Brit Pack - what's in a name?

The phrase “BritPack” conjures up images of famous stars of the 1950’s and not of anything wine related. However in the wine world nowadays it’s the name given to four British people who have decided to “live the dream” by moving to France and starting to make wine. 


I met them all at a press event in the Waitrose shop in John Lewis on Oxford Street, held there as they all make wine that sells only in Waitrose. The wines were as follows, prices referring to Waitrose/Waitrose Wine Direct or Ocado:

• Mirabeau 2010, Cotes de Provence rose £8.99 - lovely redcurrant aromas, refreshing and nicely spicy. A good example of why rose should not just be for the summer!
• Domaine Begude Terroir 111300 2010, Haute Vallee de l'Aude £8.69 - nicely restrained oak on the nose and the palate. A well made barrel fermented chardonnay ideal with food or as an aperitif.
• Le Coquille d'Oc Blanc 2011, IGP Pays d'Oc £6.99 - an intriguing blend of sauvignon,chardonnay, viognier and muscat. Light refreshing and appealling.
• Chateau Maris Les Vielles Vignes 2009, Minervois La Liviniere £12.99 - well worth the money. A brooding but drinkable wine of rich red fruit and spice

So will the label “BritPack” help them sell more wine? I don’t see why it shouldn’t. Giving themselves this name, evocative of past celebrities, certainly grabs attention. With the plethora of wine on the supermarket shelves producers need something to help their wines stand out so why not a catchy name? They have a pretty good website linking you through to their individual sites.

The key of course however is what's the wine like. As my notes show its really very good especially at the price.

Chateau de Pez

A phone call one morning gave me an opportunity at very short notice for some work at a wine tasting event run at Vinopolis by Square Meal, an independent guide to restaurants, bars and venues in London and the UK. I was working for Louis Roederer on the Chateau de Pez stand pouring wines for the visitors. We had a vertical of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 and lots of the guests not only appreciated the chance to taste a top wine from Bordeaux but also to be able to compare 3 vintages side by side.



There was no doubt that the 06 and 08 were showing well with lots of ripe red berry fruit with subtle toast and spice. The fruit of the 07 however was rather masked by the acidity and tannins but it was clear that all these wines had structure, concentration and complexity and would develop, and last, for many years.



This is the part of my (loose) involvement in the wine trade that I love - the opportunity to taste three wines side by side from a prestigious St Estephe estate and engage with consumers helping them to appreciate the quality of the wines.

These wines all retail for £35.

d'Arenberg wines

Since working with Oddbins (in its old days, not in its current much smaller incarnation) I’ve always had a soft spot for d’Arenberg wines. They were popular in the shop from the basic entry level ones right through to the top of the range Dead Arm. I remember how when the branch in Tunbridge Wells used to get its allocation of Dead Arm, often only half a case, the manager would know exactly who wanted them. He’d call the customers and they would come into the shop pleased to get their hands on at least one bottle.


I also recall the time when working behind the scenes at the International Wine Challenge one of the judges was Chester d’Arenberg Osborn with his trademark loud shirts. You can read about him on their web site.


The chance to catch up with the d’Arenberg wines came my way recently courtesy of d'Arrys Cookhouse and Wine Shop in Cambridge. They describe themselves as a “restaurant and bar in the heart of Cambridge that brings together the best in food and wine within a contemporary yet comfortable atmosphere”. Their wine list covers the full range of d’Arenberg wines at all price points.

Thanks to a fellow wine lover Tom who is the “Cambridge Wine Blogger” they sent me a couple of bottles to sample. The detailed tasting notes for the Unwooded Chardonnay and The High Trellis are up on Adegga so suffice it to say the quality and appeal of the wines haven’t changed since my days in Oddbins. They remain interesting wines and ones that jump out at you from the shelves. The quirky design of the labels catches your eye, the names are intriguingly different and the wines sound appealing given the range of varieties they produce.

It’s good to know on the basis of the tasting of the two above, plus a recent personal tasting of the Viognier, that the quality remains high.