AFC Direct ltd

24/04/2024

MARCHESI DI BAROLO BAROLO TRADIZIONE
DOCG

The grapes destined for the production of this wine come from vineyards located on hills, characterised by clay/limestone soils interspersed with compact layers of sandstone, quartz sands and very fine silt. This provides the wine with a broad, rich structure, a balanced and expressive character.

TASTING NOTES
The colour is garnet red with ruby reflections. Aromas are pronounced and persistent with distinct traces of spices, cinnamon, absinthe, to***co and wild rose. The taste is full and elegant, with soft tannins. The spicy and the woody aromas blend perfectly. This vintage matches perfectly with the traditional Langhe egg pasta (Tajarin), ravioli, red meats, stews, boiled and braised meats and game. It pairs well with sheep and goat’s milk cheeses and other mildly-seasoned cheeses.

AWARDS
Wine Enthusiast – 94 points
Gardini Notes – 93+ points
Decanter World Wine Awards – 92 points / Silver Medal
Luca Maroni – 92 points
Falstaff – 91 points
Wines Critic – 91 points

02/03/2024

Le Difese

A wine that is remembered

CABERNET SAUVIGNON BLENDS WITH THE TUSCAN CHARACTER OF SANGIOVESE

The presence of Sangiovese, which determines its character, gives Le Difese a clear personality, it is a wine partly produced with French grapes that does not renounce its Tuscan backbone. It is well suited with food pairing and invites conviviality. 😍

We are an independent family-owned company. As a family run business we have a true passion for food

07/11/2023

Pecorino Superiore
Pale yellow with golden hues. Aroma of fresh yellow and mature fruit, delicate balsamic and floral notes. With good structure and long length.
Excellent with all seafood, it also pairs well with delicate meat dishes and vegetables. Excellent with starters or as an aperitif.

PRODUCTION AREA
Abruzzo, in the heart of the province of Chieti, between the Maiella massif and the Adriatic Sea.

TERRAIN
Hilly with an average altitude of 250 metres above sea level, with mostly calcareous clay soil.

SELLING PERIOD
From January, the year after vinification.

VINIFICATION AND REFINEMENT
Brief cold maceration of the pressed grapes; soft pressing and fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks.

SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS
Pale yellow with golden hues. Aroma of fresh yellow and mature fruit, delicate balsamic and floral notes. With good structure and long length.

03/11/2023

10/10/2023

RECIOTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG CLASSICO

This wine has an ancient history dating back to the time of the ancient Romans and the famous Rhaetian wine that was highly praised and appreciated by the Latin poets. As a symbol of the viticulture of the Valpolicella Classico area based on the particular natural drying process of only the ripest grapes, it is considered “the father” of Amarone.

14/09/2023

Ribolla Gialla

Production area
Venezia Giulia IGT

Ribolla Gialla is a white wine grape grown most prominently in the Friuli region of northeast Italy. The grape is also found in Slovenia where it is known as Rebula. In Friuli, the grape thrives in the region around Rosazzo and Gorizia. In Slovenia, the grape is grown prominently in the Brda region.

Tasting profile
The wine is straw yellow and has a particularly delicate aroma. The nose has floral overtones that make this wine pleasingly harmonious.

Food pairings
Excellent served as an aperitif. Goes well with fish-based starters and soft, creamy cheeses.

13/09/2023

MORA MORA MALVASIA NERA SALENTO IGP PAOLO LEO

Malvasia nera is one of the oldest indigenous grape varieties in Puglia and it is likely that it arrived in southern Italy starting from the Dalmatian coasts beyond the Adriatic Sea. Aromatic black grape variety, it is distinguished by a high sugar concentration and the almost total absence of tannin in the skins, a characteristic that makes it unique and unexpected especially when sipped even slightly cool in the sunny Salento summers.

Mora Mora is a wine produced by the Paolo Leo winery from black Malvasia grapes harvested around the rural area of ​​San Donaci in the province of Brindisi on the border with the province of Lecce. The grapes come from vineyards with plants of about 40/50 years of age that are raised with the spurred cordon training system on medium-textured soils and with a planting density of about 4500 plants per hectare and a final yield of about 2 kg of grapes per plant.

The harvest is carried out in the second decade of September with a manual harvest of the grapes completed in the early hours of the morning, in the coolest hours of the day. After harvesting, the grapes are destemmed and the crushed grapes ferments in stainless steel at a controlled temperature of 22-24 ° C for 8-10 days. The must is subjected to various pumping over and delestage that offer a technological extraction of color and tannins. Subsequently the wine is drawn off in a soft press. After the first racking, again in stainless steel, the malolactic fermentation takes place. Finally, the wine finishes its maturation for 3 months in second and third passage French oak barriques and is already ready to be drunk very young.

