SHAFTESBURY WINES - WINE MERCHANT DAVID PERRY
- Name: Shaftesbury Wines
- Wine merchant: David Perry
- Adress: 57 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8JE
- Telephone: 01747 850 059
- Fax: 01747 850 059
- Email: david@shaftesburywines.co.uk
- Web: www.shaftesburywines.co.uk
Shaftesbury Wines is a small wine shop on Shaftesbury High Street, open since 2009 and owned by David Perry a wine merchant from Shaftesbury Dorset. Here you´ll find good pricing range of Wine, Port, whisky, cigars, ales, etc., which have been chosen from small growers and co-ops. Definitely here you´ll find a mixture of classical and esoteric products but all with a story to tell. Pop in for a friendly and most unintimidating experience.
The modern wine customer is very different to the customer of 20 years ago, and Shaftesbury Wines wants to provide something that is substantially different, and offer people an experience rather than just making a traditional wine transaction. Here you´ll find many pictures of the wine grower among their bottles of wine, that give people an excuse to linger an be able to put a face on their products. It’s all designed to create an atmosphere that is a world away from the traditional image of a wine merchant, making David Perry particularly accessible to a new and old generation of wine drinkers.
Maybe the younger generation are looking to learn about wine, and don’t have the same prejudice that other type of consumers, this makes it easier to get people to explore things out of the norm. They want a comfortable environment and one that they can relax and enjoy wine in a non-stuffy way.
Shaftesbury Wines is an independent treasure-trove of real wines from small producers. You will also find a carefully selected range of malt whisky, brandy, grappa, port, hand-rolled cigars and local beer and cider. Here you won’t find industrially mass-produced supermarket brands, instead you’ll find expert, friendly guidance in a non-intimidating environment where you can discover something new and delicious.
WINE MERCHANTS
Merchants are almost as important to the world as producers and consumers, and may have been for at least four millenia. Three very different types of wine mercht are considered below, but they share a dependence on the vine and the attractions its produce has for the consumer.
- Ancient Greece: Specialized wine merchants already existed as a class in Ancient Greece. They developed the art of wine tasting which, with cunning, could be applied to the art of selling wine, as recorded in detail by the 3rd-century AD writer Florentinus (preserved in the Geoponica 7. 7):
"Purchasers of wine should be offered a taste when the north wind blows (when, as he has already explained, wines taste at their best). Some people try to trick their customers by using an empty cup which they have dipped in very good wine with a great aroma. The quality of the wine leaves its trace for some time, so that the bouquet seems to belong to the wine now poured in the cup, and in this way they deceive the customer. More unscrupulous dealers put out cheese and nuts in the shop, so as to tempt the customers who come in to eat something; the aim is to prevent them from tasting accurately. I record this not as a suggestion for us to follow, but so that we shall suffer from these practices. The farmer will often need to taste the wine, both new and old, to detect wine which is about to deteriorate".
- Modern Britain: The British wine merchant is, almost necessarily an importer, or a customer o of one. Wine merchants were important in medieval England and Gascony, when they were known as vintners in English. Even today, a wine merchant in Britain enjoys a social standing perceptibly higher than that of, for example, a grocer. This is somewhat ironic since the majority of the wine sold in Britain has been sold by grocers, as opposed to specialists, since at least 1987. This was largely due to the effors of the lincesed supermarkets to improve the range and quality of wines they sell, although it is also simply a function of the fact that so may Britons pass through a supermarket at some point every week. The independent specialist wine merchant has to struggle to compete with the low margins funded by the sheer quantity of wine a chain of supermarkets can sell. They do so by offering personal service, advice, sale or return facilities, credit, mail order, glass loan, and so on, with the supermarkets and such specialist chains as have survived the onslaught of competition from supermarkets hot on their heels.
- France: The French term most often translated as merchant is négociant, most often a producer/bottler rather than a specialist retailer (known as a caviste in French and still a relatively rare phenomenon), since so many wine purchases in France have been made direct from the producer (vente directe) or, increasingly, at the supermarket (grande surface).
BUYING AND STORING WINE
A little knowledge about wine styles makes a trip to your wine seller much more fun and exciting even if you buy from your local supermarket. If you are looking for wine for a specific occasion, then you will probably have an idea of the style you want and why, and how much you want to spend. A knowledgeable and friendly wine retailer will be able to guide your choice. If you are investing in wines for the future, then I cannot recommend too strongly that you seek the advice of a specialist wine merchant, who can prevent you from making costly mistakes. If you are buying to broaden your knowledge, then again, a specialist, or perhaps a wine club may be the route for you. But if you are buying simply for fun, then the world of wine is before you on the shelves; experiment and enjoy!
- From Supermarket to Specialist: Most people buy their wine from a supermarket as part of their weekly shop, or from high street wine retailers. Price alone is not always a guide to quality, and a little knowledge about how wines are labelled will pay rich rewards. Sometimes a helpful assistant in a wine shop can provide some educated guidance, and many high street wine retailers now have some bottles open in the store for customers to try A number of them also have tastings in the evenings where either the manager of the store or a visiting wine expert will take you through an array of wines.
