Under the Licensing Act 2003
by placing an order for this product, you truthfully declare that you are
18 years of age or over. Any
such purchase by someone under
18 years will be treated as
obtaining goods by deception and will always be followed be legal action by
The Association of Small Direct Wine Merchants (ASDW)
and a lifetime ban by members of the ASDW even if encouraged by an adult as part
of a test purchase. Better go elsewhere.
So what's so special about the
wines from Wine for Spice?
The wines can be summed up in one word -REFRESHING
-a refreshing alternative
to a gas injected lager. And beingcool
refreshingly sparkling winesthey
arerefreshing
at curry-time, summer-time and anytime
First, the wines are allnaturally
semi-sparkling.Carbon
Dioxide enhances taste and adds natural acidity when dissolved thereby adds to
the mouth watering feel. But a fully sparkling wine or beer has too much gas. And
lager has injected Carbon Dioxide producing large bubbles leading to bloating with food.
Naturally second-fermented has results in tiny bubbles. The carefully selected wines
chosen have been methodically treated tonaturalsecondary
fermentation in sealed and pressurised stainless steel tanks and then
stabilised. This is to ensure that the CO2 produced permeates the wine and is
properly integrated into it and will be released gradually and regularly over a
period once the bottle has been opened.And
being semi-sparkling the UK Customs Duty is as for still wine.So
why pay extra tax for superflous gas?
Second, drink the wine cool toice-bucket
cold– So thirst quenching
like a cold lager.
Third, a refreshing wine also should have a good
level ofmouth-watering
acidity.Think lemon juice
– the classic Indian“Nimboo Pani”.
Fourth,avoid
mouth-drying tannin.Whilst
tea is drunk in India with food, the tannin is softened with milk and sugar.
Furthermore, tannin in both wine and tea is exaggerated at low temperatures.
Fifth, the wines are alsofree
from oak,which clashes
with spices such as cumin, coriander and ginger giving a bitter, harsh
after-taste. Furthermore oakiness gives a rounded mouth-feel. I want a crisp
steely feel in a refreshing wine with curry.
Sixth,moderate
alcohol;a good degree of
alcohol is required to provide body but excess alcohol over 12.5% can add to the
burning sensation of chillies. Take a sip of vodka before and after biting into
a chilli to feel this. Furthermore, the wines are so moreish that you will find
yourself drinking quite a bit. Wine for Spice's range has an alcoholic
strength of 11.5% to 12.5% by volume.
And finally, Seventh,aromatics,
fruitiness andsweetness in the range
rise in relation to the chilli heatof
the accompanying dish. This is based on my Goan Grandmother’s trick of adding
some sugar to an over hot curry. Suck on a sweet before and after biting into a
chilli to feel this. But unlike some wines such as 100% Gewurztraminer or Muscat
which can be over-aromatic and too flowery and sickly after a glass, all of
these wines are balanced blends balancing fruit with with natural acidity and
are refreshingly sparkling. And because acidity offsets sweetness and sparkling
wines have enhanced acidity because of the dissolved CO2, the Off Dry wines
result in a quite dry mouth-feel after allowing for acidity and spice.
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
Wine for Spice: Viceroy White NV
semi-sparkling 11.5% 75cl
RRP £7.99
£5.99
For Mild curries. Pale greenish-yellow, a blend of
the refreshing grapes used in Cava - Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo -
with hints of green apple and citrus with a pleasing taste and fine
acidity.
Viceroy White is Crisp and Very Dry great with Mildly Spiced dishes such
as Chicken Korma, Chicken and Fish Tandoori and Tikka.
Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo
Stock in bottles: 12++
Wine for Spice: Raja Rose NV
semi-sparkling Catalonia Spain 12.5% 75cl
RRP £7.99
£5.99
For
Medium Curries.
Garnacha and Tempranillo are used in the
production of Raja Rosé producing a pale ruddy complexion redolent of
cherries and plums with well balanced, clean aromas.