Mora Mora is presented in the glass with a beautiful intense ruby ​​red color. On the nose it offers small red fruits such as blackberries and mulberries in full ripeness. Then there are hints of dried plums and sweet spices such as cinnamon and cloves that give an enveloping tertiary perception. In the mouth it is warm, juicy, fresh with a slightly hinted acidity. Final with a very light sweetish aftertaste given by the typical fruit of black malvasia.

We are an independent family-owned company. As a family run business we have a true passion for food

17/08/2023

Orfeo ❤️❤️❤️
Negroamaro Puglia IGP
Negroamaro is considered the main native grape variety of Salento, with an excellent content of tannin sand flavor compounds that give intense but elegant, fruity and spicy wines. Negroamaro is also known by its high content in resveratrol, an antioxidant and anticancer substance present in other black grape varieties but found in relevant quantities only in Negroamaro

GRAPE VARIETY: Negroamaro

APPELLATION: Puglia IGP

PRODUCTION AREA: Salento, well exposed to the breeze of both Ionian and Adriatic seas, in southern Puglia

TRAINING SYSTEM: traditional 50 years old Apulian bush vines, spur pruned

SOIL: medium texture

PLANT DENSITY AND YIELD: 4500 plants per hectare and 1.5 kg of grapes per plant

HARVEST: manual harvest is carried out in the early hours of dawn, when low temperatures and dry weather help preserving freshness and aroma; the bunches are placed in small baskets of 5 kg and quickly taken to the cellar, avoiding unwanted macerations or early fermentations

VINIFICATION: grapes are destemmed and fermented at a controlled temperature of 25 °C for 8-10 days. Follows a maceration on the skins that lasts 12-15 days, with repeated pumping over’s and finally soft pressing of the marc.

AGEING: 3 months in steel, 12 months in American and French oak barrels and 3 months in bottle

ALCOHOL: 14.5%

CALORIES: 101.5 kcal/100 ml

TASTING NOTES: Deep ruby colour with garnet tinges; pronounced spicy bouquet, with aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry, spicy notes of black pepper and licorice and nuances of vanilla and chocolate; full-bodied, with smooth and lingering tannins perfectly balanced by a good freshness. Long and persistent finish of black fruits and spices.

We are an independent family-owned company. As a family run business we have a true passion for food

01/07/2023

Deliveries will start Tuesday 🙂

Thank you for your orders 🚛

21/06/2023

IMMA
IMMA is the wine that Marco dedicated to his first son, Manuele, who joined the Bonfante family in 2015. “IMMA” is simply the abbreviation of the Jewish name from which it derives, “Immanuel”.

GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo

VINEYARD: The soil is rich of calcareous clay marl and sand on the south and south-east, which allows to obtain a very high quality.
Training system: Guyot
Vineyard density: 5200 plants per hectare
Harvest: First half of October
Yield per hectare: 55hl/Ha

WINEMAKING: During the vinification we try to exalt the characteristics of Nebbiolo grapes and to have the maximum extraction of noble components: we obtain that with a prolonged maceration and with particular attention to fermentation temperatures (max. 28°C) to protect the taste and olfactory freshness. The grapes get destalked and soft-pressed. To the alcoholic fermentation, which lasts 10/12 days, it follows a further maceration on the skins for 8/10 days. After that, IMMA is aged for 12 months in big French oak barrels.

TASTING: In the glass IMMA shows a clear ruby red. The aromas are complex, with notes of plum, spices, red berries and violet. On the palate it is frank, tasty, with important tannins well integrated in the structure of the wine. It is long and persistent with a fruity and spiced final. It needs some years in the bottle to express all its potential.

Service temperature: 16°-18°(60°F-64°F)
Food pairing: We recommend this Langhe Nebbiolo with typical dishes like the piedmontese “finanziera”, risotto with fondue and white truffle, meat dishes like “bollito”, mushroom “faraona”, rabbit with peppers and medium ripened cheeses.

08/06/2023

Millefiori
Rosso delle Venezie IGP
GRAPES:

Corvina, Merlot

VINEYARD AREA:

The grapes are selected from low-yielding vineyards near the town of San Pietro in Cariano, in the province of Verona.

AGE OF VINES: 30 years old.

PLANT TRAINING AND DENSITY:

The grapes are inter-planted and trained using the typical pergola Veronese and Guyot methods. Plant density is 4.200 vines per hectare with an average yield of no more than 1,4 kg of grapes per plant.

HARVEST:

The grapes are carefully picked by hand in early October. Approximately 60% of the picked grapes are placed in small wooden crates of 5 kg each. The crates are then placed in the “fruttaio,” a well aerated loft, and are left there to dry at a controlled temperature and humidity until December. During this “appassimento” the grapes will lose up to 50% of their original weight in water, thus concentrating their color, substance and aromas.

VINIFICATION:

The grapes which are not dried are immediately vinified. After de-stemming, the grapes are not crushed, allowing them to remain intact, reducing damage to the skins and optimizing color extraction. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 25-26°C for 8-10 days.
Frequent remontage and delestage are carried out in the early stages of fermentation in order to achieve soft extraction of aromas and gentle tannins. After racking, malolactic bacteria are added to induce a second fermentation. In late December the dried grapes are vinified. After de-stemming, the grapes are crushed and placed in stainless steel tanks, where selected yeasts are added. A very slow fermentation is initiated which will last approximately 30 days at a controlled temperature of 24°C.

Here too frequent remontage and delestage are carried out in the early stages of fermentation in order to achieve soft extraction of aromas and gentle tannins. After racking, malolactic bacteria are added to induce a second fermentation.

AGING:

In early February the two wines are blended together. 50% of this blend is placed in first and second passage American and French barriques, where it will stay for 12 months.

ALCOHOL: 14%

06/05/2023

Notice to all customers

We will be closed for a week from 26th of JUNE until the 3rd of JULY. 👍

20/04/2023

AltoRe IGT Toscana Rosso

The terroir is the master of this wine; its expression represents the “face to face” comparison of two great vines, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, which have found their great varietal expression in Tuscany.

It is obtained from the union between 50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon.
After a meticulous green harvest the grapes are collected in small boxes, cooled overnight and then checked on a double sorting table.
Fermentation takes place in barriques with the integral winemaking technique. After a long maceration on the skins, the wine is transferred to French fine-grained oak barriques from the best selection where malolactic fermentation takes place. It rises in barriques “sur lies” for 24 months. After bottling, it ages in glass for at least 12 months before being placed on the market.
Extraordinary identity wine, very intense and elegant. Refined, rich and complex with fruity notes of small black and red fruits combined with fresh undergrowth spices. Sweet, thick, dense, voluminous, long and balanced tannins with a fresh acidity that extends into long and intense fruity and spicy notes. Elegant and austere full-bodied wine where the fruit, spices and balsamic freshness dance in a unique and fascinating intertwining.

18/04/2023

CATARRATTO LUCIDO
Indicazione Geografica Protetta

From the three different recognized clones of Catarratto: Comune, Lucido, and Extra Lucido, we have chosen
the delicate and superior quality Catarrato Lucido.
The name comes from the unusual shiny skin of the grapes.

Our Catarrato grapes are cultivated on slopes at around
400 metres above sea level. Grapes are hand-picked.

The grapes are de-stemmed and very softly pressed with
a pneumatic press. The must is decanted at a low temperature for about 48 hours before starting the fermentation, which takes place at 17-19C° for about 20 days. After the fermentation is finished the wine is racked and kept on fine lees for at least 5 months, with frequent battonages.

TASTING NOTE

Nostru Catarrato Lucido is straw-coloured with flecks of green. The characterful bouquet is a little spicy and reminiscent of jasmine, aromatic herbs and nutmeg, with delicate touches of white peach. On the palate, there is a strong mineral back bone, perfectly balanced with lively acidity. The finish is long and complex with delicious almond flavours.

01/04/2023

Dear customer,

Due to the Easter bank holidays, we will be closed on Friday 7th & Monday 10th April. If you have a delivery on these days, please order earlier to ensure you have enough stock.

Please note, some delivery days may change.

If you have any further questions, please contact us..

Wishing you all a happy Easter!! ❤️❤️❤️

22/03/2023

https://www.just-drinks.com/news/wine-and-spirits-sectors-bemoan-hammer-blow-of-inflation-linked-uk-duty-hike/

UK alcohol duty is to rise in line with inflation this August, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed in Parliament on Wednesday.

06/03/2023

Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Doc Occhio di Pernice

Grapes: 52% sangiovese – 48% canaiolo.

Vineyard: carefully selected parcels on the hills around Radda in Chianti (about 350 metres altitude) the vines are trained by the Guyot and cordone speronato systems, with a density of 3700 vines per hectare, on clayey-marl, rock based ground, with a good exposure.

Vinification: only the healthiest and ripest bunches are selected and these are picked by hand into wooden boxes; the grapes are left to dry on mats assembled on top of each other in dry and airy places until the spring following the vintage; the natural dehydration enriches the juice of the grapes which develops up to 18% alcohol; the dried grapes are then pressed and vinified in the traditional way.

Maturation: the must ferments very slowly (because of the high level of sugar) in small oak casks – the typical caratelli – in the Vinsantaia, an attic with a wide range of temperatures between day and night; the wine matures in wood for more than ten years before it is bottled.

Wine: deep amber colour, with strong tints; rich and concentrated bouquet of exceptional complexity, with hints of candied red fruits; full, balanced, complex, lingering flavour but, above all, extremely elegant with a well balanced rapport between sugar.

Food matches: a wine for “meditation”, it can be enjoyed with dry pastries.
Tuscan Vin Santo belongs to the most ancient oenological civilization, the one of wines made from passiti (partially dried grapes). The peoples of Mesopotamia, of the Middle East and of the Mediterranean have always produced wines which can be transported and kept for a long time thanks
to the drying of the grapes. Passiti are also connected to the Christian tradition, because they are the preferred wines for the celebration of Mass. Vin Santo which, for centuries, has been used for the rite of Holy Communion appears to derive its name from the fact that the grapes from which it is made are left to dry until Holy Week, that of Easter, when they are crushed and pressed.

13/02/2023

LUPO MERAVIGLIA
The peculiarity of this wine, obtained from a blend of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera, relies in its vinification method which involves the use of millstones during the fermentation process. These ancestral elements had been used in Apulia since the first wine-making experiences, and various archaeological findings attested their presence in the Salento area. They were made of stone and their characteristic shape (low, wide and completely open) allowed a better contact between the must and the skins with respect to the traditional wi-nemaking methods, improving the dissolution of oxygen during the fermentation process. Nowadays, the grapes are vinified inside the “modern” stainless steel millstones, whose shape and characteristics mirror the original ones. The wine obtained, with no oak refining, has a great structure, concentration and a very high persistence; the complete extraction of all the skins parts and the greater dissolution of oxygen during the fermentation process result in more mature tannins, which become less aggressive and more long-lasting.

Uno di Uno Puglia IGT Primitivo Rosé

10/02/2023

The Greco di Tufo from Lapilli is a tightly packed gift of mineral purity that dances with elegant stone fruit character alongside a dried herb edge. In short, this is a phenomenal drop for the price and a rare find in the Campania region that is known for its premium white wines. Subtle but clear notes of peach and apricot hop out of the glass and they give way to bitter almond and dried sage. The complexity carries onto the palate but here the stone fruits are joined by a steely like undercurrent that weaves beautifully with a soaring acidity and surprising roundness. A lot going on but all in perfect balance that slips down so harmoniously, with the mineral peachy flavours lingering long after your sip. This has the structure to stand up to white meats - grilled chicken breast would be a great pair, as would most shellfish dishes with a subtle sweetness.
This 100% Greco wine comes from the highest vineyards that the Lapilli winery owns, up to 450m above sea level. Grown on the volcanic influenced Tufo soils that are high in limestone, it is the terrain that helps produce concentrated, mineral whites in the region. Of course, the Lapilli family play their part too and they have been growing grapes for wine since the 1960s as part of their small estate. They produce exquisite, varietally typical and regionally representative whites at incredible prices – a combination that isn’t easy to come by in Campania. The Lapilli Greco di Tufo is produced from vines that have an average age of 20 yrs. Thanks to the altitude, the grapes aren’t harvested until the end of October and, following fermentation, the wine spends three months in tank.

We are an independently owned food and drink distributor based in Maidenhead, operating an efficient delivery service to Berks, Bucks, Surrey and London. As a family run business we have a true passion for food and wine, we strive to source and supply the very best in both service and products. We w...

03/01/2023

Rina Russa
FRAPPATO TERRE SICILIANE IGT

If Frappato is Vittoria’s most typical grape variety, then Rina Russa di Santa Tresa is the embodiment of its typicity.

“Rina Russa” means “red sand” in Sicilian dialect.

Grapes: 100% Frappato di Vittoria – using our very own clone developed on the estate.
Harvest: the grapes are carefully picked by hand towards the end of September and are carefully put into small containers of 15kg.
Vinification: the grapes are chilled overnight in a refrigerated room to lower the temperature to 6-8°C, in order to preserve the particular qualities of the Frappato. After a very gentle destemming and crushing the grapes are fermented at a temperature of about 18-22°C for 10-12 days. The wine is separated from the skins and malolactic fermentation is allowed to take place naturally.

19/12/2022

Christmas opening times🎄

Christmas Eve: closed
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: Closed
Open: 27-31st December

January 1st - 7th closed

Merry Christmas 🎁

01/12/2022

Hi all, We are currently slow and backed up with deliveries due to unforeseen circumstances.
We will fulfill orders placed once we have caught up. Thank you for your patience ❤️

26/09/2022

BOSAN AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG CLASSICO RISERVA

“BOSAN” AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA DOCG CLASSICO RISERVA: GROWS UP IN A VINEYARD SITUATED IN THE HIGHEST ZONE OF THE VALPOLICELLA AREA.

Result of an agronomic and enological research went on many years, Amarone Bosan grows up in a vineyard situated in the Valpolicella area. The style of wine training, pruning and the accurate choice at picking during harvest, provide grapes that aftercarefully drying process, produce this great wine, completed by ageing in French barriques and long rest in the bottle. Perfect with red meat, venison and ripe cheeses, it is also an excellent after-dinner wine.

We are an independently owned food and drink distributor based in Maidenhead, operating an efficient delivery service to Berks, Bucks, Surrey and London. As a family run business we have a true passion for food and wine, we strive to source and supply the very best in both service and products. We w...

11/09/2022

Now instock

Nero Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Brut
CLASSIFICATION

Sparkling wine Asolo prosecco superiore DOCG Extra Brut.
PRODUCTION AREA

D.O.C.G. ‘Asolo Prosecco’ area lies in the Veneto region, north of Venice, in the province of Treviso on the Montello and Colli Asolani hills at the foot of the Dolomites.

The hills are composed of decarbonated soils, medium depth. This area is characterized by mild springs, warm summers and mild autumns. The vineyards are certified

We are an independently owned food and drink distributor based in Maidenhead, operating an efficient delivery service to Berks, Bucks, Surrey and London. As a family run business we have a true passion for food and wine, we strive to source and supply the very best in both service and products. We w...

13/07/2022

JOB VACANCY

- Hours 9am - 5pm
- Delivery Driver
- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

- Delivering around berkshire surrounding areas and london
- You will be provided with a van

- Flexible
- Full Driving license needed
- Available to start asap

DM for further details.

🚛🚛🚛🚛

Send a message to learn more

09/07/2022

NEW - Mea Culpa il Rimorso

Thrilled by the success we had from MEA CULPA we were encouraged to search for a further evolution and create another MEA CULPA, il RIMORSO, which had to be a passionate flirt between elegance and opulence. The two production regions are accurately the same, Apulia and Sicily.

Grapes:
The Salento is the most important area but in this case the ancient “Alberello” bunches are picked and let to dry on trellis. This way allows a better concentration of fruit and
its structure is much more enhanced.

And again Sicily gives its important contribution with Syrah.
Colour:
Gloomy red with an almost creamy perception.

Bouquet:
Fully ripen red fruits with notes of blackberries gently sweet.
Taste:
Sumptuous in its deep richness which recalls notes of red fruits and light hints of spices.
Service:
Serve at 16 - 18° C.
Food Suggestions:
perfect with a tasty cuisine like BBQ meat and seasoned cheese.

We are an independently owned food and drink distributor based in Maidenhead, operating an efficient delivery service to Berks, Bucks, Surrey and London. As a family run business we have a true passion for food and wine, we strive to source and supply the very best in both service and products. We w...

06/07/2022

CHEVAL DES ANDES 2013

Cheval des Andes 2013

Cheval des Andes’ 2013 vintage is characterised by an overall warm and generous climate. The beautiful blend of 67% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot is the result of a meticulous work in vineyards and a very precisely timed harvest. In the cellar, the new style of Cheval des Andes is marked by a slightly higher proportion of new oak and the use of large 500-litre barrels similar to Chateau Cheval-Blanc.

A complex wine that balances refinement and power, the 2013 vintage stands out for its lighter, fresh, aromatic profile. A new style of Cheval des Andes, true to what a high-altitude Argentinian wine should be.
Drawing on a rich heritage of winemaking from Bordeaux, combined with New World innovation, Cheval des Andes has crafted a silky and elegant red from the finest terroir in the prestigious Mendoza region.