Ampthill’s independent wine merchant celebrates in style

Cambridge Wine Merchants celebrated its first anniversary in the historic market town of Ampthill last weekend.  Owner Chris Woodhall threw an informal wine tasting for customers and supporters of the shop, which was packed out for the birthday party. There was a chance to try 18 favourite red, white and rose wines – and of course some fizz!

Chris said “It has been quite a year, a lot of hard work and a lot of wine! The support we have had from Ampthill people and local businesses has been fantastic.  Ampthill appears to be bucking the national trend, with a lot of independent shops opening here in the last couple of years – it’s an exciting time to set up and we’ve had a great response. We’ve got a knowledgeable and friendly team here that loves nothing better than introducing people to new wines or something a little unusual!”

Cambridge Wine Merchants, 12 Church Street, Ampthill  Tel. 01525 405 929
Mail ampthill@cambridgewine.com

We are a certified training institution acclaimed by the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) and offer courses of all levels.

For more information and to book a place, please contact our WSET tutor Steve Hovington, who runs our shop on Cherry Hinton Road. Call 01223 214 548 or mail cherry@cambridgewine.com

WSET Foundation Course

Monday, 13th September 2010, 9.30am - 5.30pm
Cambridge Wine Merchants, 163 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge

The tuition fee is £125 and includes all materials, wine and the exam fee.

The Foundation Certificate is an entry level qualification providing a straightforward introduction to wine. It is ideal for boosting the confidence of new or inexperienced front line staff in the hospitality and retail sectors.  It is also a great course for those wanting to know the main grape varieties and food and wine matching.

Who it is aimed at:

- Candidates with their first job in retailing or hospitality
- Wine consumers wanting to know more about the main grape varieties and food and wine matching

WSET Intermediate Course

Monday October 4th, 11th and 18th, 9.30am - 5pm
Cambridge Wine Merchants, 163 Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge

Tuition fee is £300 which includes all materials, wine and the exam fee.

This qualification will teach you about the key grape varieties grown around the world. The different styles of wine produced and the production of spirits and liqueurs.

Qualification objective

Provides vocational training in the broad range of alcoholic beverages to underpin job skills and competencies in the customer service and sales functions of the hospitality, retail and wholesale industries.

Who it is aimed at

- People employed in the drinks and hospitality industries with little previous knowledge of alcoholic beverages.
- Wine enthusiasts who wish to acquire in-depth knowledge of wines and spirits and want to obtain an internationally recognised wine qualification

For more details and to book please contact our WSET tutor Steve Hovington who runs our branch on Cherry Hinton Road. Call 01223 214 548 or mail cherry@cambridgewine.com

Peter Lehmann Stonewell Shiraz 2005 - another excellent wine from the great Australian producer.

Contact our Senior Wholesale manager Stewart Travers if you want to place an order: write stewart@cambridgewine.com or call 01954 214 528. Be quick as there's not much left. This wine should be cellared for at least another seven years to make it perfect. You won't be disappointed.

The story of Stonewell Shiraz began in 1987 when Peter Lehmann decided to make a special Shiraz - a wine of immense intensity and muscularity that would demand time in the barrel and bottle before release. The wine was named ‘Stonewell’ after the district that he believed best showed the characters admired most in Barossa Shiraz.
This tradition has continued and each vintage the best Shiraz from our legacy of growers’ Barossa vineyards is chosen to create Stonewell. Usually no more than a dozen small, old vineyards are selected each year, the oldest planted in 1885. The berries are small and sparse with crops typically less than 1.5 tons per acre.
The pedigree of these vineyards and the knowledge that has been passed from each grape growing generation to the next assures us that Stonewell Shiraz is a wine of great longevity that can be cellared with confidence for many years to come.

Great press below:

By Campbell Mattinson
“One sip and you’re hooked. It presses all the right buttons in all the right places: profound dark-fruit flavour, integrated cedary oak, lengthy, filligreed tannin, brightness of flavour and the persistence to polish off the package. Terrific. I’ve only tasted this as part of a large tasting of Stonewell Shiraz wines, but in that context it looked the goods, and then some.”
Rated 96 Points
Alcohol 14.5%
Price $85
Closure Screwcap
Drink 2017 – 2028

By James Halliday
“The bouquet offers dark, dense, mocha fruit with a notable fruitcake spice presence; the palate is full and rich, almost brutish at first, but the fruit comes to the fore late in the piece while the charry oak also provides lift; has a harmonious finish. Screwcap. 14.5% alc.”
Rating 94/100
Drink 2024
Price $90
Date Tasted Feb 10

By Tyson Stelzer
“2005 Stonewell may not be the blockbuster of 2002 or 2004, but there is an immediate appeal to its exuberant spice and lingering fruit profile of black plums and cherries. In typical Stonewell stature, there’s plenty of dark chocolate and liquorice oak, contributing to it’s firmly structured and fine-grained tannins which will benefit from another decade in the cellar.”
Price $90
Points 95/100
Alcohol 14.5%
Tasted March 2010
Closure Screw cap

Pop into one of our shops and treat yourself to a bottle of one of our favourite Italian sparklers from Cantina Breganze. If you buy a bottle of their Prosecco Extra Dry or Prosecco Marzemino Rosato, you can enter our great prize draw.

With a bit of luck, you could win a wonderful weekend for two in Italy!

You will stay at the beautiful Villa San Biagio near Padova in northern Italy for two nights and will be invited to a tour of the winery and vineyards of Cantina Breganze. A great experience. Also, if the weather permits it, you will go on a river cruise from Padova to Venice - a lovely way to join Venice through the river, where there are thousands of beautiful old Italian villas. If you're not so lucky with the weather you will take the train to Venice instead. One thing is for sure - you'll definitely have a great time!

Terms and conditions apply - please ask our staff for details and entry forms. The prize draw goes from 30th July to 30th August. Any UK resident who buys a bottle or more of the above wines in one of our shops can enter.