South America has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic wine-producing region, captivating wine
enthusiasts with its diverse and high-quality offerings. The continent’s innovative winemaking
techniques, unique terroir and a commitment to quality have positioned countries like Chile,
Argentina and Uruguay as top choices for wine lovers around the globe. At our monthly wine club
in April, we explored some of these regions and their wines. We tried many wines during the
evening but here are a few examples you may want to look at yourself as something a little different.
Chile’s wine industry is renowned for its exceptional diversity and consistency. One of
Chile’s standout varietals is Carmenère, a grape originally from Bordeaux that has found its true
home in Chilean soil. Known for its deep colour, smooth tannins, and distinctive flavours of red
fruits and spices, Carmenère has become a symbol of Chilean winemaking excellence. We tried a De
Martino Legardo, which was lovely and smooth, showing typical Carmenère characteristics. If you
have never tried this grape variety before then it is definitely something to explore.
Argentina is synonymous with Malbec, a grape that has flourished in the high-altitude vineyards
of the Andes. The Mendoza region, in particular, is celebrated for producing Malbecs. However,
Argentia is much more than just Malbec and we tried Buenas Vidas, specially selected Cabernet
Franc for our first red of the evening. A nice change to a Malbec and one that is perfect for
drinking now: try it with your pizza this Summer!
While smaller in scale compared to its neighbours, Uruguay’s wine industry is making waves with its
distinctive and high-quality offerings. The country’s flagship grape, Tannat, is celebrated for
its bold tannins, deep colour, and complex flavours of dark berries and spices. We tried the Pisano
family selection grand reserva Tannat. If you are looking for a bold wine and want to try something
a little different then please give this one a go!
Interestingly, all the wines we tried promoted the “sustainable” nature of how their wines were
made. This made us question what this actually meant. Broadly, this looks at wine producing
methods that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable, ensuring
vineyards can thrive for generations to come. Farmers embrace techniques such as water
conservation, using renewable energy and ethical labour practices to produce their wine.
If you have never tried wines from South America, then please do give them a try as an emerging
continent that has plenty to explore. You can find out what wines we tried and details of how to join
us on 21st May at 8pm in the village hall by logging on to out website, when we will be looking at wines
for the Summer. Hope to see you there!

We all know wine can be an expensive business. The quality (or perceived quality) of a wine, it’s rarity and brand have all contributed to some wines demanding an exceptionally high price. However, a lucrative industry such as this one does attract attention from less scrupulous characters and encourages business and even countries to try some interesting things to protect their investments!
We obviously couldn’t try any illegal wines on the night but we did take some inspiration from some
of the wines we tried! Take, for example, our first wine: a Masottina Contrada Prosecco Superiore
from Veneto, just NW of Venice. This was a great Prosecco with a creamy, intense feeling in your
mouth yet is a really crisp wine that was a little like tasting liquid Golden Delicious apples! We heard
how Italy, in an attempt to protect their highly profitable cargo, tried to rename the Prosecco
grape to Glera and make it only possible to produce wine from this grape in Italy, much like
the Champagne region. Unfortunately they soon found out that several other countries had already
been growing Prosecco vines for some time and were promptly told that wouldn’t be acceptable.
If you have ever tried wine from Austria, then you may have seen a red and white striped cap on the
top, indicating that the wine has been tested for quality, This is a necessity given that, several years
ago, New York Times reported that the Austrians had added “antifreeze” to their bottles in an
attempt to sweeten wine during a poor harvest: they hadn’t (but had been up to no good adding
some compounds that would allow them to sell their wine)! The result was they had to throw away
several million litres of wine and the fallout was sufficient to cause sales of Austrian Riesling to
plummet overnight and it took them over 15 years to recover!
We heard many other stories about people who drilled through concrete walls to get to cellars
containing precious bottles of wine (just like a bank robbery), and a lady who ordered room
service in a high end French hotel late at night, so her boyfriend could steal the wine cellar keys and
get away with over £1.5m of wine!! Perhaps the scariest was when Romanee-Conti, a vineyard in
the French Burgundy region producing Pinot Noir that starts at around £1,800 per bottle, was sent a
detailed map of their vineyard, with a note saying that unless they paid 1 million EUROs, each vine
would be poisoned! The blackmailer was caught but it begs a question as to how you protect your
land!
The Upton wine club is about wine but it is about so much more. Each month, a large proportion of
the of 50+ members (mainly from the village), come together each month to learn a bit more
about wine but also to have a great social time! If you are interested come and give it a try, details
can be found on our website. The meeting will be held on 19th March at 8pm – we hope to see you
there!

