A good Breeding

“Like human beings, a wine’s taste is going to depend a great deal on its origins and its upbringing”.

This quote from respected wine critic and author Linda Johnson-Bell should be engraved on the heart of any true wine lover!

From a very early age I have understood the huge importance of PROVENANCE, TEMPERATURE AND STORAGE of all wines. The biggest danger when purchasing wine, regardless of where you buy it, is the problem of incorrect storage. Unfortunately there have been instances of suspect purchase records too — so it is vital that a clear paper trail identifies the provenance of a wine in order to safeguard against the possibility of wine fraud.

However, with the law authorities now considering such fraud a serious offence — several culprits have been jailed — the situation has improved tremendously of late. It is true that there are still quantities of counterfeit wines on the market, but it is a problem that is largely confined to back vintages. This has been recognised by reputable suppliers who in recent years have introduced much more stringent controls. Most high-end companies now have details on each and every bottle in order to track their provenance and quality.

The producers of quality wines have done their bit too, with vintages from the most valued chateaux very carefully ‘passported’ so purchasers can more easily divine the origin and authenticity of the wines they buy.

This is why when sourcing wine it is important to very carefully choose the supplier. They should be reputable, have extensive knowledge of the wine world and must put great effort into ensuring the provenance of their Champagnes and wines.

Researching the supplier is something I have done as a matter of course for all vintages in my collection. After all, in the first instance my customer is myself and I want nothing but the very best! This sort of attention to detail, which I have lavished on my personal collection, is something that all my clients benefit from.

Equally as important as where the wine has come from is knowing how well it has been kept. Once a bottle of wine has been exposed to excessive heat and bad conditions for an extended time, there is simply no way back!

I can personally testify from one or two bad experiences in my early years as a collector that it is important to know who you are dealing with and where the product is stored or kept. For this very reason all my wines and collections are kept in ideal temperature controlled conditions. I personally invested a considerable sum of money in a state of the art wine cellar to ensure this.

I also work hand-in-hand with the national main distributors of fine wines as well as with excellent contacts in London and Paris to ensure we get first access to the hardest to find bottles and rarest back vintages. Due to their financial resources and deep knowledge of wines — as well as their heartfelt desire to keep their good reputations intact — these wine professionals make absolutely certain their products are kept in optimum conditions.

If you have a special bottle you are searching for please let us know and we will do our utmost to source it — and you can be as confident as I am that it will be in prime condition.

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