really were catered for on the evening with wines from all around the world available to taste and discuss. At this particular tasting a representative from Concha Y Toro was also available to talk and taste through their Cono Sur range.

The evening was very much an informal soirée designed for all to enjoy and discover new wines. Throughout the evening I took a tally on the 20 wines that were on offer to taste to see 1) The Undisputed Favourite and 2) The Most Interesting Wine of the Night. The winners were as follows:

The Undisputed Favourite

Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV – Special Offer £40 (Normally £60)

Well it is not uncommon for Champagne to come up tops but interestingly this particular Champagne is a Blanc de Blancs – meaning 100% Chardonnay. Normally Champagne is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay so the Blanc de Blanc style offers something very different to the traditional blend. Ruinart has undoubtedly crafted an elegant gem here and produced a perfect example – rich toasty aromas, mouth-wateringly creamy and delightfully fresh.

(The Wine Gang also seems to like this Champagne giving a review of 91/100)

The Most Interesting Wine of the Night

Peter Lehmann Riesling – £6.95 (when you buy any 2 Australian wines)

I can see why this wine created intrigue and discussion on the night as this zesty smacker blows a punch that you can’t miss. Riesling is less common than your sauvignon or chardonnay grape so will naturally stand out from the crowd however this one also happens to be very good at the same time. Try it and see what you think.

If you want to know more about Riesling take a look at our video Master Class.

Well another tasting over, some new wines under the belt and smiling faces all round. Thanks and hats off to the guys at Chalk Farm.

Anthony Gordon

To find out when your local Majestic is having there next customer tasting please contact your local store using our online store locator.

Recently attended a Majestic wine tasting? Let us know your feedback at info@majestic.co.uk

Recently of course Majestic acquired the fine wine merchant Lay & Wheeler, which is one of those merchants, and has an admirable portfolio of wines from the top Burgundian producers. With the imminent release of the 2008 vintage, Lay & Wheeler are putting on a superb tasting at the Glaziers Hall in central London on 14th Jan. Many of the producers will be on hand to show their wines, and there are some real treats in store. I went as a customer last year and, like Victor Kiam, was so impressed I bought the company (note to younger readers – ask your parents …).

Tickets are available from the L&W website, or call 0845 330 1855.

The Wine Gang provides the UK’s most comprehensive coverage of wines available for sale in the UK. Formed by five of the UK’s sharpest palates and best-known wine commentators, the Gang is Tim Atkin MW of The Observer, Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com, Anthony Rose of the Independent, Joanna Simon of House & Gardens and Olly Smith of BBC1′s Saturday Kitchen. Their monthly online report on 200 wines from high street retailers is completely independent and pulls no punches.

Majestic is delighted to be participating in the Gang’s first live event, a huge Christmas Wine Fair to be held at Vinopolis in London on November 7th. Over 60 merchants will be pouring 350 wines, plus the Gang themselves will be on hand to lead you through their favourite wines. Book tickets at the Vinopolis website – though note that members of the Wine Gang can save £7.50 per ticket booked, and annual membership of The Wine Gang costs just £19.99 from www.thewinegang.com.

Recently the Gang cast their critical noses and palates over the range at Majestic, and sampled our new vintages with a keen eye for all the wines that we have on offer until October 29th 2009. The feedback was great and it was commented that we had a lot of good stuff, fairly adventurous too, the buyers having sourced some excellent Torrontés and Pinotage amongst the more usual suspects for example.

Here’s what The Gang had to say…

(All prices valid until 29 October 2009 unless otherwise stated)

French Wines

Christophe Cordier Viré-Clessé Vielles Vignes 2008 Viré-Clessé (Burgundy), France

Buttery oaky nose and a fleshy fine mineral balance. Rich flavour without being heavy, oatmeal complexity, long, clean, pure and bright lasting flavour. Very good wine, pure, impressive and will continue to develop in your cellar for up to 5 years.