A growing number of people buy their wine from wine clubs by mail order. You have to buy wines by the case, or mixed case, from these clubs but the advantage is that they have their own buyers who source the wines direct from the producers. As long as you are prepared to experiment with new wines and different styles, finding a club or a mail order retailer that reliably supplies wines that you enjoy can be an excellent way of exploring the world of wine.
Buying wine on the internet is, of course, another relatively new avenue. There are many “virtual” wine companies on the net, but you will also find that some of the best wine merchants around the country offer their wines online. As with a club, you will probably have to buy by the case.
Buying wine at auction is not for the faint hearted! There is always a tasting before the auction, which can give you some idea of what you are buying, but it is very important to also check on the history of previous ownership of the wine because how it has been cellared up to this point can have a major effect on its quality.
- How Much to Buy?: When buying wine for a dinner or drinks party, I always assume that one bottle is enough for four generous glasses. I allow two glasses of red wine and one-and-a-half to two of white per person. When serving Champagne, I allow six glasses per bottle, and plan for two glasses per person.
STORING AND CELLARING WINE
- The Case for Drinking Up: There are people who steadfastly believe that if you buy a cheap wine and then keep it for ten years in a dark cupboard, it will magically transform itself into something much better — and be worth considerably more. Would that this were so! The disappointing fact is that in nearly every case, the wine that was tucked away so carefully and kept guard over will have become sour and undrinkable. The best that you can usually hope for — and this is generally from the very sturdiest red wines — is that they will more or less have remained the same, while taking up valuable house room. Lower-priced or even mid-priced wines bought in the supermarket or from a high street wine retailer should, as a rule, be drunk within one or (at most) two years of purchase.
- Where to Keep Everyday Wines: In the short term, most people do, however, generally have a small collection of bottles of wine that they store in a convenient place at home. We’ve all loaded our trolleys with them a few supper favourites, something “a bit nicer” for Sunday lunch, something to open if friends drop in unexpectedly, or a bottle of fizz in case that good news arrives. Even the less expensive, everyday drinking wines should be stored on their side in a dark, dry, and cool place - a cupboard under the stairs is ideal, or at least in an underused room on a north-facing wall. Unless your kichen has a built-in temperature-controlled unit, storing wine in the kitchen where the temperature will rise, especially if the oven is on, or in a room constantly heated to a temperature that is comfortable for us will not do the wine any good and may even spoil it before you are ready to pull the cork.
- Lying Down in the Dark: The reason for storing wine bottles on their sides is that it keeps the wine in contact with the cork; the cork thus does not dry out and let reason for keeping them in the dark is because ultraviolet light can damage wine - that´s why wine traditionally comes in green or brown bottle. There are certainly many more clear-glass wine bottles around these days, due to a factors: first, many modern consumers prefer to see de colour of the colour of the wine they are buying; second, wine generally moves much faster these days than previously, so is damage from shop lighting; and retailers have generally learnt to kee more favourable conditions. If, when you come across a bottle that looks as if it has been sitting for some time at the front of a shelf under uncomfortably hot lights, take my advice and give it a wide berth.
- Storing Wines for Keeping: For those who wish to go a stage further and buy wines to “lay down” for future drinking, a cellar is a necessity, either one that already exists in the basement of the house or one that is purpose-built. The ideal cellar is dark and free from vibration, and has a humidity level of around 70 per cent — essential to keep the cork moist and, of course, airtight — and the temperature should be constant at 12-18°C (54—64°F). Higher temperatures increase the rate of oxidation and so the wine will age more quickly in warmer conditions. Those lucky enough to have a cellar in the basement of their house should be aware that, if they plan to keep fine wines there, they should not ideally be using it for any other types of storage if it means the wine is going to be disturbed on a regular basis. Also, if you live near a river, it is essential to make sure that your cellar is safe from potential flooding. There is nothing more heartbreaking than coming down to a flooded cellar - the bottles may all still be safely in their places but the labels could well be floating away, leaving you with no idea which wine is inside which bottle!
Unfortunately, most of us do not have the luxury of a cellar in our basement. But there are a number of easily achievable alternatives, including large refrigerators designed specifically for wine with temperature and humidity control. Another popular alternative that does not require a huge amount of extra room is a Spiral Cellar, which is cut down into the ground in your garden using a kind of giant corkscrew. A spiral staircase or ladder is fitted into the hole with bottles stored in the walls around it. A Spiral Cellar is well worth the investment, especially for fine wines, which need perfect environmental conditions to age properly.
- Building Up a Cellar: When choosing wines to keep, you need to do some serious research or take expert advice and select only the best wines from the best vintages — it is another myth that all expensive wines get better with age. I think that the best principle is to buy a little at a time, and take your time. One of the great pleasures of having a wine cellar is to enjoy seeing it grow over the years. Aim for a balanced mix of white and red wines (almost no rosé wines keep). Port is, of course, the traditional drink to lay down for comings-of-age and suchlike, although it has fallen out of favour in recent years.