It is Fruity and Quite Dry and goes well with Medium Spiced dishes such
as Mutton or Chicken Tandoori dry dishes and Mutton Dhansak.
Garnacha and Tempranillo
Stock in bottles: Discontinued
Wine for Spice: Rani Gold NV
semi-sparkling 11.5% 75cl
RRP £7.99
£5.99
For
Hot & Spicy Dishes. Mediterranean sun-drenched
aromatic Rani Gold™ has just a touch of sweetness to tame the flames. It
has a mix of Aromatic Muscat 50% in the blend nicely balanced by the
mouth watering refreshing 50% Cava blend Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.
Reminiscent of Alphonso mangoes plucked freshly off a tree. It is Off
Dry and Aromatic and ideal for Hot & Spicy dishes such as Chicken
Jalfrezi or Vindaloo.
We loved Alsace wines with spicy food but thought we could do even
better. As you can see we use similar tall bottles in homage. But we
find that 100% aromatic grapes like Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Muscat
are instantly appealing but soon get quite sickly after a glass or two.
That's why we blended in the crisp Cava Mix. And then the natural CO2
adds another level of crisp mouth-watering balance to the blend.
Moscatel, Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.
Stock in bottles: 12++
I
have both Dry and Sweet Sherries and other Fortified Wines and Naturally Sweet Wines
Sticky Wines specialises in, well,
"Stickies". That's Australian for dessert wines or sweet wines. Or maybe you
call them pudding wines?
All of these wines have been
chosen by me and I have visited all of the vineyards of the exclusive wines and talked with the winemakers.
Sticky Wines specialises in Sweet and
Dry
Sherry and other fortified wines and naturally sweet wines from Bracing crisp Manzanillas,
Lebrija Finas, Glorious Olorosos,
Gloopy PXs to Orange Marmaladey, Caramelised and Late Harvest Moscatels from
Malaga; Moreish Maurys from Roussillon, Luscious Layon from The Loire and
Sauternes and Loupiac to
Sinful Vin Santos from Tuscany and Greece. And of course Port and Madeira from Portugal.
And Beerenauslese from Germany. There is also a South African Muscadel. And just
added is a Tokaji (or Tokay) from
Hungary and a pair of stickies from Australia and a Botrytis
Semillon from Chile.
I want to make this into a
one-stop shop for sweet and fortified wines and I hope you enjoy the wines I
have chosen for this range of Stickies. Do let me know if something is missing
from the tight but essential list of just over 30 wines. All the wines are in small formats
only - 37.5 cl or 50 cl so several can be opened at the same time.
Dry
Sherry and Fortified Wines from Andalucia
Bodegas Hidalgo in Sanlucar de Barrameda and
Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Sevilla, Spain Lebrija is just north of Jerez and Sanlucar. But because of the hill-top
location of the bodega it is even cooler than Sanlucar on the coast. So the
layer of all-year round flor is thicker. So basically Manzanilla-like with an
even richer yeastiness. It is one of the newest DOs in Spain.
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
La Gitana Manzanilla NV, Sanlucar de
Barrameda, DO Manzanilla-Jerez Spain 15% 37.5cl
RRP £6.99
£5.99
A Classic entry level Manzanilla.
This is very pale bone-dry Sherry with a soft, nutty, yeasty aroma. The palate
is lemony-fresh with a moreish salty-sour, nutty twist on the finish. Delicious.
Palomino Fino.
Stock in bottles:
[Discontinued]
M Fina Flor de Lebrija, 12 years, Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Spain 15%
37.5cl
RRP £7.99
£6.99
Bome Dry. Like a Manzanilla except much more yeasty flor. After this no going
back to a standard Manzanilla and a Fino will seem insipid by comparison. More
than a dozen years of aging.
Palomino Fino.