This month we were delighted to invite Martin from local wine retailer, Grape Minds to talk to our
members about the effects of age on wine. With a Diploma in wine, he was able to provide some
great background into the economics of aged wine and the influence it has on the taste. Over the
course of the evening, we tried wine that was over 30 years old and some as young as just 2, which
was fantastic and allowed us all to sample wine that we probably wouldn’t go out and buy without
trying first!
The ageing process significantly influences the flavour profile of wine. As wine matures, its
flavours become more complex and nuanced. Young wines often exhibit vibrant, fruity, and
floral notes, while aged wines develop deeper, more integrated flavours. Over time, tannins in
red wines soften, leading to a smoother mouthfeel and a more balanced taste. Additionally,
secondary and tertiary aromas, such as earthy, nutty, or spicy notes, emerge, adding layers of
complexity. The acidity in white wines may mellow, resulting in a richer, rounder palate.
However, not all wines benefit from long-term ageing; some are best enjoyed young to appreciate
their fresh, lively characteristics. Some wines, for example Rioja, have quality restrictions that mean
it must have a minimum number of years in oak barrels before it can be released. We tried a Gran
Reserva Rioja this month, which means it must have had a minimum of 5 years in an oak barrel
before being released for sale.
Next month we will be taking members through some of the stories behind wine, that have caused
producers, sellers and wine intermediaries to do some unscrupulous things in the hope it will make
them a bit more money! It really is amazing (and at times humorous) what people will do! If you
want to come along and join in the fun, please see our website for details. The meeting will be held on
19th February at 8pm – we hope to see you there

Our December Wine Club meeting was held a week earlier this month, giving us all a head start
on the Christmas festivities! Celebrating our 20th season, it was wonderful to see so many villagers
enjoying the evening. We are fortunate to have a diverse selection of wines to sample, ensuring
there’s always something new for our members to experience. Each wine comes with its own story,
and a big part of our club is not just discussing the wine, but also its connection to people, places, and
its role in creating a bit of history! Wine has made people wealthy, landed some behind bars, kept
families together for generations, and sparked a few feuds! Whatever the case, it has always
generated interest, and our village would be a little poorer without a Wine Club! So, I’d like to extend
my gratitude to everyone who makes it happen each month – from the committee who come up
with fantastic topics and make it all possible, to those who help tidy up at the end of each meeting,
and of course, all the members who join us to enjoy a glass or two and create more memorable
moments!
In January, we will explore what age does to a wine. We have invited the local wine business,
Grape Minds, to share their experiences. Hope you can join us!

Brazil’s wine regions, particularly Serra Gaúcha, Campanha, and Vale dos Vinhedos, have been
gaining international recognition for their excellent wines. The unique terroir, characterised
by high altitudes, diverse soil types, and a favourable climate, contributes to the distinct
flavours and quality of Brazilian wines.
Winemakers in these regions have embraced modern techniques while respecting traditional
methods, resulting in a variety of wines that are both innovative and rooted in heritage. Whether
you’re a fan of reds, whites, or sparkling wines, Brazilian vineyards offer a delightful and diverse
tasting experience. And this month members of the Upton Wine Club had the opportunity to
sample some of the best with Michael Corfe presenting some of his most popular wines from
his company, Go Brazil!  Michael has been visiting Brazil for over 15 years
and bringing wine back to the UK for us to try. If you are looking for something a little different,
that you will not find in most places you commonly buy wine, then look no further!
We had over 30 members at the Upton Village Hall this month, tasting sparkling wines, whites and
reds. One of the things, members found most interesting was the suggested food pairing of
some of the wines. For example, if you are looking for something to pair with a some spicy Asian
food, then it would be worth trying the Don Guerino “vintage” Torreontes. Light in alcohol, so
the spices don’t burn your mouth but high in floral notes and unoaked, which compliments the
intense food flavours. On another note, if you like wines from northern Italy, then you might want to
try the Don Guerino “Origine 1880” Teroldego, where the grapes originated from NE Italy, giving
some new world influence to an old world grape variety!
The Upton Wine club is all about trying something a little different with friends from the village and
having a nice social evening. There is no need to have any knowledge of wine but the hope is that
after a while, you will become a little more confident when sitting at a restaurant table and
offered the wine list or when you walk into an aisle of wine and are wondering what you should select!
If you’d like to see what wines we tasted this month or are interested in coming along to the
club please take a look at our website. You need no knowledge of wine, just an interest in trying it!!
On Wednesday 20th November we are starting to get into the festive spirit by offering some sparkling
wines, ports and one or two other surprises you might like to try over the next month or two!
Please check out our website for more details

