News

Free Run Wines proud sponsors of Champagne Retailer of the Year

A tasty glass of Champagne Jeeper Premier Cru greeted drinks industry guests at the Drinks Retailing Awards last week. Together with Myriam Dubois and Patrick Bigar from Champagne Jeeper, we celebrated the ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane.

As proud sponsors of the brand new Champagne Retailer of the Year Award, we were delighted to announce Waitrose as the well-deserved winner! Our congratulations go to all of the winners from the evening and especially to Dee Blackstock MW, for her Lifetime Achievement Award.

Waipara Hills at New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Tasting

2012 already seems to be speeding past at an alarming rate - we can't believe the New Zealand Annual Tastings are already upon us, which means it will soon be time to get the new vintage samples sorted for France Under One Roof and Wines from Spain as well.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone at the New Zealand event at Lord's next week, it's always good to see everyone after the Christmas and New Year break, so do come and say hello if you're at the tasting. Our range from Waipara Hills will include sparkling Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, alongside winemaker Simon McGeorge's award-winning Central Otago Pinot Noirs and aromatics from the Waipara Valley. For more information, take a look at Waipara Hill's new website. See you on the 24th!

Jamie Goode picks Chateau La Reze as one of his Top 30 winter whites

Jamie Goode chose one of our newly launched Minervois as one of his Top 30 White Wines for Christmas and New Year. Writing in the Sunday Express, Jamie describes Chateau La Reze as a brilliant organic white with flavours of peach, pear, almond and citrus. We love the idea of matching it with Fish & Chips too...

To see a full copy of the article, check out this link to Jamie's website.

Jeeper Blanc de Blancs recommended by Joanna Simon

It's that time of year again - the great and the good of the wine world have been sharing their top tips for festive fizz. We were really pleased to see top wine journalist and Wine Gang member Joanna Simon recommend our recently launched Jeeper Grand Reserve Elegance NV Brut in the House & Garden Gourmet Christmas Supplement.  

All three cuvees currently available from Maison Jeeper in the UK were also singled out in Decanter's "Best Christmas Champagne Deal's" round-up.

Free Run launches Rueda brand in UK market

New product news from Free Run - we've just announced the UK launch of "Blume" -  a range of white wines from the up and coming Spanish region of Rueda. Initially developed by Pagos del Rey for the domestic market, the Blume brand has performed exceptionally well in Spain, firmly establishing itself as the leading wine from Rueda in the take-home market. We are now looking to further this success in the UK and Ireland, capitalising on consumer demand for fresher, aromatic white varietals, building on the phenomenal growth of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio.

To find out more, follow this link to a read a copy of an article published in The Drinks Business.

Food & wine matching expert Fiona Beckett recommends Chateau La Reze in the Guardian

Award-winning food and drink writer Fiona Beckett singled out a couple of new additions to the Free Run range in her Guardian column on Saturday. We agree that it would be great to see more organic wines gaining listings in some of the bigger UK retailers. Now we just need to get our hands on a copy of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's new veggie cookbook, so we can try the roussanne, grenache blanc and muscat blend with the roasted carrot hummus.

Click here to see a copy of the article online.

Champagne Jeeper at the IWC Awards Dinner

Where the year has gone?! The first half of 2011 disappeared in a flurry of wine fairs and new launches and here at Free Run we're having meetings about Christmas.

September is fast approaching, which means it must be time for the IWC Awards Dinner. Champagne Jeeper Grand Reserve Elegance has been selected to be poured at the drinks reception - in recognition of the silver medal the cuvee was awarded in the 2011 competition.

Wine Gang recommendations for two Free Run favourites

Two of our newest listings caught the collective eye of The Wine Gang at Tesco's recent press tasting: Chateau La Rezé Cuvee Eduoard Organic Minervois Blanc 2010 and Champagne Jeeper Grande Réserve Brut Blancs de Blancs.

Our Chateau La Rezé Minervois Blanc from organic vineyards in the Languedoc scored 89 points out of 100..."Roussanne, Grenache and 10% Muscat in this newly listed wine, with weighty aromatics and a touch of barrel ageing adding cream and toast, the Muscat perhaps just lifting the aromas lightly. The palate is big, full and sweet: there's a full-on spice and apricot richness, the finish showing good, tangy acidity in a big, swaggering wine that will take on spicy foods."

