D&D showcases ‘new wave’ wines

Restaurant group D&D London has partnered with the Wine Institute of California in a bid to showcase a selection of ‘new wave’ wines at the recently re-launched Avenue restaurant in St James.

Avenue Restaurant, 7-9 St James’s St, London SW1

The joint campaign, which will run throughout June, aims to establish Avenue as one of London’s best restaurants for California wines by exposing them exposure to the capital’s foodies.

The ‘new wave’ of California wines – produced by small, independent makers using lesser-known grape varieties – are not widely available on the UK high street or in other British restaurants.

John McLaren, UK director for the Wine Institute of California, said: “For any wine business, to put together a collection of these wines is a joy and an early opportunity to explore this new world of wine, before the old world of wine is forced to sit up and take notice.”

The wines will be available at the Avenue by the bottle or, with fine wines, poured using the Coravin system which allows glasses to be poured without fully opening the bottle.

Several wines will also be paired with the restaurant’s lunchtime set menu.

Two wine tastings, a ‘cheap flight’ promotion and social media competitions are planned to drive consumer interest, while a mixed case of new wave wines recommended by Avenue head sommelier Andres Ltuarte will be available to buy online.

Andres Ituarte, head sommelier at the Avenue Restaurant, said: “We have had a great response from customers to the new US-focused wine list since we re-opened a few months back. The California new wave is where it’s at right now; I really want to champion the best American wines and introduce my customers to them.”

The first tasting, ‘California v the Rest of the World’, will take place on Tuesday 3 June hosted by Matteo Lupi of award-winning California-specialist agency Roberson, who will present two new wave California Pinot Noirs and top examples from Oregon, New Zealand and Burgundy.

On Tuesday 24 June, the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen wine expert and journalist Jane Parkinson will host ‘Not The Usual Suspects’; a tasting of lesser-known grape varietals.

The ‘cheap flight’ promotion will feature separate red and white tastings, each consisting of three wines and costing £14, with guests presented with the wines ‘blind’ receiving a £2 discount for each grape varietal they are able to identify correctly.