tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5285801625563488392024-03-26T23:36:45.829-07:00THE WINE CLUBBruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-88032579451753705812024-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:002024-01-28T12:18:41.801-08:00Anything But Chardonnay - Really?<p>The first event of 2024 proved to be very unusual - whites only. As far as I am aware this was a first for the wine club, not least because every wine was a Chardonnay. </p><p>The host for the night was Sam Newman, one of the clubs many talented members. Sam takes her wine seriously and has recently received her first qualification in the subject.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8_UTZNc8-Gnwcnq7uVqMbw9THLAzJcGAwpbFZqXOok33jexA1Oyh-zwzm9YcdVB2v09PQoS2OY56yzSiye6XVtySszaq6wx5-o3BxgvW0sWqkgv-8z5vx2XHNkAjjWGBdXbEbqfD_bVbuwKW4D-Tb8cJ0fPYUPQx5pE01KWRyc-7iHna9cFYznTdVTQ/s1080/Hammersley%20-%201141%20-%2026-01-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8_UTZNc8-Gnwcnq7uVqMbw9THLAzJcGAwpbFZqXOok33jexA1Oyh-zwzm9YcdVB2v09PQoS2OY56yzSiye6XVtySszaq6wx5-o3BxgvW0sWqkgv-8z5vx2XHNkAjjWGBdXbEbqfD_bVbuwKW4D-Tb8cJ0fPYUPQx5pE01KWRyc-7iHna9cFYznTdVTQ/w320-h310/Hammersley%20-%201141%20-%2026-01-24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It was a fascinating evening with many lessons to be learnt which should prompt us all to think before responding to a waiter by saying, "I'll have anything but Chardonnay".</div><div><br /></div>The welcome wine was a Champagne:<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_41U1HPTGWbxnQk1BMKBVfsmc_yG8zDiir5JGMzuhbKc11GfqL4D2vrZ76lm82GXCmOKcsuM8b4z-qP4_TTeQn0AIMGLxJSul7te4AEIT2-RG5ydOZe4gjl5bANzhc7Uw7A9yYIQjfSphp-stu5zDdmz8eADi1l2OOvjphvhy_quWam3t6fObGxphm0c/s647/Les%20Poinniers%20Non%20Vintage%20Champagne.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="647" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_41U1HPTGWbxnQk1BMKBVfsmc_yG8zDiir5JGMzuhbKc11GfqL4D2vrZ76lm82GXCmOKcsuM8b4z-qP4_TTeQn0AIMGLxJSul7te4AEIT2-RG5ydOZe4gjl5bANzhc7Uw7A9yYIQjfSphp-stu5zDdmz8eADi1l2OOvjphvhy_quWam3t6fObGxphm0c/w586-h216/Les%20Poinniers%20Non%20Vintage%20Champagne.JPG" width="586" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thereafter the wines were presented in pairs. Throughout the evening Sam asked the guests to indicate which of the two wines in each pair they preferred, and finally to choose their overall favourite. As might be expected there was absolutely no consensus! </div><div><br /></div><div>The first pair consisted of two French wines, a Pays d'Oc and ...</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS-AOCUrm0BXcjpbVM-KR6-WJvwI_a8MvWMkXDIguZO9RS1qyX7PdotrIGA4bJB0jprO1tzPfAFtP6BIBZwhzm7l_PjCfnv6_aspEKgueV0_lJ3g6JLepb02f1s5YMHfwO0JiQz-2loBB58cbO3q15QhumE3Z5R3oN3sZlX2djFVT4n2OpmpKRqrPx8I/s638/Pays%20d'oc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="638" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLS-AOCUrm0BXcjpbVM-KR6-WJvwI_a8MvWMkXDIguZO9RS1qyX7PdotrIGA4bJB0jprO1tzPfAFtP6BIBZwhzm7l_PjCfnv6_aspEKgueV0_lJ3g6JLepb02f1s5YMHfwO0JiQz-2loBB58cbO3q15QhumE3Z5R3oN3sZlX2djFVT4n2OpmpKRqrPx8I/w586-h189/Pays%20d'oc.JPG" width="586" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p>a Beaujolais Blanc</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ADSma-Y81dB6rWC21SM2GA9oTu74nvG5LSK3BkHVYVCg8owTGIGymixEizlzsFWNsd3dIkCWELPwExq1-t5NmE-q2bwyM70vVLN9msrfqYiRix2ta6e2CPOs6t884WT5YOTHiJv3LT2jVSv6Z4Nyaqps6V8BzLtQdD8G1iqkGRnwipY9XJauIRmdHkk/s624/Beaujolais%20Blanc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="624" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ADSma-Y81dB6rWC21SM2GA9oTu74nvG5LSK3BkHVYVCg8owTGIGymixEizlzsFWNsd3dIkCWELPwExq1-t5NmE-q2bwyM70vVLN9msrfqYiRix2ta6e2CPOs6t884WT5YOTHiJv3LT2jVSv6Z4Nyaqps6V8BzLtQdD8G1iqkGRnwipY9XJauIRmdHkk/w586-h192/Beaujolais%20Blanc.JPG" width="586" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Next we were introduced to an Australian and ...</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBS2jR9zysLS0TVWffq_Jx2TaqozIjS6k_CWTWg_TgWvupzQl6m-8IDj8fc4uFx_I9VcaqQRajC30U0k6A0U0GIcC328h-ZCuBDzof9NxrdZtSqg5cBJRbHmqSTB3fHFC0Tw3IKW2MuhJbAFBxLOatLWtb4UBqBQk07bdqzDR74O55YE9MOjm4jHRhkI/s616/Australian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="616" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBS2jR9zysLS0TVWffq_Jx2TaqozIjS6k_CWTWg_TgWvupzQl6m-8IDj8fc4uFx_I9VcaqQRajC30U0k6A0U0GIcC328h-ZCuBDzof9NxrdZtSqg5cBJRbHmqSTB3fHFC0Tw3IKW2MuhJbAFBxLOatLWtb4UBqBQk07bdqzDR74O55YE9MOjm4jHRhkI/w587-h149/Australian.JPG" width="587" /></a></p><p>a Chilean Chardonnay</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEichTv2kwzv-xvMd8yrFYXe9LLKWJIIbeGtBEJVZqm5wp-i_dHPR8T-PWf-Wt8ppcSq82GttQb8aYV9pCFrOsPIJll1V9QSVktaFHSfcJEIyvuOVTwSs_0usVSUfn0LGsTw3dx_jCoD3tL-tP8B1QHcD-FtrA03PIDiD3n4CAK9iQcbgrV6xqtlrIw6Ay4" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="642" height="349" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEichTv2kwzv-xvMd8yrFYXe9LLKWJIIbeGtBEJVZqm5wp-i_dHPR8T-PWf-Wt8ppcSq82GttQb8aYV9pCFrOsPIJll1V9QSVktaFHSfcJEIyvuOVTwSs_0usVSUfn0LGsTw3dx_jCoD3tL-tP8B1QHcD-FtrA03PIDiD3n4CAK9iQcbgrV6xqtlrIw6Ay4=w587-h349" width="587" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The third pair came from South Africa and ...</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fUBKUC5DGFEdRIqnohtOjDVnoOB55XgAFVvwyc6GIazHa0CRACFL0JIAxywl3miz5Mrst1z_BEkhUTFlSFtL795nMc0mgFot-S56N8A16uZRIvgg1KC6J-2_tpkOBZf1Ha48rb_qotpmL9SlAFyA7eZtJN5dNWlS9DFge-J30dlHrQ1P24W6M0PrBGs/s636/RSA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="636" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fUBKUC5DGFEdRIqnohtOjDVnoOB55XgAFVvwyc6GIazHa0CRACFL0JIAxywl3miz5Mrst1z_BEkhUTFlSFtL795nMc0mgFot-S56N8A16uZRIvgg1KC6J-2_tpkOBZf1Ha48rb_qotpmL9SlAFyA7eZtJN5dNWlS9DFge-J30dlHrQ1P24W6M0PrBGs/w587-h244/RSA.JPG" width="587" /></a></p><p>California</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6gNwJYGSO0rV8hEFupTVvuHXCGiGf-PxIqn-TpM9VisbVsY8rbTzuREyPmPuxmu9O3obwgqif_JdrudJ6UWRsniMEmOtWcCLwMeRUkgql2cT_zdf_RasTDCv30t3J3QNu-Ex5Kn0-sqNAfYADLdlWq1rGBA0ansIoxaFrtQKDcJ-w9rYY3XNhcKuoiI/s632/USA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="632" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6gNwJYGSO0rV8hEFupTVvuHXCGiGf-PxIqn-TpM9VisbVsY8rbTzuREyPmPuxmu9O3obwgqif_JdrudJ6UWRsniMEmOtWcCLwMeRUkgql2cT_zdf_RasTDCv30t3J3QNu-Ex5Kn0-sqNAfYADLdlWq1rGBA0ansIoxaFrtQKDcJ-w9rYY3XNhcKuoiI/w585-h121/USA.JPG" width="585" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Another wonderful evening of wine tasting and fellowship was had at the wine club!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWKm5ux4XdGm51ksAtyoKI4EbV6hO3bx_Yy2Ie-xj03OYVyzJrWktADrVGa0uxUjRdWj0GUXICLk_tK01fQdmOwPTNN44Am2jo3QgkykwDde5m0j8I073s3AMYoLWCw-yyWLmdqZHiU2jcKciNH010qQx5xZGkUun9JGDuPLDvGWdU5GoPFyIztRl8po/s3007/20240126_213700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="3007" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWKm5ux4XdGm51ksAtyoKI4EbV6hO3bx_Yy2Ie-xj03OYVyzJrWktADrVGa0uxUjRdWj0GUXICLk_tK01fQdmOwPTNN44Am2jo3QgkykwDde5m0j8I073s3AMYoLWCw-yyWLmdqZHiU2jcKciNH010qQx5xZGkUun9JGDuPLDvGWdU5GoPFyIztRl8po/w586-h287/20240126_213700.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The club (generally) meets on the last Friday of every alternative month (January, March, May, July, September and November). </p><p>The next meeting will be on Friday March 22, 2024 (rather than the last Friday of March which is Good Friday). </p><p>New members are always welcome. You do not need to be a wine expert, but just be interested in exploring wines from around the world. The March 2024 meeting will be an exploration of high altitude South American wines. </p></div></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-30586311012515161772023-07-30T14:03:00.004-07:002023-07-30T14:23:36.985-07:00The Italian Job (It blew the doors off!)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7tYnDbvKaj3dVEAumXAxvVNVzXYQ2I5IalFXcJc6QZxZLmh9JpmLWyY6ntT60GXAIpO8kslXJlOL_dsS0Mjr3fcdlLKhyHuejh7hGJUdRAzyuY1YRztqveLQ3IVCDILTU3P7rK3LlhOJOqMxlud1Ib8Cg1NGWrhb1id0el4NiXixpg1BpJ4uFS0Vgs4/s2790/wines.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1623" data-original-width="2790" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw7tYnDbvKaj3dVEAumXAxvVNVzXYQ2I5IalFXcJc6QZxZLmh9JpmLWyY6ntT60GXAIpO8kslXJlOL_dsS0Mjr3fcdlLKhyHuejh7hGJUdRAzyuY1YRztqveLQ3IVCDILTU3P7rK3LlhOJOqMxlud1Ib8Cg1NGWrhb1id0el4NiXixpg1BpJ4uFS0Vgs4/w400-h233/wines.