Score: 92/100 − £12.99 at Majestic. (£11.99 when you buy any 2 Cordier Wines)

One of this month’s Bunch of Five Wines to lay down

Château Mont Milan Corbières 2007 Corbières (Languedoc), France

This Languedoc blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre has a little floral lift, and some gamey notes on the nose with a nutty Grenache background, and lots of zest and crunch. We like the crispness of the black fruit, combining crunch sweet fruit depth. A bargain at £4.99 when you buy two until the end of October 2009.

Score: 86/100 − £5.99 at Majestic.

Cave de Lugny Mâcon-Villages ‘Les Pierres Blanches’ 2008 Mâcon-Villages Blanc (Burgundy), France

Full marks for the screwcap on this zinging wine with mealy complexity and weighty texture. Balanced Chardonnay with a few oaky touches – top with pan-fried fish. Buy 2 and the price is £6.49 each which is ace value.

Score: 89/100 − £6.99 at Majestic.

Clos d’Yvigne Princesse de Clèves Bergerac Blanc Sec 2008 Bergerac, France

Herby zing with good weight and intense flavour. Citrus brightness and a twist of fennel – great with fish. £7.99 each when you buy 2 bottles.

Score: 88/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

La Galine Chardonnay 2007 Vin de Pay d’Oc (Languedoc), France

Melon aromas and a simple wine that’s quite neutral and a touch dilute. It’s simple and reasonably priced – could work well as a party wine or the base of a fruit punch.

Score: 85/100 − £3.99 at Majestic.

Chanson Père et Fils Fleurie 2007 Fleurie (Beaujolais), France

Lovely, bright cherry fruit. A little background of game and earthiness. Bold and fruity palate too, with lots of sweetness but a spicy, schisty, grilled fruit savour too. Delicious Cru Beaujolais showing the Gamay grape at its buoyant, fruity best. Buy two bottles save £4 until end October 2009 = £7.99

Score: 88/100 − £9.99 at Majestic.

Domaine Les Yeuses ‘Les Epices’ Syrah 2007 Vin de Pay d’Oc (Languedoc), France

Lots of schist and a slightly reductive character, but the rich, rounded and quite meaty, gamy fruit comes through as does plenty of spice. Powerful and chunky tannins give lots of grip, but an inherent fruit sweetness really powers through. One to match with a steak from the char-grill. Buy two bottles save £4 until end October 2009 = £6.99.

Score: 89/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

One of this month’s Bunch of Five Wines for Autumn Drinking

Delas Côtes du Rhône Saint-Esprit 2007 Côtes du Rhône (Rhône), France

A Syrah/Grenache blend with bright, punchy fruit of raspberry and strawberry and a little cream. The palate is dry and savoury, with lots of juiciness and a keen edge of cherry acidity. This is lovely, with very good life and freshness, and the discount price of £6.99 (when you but two until end October 2009) makes it a steal.

Score: 89/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

Château La Croix de Gay Pomerol 2002 Pomerol (Bordeaux), France

In the midst of earthy, cedary oak is some really solid, really ripe blackcurrant fruit at the core of this wine. Full and ripe in the mouth, this has a flattering mid-palate smoothness and sweetness of fruit and delivers a convincing Pomerol blast of hedonism. Maybe not a wine to cellar for several decades, but balanced, delicious and gorgeous for drinking now and over the next 10 years.

Score: 92/100 − £30.00 at Majestic.

Domaine Jomain Puligny-Montrachet 2006 Puligny-Montrachet (Burgundy), France

At this price, we felt that this wine could deliver a touch more. Sure it’s got sexy toasty almond and nutty complexity, creamy texture and some peachy flavour. But the layers could be more in evidence and the length could be more impressive. Good wine, but you’re paying the price for the name of Puligny-Montrachet.

Score: 89/100 − £19.99 at Majestic.

Murets de Gouts 2007 Côtes du Marmandais (South West), France

From the Côtes du Marmandais this is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec with the local Abouriou grape. It is quite gamey and earthy, with an animal quality to its red fruits. Savoury and lean on the palate, with juicy spice and a food-friendly appeal, this is rustic and a bit old-fashioned, and needs grilled lamb to do it justice.

