Stuart’s great organic venture
Jun 13 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal
WHAT chance of success has a fresh-faced Durham University philosophy graduate who decides to set up a wine business because he “can’t get a proper job”?
In 1969 Tony Laithwaite set off to Bordeaux with a van, came back with it full of wine, and from a railway arch in Windsor founded what is now the world’s biggest mail order wine company.
I advise Stuart Yates, who set-up his own wine business last November, to keep a framed photo of Laithwaite on his office wall.
“I tasted wine at home with my dad and I grew to love it. I was wondering what to do after university and realised that Durham lacked independent wine merchants and that no one focused on organic wine in the city.
“I thought the wine business would be something I’d enjoy,” explains Stuart.
Backed by a bank loan (he must have drawn-up a pretty hot business plan) and with some help from his parents, Stuart, after some very careful homework, bought his first selection of wines from three impeccable wholesalers: Laytons and for his organic wine, Vinceremos and Vintage Roots.
He also “leaped straight in at the deep end” with a tasting to showcase his wine at the Gala Theatre in Durham City, a brave move for someone who’d never tried anything of the sort before, but it must have been a success, he’s been invited to do four or five more tastings and as he says, trade is “picking up”.
Stuart’s passion for organic wines stems from his enjoyment of organic food. “I think it tastes better and I hoped that the same would apply to wine too. I’ve found that not all organic wines are good, but many of them are.”
He also has enough sharp business sense to have picked up pretty quickly that organic wine is much in demand.
In an industry that is no longer growing at anything like the headlong rate of a few years ago, sales in organic wine have been very healthy indeed over the last couple of years.
Stuart intends to grow his range slowly, with the aim, eventually, of about 100 different lines. “I won’t stock wines I’ve never tasted. I like to try new wines first at home, or with a few friends, to judge their opinion first before I’ll consider buying.
“At the moment I’m looking for wines from Australia and New Zealand, ones that are a bit different from those you can find elsewhere, and I’m keen on Portuguese wines too.
“A lot of people haven’t tried them and those I’ve tasted I’ve found really interesting.”
His choices so far show evidence of a keen palate and sound judgement. I much enjoyed Richmond Plains Sauvignon Blanc 2006 from Nelson, New Zealand, (£12) – a lovely, crisp, mouth-watering dry white, with citrus, passion fruit and even peachy flavours; a stylish Chablis Premier Cru, Montmains 2006 from the Domaine de la Conciergerie (£13.50) – like many 06s, riper and richer than Chablis of old; a peachy, juicy off-dry Vouvray, Les Troglodytes 2005 (£9) and a characterful dry Riesling from Germany, Sander Riesling 2006 (£8), full of spicy, tangy, lemony fruit. All these are available online from www.swinesofdurham.co.uk
Dry Riesling from Germany is Stuart’s passion, a style of wine introduced to him by his dad. His father must have good taste too.
Stuart’s favourite red wine is St Emilion, but he knows a good Rioja when he tastes it – Marques de Reinosa Crianza 2004 (£7.50) is spicy, soft and full of plummy fruit.
Stuart is delighted now to have the chance to offer his wines to Journal readers. “I’d really like to reach a much wider audience than Durham and I’m looking forward to doing a lot more tastings.”
His next event is on July 2 at Durham’s new boutique hotel, Grafton House on South Street, when for £25 you can enjoy trying six of his organic wines matched with six organic dishes. Whether or not he manages to emulate the phenomenal achievement of Mr Laithwaite, remains, of course to be seen.
I’m not altogether sure that he’s been wise to call his company Swines of Durham (“Swines,” of course, being shorthand for “Stuart’s wines”). Laithwaite’s Bordeaux Direct was surely a more felicitous choice.
But I think that Stuart has something special, and I hope that his business grows and succeeds. Wine lovers in the region will surely benefit if it does.
Wine of the Week
Errazuriz Max Reserva Shiraz 2006, Majestic, £9.99, Thresher, £11.99
It's not often that I recommend such a monster red, but this is magnificent: packed with sweet black fruit, like smoky black cherry jam, backed by a wonderfully silky texture, the flavour seems to keep growing long after you've swallowed. One for rare steak.
Wine bites
HOW do the Chileans succeed in putting out their top wines at a price that is consistently less than their competitors?
The Ezzaruriz Max range is astonishing value for money – if you like huge, powerful, flavour-packed wines. For me, alcohol at 14.5% is a bit high, but I'm hugely impressed by the depth of flavour and intense fruit flavours they all display – each the concentrated essence of their featured grape variety. The 2006 Merlot (£9.99 from www.chileanwineclub.co.uk ) is spicy and brambly with relatively soft acidity and tannins, but a long oaky finish.
The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon oozes creamy blackcurrant fruit and has not only juicy acidity, but firm, chewy tannins, again followed by a toasty, oaky aftertaste. The 2006 Chardonnay (£8.99 at Waitrose) is like a liquid form of cheese on toast, washed down with a glass of lemon juice, laced with pineapple. If it sounds wacky – just go and try it.
