Gateway to wine world

Instead of the usual country by country grouping, Sean Welsh and his wife Julie have arranged their shelves by the style and the weight of the flavours in the bottle. So New Zealand Pinot Noirs are close to the Burgundies, hefty Argentinian Malbecs are next to Australian Shiraz and Chablis is close to South African Chardonnays. "It takes a bit of getting used to, but it does encourage everyone to try something different," said Sean. "It takes away some of the snobbery about wine and opens up other regions and broadens everyone's tastes".

Broadening tastes and giving a little bit of wine knowledge is all part of the remit here where wine classes are run above the shop; visiting winemakers regularly turn up to present their wines to a packed house of thirsty customers and if you are lucky you may get to try some new samples of wine with your pot luck platter on a Saturday lunchtime.

"I am fascinated by the way wine and food go together so this was never going to be just a wine shop," said Sean. That's why there is a delicatessen behind the wine area offering artisan cheeses, charcuterie, olives, jams and honey. There is fresh bread on Fridays and Saturdays and that's when the upstairs room of this grade II listed building is opened for light lunches consisting of a selection of cheese, a few olives and a glass of wine. Sean has 20 years of experience selling wine into independent wine shops and supermarkets and has worked for some of the most prestigious importers in the UK. "But I was driving 40,000 miles a year and I was away every week, so minding the shop here is much better," says Sean who has lived in Howden for years. His extensive wine knowledge, gathered from frequent trips to wine regions, is put to good use selecting the wines and in running regular wine courses which offer tastes of at least 10 wines per evening, for a bargain 10.

This is more than just a local wine shop. It has a hand-picked selection of quality wines, with a solid core of classics from France, Spain and Italy. Champagne is a particular speciality and this area is set to grow but the real excitement comes from less well-known areas such as a terrific Petit Verdot from Juan Gil in Jumilla (9.99), the crisp clean flavours of Rueda from Bodegas Naia (11.99) and the warm, mulberry fruit of A Mano Primitivo from Puglia (5.49). The New World selection is particularly good with names such as Grosset, Wild Earth, Escarpment and O Fournier providing excellent, dynamic flavours from around the world.

Persuading itinerant winemakers to call and present their wines is the best way to enthuse customers about new wines and already one of the big names of the wine world has called into the shop. David Hohnen, the man behind the iconic New Zealand Cloudy Bay brand was briefly in the UK recently and he attracted a sell-out crowd in Howden when he presented a range of his new wines, McHenry Hohnen.

For a man who founded one of the most recognisable, top-quality wines of the world, David Hohnen is remarkably quiet and modest. He began growing grapes on the family farm in Margaret River, Western Australia and studied winemaking in California. On his return he expanded the home vineyard and marketed the wine as Cape Mentelle, but it was a chance meeting with some New Zealand winemakers which was to bring him to world-wide attention.

They gave him a couple of bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which

had the aromatic flavours he had been looking for.

With a massive loan from the bank, "and backers of course, it was never just me on my own", he set off for New Zealand and founded and developed Cloudy Bay into the definitive example of Marlborough Sauvignon. "But I never moved to New Zealand. I just went there four times a year. I had the most fantastic team there." Success with Cape Mentelle went hand in hand with Cloudy Bay, and the two companies grew dramatically so he eventually sold out to Veuve Clicquot.

He finally left these two businesses in 2003, but since he is not the type to sit at home, he went back to the original Margaret River farmland where the whole project started and he planted more grapes.

Now, with his brother-in-law, Murray McHenry, he has 300 acres planted to 14 different grapes and he is experimenting once again, this time with Mediterranean varieties, packing clear, pure fruit and complexity into his wines, mainly through leaving the grapes to ripen properly, to achieve their maximum flavour and tannin ripeness. Rocky Road Chardonnay 2008 (16.99) is fermented with natural yeast in used burgundian barrels which he has shipped out to Western Australia. They allow the wine to develop soft nutty flavours and delicious complexity. His Three Amigos 2006 (11.99) is a blend of Rhne varietals with soft, open fruit and light spice, and is perfect for teaming up with food while my favourite is the Tiger Country 2006 (13.98) Tempranillo blend that has glorious cherry and herbal complexity – a really different taste from Australia.

In these tough economic times when supermarkets are steadily increasing their share of the wine market, it is always good to see a new wine shop appear but it is especially good to see Flourish and Prosper in Howden.

Find the shop at 64 Bridgegate, or ring Sean and Julie on 01430 430006. If you can't get to the shop, they can arrange delivery to you.

Flourish and Prosper, 64 Bridgegate, Howden 01430 430006, deliveries arranged.

YP MAG 22/5/10