Score: 85/100 − £5.99 at Majestic. (£4.99 when you buy 2 or more bottles)

Champagne Ruinart Brut NV Champagne, France

Lovely almond and creamy aromas along with appetizing freshness. The palate is imbued with creamy complexity with a softness to the texture and a nutty edge. Good quality fizz and an absolute steal when you buy two bottles – the price goes down to £29.99 each. Wowzers.

Score: 92/100 − £45.00 at Majestic.

Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne, France

Savoury, toasty aromas with some good complexity. The palate echoes the nutty notes of the nose and there are some brighter notes to the finish. Pure Chardonnay with a creamy mousse and definitely worth thinking about if you buy two bottles since the price comes down to £39.99 per bottle.

Score: 91/100 − £60.00 at Majestic.

Spanish Wines

Muga Rioja Blanco 2008 Rioja, Spain

Pricey for what’s on offer but buy any 2 Spanish wines and the price drops to £7.49. It’s modern Rioja with an oaky twist which is rather heavy on the nose. The palate is brighter and lively enough but we’d love to see more length and fruit to really show off what white Rioja can do.

Score: 87/100 − £9.99 at Majestic.

Marqués de Riscal Rueda Blanco 2008 Rueda, Spain

Grapefruit peel ping! There’s a roundness to the body with herby vibrance and a subtle aromatic edge. It manages to be dazzling without being aggressive and is a delightful match with prawns marinaded in fresh lime juice.

Score: 88/100 − £7.49 at Majestic. (£5.62 when you buy any 2 Spanish Wines)

Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea 2001 Rioja, Spain

A stalwart of Majestic’s shelves, this has a lovely nose, with a slightly volatile character that is typically old-fashioned Rioja, but then the earthy, animal sweetness of fruit comes through, and the palate gives savoury, meaty flavours that retain plenty of bite and keen acidity. There’s punch and grip in the finish of this too, making it food friendly and suggesting a reasonably long life ahead.

Score: 92/100 − £30.00 at Majestic.

Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2006 Ribera del Duero, Spain

100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) aged in a 50/50 blend of French and American oak, this has a savoury, bold, quite structural appeal with black, edgy fruit and just glimpses of something earthy and savoury in the nose. The palate doesn’t have huge weight or texture, but there’s a juiciness and a spicy, creamy infill of oak that adds a big, plush finish. Impressive in the end, with lots of power and muscularity at its core. Buy any two Spanish wines save 25% until end October, so £12.74 equivalent.

Score: 90/100 − £16.99 at Majestic.

Gran Vendema Rioja Gran Reserva 2002 Rioja, Spain

Blending 85% Tempranillo and 15% Grenache, there’s lots of creamy, rich fruit here, with plenty of sweet vanilla and a fudge-like depth. We like the warmth and richness of this, but that plush, creamy quality is balanced by plenty of fresh, vital acidity and punchy, food friendly savour. Buy any 2 Spanish wines until end October 2009 and save 25% = £6.99

Score: 88/100 − £9.32 at Majestic.

South African Wines

Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Constantia, South Africa

Grapefruit and steely bright flavours with verve, poise and mineral purity. Accomplished winemaking and a real sense of class with a finish of green pepper dryness. Very good wine and worth hunting down. 29th September – 29th October it will be £7.99 when you buy two bottles. Awesome!

Score: 92/100 − £10.65 at Majestic.

One of this month’s Bunch of Five Greatest Wines

Flagstone Winery Free Run Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Western Cape, South Africa

Bargain alert! Between 1st September and 28th September if you buy 2 bottles the price comes down to £3.97 each – make a note in your diary to buy as many cases as you can! This is pristine fresh bright and zingy wine. Tight and lean, refreshing and about as crisp as Sauvignon Blanc gets. Run as fast as your legs will carry you to the South African section in Majestic.

Score: 89/100 − £5.29 at Majestic.

One of this month’s Bunch of Five Best Value Wines

La Motte Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Western Cape, South Africa

Nettly aromas and a firm balanced palate with some lasting citrus flavour. It has an appealing purity but could do with a touch more depth and complexity. Still, a good refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc and if you buy 2 bottles between 29th September and 29th October, the price is £6.74 per bottle.