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The July 2023 Freeland Wine Club session proved to be yet another fascinating night during which we were introduced to an excellent selection of wines from the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinK9EBc5PJ6bdDtKo2_5uW9wuM35E1adSvEcy-ggwhsQHOnkSp8NrREtVW3Uaa1sTP001d93WpZqdHphmsawYp41Z_zKAAZabAGe-uk96O4RnvFebouoF10RT5vEcC7Q-swvFLrshLglXTaTVgOFzANuVW9ZhwOjZeFyfMmCUaLcJqrdcwJd6LJuMvOvA/s2468/20230730_221906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1698" data-original-width="2468" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinK9EBc5PJ6bdDtKo2_5uW9wuM35E1adSvEcy-ggwhsQHOnkSp8NrREtVW3Uaa1sTP001d93WpZqdHphmsawYp41Z_zKAAZabAGe-uk96O4RnvFebouoF10RT5vEcC7Q-swvFLrshLglXTaTVgOFzANuVW9ZhwOjZeFyfMmCUaLcJqrdcwJd6LJuMvOvA/w400-h275/20230730_221906.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>We were also introduced to an excellent selection of English cheeses. It is not often that the cheeses raise as many complimentary comments as the wines. However, the combination that Charles Dall’Omo presented to the club in July did just that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDr6eehwYC9YDIzDTJaYyh52wU3bdWnXhcOtCrU_rceiUfGcp-i7E-Cx6kGnkTQi0yxeiMnTWtwxbFkXNEtSh3PdC6RG-SJV-Te0-nreDfyqiAewAJJq9o65_MQGuEyaxmKhQtmU7-Zu4E3T7esIlkPTDCe5q7uJhfI0EThksuXXexNUsl6GKcd0p0K0/s2048/MB%20Project-Jul%2021%202023%20-%20607.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDr6eehwYC9YDIzDTJaYyh52wU3bdWnXhcOtCrU_rceiUfGcp-i7E-Cx6kGnkTQi0yxeiMnTWtwxbFkXNEtSh3PdC6RG-SJV-Te0-nreDfyqiAewAJJq9o65_MQGuEyaxmKhQtmU7-Zu4E3T7esIlkPTDCe5q7uJhfI0EThksuXXexNUsl6GKcd0p0K0/s320/MB%20Project-Jul%2021%202023%20-%20607.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Charlie is the cofounder of <a href="https://sanmartinowine.co.uk/" target="_blank">San Martino Wines</a>, an online wine company that specialises in importing and distributing wines from northern Italy.<div><br /></div><div>Charlie orchestrated us through a selection of excellent wines on the night which were very well received.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>These included</div><div> </div><div>3 sparkling wines:</div><div>- 'Prestige' Pignoletto Spumante Brut,</div><div><div>- Ortrugo Frizzante</div><div>- 'Gino Friedman' Lambrusco Sorbara (a rose)</div></div><div><br /></div><div>A still white </div><div>- Pignoletto Superiore, </div><div><br /></div><div>2 reds</div><div>- 'Primo Segno Sangiovese</div><div>- 'Longiano' Sangiovese Riserva</div><div> </div><div>and a beautiful desert wine</div><div>- 'L'Appuntamento' Malvasia di Candia Passito </div><div><br /></div><div>The wines are all available from the San Martino <a href="https://sanmartinowine.co.uk/collections/all-wines" target="_blank">Online Shop</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>San Martino can be followed on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sanmartinowine" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sanmartinowine/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cheeses on the night were:</div><div><div>- Wigmore - a sheep milk cheese</div><div>- Rachel - a goat milk cheese</div><div>- Ticklemoore - a goat milk cheese</div><div>- Colston Bassett Stilton</div><div><br /></div><div>Like the wines - highly recommended.</div><p><br /></p></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-38550598350444265132023-06-02T13:26:00.001-07:002023-06-03T15:16:42.945-07:00Tasty Wines<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgprgR9D7XJZq4jeQlluDd9O_W76_IfqZcSVa2fhpqKRXy6Xe71y2yJBxPFwTd7V43kig2KbymwJ2PIYsxIWiNoqoj6rLuL1j4twxZVLP6ibAXbIDr-7rvhMYEgTgpFviigQpU0evNpEYCiX8etCxuBgP0HFyuabW9hRs6oRXrq27Skr0HKleVdo7/s2865/wines.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="2865" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgprgR9D7XJZq4jeQlluDd9O_W76_IfqZcSVa2fhpqKRXy6Xe71y2yJBxPFwTd7V43kig2KbymwJ2PIYsxIWiNoqoj6rLuL1j4twxZVLP6ibAXbIDr-7rvhMYEgTgpFviigQpU0evNpEYCiX8etCxuBgP0HFyuabW9hRs6oRXrq27Skr0HKleVdo7/w463-h253/wines.jpg" width="463" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Another welcome to Toby Chiles, our
most popular host as evidenced by the turnout on the evening. Toby had arranged
for the wines to be blind-tasted, including the welcome sparkling wine which
turned out to be a Moldovan Radacini Blanc De Noir. Blanc De Noir, of course,
means a white wine made from a black grape, in this case Cabernet Sauvignon.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Thereafter the
purpose of the blind tasting was </span>to prevent preconceptions of the wine before tasting it. Each wine was paired with a carefully selected food item (or two). This was not food-wine pairing in the normal sense of which dishes go with which particular wines. Instead, it was an exploration of how food can influence the flavour and feel of wines. Therefore, we tasted each wine on its own before tasting it with the matching food item. Just for fun, before the wine was revealed, Toby asked if people wanted to guess the wine. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The wine and food combinations were:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">White Muscat (Samos Vin Doux,
Greece) with Pate <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Gewurztraminer (Cave de Turkheim,
France) with Boursin Garlic Cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chardonnay (Bread and Butter,
California) with Smoked Mackerel & Horseradish Pate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Malbec (Dada Art 391 Fina Las Moras,
Argentina) with (i) salt and (ii) salami (high fat content)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Shiraz (Bird in Hand, Australia)
with (i) Cheddar and (ii) Parmesan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fortified wine (Moscatel de Douro
Cadao, Portugal) with (i) blue cheese and (ii) dark chocolate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The pairings were very carefully
chosen by Toby. Unfortunately, I was so engrossed in understanding the impact
of the food on the wine I forgot to take notes. However, Toby very kindly
filled in the gaps in my memory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7biE1GdHFePL5jkhhD_65Q5ukRnb7BWs62UNijOCUNI30ffyybD1oQ6O0ZPi6SAhMOJbA6ZGGjqRfcDJZtBV7Vem01XD-pNqMUP_xYLbZumqGND5-UxvmT5f_KKClz8jqdi0Rw8beLU199sorMNeOz2ZkYx90jpbtI6IA6LyJ-04sYUtSpLOVrHSy/s2048/Wine%20ClubMay%2019%202023%20-%20418.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7biE1GdHFePL5jkhhD_65Q5ukRnb7BWs62UNijOCUNI30ffyybD1oQ6O0ZPi6SAhMOJbA6ZGGjqRfcDJZtBV7Vem01XD-pNqMUP_xYLbZumqGND5-UxvmT5f_KKClz8jqdi0Rw8beLU199sorMNeOz2ZkYx90jpbtI6IA6LyJ-04sYUtSpLOVrHSy/w200-h133/Wine%20ClubMay%2019%202023%20-%20418.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>In respect to the Muscat and the
pate, the sweetness of the Muscat cuts through the richness and the fattiness
of the Pate to balance it out.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">With aromatic wines of lower
acidity, such as Gewurztraminer, the heat and flavour in spices like garlic (hence the Boursin) and
chilli is lifted and/or tempered by the wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Creamy or buttery wines, such as
Bread and Butter Chardonnay, are rich in flavour and body, so the food
accompaniment also needs to be rich either because of the sauce, or the main
ingredient, in this case, smoked oily mackerel blended with crème fraiche,
cream, lemon and horseradish to give it extra flavour and body.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">For Malbec, salt reacts with tannin
to soften the effects and thus the wine tastes smoother. The same is true for Salami,
but with salami fat is also present which softens the tannins in wine further.
Hence the reason that salty snacks and charcuterie go so well with red wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1cL0QfIsZrAC-LhY5j5uijTYqXVdwtSxDK_YCr6fdHdroLRZ-kwRb7jYwzoRwFidstRFDYrBCI2unX4anb91mmVoGy8DcPwt2fcVxQtedsdzjHSdUGbh1rqNF_doPfJIp8qytatEl0Sf2bDQdDl3rGbMm7Z17giJENuy9bgFqxKjgOFl5wKGFDw/s2048/Wine%20ClubMay%2019%202023%20-%20422.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXi1cL0QfIsZrAC-LhY5j5uijTYqXVdwtSxDK_YCr6fdHdroLRZ-kwRb7jYwzoRwFidstRFDYrBCI2unX4anb91mmVoGy8DcPwt2fcVxQtedsdzjHSdUGbh1rqNF_doPfJIp8qytatEl0Sf2bDQdDl3rGbMm7Z17giJENuy9bgFqxKjgOFl5wKGFDw/w200-h134/Wine%20ClubMay%2019%202023%20-%20422.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Red wine with high tannins, such as Shiraz, reacts favourably with hard cheeses to enhance the flavour of both the wine
and the cheese, the richer the hard cheese, the more heightened the effect.