This season marks the 20th Anniversary of our Wine Club in Upton and after the obligatory AGM,
we started the year by looking at some myths and facts about wine that could be of use to us all! Here
are a few things we discussed during the evening.You may have put a silver spoon in an opened
bottle of fizz and put it in the fridge, to drink it a few days later … in reality, it’s probably the cold
that is preserving the bubbles not the spoon! Putting a stopper in the top and keeping it upright
in the fridge (ideally not in the door, which will disturb the wine every time you open it) is likely to
give you a few extra drinking days!Like many things, we are more confident in trying
and recommending something if it has been personalised to us. There are a few wine apps in
the market now that will give you information on your wine just from taking a photo of the label and
if you give some feedback on your preferences, it will make recommendations on similar wines you
might like to try. I like everything about a Chardonnay from Burgundy except the price, so
my app suggested trying South African Chardonnay’s, where there are some exceptional
wines at a very good price!
Do all wines improve with age? Well, in a word no! Broadly, the wine needs to contain a stabilizer to
allow it to last for several years. For red wines, these are tannins and for white wines, a high
degree of acidity, sugar or alcohol to help preserve it over time. Over the years, wine will soften and
change in complexity and colour. Some wines for example need to age by law: for example, a Rioja.
Crianza will have been stored before bottling for a minimum of 24 months, while a Gran Reserva will
need storing for a minimum of 60 months! Both spending some time in oak barrels, which give it
an added layer of flavour and complexity.If you’d like to see what wines we tasted this
month or are interested in coming along to the club please take a look at our website. You need no
knowledge of wine, just an interest in trying it!!
Next month we have Nicholas Corfe from Go Brazil taking us through some exceptional wines from
Brazil. I hope you can join us on Wednesday 16th October at the village hall at 8:00 pm

This season will be the Wine Club’s 20th
anniversary, and it continues to represent a core
part of our village. The season starts at 8pm on 18th
September with the usual formalities of an AGM
but will quickly move on to our first theme,
busting some myths about wine. We are going to
take a light-hearted look at some popular myths
about wine and check them out ourselves. Such as.
.. does wine always taste better with age?… Are
screw caps inferior to cork?… and is red wine
healthier than white?
Membership runs from September to June will be
£15 per person; these fees go towards the hire of
the hall and subsidising the wine and food we have
each month. If you would like to “try before you
buy” and/or know someone who would like to
come along to the Wine Club and try an evening
out before joining, non-members can join us for
up to 2 meetings per year by paying a £5
supplement in addition to that month’s meeting
fees. If you know anyone who might be interested,
please do let them know!

Most monthly meetings, we have some members from our committee
talking about wine, often with a story that in weaved in-between each
wine that cleverly links the theme and the evening together. Several times
each year however, we invite external speakers to come and tell us about
their wine. This month saw the return of Tim and Jill North, from Joie de
Vin, an on-line wine business they set up over 10 years ago. They specialise
in going over to France and finding small producers, who often only supply
their local areas due to the small volume of wine they make and convincing
them to sell a few crates so they can bring them back to the UK for us to
try.
There are many hundreds of grape varieties that are used to produce wine.
We could all probably name a dozen or so of the main varieties however,
just because you know a certain grape, don’t assume that it only has one
flavour! Tim took us through some wines to show just that!
By way of an example, our first two wines were from the Chenin Blanc
grape. One wine was made by fermenting the grapes in a steel tank (very
common method for producing lighter, crisp wines) and the second had
spent some of the fermentation process in oak barrels. The difference
was very noticeable – the same grape, from the same region and made by
the same producer but with the influence of oak on the second wine, came
a stronger flavour, with notes of caramel and vanilla that you would expect
form wine that had spent some time in a barrel. You might hear people
referring to these style of wines as being more complex….because they
have had extra processes in production but also because there is more to
the wine…it seems to last longer “on the nose” and there is typically more
flavours you pick up when tasting.
Another example was a Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre region in the
north of France. Sancerre has become famous for producing a specific
style of crisp, highly acidic white wine from this grape that reflects the
cooler climates and flint soil where the grapes grow. Just like other
regions you may know such as Rhone and Chateauneuf du Pape, the wine
commands a high value because of it’s regional popularity. Tim had found
one producer that wanted to challenge that particular style. Allowing the
grapes to spend more time during fermentation in contact with the natural
yeast, stems, pips etc (this is known as spending more time on the lees),
the wine took on a totally different complexity and when combined with
some Oak, again produced a much softer wine that many would not have
assumed was from Sancerre.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with some excellent wines. So if,
for example you are a person that has said before “I’m an ABC wine
drinker….”Anything But Chardonnay” – I urge you to look again and see if
you can find something a little different (try a Chardonnay from Chablis
for example!) you might just surprise yourself!
Next month we have wines being presented by some of our club members.
It will be a great evening full of why some wines have just become firm
favorites – which rarely has anything to do with how they have been
made! If you would like to come along then all our details can be found
on our website: www.uptonwineclub.co.uk
Ian
UWAC Chairman