{"title":"John Wilson's Recommendations","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"el-hato-y-el-garabato-sin-blanca-2019","title":"El Hato y el Garabato Sin Blanca 2019","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine is from the tiny and remote Arribes region, in the far west of Spain, right on the Portuguese border.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s so remote here that Tempranillo never made it this far west - and therein lies Arribes’ secret weapon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe local grape varieties - like Juan García, Bruñal, and Rufete - fully ripen at 12 to 12.5% alcohol.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo you get full-on Mediterranean flavour, at much lower alcohol. The holy grail!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine is a field blend of these varieties - making it the perfect introduction to this little-known wine region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grapes were picked from 80-120 year-old plots, and fermented whole-bunch for a bit of extra grip and structure. The wine is aged then for 11 months in French oak, just 10% of which are new.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has gorgeous red fruit, bursting with lavender and rosemary, and a fresh, elegant palate. If you love Beaujolais, this will be a revelation!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50469608358219,"sku":"ELHSIN19","price":22.31,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0140_2_ac7a62ea-3f74-4e22-a5ba-5972924dd350.jpg?v=1729089579"},{"product_id":"mas-calamiac-minervois-la-liviniere-2022","title":"Mas Calamiac Minervois La Livinière 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis wine proves that you don’t need a grand château or generations of family tradition to make truly great wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat you do need is a talented winemaker on your side, with great grapes and the skill to bring out their best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd that is exactly what you’re getting with Benjamin Darnault's Mas Calamiac red.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from the La Livinière appellation of the Minervois, one of the highest-regarded areas of the Languedoc.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe secret to the quality here is in the vineyards, which are nestled in the foothills of the Black Mountain. They have a unique microclimate which gets nice coolness in the winter, and gentle heat in the summer. It’s the perfect recipe to make full, but not heavy, red wines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wine is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache, made from immaculate grapes that have been farmed organically for 20 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBen then works his magic in the winery, fermenting with wild yeast, and gently pressing in a traditional basket press. He ages half of the wine in old wooden vats, and the other half in concrete eggs, for a total of 12 months.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe wood lets the wine breathe and mellow, and the concrete really brings out the bright fruit. So you get the best of both worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou end up with a rich, characterful southern French red, with an amazing freshness that makes it incredibly drinkable.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50902913188171,"sku":"MCSGVV22","price":17.79,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0269_2.jpg?v=1768578411"},{"product_id":"domaine-jones-fitou-2023","title":"Domaine Jones Fitou 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Languedoc is without doubt the most exciting and dynamic wine region in France.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’ve got hundreds of years of grape-growing expertise here, but only in the last couple of decades has the winemaking stepped up to do the grapes justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd much of it has come from outsiders bringing fresh ideas and techniques learnt elsewhere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne such blow-in is Katie Jones, who moved here in her twenties to work for the big co-operative in Fitou.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver time she couldn’t help but notice that the grapes from all the amazing old vineyards around the village were blended in with everything else to make pretty ordinary, run-of-the-mill stuff.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo Katie made the brave move in 2008 to jump ship and start her own domaine, and shine a light on this amazing fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Fitou has become her flagship wine, and it’s exactly why she made that move.\u003cbr\u003eIt’s made up of 15 special vineyard sites around the village of Tuchan - most of them are over 100 years old.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou get an incredible concentration and purity in the fruit from vines of this age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe blend here is Carignan, Grenache and Syrah - the typical grapes around in the area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect a hit of juicy blackberries, violets and savoury-smoky flavours - it will absolutely sing with any kind of spring lamb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’ve known Katie for years from my time in the UK - I’m so delighted to finally bring her wine over here!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52992721224011,"sku":"DJFIT23","price":19.13,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0224.jpg?v=1732719552"},{"product_id":"cillar-de-silos-ribera-del-duero-crianza-2022","title":"Cillar de Silos Ribera del Duero Crianza 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eRibera del Duero is a wild and remote part of northern of Spain, right next to Rioja. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWith its baking hot days and chilly nights, it’s an unforgiving place to live, let alone grow grapes. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e‘Three months of summer, nine months of hell’, is how the locals describe it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut these extreme conditions, combined with a patchwork of old vines, are exactly what Tempranillo needs to make truly world-class wines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOscar describes this as his signature wine. Dozens of high-end restaurants and bars across Northern Spain rely on it as a big seller, so it needs to be consistently brilliant every single year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Tempranillo grapes for this are sourced from 40-80 year-old plots across three villages around Oscar’s winery. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt spends 13 months ageing in second- and third-use French oak barrels, which were first used for Oscar’s iconic Torresilo wine. It’s then aged for a further year in bottle to bring all those fruity and oaky flavours together.