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TNWG Wine Times: Ep 52: Wines of Ahr

ANNOUNCEMENTS/EVENTS


💥 The Wine and Cheese Network is back in SEPT 💥


That's right folks, after the summer pause, we are back with a bang in September and what better way to start than to have Wake Smith Solicitors as our keynote speaker and Paces as our charity that we are all sponsoring via 10% of your ticket price for the month of September.


To grab your ticket, please head to the website via this link to make sure you book your place, as we head back into 'full steam ahead' mode for the month of September:


💥 Wine Waddle 2.0 💥


What is the Wine Waddle?


  • It is a walk and a drink with fellow like minded business folk from South Yorkshire who want to network.

  • It supports local hospitality, by visiting new and different locations around Sheffield.

  • Part of the small donation to join goes to a charity!

  • It starts the weekend in the correct way, 3pm onwards on a Friday!


Friday 17th October is the next one - book here for your ticket:


For the future dates for your diary, till the end of the year - here are the Wine and Cheese Network & Wine Waddle Dates:


  • Thursday 30th October 2025 - keynote speaker required.

  • Friday 14th November - Wine Waddle 3.0

  • Thursday 27th November 2025 - keynote speaker required

  • Friday 19th December 2025 - Christmas Special Edition (in collaboration with the Wine Waddle)



BIG NEWS - TNWG WINE DISCOVERY BOX IS COMING!!


OCTOBER is the FIRST month where you will be able to enjoy a 'Discovery Box' from The Northern Wine Guy - 6 bottles of wine, hand chosen by TNWG with tasting notes and food pairings referenced too. This is for those who like to discover different wines and want to improve their palate, want to try different wines and have fun without the need for subscriptions. No obligation to buy each month, but will be available from October! Watch this Space!


CALL MY BLUFF at Over The Yardarm Bar - Thursday 16th October


Come and Test Your Wine Knowledge with a Wine Tasting combined with a game of Call My Bluff with award winning wine host, The Northern Wine Guy!


Lots of fun but also educational at the same time! Time to test that knowledge and see if you can tell which wine it is from the choices read out!


OTHER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY / THINGS TO WATCH:



  • Friday 26th September - Wine and Cheese - Wines of the World Event at Selena

  • Friday 7th November - Wine & Tapas Evening at the Library, Sheffield (tickets to go on sale soon)

  • Silversmiths Special Tasting Menu with Paired Wines



👉 PRIVATE CELLAR BUILDS, PRIVATE SOMMELIER and IN-HOUSE DRINKS EVENTS👈




  • We offer a great range of additional services at The Northern Wine Guy including building wine cellars for private clients - that can be as little as 12 bottles upwards (the more the merrier!).

  • We can provide private sommelier services at your offices or at your private residence for large parties, gatherings or entertaining clients.

  • In-house staff engagements, meetings or socials. If you have a client you want to impress, then why not consider a Wine and Cheese Event? Or maybe you would like a Whisky and Cigar session? Rums? Sakes? You name it, we can look at creating it for you.



Just drop me a DM, connect with me here on LinkedIn or go to my website (www.thenorthernwineguy.co.uk) and create an enquiry.


🎄🎄CHRISTMAS - THE 'C' WORD 🎄🎄

I know, I know. It is ealry September...BUT here is the thing...venues and events are being booked up and if you haven't thought about your Christmas Party yet, then you really need to get a move on!! ALL Thursdays I am booked out until Christmas in the evenings now ALREADY!


For Christmas - here are some thoughts from me:



  • Make sure you have your drinks ready for Christmas - don't leave it till the last minute and hit those big queues. Give The Northern Wine Guy a shout and we can discuss your requirements and get it to you with plenty of time before the main event.

  • Staff Christmas parties? If you have them, then let's get a venue sorted and a Wine & Cheese or Wine paired meal setup. Whisky Tasting? Have you tried Sake?

  • In-house event? No problem, bring the drinks expert to you - we can do this too!

  • Get your personal orders in ASAP for your Christmas and New Year's celebrations!


FOCUS: Wines of Ahr, Germany



The Ahr is a little river that makes its way from the Eifel Mountains to the Rhine. With around 529ha of vineyards, it is one of the smallest wine making regions in Germany, surrounded by steep sides. It is predominantly a red wine region - long devoted to Spatburgunder aka Pinot Noir. 

The Ahr Valley has been somewhat of a tourist magnet for many years, initially though as a location for cheap easy drinking red. Now though, it has built a much greater wine reputation, with the 1980s turning to drier, aged in barrique style reds with estates such as Mayer-Nakel, Deutzerhof and Jean Stodden as some of the pioneers of real development in the region.

