Happy 20th Birthday Cellar Door Wines!

Dearest Readers,

On the 6th of July 2024, a Saturday, the esteemed Cellar Door Wines team hosted a grand celebration marking the 20th anniversary of their illustrious establishment. Alas, the weather was anything but splendid, as the skies opened up and poured their displeasure upon us. 100 guests braved the elements, donning winter attire and clutching umbrellas in one hand and glasses of fine wine in the other. Ah, the quintessential British summer!

Originally intended to take place outside the charming wine store in St Albans, the event was hastily relocated to a cavernous warehouse next door. Kudos to Penny, the ever-resourceful Managing Director of Cellar Door Wines, for this brilliant Plan B. The warehouse was transformed into a sanctuary, protecting us from the delightful British monsoon (complaints about which, dear reader, are practically a national sport).

The fortunate attendees had the immense pleasure of sampling 46 exquisite wines from the portfolio, all while being serenaded by a live Spanish guitarist (actually, no one paid attention to the poor chap and I understand them, people came for the wine, for God`s sake!) The spotlight shone brightly on sparkling wines, whites, and rosés, with a few reds making an appearance — though the inclement weather made red wine seem rather apropos. July, as we all know, is the month of German Riesling, and it made a distinguished presence at the event (hashtag 31daysofGermanRiesling).

The true highlight was the English rosé from Kent. Cellar Door Wines was selling this wine before but now they have a new vintage - 2023 (I hope my readers know that rosé wines should be consumed young). Georgi was a star - an eight-month pregnant marketing director of Folc attended the tasting to exhibit her wine, which became the favourite among the guests (plenty of which was sold that night). The wine is produced from 7 varieties (what?) - Pinot Noir Precoce, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Bacchus, and Ortega. Pale salmon pink in colour, bright and vibrant, aromatics of wild raspberry, elderflower and pink grapefruit, subtle hints of honeysuckle and jasmine; refreshing, dry and clean finish. It sold out swiftly, making those who secured a bottle the envy of all (I overheard that Cellar Door Wines has already received more stock of this wine).

In conclusion, the celebration was a resounding success, drawing guests away even as England triumphed over Switzerland in Euro 2024 (priorities, people!). If you missed the party, fret not, dear reader — more tastings are on the horizon. Do consult their website for forthcoming dates. And may the weather be ever in your favour.

Yours truly,

Lady Vino