Purple Pager Jonathan Hesford of Domaine Treloar in Roussillon writes:
[UK wine merchant] Leon Stolarski and I have been working on a project called Chateau McGuire, which is wine-lover Stuart McGuire's idea to help raise awareness of the risks of testicular cancer through wine. Leon and I have provided our products and services at cost (ie no profit margin) to help Stuart raise money for his chosen charities. Below is Stuart's description.
'Wine gets people talking, either while enjoying a glass or about the wine itself. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in May of this year I wanted to let people know that I was alright and that the cure rate for this disease, if caught early, is very high. I set up a website www.chateaumcguire.com and posted blogs of how I was progressing through my treatment. This proved rather popular and I believe people find it a simple, useful resource to help them understand testicular cancer better from a patient's perspective. Please check it out for yourself and let me know if there is any way I could improve the content.
'Following my chemotherapy treatment I had several nights of insomnia, and during these sleepless nights I had the idea to use wine to raise cancer awareness. I envisaged the sale of a high-quality wine raising money for cancer charities, but not only that; the wine itself would become a catalyst for discussion and help raise awareness of testicular cancer, and how early diagnosis was critical for the high cure rate.
'I first came across Domaine Treloar at Midsummer House, the 2-star Michelin restaurant, in Cambridge, England, where I enjoyed the delights of the Treloar, One Block Muscat. Following my diagnosis, I contacted Jonathan and explored the opportunities to team up on this venture. I quickly established that we both shared values: an interest to raise cancer awareness and a passion for quality wine.
'For those that don't get round to checking out my blog, I completed treatment at the excellent St Luke's Cancer Centre in Guildford, and I am now in remission. I will be monitored over the course of the next 10 years and am grateful that the cure rate for testicular cancer is so high as a result of early diagnosis and the established treatment regimens.'
You can order for delivery in the UK here (£90 for 6 bottles, or £174 for 12 bottles) and you can order for delivery in Europe here (£93.15 for 6 bottles, or £180.09 for 12 bottles, not including delivery).