Many people like to concentrate on cellaring wines from one or two specific regions — Bordeaux or Burgundy, say — while others are more cosmopolitan. Whatever you decide to do, ask an expert for advice on the better producers from a region and the best vintages before you make any purchases. Great wine is made by the best producers every year but even they would admit that some years are greater than others, and some wines need to be laid down for longer than others.
- Boarding your wine out: If you have no room at home but are really serious about collecting fine wine, you should find a professional wine-cellaring company. There are several such companies, sometimes run as part of a fine wine retailer, who can offer you a wine buying and cellaring service in one. If you are purchasing wine enprimeur — that is, reserving wine that is still in barrels at the winery - then obviously it will stay with the producer until it has been bottled. It can then be shipped to this country and kept in bond in a wine cellar. (“In bond” means that the import duties have not been paid on the wine, and it must stay in a duty-free warehouse until the tax has been paid and it is legally imported.)
Once you have bought your wines, keep careful records of quantities, producers, and vintages. A good cellar should have an inventory that is updated as you add to your collecti and drink the wine. You can add comments about how the wine tasted, as well - if y that is not ready to drink yet, then wait before opening any more o you may open a wine and realize that it is ready to be drunk and should not be kept for much longer; in this case it is useful to know how many more bottles you have of that wine.
These are the principles that any good cellaring service will apply to its precious charges, and if you follow them, you could enjoy your wine at its best, and make money on your investment!
TURNBULLS CHEESMONGER, COFFEE HOUSE AND BISTRO
- Name: Turnbulls
- Adress: 9 High Street,Town Centre, Shaftesbury SP7 8HZ
- Telephone: 01747858575
- Email: office@turnbullsdeli.com
- Web: www.turnbulls-deli.co.uk
Turnbulls is the finest delicatessen, cheesemonger, coffee house and bistro in the Blackmore Vale, situated in the High Street of the iron age hilltop town of Shaftesbury, specialising in cheeses, local produce and homemade food.
There is one rule atTurnbulls – they want visitors to the shop to leave with a smile. The atmosphere is friendly, light and open, and the team knowledgeable and jolly. They are widely popular in the local community, and a must for visitors to this lovely area, giving you the incentive to come back time and again.
Turnbulls is that ideal mix of traditional quality with modern choices – perfectly ripe local Dorset BlueVinney sitting next to the best Gorgonzola Dolce in the world – making it one of the foremost food havens in the West Country. It’s certainly evident as you walk through their doors.
SHAFTESBURY IN DORSET (SOUTH WEST ENGLNAD)
Shaftesbury /ˈʃɑːftsbəri/ is a town and civil parish in Dorset, England. It is situated on the A30 road, 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of Salisbury, near to the border with Wiltshire. It is the only significant hilltop settlement in Dorset, being built about 215 metres (705 ft) above sea level on a greensand hill on the edge of Cranborne Chase.
The town looks over the Blackmore Vale, part of the River Stour basin. From different viewpoints, it is possible to see at least as far as Glastonbury Tor to the northwest.
Shaftesbury is the site of the former Shaftesbury Abbey, which was founded in 888 by King Alfred and became one of the richest religious establishments in the country, before being destroyed in the Dissolution in 1539. Adjacent to the abbey site is Gold Hill, the steep cobbled street made famous in the 1970s as the setting for Ridley Scott's television advertisement for Hovis bread.
In the 2011 census the town's civil parish had a population of 7,314.
- Tourism: Steeped in history and tradition, Shaftesbury offers visitors breathtaking views and the warmest of welcomes.The ‘Shaston’ of Thomas Hardy’s novels, Shaftesbury is one of the oldest and highest towns in England and dominates what Hardy called the ‘engirdled and secluded’ Blackmore Vale.
The beauty of the surrounding Dorset countryside is complemented by the collection of fine historical buildings that make up the centre of Shaftesbury itself. Gold Hill, made famous by the Hovis bread advertisement, with its steep cobbles and picturesque cottages is the epitome of rural charm from a previous time. More than anything though, Shaftesbury has a wealth of pubs, restaurants, tea rooms, hotels and independent shops that carry appeal to all and sundry.
- Economy: In 2012 there were 3,400 people employed in Shaftesbury, 65% of whom were working full-time and 35% part-time. Excluding agriculture, the most important employment sectors were public administration, education and health (31% of non-agricultural employment), production and construction (29%), and distribution, accommodation and food (26%). Significant employers include Dorset County Council, Pork Farms, Guys Marsh Prison, Royal Mail, Somerfield, Tesco, Port Regis School, Wessex Electricals, Stalbridge Linen Services, Blackmore Press and Dorset Chilled Foods.[42] There are two industrial estates in the town: Longmead Industrial Estate, covering 7.7 hectares (19 acres), and Wincombe Business Park, covering 6.5 hectares (16 acres).
In 2005 there were 75 shops in the town, with a total floorspace of 78,000 square feet (7,200 m2). The retail catchment area for major food shopping extends about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in all directions. National retail chains with a presence in the town include The Body Shop, Boots, Somerfield, Superdrug, Tesco and WHSmith.
A site has been identified for a projected parkway station on the West of England main railway line. It would be situated to the north of the town, beneath the A350 road, and a bus service would connect it with the town.