An Anniversary Wine Retelling (4 Months On)

Reflections on those bottles we save for special moments and how they stay with us...

Every year, between Christmas and New Years, Will and I travel to a tiny fisherman’s cabin on the banks of the Wye. We go to the same spot where we officially got together, and then got engaged the following year. Generally it is wet and the air is so full of moisture you can taste it, and on a clear night dark falls in the valley to reveal brilliant stars. The place is an eden, with a terrace of old vines, mossy mushroomed trees and the river flowing thick and brown below.

Usually we select wines a few weeks in advance to accompany us for those short days, in the middle of travelling across the land and visiting with our respective families. And, if I am to be totally honest, I usually look forwards to this slice of green serenity more than the fuss and rush of Christmas itself.

I had intended to share the bottles we drank after the fact, but life got in the way. A few days after returning from the cabin I wrote this post, and in the past few months, I am so pleased to say, I have been able to make the changes I need to in order to process some of my grief and trauma. The point of my mentioning that is to say that, in all of that happening, I somewhat forgot all about the joy I found in those special bottles we drank at the cabin, until recently. So with a look back, beyond the four months fast gone by, to midwinter, and the wines we drank to celebrate our love.

And while we are at it, I’ll also share some of my thoughts on ‘special’ bottles for ‘special’ occasions, and how I (and Will because we share a wine collection) approach the concept when choosing what to drink when.

So, how to describe how we choose what bottles?

After considering how we chose the wines for our anniversary last year, and the ones before that, a clear metric started to emerge. I think that it is possible to break down the five main aspects we consider when picking ‘special’ wines for a ‘special’ occasions, as follows:

1. Region: Aka where does it come from? Usually for us to consider a bottle ‘special’, its probably going to come from a place we love the wine of. Demonstrated clearly by the fact that these 4 wines are all 5 out of 5 for Region.

2. Scarcity: Not necessarily just a case of how big the production of the wine itself is, yes there is a question of, could I go and buy another bottle if I so desired, or is it all sold out? We ask questions like, was a tiny tiny bottling? Or did the grapes come from a tiny tiny parcel? Has the wine been made again? Comment on this post what you think makes a wine unicorn?

3. Curiosity: How desperate are we to taste, to experience! How long has it been sat in our cellar cupboard waiting to be drank? Is there something interesting or unique about the vinification, or the wines age that makes it an exciting prospect to open and taste?

4. Varietal: Stating the obvious here, but this is all about the variety or varieties the wine is made from! We all have our favourite grapes and for us, wanting to try different and new expressions of varieties close to our hearts is a big factor in what we want to drink!

5. Producer: Finally who made it? Getting to taste a part of a certain producers story is often a big factor in what I consider a special bottle. Some producers I love because of where they fit in the tapestry of my own wine discovery journey. Others I have not ever tried before, and am desperate to experience. The producer, how and where they farm, the intentions they have for the wines they make. Sentimental as hell me, and this applies to wine tenfold.

One important thing this should show is that, what makes a ‘special’ bottle, is not necessarily about how much that bottle costs.

Of these wines I am about to share, two are still available to purchase and I am considering repurchasing both. One of them, I’m pretty sure, will (sort of) be available again, when the new vintage hits these shores. The other, I have no idea how Will even found in the first place and I would be very curious to know where or if another bottle might be found!

One thing is perhaps different for us, when we go to the cabin specifically, is that we aren’t choosing wines with the intention of pairing them.

When I selected wines for a special Valentines Day for example, or even when we pick what to drink with a casual Wednesday night dinner, the food on the table is always in mind. With the cabin wines however, all we know in advance that we will probably going to have some cured meat and cheeses, olives, bread and general snacky suppers. Perhaps we will take a stew with us in advance, but the usual protocol is to pass by Lidl on the up to the cabin and ransack the bakery section! What I will also admit, is that because we picked these a few weeks in advance, we did take around 7 bottles to choose from in total, because even with the best laid plans, you never truly know.

Also a disclaimer, if it is even necessary, that all these opinions are my own, and that above all else choosing & drinking wine is a personal experience.

Wine Number 1: Whinyard Rocks ‘Bubbly Bubbly’ 2022

I did actually cover in this piece, which you should read if you haven’t already! But I’m eyeing up another bottle of this goodness as we speak, (and would have already pulled the trigger that is if I hadn’t just spent April’s wine budget on that new Anders Frederik Steen & Anne Bruun Blauert drop!).

Made with the traditional method from 100% Phoenix from New Radnor, using spontaneous fermentation.

Region 5/5: Look, I should have made it clear by now on this blog that I love to experience the wines Wales has to offer. But who can blame me. Wales is probably my favourite place in the World. And when you are sat on the literal border between Wales and England, drinking wine of the place is a must.

Scarcity 4/5: This was a small bottling, I believe between 50-100 bottles, there is some still some available on their website, but once its gone, its gone!

Curiosity 4/5: Currently on a hunt to taste as much Phoenix as possible, for personal wine making reasons! We were sooo curious to taste this expression, and as this was unfiltered, un-fined and fermented with indigenous wild yeast, it was right up our street.

Varietal 4/5: As above, we are very keen to taste as much Phoenix as we can. This did not disappoint!

Producer 5/5: Susan and James are the sweetest, and I am so so invested in their journey.

Final Thoughts: I love this wine, classic and very ‘of the place’. I think green and tropical fruit with a toasty depth and refresher acidity.

