It’s always good to support local businesses and events and two years ago Ouseburn (Newcastle) restaurant The Cook House organised ‘Soaked’ a wine tasting featuring organic, biodynamic and natural wines. It was fun and successful so, happily, has become an annual event, sold out this year and I was delighted to attend.

Some of the wines were familiar to me from previous tastings and from purchases. Tastings can be crowded and too many wines can blur clear thinking and not just because of alcohol. I try different strategies, sometimes white wines first followed by red for example. Today I cherry picked wines and gave myself around 100 minutes before a tired palate and more people at tables make tasting more difficult. I thought this worked well, here are wines I enjoyed.

Sager and Wine showed a very interesting German wine from hybrid grapes, Muscaris and Johanniter mixed with the more familiar Muller-Thurgau and Bacchus. Such hybrids are starting to have an impact on more wines. The intriguingly named ‘What Time Is Too Late To Go To Bed’ 2023 by Wein Goutte showed good yellow, dry fruit and nice freshness. Lafitte is a very reliable producer of quality bottles in the Jurancon region, one of my favourites and their Loin D’Oeil 22 was fun, apple and pear flavours.

Progression Wines is a relatively new company established by Sean Evans, better known as The Geordie Wine Guide. He has used his contacts to import a range of interesting wines from France, some by new producers to me and some very difficult to source so hats off to Sean. I enjoyed Chateau Payral’s Bise 22, a blend of Muscadelle and Semillon, classic to the Bergerac region but skin contact and showing a nice grip as well as the aromatic fruit. Very good too was a Loire Cabernet Franc, Nuage 23 by Domaine 7 in the Anjou. Fresh, light with cherry fruit and a hint of the classic green pepper which boosted the palate, just the right amount. Perhaps best of all though were the two 2022 wines from Jura producer, Domaine De L’Aigle À Deux Têtes, located near such unicorn Jura names as Gavenat, Labet and Kagami. I liked the ouillé style Savagnin but best of all was the Poulsard, full of red fruit but complex and structured. Possibly wine of the day and hats off to Sean for getting hold of this.

Wanderlust Wines offered the rival for my wine of the day choice, the very fine Sugrue, Bee Tree Blanc De Noirs NV. I have heard a lot about the skills of Dermot and Ana Sugrue, many rate him as one of the very best winemakers in England and this wine proved those recommendations to be accurate. The Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes were showing lovely bright red fruit aromas and flavours but a fresh acidity and salinity kept it clean and me wanting more. Good too was the PN23 Rosé from Tillingham, peachy and refreshing PetNat. The Sicilian Zibbibo, ‘Bello Mio’ 22 from Fondo Antico was lovely too. Zibbibo is the local name for Muscat D’Alexandrie, a grape I know well at Jeff Coutelou’s, and it was very skilfully made with the aromatics and richness controlled to a dry, clean wine with distinct peachy notes.

Dynamic Vines is very familiar to me not least from their own London tasting event. They feature many, excellent producers and I liked the very salty, mineral IGP Pella ‘Roditis’ 2022 from Ktimas Ligas. Cloudy in appearance but pure and clean, don’t be deterred by appearances.

Element Wines hosted the tasting in Edinburgh I attended this Spring and I bought some of their wines afterwards. New today was a very pleasing Albarino, Terras Do Sur 2023 from Galicia on a windy site which helps to keep the freshness, much more complex than most Albarinos. I associate Valpolicella with fairly rustic, quite heavy house wines in Italian restaurants but Valpolicella, Tasi, 2024 showed much more subtlety with light red fruits and some complexity.

Otros Vinos specialise in Spanish wines and I enjoyed a good few including interesting examples of Xarel-lo and Macabeu, definitely a list to peruse. Favourites though included a fascinating Doris, Vinos Ambiz, 2024. Made from Chasselas, unusually, in the Sierra de Gredos of central Spain, this was a touch wild, light orange from maceration with lots of herby refreshing notes. La Mulassa O La Barraca De L’Avi, La Salada 23 was Garnatxa Blanca from Penedes made in amphora. This showed skill in blending one vineyard of young, 5 year old vines with another of 90 year old vines to make a balanced, complex white.

Les Caves De Pyrene will be familiar to most UK wine drinkers focused on quality. I knew some of the wines, indeed I’d just bought some of them the week before! New to me was another hit from the excellent Testalonga, El Bandito Lords Of Dogtown Chenin 23. Good texture and Chenin flavours, what’s not to like? I have been trying a number of Argentine wines recently and I liked the fresh, clean Paraje, Cara Sur 22, based on 8 red varieties grown pergola style and irrigated by meltwater from Andean glaciers. L’Apostrophe, Rosé Varois 24 from Les Terres Promises was a big hit with my wife attracted by its light, fresh red fruit character.

Central Wines specialise in bottles from European nations outside of the traditional wine producers. Polish, Belgian and Slovakian wines to the fore as well as bottles from Georgia and England. Chardonnay, Niemczanska 22 from Silesia was light, nutty from light oak usage and refreshing. Riesling, Papillon 19 shows great Riesling character, dry and aromatic. Best of all was the Polish Hople Bora 18 made from Cabernet Sauvignon and the hybrid Regent. At first it highlights the Cabernet character with currant and red fruits but the Regent lifts it with acidity and freshness. (My own Regent vine has flourished this year, so maybe Consett can follow the Polish example!).

A tasting with plenty of variety and new wines to me. Well organised with plenty of room to enjoy the wines despite being a sell out. Long may Soaked thrive.