A new column by local wine writer, Imbiber 

The Goods Shed, next to Canterbury West railway station, is a place known by many as the purveyors of fine meats, fish, cheese and other comestibles, but it is only the lucky few who know about the wine stall.

Hidden away at the far end of the converted train siding is a wine merchant of unusual distinction.

Clive Barlow, of Press Wine Services, is not your common or garden single-establishment wine shop owner. For a start, he is a Master of Wine (MW), one of the most highly regarded professional qualifications around.

Not only that, he is also the Chairman of Education for the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine and an international wine judge.

So how did Clive arrive at the Goods Shed?

Coming from a background where wine was rarely seen, Clive was brought up loving real ale. He read for a degree in Agricultural Economics at Reading University and, on completing his studies, worked on several farms in the South of England.

It wasn’t until a Morris dancing tour took him to the Loire Valley in France in the late 70s that he had his first memorable experience of wine – Saumur Champigny, the glorious red wine famous in the region and beyond.

What made this experience all the more unforgettable was that it was the first time he’d really enjoyed combining the flavours of the wine and food together.

Soon after this, in the autumn of 1981, he took part in the harvest at nearby Chinon, also known for its fine wines. He was hooked.

Back in England, Clive moved to the New Forest, working at a vineyard near Lymington. He took part in all aspects of wine production, from pruning the vines to wine making and bottling. What particularly interested him was the idea of what he refers to as “turning an agricultural product into an artisan product.” It was this process that made him want to learn more.

With this hands-on knowledge of winemaking, Clive moved from farming into retail, first working in the wine department at Safeway (who put him through the wine trade exams) then onto Peter Dominic’s and then to the recently-demised Wine Rack.

By 1997, he’d completed the all-important Diploma with flying colours and was invited to study for the MW exams.

Following a shaky start, in which he was politely advised to “come back in a year - learn some more and drink some more wine!” he was fast-tracked through the course and passed just before the turn of the new millennium.

Having been turned down by Thresher as a buyer only a few short years previously, he was now working as a consultant for them and for his own burgeoning business, based in Maidstone.

When the Goods Shed opened in Canterbury in 2003, Clive was ideally placed to be wine consultant and teacher, initially specialising in English wines before broadening his range as his passions guided him.

So, why go to an independent wine merchant? Don’t the supermarkets offer more than enough range, competitively priced too?

This is a question that certainly sets Clive’s pulse racing! He believes strongly that it is a growing niche of the market. The best independents represent wines of quality, sourced from areas of environmental sustainability which show a real sense of place. Wine and food are a marriage made in heaven, and can turn an ordinary meal into a memorable one. What Clive refers to as “real” wine – from producers that respect their land and culture – is made to compliment food rather than the “front-loaded” wines made as an alcoholic alternative to blackcurrant cordial!  

Most importantly of all is that you can go and talk to your independent.

Like an old-fashioned butcher that would give you recipe ideas and throw in a bag of bones for the dog, your friendly wine merchant will guide you through the unusual and interesting wines that he’s gathered together – all you have to do is ask!

And remember, Clive’s motto is “Individual wines for individuals – wine is FUN!”

PRESS WINE SERVICES
CLIVEWINE@AOL.COM [4]  | 07778 640 381
 

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