Testimonials and Reviews
Dear Richard and Sian
We tried a bottle of your pink fizz tonight. What a beautiful wine it is, we were very impressed.
You were right about the bubbles Sian. We shall certainly be buying more soon.
Best wishes,
Steve, The Lounge Cafe, Abingdon (December 2017)
....Dear Lewickies et al,
I am telling myself this excellent red should have been kept for another 20 years! Alas, at 80, I may not live that long! This Cote Bothy 2009 has hood-winked a few "tasters - blind tasting they thought young Bordeaux from a major vineyard - not one guessed the true origin correctly!
I notice that your label says 'to be drunk young' (is that the wine or the drinker??); now, tell me, should we? Is that why it tastes like a young Bordeaux - excellent but needing more time to provide softness and depth? The flavours you describe are all there, the fact that the bottle has been open for a few days (stoppered!) has not caused any deterioration. ...Wish I were a bit nearer to taste and buy more!
Best wishes, Rosemary Carden 2017
Dear Sian and Ed,
I wanted to say thank you for your hospitality and for the really great evening you prepared for us. We loved the Vineyard tour, learning about the processes, tasting the wine and buying it. Hopefully we will be amongst your volunteers in the autumn.
All the best,
Marta and the group from the 24th June (2016)
Hello Sian,
Just reporting back to you that your wines have been received with great enthusiasm! It's wonderful to see the reactions of people as they feel the aroma leaps out of that glass! Congratulations on producing such quality wines! I look forward to the next vintage!
Warmest regards,
Donna Rogers, Den Boer Wines (enterprise.terrassl.net/~denboerw/)
June 2016
Dear Ed and Sian
I just wanted to write you a quick note to say thank you for last Thursday evening.
The group all really enjoyed the tour and came away hugely impressed with your energy and passion for what you do. They all thought the tasting was the perfect way to round off the tour and I hope you could tell from the visit to the shop just how much they liked your delicious wines as well.
I have done many of these types of events over the years and I have to say that the visit to your beautiful vineyard is one of the nicest evenings I have spent on a conference. I will certainly be recommending you to colleagues and friends and I look forward to visiting you again myself in the future.
Also the recommendation of the White Hart was inspired – lovely food and a few bottles of your Oxford Dry!
Kind regards
Hannah McDonald, May 2016
Thank you so much for the vineyard tour this afternoon. Both my mum and I really enjoyed trying the wines and learning about your vineyard. I look forward to telling my partner in Australia all about what I learnt today and taking him the bottle of sparkling. I'm just sorry I can't take more wine back with me. Next time perhaps!
Alexandra Lea, May 2015
Drank 2 of my 12 bottles of Oxford Dry 2013 last weekend. Awesome ! Taking another to Lords on Saturday - the ultimate English day out !
P Storrie
Last night we greatly enjoyed the '02 Renaissance which took a few minutes to develop its fruit aromas. It was bright, perfectly clear with zero sediment or tartrate crystals and crisp acidity. It went amazingly well with our jamòn serrano. Serendipity in spades as it's not a combination I've ever tried before.
Nick Spalding, Jan 2014
I just had to email to say how much I am enjoying your Renaissance 2010 wine, which has "evaporated" really fast! I doubt very much that you have any stocks left, if you do have some, let me know and I will dash over and buy more. Am looking forward to 2011 to compare.
Rosemary C, June 2012
Having had a tour of the vineyard today and met both Sian and Richard, I am truly inspired. Both their enthusiasm for what they do and the beautiful wine they are creating prove that England (and Oxfordshire) has a lot to offer from a wine perspective. I write this as I enjoy a lovely glass of 2010 Renaissance I purchased today. I strongly recommend people get along to tomorrows tour and see it/taste it for yourself!
James Scott, on Bothy Facebook after tour on 9 June 2012
We had the Oxford White and the red Cote Bothy for the Gala dinner of the Linacre Lectures 2012. The lecture series was devoted to environmental resilience and the Gala meal had only locally supplied ingredients - including the wine. Your wines were absolutely wonderful and complemented the fine cuisine. Everyone, including the Principal in his speech, appreciated the wines tremendously, highlighting their surprise that the wines were English and so delicious. Thank you very much for this wonderful addition to our special dinner last term.
We will continue to appreciate your wines and look forward to the new vintage!
Dr Didi Spencer, Wine Steward, Linacre College (University of Oxford) and Robert Spencer, Associate Director, URS
"The first course was English asparagus – a creamy soup, a pair of spears with a fine smoked ham and a salad. Accompanying was Richard and Sian Liwicki’s excellent Oxford Dry. 2011 was a tricky year across the South East but Bothy escaped relatively lightly and a glorious Indian summer more than made up for a poor fruit set and a ‘write-off’ summer. The result was a superb crop of ripe and disease free grapes (Huxelrebe, Solaris, Findling and Perle). Many of the members present had worked in the vineyard over the year and Richard – the man with a wine-making ‘hobby gone mad’ and a day job to hold down – thanked them and others for all their efforts. The reward for the Bothy was this rich and complex wine. In the glass it has palest lemon hue shading to true water white at the rim with a subtle greengage, lime and lime leaf fragrance and a surprisingly rich and powerful mouthfeel – aided by 13% alcohol, the highest ever recorded for the Oxford Dry. Not surprisingly, it’s much sought after by restaurateurs who find it tough to match asparagus with most wines. The Bothy Shop opens on Friday 27 April and it’s well worth getting down there to buy some of this wine at a remarkable price of £8.50 a bottle".
Graham Harding, excerpt from the "Oxford Wine Club at St George's Day Dinner and Tasting"
"We were very impressed with your Oxford dry and its delicate sauvignon like nose. We had some of your 2007 Oxford dry later in the week which was still delicate yet lively and much enjoyed".
John, May 2012
Just to say thanks for a brilliant tour on Saturday. Without exception all persons commented on how interesting both the tour around the vineyard and the wine tasting was and really enjoyed your practical and hands on explanation of all you did. All really liked the wines and I hope the sales at the shop showed this?
A few members wondered when you found time to sleep!!!
Regards and many thanks
Mike (Morgan Car Club)
Apologies for not writing sooner, as you say I was on my knees after the wedding which was nothing short of a triumph and your wine was very much appreciated - lots of people commented on how much they enjoyed it. I will be more than happy to write a testimonial on the website and I can't thank you enough for all your help in storing the wine, making it such a pleasure to sample and choose the wine. Luckily we brought a few bottle home so we can continue to enjoy it!
Jane (Oxford)
You really did give the Berkshire Wine and Food Society a super day. The best guided vineyard tour I’ve ever had and, as you can imagine, I’ve been on quite a few. I’ve never heard so clear an exposition of the merits and demerits of the different styles of pruning, for instance. You certainly have to have the courage of your convictions as a vignerone; you can’t change your mind after you’ve set up a system, but at least at the Bothy you have both high and low pruned vines so you can see which get the most frost damage. But thank you again for that most enjoyable day. It is such a pleasure to see the Bothy in such good hands.
Debora Jeffs, Berkshire Wine and Food Society
Just a quick note to say thank you so much for making us so welcome and sharing the secrets of wine making with us yesterday evening. Every one enjoyed it so much, ever the non drinkers amongst us! Afterwards in the pub, they were all chattering away about the vineyard and the merits of different wines. Several ladies remarked on what a good team you made - We wish you the best of luck, with the weather and your next harvest.
Liz Edwards, Otmoor WI
We tried a bottle of your pink fizz tonight. What a beautiful wine it is, we were very impressed.
You were right about the bubbles Sian. We shall certainly be buying more soon.
Best wishes,
Steve, The Lounge Cafe, Abingdon (December 2017)
....Dear Lewickies et al,
I am telling myself this excellent red should have been kept for another 20 years! Alas, at 80, I may not live that long! This Cote Bothy 2009 has hood-winked a few "tasters - blind tasting they thought young Bordeaux from a major vineyard - not one guessed the true origin correctly!
I notice that your label says 'to be drunk young' (is that the wine or the drinker??); now, tell me, should we? Is that why it tastes like a young Bordeaux - excellent but needing more time to provide softness and depth? The flavours you describe are all there, the fact that the bottle has been open for a few days (stoppered!) has not caused any deterioration. ...Wish I were a bit nearer to taste and buy more!
Best wishes, Rosemary Carden 2017
Dear Sian and Ed,
I wanted to say thank you for your hospitality and for the really great evening you prepared for us. We loved the Vineyard tour, learning about the processes, tasting the wine and buying it. Hopefully we will be amongst your volunteers in the autumn.
All the best,
Marta and the group from the 24th June (2016)
Hello Sian,
Just reporting back to you that your wines have been received with great enthusiasm! It's wonderful to see the reactions of people as they feel the aroma leaps out of that glass! Congratulations on producing such quality wines! I look forward to the next vintage!
Warmest regards,
Donna Rogers, Den Boer Wines (enterprise.terrassl.net/~denboerw/)
June 2016
Dear Ed and Sian
I just wanted to write you a quick note to say thank you for last Thursday evening.
The group all really enjoyed the tour and came away hugely impressed with your energy and passion for what you do. They all thought the tasting was the perfect way to round off the tour and I hope you could tell from the visit to the shop just how much they liked your delicious wines as well.
I have done many of these types of events over the years and I have to say that the visit to your beautiful vineyard is one of the nicest evenings I have spent on a conference. I will certainly be recommending you to colleagues and friends and I look forward to visiting you again myself in the future.
Also the recommendation of the White Hart was inspired – lovely food and a few bottles of your Oxford Dry!
Kind regards
Hannah McDonald, May 2016
Thank you so much for the vineyard tour this afternoon. Both my mum and I really enjoyed trying the wines and learning about your vineyard. I look forward to telling my partner in Australia all about what I learnt today and taking him the bottle of sparkling. I'm just sorry I can't take more wine back with me. Next time perhaps!
Alexandra Lea, May 2015
Drank 2 of my 12 bottles of Oxford Dry 2013 last weekend. Awesome ! Taking another to Lords on Saturday - the ultimate English day out !
P Storrie
Last night we greatly enjoyed the '02 Renaissance which took a few minutes to develop its fruit aromas. It was bright, perfectly clear with zero sediment or tartrate crystals and crisp acidity. It went amazingly well with our jamòn serrano. Serendipity in spades as it's not a combination I've ever tried before.
Nick Spalding, Jan 2014
I just had to email to say how much I am enjoying your Renaissance 2010 wine, which has "evaporated" really fast! I doubt very much that you have any stocks left, if you do have some, let me know and I will dash over and buy more. Am looking forward to 2011 to compare.
Rosemary C, June 2012
Having had a tour of the vineyard today and met both Sian and Richard, I am truly inspired. Both their enthusiasm for what they do and the beautiful wine they are creating prove that England (and Oxfordshire) has a lot to offer from a wine perspective. I write this as I enjoy a lovely glass of 2010 Renaissance I purchased today. I strongly recommend people get along to tomorrows tour and see it/taste it for yourself!
James Scott, on Bothy Facebook after tour on 9 June 2012
We had the Oxford White and the red Cote Bothy for the Gala dinner of the Linacre Lectures 2012. The lecture series was devoted to environmental resilience and the Gala meal had only locally supplied ingredients - including the wine. Your wines were absolutely wonderful and complemented the fine cuisine. Everyone, including the Principal in his speech, appreciated the wines tremendously, highlighting their surprise that the wines were English and so delicious. Thank you very much for this wonderful addition to our special dinner last term.
We will continue to appreciate your wines and look forward to the new vintage!
Dr Didi Spencer, Wine Steward, Linacre College (University of Oxford) and Robert Spencer, Associate Director, URS
"The first course was English asparagus – a creamy soup, a pair of spears with a fine smoked ham and a salad. Accompanying was Richard and Sian Liwicki’s excellent Oxford Dry. 2011 was a tricky year across the South East but Bothy escaped relatively lightly and a glorious Indian summer more than made up for a poor fruit set and a ‘write-off’ summer. The result was a superb crop of ripe and disease free grapes (Huxelrebe, Solaris, Findling and Perle). Many of the members present had worked in the vineyard over the year and Richard – the man with a wine-making ‘hobby gone mad’ and a day job to hold down – thanked them and others for all their efforts. The reward for the Bothy was this rich and complex wine. In the glass it has palest lemon hue shading to true water white at the rim with a subtle greengage, lime and lime leaf fragrance and a surprisingly rich and powerful mouthfeel – aided by 13% alcohol, the highest ever recorded for the Oxford Dry. Not surprisingly, it’s much sought after by restaurateurs who find it tough to match asparagus with most wines. The Bothy Shop opens on Friday 27 April and it’s well worth getting down there to buy some of this wine at a remarkable price of £8.50 a bottle".
Graham Harding, excerpt from the "Oxford Wine Club at St George's Day Dinner and Tasting"
"We were very impressed with your Oxford dry and its delicate sauvignon like nose. We had some of your 2007 Oxford dry later in the week which was still delicate yet lively and much enjoyed".
John, May 2012
Just to say thanks for a brilliant tour on Saturday. Without exception all persons commented on how interesting both the tour around the vineyard and the wine tasting was and really enjoyed your practical and hands on explanation of all you did. All really liked the wines and I hope the sales at the shop showed this?
A few members wondered when you found time to sleep!!!
Regards and many thanks
Mike (Morgan Car Club)
Apologies for not writing sooner, as you say I was on my knees after the wedding which was nothing short of a triumph and your wine was very much appreciated - lots of people commented on how much they enjoyed it. I will be more than happy to write a testimonial on the website and I can't thank you enough for all your help in storing the wine, making it such a pleasure to sample and choose the wine. Luckily we brought a few bottle home so we can continue to enjoy it!
Jane (Oxford)
You really did give the Berkshire Wine and Food Society a super day. The best guided vineyard tour I’ve ever had and, as you can imagine, I’ve been on quite a few. I’ve never heard so clear an exposition of the merits and demerits of the different styles of pruning, for instance. You certainly have to have the courage of your convictions as a vignerone; you can’t change your mind after you’ve set up a system, but at least at the Bothy you have both high and low pruned vines so you can see which get the most frost damage. But thank you again for that most enjoyable day. It is such a pleasure to see the Bothy in such good hands.
Debora Jeffs, Berkshire Wine and Food Society
Just a quick note to say thank you so much for making us so welcome and sharing the secrets of wine making with us yesterday evening. Every one enjoyed it so much, ever the non drinkers amongst us! Afterwards in the pub, they were all chattering away about the vineyard and the merits of different wines. Several ladies remarked on what a good team you made - We wish you the best of luck, with the weather and your next harvest.
Liz Edwards, Otmoor WI