I really enjoyed reading this post from Underwood Wines, which sums up very well how the wine trade (and other industries) are making good use of social media, without it really being a particularly quantifiable medium in terms of measuring its business benefits. Social media definitely has a benefit, but just try measuring it!
Underwood Wines Blog: The social grapevine: "The Social Grapevine Way back in March 2010 Underwood Wines were still cultivating a new website and the word social media was an unknown..."
Have a read - it's a great article, and while you're about it you can sponsor Todd and the team at Underwoods in raising funds for their local Air Ambulance service.
I must confess to having been quite lazy about keeping up on the wine front lately. I first tasted the inaugural vintage (2010) SB from 7 Springs Winery some weeks ago, scribbled a few notes of appreciation and put them to one side, promising to myself that I would write them up later on this blog. I now have one bottle left (from 13!) and I've just come across my notes from the first sampling!
All I can do is to offer my sincere apologies to Tim and Vaughan Pearson for my tardiness, and hope to make amends by writing up my tasting notes now! In my defence, I've been enjoying your wine far too much to sit at the computer writing about it!!! That said, I have really enjoyed reading all of the other great reviews this wine has been getting from some very well known experts in the trade and the wine blogosphere (Jamie Goode, Joanna Simon, Tom Cannavan, Sue Sterling (of the Naked Wine Show - see below), Denise Medrano to name but a few)
The wine is a very pale straw colour and shows excellent clarity. Actually the theme of clarity suits this wine on all fronts, not just the appearance! The aroma is delicate, with notes of lemons and limes, fleeting tropical fruits, and very clean.
In the mouth this beautiful wine is gently warming, with well-rounded pear and peach notes, as well as some lively citrus flavours. The acidity is balanced, the flavour is fruity, and it's a tremendous pleasure to drink. At 13.5% abv it is fairly typical in strength for this varietal, and you would never know it.
To summarise, it's a lovely wine, easy to drink - I've already enjoyed a case of it (purchased from Underwoods in Warwick), and you can buy from a number of other boutique wine retailers in the UK (around £10-12 a bottle), South Africa, and will soon be on sale in the US. You can see a list of UK/SA stockists here:
Look out for7 Springs' Chardonnay coming soon (in both unwooded and lightly oaked versions), as well as a Syrah and a Pinot Noir in future vintages. Future vintages of the Sauvignon Blanc will be sought after I am certain!
Tim and his very talented young winemaker Riana van der Merwe will be at the London International Wine Fair next week, and this cracking wine will be available to taste on the Wines of South Africa "Super Sauvignon" pod.
I'll be there too - I look forward to meeting lots of great wine people, and enjoying what the world has to offer this year - see you there?
I'm already looking forward to the London International Wine Fair. A chance to meet old acquaintances, make new ones, and of course to taste what's new and exciting in the world of wine - I can't wait!
Last year proved to be quite innovative, with the Access Zone encouraging visitors to embrace new media. There were a good number of live online events, and I hope for more of the same this year.
If you are interested in attending, you can find out more details here. The fair takes place (as usual) at the ExCel Exhibition Centre in London's Docklands, from Tuesday 17th May until Thursday 19th May.