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThis is an amazing example of affordable and approachable Ribera del Duero, whether you’re new to Ribera or a complete convert like me.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55811068592459,"sku":"CDSCR22","price":22.92,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0211.jpg?v=1729091539"},{"product_id":"stepp-pinot-noir-buntsandstein-2023","title":"Stepp Pinot Noir Buntsandstein 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ePfalz is perfect Pinot country - terraced vineyards overlooking the Rhine valley, on sandstone, with a long gentle growing season to achieve full ripeness in the grapes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJust 90 minutes south of Frankfurt, it has a real Burgundy-meets-Alsace feel to it. Each village, as charming as the next one, is only a few minutes’ beautiful drive apart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGerd Stepp describes his winemaking as ‘New Zealand winemaking with a French influence’. It’s all about maximising the fruit purity, and then he puts it in French oak barrels for 18 months.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eBut these aren’t any old oak barrels. Gerd has a pal who makes Grand Cru Burgundy, uses the barrels once, and sells them on to him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWe're talking Pommard, Chambertin, Échezeaux here... all the seriously good stuff.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou end up with an intense, juicy, and perfumed Pinot, loaded with red fruit, Christmas cake and cloves. The oak gives it a really luxurious dimension - it supports the fruit perfectly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eNo wonder Pfalz is home to Germany’s best Pinots, and getting more and more international attention. You can add this one to the list as one of the regions’ best.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55823888384331,"sku":"STPVOMB23","price":20.63,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/Stepp_Pinot_Noir.jpg?v=1722437135"},{"product_id":"domaine-nicolas-hautes-cotes-de-beaune-blanc-2024","title":"Domaine Nicolas Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Blanc 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003eBased in the small village of Nolay, in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, Mylène and Benoit’s family have been making wine here since the French revolution.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA combination of old vines, organic practices in the vineyard, and expert winemaking gives their wines great character and joy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMylène tells me the \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHautes-Côtes is the best value appellation in Burgundy. And upon tasting this, you’d find it hard to disagree.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe 50-year old Chardonnay vineyards are situated high up on south-facing slopes - so you get great flavour in the grapes but also freshness from the elevation. The soils are a mix of clay and limestone - which gives the fruit a lovely and subtle complexity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThen in the winery, the wine is aged for 10 months in a mixture of new and old French oak. This gives the wine a gorgeous nutty, oatmeal character. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack when we launched in 2021, Ireland's most influential wine critic, John Wilson, raved about it in The Irish Times, calling it '\u003cem\u003eclassic Burgundy at an amazing price\u003c\/em\u003e'. He went on to include it in his top 12 wines of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the wine that got us really noticed for the first time, and for that reason it’s extra special to me.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55921386651979,"sku":"NICHCB24","price":24.66,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey_0282.jpg?v=1773250183"},{"product_id":"domaine-anne-sophie-dubois-lalchimiste-fleurie-2022","title":"Domaine Anne-Sophie Dubois L'Alchimiste Fleurie 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is our first ever Fleurie, and it’s so worth the wait. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn and raised in Champagne and trained in Volnay, Anne-Sophie eventually realised her heart belonged in Beaujolais. And specifically an 8-hectare vineyard at 400m altitude in the heart of the Fleurie called \u003cem\u003eLes Labourons\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe altitude and west-facing aspect of the vineyard bring freshness, while old vines and the classic pink granite soils of Fleurie add serious concentration and complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnne-Sophie’s winemaking is all about finesse - fermentation starts naturally with wild yeasts, the wine is aged partly in concrete (for purity and freshness) and oak (for structure and depth), and there’s minimal fining and filtration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe colour in the glass immediately hits you - this is dark for a Gamay! The nose is so enticing and complex - with aromas of florals, blue fruit and black tea. It's even a little wild, but bear with it! On the palate it’s peppery, fresh and pure, with a long and lifted finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has the seriousness of a good Burgundy, but also the charm and drinkability of a great Beaujolais.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe name \u003cem\u003eL’Alchimiste\u003c\/em\u003e comes from Paulo Coelho’s book - which is about following one’s dream and learning life lessons along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo pull out your best wine glass, settle in with this wine, and ponder that!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56018981552459,"sku":"ASDFLR22","price":28.17,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey_0265.jpg?v=1764587191"},{"product_id":"domaine-des-berthiers-pouilly-fume-2025","title":"Domaine des Berthiers Pouilly Fumé 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ePouilly Fumé lives in the shadow of its more famous neighbour, Sancerre. It’s a bit more intense and full-on than Sancerre, if that’s your thing (it is mine).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd winemaker Damien tells me Domaine des Berthiers is one of the most underrated estates in all of Pouilly Fumé.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s got amazing soils - 100% on silex (flint), the most coveted soil in the region. This brings out a piercing, mineral and almost smoky expression of Sauvignon Blanc - you don’t get this anywhere else in the world!