The Wine Gang is five of the UK's most respected wine critics. From left to right we are Tom Cannavan of wine-pages.com, Jane Parkinson of janeparkinson.com, Anthony Rose of The Independent, Joanna Simon of House & Garden and David Williams of The Observer and World of Fine Wine.

Meet the Winemakers: Champagne Jeeper

Champagne Jeeper is now available to buy in the UK with Tesco Wine Club. July's Wine Club magazine features a detailed two page article going "behind the label", introducing partners in life and business Nicolas & Myriam Dubois - the husband and wife wine-making team bringing new life to the historic Jeeper brand. Find out more on the Tesco Wine by the Case website.

Seven Free Run Winners in What Food What Wine competition

We're very fond of our food here at Free Run, so when we heard about Masters of Wine Susie Barrie and Peter Richard's What Food What Wine competition we thought it was a really interesting idea.

The aim of the competition is to help consumers experiment with confidence when looking for wines to match with their favourite foods,  judged by a team of food and wine experts including Fiona Beckett, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Master Sommelier Gerard Basset MW.

The results of the first ever What Food What Wine competition have just been announced and we're really excited that 7 of our wines are amongst the winners! Highlights for us include Chateau les Sablines Monbazillac being awarded 5 stars as a match for Apple Pie and Custard. Then from Ribera del Duero, Altos de Tamaron Crianza 2007, was awarded 4 stars as a great match for Roast Lamb - with Waipara Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and Champagne Jeeper Premier Cru NV Brut recognised as 4 star matches for smoked salmon.

Find out more about the competition on the What Food What Wine website.

10th Birthday Bike Ride: London to Paris

Free Run Directors Charles and Nick set off on Wednesday morning for day one of their charity bike ride - celebrating 10 years of English / French collaboration by cycling from London to Paris. They'll be cycling 350 miles in four days, finishing at the Eiffel Tower.

The weather isn't looking great, so all the more reason to sponsor them! You can take a look at their fundraising page by clicking here.

Back in the office, we're enjoying regular updates, some of which we'll be sharing here on the web and via twitter. We're still not sure about all that lycra....

Latest press recommendations: Chateau de Jau & Waipara Hills

We've been really pleased with the great reviews some of our new vintages have been picking up recently. Guardian columnist Fiona Beckett picked up on "the terrific" Chateau de Jau Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2008, currently on a stonking offer in Asda. Meanwhile over at the Independent, Ant Rose recently recommend the new 2009 vintage Central Otago Pinot Noir from our New Zealand partners Waipara Hills. For more information on either of these wine please contact us on info@freerunwines.com.

Susy Atkins recommends Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons

Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons was one of three stand-out chardonnays recommended by Susy Atkins in her column in the Sunday Telegraph's Stella Magazine this weekend. To see what she wrote, click here to read a full copy of the article on the Telegraph website.

Bertrand Capdeivgne Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons is stocked in the UK by Morrisons.

London International Wine Fair 2011

We're all set for this years London International Wine Fair. Come and find us on stand M62, where we'll be joined by many of our supply partners, including Waipara Hills, Le Cellier des Princes, Grands Vins Selection, Champagne Lallement-Dubois and Champagne Paul Laurent, SOCAV, Fouassier and Vignobles Daure. See you there!

Free Run 10th Anniversary Celebrations: London to Paris Birthday Bike Ride

We're packed up and raring to go for London International Wine Fair next week - which will see the start of our 10th Birthday celebrations. Marking the occasion with a few bottles of bubbly seemed a little predictable, so instead we thought we'd celebrate 10 years of English-French collaboration by packing Charles and Nick off on a sponsored bike ride. Cycling from London to Paris in July, they'll cover more than 350 miles in 4 days, raising money for charity. They've been training hard, whilst the rest of the team have been suffering from nightmares brought on by the vision of them both in lycra...

