What to expect from our exciting wine-tasting event Edinburgh Uncorked with Susy Atkins Part 1

Our recent Insta Live with this year’s Edinburgh Uncorked host, wine expert Susy Atkins, was great fun and provided a snapshot of what visitors to the event on 1 June can expect.

For anyone who didn’t manage to catch our chat – you can still find it on our grid if you are an Instagram user – we sum up a few of the key points here, and give you a taster of the wonderful wines and producers we have lined up for this Edinburgh’s only independent summer wine fair.

Introducing host and wine expert Susy Atkins

Renowned wine & drinks writer, broadcaster, and events host, Susy has written several books, including Wine Wisdom, How to Choose Wine, Party Drinks, the best-selling Girls’ Guide to Wine, and How to Make Your Own Drinks. She was the wine expert on BBC1’s flagship cookery show Saturday Kitchen for 12 years. Prior to that, she was wine expert on Richard & Judy. A regular judge on wine competitions, she also writes a drinks column for The Telegraph online, and is drinks editor for Delicious Magazine, both of which she has done for 20 years. Suffice to say, she knows a thing or two about wine!

Susy joined us online from her home in rural Devon, whilst sampling a few of the wines destined for Edinburgh Uncorked. We attempted a whistlestop tour of producers coming to the event, but only scratched the surface, there are so many exciting wines on show this year. We kicked off in New Zealand, where Susy had spent most of January.

‘Thanks to the New Zealand Wine Growers, I was able to visit Central Otago, the world’s most southerly wine region to experience some truly exquisite pinot noirs,’ Susy explains. ‘I have been a huge fan of New Zealand wines since the 90s and I always keep a beady eye on them because they’re fantastic, so I’m looking forward to seeking them out at Edinburgh Uncorked.’

Have any wine questions at the ready

As anyone who attended our first ever Edinburgh Uncorked, hosted last year by Oz Clarke, will know, there are 100s of wines to taste. If you haven’t been to a wine fair before, you can read how to get the most out of your visit on our previous blog here. Essentially, take it easy as there is lots of time to taste, use spittoons, or have small sips and return to a favourite later, and make the most of the opportunity to speak to producers and importers.

‘Don’t be shy about really picking the brains of the wine producers and makers there on the day,’ Susy says. ‘Ask their advice, find out what they recommend. These people are passionate about wine and they really want to share their knowledge, so don’t tiptoe around them. Make the most of their expertise. This is an incredible opportunity to taste, compare and contrast wines from all over the world under one roof.’

If you plan on travelling to the city for this fun wine-tasting event, why not make a weekend of it and explore Scotland’s historic Capital at the same time? We have a few recommendations of what to do on our previous blog here.

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New Zealand

Lawson’s Dry Hills

Producing wines of Marlborough, these are 100% certified sustainable wines.

‘Lawson’s are masters of aromatic whites,’ Susy says, ‘they perfectly capture the scent and crisp fruitiness from the Marlborough region. This is a brilliant producer. I’m really looking forward to tasting these wines.’

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France

Joseph Mellot

The Joseph Mellot estate has been a historic family business in Sancerre for five centuries. The House has since expanded to offer wines from the Centre-Loire.

‘A great opportunity to explore the Loire,’ Susy says. ‘I love the crisp elegance of the Loire and you can expect to find extremely elegant flavours from Joseph Mellot.’

Louis Jadot‘

A hugely well-respected Burgundian producer, producing wines from Chablis in the north to Macon in the south,’ Susy explains. ‘Burgundy can be hard to get your head around, with its patchwork of little vineyards and cuvées, but Louis Jadot will give you a really good snapshot of this region. If you ever wondered how Chablis and Macon compare, or would like Burgundy to be demystified, look no further than this stand.’

Saint-Joseph

Situated on the right-hand side of the Rhône, the Saint-Joseph vineyard is planted on steep, centuries-old, hillside terraces.

‘This vineyard is in a superb region in Northern Rhone,’ Susy says. ‘And this will be a fantastic opportunity to taste, compare and learn about these wines. If you want to dive a bit deeper, I’m hosting a masterclass. I promise it will be entertaining, not geeky! I’ll sneak some geekery in, but I’m not an overt geek, so I’m sure visitors will enjoy it. I will show six wines, some from the bigger, better-known, wineries and some from smaller outfits, and I hope everyone will leave with a good understanding of the differences to be found in this wonderful appellation.

Pays d’Oc‘

This is such a great region,’ Susy says, ‘full of innovative wine producers with a huge range of 58 grape varieties. I quite often think of this as the New World of France. Cracking wines without breaking the bank.’

With planting as diverse as Assyrtiko grapes from Greece, this region offers a much broader palate to choose from, and doesn’t have to follow quite as many rules, so you can expect ripe, fruity flavours, modern, refined characteristics, lots of character and fine producers. There is a lot of planting uphill, with a cooler climate, so these are elegant wines too.

Plaimont

On this stand, you can explore wonderful wines from the South West. ‘Plaimont is a big producer and a great one, with consistently good wines. They have some really special wines, which are also good value for money,’ Susy says.

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Spain

Heading west into Spain, well known for Rioja but also produces fantastic cava, which is made the same way as Champagne in the traditional bottle-fermented method, but at a fraction of the price. Cava can use wider range of grapes for a nice fresh finish, with some time on the lees, so a lovely biscuity-ness too.

CVNE

The first wine produced by CVNE took the name of the company’s initials. However, a simple spelling mistake, confusing the V with U, resulted in a new name, the iconic Cune brand. Specialising in traditional varieties Cherello, Macabeo, and Par-el-ada, this winery, which dates from 1879, combines tradition and modern innovation.‘The quality of the top end of Cava is extraordinary, which I don’t think people realise,’ Susy says. ‘Lots of people regard Cava as cheap and cheerful, but premium Cavas are fascinating wines, with more complexity and a drier style. Particularly good if you are looking for a change from Prosecco.’

Tasting the Cune Reserva 2019, which will be at Edinburgh Uncorked, Susy says, ‘This has been aged in French and American oak barrels, which gives a nice balance and that gorgeous softness I want from Rioja. For me, tannins need to be soft and integrated in Rioja, which this has because it’s been aged in oak. I want the fruit cake, plummy, wood-spiced, flavours and this is wonderful!’

There are many more wonderful wines to discover on the day. Look out for part 2 of our Insta Live with Susy Atkins, for further inspiration.