At The Oxford Wine Company we spend our days surrounded by thousands of delicious wines, spirits and beers. But which of them do we decide to drink at home? Take a look below for our team’s top picks for this month.
What We’re Drinking in March
Ted Sandbach, Owner & Chairman
Famille Jaume Vinsobres, 2020 – £18.00 £16.20 – A classic Rhone wine, with lots of peppery & spicy notes to compliment the concentrated fruit.
Amie X Rosé, 2022 – £19.00 £17.10 – With Spring and sunshine on the way, I am starting to drink Rose and this is the perfect one.
Chateau Rouquette sur Mer Blanc Cuvee Arpege, La Clape 2020 – £16.50 £14.85 – Recently enjoyed a glass of this wine and rediscovered how delicious it is. Very clean and refreshing with complex fruit, despite its age. R
Neil Gladding, Sales Director
Paddy Borthwick ‘Paper Road’ Pinot Noir, Wairarapa, 2021 – £20.00 £18.00 – Tasted this with the Nomads Wine club and it stole the show.
Ernest Rapeneau Blanc de Blancs Champagne, NV – £33.00 £29.70 – 100% Chardonnay, deliciously creamy and elegant.
WALT LØ Riesling (0.5% ABV), Mosel, 2022 – £10.00 £9.00 – At last, an almost alcohol free wine that actually tastes like wine!
John Shuckburgh, WSET Educator
Yves Cuilleron ‘Petite Côte’ Condrieu 2022 – £47.00 £42.30 – This is just the real deal! Barrique-fermented Viognier, with a creamy texture and powerful spice supporting the oh-so Peachy, Apricot and Quince fruit characters. Full in the mouth, the finish is just everlasting. What a wine!
Ataraxia Pinot Noir, Hemel en Aarde 2018 – £35.00 £31.50 – It’s always good to meet up with an old friend and Ataraxia Pinot Noir doesn’t disappoint. Rich red berry fruits combine with an earthy complexity. Decent Burgundy at half the price.
Lervig No Worries Alcohol-Free IPA – £2.00 £1.80 – Yes. Really! My search for real beer flavour without the alcohol is over. From Norway. In a can. Awesome. This is my discovery of the year so far – and I can clearly remember it the next day!
Manda Joyce, Wine Advisor
Maraschino Originale Luxardo 70cl – £35.00 £31.50 – I’ve been entertaining at home a fair bit in this “cheer ourselves up waiting for Spring” time of the year. I like to have a cocktail poised for when my guests arrive. So lovely to hang around the kitchen while everyone gathers, chatting, a pretty vintage glass in hand, something cold and delicious in it. I like my pre-prandial cocktails to anticipate forthcoming flavours. Cherries in a pudding recently led me to Luxardo Maraschino.
Green Chartreuse – £55.00 £49.50 -Mixed with my first pick, Green Chartreuse, plus house gin and fresh lime juice and we have the complex, balanced and intriguing delight of The Last Word.
Liqueur de Violette, Edmond Briottet – £26.00 £23.40 – A little esoteric, but one bottle could last a lifetime! And, again, mixed with your house gin and lemon juice this time, you’ll have an Aviation. Said to be named after the pioneering days of aeroplanes, its purply-blue colour is surely a welcome reminder of clear skies to come.
Tom Brady, Shop Manager & Spirits Buyer
Rathfinny Estate Blanc de Blancs, Sussex 2018 – £42.50 £38.25 – From a producer that, for me, keeps getting better every vintage. The Blanc de Blanc adds a touch of class to the Rathfinny portfolio with zesty citrus notes and a mouth coating texture.
Three Crows Syrah, Hawkes Bay 2019 – £31.50 £28.35 – Syrah is one of my favourite grapes, but I’ve not had a lot from New Zealand. Inspired by the Northern Rhone with a rich nose of dark fruit and meaty savoury characteristics, the palate is lighter with more red fruit, but equally as delicious.
Lochlea Our Barley – £49.00 £44.10 – For me this is a quintessential Lowland whisky. Light, delicate, fruity yet complex with notes of peppery rye bread, orange zest and freshly cut grass. An absolute winner.
Aljoscha Wright, Buyer
Asorei Albariño, Rías Baixas 2022 – £15.75 £14.18 – This is a very food friendly wine. If you like food as much as I do, it helps to have something in the fridge that will go well with almost anything.
Cocchi Vermouth di Torino – £30.00 £27.00 – I’ve recently started drinking vermouth over ice. Its the perfect aperitif or digestif when overindulging.
Three Crows Syrah, Hawkes Bay 2019 – £31.50 £28.35 – I just love Hawks Bay Syrah. There is a fresh, juicy, firm quality to the wines. Perfect for enjoying in front of the fire.