Score: 88/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

Thelema Mountain Red 2007 Stellenbosch, South Africa

A blend of 79% Shiraz and 21% Merlot, there’s a little beetroot and rhubarb vegetal character here, with light spiciness and focused cherry and raspberry fruit. Sweet-fruited palate, though a bit of chocolate and toast adds some depth to the silky tannin structure. Deliciously drinkable. On some complicated back-to-back offer this will be £7.49 until 28th September 2009 when you buy two, then £7.99 until end October.

Score: 89/100 − £9.99 at Majestic.

Bellingham Shiraz/Cabernet 2008 Western Cape, South Africa

Toasty autumnal berry fruit aromas and a rich dark cassis palate with some cocoa and leathery almond notes. If you buy 2 the price is £4.99 each which is a steal for a seasonal sip.

Score: 87/100 − £6.65 at Majestic.

Zalze Pinotage 2008 Western Cape, South Africa

This has ripe red cherry and plum fruit set against a touch of creamy, toasty oak. The palate too is creamy and sweetly fruited – no sign here of Pinotage’s tendency to a bitter finish, and it has just the right zest and grip to match barbecues and grilled meats. On offer on a buy to for £4.79 each deal until end of October 2009.

Score: 86/100 − £6.39 at Majestic.

Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Elgin, South Africa

Fruity ping on the nose and a very pure and lean, bright palate. Zesty fresh with lasting crisp flavours and impressive purity. Elegant and fantastic value if you buy 2 – the price comes down to £9.74. A refreshing beauty.

Score: 91/100 − £12.99 at Majestic.

Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage 2007 Western Cape, South Africa

Plusher and riper than the good value Zalze Pinotage, this has a lovely mulberry fruitiness. We like the spicy lick of intensity and quality French oak on the palate, with the bold, fresh fruit staying sweet and focused. Hints of meaty concentration and seamless length make this a model, modern Pinotage. Buy two at £6.74 each until end of October 2009.

Score: 89/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

Argentinian Wines

Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontés 2009 Cafayate (Salta), Argentina

Fragrant and floral wine with a clean, pure and brisk aromatic lift. Lemony with aromatic complexity and some good zing in the tail. £6.99 when you buy two bottles and well worth seeking out to taste something a bit different and uniquely Argentinian.

Score: 89/100 − £7.99 at Majestic.

Lorca Torrontés 2008 La Rioja, Argentina

Blimey. Possibly the most intensely floral scented wine in the world. If you’re a fan of flowers, sniff this bad boy. Aromas and flavours are laced with lime marmalade, elderflower and lychee with a soft texture and aromatic edge. Match with coriander infused shellfish.

Score: 88/100 − £7.49 at Majestic. (£6.99 when you buy 2 bottles)

Bodega Benegas Libertad Vineyard Malbec 2007 Mendoza, Argentina

What a contrast between this and the lighter, but perhaps more elegant, Amalaya Malbec blend from Colomé (£8.99, 91-points). It has a big, meaty, polished leather and vegetal nose, with layers of complexity including black fruit, smoke and an animal savouriness. The palate has lovely grip and finesse, with sweet red cherry and violet florality and finesse showing through. Grippy, big and brilliant. Buy 2 bottles save £8 until end October = £13.99 each.

Score: 92/100 − £17.99 at Majestic.

Australian Wines

Paulett’s Polish Hill River Riesling 2008 Clare Valley (South Australia), Australia

If you’re a fan of shoe polish aromas in your Riesling, this is for you. It is an engaging smell that we at Wine Gang HQ think works in small doses. The palate on this wine is much crisper and cleaner with some serious mineral purity and zesty lime freshness. Will continue to develop in cellar for at least 5-6 years.

Score: 90/100 − £9.99 at Majestic. (£8.99 when you buy 2 bottles)

Nepenthe ‘Charleston Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2007 Adelaide Hills (South Australia), Australia

Best known for its Chardonnay perhaps, the cool-ish Adelaide Hills has produced a Pinot with a lithe, cherry and cola character with an undertow of smoke and minty sweet fruit. The palate has a medium bodied, fresh appeal, with plenty of zest. A lively, well-focused and pitched Pinot that is easy to drink and food friendly. A very good deal on a buy two save £4 offer until end October = £7.99

Score: 88/100 − £9.99 at Majestic.