Here a 30-month aged parmesan is taken to new heights. Conversely, soft cheese
flavours are killed by highly tannic wines.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The sweetness of fortified wine
matches and enhances blue cheese through a reaction between sugar and the penicillin
mould on soft salty cheese. While, the high alcohol content of the wine tempers
the bitterness in dark chocolate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrezq06nRLfUv9yVvoWZIqVt72_oERaxdklV-QXKihvPdaWcRdTJ5jg33YWZQZgdImRgb9nIyUkumPhw7FWyFqnoZEFCXU2OCujGXb4r3j88PkZ-xVcNI2XJgB9hGZsq_D_snWCuDo4ZdcoczGlmkfFEfqi2pCyggRvzoUdkp1ZSSsX4Rv_ip_164/s2163/20230519_194638.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="2163" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrezq06nRLfUv9yVvoWZIqVt72_oERaxdklV-QXKihvPdaWcRdTJ5jg33YWZQZgdImRgb9nIyUkumPhw7FWyFqnoZEFCXU2OCujGXb4r3j88PkZ-xVcNI2XJgB9hGZsq_D_snWCuDo4ZdcoczGlmkfFEfqi2pCyggRvzoUdkp1ZSSsX4Rv_ip_164/w400-h200/20230519_194638.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bill (Club Chair) gives the vote of thanks.</div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><p></p>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-74270228718503326132023-06-01T14:30:00.002-07:002023-06-01T14:30:26.505-07:00May 2023 Tasting Notes<p style="text-align: center;"> The blog is to follow. </p><p style="text-align: center;">In the meantime here are the tasting and wine-food pairing notes from the evening.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVnyFuIq4VPW5P4Auu1ntW9LfR8uQ-JrwgpFCcBsGH0xKjndM76oaPDGIFnSezzAly7LmskNGBARGH4SVn7E1NZ48XPmlOl9ZhM9UF9-kAac9Fmqxrdc74uqfxB12sVuRJ2AkoFbXG_btNs38hUiIrUo-GVzrCoNJ58mtzv4lAFCijsBZXDw-1r0E/s1309/tasting%20notes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1309" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVnyFuIq4VPW5P4Auu1ntW9LfR8uQ-JrwgpFCcBsGH0xKjndM76oaPDGIFnSezzAly7LmskNGBARGH4SVn7E1NZ48XPmlOl9ZhM9UF9-kAac9Fmqxrdc74uqfxB12sVuRJ2AkoFbXG_btNs38hUiIrUo-GVzrCoNJ58mtzv4lAFCijsBZXDw-1r0E/w400-h215/tasting%20notes.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu35bbcCCOnIj6g75IK3FKu9p_UQm4GhNxxTbkHEt9TpiSJlqQJpWrmwe8LmUOc4dZvBe4B-q52U8J98uNr6YDwfzLNP7F6Px_d6pxJ9T1E8kuI1shso1Dilww3Xw1Y80231wO2foyWSY7a4rpiKLOZU5il6j-Rxyr7gT9Fzet1zQx_S7_8Fzcwlbn/s1191/Wine-food%20Pairing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1191" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu35bbcCCOnIj6g75IK3FKu9p_UQm4GhNxxTbkHEt9TpiSJlqQJpWrmwe8LmUOc4dZvBe4B-q52U8J98uNr6YDwfzLNP7F6Px_d6pxJ9T1E8kuI1shso1Dilww3Xw1Y80231wO2foyWSY7a4rpiKLOZU5il6j-Rxyr7gT9Fzet1zQx_S7_8Fzcwlbn/w400-h276/Wine-food%20Pairing.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-13856735515776479572023-04-06T11:49:00.001-07:002023-04-06T11:49:46.524-07:00Blind Date<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9Qc6fcunXBnRMeJ4R5rTfngZkqKY-KbQMMUZnosABj49VT6FtWT407dy9fJavkBlOMzync2TUiqdBzub7E5UhKwaH40mKUQgf1q99cbMwUL8vNThU1WE9emv8B5t5M83PWS1t6K_MILgTEzMMPUPGWOd1AEqskTBbY0ChDsJZYHTs5JrkRE2dTu2/s3980/IMG_7397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1337" data-original-width="3980" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9Qc6fcunXBnRMeJ4R5rTfngZkqKY-KbQMMUZnosABj49VT6FtWT407dy9fJavkBlOMzync2TUiqdBzub7E5UhKwaH40mKUQgf1q99cbMwUL8vNThU1WE9emv8B5t5M83PWS1t6K_MILgTEzMMPUPGWOd1AEqskTBbY0ChDsJZYHTs5JrkRE2dTu2/w640-h214/IMG_7397.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcokubVEmybr5pyIqGg7isMlst-41RkLaszqMbUUQwYzxc3Wh6BkSrUoTF2NHgJ3VtCGv4Rvkt_LMxAIcior_12kV9GCOUJrQyHwoot6SUtV-p_6Ex1zZqSuW0OFPYo47ZXVfvK566QeD756wqGz1BYktLZsy3dCUgRHegDLa6w2d2yz6DXKvcoUX-/s2184/20230331_205801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="1004" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcokubVEmybr5pyIqGg7isMlst-41RkLaszqMbUUQwYzxc3Wh6BkSrUoTF2NHgJ3VtCGv4Rvkt_LMxAIcior_12kV9GCOUJrQyHwoot6SUtV-p_6Ex1zZqSuW0OFPYo47ZXVfvK566QeD756wqGz1BYktLZsy3dCUgRHegDLa6w2d2yz6DXKvcoUX-/s320/20230331_205801.jpg" width="147" /></a></div>Yet another excellent night at the Freeland Wine Club was had on
Friday 31 March. <p></p><p>Mark Stuart-Thomlinson was our unexpected host, having to step
in at short notice. He has hosted a number of wine nights and always treats us to an evening with a twist and, as expected, this evening was no exception. </p><p>He introduced the members to 7 wines; 3 white and 4 red, but they had to be tasted blind. </p><p>Club members were
given a number of little slips of paper. On each were the details and a photo of a grape. These served as clue and members had to select the slip of paper that contained the grape of the wine that they were tasting at that moment.</p><p>It has to be said that it was impressive how many of the wines were correctly identified; it showed that there really is
an <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">remarkable </span>wine knowledge amongst the members of the club.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWM0tHnri9Dne_TL_KFshf1eC-ZOkB5fl6vKDUSkfSPAKaK1e1mTc7N6swLT_LGHOz3VC4Y5TyMtMDsPTANPPBFL_qEiebf2kTPVOxUNjTepoq3Vr0unRu1MooalIUwp4MhJUOJfTjgunoZ7eWmmgMZImbrJat8f56rUG_Gx51X_Ja0Wzi27Wk4Sm/s2726/20230331_193927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="2726" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWM0tHnri9Dne_TL_KFshf1eC-ZOkB5fl6vKDUSkfSPAKaK1e1mTc7N6swLT_LGHOz3VC4Y5TyMtMDsPTANPPBFL_qEiebf2kTPVOxUNjTepoq3Vr0unRu1MooalIUwp4MhJUOJfTjgunoZ7eWmmgMZImbrJat8f56rUG_Gx51X_Ja0Wzi27Wk4Sm/w400-h280/20230331_193927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The welcome wine was a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNlZQiwSg4I" target="_blank">Gewürztraminer</a>.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGq6SdmA36Dz-cpVZAUNYpI5K-SFej3oxFvGy5FfL8eIjj6qwZtJ0ye1WK90drJnyePzrzOk4jKUJn6AB6wLOE0AzJ-8BQqh7BjKen-4FFXHuD_RcymNDRGcftDxPU6n_Oz3jLI5fgYEMkfNagkBKdyKnG7wqw1tPT9xWwDdFfFRWrQzHtpp0QpNQO/s1129/Gerwurztraminer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1129" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGq6SdmA36Dz-cpVZAUNYpI5K-SFej3oxFvGy5FfL8eIjj6qwZtJ0ye1WK90drJnyePzrzOk4jKUJn6AB6wLOE0AzJ-8BQqh7BjKen-4FFXHuD_RcymNDRGcftDxPU6n_Oz3jLI5fgYEMkfNagkBKdyKnG7wqw1tPT9xWwDdFfFRWrQzHtpp0QpNQO/w640-h344/Gerwurztraminer.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The second wine was a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8prSSv_vRyQ" target="_blank">Viognier</a>, which was paired with a delicious stilton.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTnAozqb4RjJ9NCIfHZwjaOehtOi1yqNAA86nwyQeMdliiXHPk0XQW7rZtaOEuulTt-L_YQd_QdLbXoWaG3DnqnZAp4c7vHPYksObrd4WZkSSW0SjYK0xXLCLeEqXV_6RazSnUkb7nTyYw38ppu6-zSmLBrUAg2Wx3rMo8LiJaHSSNAFwpmwD5u9Y/s1176/Viognier.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1176" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTnAozqb4RjJ9NCIfHZwjaOehtOi1yqNAA86nwyQeMdliiXHPk0XQW7rZtaOEuulTt-L_YQd_QdLbXoWaG3DnqnZAp4c7vHPYksObrd4WZkSSW0SjYK0xXLCLeEqXV_6RazSnUkb7nTyYw38ppu6-zSmLBrUAg2Wx3rMo8LiJaHSSNAFwpmwD5u9Y/w640-h346/Viognier.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The final white was an unexpected <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDbt94eZ4QA" target="_blank">Sauvignon Gris</a>, paired with an equally unexpected chilli cheddar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD17EoqXdUoihO8gQrcJI1IUk8zbW93K7pFS3O-Axy29c22CR1-V1d42yD7XnyieLb-psMcMB4hUrQJ0g4B76dPovZzO3qYkV1j24WltrWcsfnld-7jROeHKJFbK-uAUPfrKujv5p6I53sQIXicBGA5-a6_CJnk343-9g8vv4lqjeF0gxeT5oJVukw/s1169/Sauvignon%20Gris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1169" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD17EoqXdUoihO8gQrcJI1IUk8zbW93K7pFS3O-Axy29c22CR1-V1d42yD7XnyieLb-psMcMB4hUrQJ0g4B76dPovZzO3qYkV1j24WltrWcsfnld-7jROeHKJFbK-uAUPfrKujv5p6I53sQIXicBGA5-a6_CJnk343-9g8vv4lqjeF0gxeT5oJVukw/w640-h320/Sauvignon%20Gris.