Q: What are 'organic' wines.
A: Organic practice severely restricts the use of artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
The fertility of soil is improved by growing a mixture of crops and rotating them. Only natural fertilisers are used.
To become certified as organic, the land on which the crop is grown must first be farmed organically (but without certification) for up to three years. This is to ensure that any traces of chemical polution from previous farming methods are eleminated by the time the land is granted with organic status.
Q: What are 'biodynamic' wines.
A:
Biodynamic agriculture is founded on a holistic and spiritual understanding of nature and the human being, pioneered by Rudolf Steiner.
Many of the methods used in biodynamic practice are the same or similar to those used in organic practice.
The key differences between organic and biodynamic:
1: Planting, cultivating and harvesting is determined by the lunar cycle.
2: External intervention by man is kept to a minimum
3: Composts are treated with special herb-based preparations.
4: Natural manure and quartz based preparations are used to improve crops.
5: Biodynamic farming aims to encourage and improve ecological diversity.
Many of the worlds greatest estates have now converted to making their wines using biodynamic methods, such as Domaine Leflaive in Burgundy, Nicolas Joly in the Loire, and Domaine Marcel Deiss and Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace.
Q: What are 'non-interventionalist' wines.
A: The term 'non-interventionalist' is used to describe winemakers who actively work to keep the intervention of chemicals and other un-natural factors to a mininimum in their viticultural and vinification techniques.
The methods are often the same or similar to those used by organic and biodynamic winemakers, but the producer chooses not to officially register as either.
Q: What is 'terroir'
A: As defined by the INAO, the body resonsible for France's AC system, 'terroir' includes the following four key elements: the pysical charachteristics of a place, in particular the soil and exposure, the climate local to that area, the grape variety used and the role played by man.
Q: What are 'low carbon print wines'?
A: These are wines that have NOT had to travel great distances around the world in order to reach the UK market. As a result, the emissions created by their transportation are significantly reduced.
Q: How many bottles in a 'case'?
A: Unless stated otherwise there are 12 x 75cl bottles per case (9 liters).
Q: What is a corked wine?
A: A corked wine has been contaminated by a bacteria present in the cork at the time of bottling. A cork which is mouldy on the outside is not an indication of contamination, and should not cause alarm. A corked wine will smell and taste musty (this is often more obvious in white wine than in red). A corked wine is the victim of an invisible bacteria that can only be detected by tasting.
Q: What does 'duty paid' mean?
A: This means that the duty and VAT have been paid on the wine and no extra tax related charges need to be added to the price shown. Wines that have had duty and VAT paid cannot be bought or sold in-bond.
Q: What does 'in bond' mean?
A: This means that duty and VAT has not yet been paid on the wine. Wine can be bought, sold and transferred between Bonded Warehouses, but it cannot be delivered to a private address until the duty and VAT have been paid. Duty is currently £16.02 per case (9 liters) and VAT 17.5%. Please note that charges may apply to in-bond transfers between Bonded Warehouses.
Q: What is 'broking'?
A: This is where wines are sold on behalf of a client who owns the wine. Please ask us for more details on this service.
