George Hill Fine Wine & Food

25/07/2024

German labels can be a bit intimidating, so why not get to know a few terms to navigate the wine shelves when you're buying some German wine?

Let's start with general quality classification. A bit like the French or the Italian, German wine is classified by its quality (the higher the quality, the stricter the rules to make such wine and harder to gain that qualification).
At the bottom of the pyramid sits the generic "German wine" (Deutscher Wein), with no real metric for quality. Made exclusively from German grapes, in approved vineyards and from approved grape varieties.
A step above this, we find the "German Country Wine" (Deutscher Landwein), which could be compared to the Vin de Pays for French wines or IGP/ PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) for other EU-wines. It's always dry or off-dry in style and it must mention the geographical origin on the label.
These two tiers make about 5% of the wine production in Germany.

One from the top, you can find the "Quality Wine from a Specified Region or "QbA (Qualitatswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete). Only 13 wine regions across Germany have been given this status. Among the requirements, grapes for QbA need to be 100% from the specified region, contain the minimum must weight and natural sugar content outlined in the rule book. Each wine then undergoes official quality control tests.

At the summit of the pyramid, you can find the Pradikatswein tier, awarded to those wines that met stricter quality requirements than QbA. This tier is then subdivided into 6 categories, according to the amount of residual sugar at time of harvesting.
We'll delve into more details about Pradikats in the next few days
Wines of Germany

23/07/2024

1 more sleep 😍 🇩🇪 🥂

22/07/2024

Still in Pfalz, we move to Reichsrat Von Buhl today to discover their gems.

The estate was founded in 1849 by Franz Peter Buhl after the subdivision of the Jordan Estate and was passed to his son Franz Armand when the founder died.
Armand was considered one of the most recognized authorities of his time when it came to practical viticultural matters and he co-founded the German Viticultural Association.

He also became the first "Reichsrat" (member of the house of Lords in the Bavarian Kingdom), appointed by King Ludwig II in 1885, because of his achievements in the German social legislation 1883-89.
Since then, the winery has gone from strength to strength, like being served in the most prestigious hotels in Germany or at the Queen Mother's 100th Birthday meal.

In 1952, when Armand's daughter-in-law Frieda dies childless, the ownership of the estate passed to a political friend of the family. Over the years, the massive estate was scaled down, until only the best of the best parcels of land were left.

Since 2009, all von Buhl's vineyards and wines are organically certified and a focus on environment is more prominent in and outside the winery.

The Bone Dry von Buhl is vibrant, flinty, mineral. Its full palate of peach and apricot balances its dryness out very well.
Their Trocken is a bit more yellow fruits on the nose, nots of lemon/ lime/ peach but with the unmistakeable acidity that cleans the palate at the end of a mouthful.

FUN FACT: a Von Buhl Riesling was served at the Suez Canal's opening ceremony... How wild is that?! 😱
As part of the campaign, both Von Buhl's Rieslings will be on offer throughout July.
Prost! 🥂

19/07/2024

We've had a last-minute cancellation on this sold out event happening next Wednesday.
If you thought you missed out or would like to join us to learn more about German Riesling in all of its forms, give us a ☎️ and we can book you up.
There are only 2 tickets going so be quick! 🙂

19/07/2024

Less than 2 weeks left to enjoy discounts of over 10% on all German Rieslings as part of the campaign, promoted by Wines of Germany

This is your chance to try some fantastic Rieslings from 6 different wine producers and open your palate up to a whole new world.
What are you waiting for?
Prost! 🥂

18/07/2024

Great way to experience some local gin in a fabulous setting 😍

~ R U D D Y F I N E E X P R E S S ~

Got something to celebrate? Join us this September for a ‘magical’ night aboard the Ruddy Fine Express.

‼️B O T T O M L E S S G I N T R A I N‼️

Date: Thursday September 5th
Time: 6.15pm until 10pm
Venue: Great Central Railway, Loughborough, LE11 1RW

🍸You will arrive at the beautifully preserved Great Central Railway for a cocktail reception in your very own Ruddy Fine Copa De Balon gin glass with 1920’s music resonating in the background.

🚂A short time later its all aboard for a trip through the stunning local countryside whilst enjoying a delicious 3 course meal at your own private table.

💁‍♀️Throughout, our friendly staff will be keeping your glasses topped up with bottomless Ruddy Fine Gin as you take in the atmosphere of a time when life was a great deal simpler.

Prices From: £134pp

‼️Limited places available! - 2023 was a SELL OUT event & we know some of you were disappointed to miss out so get your spaces booked asap‼️

Book online NOW

18/07/2024

3 different sizes to choose from in order to enjoy this fantastic wine.