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Sauvignon Gris is an obscure grape that originates from the Bordeaux wine region where it was originally known as Fie Gris. It is thought to be a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc. The grape came close to extinction during the <i><a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/no-cure-for-grape-phylloxera/" target="_blank">phylloxera</a> </i>epidemic and these days it makes up only 2% of the vines grown in Bordeaux. It is also grown in Chile, Australia and New Zealand.</div><div><br /></div><div>The grape is generally used for blending and, in France, AOC law dictates that wineries are not allowed to bottle it as a single varietal and those few wineries that do have to label the wine as a generic white Bordeaux. Based on the wine we tasted, Sauvignon Gris is best left for blending! </div><div><br /></div><div>The first red was a good old fashioned <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbNSFhi39bU" target="_blank">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxXqy8sxsr5Nf-MExRPy3IJqCya3JzzAIVLuWJYfSvaxxl9wzPT5BFBlx9Zg_OopJl9n9dB3iP0qCA_-uHp3SMKVg-IZ9pnhHXklSndG24f2cNz5eFQLc62tzo0KQ8GOHLcGNjH1QA-fsruNlA7mRgsDZOB88PzbZpysH6j6mmv55lT1oiKooHKaH/s1123/Cab%20Sauv.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1123" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxXqy8sxsr5Nf-MExRPy3IJqCya3JzzAIVLuWJYfSvaxxl9wzPT5BFBlx9Zg_OopJl9n9dB3iP0qCA_-uHp3SMKVg-IZ9pnhHXklSndG24f2cNz5eFQLc62tzo0KQ8GOHLcGNjH1QA-fsruNlA7mRgsDZOB88PzbZpysH6j6mmv55lT1oiKooHKaH/w640-h356/Cab%20Sauv.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This was followed by a good old fashioned Spanish <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onwgAQJQEP0" target="_blank">Tempranillo</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxasAWCJxfTPonmKP18jdYXy-KrYN4IQ5sWD4a3yhcALxdOXh8vFf67jvjUHrGyA2lgS6PeVFahZx23-TpfgJXgAoMxWewOLUKJ8cfdbkFVpBmu9_4kXKyDUqV6yTZqiuFTz74ln4aoGTkU5FXSTqW86QrtStq1UjlWZ6WbbjhY6Ss42VRrqlxC4zi/s1175/Tempranillo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1175" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxasAWCJxfTPonmKP18jdYXy-KrYN4IQ5sWD4a3yhcALxdOXh8vFf67jvjUHrGyA2lgS6PeVFahZx23-TpfgJXgAoMxWewOLUKJ8cfdbkFVpBmu9_4kXKyDUqV6yTZqiuFTz74ln4aoGTkU5FXSTqW86QrtStq1UjlWZ6WbbjhY6Ss42VRrqlxC4zi/w640-h342/Tempranillo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The third red as a delicious Australian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji0ZN46i5Lg" target="_blank">Shiraz</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJU9cxCA2RG-nqjg6wvDyC5V7kHFJX_StFLiYTEUb-HmoaqGRRvcj1_7XzL4slb0UDO0O3Y2CVlHSd8v7h3SuIyoAFaumMRFOac4b3uOdwENApl4FEI7_lWir2ayx3D4tbO8Aoe1sxGdeYQem14JpK-j8gxR_7hH1woLQPshEwTbREjOTHrY5-cWo/s1121/shiraz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1121" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJU9cxCA2RG-nqjg6wvDyC5V7kHFJX_StFLiYTEUb-HmoaqGRRvcj1_7XzL4slb0UDO0O3Y2CVlHSd8v7h3SuIyoAFaumMRFOac4b3uOdwENApl4FEI7_lWir2ayx3D4tbO8Aoe1sxGdeYQem14JpK-j8gxR_7hH1woLQPshEwTbREjOTHrY5-cWo/w640-h364/shiraz.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>And finally, to the delight of many of the red wine drinking club members, we were presented with an excellent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8HxoHpMY0" target="_blank">Malbec</a>. It's difficult to go wrong with an Argentinian Malbec.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKt4Nc_5JCKBbrYUqujfTMwUOkH_n_W6PjabGGv60CR631WWlsgsycmBauvEAGZpe6MEcXUEIS3WNLQVBp_HnWnWnLVG53mY9NrhEnP96cyaEzJVdqxpI1_PJWwH7zNykcMY9cwYju_GqERBvLvu7uFtuqi5arYrPciobWkyQshvc92IOi-Tvb2Hq/s1126/Malbec.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1126" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKt4Nc_5JCKBbrYUqujfTMwUOkH_n_W6PjabGGv60CR631WWlsgsycmBauvEAGZpe6MEcXUEIS3WNLQVBp_HnWnWnLVG53mY9NrhEnP96cyaEzJVdqxpI1_PJWwH7zNykcMY9cwYju_GqERBvLvu7uFtuqi5arYrPciobWkyQshvc92IOi-Tvb2Hq/w640-h396/Malbec.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Our thanks to Mark for yet another fascinating exploration into the world of wine.</div><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-89914758067448862702023-02-09T12:19:00.027-08:002023-02-09T12:38:27.287-08:00Old World - New World<p><span style="text-align: justify;">The guest host for the January 2023 Freeland Wine Club
evening was Graeme </span><span style="text-align: justify;">Woodward</span><span style="text-align: justify;">. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FQ00UqZhKBk93Efq01qipQ5b1Gczr_woJybdx9-a8_sLCo3nytX-hDCG4UPeJ75lbAGMC60gCA-4kFqAvPspphGZQBkZm47S_5esdm42rAcPh5l-AAZ6m85tu45w-cQfZRowAH2T_iGoUwwk1Nmud5a6SrDAXUGq2F_S5o6mw_MandP8eIt4bk1j/s3949/20230127_211931.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="3949" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0FQ00UqZhKBk93Efq01qipQ5b1Gczr_woJybdx9-a8_sLCo3nytX-hDCG4UPeJ75lbAGMC60gCA-4kFqAvPspphGZQBkZm47S_5esdm42rAcPh5l-AAZ6m85tu45w-cQfZRowAH2T_iGoUwwk1Nmud5a6SrDAXUGq2F_S5o6mw_MandP8eIt4bk1j/w559-h163/20230127_211931.jpg" width="559" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Graeme is the co-founder and co-owner of the
independent wine merchants Grape Minds. Graeme </span><span style="text-align: justify;">and his co-owner, </span>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. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">More details can be found on their
website (</span><a href="https://grapemindsdrinkalike.co.uk/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">grapemindsdrinkalike.co.uk</a><span style="text-align: justify;">).
They are also on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/grapemindsdrinkalike/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Graeme and Michael host a number of wine appreciation events at their stores, details can be
found on their <a href="https://grapemindsdrinkalike.co.uk/events" target="_blank">events web page</a>.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We were welcomed to the evening with a 2018 Italian Opere
Trevigiane Serenissima Brut. This is a sparkling wine made with the <i>Metodo
Classico</i>, in French known as the <i>methods traditionnelle</i>, 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.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEn5ilT0IrmwYWHFQMKMqygjjfuKLrYRDbuFnnqvy8ezr_q88HA3DcXhKqpLfRIChQqPzWKX9LXF4D0RR_8xjKeh8cJ06VYbabt83Al-vc8Mu9O7egQleXAx3Rq5nwrdDwx6WRbcpUw9WhdUb9HBetCjlw3WhfJBTKWyBGRJR7CNuV4wFnmgGZ-UCh/s3520/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEn5ilT0IrmwYWHFQMKMqygjjfuKLrYRDbuFnnqvy8ezr_q88HA3DcXhKqpLfRIChQqPzWKX9LXF4D0RR_8xjKeh8cJ06VYbabt83Al-vc8Mu9O7egQleXAx3Rq5nwrdDwx6WRbcpUw9WhdUb9HBetCjlw3WhfJBTKWyBGRJR7CNuV4wFnmgGZ-UCh/w565-h260/01.jpg" width="565" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">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.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The two Sauvignon Blancs were a Spanish Adaras Lluvia Blanco
from the Almansa region and a Pā Road from New Zealand’s Marlborough region.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eETskfe4GrP640vvwMrGrCd1C_ftVjqoUcHKqA_vV4Xd5zbIoy_i7fa-nvs8e77O8LR1BFy2luGEPydCYpEjUyBpJ3m5iCr4_N_YaGKBRkzwmiacogrXZVP1ZJnHlUwGCGR93kcba4gbV73OyKx4BS7QfvIqJWh8faYzryUri2feVT_M0g4CZuhH/s3520/02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eETskfe4GrP640vvwMrGrCd1C_ftVjqoUcHKqA_vV4Xd5zbIoy_i7fa-nvs8e77O8LR1BFy2luGEPydCYpEjUyBpJ3m5iCr4_N_YaGKBRkzwmiacogrXZVP1ZJnHlUwGCGR93kcba4gbV73OyKx4BS7QfvIqJWh8faYzryUri2feVT_M0g4CZuhH/w566-h261/02.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The two Chardonnays were a Burgundian Domaine de Château Pierreclos Macon Pierreclos and a Drovers Hut Chardonnay from Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TVHzyX_PEY_FZQU1x_Ril7C2pXOV0C0HK6Mh9ENJrAgOYBzq5AlVdxr3paarNyoybN68SKL71zZYkxPxj-nrPunaxCHNAEKOATnPJzx6D4A9ZVGy985QWptc0zRi4inDf9vZFayTdDgBPEye042JQpORSy0RJ1Kxf5J44MY_QOI-9K0uBEg38M_q/s3520/03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TVHzyX_PEY_FZQU1x_Ril7C2pXOV0C0HK6Mh9ENJrAgOYBzq5AlVdxr3paarNyoybN68SKL71zZYkxPxj-nrPunaxCHNAEKOATnPJzx6D4A9ZVGy985QWptc0zRi4inDf9vZFayTdDgBPEye042JQpORSy0RJ1Kxf5J44MY_QOI-9K0uBEg38M_q/w561-h257/03.jpg" width="561" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The two Syrah/Shiraz were a Delas Saint-Esprit Côtes-du-Rhône and a Growers Touch Shiraz from Australia.