Stock in bottles: 12++
Lebrija Old Oloroso,
30 years Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Spain 18% 37.5cl
RRP £12.99
£10.99
Bone Dry and matured over three decades in barrel. Glorious roasted walnuts and almonds. Very different from the normal
supermarket artificially sweetened Olorosos. Bought from me by Julian Jeffs who
wrote the definitive book on Sherry.
Palomino Fino.
Stock in bottles: 12++
The wines are in country order. Click on the
country's flag below to get to what you want
Sherry and Sweet and Fortified Wines from Andalucia and other Spain
Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Sevilla, Spain Lebrija is just north of Jerez and Sanlucar.
It is one of the newest DOs in Spain. Bodegas Malaga Virgen, Malaga, Spain These are from the
hilly La Axarquía wine district to the East of Malaga. Bodegas Navarro, Montilla-Moriles, Spain A pair of old and very old Pedro Ximénez (PX) wines from Montilla. Toro and Montsant Spain Toro: Tucked away in Western Spain close to Northern Portugal; Based in
Montsant, the small underrated wine region that encircles Priorat, Etim produce
some great value wines
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
Moscatel 2 years, Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Spain 15% 37.5cl
RRP £5.99
£4.99
Simple sweet,
clean, grapey yet fresh with good balancing acidity.
Moscatel
Stock in bottles:
[Discontinued]
Vino de Pasas 2 years, Bodegas Gonzalez Palacios, Lebrija, Spain 15% 37.5cl
RRP
£5.99
£4.99
Pasas means raisins. So sun dried and blackened and then fermented. Simple but
nicer than a supermarket PX and much fresher
Incredible stuff. Basically Seville orange marmalade in a glass. Dunk your toast
in it for breakfast or chilled anytime.
To make this Vino Naranja
or Orange Wine, Seville orange peel are
dried and macerated in distilled wine for two months. This liqueur is
added to sweet muscatel wine. Pale yellow, clean and brilliant. On the
nose, flower and fruit with a dominance of oranges. In the mouth, it is
smooth and fresh with a typical marmalade bitter backdrop that is
both elegant and original.
This wine has a much
bigger orange marmalade feel than other darker Vino Naranja wines made
from dried grapes. 170 g/l of residual sugar.
Moscatel
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
Moscatel Tres Leones, Bodegas Malaga Virgen, Malaga, Spain 15% 50cl
RRP £10.99
£8.99
Naturally sweet and
all its alcoholic richness comes from the fermentation. The grapes are
picked at optimum ripeness. Aged with the lees and for six months in
lightly toasted French Allier oak barrels. Golden yellow, clean and
brilliant. On the nose, ripe fruit with terpenic notes. The wood is well
integrated and does not interfere with the fruit. In the mouth, it is
smooth, glyceric, powerful and well structured with good lemony acidity
delivering freshness.
Moscatel
Stock in bottles:
[Discontinued]
Moscatel Reserva de La Familia 3 years, Bodegas Malaga Virgen, Malaga, Spain
15% 50cl
RRP
£13.99
£11.99
Another big hit at
shows being so different. Caramelised. Créme Caramel in a glass. Sticky
toffee.
Fine, sweet
liqueur wine made with grapes dried in the sun. The grapes are dried in
the sun on esparto grass for 2 weeks. The dense must is undergoes a
light fermentation process. The must is then fortified up to 14.5º.
Oxidative ageing for 24 months in oak barrels.
400 g/l of residual sugar.
Delicious. Christmas pudding in a glass. Sweet and raisiny but balanced with acidity and so
not cloying like some PXs. Pour it onto ice cream or porridge. Pedro
Ximénez
This blend started in 1830. And although an average of 40 years it feels like a
single vintage of much older - perhaps 60 years. Browned though age and smooth.
Like a mature raisiny Christmas pudding. Just dip your (or your best friend's) finger
into the glass and lick it., Mmmm.