Chalk Spring Vineyard Shiraz 2006 Limestone Coast (South Australia), Australia

Some vegetal, slightly underripe character here, but that also makes it little more interesting in a peppery, savoury way. Sweet fruit on the palate is plusher and more mouth-filling than the very good Cabernet Sauvignon from this producer, and powers through to the finish with a barely ruffled surface of creamy, sweet fruit and fine tannins. Good stuff at the usual price, but at the buy two for £4.99 each deal, a must. Until end October 2009.

Score: 88/100 − £7.99 at Majestic.

One of this month’s Bunch of Five Best Value Wines

Chalk Spring Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Limestone Coast (South Australia), Australia

There’s a touch of rhubarb and green peppercorn typical of a slightly underripe style of Cabernet, but it’s not at all unattractive. The palate has good fruit sweetness, with the black berry fruits beautifuilly clear and pitched against that herbal character. Good tannins and spicy, savoury acidity in the finish. Food friendly and delicious – and at £4.99 when you buy two until the end of October, a no-brainer.

Score: 87/100 − £7.99 at Majestic.

New Zealand Wines

Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough, New Zealand

We reviewed this wine (at Sainsbury’s) back in December, but on this buy two, save £6 offer the price falls to just £5.99, so it’s worth highlighting again. The nose has herbaceous, elderflower zing with hints of tropical fruit beneath. The palate is vibrant, streaking across the tongue with good acidity and a nicely pitched fruitiness that finishes with dry precision. Still worth its 89 points.

Score: 89/100 − £8.99 at Majestic.

The Long Trek Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago, New Zealand

Ripe, sweet fruit, with a touch of gamy, earthy, slightly reductive character. Dry and savoury, with lots of grip and schisty, mineral content. The fruit is sweet and persists nicely through the mid-palate, with plenty of woody spice. Not fantastically smooth or sophisticated, but delivers good drinking, especially at the buy two bottle price of £9.99 until the end of October 2009.

Score: 88/100 − £12.49 at Majestic.

Italian Wines

Stella Alpina Pinot Grigio 2008 Alto Adige, Italy

Pear and melon aromas abound in this fresh dry northern Italian white. It’s mineral clean and very pure but for a tenner we’d love a bit more complexity. Buy 2 bottles, save £4 and it looks more appealing.

Score: 88/100 − £9.99 at Majestic. (£7.99 when you buy 2 bottles)

De Forville Barbera d’Asti 2007 Piedmont, Italy

Much more convincing than the same producer’s Dolcetto (84 points) this has ripe cherry and berry fruit with a background of coffee and spice. The palate has lots more coffee and rich, full oak and fruit sweetness. This is balanced too, however, with a herbal lift to the fruit and plenty of creamy depth and length. Buy any two De Forville wines until end of October 2009 bringing the equivalent bottle price down to £9.99.

Score: 89/100 − £12.49 at Majestic.

Villa Dante Chianti Riserva 2005 Chianti (Tuscany), Italy

This Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon blend has an earthy, slightly animal quality, but some savoury promise too. The fruit is quite sweet, but a slightly murky animal character muddies the picture a bit. We quite like the old-fashioned, savoury rusticity here, but can see it would not be for everyone.

Score: 85/100 − £6.99 at Majestic. (£4.99 when you buy 2 bottles)

Knowledgeable staff are at the heart of Majestic, so from day one I embarked on tasting our range at the in-store tasting counter, guided through the WSET systematic approach to tasting by my manager and assistant manager. As some of my customers have observed, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it! Vital preparation, though, for the blind tasting which forms a part of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 Advanced Certificate.

I thought I’d put exams behind me a while ago, but the other part of the certificate is a written paper covering wine production from growing grapes through to marketing the finished bottle, wine styles, spirits, and all of the major wine regions of the world. So there was no getting away from some major book bashing, livened up by pop-quizzes at work from my colleagues as we put away the latest pallets of new stock.