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UgkisRKDHPtdY2lPoQ-eEMghQqU4kr17YzLEicPKtY-3aJ555ROj4Em6isuIjexyawIYgoSRpm919qXDQA5w7AXE-wfi2Yw-e-rjfB0kJn4X0CJkWJaRVU6CY6kTXcHhXDC3ubkXNay-hSI9xkQWqngiL__ugUYZ1dk7Uo2r2IHpMVQdTfzKH5qP/s3520/04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UgkisRKDHPtdY2lPoQ-eEMghQqU4kr17YzLEicPKtY-3aJ555ROj4Em6isuIjexyawIYgoSRpm919qXDQA5w7AXE-wfi2Yw-e-rjfB0kJn4X0CJkWJaRVU6CY6kTXcHhXDC3ubkXNay-hSI9xkQWqngiL__ugUYZ1dk7Uo2r2IHpMVQdTfzKH5qP/w558-h256/04.jpg" width="558" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">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.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksSGrfSv3PWw_7kilK0KZO3nuejeTKOABkb_Lm-YZ-18AyJqfGfFf4fzZ7vkMCKI48PI9tgiP5NRTdymDnOwko14bUnh096qQTsLQbBTb4ZnAoiDMnM90-o8C5fjo15ydqD1no71VxeWkdt7_-dbRBC6l_SPgamnN8sGGZjUxM0eruNl7ieCR0D7g/s3520/05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksSGrfSv3PWw_7kilK0KZO3nuejeTKOABkb_Lm-YZ-18AyJqfGfFf4fzZ7vkMCKI48PI9tgiP5NRTdymDnOwko14bUnh096qQTsLQbBTb4ZnAoiDMnM90-o8C5fjo15ydqD1no71VxeWkdt7_-dbRBC6l_SPgamnN8sGGZjUxM0eruNl7ieCR0D7g/w562-h259/05.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">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.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAADqBWY1J2ehugCA9UTMvl3tiFFNvrNsf6tE79AHHFaAPFhdIX3N5wc2cEaPFRaSj8bW-J-sqHNt6EEtHiQqQUwreJ4z0CStbYFPnrtuw8ZE6R2OqlxzV0PznhLOkFiCi7niLYVewWwa1SysWlauZksQ0ssA_xpwmt3XQ1sRpMbZAX6741EgqYOk/s3520/20230127_214719a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3520" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAADqBWY1J2ehugCA9UTMvl3tiFFNvrNsf6tE79AHHFaAPFhdIX3N5wc2cEaPFRaSj8bW-J-sqHNt6EEtHiQqQUwreJ4z0CStbYFPnrtuw8ZE6R2OqlxzV0PznhLOkFiCi7niLYVewWwa1SysWlauZksQ0ssA_xpwmt3XQ1sRpMbZAX6741EgqYOk/w575-h264/20230127_214719a.jpg" width="575" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><p></p>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-86983017108019052972022-10-15T00:35:00.000-07:002022-10-15T00:35:00.177-07:00A Night Exploring Pinot Noir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61iopq8Uts10_HymBoeKmVnSCG3cDi6fNFuR2b_ZAOG1zavwDAqOvDwGClacU9aetJuRNvxa2pL8iSm68vlBjEEFb4368YObcZLnZc-_-5Km2ETRefyUUzo0QmEh1QwMM1jY0njQgt1Ou8EqwjSj9N41JJx6KAzE3ODuG3nxloaPA-rPfSrUDytK6/s1977/Bottles%20BW%20BG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1977" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61iopq8Uts10_HymBoeKmVnSCG3cDi6fNFuR2b_ZAOG1zavwDAqOvDwGClacU9aetJuRNvxa2pL8iSm68vlBjEEFb4368YObcZLnZc-_-5Km2ETRefyUUzo0QmEh1QwMM1jY0njQgt1Ou8EqwjSj9N41JJx6KAzE3ODuG3nxloaPA-rPfSrUDytK6/w400-h186/Bottles%20BW%20BG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The host of our
September evening was Martin Marais, one of our club members.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Martin
generally prefers full-bodied reds, such as Merlot, Syrah and Malbec. However,
at the beginning of the year he decided to broaden his wine horizons and
explore Pinot Noir wines. So, for seven months he only bought Pinot Noir wines and
ordered it in restaurants. He also read everything he could about the grape and
wine, and visited Burgundy (the “birth place” of Pinot Noir) where he visited
domains in Rully and Beaune to do some tasting.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The night was
an opportunity for Martin to tell us what he had learnt.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The first thing
Martin explained was the character of Pinot Noir wine. It is:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Medium bodied
and medium dry</li><li>It has an
alcohol content in the range 11 to 13.5%</li><li>It has medium
tannins and good acidity, although some vineyards add white wines to increase
acidity, which can also increase the laying down period of the wine. Pinot Noir
wines age well and can be laid down for up to 10 years.</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p>Martin
explained that Pinot Noir can have pronounced earthy (mushroom/leaf litter)
flavours, especially the old-world wines. While an earthiness is present in new
world wines, they tend to present more red berry flavours and be more
full-bodied.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The “ideal”
drinking temperature is at the lower end for red wines at about 14<sup>o</sup>C,
with Malbec at 16<sup>o</sup>C, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carménère and
Syrah at 18<sup> o</sup>C.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Cheese Pairings
include Semi-hard cheeses such as Gruyère and Comté or more pungent washed-rind
cheeses such as Epoisses and Reblochon.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Martin presented
two Pinot Noirs to allow members to experience the differences between old-world
and new-world styles; one from France and one from New Zealand.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0ovtq1IYmDUhwniHxrJpO3XSxOx5M4hGA_mX8kZILDbQ1uwHIZsFu4D_eXnbJrugPTZt4AWr7x_buKHDpTYNkxerc7dggIz7sM-_d2gP39v7hD8qC0BPfH0KCXzw3YQwIy6gud2ocVlKjMfMZDrOGEv-WwgeneckhmmaiDtGx5AW0uJb7CWGHR7a/s1222/New%20and%20Old%20world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1222" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0ovtq1IYmDUhwniHxrJpO3XSxOx5M4hGA_mX8kZILDbQ1uwHIZsFu4D_eXnbJrugPTZt4AWr7x_buKHDpTYNkxerc7dggIz7sM-_d2gP39v7hD8qC0BPfH0KCXzw3YQwIy6gud2ocVlKjMfMZDrOGEv-WwgeneckhmmaiDtGx5AW0uJb7CWGHR7a/w400-h203/New%20and%20Old%20world.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Pinot Noir has
been given the nickname “The Heartbreak Grape”. This is because;<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It is a
difficult and finicky grape to grow</li><li>It is
thin-skinned, which makes it liable to damage </li><li>Its berries are
tightly clustered making it prone to disease </li><li>It is very
fussy about the climate in which it grows, demanding a cooler-climate,
limestone-rich clay soils, that drain easily and deep soils through which the
roots can grow for water</li><li>It generally
delivers lower yields than other red grape varieties</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Therefore, good
quality Pinot Noir wines often have a higher price tag, indeed it produces some
of the most highly priced varietal wines in the world; half of the world’s 50
most expensive wines are made with Pinot Noir.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF6RAwAssu9LLScbJAYlcyOM8qHwEaQcPRyaG5uJ0SrhrRFdGdO-NGln0CxMacZoq8994zGB6GDRZ6tpaGJ4ArLkp1iR1cnHVbwiJymVNAW31jASJzpliNLbro1krBYPP0ODNjmR_D1avVQarjDP4ikuA0tKXPLC6rvvGNIzWZ5NQVtkqKb5wPi7h/s4032/20220909_154959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIF6RAwAssu9LLScbJAYlcyOM8qHwEaQcPRyaG5uJ0SrhrRFdGdO-NGln0CxMacZoq8994zGB6GDRZ6tpaGJ4ArLkp1iR1cnHVbwiJymVNAW31jASJzpliNLbro1krBYPP0ODNjmR_D1avVQarjDP4ikuA0tKXPLC6rvvGNIzWZ5NQVtkqKb5wPi7h/w400-h189/20220909_154959.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Regardless of
all its foibles, Pinot Noir is still a popular grape to grow and is in the top
ten (9<sup>th</sup>) grapes grown by area in the world. The primary producer of
Pinot Noir wine is France, followed by the USA, Germany, Moldova, Italy, New
Zealand, Australia and Austria. Some of the Pinot Noir wine areas of greatest
reputation are listed below.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1xE_ggvXlvOwOZGDPfWSbc7fUt4aOImqx59LxFr8iheAu-2Nkl9E9Lr_9wcie-4YYF5RJcjnlcfYsSvvIcUDwMaqu2ADeB3dxEvzOP8czMwINWGQ3svwJIcLbIWLadCeFc6PiNGryZ1sVw7vMe_nNTsm9JZpV7922qxDt3wP9aZGBaVbAP2xoDxH/s1113/regions.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1113" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1xE_ggvXlvOwOZGDPfWSbc7fUt4aOImqx59LxFr8iheAu-2Nkl9E9Lr_9wcie-4YYF5RJcjnlcfYsSvvIcUDwMaqu2ADeB3dxEvzOP8czMwINWGQ3svwJIcLbIWLadCeFc6PiNGryZ1sVw7vMe_nNTsm9JZpV7922qxDt3wP9aZGBaVbAP2xoDxH/w400-h230/regions.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pinot Noir
literally means ‘black pine cone’, which is a comment on its shape and colour.
It is French in origin, from Burgundy and is one of the oldest grape varieties.
