Ledston Libations
Welcome to the Hic! Blog. We hope you find the content, musings and rambling's of our resident Imbiber both enlightening and informative.
Celebrating 31 Days of German Riesling
Posted on 30 June 2021
What is it? Fans of German wine will already know that Riesling (pronounced reece-ling) makes some of the finest white wines on the planet. It is a noble grape variety that is grown in all of Germany's winemaking regions and it comes in a variety of different styles. What...
RECENT BEANS Freshly Roasted Coffee Available at Hic!
Posted on 16 May 2021
Here at Hic! HQ we are thrilled to be able to offer our customers freshly roasted coffee to take-away (or drink in) from the team at Recent Beans in Castleford. Recent Beans are artisan coffee roasters based at the Queens Mill, Castleford in West Yorkshire. They believe (and we...
Matetic Vineyards - The Modern Face of Chilean Wine
Posted on 26 January 2021
Hic! welcomes Matetic Vineyards back to UK shores once again. HISTORY Matetic vineyards embody the pioneering spirit and vision of modern Chilean winemaking. This biodynamic project was founded in 1999 by the Matetic family, originally Croatian settlers who arrived in Chilean Patagonia in 1892. Having established themselves as farmers...
Experince Private Shopping this Christmas at Hic!
Posted on 20 October 2020
**UPDATE - DECEMBER SHOPPING DATES NOW AVAILABLE** We are presently living in unprecedented times and consequently the normality of shopping this Christmas will likely test the patience of us all! You might think October is too soon to be thinking about festivities; however, their are many in the industry...
Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2020
Posted on 23 September 2020
We are proud to announce that Hic! has scooped a trio of medals at the Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2020. There are over 32,000 stores listed on Wine-Searcher's global database and their Retailer Awards strive to acknowledge the very best stores that have truly excellent wine lists. Each month, Wine-Searcher...
Thank You For Supporting the Help 4 Hospitality Charity
Posted on 18 July 2020
I just wanted to take this opportunity and say a BIG THANK YOU to all our wonderful customers for their support over the past 3 months in helping us raise funds for the hospitality industry. The government-mandated closures on 21st March 2020 had a resounding effect on the industry, resulting...
HELP 4 HOSPITALITY & THE DRINKS TRUST
Posted on 06 April 2020
As you will no doubt be aware, the impact that the counter measures taken by government to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus has had a dramatic effect on the UK economy. The imposed shutdown of the hospitality industry has had a resounding effect with a reported 200,000+...
A COVID-19 STATEMENT FROM HIC!
Posted on 21 March 2020
~~~ UPDADTED 28th MARCH ~~~ Although the recent government announcement that 'off licences' are included on the list of essential business and could remain open, we have decided to keep our retail premises closed to the general public until further notice. It is the safest option and one which...
Brash Higgins | World Class Minimal Intervention Wines
Posted on 26 February 2020
Brash Higgins is the alias of Brad Hickey, a Chicago native whose wanderlust took him around the world, developing a love of wine and food on the way. On returning to the United States he ended up in New York where following a stint as a food writer, he...
LISMORE | An Estate Not To Forget.
Posted on 06 February 2020
Less than 2 weeks before Christmas 2019, Samantha O’Keefe, owner and winemaker at South Africa’s Lismore Estate, lost her winery and family-home to fire. Originally from Los Angeles, Samantha took the plunge and bought her farm outside Greyton in 2000 in what was then an untested wine region of...
Bashall Spirits | Preserving & Celebrating Heritage
Posted on 27 January 2020
Based in the idyllic village of Bashall Eaves in Lancashire’s Ribble Valley, Bashall Spirits has created a contemporary range of craft gins inspired by family recipe books that date back to the 1700s. Using these treasured hand-written Victorian and Georgian transcripts the family have been able to gain an insight...
The BLUE Campaign - A Managed Approach to Re-Wilding the UK
Posted on 01 November 2019
Hic! is proud to support the Blue Campaign as part of its commitment in helping restore Biodiversity and Biomass across the UK. Adopting the roadside grass verge outside our property we have implemented a sustainable planting scheme with carefully selected perennial plants ideally suited for foraging pollinators. We've put together...
François Cotat | Sancerre 2018
Posted on 13 August 2019
François Cotat is one of a small number of brave, individual and idiosyncratic winemakers striving to create wines of character and individuality. Located in the western portion of the Sancerre appellation, Chavignol has a unique type of soil called, in French, “terres blanches.” The region is essentially a chalk plateau...
Jim Barry Wines | 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Winery of the Year
Posted on 07 August 2019
Congratulations to Jim Barry Wines who have just been named the 2020 Halliday Wine Companion Winery of the Year. Certain names resonate strongly within Australian wine history and Jim Barry is one of them. It was Jim Barry’s drive that helped shape South Australia’s Clare Valley as a benchmark producer...
Refreshing Flavoured Gin Combos | A Perfect Summer Tipple!