Pouilly-Fuissé (Burgundy) versus Pouilly-Fumé (Loire)? Montepulciano (grape variety of Abruzzo fame) versus Vino Nobile de Montepulciano (not made from Montepulciano grapes)? The named villages of the Beaujolais appellation? Just some of the details revealed by the course. My favourite gem, though, was a mnemonic to remember the hierarchy of German quality levels: “Kebab Shops Are Bad To Enter” for Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trokenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

Two study days at head office brought me together with a dozen of my fellow trainee managers from around the country. A chance to revise and explore the trickier areas of the syllabus, and to sample and taste some of the (rather few) wine styles and regions which we don’t stock in store. Our trainers were all Majestic staff and their enthusiasm for wine – and for making wine fun – really shone through.

Some three months after embarking on the certificate, it was back to head office and back to school for the WSET exam itself: a dozen nervous candidates exchanging small-talk and eschewing much-desired coffee for the sake of our taste-buds. Twenty minutes for the blind tasting, a short break, and then the longer written paper.

The final well-remembered torture from school and university exams was the six week wait for the results, since this is an international qualification administered and marked by the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

So how did I do? Brilliant news: distinction in both papers, so I was over the moon! Not unusual for Majestic, though. Between us my cohort of 16 achieved seven passes with distinction and eight with merit.

Majestic staff are now sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm with our customers via our free Wine Uncorked sessions. A relaxed two-hour introduction and tasting, and don’t worry, no questions on Pouilly-Fuissé or Spätlese – unless it’s you asking them!

My next decision: whether to embark on the two-year WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits. Watch this space…

Michael Gray, Majestic Cambridge

Whilst I was in Retail, I was asked to be part of the initial roll out of Majestic’s latest initiative: The Wine Course.  Thanks to all the fantastic feedback from our customers, we realised that many of you knew a little about wine but largely based your purchasing decisions upon price (and sometimes labels!). Many are keen to learn more and take their knowledge to the next level so this is why we developed the The Wine Course concept.

We’re now at the stage where the majority of our managers have been trained to run The Wine Course which covers everything from Grapes to Glass with a very popular section on Food and Wine matching thrown in for good measure.  Having personally run several of these courses and seen about 30 customers enjoy them, the feedback has been incredible: where else can you have a completely free, informal session with a small group of people with a similar interest in wine?

All the stores are given autonomy over when they run their courses as in the majority of cases, they’re run after normal opening hours to allow a more relaxed environment and the staff give up their evenings accordingly. Without giving too much away(!): we open a range of wines to demonstrate the difference climate can make on wines of the same grape variety and a champagne to demonstrate how sparkling wine is produced with a different method and then we discuss how to get the most out of tasting a wine so that you can make an informed decision about a wine’s quality and provenance as opposed to a simple ‘I like/I don’t like’. The Food & Wine matching section at the end of the session has resulted in me having several customers returning to see me to ask for advice about wine selections for their forthcoming dinner parties and the overwhelming consensus  has been ‘we had no idea you lot all knew so much’. I think these courses offer a fantastic introduction into the fascinating world of wine for our customers where no question is deemed too silly and they also go a long way towards engendering customers trust in our expert advice!

Today is the first time we’ve advertised these courses on our website and, by the end of the year, we hope to have them available in most stores. If you want to see more, check out our webpage www.majestic.co.uk/thewinecourse and get a feel for the course by having a look at the video clip above. To find out if your local store is running The Wine Course, you can use the store locator on our homepage and once you click on ‘store details’ it will tell you whether or not that specific store is running the course. If it’s not, do check the next couple of stores on the list. The evidence to date suggests the courses are rather popular, so I would suggest getting your name on a list at a store near you sooner rather than later!

Emma – Online Commercial Manager

Jancis Robinson took a measured view of the vintage in her Financial Times column this week. We did a lot of tasting too, and will offer wines from our favourite growers in due course. For me though the over-riding sensation was palate fatigue (fortunately it’s not me that makes the purchasing decisions). Perhaps it’s age, or lack of practice these days, but after 50 wines in a session I was done. I have to say long tastings like this really are hard work.

I often get asked by friends what I do for a job, and when I tell them I work for Majestic, the response is generally ‘you get paid to drink wine’. To an extent, this is true, although I must point out that we taste rather than drink.