It was widely grown by Cistercian monks in Burgundy who used it as a Communion
wine. When the monks dispersed to establish new monasteries, they took vines
with them and thus helped spread the variety across Europe.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The grape has around
300 synonyms, the German grape Spätburgunder is in fact Pinot Noir. It has
also spawned the most clones (nearly 50) amongst the more well-known commercial
grape varieties. A clone is a genetic mutation of the parent vine. Clones that
have developed from Pinot Noir include Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier
and Frühburgunder. The latter is an early fruiting variety which, as a result,
is increasingly grown in England and Wales where it is known as Pinot Noir
Précoce.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The grape tends
not to be used to create red blends, but is famously used in sparkling wine
blends, most notably Champagne.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">However, it has
been cross- fertilised with other grapes, resulting in famous grape varieties
such as Chardonnay (Pinot Noir x Gouais Blanc) and Pinotage (Pinot Noir x
Hermitage - more commonly known as Cinsault).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">August 18th is International
Pinot Noir Day.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Pinot Noir is a
versatile wine for pairing with food not only as a still red, but also because
it is made in most styles of wine:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>still white</li><li>sparkling white</li><li>still Rosé</li><li>sparkling Rosé
(a speciality of English vineyards)</li><li>still red</li><li>sparkling red (another speciality of English vineyards)</li><li>dessert wines</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Although a red
grape, its thin skin makes it capable of producing very clear white wines. The
fact it has been around for a very long time also means wine makers have had
ample time to experiment with it.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">There more wines were presented as examples of the wide range of styles that Pinot Noir can be used to make. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">An English white. It was accompanied by Black Bomber (an English Cheddar) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO1hbfP8wLr4DQ3AoPec6pJT7AsaYhONJiyiUnpylzdGrguLLHlUmB3_RHB3j3hsC0I6-NI0s-V9W-Wygr7kScWDyzxkU27fQkib8TJ3DQfbPg2P-ICajJ46v5e-0L9qNpoFslTqbj2Ksjt5aocLvt1I0UA9vL1QY6y4KJFCcJ880lvzUSGUBgztI/s598/White.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJO1hbfP8wLr4DQ3AoPec6pJT7AsaYhONJiyiUnpylzdGrguLLHlUmB3_RHB3j3hsC0I6-NI0s-V9W-Wygr7kScWDyzxkU27fQkib8TJ3DQfbPg2P-ICajJ46v5e-0L9qNpoFslTqbj2Ksjt5aocLvt1I0UA9vL1QY6y4KJFCcJ880lvzUSGUBgztI/w381-h400/White.JPG" width="381" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">French Rosé. It was accompanied by Old Amsterdam (an aged Gouda) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR2rl5mCwGEKoCo_M8OAJMK9SKSWWGYrgRjV6NEo3EaXqhmL74SmkKxroJZFhoniFUooQwQ7qMPB7AYTahxam51KcM7mjDnofbuUzGqGk8iP0itBZi7WxC5pxPxVyFtVy2OF82fcl_4sycT9zun7qjiwE5sedwLW1B9jG1iFPwKGdyBoZUWQbCie3/s610/rose.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="605" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHR2rl5mCwGEKoCo_M8OAJMK9SKSWWGYrgRjV6NEo3EaXqhmL74SmkKxroJZFhoniFUooQwQ7qMPB7AYTahxam51KcM7mjDnofbuUzGqGk8iP0itBZi7WxC5pxPxVyFtVy2OF82fcl_4sycT9zun7qjiwE5sedwLW1B9jG1iFPwKGdyBoZUWQbCie3/w396-h400/rose.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">An Italian Franciacorta. It was accompanied by Cornish Yarg (a nettle wrapped hard English cheese)</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Franciacorta is a small wine-producing area in Lombardy in northern Italy and is famous for its high-quality Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wines, which are widely regarded (especially in Italy) as the country’s finest sparkling wines. It is made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and limited amounts of Pinot Blanc, whilst Champagne uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Franciacorta production is only 1/10 of that of Champagne and only a small proportion is exported due to its popularity in Italy. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuKCjiqxG81OUoYCEWm3IPh3Zd1wfZzUbgZM96oowRXSCM3BxWJD3srER3mOZucvhisFCBJHOxwsCv1T09GboRmlczNfhZ5TMpVCZc5rDQ3rPIoAZ7D4LvdhH-z8OHeVEir8-pOVN_GuAJtEwa4K3KI7j08bSA1gphO_RFUfyXqcf1QUCQCF2Avu_/s604/Franciacorta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="604" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuKCjiqxG81OUoYCEWm3IPh3Zd1wfZzUbgZM96oowRXSCM3BxWJD3srER3mOZucvhisFCBJHOxwsCv1T09GboRmlczNfhZ5TMpVCZc5rDQ3rPIoAZ7D4LvdhH-z8OHeVEir8-pOVN_GuAJtEwa4K3KI7j08bSA1gphO_RFUfyXqcf1QUCQCF2Avu_/w400-h400/Franciacorta.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">In addition, a
dessert wine from Oregon was presented but not tasted (it was too expensive).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpybVA2ANCbpWUiY9xn1CHYP-BftsUuw5CiEXZr3l6c39dt0vpN5V_3s77Ws3-IrAeJdaijGonSKH10L5py-ne4jZhXGz5EwAODwgt_r6F7TwxwDijaxfPqkpGowrjViWzRuj4L4a2Ql9za293id1E7cArCqthFYxUiDV4gZwJM13G2CV_QlWJYYe/s627/Dessert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="627" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpybVA2ANCbpWUiY9xn1CHYP-BftsUuw5CiEXZr3l6c39dt0vpN5V_3s77Ws3-IrAeJdaijGonSKH10L5py-ne4jZhXGz5EwAODwgt_r6F7TwxwDijaxfPqkpGowrjViWzRuj4L4a2Ql9za293id1E7cArCqthFYxUiDV4gZwJM13G2CV_QlWJYYe/w400-h324/Dessert.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Martin’s
conclusions of his exploration of Pinot Noir were;</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Exploring Pinot
Noir wines is an adventure</li><li>Each bottle is a different drinking experience</li><li>One needs to
explore them to find those that one likes</li><li>Price does
matter – one needs to spend a bit more to get the quality</li><li>New world
styles are fuller bodied</li><li>Hungarian and
Romanian are fuller bodied than Western European styles</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Of the thirty
or so Pinot Noirs Martin tasted, he recommended two:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>a Californian (Bread
and Butter) </li><li>a Romanian (Călușari)</li></ul><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXKER1WkruCjxTHi16CgnTKpiiG1MtOqRy0xiaKgEhFK2698emKgaWLAo_gCvBWkXRZxFbpWgW23aF_0zPhL5UsEHUMZJkR8zT30C-nQpeDMQtzVyS6JcgzvpfxxRo6kqscF-SztFfEnYKm7XbuJD8iuEXjw29MOuyGhP6DLgH6plQv9SFkS_Irje/s502/recommendation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="302" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXKER1WkruCjxTHi16CgnTKpiiG1MtOqRy0xiaKgEhFK2698emKgaWLAo_gCvBWkXRZxFbpWgW23aF_0zPhL5UsEHUMZJkR8zT30C-nQpeDMQtzVyS6JcgzvpfxxRo6kqscF-SztFfEnYKm7XbuJD8iuEXjw29MOuyGhP6DLgH6plQv9SFkS_Irje/w241-h400/recommendation.JPG" width="241" /></a></div><br />Martin's overall conclusion was that he would be sticking with fuller-bodied red wines … although
he would continue drinking the Pinot Noir/Hermitage cross called Pinotage, a
South African speciality. It was accompanied by Morbier, a French semi-soft cows' milk cheese, and it was an excellent finish to the evening!<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeGHkP2zBIO4ltmUOv-bvdFpN-lE14236pjAWVgsO6tjtjaxaLPFfxGlj8n5pOPbUkLRYSK-PNCCBcz2j0vCd4MfNrJbN6vv19BzVBnaW9VUHOpaTo45YnTzdEX8C_hUeFFheSWfp7B4d_UJsAb_hgj3fvnV86r9FnjIjJZPED8BMdqvl2QdL_CiU/s605/Pinotage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="516" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeGHkP2zBIO4ltmUOv-bvdFpN-lE14236pjAWVgsO6tjtjaxaLPFfxGlj8n5pOPbUkLRYSK-PNCCBcz2j0vCd4MfNrJbN6vv19BzVBnaW9VUHOpaTo45YnTzdEX8C_hUeFFheSWfp7B4d_UJsAb_hgj3fvnV86r9FnjIjJZPED8BMdqvl2QdL_CiU/w341-h400/Pinotage.JPG" width="341" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07310341669272994824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-91690736752946371942022-08-14T03:40:00.003-07:002022-08-14T03:40:56.804-07:00The New, the Near, the Old, the Far<p style="text-align: justify;">The July event was an evening of two halves - wines from a new winery not far from Freeland and wines from far-away Georgia, where wine production started thousands of years ago.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RiPCHXgQFKNsmD6UCRbYNumGI8rdUJtGdBQKcyJXANs1hD82oZBae_GFivpOD9ka-AvVDGRRavAg2u4kjy4WsEa4esyn-BarlJD_2PFjFe5xUf4hkoaC8E7J4ZMhBXaUkK9o3T_VRttBO60yla2HjNzuMrm6jm15qeGRepI8flVg7Rvv8gQMQ87-/s4032/20220729_190138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RiPCHXgQFKNsmD6UCRbYNumGI8rdUJtGdBQKcyJXANs1hD82oZBae_GFivpOD9ka-AvVDGRRavAg2u4kjy4WsEa4esyn-BarlJD_2PFjFe5xUf4hkoaC8E7J4ZMhBXaUkK9o3T_VRttBO60yla2HjNzuMrm6jm15qeGRepI8flVg7Rvv8gQMQ87-/s320/20220729_190138.jpg" width="151" /></a></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Our first host was Gavin Carver. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Gavin is the founder and owner of Freedom of the Press Winery, which is based at Ringwood Farm near Minster Lovell (OX29 0ND).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He presented some delicious English whites, which were examples of the excellent improvement in the quality that English wines have undergone in the last 5 or so years. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">For more details, visit the Freedom of the Press </span><a href="https://www.freedomofthepress.co.uk/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">website</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gavin also hosted <span style="text-align: justify;">two "experimental" wines from the </span>Vindemiate winery, which was established by <span style="text-align: left;">Tamasine Herriott. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">More details about Tamasine's wines can be found on the </span>Vindemiate <a href="https://www.vindemiate.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</p><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjampIVPYw_KE3w0BnnKbEYZQ2GZz9Zv-qLr4URs6Gh0Dttq7S_5d-F1P55qM7yKrLntwirZfu-hAwE7SV-Awd-yXLA4ilkdfeLFvGX88NKc2kOp_w90WQ7Q1pFn9_gte1ElREqleQwuChjNBfBdpmMxJ5NzT3zTU_Df2FikowiUfp9YV2TuRPhnoA2/s1180/Sticks%20and%20stones%20-Jul%2029%202022%20-%20312a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="1112" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjampIVPYw_KE3w0BnnKbEYZQ2GZz9Zv-qLr4URs6Gh0Dttq7S_5d-F1P55qM7yKrLntwirZfu-hAwE7SV-Awd-yXLA4ilkdfeLFvGX88NKc2kOp_w90WQ7Q1pFn9_gte1ElREqleQwuChjNBfBdpmMxJ5NzT3zTU_Df2FikowiUfp9YV2TuRPhnoA2/w189-h200/Sticks%20and%20stones%20-Jul%2029%202022%20-%20312a.jpg" width="189" /></a></p><p>Our Second host was Kaha Guliashvili who hails from Georgia. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">His company, GeoNaturals, promotes, imports and sells Georgian wines and he presented some excellent wines made in the traditional way using huge, handmade, clay vessels called qvevri which are buried in the ground while the wine ferments.</p><p>For more details on the wines sold by GeoNaturals, visit their <a href="https://www.geonaturals.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a>. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyX-OBteePCH1nnQCX5hsuZHiIL_jh6zr478OcaIu0BPCWWwrPaEa7tPdr_TIhkI0E4Bjl-IG2C4hqtybFJHfUU6nZ0SxoAkt4AwygWac46_K9vr1_VpPUpfZNKxuJAiMAx3l6NoHblWN4matpXcX4YMLcQRev915DT5prT0ltX7AqXwW-z4T6guJ/s3878/20220729_194356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif, EmojiFont, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", NotoColorEmoji, "Segoe UI Symbol", "Android Emoji", EmojiSymbols; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1644" data-original-width="3878" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdyX-OBteePCH1nnQCX5hsuZHiIL_jh6zr478OcaIu0BPCWWwrPaEa7tPdr_TIhkI0E4Bjl-IG2C4hqtybFJHfUU6nZ0SxoAkt4AwygWac46_K9vr1_VpPUpfZNKxuJAiMAx3l6NoHblWN4matpXcX4YMLcQRev915DT5prT0ltX7AqXwW-z4T6guJ/w400-h170/20220729_194356.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>A short video about the history of Georgian wines can be seen by following this link; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN5ziogyxP0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN5ziogyxP0</a>.</p>Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-60689426841137482372022-05-28T03:47:00.001-07:002022-05-28T03:48:19.558-07:00A Night of Mystery<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc6HkbVR2RRBjcS_75BqLlaxww8ARfbLFDHYEbn6_gRHvUgcilip7jkxV47BbHN8s9pVCZSaCQPJHetaO5AptHHbL56d0WWd2g7_hZ71_5ub1LZY50sMMluTy0yNlyMmbk6YzJ2cGjh3RpNxr85bGIkHat9yaUN6EmF1z3rgLiuC6I2d55CXFDnZ2/s1080/Hammersley-%20May%2021%202022_276.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc6HkbVR2RRBjcS_75BqLlaxww8ARfbLFDHYEbn6_gRHvUgcilip7jkxV47BbHN8s9pVCZSaCQPJHetaO5AptHHbL56d0WWd2g7_hZ71_5ub1LZY50sMMluTy0yNlyMmbk6YzJ2cGjh3RpNxr85bGIkHat9yaUN6EmF1z3rgLiuC6I2d55CXFDnZ2/w200-h133/Hammersley-%20May%2021%202022_276.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Our May event was a night of mystery.