Tim Bradley, Trade Sales & WSET Educator
Domaine Clavel, Cordelia Chusclan, Côtes du Rhône Villages, 2020 – £14.00 £12.60 – Soft, elegant Rhone with some lovely savouriness and earthiness, but deliciously satisfying. Perfect midweek treat – very gluggable!
Château De Fesles ‘La Chapelle’ Chenin Sec 2019 – £16.75 £15.08 – Dry and with a pithy citrus tang – this lifted my weekend tastebuds! Had some sundried tomatoes and paprika chicken with this and it paired brilliantly.
Delheim Pinotage, Stellenbosch, 2020 – £19.75 £17.78 – In search of slightly lighter red from this famous South African grape can be hard to get right, but this is new in and I’m an instant fan. When summer lands, this could be a lightly chilled option to take from the fridge? Tasty!
Dom Smiley, Shop Manager
Greywacke Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2021 – £37.00 £33.50 – An elegant and fragrant Marlborough Pinot Noir that showcases a lovely balance of ripe fruit and delicate smokiness.
Grant Burge ‘The Holy Trinity’ GSM 2012 – £25.00 £22.50 – Crafted from Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvèdre, this earthy and spicy Barossa Valley wine is a must-try for lovers of GSM blends.
Cherubino Uovo Cabernet Nebbiolo, Frankland River 2021 – £21.50 £19.35 – Having been fermented in a concrete egg, this wine is a rich and concentrated blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo from one of Australia’s top winemakers.
Katy Barker, Retail Marketing Manager
Guerrieri Rizzardi ‘Clos Roareti’ Rosso Veronese Merlot 2019 – £27.50 £24.75 – I enjoyed this recently with friends over a charcuterie board and it was the perfect pairing! A Merlot from Veneto, Italy, which is a little obscure, but it has the best of both worlds with the rich notes of a classic Merlot with Northern Italian flare.
Dominio de Tares ‘La Sonrisa de Tares’ Godello 2022 – £17.00 £15.30 – ‘La Sonrisa’ translates to smile, which this wine certainly makes you do. Beautifully concentrated orchard fruits joined by a rich, textured palate makes this wine easy to enjoy on its own or with an array of different dishes.
La Despensa País, Colchagua Valley 2021 – £22.00 £19.80 – This is new to our range and I’m super happy to have a Pais back on our shelves! Harvested from old vines, this is packed with sour cherry, strawberry, and raspberry so can’t wait to drink this when the sun finally comes out.
Mark Warde-Aldam, Shop Manager
Villa Wolf Wachenheimer Riesling, Pfalz 2021 – £17.00 £15.30 – I revisited this wine after a long break and Wow it is special. Like rediscovering an old favorite album in my record collection. Intense tropical fruit, racy acidity and a voluptuous finish. Dry Riesling at its best!
Tio Pepe Fino En Rama Saca 75cl 2023 – £20.0 £18.00 – Unfiltered and unclarified fresh Palamino. Serve it chilled with salted Almonds. Don’t keep it too long after opening. Bone dry with a balanced saline finish.
Kellerai Bozen Santa Maddalena Classico Rosso, Alto Adige 2021 – £17.50 £15.75 – Have just come back from a Ski trip to Sudtirol where I discovered the native grape variety….Lagrein and Schiava. Wow what a discovery! Low tannins, bitter Cherries and smooth chocolate. Go on try something new.
Min Yee Tseu, Corporate and University Account Manager
Champagne Arnaud Tabourin Brut Tradition NV – £31.00 £27.90 – My go-to drink is normally something sparkling and this is the perfect naughty mid-week treat!
Tap Social ‘Time Better Spent’ IPA (case) – £36.00 £32.40 – This is my favourite IPA from our range; it’s fruity and hoppy and, most importantly, delightfully bubbly.
Anton Bauer Wagram Pinot Noir, Austria 2020 – £25.50 £22.95 – The perfect balance of the red fruit notes you’d expect from a Pinot Noir and some slightly more evolved earthy and savoury characteristics. Delicious!
Emily Silva, Head of Retail and Marketing
Domaine Chignard Les Moriers Fleurie 2019 – £23.00 £20.70 – This wine is an excellent example of why we should all be drinking more Beaujolais. A truly classy wine with just a bit of bottle age for complexity, it would be perfect alongside some artisan French cheese and a freshly baked baguette.
La Monacesca Verdicchio di Matelica DOC 2021 – £18.00 £16.20 With an understated elegance and serious concentration of flavour, this Verdicchio is a perfect demonstration of everything I love about Italian white wine. Try it alongside a linguine alle vongole or seafood risotto for a true taste of la dolce vita!