On Thursday (13/11/08) we held our first ever dedicated Fine Wine Tasting here in the Fine Wine Centre based at our St. John’s Wood store in North London.  The day started early, with Jeremy, Nick (our Fine Wine Buyer) and myself going through and tasting all the wines (all 41 of them) to make sure there weren’t any duds. Its usually quite difficult to go through and taste a lot of wines, as your palate can sometimes get shot to pieces by fierce tannins, or the high acidity in some wines. On this occasion though, it was a delight to try a great range of ‘drinking wines’, something which also pleased Jancis Robinson MW (see link, although it’s a subscription site).

Here are my top picks from the days tasting.

Veuve Clicquot Rare Vinatage 1988 - A refreshing nose of stewed apples, dried lemon peel and flowers paves the way for the rich and unctuous palate. Rich, dense but so unbelievably pure, the palate reminds me so much of lemon curd on toast, it is elegant, tangy, and rich. It is beautifully structured, and finishes really long in the mouth. It is so morish, that you can help but take another gulp!

Sancerre ‘Cuvee Edmond’ 2006, Alphonse Mellot - It has to be said, that this is the bees knees of Sancerre’s. An intense bouquet of pear drops, limes, flint and wet grass. The palate is unbelievably rich, but kept in balance by the limey acidity. Pears and green apples dominate on the palate, with the tongue tingling acidity and flavour of limes following up. Unbelievably refreshing and palate cleansing, the wine finishes long and clean.

Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru ‘Clos de La Mouchere’ 2006, Henri Boillot – This is, without question, the white wine of the tasting. This is beautiful and pure White Burgundy that delivers an elegant nose of white flowers and vanilla infused poached pears. There is such harmony, the rich and full flavoured palate comprises of toasty oak and lashings of fruit. Its silky texture gives the most wonderful mouthfeel and a finish that seems to be endless. More please!

Chateau Poujeaux 2000 - From the appellation of Moulis-en-Medoc comes this absolute gem of a wine. The nose of blackberries, blackcurrants, mint and saddle leather is rich and concentrated. The palate is luscious, multidimensional and very sexy! Black fruits dominate on the palate, dusty tannins bringing it altogether. This is a very stylish wine that has extraordinary length.

Chateau La Croix de Gay 2002 – Ooh la la! This wine has a knockout nose of raspberries, espresso and asphalt. On the palate, the wine has even more to offer. Rich and full bodied, there is an abundance of raspberry and cherry fruit intermingled with the delicious flavours of espresso coffee. There are also nuances of licorice and tobacco on the very long and pleasurable finish. This is a fantastic Pomerol for the money. Ready to drink now, or stash it away for 4 – 5 years and treat yourself in a few years time.

Since Clayton started in St Johns Wood earlier in the year (having previously headed our posh Mayfair outpost) the sales of quirky and interesting wines has increased dramatically. So much so in fact that we’re buying more and more small parcels of wines which are either not suitable or not available to stock in all our stores, but which do have a following via the website.

Clayton will be posting on the same subject next week (and if his blogging skills allow adding photos – note our stiletto-sharp technical skills!) but, in the meantime, here are a few of the more esoteric highlights:

Riesling Steinertal Smaragd 2007, FX Pichler. High quality Austrian wines are definitely not mass-market, but this is a really impressive wine from one of the country’s best producers. Steely and taut, but massively concentrated. It’s a bit young to be frank but even so was a great start to the tasting,

Soave du Lot Inama 2007. You could miss this wine at a tasting if you weren’t concentrating; at first glance it’s a pleasant, easy drinking, light white wine. However, wait a moment and a box of delights reveals itself – a definite mineral complexity, a rich, lingering weight and a long, long finish. I’m massively impressed with this and will be buying some for Christmas.

And finally, another personal favourite, La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 1995. This showed brilliantly. Properly mature, gamey, and fantastic value. This is a style which belongs to Rioja, as does the price. No other country offers the same quality/value proposition. (Note – this is selling fast. If you click on the link and there’s nothing there it means we’ve run out. However, there’s more on the way.)