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost of this wine is sold to high-end and Michelin-starred restaurants. The owners usually avoid retail, but Damien thought WineSpark customers would be the perfect drinkers for this wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou’ll have to try it and find out for yourself!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57376080396619,"sku":"DDBPF25","price":24.17,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0013_2.jpg?v=1730726739"},{"product_id":"iria-otero-sal-albarino-2025","title":"Iria Otero Sal Albariño 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for a fresh and easy-drinking style of Albariño, then you’ve come to the right place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s from the coastal area of Salnés in Rías Baixas - an area where ancient salt flats once stood in place of today’s vineyards (hence the name).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vineyards behind this wine are 20-25 years old, on a mixture of decomposed granite soils, which really enhance the fresh, saline character of the Albariño grapes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIria ferments and ages the wine in stainless steel to preserve that freshness, leaving it on its lees for just 3 months to add a little texture and balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe’s aiming for a fresh and fun style of Albariño, perfect for enjoying with friends, with or without food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd judging by the results, she’s done exactly that!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57376159793483,"sku":"OTRSAL25","price":18.39,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey_0262.jpg?v=1763997938"},{"product_id":"la-suerte-de-arrayan-garnacha-2020","title":"La Suerte de Arrayán Garnacha 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eGarnacha is all the rage in Spain right now, and after tasting this wine, hopefully you’ll agree.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe grape’s thin skins and light colour remind some people of Burgundy Pinot, but you get more power and more alcohol. It’s ideally suited to the heat and altitude of central Spain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis wine is from the Méntrida region, in the mountains just south-west of Madrid. Until recently, most Garnacha from here was shipped up to Rioja to bulk up their reds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTalented young winemakers like Maite Sánchez are driving the Garnacha revolution in Spain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Suerte de Arrayán is a single-vineyard, high-altitude Garnacha from 70 year-old vines. The nose is delicate and creamy, with lovely juicy red fruit. It leads to a palate that is balanced, juicy and elegant, with tons of minerality and complexity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThink Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but with extra elegance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Jane Evans MW gave the last vintage 93 points in Decanter magazine - for a wine of this age and quality, it’s a total steal at the price.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57547204034891,"sku":"ARYSRT20","price":19.77,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/WS-HighKey-0241.jpg?v=1753255669"},{"product_id":"a-coroa-godello-2025","title":"A Coroa Godello 2025","description":"\u003cp\u003eImagine the perfect Spanish white wine… and I might just have found it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake the citrusy freshness of an Albariño, and the richness and lip-smacking minerality of a good Chablis, and you’re pretty close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Godello grape thrives on the slate soils and warm weather of Valdeorras - producing white wines with loads of flavour, balance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Coroa is one of the region’s oldest and most respected wineries. The winemaker, Ángel Sánchez, was one of the first winemakers in Valdeorras in the 1980s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis secret, like all great wines, is in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheirs yield 40% less than the region’s average, so you get a much richer and more intense expression of Godello and the land that it comes from.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nose here is fresh and zippy, loaded with juicy limes and pears. On the palate it's refreshing, clean and lifted, with lovely florals, apples and a touch of peaches and cream. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI’m constantly on the hunt for more better value wines for you. And thanks to my experience and contacts in places like Spain, I’ve landed another gem.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57680056811851,"sku":"ACGDLO25","price":18.69,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/ACoroaGodello2022.jpg?v=1716302504"},{"product_id":"martinelle-ventoux-rouge-2023","title":"Martinelle Ventoux Rouge 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003eI’ve always loved the wines of Ventoux, especially as so many Rhône reds are so big and overblown these days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe altitude of the vineyards around the imposing Mont Ventoux, as well as the Mistral wind which blows through in the summer, keeps the grapes around here healthy and gives them a lovely balance and freshness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's literally a breath of fresh air!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWinemaker Corinna Faravel, seeing this potential over twenty years ago, made the brave move from Germany to buy her own vineyards here in 2001.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is her flagship wine - made up of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from her beautiful, organically-farmed estate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe does everything in the vineyards to pick perfectly healthy and ripe grapes, and the winemaking is pretty simple from there. The wine is aged in concrete tanks and bottled with a tiny bit of sulphur to preserve all that vineyard character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you love Côtes du Rhône but maybe you miss how it used to taste - this wine is for you. It's bright, fresh and juicy, with lovely flavours of raspberry, violets and spice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorinna sold her wine very briefly in Ireland around 10 years ago - she couldn’t be happier to be back, and I’m delighted to make it happen!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WineSpark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58043144241483,"sku":"MRTVTX23","price":20.42,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0512\/0645\/5483\/files\/MartinelleVentouxRouge2022.jpg?v=1716285525"}],"url":"https:\/\/winespark.co.uk\/collections\/john-wilsons-recommendations.oembed","provider":"WineSpark","version":"1.0","type":"link"}