Posted on 22 July 2019
We've added a trio of new and exciting flavoured gin's to our online range with some interesting flavour combinations that are delicious as part of your favourite cocktail, or equally wonderful enjoyed on their own. With two Royal Warrants and over 300 years of history, Berry Bros. & Rudd...
Don't Panic! - Hic! will be PSD2 Compliant
Posted on 11 July 2019
Payment is a fundamental aspect of the shopping experience no matter where and what you’re buying and it’s especially important when purchasing online, where trust and security are top of the agenda. For online businesses (such as us), selling in the European Economic Area (EEA), there is a new...
Domaine Huet | A celebration of Biodynamic Vouvray
Posted on 26 June 2019
“The biodynamic Huet estate comprises three key terroirs with clearly identifiable personalities … it is justly regarded as the leading property in the Vouvray region.” Clive Coates MW, The Great Wines of France Biodynamic farming was introduced to Domaine Huet in 1990 but, in a sense, the Vouvray wine...
Gift Boxed Viña Arana Rioja Gran Reserva 2012
Posted on 05 June 2019
Stocks of the brand new award winning Viña Arana Rioja Gran Reserva 2012 have now arrived, just in time for Father's Day! Individually presented in a stunning Gift Box the new Gran Reserva from La Rioja Alta S.A has recently won Platinum at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2019 with...
Champagne Drappier - A New Wave Producer Keeping the Dream Alive!
Posted on 04 June 2019
In an article on New Wave Champagne producers, Jancis Robinson documented how the face of Champagne has changed over the last few decades and highlighted challenges facing the most powerful brands. Historically, the major Champagne Houses were the uncontested kings of sparkling wines, wielding big budgets and building powerful brands...
Ron de Jeremy...For Adults Only!
Posted on 02 May 2019
Cheekily named after the most famous male adult entertainment star ever, the Ron de Jeremy rums are hand-crafted to a recipe created by another legend, 75 year-old Cuban master distiller Francisco ‘Don Pancho’ Fernandez, who has been directly responsible for the success of countless rum brands, including Havana Club....
The Owl & The Dust Devil - Augmented Reality For Wine
Posted on 04 April 2019
Finca Decero is a single vineyard estate that was launched in 2008 and since when has gone on to achieve critical acclaim for its small, focussed portfolio of 5 high quality red wines. Decero, meaning ‘from scratch’ consists of one hundred hectares of vineyard newly planted in 2000 at 1050...
La Rioja Alta Viña Arana - The Birth of a new Gran Reserva!
Posted on 03 April 2019
With a history dating back over 125 years, La Rioja Alta, S.A. - widely recognised to be one of the finest wineries in the Rioja region - have just announced the release of a brand new Rioja Gran Reserva. The new Viña Arana Gran Reserva 2012 is the first...
Wine Folly: Wine Guide 101 Beginners Guide to Wine
Posted on 01 February 2019
We've recently received a great free guide from the team over at Wine Folly and we thought it would be good to share it here on our blog. Titled "Wine 101 - Beginners Guide to Wine" the handy 21 page guide provides a useful resource for those interested to discover...
A Tuscan Treat...Olio dell'Ornellaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Posted on 12 November 2018
We are pleased to announce that stock of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia's Extra Virgin Olive Oil has now arrived.....and just in time for the festive season! Presented in an attractive gift box this award winning olive oil is always a firm favourite with our customers and a must have for every gourmand...
Top Tuscan Wines from Casa Brancaia Now Available Online
Posted on 12 October 2018
In 1981 a Swiss couple, Brigitte and Bruno Widmer, fell in love with the abandoned Brancaia estate in Chianti and purchased it. Just two years later, Brancaia came in first place in an important Chianti Classico tasting, which catapulted them onto the international wine stage. Today, Barbara Widmer, oenologist...
Seedlip Drinks | The World's First Non Alcoholic Spirits
Posted on 20 September 2018
For those that are looking to support Macmillan Cancer next month with their "Go Sober for October" campaign, a trio of Seedlip Spirits that have arrived on our portfolio might just solve the impending problem of what to drink when you're not drinking! Seedlip Drinks produce the world's first...
Biodynamics & The Cosmic Rhythm of Wine Production
Posted on 18 September 2018
Biodynamic wine production is an approach to winemaking based upon the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner. In addition to organic practices such as the exclusion of chemical or synthetic herbicides, fertilisers and pesticides, biodynamic farmers rely upon special plant, animal and mineral preparations to enhance the health of...
What makes wine Organic?
Posted on 18 September 2018
Certified organic (CO) and practicing organic (PO) wine is produced from grapes grown in accordance with principles of organic farming, which typically excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. The process is audited by the recognised body in the wine producing country of origin, according...
Welcome to the new website of Hic!.......hope you enjoy the refresh!
Posted on 10 August 2018
We've moved into a new part of the wonderful world wide web and I hope you enjoy the new look. As with all moves there's still some unpacking to do and a touch more decorating but we hope to have all areas of the online store up and running...
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