Bodegas Muga is back in stock! 🍷 🇪🇸

17/07/2024

Today we move to Pfalz to introduce Villa Wolf to you.

The climate, mineral-rich soils (limestone, basalt and sandstone are the most prominent), the age of the vines and the position of the vineyards make this area of the Middle Haardt perfect for growing great dry Rieslings.

Villa Wolf is nestled in the village of Wachenheim -in the Pfalz region- and it dates back to 1843 when the Italian-style villa was completed. In 1996, Ernst Loosen (yes, the very same) saw the potential of this traditional winery to make first-class dry wines and took over the winery.

During the past 10 years, the estate has focussed on low intervention and quality by:
- eliminating artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
- hand-harvesting the grapes
- allowing lees contact to enhance the structure of its wines
- growing their grapes on the best sites in Pfalz
- using old oak barrels for their single-vineyard wines (like the Belz site in the village of Wachenheim)

The Riesling 1er Cru from Villa Wolf shows some lovely grapefruit-y notes on the nose and a chalky, round mouthfeel, which intensify with age. It matures on lees for 12 whole months after a fermentation in tank with native yeasts.
Minimal intervention, great wine.
Prost! 🥂

16/07/2024

What does VDP mean?

Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (Association of Germany Quality and Pradikats Wine Estates) is a group of 200 wineries and who's logo is symbol of German quality wines.

They have created a quality-focussed system for German wines, based on the French vineyard classification of Premier Cru and Grand Cru (Erste Lage and Grosse Lage, respectively).

The black eagle has become their "trademark for outstanding wines" for over 100 years, by relying on a set of strict rules to ensure that the origin of the wines and the sustainability of the vineyard (and cellar) work result in wines that are unique to the terroir they have been crafted from.
Just as each vineyard is like one-of-a-kind, so are the wines made in each one. They are all so different, because the soil/ climate/ position etc. are different.

Grosse Lage is for Germany's best vineyard sites. Small, clearly demarcated areas with site-specific characteristics. The dry whites produced on these sites are Grosses Gewachs and they are known for their long cellaring potential and expression of the site.

Erste Lage is used for "first class" vineyards with distinctive characteristic, BUT not at the same quality level as the Grosse Lage.
Prost! 🥂

15/07/2024

New dates added to our tasting calendar 🗓

We have been working hard behind the scenes to add a few more events to our calendar and keeps things interesting.

There will be more info about each one soon, so keep your 👀 open. In the meantime, you can register your interest and request more info by messaging us here.

14/07/2024

Quinta de Sao Luiz is the estate where all of Kopke's DOC Douro wines are crafted.

Purchased in 1922 by the Kopke family, it's one of the most important properties in the region because of the quality of its soil and vines.

One of the many traditions in the area was to pain the stone walls white, once a year. This historic and cultural tradition is reflected in the label and the name of the July's Wines of the Month: Muros (meaning walls in Portuguese) and the worker painting the walls white on the side. Simply spot on!

12/07/2024

Being a Prum in Mosel is kind of a big deal: the family's ties to the area go back to 1156! 😱

Sebastian Alois Prum (the original S.A. Prum)'s son Mathias owned 17ha of vineyards back in the 19th century, making it the largest privately-owned wine estate in Mosel back in the days. Mathias's children expanded the estate and established the winery in 1911. By the time Raimund Prum passes the reins of the estate to his daughter Saskia Andrea Prum in 2017, the estate is one of the most prestigious in Germany.

Growing almost exclusively Riesling, with some vines going back to 1905, the estate comprises of a few key vineyard sites: Sonnenhur in Wehlen, Himmelreich and Domprobst in Graach, Lay/ Graben/ Matheisbildchen/ Johannisbrunnchen/ Schlossberg in Bernkastel.

All the Rieslings we have chosen from their range come from the Sonnenhur site and show in a small way what this grape variety is able to do: from good old trocken Blue Slate with its delicate aromas of citrus fruits and green apple, to the Auslese full of peaches, apricots and its unctuous texture, with the lovely intermission of the Kabinett for all those who prefer a more fruit-driven glass with still plenty of mouthfeel.

We absolutely adore them.
As part of the 31 Days of German Riesling campaign, they are all on offer until the end of the Month.

Fun fact: did you know that the original sonnenuhr (sundial) was built by Jodocus Prum in 1842?
Prost! 🥂

09/07/2024

New week at George Hill and our boxes are going out again today! 🚛

More and more of you are entrusting us with your wine selections and we couldn't be happier to help you widen your horizons when it comes this delicious nectar. There are so many choices out there! 🍷

Did you know that all of the boxes are personalised to your palate? As you all have individual tastes, so do the wines we choose to go to each member. Some of you prefer all reds. Some all whites. Some a mix, with the odd bottle of sparkling...

