Averys of Bristol

Meet the winemaker – Javier Murúa of Bodegas Muriel Bodegas Muriel was set up by José Murúa in 1926 and is today run by his son Julián and grandson Javier. We caught up with Javier to find out more. Do you remember when & how you first began working with Averys? I would think around 15 years already, time passes by fast… Can you tell us a little about the history & winemaking philosophy at Bodegas Muriel? My grandfather began making wines in Elciego at the beginning of the 20 th century and supplying the restaurants in the Vasc Country. There has been quite an evolution since then and our range of products, as well as our markets have expanded a lot. We like the wine diversity, same as consumer diversity. But we feel each wine has its origin and purpose. We are very committed with the roots, and respectful with the traditional wine styles but we also consider consumer profiles which is why our range is quite wide. We also try minimum intervention in the vineyards a...

So, last weekend, I was intronised into the Jurade de Saint Emilion. Founded in 1199 and re-born in 1947, it is a group of vignerons and wine trade from the area, that invite selected foreign members to join twice a year.  And what a weekend it was because at this time of year, it is incorporated into the weekend that celebrates the Ban des Vendanges (the announcement of the beginning of harvest). The weekend involves a torch lit parade of the core Jurat members on the Saturday night, through the medieval town to the Tour de Roy, followed by the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen!                            with Brian Rushton, also from the UK. Processing from the Cathedral to the moat. The Sunday begins at the Town Hall where those to be intronised are gowned up. They then...

Meet the winemaker – Laurent Saint Pasteur of Château Cissac The Vialard family have owned Cissac since Louis Vialard inherited it in 1940 and today it’s run by 5 th generation Marie Vialard with the help of winemaker Laurent Saint Pasteur. Do you remember when and how you first began working with Averys? We don’t remember exactly but from the 70s without any doubt and almost certainly even before. Your wines have a very large and loyal following within Averys and the UK as a whole. What do you think has made them so successful? The fact that Mr Louis Vialard was the first producer selling directly his wines to wine merchants in the UK just after the 2 nd World War and organised many tastings and events across the country. We have then followed this work and are strongly committed to always increasing the quality of the wine. Also, the fact that the wine is only sold through traditional merchants and we always do our best to offer a fair and more or less steady price. W...

5. Penfolds Grange The fifth   of our ‘10 wines that tell the Averys story’ is Australia’s iconic Penfolds Grange, known as ‘Penfolds Grange Hermitage’ until the 1989 vintage. It was 1965 when a young John Avery arrived in Australia for the very first time. So rare was it for a wine merchant from the UK to visit Australia back then that he was greeted at the airport by journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald and Sydney Daily Telegraph keen to find out why he was visiting Australia and get his views on Australian wine. “ I’ve come to Australia to taste your wines as I haven’t had a good one yet.” His reply may have not been the most diplomatic but Aussie wine producers rushed to change his mind including Max Lake (Lake’s Folly), Brian McWilliam (McWilliams), Richard Hill-Smith (Yalumba) and Max Schubert (Penfolds). He toured Australia in a 1938 Rolls Royce and discovered that in fact, there were lots of exciting wines being made. So much so, that he wrote a...

Sometimes a sum really is greater than its parts.   John Avery was always a proponent of this theory - even blending Evangile and Lafite at a tasting at Chateau Lafite - and cheekily proclaiming to those present - "See what I mean" These five lovely people make up our shop team.  From left to right -  Tia is our wonderful Wedding and Trade Co-Ordinator. Currently undertaking the #WSETDiploma her one weakness is the never-ending supply of custard creams in the staff snack box! Shop manager Nick we asked him for his #fAVERYtewine of the moment and he went for Beaujolais in this heat - great, chilled a little! Santil, he's a Retail Wine Advisor and our Stock Manager. He's come to us from the sunny shores of Portugal and has received the most views and engagements on our Social media piece about him.  His favourite spot is The #BristolHarbourside Paul is a superstar and some of you may know him already, he's our van driver and has been with us for ne...

4. Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon The next of our ‘10 wines that tell the Averys story’ is Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve, America’s first ‘cult’ Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1964, aged 22, John Avery spent a summer touring the USA, whilst taking a break from his studies at Oxford. There he visited the University of California Davis and met Professor Maynard Amerine and winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff, two of the most influential figures in America’s wine history. Amerine was head of the wine faculty at Davis and is still to this day considered the USA’s most significant wine scientist. Tchelistcheff had been winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard since the 1930s and his Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon was considered the benchmark Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. They had a lasting impact on the young John Avery and helped introduce him to some of California’s finest wines. Shortly after John’s return to the UK, Averys beco...

Meet the winemaker – Guenole Breteaudeau Guenole started as a winemaker Domaine des Malandes in 2006 and works closely with the owners, the Marchive family, to make wines with great purity and precision. at Do you remember when & how you first began working with Averys? OVER 25 YEARS! What is it about the Chablis region and Domaine des Malandes in particular, that makes the wines so distinct?   The soils (Kimmeridgian & Portlandian) and the foresight of Amandine’s grandfather who swapped agricultural   land for vineyard sites - Vaudesirs, Clos, 1er Crus Lechet and Montmains. He then planted using the old rootstock which is what sets the Domaine apart. Also, they were the first growers to revitalise the 1er Cru Vau de Vey, which has been abandoned since the Second World War because of its steep incline. We’re currently selling the 2016 vintage Domaine des Malandes Chablis – can you tell us a bit more about this vintage? Difficult is an understa...