Baias Wine Tsistka, Tsolikauri Krakhuna Qvevri 2022 – £24.00 £21.60 – One of my all time favourite wines! Baia and her sister are two Georgian women in their twenties who took over their grandparents’ vineyard and turned it into something truly special. Honouring ancient traditions and working biodynamically, their wines are truly handmade. Baia’s amber wine is a fantastic introduction for anyone looking to experiment with traditional Georgian wine.
Nick Gorton, Shop Manager
Guasti Barbera d’Asti Desideria 2021 – £14.50 £13.05 – Barbera has become a personal favourite of mine over the last year, and can be made in a broad range of styles. If you’re new to it, start with the Desideria from Guasti. Lots of ripe cherry fruit, with some floral notes and a herbal finish, this is a great wine for pasta, or on its own with friends
Château Megyer Furmint, Tokaji 2022 – £15.00 £13.50 – Another exciting variety is the native Hungarian grape Furmint, known for its versatility. This unoaked style from Chateau Megyer is all about fruit and acidity. Green apple, lime, and a refreshing finish make for a wonderful warmer weather wine, so stock up ahead of spring!
Double Barrelled Punnet, Fruited Kettle Sour 440ml – £5.50 £4.95 – If you’re a beer enthusiast but want something different, try this sour from Double Barrelled Brewery. Liberally fruited with cherry and blackcurrant, and with a refreshingly sour finish, this is a great place to start your sour beer journey!
John Chapman, Managing Director
Cascina delle Monache Gavi del Comune di Gavi 2022 – £17.00 £15.30 – Our new Gavi from Cascina delle Monache is a real gem. This reminds me of what Gavi should be, simple, refreshing and enjoyably social. The kind of wine which works impeccably well as a drink with friends or with light foods. Just the job for a lunchtime tipple in the sun as spring unwraps herself onto a lovely warm year ahead.
Château de Lamarque Haut-Médoc 150cl 2012 – £50.00 £45.00 – Far to many people forget about choosing Bordeaux. Claret is known as the king of wines because the amount of style, substance and value you can get from Petit Chateaux is immense. Once you avoid the traps of eyewatering prices from the famous cru, the bottles that are left give a huge amount of drinking pleasure at very encouraging prices. A favourite of mine has to be Chateau de Lamarque Haut Medoc. In bottle we are drinking the 2018 but after a recent dinner with the owners we have magnums of the 20212 arriving and a real treat for all who get to them first.
Etxeko Patxarana 100cl – £30.00 £27.00 – Etxeko Patxarana. No I didn’t sneeze, this is the Basque liqueur made out of a host of bits and bobs based on sloe berries. This is a must for my fridge as after a sumptuous and indulgent meal which we all give in to occasionally, this is a perfect digestif that rounds things of and settles the stomach for the evening ahead. Don’t let the light mauve colour put you off as there is something quite special about this drink.
Thom Allinson, Buying & Logistics
Falchini ‘Paretaio’ Rosso Toscano IGT 2017 – £26.00 £23.40 – Over the moon to see this arrive fresh off the boat from Italy in February. Scintillating Sangiovese at its very best!
Deya Brewing Company, Into The Haze IPA – £5.75 £5.18 – New to our beer shelves last month and what an addition. Juicy and full of tropical & stone fruit flavours with lovely body that really carries the slightly higher than normal ABV. Delicious.
Delheim Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch 2022 – £17.00 £15.30 – One of the best value wines in our range! Shows great typicity of the Chenin varietal with some classy winemaking thrown in for good measure.
Romain Alaphilippe, Shop Manager
Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge IGP 2020 – £55.00 £45.00 – The “Lafite of the Languedoc”. I’m pleased and proud to sale this wine at the OWC. A superb wine who after decanting will reveal some notes of tart red fruit, black plum, with a touch of leather. If you are patient enough, after 15-20 years, this gem should develop some hints of dried roses, notes of truffles and game. Outstanding.
Doña Mencia de los Andes, Ver Sacrum, Luján de Cuyo 2019 – £33.50 £30.15 – Discovered thanks to the OWC team. A varietal and herbal, incredibly fresh wine. Produced from a bush vineyard in Los Chicayes on a very rocky soil at high altitude, the juice will give you some blueberry and plum notes, with a surprising black olive and hints of orange finish! Incroyable!
WALT Riesling, Pfalz 2022 – £12.00 £10.80 -Under a cool bottle & cool price combo hide a great Riesling from Pfalz. Pear and stone fruits taste with a refreshing apple crispness! Try it!!!