The vin man

WHEN it comes to wine-tasting, there are few people in the North with such a finely-tuned palate as Simon Wrightson. Having been in the business 35 years, running wine merchants Wrightson & Co since 1994, Simon is a true connoisseur.

His business in Catterick, North Yorkshire, supplies mainly private individuals (40 per cent living locally and 60 per cent outside) and has won several accolades from Wine Magazine and Which? Wine Guide.

He specialises in advising customers who wish to invest in wine, and will shortly be making an offer for the 2009 Red Bordeaux, a vintage which will be perfect as an investment.

“The company holds £3mworth of customers’ paid investment reserves at the Company’s Bonded Warehouse on Teesside, so if you are interested, please ask,” he says.

As well as an excellent range of French wines, he has an extensive selection from South Africa, Spain, Italy, Argentina, Chile and California.

Prices range from a Merlot Vin de Pays d’Oc Pierre Henri 2008 at £4.85, to a 1986 Chateau Mouton Rothschild at £710.

“I enjoy meeting people, especially producers abroad,” he says. “I’m learning all the time. We offer a very personal service. A lot of people may not have the depth of knowledge that I have and I’m happy to help. We have a special designer-built tasting room with a choice of 300 wines to taste.”

While he is quick to stress he does not encourage trying 300 all at once, Simon is keen for customers to drop in and taste the wine before they buy.

He is also holding free summer wine-tasting evenings at Manfield Grange, near Darlington, in June and November. (Phone the office for details).

Whether you’re an aficionado or just enjoy the occasional tipple, Simon’s witty repartee, expertise and extensive wine selection, will guarantee a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

How has the industry changed since you started?

“It is much better quality than when I started in 1975 and there are more countries growing grapes and exporting wine. There are also a lot more multi-national companies with large vineyard ownership. Customers have become a lot more knowledgeable, so there’s a trend towards better quality wine.”

What is the most memorable winetasting you’ve ever been to?

“It was a Burgundy tasting organised by Bouchard Pere et Fils at the Capital Hotel, in Basil Street, Chelsea, three or four years ago.

There were about ten different wines, the oldest an 1834. For me, the best was an 1870 Volnay Santenots.

Some of the wines from the 20th Century were not a touch on this beauty.”

Have you had to ask anyone to leave for drinking too much?

“Not yet, but I find my customers are able to hold their drink. Presumably, their bodies are acclimatised.”

Have you ever dropped a really expensive bottle?

“No, but I do remember reading about a gentleman who paid more than £100,000 for a very old bottle of Lafite at an Auction House in New York. He left the building, slipped and dropped it and was seen licking up the wine as it flowed down the gutter.”

What’s the best and worst wine you’ve ever tasted?

“The best, Chateau Petrus 1959 in magnum, in Bordeaux. The worst, Sidi Brahim, a particularly vile Moroccan red wine while on holiday in the Atlas Mountains.”

Best tip for a hangover due to too much wine consumption?

“Black Velvet – Guinness and Champagne mixed.”

What’s the best wine to serve if you want to really impress someone?

“An inexpensive good quality red Bordeaux and we stock lots of them, not least because some producers are long in stock and short of cash. Any fool can buy expensive wine if your pockets are deep enough.”

What’s the most expensive bottle of wine you’ve ever tasted?

“Chateau Petrus 1959 in magnum, at a lunch in Bordeaux. If all red wine tasted as good as this, I would have arrived in paradise. The price was £8,000 and it lived up to it.

We only consumed half the magnum, and I’ve always wondered if the kitchen staff demolished the rest.”

Is there a good, reasonably priced wine you could recommend for a summer barbecue?

“I’d suggest Mourvedre Vin de Pays d’Oc Ken Hom 2002 (£5), Chateau Roche Beaulieu Cotes de Castillon 2007 (£7) and Los Gansos Chardonnay, Chile 2009 (£5.50).”

How many bottles of wine do you drink a week?

“Probably too many.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give someone when choosing a fine wine?

“To taste it before buying.”

■ Wrightson & Co (Wine Merchants), Easton Way, Colburn, Catterick Garrison, DL9 4GA.

Tel: 01748-832666. Email: simon@wrightsonwines.co.uk

Gilded Lily

THE country’s most popular jewellery range is about to unveil its latest additions – and readers of The Northern Echo can be among the first to see them.

Cuba Lily is an exciting new store at Darlington’s Cornmill Centre and is home to the fabulous Pandora range of bracelets and rings. Pandora is one of the UK’s fastest growing jewellery ranges, due to the fact that the combinations of beads, spacers and gems means no two bracelets are ever likely to be the same.

To mark the store’s opening, owner Deborah Hodgson is planning an exclusive evening for readers and their guests who can come along to a special after-hours event with champagne, canapes and a chance to win a Pandora bracelet and some charms.

The event, on Wednesday, May 5, from 6pm to 8pm, will give guests the opportunity to see at first hand the latest beads to be released by Pandora. Tickets are limited to 100 and will be given on a strictly firstcome, first-served basis. Each ticket admits two people to the exclusive night. Anyone wanting to attend should ring 0191-265-6111 and their tickets will be sent out.

Bouquet of the week

WILLIAM MOORE, of Crook, says he would Like to give his heartfelt thanks to Jennifer Hansom, of Crook, for her help during his dear wife’s ill health then, sadly, her death. “Nothing was a problem to her,” he says.

■ If you want to say a public thank you for good service or to a helpful neighbour, kind stranger or efficient business, write with all the details to Jenny Needham, Bouquet of the Week, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF, or email jenny.needham@nne.co.uk