So why should you conform to pre-mixed boxes?

If you want to learn more about our Wine Club offer, get in touch.
https://georgehill.co.uk/products/wine-club/

07/07/2024

If you always wanted to go and visit Rothley Wine Estate but never quite made it, this is your chance! Liz has some cancellations and you would be in for a treat 🍾🍷

07/07/2024

Guntrum - Weintradition seit 1648 wines are another best-seller of ours.
Most of our customers might be familiar with their Dornfelder (we can maybe discuss this another time), but their are to die for too!

Focussed on sustainability and low intervention, their motto is aptly "Sweet idleness. Time and patience [in the cellar] are amongst the best winemakers of the World". And for 11 generations, they have let the individual terroirs speak for themselves through the wines produced on each vineyard.

Their dry Riesling is a classic example of elegant, delicate flavours but impressive mouthfeel, while the red sandstone of the Neirstein vineyards translates to tropical fruit aromas (pineapple/ melon) and an excellent balance of sweetness and acidity in their Bergkirche Riesling Kabinett.

2 fantastic examples of Rheinhessen for you to venture out of the more usual Mosel and Pfalz regions. Konstantin Guntrum (current owner of the legendary winery) knows it only to well and you can see the passion he puts in his wines in every glass you try.

Both the Dry Riesling and the Neirstein Bergkirche Kabinett will be on offer for the whole month of July, as part of the campaign.
Prost! 🥂

05/07/2024

Just a snippet of our German themed window for 31 Days of German Riesling 🇩🇪

What do you think? 🥨🍺🥂

03/07/2024

And the offers are ready on the counter to be perused!

Whether you are a hardcore fan or a newbie, there's something for everyone: Sekt, Bone Dry, Trocken, Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese and the more the merrier!

1 grape variety, 6 different producers, 14 wines to choose from (so far) and a whole lot of merriment to be had this month.

All the German Rieslings are on offer for the whole of the July, so this is your chance to try some fantastic wines at unbeatable prices.
Prost! 🥂

02/07/2024

Dr Loosen HAS to be one of the best German producers out there and should certainly be on your radar for all things Rieslings. 🇩🇪

Ernst's wine philosophy is -in principle- simple: "great wines are an authentic expression of the soil, the climate and the vines themselves".
Quality, terroir and commitment are essential to craft outstanding wines. But it takes great dedication to stick to it.

All their wines come from their estate-owned vineyards in the Middle Mosel, all sustainably farmed and hand harvested (the hills there are steep!!)

We stock a fairly decent range of wines from Dr. Loosen and you can taste in each bottle to specificity of the soil, the care put to grow the vines and the characteristics of each vintage. From Sekt to Spatlese, going through some single vineyard sites, the craftmanship behind each wine is such as to take your palate on a journey you'll never forget.
Lower in alcohol than most whites (they range between 8 and 11.5% AbV), they are an all-rounder when it comes to food pairing.

As past of 31 Days of Germany Rieslings, all of Dr Loosen's Rieslings are on offer for the whole of July.
Prost! 🥂

01/07/2024

July Wine of the Month has just landed! 🇵🇹
For this month, we have decided to go for something new, refreshing and of course very tasty.

The Muros de Sao Luiz is a line of wines crafted by the incredible Kopke, in the Quinta de Sao Luiz, about 140km from Vila Nova da Gaia/ Porto.

Kopke is (that we know of) THE oldest Port wine house, dating all the way back to 1638 😱 when the first wine bottles were shipped from Porto to the North of Europe, after a love story between Hamburg and Portugal blossomed 2 years prior, following the settlement of Nicolau Kopke as Consul General of the Hanseatic League.

Fast forward to 1781. The purchase of a farm in Douro marks the start of Kopke becoming a major wine producer (and shipper), with Port being the focus of the Nicolau Kopke & Co company.

200 years after first settling in Portugal, the Kopke family's commitment to their hosting country (and support to the Liberal Party during the civil war) was rewarded with 2 noble titles: in 1836, Cristiano Nicolau Kopke was made Baron of Vilar and -in 1846- his Nephew Joaquim Augusto Kopke Baron of Massarelos.

Enough of history now. It's time to try some new wines this July! 🍷
Will you come and treat yourselves to a bottle?