What I’d Pair: Give me cheese on toast, rarebit baby.

Wine Number 2: Testalonga ‘I Am The Ninja’ 2023

Another wine I have eluded to in a previous blog post, as I spoke at length about the other Pet Nat that Testalonga make under their El Bandito label, ‘I Wish I Was A Ninja’. 2023 was 100% Chenin Blanc from old vines.

Made as a Pet Nat, but with the Testalonga twist: refined and serious, playful and full of heart. Farming is uncertified organic and biodynamic, there is minimal interventions in the winery.

Region 5/5: Craig and Carla have been changing the game in Swartland since they set up their winery in 2008. They have got me so excited about the wines of the region and I love the way they have taken on big grapes like Chenin.

Rarity 4/5: While you can buy 2024’s ‘I am the Ninja’ the variety is now Colombard, like the ‘I wish I was a the Ninja’. And I’m hesitant to tell you, but there are like 5 bottles of the 2023 Pet Nat on a certain wine buying website, if I don’t get to it first (I’m serious please leave me a bottle eeeek)!

Curiosity 4/5: The other Pet Nat ‘I wish I was a the Ninja’ and I had a long dalliance last summer. I had loads. But I only had the 1 bottle of this, and was soooo keen to taste it. Old vine Chenin Pet Nat is five words that get me excited.

Varietal 5/5: Chenin, ‘nough said.

Producer 5/5: Testalonga, ‘nough said.

Final Thoughts: Creamier and drier then the ‘I wish I was a Ninja’, so delicious this little piece of Chenin magic has placed itself firmly in my Wine Hall of Fame.

What I’d Pair: Inspired by a pairing I enjoyed last night, for a sweet pairing here I would say Baklava. I’m sure you could enjoy this with no food at all, but right now my thoughts say: nibbles, a homemade hummus with loads of lemon and olive oil???? Warm sourdough.

Wine Number 3: Judith Beck ‘Hunny Bunny’ 2022

I’m a Judith Beck fan, what can I say. I blame the good folks at Essen General Store for getting me hooked when I worked there. I can remember looking most days, at the Hunny Bunny magnum bottle that was recycled for use holding a candlestick, and wondering if I would ever get to taste the wine itself!

Light and juicy, this is begging to be chilled and drank quickly. It’s only had 3 days of maceration of whole grapes, leading to a crunchy and sour cherry vibe to the wine. A little different from the heavier Blaufränkisch’s I have tried. Beck farms biodynamically and is making wine with no additions.

Region 5/5: Austrian wine is some of my absolute favourite ever.

Rarity 2/5: You can find this juice around still quite readily. And while the wines label has changed from the iconic ‘No Sexual Services’ label, the wine remains a banger.

Curiosity 3/5: An accessible and solid bottle that I knew I would love from the get go. Curiosity with this one came from how long I’ve wanted to try it.

Varietal 5/5: Austrian varietals have a chokehold on me I can’t lie. Blaufränkisch is no exception.

Producer 5/5: I have much admiration for Judith Beck, the farming and winemaking practices, the delicious wines that she produces.

Final Thoughts: This is the kind of red I'm looking for. So damn tasty and moreish, easy to get behind, best chilled down, and still wonderfully light and layered.

What I’d Pair: A sexy tomato pasta dish for sure. Maybe with fennel meatballs?? Hmmmmm.

Wine Number 4: Damien Guadagnolo, ‘Chardonnay Maceration’ 2015

I hadn’t come across Damien before until this bottle. Will had bought it on a whim and we sat on it for a few months, not really sure of what to expect. But come on, a skin contact Chardonnay from 2015? We couldn’t resist making sure the wine never made it to 10 years of age!

This is hard to find information about the vinification of this bottle but I assume a considerable amount of time on the skins and some serious bottle ageing. From what I’ve read, Damien uses very little to no sulphur during his winemaking and farms biodynamically.

Region 5/5: Proper Jura business.

Rarity 5/5: This is what I’d call rare sauce. Only the one bottle was available when we bought it, and a little digging reveals that he made tiny quantities of wine in 2015 as he began to build up his production slowly.

Curiosity 5/5: Skin contact Chardonnay from 2015, do I really need to elaborate on why this is a curiosity?

Varietal 5/5: I’m adamant that Chardonnay is a rock star, and I’m just one of her groupies.

Producer 5/5: The Parched website tells me that Damien spent 7 years working with JF Ganevat, and that he used to be a professional boxer. No big deal. With a little digging online I discovered that he owns a plot of Biodynamic certified Chardonnay, Ploussard and Trousseau in the Sud-Revermont area of the Jura. From the experience of drinking his Chardonnay Maceration, I’m sure eager to try some more of his wines!

Final Thoughts: Christmas pudding and mulling spices, bitter orange and a supremely tannic, chewy structure. Still balanced out by the level of freshness, we had this open for a day before we drank it and that allowed ample time for flavours to develop.

What I’d Pair: My brain wants to think that the oxidative and intense nature of this wine means cheese cheese cheese. Cheese and chutney. But also maybe like a warming spiced stew or curry with lamb I’m spitballing here?

While I’ve just banged on about some wines I drank on a super special occasion, let me leave you with one of my core wine beliefs:

That often, the best and most special time to open a ‘special’ bottle, is when there is no occasion to celebrate, no cause, but instead when opening the bottle and getting to experience the wine, is the occasion in and of itself.

Cheers!