The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

The Bite Magazine attended the Friarwood Annual Portfolio Tasting held at Hotel Café Royal in central London and spoke to several of the wine producers. Friarwood Annual Portfolio Tasting bite drinks H aving worked as a young man at many of the preeminent Chateaux in the Bordeaux region of France, the late Peter Bowen established Friarwood in 1967. Since the early 1970s, it has been one of the largest importers of Bordeaux wines into the UK, an exclusive distributor of many estates, and a major supplier to many of the top restaurants and hotels in the UK. As a boutique fine wine merchant with an exceptional selection of wines, they maintain a personalised approach to both wholesale and retail. Interestedly, their underground cellar, found in the heart of London, stores more than 15,000 bottles that are ready to be shipped directly to consumers’ doors or purchased from their retail shops in Parsons Green and Wimbledon Village. They offer a selection of more than four hundred Bordeaux Grand Cru Classe, small Burgundy producers, and new world wines, as well as spirits and cigars. It was at their Annual Portfolio Tasting this year that we met some of the producers that they work with from around the world. I t has been over a decade since Don Lewis and longtime friend and colleague, Narelle King, have been making wine in Priorat, Spain. Their immersion with the classic European wine regions and varietals sparked their interest in how these varietals could be grown and made in their own regions in Central Victoria, Austral- ia. It was from this fascination that Tar & Roses was established. With wines produced from fruit grown in Heathcote, Strathbogie Ranges, Alpine Valleys and extending to Priorat in Spain, Tar & Roses reflects the partnership with Don and Narelle, the multi-re- gions of Spain, Italy, and Australia, and the traditional winemaking alongside the new. We tasted their Strathbogie Pinot Grigio which is alluringly fragrant with sweet nacho pear, white stone fruit, and mandarin fruit flavours, bundled up in bright natural acidity. In this wine, there are hints of honeydew melons that dance around the edges. Their Pinot Grigio is sourced from four main vineyards: King Valley, Sutton Grange, Stratford, just north of Nagambie, and Mitchelton. The higher altitude of the first two vineyards provides cooler conditions, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly, which is ide- al for the development of the delicious classic fresh peach and pear flavours. The warmer regions bring out the more tropical aromas of the flavour spectrum. The Pinot Grigio was recently presented with a major award at the Royal Melbourne Show. https://tarandroses.com Tar & Roses - Heathcote, Australia Images courtesy of The Hairy Arm Wine Co All of the above-mentioned wine producers have their produced available online and stocked at Friarwood. www.friarwood.com

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