ThirtyFifty’s Post

On our recent trip to Denmark for Chris's Ironman, naturally, we managed to fit in some winery tours. We travelled North from Copenhagen to the Røsnæs region to meet Carl Stub Trock, owner of STUB Vingaard and interview him for the UK Wine Show. The episodes will be released in September when we are back on air. Carl and his wife Karen Olsen manage their vineyard and keep horses (they have won international dressage awards). The wines are made at a neighbouring winery and the local community come together to harvest the grapes. They have 3 vineyard plots with 5,500 vines located beside a 100 year old water tower which now serves as a tasting room. The site is situated beside the sea on the Røsnæs peninsula, a 15km bank of clay, sand, gravel and rocks that is the most westerly point of Zealand. The climate is among the driest and sunniest in Denmark, hence an ideal spot for growing grapes.☀️🍇 The wines are all made from disease-resistant PIWI grapes, they grow only three varieties - Solaris, Rondo and Johanniter - creating still and sparkling white wines and rosé. We were really impressed with the quality - they were well made, nicely balanced, clean, fresh and aromatic. Not surprisingly, they have won several Golds at the International PIWI Wine Awards. A great visit, do look out for the interviews coming soon!

Such important work by The Porto Protocol Foundation seeking to bring about change in the world of wine throughout the value chain, by collaboration and initiatives based on 4 Impact areas: 📦Packaging 🌳Restoring Ecosystems 🌦️ Water ⏲️ Seeding the Future Do listen!

DEVELOP The Drinks Trust has just opened funding applications for WSET Level 1, 2 and 3 Awards in Wine and Spirits Courses🍷🥃 As an educational partner to the DEVELOP initiative, ThirtyFifty offers the L1, L2 and L3 Awards in Wine to individuals who meet the criteria. Our big point of difference is our hybrid course format which means you can join classes in-person in London or from anywhere in the UK, with the wines sent to your home.🏠 To apply, head over to the The Drinks Trust website and click on 'Develop Courses'. When filling in the application form, specify ThirtyFifty as your preferred course provider! Any queries, or to see if you qualify, please contact Jane Scott

We're delighted that ThirtyFifty has won the International Wine Challenge industry award for Consumer Educator 2024, a category sponsored by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Jane & Chris received the trophy at the awards dinner, presented by WSET CEO Michelle Brampton. The judges summed up this fantastic achievement, by saying "Their dedication to education knows no bounds, and their innovative approach to fostering community within the school is truly commendable.  One aspect of ThirtyFifty that never fails to impress is their diverse use of tools and platforms. From formal courses to engaging corporate events, they have mastered the art of educational delivery. What sets ThirtyFifty apart is their ability to adapt and innovate. They constantly explore new avenues for delivering educational content, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of the industry." We're immensely proud of ThirtyFifty and all our team!

What on earth are piwi wines? This week, we had a visit from Sam Doncaster, a passionate advocate of piwi (or hybrid, disease resistant) grape varieties, working with Freytags Nursery in Germany. Sam brought along 8 wines for us to taste made by his local growers. Chris recorded several podcasts with Sam which will go out over the next few months, explaining more. Overall we were impressed with the quality and clearly there is potential for growing hybrid grapes here in the UK, some of which are already being planted. Withstanding disease pressures in the vineyard and therefore reducing the use of chemical sprays is the big advantage these have over vitis vinifera, but the real challenge is the marketing piece, getting new and unheard of grape names into the consciousness of the consumer. More info can be found PIWI International 5 whites: Cabernet Blanc - unoaked and oaked version, a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon x Regent Ravel Blanc - Cabernet Sauvignon x Vitis amurensis Rinot - Merzling x (Seyve Villard x Pinot gris) Milos Michlovsky, Czech Republic Souvignier Gris - Seyval Blanc x Zähringer 3 reds: Pinotin - Blauer Spätburgunder and resistance partners Cabertin - Cabernet Sauvignon x resistance partners, bred by a Swiss grape breeder named Valentin Blattner Cabaret Noir (not a typo!) same parentage as Cabertin