Pedro Ximénez
Stock in bottles: 12++
Farina Val de Reyes Tinto Dulce NV Toro Spain, 15% 50 cl
RRP £17.99
£15.99
Smooth, mellow sweet red with a wonderful balance between the alcohol, body and
fruit. Full-bodied, ripe and delicious with spicy red and black fruits galore.
Ruby red colour with a hint of amber. Fruit jam aromas with notes of dried figs,
cocoa too. The palate is fresh and deliciously sweet with soft tannins
supporting plum pudding, spice, blackberry and chocolate flavours
Garnacha
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
The wines are in country order. Click on the
country's flag below to get to what you want
Veneto and Tuscany Italy
Port and Madeira Portugal
Veneto for Valpolicella
and Tuscany for Vinsanto. Port wine the Portuguese style
of fortified wine originating from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of
Portugal; Madeira from the mid-Atlantic Portuguese island.
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
Recioto della Valpolicella Classico Nicolis 2004 Veneto Italy, 50 cl
RRP £28.99
£26.99
This sweet red is a great alternative to Port and although expensive is worth
it. This is the sweet variant of Amarone. Complex aromas of coffee, marzipan and
red berry. Sweet, but not overtly so, with fresh acidity, ripe tannins.
Stock in bottles: 4
Vinsanto del Chianti Rufina Fattoria di Basciano 2004 Italy 37.5cl
RRP £15.99
£13.99
Made from dried grapes, with hints
of orange and tangerine. Tangy and nutty with dried fruits, vanilla and cinnamon
and almond aromas
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
10 Year Old Tawny NV Port, Fonseca, Portugal, 50cl
RRP £17.99
£14.99
Hints of raisins along with silky, dried red berries and black-currant flavours
and aromas. Balanced by fresh, clean acidic notes.
Stock in bottles: 1
5 year old Medium Dry Madeira (Verdelho style) NV Henriques & Henriques 50cl
RRP £13.99
£12.99
Pale tawny
colour. Richly oxidised style, with raisins and plenty of walnut.
Delicate sweetness, with dried apricot and fig notes, and a dry, tangy,
very fresh citrussy acidity that leaves the finish tangy and dry.
Stock in bottles: 6
5 year old Full Rich Madeira
(Malmsey style) NV Henriques & Henriques 50cl
RRP £13.99
£12.99
Oak casks intensely concentrated and rich dark sweet wine with a strong
flavour of ripe fruit.
Stock in bottles: 6
The wines are in country order. Click on the
country's flag below to get to what you want
France
Stickies from Sauternes, Roussillon, Coteaux du Layon, Beaumes de Venise and Alsace
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
Els Pyreneus
Rivesaltes Ambre NV Roussillon, France 15% 50cl
RRP £15.99
£13.99
Rich, golden hue, with a nose of honey and hazelnuts. Beautifully balanced
palate bursting with candied fruit and brioche flavours.
Grenache.
Stock in bottles: 1
Els Pyreneus
Maury Grenat 2009 Roussillon, France 13% 50cl
RRP £12.99
£11.99
Deep purple hue and intense fresh fruit aromas. Beautifully balanced on the
palate blending cassis and strawberries with chocolate in a luxuriously rich
finish.
Grenache.
Stock in bottles: 4
Chateau Pierre-Bise
Coteaux du Layon 2005 Beaulieu Loire 2005 France 13% 50cl
RRP £18.99
£15.99
Lovely soft gold colour, ethereal and delicate nose of candied tangerines. Great
purity and freshness on the attack with beautiful sweet fruit giving a balanced
wine.
Chenin Blanc.
Stock in bottles: 1
Domaine
Fenouillet, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Rhone 2007 France 12.5% 50cl
RRP £12.99
£11.99
Intense gold-yellow colour with orange and pink glints. Intense and complex nose:
ripe fruit, exotic fruit and grilled almonds. On the palate, very fresh aromas
of fruit and flowers dominate.
