03 Sep 2023
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Pete and Karen Mileham, the co-owners and inspiration (along with Gary and Lynne Smith) behind the newly launched Fade to Black Wines.
Many of you may know that after 30 odd years in the motor trade, Pete took over the co-ownership and management of Fade to Black at The Quadrant in Marshalswick back in November 2022.
Since then, Pete, Gary and their team have transformed the place into a lively social hub for the residents of St Albans. As the sun rises and parents drop their children off at school, the smell of fresh coffee, toasties and cakes grace the air. From Thursday to Saturday night, as the sun sets and locals finish work the energy shifts to a whole new level – draught Portuguese lagers flow, cocktails gleam, G&Ts twinkle, and wine takes centre stage. They also have regular live music and events which have produced an excellent local following and has now become destination for residents.
To add to this, with their joint passion for top quality wines, Pete and Gary recently launched Fade to Black Wines, a virtual cellar where 50-60 handpicked wines available at wholesale prices are just a click away and can be delivered straight to your door. This treasure trove comes courtesy of the UK’s largest wine importer, with a buying team that boasts a combined 60 years of grape-infused wisdom. They’ve carefully cherry-picked gems from inspiring producers who put quality and sustainability at the forefront.
Pete went the extra mile to ensure this was the wine wonderland you deserve. Before unleashing this online vinous universe, he hosted a tasting bash at Fade to Black, letting the locals have their say. Once the votes were in, Pete personally tested each of the 50 wines, making sure they ticked the boxes of exceptional quality and mind-blowing value.
Before choosing the wines to feature on the website, Pete hosted a wine-tasting event at Fade to Black and gave the locals of Marshalswick the opportunity to taste and vote for their favourites. Once the votes were in Pete tasted every one of the 50 wines to ensure they were of exceptional quality and great value for money.
As I worked my way through the website there were several things that caught my attention: the sheer diversity of the selection, and the price range that caters to every palate and occasion.
Whether you are looking for a wallet-friendly mid-week sipper at around £10, or luxurious top-tier wines suitable for memorable gifts on birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or retirements, they got you covered.
When ordering through the website every customer who chooses at least six bottles of wine will receive 10% off the total price. This means you can mix and match, maybe a few mid-week wines along with those more prestigious and higher priced wines you might order as a gift or for a special celebration, and still get 10% off every wine. And if you live in the local area, you’ll also receive free delivery!
The good news doesn’t end there, they offer several excellent value, pre-selected mix cases at what I can only imagine are ‘lost-leading’ prices. So, whilst like most businesses they need to make a profit, they have somehow found a magic formula for finding the sweet spot for both the business and their customers.
As the customer experience is so important to Pete, he has deliberately chosen to keep the two sides of the business separate. All wine orders are taken online and delivered to your doorstep so not to affect the welcoming and attentive experience his customers enjoy when sipping a glass of wine or a Sagres lager during an evening visit to Fade to Black. Talking of Sagres lager, this is the only place in St Albans where you can enjoy it on draught and there’s a good reason for this. Portugal just happens to be a family favourite holiday destination for Pete and Gary, their wives Karen and Lynne, and their children.
With circa 50-60 wines on the website, Pete had pre-selected about a dozen wines for me to choose from.
I was spoilt for choice and nearly walked out with all 12, but I managed to show restraint, saving room for more tasteful encounters later in the year.
As Portugal has been a big influence on the Mileham and Smith families I just had to choose the Carlos Lucas Vinhos, Cota 700, DOC Dão, Portugal, 2020 (£11.48 in a mixed case of six).
A blend of the Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roriz grape varieties from high altitude vineyards, this wine is young, very fresh with lots of ripe black cheery and sweet but elegant finish. This would be a perfect match for any traditional Portuguese dishes, oven-baked cod and cured sausages or grilled chicken and pasta.
Next up is a favourite of Pete’s and scored well when the residents of Marshalswick took part in the recent wine tasting event at Fade to Black.
It’s the Mabis, Biscardo Enigma Apassimento, Rubicone IGT, Emilia Romagna, Italy, 2021 (was £22.99 but on offer at £17.99 when buying a mixed case of six). This is a big, bold, but smooth 100 per cent sangiovese wine. If you love something which is super ripe, fills the mouth with excitement and leaves you speechless, then here it is. At 15% ABV, I took my time to enjoy this one! It’s oozing with red and black berries, Christmas cake and morello cherries, perfectly balanced and has a sweet soft finish.T
he word appassimento is Italian for “passionate” and is the process whereby the grapes are left to dry in baskets after the manual harvest.
This then concentrates the sugars and aromas inside the berries, and gives the wine more body, structure and a higher level of alcohol.
This wine can definitely be enjoyed on its own, but I opted for a thick cut juicy sirloin steak.
As Fade to Black is walking distance from our house, I’ll be heading back there in the coming weeks to enjoy the awesome line up of entertainment. They are hosting three local musicians – Maclaren Wall, Bill Johnson and Yzzy Cooper – at 7pm on Wednesday 6th September, tickets are free but essential to book online to avoid disappointment.
Then the week after is Quiz Night, Wednesday 13th September, start time 7.30pm, £12 for a team of four and the winners receive a bottle of wine each!
And finally, on Sunday 17th September 3-7pm, Fade to Black presents ‘Your Sunday Selections’, you choose the classics and DJ Bob Storey will play your tunes whilst you sit back and work your way through the wine list.
Cheers to our local neighbourhood bar and the launch of Fade to Black Wines.
If you are a wine retailer or an events company who would like me to feature your range of wines,
then please contact me via mccabetwe@gmail.com or @dmc_uncorked
