What We're Drinking...

One of the best elements of being a wine merchant is the privilege to represent some of the greatest winemakers from across the globe, to meet and taste with them regularly and get to know them well. Having that contact gives us the opportunity to hear their stories and share them with our customers. One of the highlight meetings and tastings in 2025 was Graeme Bott and tasting his and his wife Julie’s Viognier and Syrah, from their First Flight series. Their Syrah has become a go to red for our drinking all year round.

Graeme came to work in the Northern Rhône for the celebrated Stéphane Ogier in Ampuis and met Julie. Their love blossomed and they decided to buy a house and settle down together. They visited a house one day, walked out into the extensive garden and field behind and thought that this was “the place”. Imagine their joy when further research revealed that if they planted their garden and field with vines, it would be classified as part of the Condrieu appellation. This was the beginning of their dream to build their own Domaine which is now 10 hectares in size, with Condrieu, St-Joseph and Côte Rôtie also in their range.

2023 was a great vintage for Syrah in the Northern Rhone and the quality shines through in this wine which is full of charm and easy appeal. You get a lot of bang for your buck with the fruit coming from just beyond the limits of the Côte-Rôtie appellation. Floral notes, dark red and black fruit, a twist of pepper and a hint of dried herbs. Fresh and juicy and totally delicious.

For me this is the ultimate wine for the warmer months – made from 200+ year old vines by a legendary Santorini producer, it makes me feel like I’m on holiday whenever I open a bottle of it! It has incredible intensity, with a mouthwatering sea-swept character that is perfect for pairing with summer salads and grilled fish.

If you like your Chablis steely and uncompromising, Pique’s cellar in the village of Chichée is the place to come. None of Didier’s small number of cuvées see any oak, just stainless steel in his winery. At the same time, his 2023s have a thread of bright, ripe, orchard fruit (succulent apricot & white peach) running through them.

Such is the depth and breadth of the Lay & Wheeler wine list that I felt like a child in a sweet shop when I first joined. Now, nearly a year down the line, I have only made a small start on my voyage of discovery, although not for lack of trying! I have always been fascinated by the wines from Sicily so was naturally drawn to the exceptional selection from Barone di Villagrande.

Situated on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, this is one of Sicily's oldest wineries dating back to the 17th century and was instrumental in getting Etna granted DOC status. They make both white and red wines from indigenous varieties and it is their white wine that has really impressed me. The Etna Bianco Contrada Villagrande is a compelling expression of the native grape Carricante; on the nose it displays beautiful aromas of white fruits, flowers and almonds and continues to develop on the palate with minerality and fresh acidity concluding with a long saline finish.

For me, it is a perfect expression of the volcanic soils of Etna and, for the price, is a worthy rival for better known French wines.

Wine for me is an expression of specific moments in time that you hold onto, it allows you to dive into a world that shows complexity and delight in a simple sip.

Since joining Lay & Wheeler, I have had the opportunity to taste many delicious wines and I am delighted to be working with our brilliant Sales team in my new role. Throughout my career in the wine industry, I have always loved whites with plenty of body and complexity, and the 2022 Aristargos from David & Nadia is just that.

The first sip of this wine I can still remember - the delicious ripe fruits that zing through, having been grown in the warm Mediterranean climate found in Swartland, give this wine an enticing mouthfeel that is brilliantly layered.  A delicious blend of nine varieties, predominately Chenin with a touch of my favourite varieties Roussanne and Marsanne too! With a fuller-bodied style that still has a refreshing acidity that runs through, it offers delightful notes of lemon, honey, and peach with plenty of savoury herbal notes. I am always happy to enjoy this simply by itself; however it would pair perfectly with grilled fish on a BBQ on a gorgeous summer's day.

Not only is this wine quite scrumptious –‘David and Nadia’ is a love story of wine, where David studied Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Stellenbosch and first met Nadia, all of which has led them on a path to make the most delightful wines together.