The mild climate of the region ensures that the grapes in the Ahr Valley have ideal conditions, as the warmed rocks release their stored heat to the vines at night. 


⚠️ TWNG TIP ⚠️


Try and time it so that you go during a festival, where you will see so much variety and understand the way of life in the region better. Look for the 'Open Wine Cellar Day' in April as well as the Ahr wine market at Pentecost or during harvest, the fireworks that are set off to celebrate too.

The soils are made predominantly of loess in the lower levels and volcanic stone and rocky soils in the upper levels.


Grape Varietals in the Region


🍇 SPATBURGUNDER / PINOT NOIR - arguably the most important grape varietal in Germany, bringing those typical cherry, strawberry, pepper and slight blackberry notes. Rich, silky and medium bodied.

🍇 DORNFELDER - the varietal founded in 1955, brings through sour cherry, blackberry and elderflower type notes, a robust to conditions and disease varietal that grows well.

🍇PORTUGIESER - considered generally a light red orientated easy drinker, think redcurrant, raspberry, strawberry - early red fruits, which can make rose wines too.

🍇MULLER-THURGAU - an early ripening white grape varietal, has similar tendencies to Muscat, with its flowery, fruity muscat aromas. Delicate apples, pears and herbal notes.

🍇RIESLING - slowly ripening white grape varietal, one of my favourites but Ahr is not renowned versus other regions as being a big producer.


⚠️ TNWG TIP ⚠️


If you are heading to the region, then it is likely also because you like hiking, cycling or some other outdoor pursuit. One thing I would highlight and recommend is the Red Wine Hiking Trail. It is a 35km long stretch winding through the middle of the vineyards. You get high crags, steep slops and homely wine tavernas too!


Getting There and Places to Stay

The nearest airport is Cologne which is around 45mins from the region - you can also grab a direct train to the valley from here too.

In terms of places to stay, the best locations are the ones along the banks of the Ahr River, so look for guest houses and apartments/hotels in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Dernau and Mayschoss for choice.



🗞️ LATEST DRINKS INDUSTRY ARTICLES 🗞️


It might come as a surprise to many readers that the London Wine Fair which lasts 3 days, doesn't typically focus on UK based drinks. There is always a small contingent but the reality is there isn't a big hurrah about it. However, this is all set to change in 2026, and I for one, cannot wait! About time - for sure, but also I can't want to see so many great producers who are taking the world by storm and winning international competitions.


OTHER STORIES THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THIS WEEK:


📈 MARKETS IN BRIEF 📉


On the week (as at 4th September 09:15) changes:

EQUITIES: ⬇️ FTSE 100 down 0.62%; ⬇️ DAX down 1.75%; ⬇️ S&P 500 down 0.57%; ⬇️ Nikkei 225 down 0.68%; ⬇️ Dow Jones down 0.65%.

COMMODITIES: ⬇️Brent Oil down 0.24% ; ⬇️ Crude Oil down 01`.9% ; ⬆️ Gold up 4.2%; ⬆️ Silver up 5.9%; ⬆️Copper up 1.7%

BONDS (in yield terms): ⬆️ UK 2yrs higher 0.011%; ⬆️ UK 10yrs higher 0.013%; ⬆️ German 10yrs higher 0.0295%, ⬇️ US 2yrs lower 0.013%; ⬇️ US 10yrs lower 0.016%.


Markets have had a pause over summer, but the bullish Gold trend continues albeit abated by the upcoming Payrolls figures tomorrow. Trump meets with the Supreme Court to advise on his 'emergency' Presidential powers for tariff control on goods and fine wine still continues to see increased demand despite the overall market picture still showing a slight downward trend.


Markets are expected to come back to life with it being the first week in September and the last quarter, volumes are rising and new issuance for the final quarter is likely to be stacked in to the early part of the quarter too. 


The Beige Book from the Fed released last night suggested there were no major shocks or surprises to the economy expectation over the last few weeks of August. Oil prices have taken a dip on further OPEC+ hike speculation and equities on the week have largely treaded water albeit domestically in the UK this is not going to be aided by the Lloyds announcement on redundancies upcoming.


More to come from me on markets towards the end of this month as I refresh the book, but for now, have a good rest of the week.


Remember if you need travel or holiday bookings - make sure you use The Northern Travel Guy 


Best Regards

Andy a.k.a The Northern Wine Guy and The Northern Travel Guy

 
 
 

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