City AM celebrated the 2nd annual Toast the City Awards last week with a packed out ceremony – with the wine supplied by All (good) Things
Last week’s Toast The City Awards were an absolute triumph as hundreds celebrated the best spaces, places and people making our historic Square Mile the beautiful, brilliant place it is today.
It was tough but rewarding to judge the nominees, and I was delighted to present the awards alongside my friend and co-host, Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt. No celebration is complete, however, without raising an excellent glass.
All (good) Things wine is owned and run by our friends Paul Schaafsma and Madeleine St Clair. Both Matt and I have sampled quite a lot of their produce in the past, so we were very happy when they agreed to sponsor the awards.
How we picked the Toast the City wine
Having worked with some of the biggest names in the wine world (Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and Elton John to name a few), married couple Schaafsma and St Clair wanted to build something new that spoke to their own values. Schaafsma says consumers are increasingly forced to choose between quality and affordability, especially around the £10 mark.
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SUBSCRIBE HERE“We set out to bridge that gap with a contemporary, quality-led approach to winemaking, sourcing exceptional grapes from regions including Western Australia and Marlborough in New Zealand to deliver stylish wines that punch above their price point. The brief was to look like £20, taste like £15 and cost £8 on promotion”.
I love their bold, colourful style and joyful approachability, and I wasn’t the only one: it enjoyed a record-breaking run at Tesco this spring, selling nearly 30,000 cases within the first 10 weeks.
“We’re thrilled to sponsor City AM’s Toast the City Awards this year, honouring the very best of the Square Mile and its many hidden gems. All (good) Things connects with modern consumers’ tastes and lifestyles, making the awards a natural fit for us.”
I toasted the City more than once with their zesty Sauvignon Blanc (£8, Ocado), also St Clair’s favourite, which has been made by award winning winemaker Matt Thompson. The fruit’s quality and purity, sourced from Dillion’s Point in Marlborough, clearly sets it apart from other branded offerings at this price. The smooth, spicy Shiraz (£12.50, Tesco) also flowed on Thursday night, which would be Schaafsma’s own top pick. “As the weather starts to turn, I am particularly enjoying our Western Australian reds, especially our Shiraz and Reserve Pinot Noir from Mount Barker. Our Reserve Pinot Noir has just launched in Ocado and Booths and will be arriving in Tesco Ireland next month!”.
Three for the weekend
Vina Morande Adventure VIGNO Carignan, £23, Threshers
Chile is having a moment when it comes to premium tasting wines and this small batch red from Maule Valley continues to fly the flag. A powerfully expressive blend of Carignan and Syrah, this is all mocha dusted plums, violet petals and dark cherry with a lavishly long finish.
Balfour Signature Chardonnay, £40, balfourwinery.com
A bold new ‘signature’ from Kent’s award-winning winery Balfour. This supple white has a gorgeous peachy generosity to it, with perky hints of vanilla and baking spice and a fine seam of bright, citrus acidity keeping it fresh. Excellent work showing why English wine should be taken seriously.
Champagne Krug, Grande Cuvée, 174ème Édition, £240, Hedonism
The hotly anticipated latest release from one of the most revered champagne houses. A base vintage of the opulent 2018, finely tuned to create a balance of finesse, richness and elegance. Arriving this month, be one of the first to get a taste of utter, assured luxury.