The WineBarn speaks to Lucian Obreja, assistant head sommelier at the L'Ortolan, the only Michelin star restaurant in Reading in this month's 'Sommelier Spotlight'.
Last week The WineBarn won yet again at the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Merchant Awards, bringing home the 'Best German Wine Specialist' again. Our entry focused on the development of the new website and expanding our service to private consumers, as well as personalisation of service at Christmas.
The evening was held at the Grosvenor Hotel, London. Our entry was kindly sponsored by Wines of Germany.
For the serious collector of rare and antique wines, we have put together our offer of rare wines for this year. As you can see in some cases there is only one bottle available, to move quickly would be wise... contact Iris@thewinebarn.co.uk to reserve your favourites. J.J. Pruem 2015 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling lange Goldkapsel - auction wine 0.375l - 12 bottles 2015 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling lange Goldkapsel - auction wine 0.75l - 3 bottles 2006 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling BA 0.75l - 1 bottle 2005 Graacher Himmelreich Trockenbeerenauslese Auction Wine 27 0.375l - 10 bottles 2005 Graacher Himmelreich Trockenbeerenauslese Auction Wine 27 1.5l - 1 bottle 2002 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein 0.375l - 1 bottle 2002 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein...
We recently had a chat with one of our favourite sommeliers, Lukas from Le Manoir up in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Raymond Blanc’s vision for Le Manoir has always been one of world-class flavours and a focus on organic produce. How would you describe Le Manoir's wine selection? Le Manoir has a good balance between wine and nature, a strong focus on quality and purity. We favour Biodynamic and Organic wines. What attracted you to The WineBarn's selection? It was the quality and exclusivity of selection, as The WineBarn is the sole importer of many great German wines. What is your opinion on the reception of German wine in your restaurant? We’re still in the process of educating and reintroducing dry...