Wine List
Owners Private Cellar

Our wines

At the Bear, we have no pretensions that we are going to be able to match the greatest wine cellars in the world. However, we do believe that there were certain principles worth hanging on to during our choice of around 45 or so wines from around the world. They are. 1 The Value, 2 The Variety, 3 The Voyage. Our wines recognise that the British palate has become more fussy over the past few years. Brits just will not meekly accept the rubbish that was passed off to them as recently as twenty years ago. We like to think that our wine list takes on board these worthy aspirations.

So let’s deal with VALUE FOR MONEY first. Well, stated simply, there would not be much point in our having a menu consisting of Chateau Lafite and its Premier Cru cousins. We would end up with a very expensive cellar that hardly ever got drunk, and you, dear customer would rarely take wine with us! Now that truly would be a tragedy! We have therefore cast our palates around the world and assembled a group of wines that provides an interesting choice for every budget. Our house wines offer great affordability, whereas at the more expensive end of the menu, we have chosen what we believe to be outstanding wines and priced them in such a way as to ensure that they do not stay in our cellars for too long. We have also tried to identify a few wines that are very close to (or even better than?) some of their more famous cousins, but are available at a fraction of the price. We have also introduced our “Owner’s Private Cellar” which is a list of five outstanding wines that our owner, Mark Greenwood, has had the pleasure to drink during his travels around the Orient and the world’s major financial centres over 30 years.

At this stage we should also point out that we have extended the list of wines available by the glass to 6 whites, 8 reds and 2 roses from three each. Furthermore, we have extended the wines available by the glass to represent not just the “house” end of the list but also to cater for those who wish to treat themselves to a glass of something a little more special, or, rather than sticking with the same bottle throughout a meal, want to prove that the old adage “variety is the spice of life” has real meaning when it comes to eating a great meal!

Moving now onto VARIETY and VOYAGE, we have an interesting balance between Old World and New World wines. Aside from a wide choice of prices, we have also tried to ensure that all tastes are catered for. There is also a huge variety of different grapes on offer. Yes, there are the standard Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons. These will keep us happy, but will they give us that “Spice” in our lives that we crave? We have also included some varietals that will definitely keep you interested!

Among our reds, you will find on our list Pinot Noir from France (Chantovent). The Malbec grape is one of the world’s best kept secrets, and it is best represented by Argentina. These wines have only been hitting the world’s cellars for the last 5-10 years in any quantity. There are many undiscovered jewels to be found here. Our representative is El Malbec de Ricardo Santos.

Then there are two Merlots from France, Domaine de la Souterrann and Les Terres Rousses. The former is produced from vines on the property of one of our suppliers in Oxford and is a delight! Spanish Tempranillo is very well represented here with wines from Rioja and Ribeira del Duoro. The Torrea Alda Gran Reserva deserves special mention, as does the oldest wine on our list, a 1978 Monte Real Gran Reserva. The Winston Hill Zinfandel from the United States is the most complex we have come across in its price range and will hold its own with most meat, lamb and game included. The Shiraz and Grenache grapes are now represented in one amazing package, the Australian Clarry’s Kalleske, and one of our top reds is the infamous Chateau Musar from the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

The ever popular fruity Sauvignon Blanc is well represented on our list, with a really wonderful, fresh, but slightly austere, French Sancerre Domaine Cherrier from the Loire which provides a great contrast to the luscious, in your face feel of the 2 stunning citrus filled examples from Marlborough New Zealand, Marlborough Hills and St. Clair Estate. Our 6 by the glass whites represent the Macabeo, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier varietals and are a real journey in their own right, coming form all corners of the globe. Les Terre Rousses Viognier is worth much more than a second look whereas the Hutton Ridge Chenin Blanc from South Africa represents exceptional even though it is the second cheapest wine on the list!.

Last but not least, those of you who are fans of Puligny Montrachet would do worse than to check out the Rustenberg Chardonnay from South Africa. We now also have an etnically pure Puligny Montrachet, Jean Louis Chavy on the menu, though lovers of un-oaked chardonnay would do well to try the Corsair Rock from Australia.

Elsewhere, don’t forget our Brugnon and Laurent Perrier Champagnes which stack up with the finest. After dinner tipplers will appreciate the Fonseca Crusted Port from the Portuguese Duoro Valley. Also good news for those with a sweet tooth, you could do much worse than our dessert wine from Monbazzillac, Chateau Poulvere which compares well with many a good Sauternes! We even have a Fine old Muscat just ready to wake up a dreary palate, Bullers which Robert Parker rates 96/100.

Well, we have probably said enough to whet your palates by now. Its up to you get down to tasting what we have unearthed here for your titillation. If you require any guidance before you visit us, give us a call, and also if you require something on our list decanted before you sit down, we would be happy to oblige before you even arrive!