01/07/2024

From today and for the whole month of July, we are taking part in the campaign. One full month dedicated to "the greatest white wine grape in the world" (according to Jancis Robinson MW). 🥂
We will be highlighting the German producers we work with and their fantastic portfolio of Rieslings.
From Sekt to Auslese, you will have the chance to learn more about the different styles, regions and everything in between.
There are still a handful of places for our Riesling event at the end of the month; if you are interested, give us a shout before they are all gone!
Wines of Germany

27/06/2024

Last few days to take advantage of our offer on these beauties!

Have you tried them? What did you think of them? We cannot believe we waited this long to share them with you all 🍷

21/06/2024

What a great night we had at Rothley Wine Estate to celebrate 🍾

Thanks Liz for having us and showing us around your beautiful vineyard ❤️

21/06/2024

In less than 12 hours we will be wandering around Rothley Wine Estate, ready to start our Tasting Dinner with Liz and her fantastic wines.
English Wine Week is drawing to a close and what better way than a dinner (and tasting of course) in a local vineyard?

We have been supporting Liz for nearly 10 years now (how time flies! 😱) and we couldn't be prouder of what she's achieving. 👏 From a hobby all the way back to 2008 to a successful, thriving business and regularly winning awards both regionally and nationally.

On top of embracing the sustainability goals set by Wines of Great Britain, she is also implementing other activities to keep in line with limiting (and reducing) the environmental impact in the vineyard: handpicking the grapes, planting disease-resistant grape varieties to avoid the use of pesticides, using local sheep wool as natural fertiliser and weed-control and applying a compost strategy to the waste produced are just some of the practices she uses.

Are you one of the lucky ones who has visited Rothley? If the answer is no, but you are intrigued to try some wines, we have put together a mixed case of her wines* on offer during English Wine Week.

*until stock lasts

19/06/2024

93 hectares of vines in the beautiful South Downs, just a mere 3 miles from the Channel, is what awaits you if you ever visit the lovely vineyard of Rathfinny Estate.

This family estate was founded back in 2010 by Mark and Sarah Driver, on a quest to craft exceptional traditional-method sparkling wines. Using the estate-grown only grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, Rathfinny create some fantastic Classic Cuvee, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rose, thank you to the semi-continental maritime climate and chalky soil (same as another famous French region 😉).

Along with only using the best grapes they can produce, Mark and Sarah are also concerned with the wellbeing of their staff and the planet. As of April 2023, they became the third UK wine producer to achieve a B Corporation certification.

No need to rush exceptional wines. That's why all of Rathfinny's sparklings spend lengthy periods of time on lees (anything from 24 to 36 months, minimum) to make sure they have the depth and complexity they deserve.

17/06/2024

It was the summer of 2020 when we first came across and tried some wines from Henners. During our very first zoom tasting, Colette talked us through and showed us what they were working on. She put us at ease and we spent a great 2 hours talking all things English.

Since then, they have grown not only in range (they have a range of sparkling, including rose, a vintage and a blanc des blancs, along with a core range of still and a few side projects), but their wines have developed and gained a finesse and a style that you can only get when high quality standards are never compromised.

Only the best quality fruit makes it to the winery, where minimal intervention continues. The winemaking team likes to play with reserve wines and oak barrels to add depth, richness and layers to their wines, resulting in stunning examples of what good fruits from East Sussex can become.

Being one of the founding members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain*, they take pride in their commitment in reducing their carbon footprint in the vineyard and winery, improving the health of the soil and preserving the vineyards they work on and their environments.

Henners Vineyard is one of our favourite English Wine producers and we couldn't not shine a light on the incredible wines crafted by the hard-working and committed people behind them.

You can learn more about Henners and their wines in store, as they are featured in our English Wine Week promotions.

*You can read more about the Scheme here: https://winegb.co.uk/our-wines/sustainable-wines-of-great-britain-certification-scheme/

14/06/2024

Had to share the new shape for the preserved fruits. Don't they look ace? 🤩

13/06/2024

Found this Bourgeuil while rummaging through the wine rack.
It was perfect paired with a crusty baguette, some rillettes and a quick salad🧏🏻‍♀️

11/06/2024

From now until the end of the week, we are offering FREE Arran hip flask* with every bottle of Arran whisky purchased.
It makes a great present, don't you think?


*Until stock lasts

11/06/2024

If you do not receive our newsletter (but enjoy the wines we sell), you might not be aware of some events we have organised in and around Loughborough.
We have put a quick list of confirmed events we have happening so far, but we will keep updating them as and when more are black on white.
If you want to stay up-to-date with what's going on with George Hill Ltd, follow us and sign up to our newsletter 👇
https://georgehill.co.uk/ (bottom of the page)

07/12/2023

We have some magnum of back in stock! 🎉
and are gracing our shelves this Christmas 🥂