Organic wines in Pennyhill Park's pamper package
I was in a spa the other day having a Cabernet Sauvignon body scrub - as you do - when I noticed later, for lunch, that none of the wines on the list was organic. It seems like the obvious thing to do - if you're going to drink wine at a spa, drink as health-consciously as possible. Well, Pennyhill Park hotel in Bagshot, Surrey, has already wised up to this.
When its new spa opened just before last Christmas (Caterer, 18 March, page 64), its 40-seat Caf‚ Thermis offered a "Retox" wine list - six organic red wines, six organic white wines and an organic bubbly. Some wines are made biodynamically, too, which takes the organic thing a step or two further. Biodynamic winemakers believe in the rhythms of nature and plan all their activities - planting, pruning, harvesting, et al - according to the position of the moon, the stars and the time of year.
Not that many customers actually drink wine after a detoxing spa treatment, you understand. "But we're not a health farm. People come to indulge themselves and we wanted to be able to offer these options," says spa general manager Susan Auld. So alongside the salads, the grilled meat and fish are steak sarnies and chocolate cake - and the wine, of course.
The wine is supplied by Guildford-based Arthur Rackham (0870 870 1110), which has offered organic wine for the last 20 years. Owner James Rackham worked closely with Auld to come up with the wines for the spa list. "It took us a long time to make the selection and they're all good wines that would stand up on any five-star hotel list," Auld declares.
Among the line-up are biodynamic wine producers Jean Paul Fleury in Champagne and the Comte Cathare Estate in the South of France. On the organic front, there's Albet I Noya's PenedŠs Xarel-lo and Milton Vineyard's Gisbourne Riesling.
While wine sales aren't exactly huge for the spa, there's a healthy trade in take-home wines. "Customers can buy the wines in the spa through our website, which links them up with the Rackham site," Auld says.
Shorts
An easy solution Foodservice distributor 3663 (0870 3663 000) has introduced a new brochure for its range of wines, spirits and beers, which includes tips from a Master of Wine and 3663's own chefs. It focuses on food and wine pairings, and details which wines are best for specific events. Called Wines, Beers and Spirits Solution, it will officially launch at this year's London International Wine & Spirits Fair in May.
Label envy
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Indian summer Swanky London Indian restaurant the Cinnamon Club has appointed former Light Bar, St Martin's Lane bartender Diego Gonzalez Garcia as bar manager to zip up its spring and summer cocktail menu. Additions to the list include the passion fruit-based Bollywood Passion Martini, and the Chilli Mexican Mule, made with fresh blueberries and infused chilli tequila.
Greece is the word Sales, marketing and distribution specialist Food Brokers (02392 222 500) has ventured into the £15b UK beer market with the launch of a Greek lager, hoping to capture the attention of the UK Greek restaurants and four million British tourists who visit Greece every year. Called Alfa Hellenic, it's produced in Athens by the Athenian brewery, the operating company of Heineken in Greece and one of this year's Olympic Games sponsors.
Last call to enter Trophée Gosset Celebris The closing date (5 May) is fast approaching for the Troph‚e Gosset Celebris, which targets any establishment - however large or small - which promotes Champagne (and not necessarily Champagne Gosset) on its wine list. Last year's winner was Miles Cornish at the Inn at Whitewell. For entry details, e-mail gosset@golleyslater.co.uk or ring Alison Jee on 020 8744 2630.
Wurttemberg wines in the UK A new wine company has formed to import and distribute wines from the Wrttemberg region of Germany. Called Neckar Wines (020 8652 7392), it handles three key producers from the Neckar Valley in Germany's South-west - Count Benztel Sturmfeder, Weingut Drautz-Able and Prince Hohenlohe Oehringen. All three producers have dry and late harvest whites, reds and sparkling wines in their portfolios, priced from £7.40 to £11.74 per bottle, ex-VAT.