Muscat
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
Pinot Gris
Vendange Tardives Cave de Ribeauville 2003 Alsace France, 50cl
RRP £26.99
£23.99
Tropical fruit aromas with lemon and lime to balance with natural acidity. Sheer
delight.
Pinot Gris
Stock in bottles: 3
Sauternes Chateau du Levant 2008 France 13.5% 37.5cl
RRP £13.99
£11.99
The second
wine of the highly-rated Chateau Liot in Barsac, this wine is fruity and
filled with aromas of dried apricot and honey. The palate is luscious and tropical. Delightful!
Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
Loupiac Chateau
Loupiac Gaudiet 2008 13.5% 37.5cl
RRP £13.99
£10.99
This
straw-coloured wine has pronounced notes of citrus fruits and honey,
with a lovely long, fresh finish.
Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
The wines are in country order. Click on the
country's flag below to get to what you want
Australia Chile
Germany
Greece
Hungary South Africa
The volcanic island of Santorini in Greece for Vinsanto,
Muscadel from South Africa, Tokaji from Hungary, German Riesling, Stickies from Australia, Botrytis wine from Chile,
Click on the thumbnail images to enlarge
them
The Noble Riesling
2010 D'Arenberg Australia 37.5cl
RRP £11.99
£10.99
This is
why botrytised Riesling is revered around the globe. Spicy, exotic and
complex, full of marmalade and flowers. Super sweet with balancing
acidity finishes clean and bright. Ages well.
Riesling
Stock in bottles: [OUT OF STOCK
UNTIL Feb 2016]
Vintage Fortified
Shiraz D'Arenberg 2007 Australia 17.5% 37.5cl
RRP £11.99
£10.99
The
Vintage Fortified’ made with Shiraz gains extraordinary complexity.
Whiffs of roses and flavours of chocolate, walnut, coffee and orange and
a finish that’s very soft and delicate.
Lovely
honeyed grapefruit with some gentle candied lemon on the nose. Very
intense on the palate with some good natural fruit sweetness and vibrant
acidity. Well made and very enjoyable.
Semillon.
Stock in bottles: 2
Graacher Riesling
Beerenauslese Dr Loosen ABV 6% 2006 37.5cl
RRP £24.99
£22.99
Sweet,
sticky, delicious wine with juicy apple, lime and honey fruit on the
nose and palate. Perfectly balanced crisp acidity and slatey minerality
add an element of seriousness to the finish, but the purity of the fruit
is the hedonistic hero here.
Ripened then sun-dried grapes
from privately owned vineyards on the island; then fermented and aged
for 60 months in small oak barrels. Deep golden red honey
hints of sun-dried figs, plum conserve and nuts on the nose. Burnt caramel and
vanilla with a delicate sweetness edged by citrus.
Assyrtiko and Aidani
Stock in bottles: 4
Blue Label Aszu 5 Puttonyos Royal Tokaji 2007 Hungary 50cl
RRP £25.99
£23.99
This perfectly
balanced 5 puttonyos wine is from Royal Tokaji’s 1st growth Nyualszo
vineyard and the benchmark for quality. As in all Aszu wines, the three
grape varieties are Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat de Lunel. The
characteristics are a vivid gold colour with honeyed apricot and orange
peel flavours which are uplifted with dramatic acidity.
Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat de Lunel.
Stock in bottles: 1
Rhona Muscadel 2008
Graham Beck South Africa 50cl
RRP £9.99
£8.99
Intense flavours of orange and grapes with great freshness and a long, lingering
finish.
Muscadel
Stock in bottles: 3
Sticky Wines is a trading name of Hyde Park Wines
Limited. Hyde Park Wines Limited
is a founder member and
organiser of The Association of Small Direct Wine-Merchants (ASDW) which was
formed, as the name implies, by a group of British independent small wine
merchants directly selling to the general public via mail order and the
internet.
Hyde Park Wines is also a member of the UK Wine
and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA)