Old World - New World

The guest host for the January 2023 Freeland Wine Club evening was Graeme Woodward. 

Graeme is the co-founder and co-owner of the independent wine merchants Grape Minds. Graeme and his co-owner, Michael Jelley opened their first shop in Summertown, North Oxford in December 2018 and have gained a strong reputation for their range of over 400 quality wines and their excellent, personal customer service. They also sell nearly 100 spirits and over 50 varieties of beer. They opened their second shop in Wallingford, south Oxfordshire, in September 2021. Although they have an internet presence, their focus on individual customer service means they do not sell online. 

More details can be found on their website (grapemindsdrinkalike.co.uk). They are also on Facebook. Graeme and Michael host a number of wine appreciation events at their stores, details can be found on their events web page.

We were welcomed to the evening with a 2018 Italian Opere Trevigiane Serenissima Brut. This is a sparkling wine made with the Metodo Classico, in French known as the methods traditionnelle, and is the method used to create Champagne. It is a blend of Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay and is produced in Piedmont, Northern Italy and was a delicious start to the evening.

During the rest of the evening, we tasted 8 different wines. Graeme added spice to the evening by hosting a blind tasting although he was kind enough to tell us which wines we were tasting: 2 Sauvignon Blancs, 2 Chardonnays, 2 Syrah/shiraz and 2 Bordeaux-style red wines. For each there was an old-world version and a new-world version. We had to decided which was which. Michael took us through each pair of wines and showed a considerable knowledge of the wines he was presenting, and of wines in general. It must be a real delight visiting his shop and seeking advice.

The two Sauvignon Blancs were a Spanish Adaras Lluvia Blanco from the Almansa region and a Pā Road from New Zealand’s Marlborough region.

The two Chardonnays were a Burgundian Domaine de Château Pierreclos Macon Pierreclos and a Drovers Hut Chardonnay from Australia.

The two Syrah/Shiraz were a Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône and a Growers Touch Shiraz from Australia.

The two Bordeaux "blends" were a Château Balac Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois and an Oh! Merlot from Oneiric Wines from South Africa. The merlot was a bit of a cheat - it was a Merlot varietal, but Merlot is a classic Bordeaux grape, so we'll forgive Graeme that.

Yet another wonderful evening was spent at the Freeland Wine Club. Well done to the organisers, and also to Graeme Woodward - and thank you for an excellent selection of wines.