October 2009 - Wine Freedom - Vinfrihet - Blogs

Raising a toast to a more competitive wine market

Archive for October, 2009

Champagne month

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

I should write more frequently in my blog but as a former journalist I value words and wrongly or rightly feel that if I have nothing interesting to say then save the words until I do. It has also been a very busy time at work planning for 2010, preparing for Goda Köket fair on Nov 6-8 and our big Christmas party season in early December.

Meanwhile it has been a champagne month with growth on all fronts, including our Face Book fan page which now has more than 800 members. Watch out for our 5th birthday competition which is guaranteed to be pretty crazy. Facebook fan page

This month I have been drinking my way through the autumn wines to make space in my cellar for some of the extraordinary new wines, champagne and sweet red and white wines that arrive soon for Christmas. The amazing 2000 vintage Chateau La Salle from Bordeaux will certainly find a place as it is not only a great wine but is my daughter’s birthday year. Shame there will be none left by the time she is old enough to drink it!!

I hope we see some of you at our huge spectacular stand at Goda Köket and you like our new uniform. Blue is the new black!

Cheers

Mark

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Mark heads East

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The small city jet Lufthansa operates down to Hamburg is a clear sign of the decline in air transport links from the north in these tough times. But it was a direct flight and within 90 minutes I am just a taxi ride away from our warehouse. This is where I was to be found last week. Touring the warehouse full of our amazing range of wines is a lesson in self control. So much good wine, no opportunity to drink any of it! Our warehouse team is doing a great job managing the huge growth we have experienced this year and thanks to the highly professional team at Schenker it runs like the German trains (Deutsche Bahn owns Schenker!).

I rarely eat at expensive restaurants in Sweden, resenting the huge mark-up put on wine and the total experience is rarely worth the cost. A trip abroad is an opportunity to try something hot and new. The trendy hotel and restaurant East – Hamburg was such a note worthy experience. http://east-hamburg.de/

The ultra modern / Gaudy inspired interior was complimented by attentive and personal service, the Asian-fusion menu and sushi bar had a touch of Sydney cuisine running through it and the wine list was well paired to the menu. The entire dining experience was memorable and the time whizzed by as my dinner partner and I solved the world’s problems.

I was tempted to ask if I could bring a bottle of wine from the warehouse with me in good Aussie BYO style!

The biggest surprise was the bill at the end: two people, three courses and a bottle of good Burgundy: €140 including a generous tip. At least half the cost of a similar restaurant in Stockholm such as Lux or F12.

Head East next time you are South.

Cheers

Mark

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You find us here you find us there you find us…..

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Last week we tasted 25 wines from several different countries and selected exactly none of them for inclusion in our range. Zero wines does not help our selection of wines for 2010 range but it was actually funny to taste through such an amazing collection of wines with enormous potential but in reality did not make the grade.

This is one of the less than fun parts of our job. What we never tire of is meeting our members throughout Sweden and introducing them to quality wine. As many of you know who have been to one of our tastings, we have a superb team of trained sommeliers who travel the country spreading the good wine word. Lina AW and Sarah are responsible for arranging the events and this week you will find them in Göteborg, Malmö and at the Älskar Mat fair in Malmö. Drop by and say hi to Magnus, Matilda and Jakob too! By the end of this year our tireless team will have held over 80 events and met literally thousands of members from Haparanda in the north to Malmö in the south and many places in between! Any suggestions where we should visit next year?

Our members must appreciate the opportunity to meet us and taste the wine because our business is continuing to grow and grow mostly through word of mouth. September was a fantastic month and October looks like being even better as the word spreads that wine lovers finally have choice.

Six months ago we started our wonderful cooperation with Bring Express to offer home delivery to everyone in this long and fine country and last week we had a review of the service. Clearly our members appreciate the ability to have quality wine delivered home at night and our relationship with Bring Express has been a very positive improvement to our business. Rarely do you meet a big company like Bring Express (owned by the Norweigan Post) that is so professional, flexible, entrepreneurial and really great to work with at almost every level from their dynamic CEO Tobias to their customer service people and all the logistics experts in Jönköping and Stockholm. That they also appreciate good wine helps foster the relationship too!

Bring Express has helped deliver on our, Lina AW and Sarah’s promise to take our wine out to our many thousands of members as possible and do it with a smile!

Cheers

Mark

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Red wine headache – spend more throb less

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

Not a week goes by without a question from a member wondering which red wines they should drink to avoid a headache, known to doctors and those who suffer from it as Red Wine Headache (RWH).

Fortunately I don’t suffer from RWH but at least 20% of people do according to some studies. A survey of the medical literature is indecisive except that it rules out what does not cause RWH – sulphur. Since white wine often has more sulphur than red wine and white wines generally do not cause RWH scientists have ruled out this preservative additive.

The latest research could offer a glimmer of hope for red wine lovers / suffers of RWH but it is not good news for your wallet. Tyramine are different compounds found in wine and in humans cause the contraction and dilation of blood vessels in the brain. The throbbing associated with a headache is the caused by the tyramines’ affect on the blood vessels.

Tyramines are highest in young and unfiltered red wines. The ageing process is known to integrate and reduce the tyramines in red wine. Therefore older wines and those with more barrel ageing could pose a significantly lower risk of causing RWH.

If you suffer from RWH try half a glass of a quality aged wine (filtered of course, as most wines are) say 5 or more years old. After 15 minutes see how you feel. This is not good news for bag in box drinkers where the wine expires after 11 months and adds another point to the list of reasons not to spritz your wine from a bag.

If drinking aged red wine is a way to indulge your passion for red wines and avoid the nasty headache, still don’t forget that over-indulgence only delays the headache until the morning – so still drink responsibly.

Cheers on this dark, cold and rainy sunday!

Mark

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20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »