The DrinkSmith

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The DrinkSmith

Purveyors of fine wine, artisanal spirits, craft beer, and esoteric tipples 🥂

28/08/2023

Evening all, for reasons that I don’t totally understand, we have TWO Drinksmith FB accounts! We’re going to close this one down so that the remaining FB account sits under the same Met Business account. So please head over to TheDrinksmith (no space) as this page will self-destruct in 🧨 5….4…..3…..2……💥

Hint: You’ll know you’re on the right one when u see the blue and gold logo.

26/05/2022

Happy Chardonnay Day!

Dare we say this could be the first Chinese Chardonnay sold in Sherborne?!

This Chardonnay comes from Xige Estate, located in the Dove Mountains in Ningxia, the epicenter of China’s burgeoning wine scene.

Xige Estate has drawn inspiration from the world’s most renowned wine regions to create Chinese wines that are a pure expression of the Helan Mountains’ terroir.

After 12 months in French oak, this Chardonnay shows lively, tropical fruit aromas, accompanied by notes of cream and honey. The palate is beautifully balanced by flavours of fresh red apples and lemony acidity. A pure and typical expression of Ningxia Chardonnay.

We can’t wait for you to be able to stop in and taste this soon!

24/05/2022

This is our official new logo!🤩

Soon you’ll be able to spot this hanging above our new shop on South Street in Sherborne! Keep your eyes peeled 👀

18/05/2022

Take It To The Grave’ Pinot Grigio

This isn’t just ANY Pinot Grigio….this is Take it to the Grave Pinot Grigio!!

A far cry from your simple (watery!) Venetian versions – this is much more luxe and melo, but still bone dry and lip-smackingly refreshing.

Just another example of the top drops that will await you when The Drinksmith opens!☺️

17/05/2022

We want to continue to showcase our selection of wines that we will offering in our store, just to wet your appetite!

As you know the town of Sherborne, surrounded by a green valley and wooded hills, is a town full of local shops with the best quality Dorset products.

We love this beautiful town! That is why in DrinkSmith we’ll only offer the best wines!

Today we would like to introduce you Quinta do Paral, a traditional Portuguese winery located in Alentejo Valley.

Undoubtedly one of the estate’s greatest assets is the wealth of old vine material with an average age of 45 years.

Quinta do Paral Branco, one of five exceptional wines, is equal parts Antão Vaz, Verdelho, Vermentino, and Viognier.

This wine is Vinicius in all stainless steel. Intriguing waxy, pollen nose with notes of honeydew melon.

Palate is rich and textural but pitch-perfect acidity keeps it in check. Totally delicious.

Would you like to try this tasty wine?🤤You will be able to do it soon in our shop in South Street!☺️🍷

25/04/2022

Born & bred in Sherborne, bottled in Chile…

Meet the lovely Matt Ridgway and his wife Ana Cattan. Together they run La Despensa, a refreshingly unconventional, boutique winery in Colchagua, inspired by Matt’s love of the Rhone.

Having grown up in Sherborne Matt spent several years travelling around South America, before moving to Colchagua, Chile, in 2009 where he specialised in helping foreigners buy agricultural land.

In 2011 he bought his own piece of land in Santa Ana and renovated its earthquake-mangled, 100 year old adobe worker’s cottage. In 2013 he planted his vineyard (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, naturally) followed by Marselan, Cinsault, Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne in 2016-17.

He now produces 5-7 different wines per year, including a Cabernet Sauvignon from a friend’s high altitude vineyard and this remarkable Pais, from one of Colchagua’s very last remaining old vine vineyards. It’s at least 120 years old, most likely 150+!

Pais is known as ‘Mission’ in the US, hence the name.
And ‘Cold Shower’? Whilst Maule boasts 3000+ ha of old vine Pais there are barely 40ha left in Colchagua, so much so that producers aren’t (legally) allowed to declare it – however ‘Cold Shower’ sounds uncannily like ‘Colchagua’ if you’re not paying attention…

This is a terrific all-rounder – soft, supple, juicy and spicy. An absolute MUST for a BBQ!

And you’ll be able to buy this amazing wine at The DrinkSmith shop VERY soon!

07/04/2022

Herewith a little taster of the kind of wines you'll be able to buy at The Drinksmith, when we finally throw open our doors in the Summer.

Albariño ‘Lias Rias’ 2020, Attis | Rias Baixas, Spain

These guys make extraordinary Albariño's.

Their 12 hectare estate is in the Val do Salnes, in the heart of Rias Baixas.

The vineyards (almost entirely pergola trained) overlook the Arousa estuary and the Atlantic beyond.

The rhythm of the estate is of course dictated almost entirely by the ocean, so as the warmer days approach here in Dorset (yes, really) this will be a sumptuous accompaniment to grilled prawns or pan-fried scallops!

28/03/2022

With more than a week of sunny days in the books, and the clocks going forward yesterday, we’re starting the week in a full-bloom-springtime mindset. 🍃🌸

We're working hard as we develop a beautiful space for you to enjoy in our little corner Sherborne, but in the meantime we want to share some of our favourite bottles that will soon be available for you to buy in our shop.🍾

To set the scene: as you meander down cobbles in front of the Abbey or walk the path through the Pageant Gardens, there’s a scent of fresh earth, blossoming trees, and fresh-cut grass that lingers in the air. A perfume that is undoubtedly the bouquet of early springtime. It’s a time of year when we celebrate new beginnings and of life emerging from the grasp of winter.

The aromas of a newly trimmed countryside hedgerow are all of the reasons we love Ostara English Vermouth. Ostara is the ancient festival of the Vernal Equinox, when darkness and light come into balance and all things start to grow again.☀️

Founder Julian Davies has created a very unique, vibrant, and truly English vermouth, which is unlike any vermouth you’ll have tasted before, Green notes primarily from nettles, one of Julian’s all time favourite botanicals, and a nod to hedgerows with the taste of dandelion and burdock. The greenness is sublimely balanced with a citrusy edge, thanks to lemon peel and lavender, and something beautifully herbaceous from a hint of juniper. Fresh bark, meadowsweet, and thyme round out the finish, all of which comes together with the final notes of wormwood.

This vermouth is truly a representation of the English Countryside. It’s perfect in a menagerie of cocktails, or on its own over ice. 🥂

23/03/2022

We've been big fans of Dima's superb 3 grain Ukrainian vodka since our first encounter last year. Sadly, Ukraine is now firmly in all our minds for all the wrong reasons.

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If you would like to support this brilliant brand then please reach out to Dima via https://dimasvodka.com/

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UK stock is plentiful and the minimum order for retailers and wholesalers is just 6 bottles!

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A suggested donation of £10 per case would be greatly appreciated and will be matched. Alternatively if you'd prefer to just donate then head over to one of these links:

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https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/first-aid-kits-for-ukraine

or

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cookforukraine

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Thank you for your support 🇺🇦

Address

The Grain Loft, South Street
Sherborne
DT93LU

Website

http://thedrinksmith.co.uk/

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