Erni Loosen pays a visit

I would argue that our office is visited by greatness whenever I’m in residence (my colleagues may not always agree, ha ha) however earlier this morning a small gathering of staff could truly say that they were in the presence of greatness.

Erni Loosen swung by the office in Theale along with his right-hand man in the UK Nigel Blundell, and treated us to a brief tasting session of a selection of his wines, before hitting the road again and visiting our Gloucester office.

We kicked off the tasting with the Johann Wolf Pinot Noir 2007 from Pfalz, an oddity in most peoples eyes as red wines from Germany are a rare breed, or so we thought. I was surprised to be informed that Germany is the third largest producer of Pinot Noir in the world!

The wine was lovely, well balanced with juicy ripe fruits and a spicy edge – a great way to start a tasting at 11am. Next up was the Johann Wolf Pinot Blanc 2008; white flowers, fresh and a zesty finish, it would have been brilliant with shellfish, so must remember that for the next time!

Schieferberg by Loosen Dry Riesling QBA 2009 quickly followed, with its stone fruit aromas, and lively citrus body had us all impressed (plus it’s exclusive to us, so you wont find it anywhere else in the UK).

However when the Bernkasteler Lay Kabinett 2009 was poured we were in awe. Produced from old, ungrafted vines that hold onto the slate cliffs along the river from the tiny village of Bernkastel, the wine was stunning. The delicate green apple nose hits you first, followed by a slightly off-dry palate that boasts the traditional German Riesling finish, and all with only 7.5% alcohol. Very refreshing!

We did however save the best till last, Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese 2006 was tremendous; rich ripe fruit, with fresh acidity is the perfect combination and had everybody in the room clammering for a second drop.

After this a brief chat about what he’s been up to in recent months, and a rather funny story about an American lady in Vegas who obviously didn’t know her wine-making history, he was back in the car to do it all again for the next lucky set of staff.

Will Waters

Customer Tasting Manager (and big new fan of German wines)

Visit laithwaites.co.uk/events

Henley and Wimpole Hall

A busy few days for the team… we had a lovely Wine & Canapé Evening on Thursday, held at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames. There were 62 customers – a perfect number for the size of the room. The atmosphere was quickly buzzing and the canapés were just right for the wines.

It’s a shame that the weather was, well… British, as a table or two on the outside terrace would have added a nice touch. But the beautiful views from the large picture windows overlooking the River Thames and Mill Meadows were quite sufficient, and created a charming setting for this special evening.

The Hickinbotham Shiraz Cabernet and Pillastro Selezione d’Oro in particular were big hits.

Photos are on Flickr.com - check them out.

At the weekend, the team were at Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire for the annual Tomato Festival! It was great to see so many customers there … the weather held and we had the added bonus of seeing 84 Ferraris too – look at these beauties…

Next up … the Isle of Man.


John Kemp, Head of Events

Visit laithwaites.co.uk/events

NOT good weather for fish and chips…

Last night was a ‘Vineyard Work Party’ night. Barbara and her friend Cherry own a vineyard together in Wyfold, currently growing the Champagne varieties. It’s a gorgeous plot, planted on land belonging to a beautiful farm house with horses, ducks and free range chickens. All staff here at HQ are invited along to help out with the various jobs that are carried out throughout the year, such as pruning and harvesting.

Last night, ‘tucking in the vines and a general tidy up’ was needed. All volunteers would be rewarded with a fish and chip supper after the work was done, washed down with beer and/or wine (usually we are treated to a BBQ à la Tony but he and Barbara are in France at the moment). So Ian and I went along for another experience of working life in a vineyard… and of course, the fish and chip supper.

We were off to a good start; secateurs in hand, partnered up, snipping away at lateral growths and leaves shading the grapes. There were about 20 of us in total. But then, about half an hour in… how the heavens opened! Admittedly, it had been a grey day, but never did we expect such a downpour. After 2 minutes of it bucketing down we realised in turn that it was not going to let up and a disaster movie-style scene began to unfold as we all raced through the vines, in torrential rain, towards shelter.

After about 10 mins gathered under a tree, shivering and dripping wet, we all agreed it was time to go home and that we’d try again next week. So off we went, tails between our legs, drenched and without fish & chips.

Still, at least the sun was shining gloriously this morning so I decided that it would be a good idea to make the most of the last month of summer and don some shorts… (looks out of window)… Ah, perhaps not.

Have a good weekend, all!

Jo from the Events Team

P.S Our events are now listed on Facebook: look out for them. We’ll be coming to a town near you soon!


Visit laithwaites.co.uk/events

Contrary to popular belief, tasting events do not just appear out of thin air

They take many hours of planning over several months, to bring the correct combination of individuals together to stage the perfect event.

I’m excited at the moment as things are coming together for the very special event that I’m hosting at the Eden Project on 30th October. Not only is it such an iconic venue, but also it’s the perfect excuse for me to go home and visit friends and family.

There has certainly been a buzz created by the event amongst staff in the office. Unsurprisingly I’ve had no shortage of volunteers to ‘help’ later on in the year, along with several producers already pledging their support and promising to attend, including South Ridge Sparkling English Wine from Sussex.

With so many excellent events coming up later on in the year, customers are almost spoilt for choice (Isle of Man, Liverpool, Derby, Oxford, Eastbourne, Birmingham, Cheltenham, and even a special dinner with Jane Hunter at Le Manoir to name but a few) but we are not resting on our laurels; there is still a lot of work to do and 2011 still to organise, with a list of new venues as well as our old favourites.

I look forward to seeing you all at a tasting near you soon!

Will Waters, Events Manager

Visit laithwaites.co.uk/events