To find out more and to make a donation to Free Run's chosen charities - The International Childcare Trust and The Everyman Cancer Campaign - click here.

Fouassier join Free Run Wines suppliers

Breaking news from Free Run towers: Leading Sancerre producer and negociant Fouassier Pere et Fils are joining our supplier line up - and Pierre and Catherine Fouassier will be with us on the Free Run Stand at LIWF2011 next week. The Fouassier estate covers 50+ hectares, 80% of which is Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Pinot Noir. As well as the Fouassier Domaine wines, the winery also supply a range of products from other nearby Loire appellations, including AOC Pouilly-Fumé,  Menetou-Salon and Quincy. The wines are a great addition to our growing French portfolio, offering brilliant value for money at a range of price points.

Château Les Sablines on Saturday Kitchen

Château Les Sablines was Olly Smith's dessert wine of choice on BBC Two's Saturday Kitchen this weekend. Olly chose Free Run supplier SOCAV's luscious Monbazillac to match with Michel Roux Sr's delicious looking cherry meringues with rhubarb coulis.

Click here to watch the programme on iplayer if you're in the UK

New organic wine from Château La Reze

We're really excited to be launching a new organic wine in the UK. "Cuvée Edouard" AOC Minervois from Chateau La Reze will be available in Tesco stores in a few months time. As well as Minervois, the winery also produces a range of Vin de Pays D’Oc varietals, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache.

Champagne Jeeper to launch in Tesco

The latest news from Free Run Wines HQ is the announcement of the launch of Champagne Jeeper with Tesco. Tesco Online will be introducing three exclusive cuvées from the range: the Grande Réserve Elégance Blancs de Blancs, Premier Cru and Grande Cuvée Millésime vintage.

With a history dating back to 1743, Maison Jeeper is well-known in France. Former owner Armand Goutrobe used an ex-army jeep to survey his vineyards after returning home from war in 1944 - hence the unusual name.

Having bought the house in 2009, Nicolas and Myriam Dubois are now the driving force behind the brand. This entrepreneurial couple started out as growers in 1999, with little more than a few hectares of vines that they received as a wedding present. As well as their success in the domestic market, Nicolas & Myriam are steadily developing a reputation as innovative and forward-thinking suppliers, well-positioned to serve the competitive UK market.

We're supporting National Wine Month

Free Run Wines is supporting National Wine Month in association with the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.  To find out more about the Make Time for Wine consumer campaign, visit the National Wine Month website.

Introducing new supply partners SOCAV

Free Run Wines have been appointed as the UK agent for French co-operative and negociant SOCAV – and we'll be showcasing a selection of wines from this new supplier at France Under One Roof in a few weeks time. SOCAV are able to offer an interesting range of good quality, affordable wines from Bordeaux and Bergerac, including AOC Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint Emilion, Monbazillac, and Sauternes. They have excellent facilities, technical expertise and a great commercial team who are tuned in to the demands of international markets - so they're exactly the sort of team we like to work with.

Free Run and Champagne Jeeper at the Drinks Retailing Awards

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists who celebrated their achievements at OLN's prestigious Drinks Retailing Awards at the Dorchester in London last night.

We were at the awards dinner with Jeeper Grande Réserve Elégance, as proud sponsors of the Champagne reception.

www.champagne-jeeper.com

To see who scooped an award, including Drinks Buying Team of the Year, and Multiple Wine Retailer of the Year, take a look at the OLN website.

Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon recommended in The Sunday Telegraph

We were pleased to hear that our Waipara Hills 2009 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc had restored Susy Atkin's faith in New Zealand Sauvignons this week. If you missed Susy's column in Stella magazine in The Sunday Telegraph today, you can read a copy of her review online. We really fancy some thai fishcakes now. Thanks Susy!

Waipara Hills is Tom Cannavan's Wine of the Week 11

UK wine critic Tom Cannavan has chosen Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008 as his "Wine of the Week" on www.wine-pages.com.

Check out Tom's YouTube channel to hear exactly what he thought.

Château de Jau in Scotland on Sunday

Brian Elliott recommends Vignobles Dauré's Château de Jau Côtes du Roussillon Villages 2008 in the Scotland on Sunday this weekend - currently on sale in Asda at a special promotional price.

