Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

I’m working on a couple of book contributions for the end of the month and have just started contributing to Wine Behind the Label (pictured), to which The Wine Detective readers are entitled to an exclusive 10% discount, also on “Bacchanalian membership,” which brings with it extra privileges, including free cellar software and up to 10% off Wine Merchant of the Month wines by the case (see below).

About the book

Wine Behind the Label is an independently published, comprehensive global directory of producers rated by the authors.  Critiques are detailed, personable and unreserved.  Alongside icons, you will find less well known names, so it’s perfect for anyone wanting to extend their knowledge of any given region and to get the heads up on rising stars.

Described by Steven Spurrier as “‘For me, by far the best of the wine guides,’ Wine Behind the Label was first published in 2003 by David Moore and Philip Williamson.  Since then it has been awarded the Louis Roederer ‘Wine Guide of the Year’ (2006); the Glenfiddich ‘Drink Book of the Year’ (2007) and the André Simon Memorial award (2008).

The latest 7th edition, written by David Moore and Neville Blech, has just been released.  In a bid to make it more user friendly, this tome is now available only online as a quick-to-download pdf.  Producer and wine information updates will be available to Bacchanalian members throughout the year, including advance notice of new entries.  Updates will then be consolidated into the following edition at the end of the year.

My involvement

As of January, I’ve been charged with responsibility for new entries and updates for Australia and Portugal – no little task given the dynamism of both countries, but an exciting one too!  I’m really looking forward to having even more excuses to leave no stone unturned in the quest for great Aussie and Portuguese drinking.

To buy the book

Wine Behind the Label is priced at £14.99 (£13.49 if you take advantage of The Wine Detective exclusive 10% discount) and the easy downloadable Wine Behind the Label pdf offers straight ‘click-throughs’ to other sites of interest, including those of the producers and other people and places mentioned. For £19.99/year, (£17.99 if you take advantage of The Wine Detective exclusive 10% discount), you can buy the book and become a ‘Bacchanalian’ member (benefits outlined below).

You can take advantage of the 10% The Wine Detective discount by clicking here to order the book. I should declare that I receive a percentage of any book purchase made via this The Wine Detective special discount order page and a royalty on future sales.

Try before you buy

You can check out a taster version of the book here

About Bacchanalian membership

For an extra £5, in addition to receiving the download of WBTL 7th edition, Bacchanalian members enjoy the following key benefits (full list of benefits here):

• access to all the updates to their free first copy of Wine Behind The Label as and when they are posted
• up to 10% discounts at the Wine Merchant of the Month
• a free CDROM of the Bacchus Wine Cellar Management System which comes pre-loaded with some of the information in Wine Behind The Label.
• 10% discounts on all wine dinners arranged by Bacchus and Comus.

WBTL’s first Wine Merchant of the Month, Great Western Wines, is pleased to offer Bacchanalians a 10% discount on ALL wines* until March 31st 2010 with free UK mainland (weekday) delivery for any order of 12 or more bottles.

*excludes special offer mixed cases, SALE wines, En Primeur wines and any  discounts currently over 10%.  I reckon it’d be pretty easy to recoup the purchase price of WBTL with this discount in one month!

My March Wine Merchant of the Month, Great Western Wine tips

Here are my top tips at Great Western Wines for Australia, the Loire, Portugal and South Africa:

Australia

I’m a huge fan of both Woodlands’ Bordeaux blends and Kooyong Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.  Click here for details of my recent visit to Woodlands in Margaret River.  Click here for my (new) regional report focusing on Chardy and Pinot Noir highlights  – including Kooyong’s range – at this month’s Australia Trade Tasting here.

Other producers whose wines I know well and rate include:

Harewood Estate in Great Southern, Western Australia who won the “Most Successful Exhibitor processing under 250 Tonnes” at Qantas Wine Show of Western Australia at which I judged last year.

Heartland and Glaetzer, whose wines are made by Shiraz poster-boy, Ben Glaetzer.

Chalkers Crossing  – cutting edge, restrained, cool climate NSW wines made by Bordelais winemaker Celine Rousseau

Loire

Domaine Chamaplou Vouvray – modern, bright-fruited wines.

Chateau de Hureau Saumur Champigny – silky, perfumed wines, unoaked to let the fruit do the talking.

Vincent Pinard Sancerre – sophisticated Sauvignon, the more expensive wines oaked and impressive.

Portugal

Herdade dos Grous – the Tinto 23 Barricas 2008 made it into my 50 Great Portuguese Wines –see the complete list here and tasting notes for this wine here.

Quinta do Portal – I visited this “young gun” port and Douro table wine producer in December – see my notes of the visit here.  And if you’d like to taste a mature Douro red at its peak, their Tinta Roriz 2000 went down a storm at recent tastings I presented for members of the wine trade in the West Country.  It would be perfect with game!

South Africa

Ken Forrester – benchmark Cape Chenin Blanc, always rich and ripe, especially the sweetie and FMC, which is stunning with prawn green thai curry.

Oak Valley – great examples of Elgin’s applely, steely mineral Sauvignon Blanc, a refined Chardonnay too.

Let me know what you think of WBTL if you sign up!

Wine Merchant of the Month