To read the article, take a look at Scotland on Sunday online.

New Zealand Wine Growers Annual Trade Tasting

Here at Free Run we're gearing up for the New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting at Lords. We'll have all the latest vintages with us from Waipara Hills, including the stand-out 2009 Waipara Pinot Noir which has already won an Elite Gold Medal at the 2010 Air New Zealand Wine Awards.

Vina Albali now the leading Spanish brand in the UK off-trade

Free Run wines have celebrated a fantastic start to 2011, with the news that Viña Albali is now the biggest selling Spanish wine brand in the UK off-trade. (AC Nielsen Scantrack MAT to 27th November 2010).

Produced by Felix Solis, Viña Albali has experienced phenomenal growth in the UK market over the last 18 months. The Nielsen data also shows that Albali is now the fastest growing Spanish brand in the Top 50 wines sold through the major multiples – ranking ahead of Campo Viejo, Torres and Berberana by volume. Viña Albali is also the only Spanish brand in the UK off-trade Top 25 wines.

Fiona Beckett recommends Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons

Our Bertrand Capdevigne Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons is currently on a stonking Christmas offer at Morrisons - reduced from £14.99 to £9.99. Fiona Beckett, food and wine-matcher extradordinaire, prolific blogger and wine columnist for the Guardian recommends it for Christmas drinking: Credit Crunch Drinking: A Chablis Bargain.

Waipara Hills unveil new packaging

We'll be unveiling new packaging for our Waipara Hills wines at the New Zealand Annual Trade Tasting in London in the new year.

The new packaging coincides with an overhaul of the structure of the Waipara Hills range. Existing “Soul of the South” and “Southern Cross Selection” lines will be re-configured into a single, core range of “Waipara Hills” varietals. In addition, the “Equinox” series of reserve wines has been updated and refreshed. A new Pinot Noir and sweet dessert wine join the special selection Riesling and Pinot Gris, showcasing the very best wines from the Waipara Valley.

There’s a lot going on at Waipara Hills at the moment, so it’s a great time to be launching this new packaging. The range-restructure and revised packaging has been designed to ensure strong brand visibility and shelf presence, with the existing Mountain Buttercup icon being refined to provide a more identifiable symbol for the brand. All of us here at Free Run have been really pleased with the momentum the brand is building in the UK, with many of the wines gaining some excellent recommendations from influential critics including Tim Atkin and Olly Smith.

New pack formats for Felix Solis products

This month sees us introducing a new 2.25litre bag-in-box: Castillo de Los Molinos will be launching in Tesco in a new 2.25 litre fromat, equivalent to 3 standard 75cl bottles. Produced by Felix Solis, the red wine is a blend of Tempranillo and Grenache, whilst the white is made from Viura and Airen.

We developed the new BIB pack because it’s what the market is asking for.  There’s been a real increase in interest in smaller format bag-in-box in the last year and we like a bit of packaging innovation – so it’s great to see this hit the shelves in Tesco.

Also landing in stores this month is Castillo de Albai Rioja in a single serve bottle. The new 18.7cl format will be available in Asda stores throughout the UK.

Here at Free Run we love getting our teeth into something new. We supply wines in an ever increasing variety of formats, including tetrapak, BIB and single-serve bottles - so if you're looking for something new, get in touch.

Free Run Wines launch new products in Asda

Here at Free Run towers we're really excited to be launching some new products in Asda this month.

Château de Jau Côtes du Roussillon Villages is a spicy, earthy red, typical of the region, made from a blend of Syrah (50%), Mourvedre (25%), Grenache and Carignan. Produced at the Dauré family’s estate in the southernmost foothills of the Corbières mountains in French Catalonia, this unique wine will be launching at £7.97 per bottle.

Asda are also increasing the range of Viña Albali wines carried in-store, with Viña Albali Verdejo Chardonnay and Tempranillo Rosé joining Viña Albali Reserva and Gran Reserva on the shelves. Viña Albali is the fastest growing Spanish wine brand in the UK off-trade (Nielsen Scantrack July 2010).