But before we get onto that, we were delighted to welcome some Ukrainian guests
to the Wine Club this month and our host, Mark Stuart-Thompson, offered a
special Ukrainian welcome.</span><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNmZ8BKpi_esUiyYMBAf-T5NtE1Ojcy0ylkmade57LWZ71oGNKWDXwaIsrqH7ZKocqeqYKMGgf86GEHzbCTD3v7R52H1WtQ_NmhejiEuDfaNUnmW8DLdQVe1rX7sdAABIVW6EUQP7rbT8lU6cFN1mezYn9kgFxfTvIcbci6L0UEAo0MIB8xQGccnr/s1080/Hammersley-%20May%2021%202022_275.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNmZ8BKpi_esUiyYMBAf-T5NtE1Ojcy0ylkmade57LWZ71oGNKWDXwaIsrqH7ZKocqeqYKMGgf86GEHzbCTD3v7R52H1WtQ_NmhejiEuDfaNUnmW8DLdQVe1rX7sdAABIVW6EUQP7rbT8lU6cFN1mezYn9kgFxfTvIcbci6L0UEAo0MIB8xQGccnr/w200-h200/Hammersley-%20May%2021%202022_275.jpg" width="200" /></a></p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was commented upon by several members
that numbers were a little down compared to usual. This may have been because May’s
event was held a week earlier than normal. I hope some members didn’t turn up
on the usual night, only to find the village hall in darkness. For those of us
who did attend the theme was The Commonwealth Games, with a twist. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Commonwealth Games are being held in
Birmingham this year and the wines for the night were from </span><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Commonwealth countries,
of which there are 54. Interestingly, although, the Commonwealth is associated with
its link to the British Empire, any country can apply to be a member regardless
of its connection with Britain's colonial past. Of course, we did not taste
wine from all 54 countries (now there’s a challenge); we had a representative selection
of wines from 6 countries.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDjQVABvDkmjClu6Tn-kDrwDl8nooRspytAfeVMq6ZuBB9xBV4mJOeCJt3nT2FU7jr_J_RmVaJnvKCduENUyIR2noMXLMFkqAdZcVlbB3gSlosRM3EFd5AlwrZ98oAA0ZxY5iD1tx5PYF0K-5kdFMUbxKLE_adU7ERtpAmn1r2FY7o3mEtJITP2Tb/s4391/wine%20and%20cheese.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="4391" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUDjQVABvDkmjClu6Tn-kDrwDl8nooRspytAfeVMq6ZuBB9xBV4mJOeCJt3nT2FU7jr_J_RmVaJnvKCduENUyIR2noMXLMFkqAdZcVlbB3gSlosRM3EFd5AlwrZ98oAA0ZxY5iD1tx5PYF0K-5kdFMUbxKLE_adU7ERtpAmn1r2FY7o3mEtJITP2Tb/w562-h191/wine%20and%20cheese.jpg" width="562" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The twist was that we were offered the
wines blind and had to guest their countries of origin. Each table had a
selection of a dozen, or so, small cards with an image of a national flag on each.
After tasting the wine, we had to hold aloft the flag of the country from which
we believed the wine came. Mark was testing our wine tasting expertise; gained from
years of attending the wine club.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IH5PKUXSX6oRFeXm4awk_poV6zH6PYX0hINZ6htF3DtG1_Kp9qqwd_pDXbsufq8hSj66whOFq05ag5kxAYkVj3cfDqzwQiqmCHPyI_YqW9rks0ftGSRy1pI4ode_gnnv8Ji-u08l8DgpD8zUyC2WCRamF-5lhir7uNbkVLlQSBC3N3WNro8LiJbJ/s659/202205%2001.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="535" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IH5PKUXSX6oRFeXm4awk_poV6zH6PYX0hINZ6htF3DtG1_Kp9qqwd_pDXbsufq8hSj66whOFq05ag5kxAYkVj3cfDqzwQiqmCHPyI_YqW9rks0ftGSRy1pI4ode_gnnv8Ji-u08l8DgpD8zUyC2WCRamF-5lhir7uNbkVLlQSBC3N3WNro8LiJbJ/w163-h200/202205%2001.JPG" width="163" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The first wine, the welcome sparkling wine,
was a disaster, at least as far as guessing the country was concerned. It was a
fruity, sparkling white which most people assumed was from England. It was in
fact from South Africa, a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aMWMjQc4mUUkD5aD9qxpIR7qIImHoKy1VO_p6dmH_8p63RzFPrmdndrp5-GoXEz9TFSfPpt2mpA6Ttf6enIxkFzYD4Tr8JIdYCDGrimOzxGqGzPESp2ESW3zfESJUy70vfW2hfKqA73dv1cMS2JjLUe9B4FgGy-lEDR0ATHtCUiYe8VP6Wd0lumR/s736/202205%2002.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="530" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aMWMjQc4mUUkD5aD9qxpIR7qIImHoKy1VO_p6dmH_8p63RzFPrmdndrp5-GoXEz9TFSfPpt2mpA6Ttf6enIxkFzYD4Tr8JIdYCDGrimOzxGqGzPESp2ESW3zfESJUy70vfW2hfKqA73dv1cMS2JjLUe9B4FgGy-lEDR0ATHtCUiYe8VP6Wd0lumR/w144-h200/202205%2002.JPG" width="144" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">The second did not fare much better. Most
thought it was from New Zealand, when this one was, in fact, an English Pinot
Blanc. Maybe there was a clue in the cheese - a mature English cheddar.</span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGHQSnb3C8KOCm_z5KLcgnI8tN8ZLWswMCPFJjoBtkSNnkFikXvRr3a3FE_BWuqrUwBP6CpM-naUvwzlYGb9PEfOlW7di0tkkZ1uRUM5q7HMJHiOuxKznKX7su6g2JXwf1uTiguA7HFvF42Z5CNZocKtZG-U9Vy4LEUgOmia-5xt17weYMV14GYUU/s712/202205%2003.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="542" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGHQSnb3C8KOCm_z5KLcgnI8tN8ZLWswMCPFJjoBtkSNnkFikXvRr3a3FE_BWuqrUwBP6CpM-naUvwzlYGb9PEfOlW7di0tkkZ1uRUM5q7HMJHiOuxKznKX7su6g2JXwf1uTiguA7HFvF42Z5CNZocKtZG-U9Vy4LEUgOmia-5xt17weYMV14GYUU/w153-h200/202205%2003.JPG" width="153" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">The next one was a Xynisteri from Cyprus. Since none of us had heard of the grape, it was just as well that guessing the grape was not part of the challenge. There were some interesting thought processes in respect to arriving at its country of origin. One person concluded that the wine would be one that they would like to drink while on holiday beside the Mediterranean. Given we had some clues about countries in the selection of flags on the table, this narrowed the choices to either Malta or Cyprus. Malta was selected. Of course, it turned out to be Cyprus, but the deduction process was sound. On this occasion the cheese was of no use, it being a French garlic and herb Goats' Cheese. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And so, we moved onto the reds. Most of the members are red wine fans. So, things should have improved. And indeed, they did.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvreXNvZYRlduQbpnznzwefq0exCcZOFAgDig4t_Vj2wCjXYPw82uiPEqVPMWfrwSA3hJKQqJ5uqrzuvOpZY8OkZSipGrGxgHev40ZG0ANnEXlIxJMNoFPpYM-S4TMRTxr4ud3Wv_SFb6zI_POyq3upga7FsyFgxlZjrM8KsOmmor7KyIpOFFNtv8n/s730/202205%2004.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="568" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvreXNvZYRlduQbpnznzwefq0exCcZOFAgDig4t_Vj2wCjXYPw82uiPEqVPMWfrwSA3hJKQqJ5uqrzuvOpZY8OkZSipGrGxgHev40ZG0ANnEXlIxJMNoFPpYM-S4TMRTxr4ud3Wv_SFb6zI_POyq3upga7FsyFgxlZjrM8KsOmmor7KyIpOFFNtv8n/w156-h200/202205%2004.JPG" width="156" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A Pinot Noir, from the renounced Pinot Noir region of Central Otago was the first red. The very earthy nose should have given the grape away. And some people did deduce correctly that New Zealand was the country of origin - well done them! A reserve Swiss Gruyere accompanied this wine.</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEbzV1RbOKhkr6ZW_MFXMio_msahPU_lMsh8R8VAgSCa1vpS58rl9OtdNvTDvzS9JJ-7SIhwlaqYtkqx8RRVJmpDXcOflwAQVqEWEgcFUJk2mBZDXWBMd9t-NAEgtzOYpf54npge2MfCD-Yzk4H_LY1Ur6f98RNL6dN9w1-WtOqGj8gYatDGp8ZTq/s675/202205%2005.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="528" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEbzV1RbOKhkr6ZW_MFXMio_msahPU_lMsh8R8VAgSCa1vpS58rl9OtdNvTDvzS9JJ-7SIhwlaqYtkqx8RRVJmpDXcOflwAQVqEWEgcFUJk2mBZDXWBMd9t-NAEgtzOYpf54npge2MfCD-Yzk4H_LY1Ur6f98RNL6dN9w1-WtOqGj8gYatDGp8ZTq/w156-h200/202205%2005.JPG" width="156" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The full-bodied Shiraz was much more in our line of knowledge and many got Australia as the country of Origin. A nutty Jarlsberg came with this wine. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe2rf_EvVAzZ24zkq4eJ7qAn5edpkucuS8QkX7tdWM37qQ67fkpcwtgTy36adDiu5olR5f-1DtQ4AZMaDNPXgeISft6wsyluKgm3IYNOrXMUjMb_G8kytvGBbXJhrawVCIl2ulDDFoCQ5-Pgj7hbcHro5rmD81YFlH6_0pb_4tm0yyrMs8cxsEteu/s679/202205%2006.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="679" data-original-width="536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHe2rf_EvVAzZ24zkq4eJ7qAn5edpkucuS8QkX7tdWM37qQ67fkpcwtgTy36adDiu5olR5f-1DtQ4AZMaDNPXgeISft6wsyluKgm3IYNOrXMUjMb_G8kytvGBbXJhrawVCIl2ulDDFoCQ5-Pgj7hbcHro5rmD81YFlH6_0pb_4tm0yyrMs8cxsEteu/w158-h200/202205%2006.JPG" width="158" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">Many also got the next red (a Merlot) as coming from South Africa; accompanied by a vintage Gouda.</span><p></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWsFwRp1OwqsKhK3gJLSELFCAiANB-FyY9BFNhDAB-2pJkHoaEb8DNihz6w0NKU-qH_nLvC9rpTEywncr4j7FblIgFjjgy56cxO8S7SmedZPLBdHcmnVklcVxjw4zAC1SayURDtj79dxrv71Qm958t0gvjSzNGUUFi5uxqktc_MUTtflvSTxGgQOf/s650/202205%2007.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="535" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWsFwRp1OwqsKhK3gJLSELFCAiANB-FyY9BFNhDAB-2pJkHoaEb8DNihz6w0NKU-qH_nLvC9rpTEywncr4j7FblIgFjjgy56cxO8S7SmedZPLBdHcmnVklcVxjw4zAC1SayURDtj79dxrv71Qm958t0gvjSzNGUUFi5uxqktc_MUTtflvSTxGgQOf/w164-h200/202205%2007.JPG" width="164" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The last wine was a treat and virtually everyone guessed the country of origin correctly. It was a delicious dessert wine, or more correctly, ice wine from Canada. A Mature British Stilton accompanied the wine.</span></div><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All-in-all another delightful evening at
the Freeland Wine Club, in which there was probably more discussion about the
wines than usual!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, before I close, it is time to
say a sad good-bye to Louise Kelly, our stalwart Treasurer and Membership Committee
Member. Louise has given her invaluable time and expertise to the club for many
years, including before it had a formal committee. So, thank you, Louise, from all
of us for your dedication and support for the club and your friendly smile. You
will be missed. As they say, “Don’t be a Stranger”. We hope you will pop in and
join us for a drink (I mean a taste) of wine whenever you are in the area. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOKaeAsBYJm1Pq7Apk2A8J50GXNNH1qCVd0buu6Erzpx8mRXYgD_qMz1qCnCzhMSm9cA62yUHpcAK2vbhBZx5eVT4v-tNSzcjBjbMK2SK9aBoDi2Bu4Cce7lFXkmCFUBqeMhxHh9zcNeW2MwR13d6VDiDyRv5tsueHW3Rozar5D3HLIVm95ZgP8x0/s2048/Wine%20Club%201_22-%20Jan%2028%202022%20-%202971.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOKaeAsBYJm1Pq7Apk2A8J50GXNNH1qCVd0buu6Erzpx8mRXYgD_qMz1qCnCzhMSm9cA62yUHpcAK2vbhBZx5eVT4v-tNSzcjBjbMK2SK9aBoDi2Bu4Cce7lFXkmCFUBqeMhxHh9zcNeW2MwR13d6VDiDyRv5tsueHW3Rozar5D3HLIVm95ZgP8x0/s320/Wine%20Club%201_22-%20Jan%2028%202022%20-%202971.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-74754677870686731032022-04-12T23:41:00.001-07:002022-05-28T03:49:05.236-07:00The Italian Job<p style="text-align: left;">The theme of the evening, given by the title above, gives
more than a small hint about the nature of the wines presented to the Freeland
Wine Club during our March meeting.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The evening was hosted by wine club member David Lloyd who introduced
Matthew Pratt, a wine expert from <a href="https://www.moretonwinemerchants.co.uk/" target="_blank">Moreton Wine Merchants</a> in Moreton-in-Marsh.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g3v6gdYbFzaiUy-m2BESLf8HwThfyo9wEqkop5Bhap_JKiy3Jrr5OytmlkCmNfNtOh8_I-_S3jSQgAsBKRQjgzv0QNdC61XI-blAfG6XgJv4XmWGnOExFuTfUW8tjtA586PubTT-4ZI9ZoNxeez0x8P_pb78da14dCx2l3cw4hHSTfUZMnwnxK4N/s4032/20220325_191558.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g3v6gdYbFzaiUy-m2BESLf8HwThfyo9wEqkop5Bhap_JKiy3Jrr5OytmlkCmNfNtOh8_I-_S3jSQgAsBKRQjgzv0QNdC61XI-blAfG6XgJv4XmWGnOExFuTfUW8tjtA586PubTT-4ZI9ZoNxeez0x8P_pb78da14dCx2l3cw4hHSTfUZMnwnxK4N/w516-h244/20220325_191558.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Matthew Pratt (right) and David Lloyd</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Matt developed an interest in wine after volunteering to
help with a wine tasting in a supermarket at which he was working while a
student. He was able to sample some of the wine during the tasting and had one
of those life changing moments. If wine could taste this good, he needed to
know more about them. The rest, as they say, is history.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Matt’s interest and passion for the subject was obvious as
he took us on an exploration of the length and breadth of <a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/italian-wine-regions-map/" target="_blank">Italy</a>, from Veneto in
the north to Sicily in the south. We were able to savour the oenological delights
the country has to offer as we joined him on the journey.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8_fZusHXfV5W_KkJkjA2iZWpDbS72vI73P8l9k2lEZk4Pd5_EE4hFD5FM9uWKeIxDZqNeB4pY-QbLFImClxv6fWDG6qQGTvyKFePEJAfztaK9SkN9wK169TAuOlg7DkIBdKoOx87MQMMJ7CCjxFyqUz99EZqaJ7PIPcJm0pysMdrMLN0GJQeKoYJ/s3340/20220325_191521%2020220326.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1676" data-original-width="3340" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8_fZusHXfV5W_KkJkjA2iZWpDbS72vI73P8l9k2lEZk4Pd5_EE4hFD5FM9uWKeIxDZqNeB4pY-QbLFImClxv6fWDG6qQGTvyKFePEJAfztaK9SkN9wK169TAuOlg7DkIBdKoOx87MQMMJ7CCjxFyqUz99EZqaJ7PIPcJm0pysMdrMLN0GJQeKoYJ/w527-h266/20220325_191521%2020220326.jpg" width="527" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOLm9IDA2lJwkc8FLLXPKMiFr6NPyj1_IXhWQyKuomhHdl1BRvWTLzgVl3U8XcuLKHn3V5OWJt_t5tMhrZ6GgGCGmN0-y7FQk-LBXCROrXr-t7QGs4CsxBx3L436FIComBqbC9WjFD-brLkQYWWrdsKLrLlUBmMlWC0S0FSxB69ixXrp9NSjo1REt/s520/2203%20Casalotta%20Durello%20Spumante.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOLm9IDA2lJwkc8FLLXPKMiFr6NPyj1_IXhWQyKuomhHdl1BRvWTLzgVl3U8XcuLKHn3V5OWJt_t5tMhrZ6GgGCGmN0-y7FQk-LBXCROrXr-t7QGs4CsxBx3L436FIComBqbC9WjFD-brLkQYWWrdsKLrLlUBmMlWC0S0FSxB69ixXrp9NSjo1REt/w191-h200/2203%20Casalotta%20Durello%20Spumante.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The welcome wine was a sparkling white of the Durello grape
grown on volcanic hillsides of the Veneto wine region near Verona. The name of
the grape refers to the small, firm, late-maturing berries. The Durello grape's
natural high acidity and the cool, hillside vineyards produce complex, long
lived wines to rival Italy's finest sparklers. Production of Durello <a href="https://glassofbubbly.com/what-is-spumante/" target="_blank">Spumante</a> is mostly in the hands of a few small growers, producing traditionally bottle
fermented wine with up to 6 years on lees.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The wine offers citrus and gent floral aromas and a fresh
palate with crisp green apple and lightly honeyed characters. Serve with
antipasti of cold meats, mature cheese and Veneto-style risotto.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIiMTofOem19O6j_9-4Km1yazKA15QRJJf_Qq2yj3bUHjjFF5RZbeWpz33WjIwMYDsR2NMn7fUuAfDgP4SlprzHWvvvPr3cz4bJFiUHHQ0-VnbmkcPSsP1riwnCyjQpUfDIgLZCm5UZsq5u0UQwbIZhB9e44tzOmULyFp71FrRtP7U0qnAmbZTSfb/s520/220302%20Gavi%20Tenuta%20Santa%20Seraffa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIiMTofOem19O6j_9-4Km1yazKA15QRJJf_Qq2yj3bUHjjFF5RZbeWpz33WjIwMYDsR2NMn7fUuAfDgP4SlprzHWvvvPr3cz4bJFiUHHQ0-VnbmkcPSsP1riwnCyjQpUfDIgLZCm5UZsq5u0UQwbIZhB9e44tzOmULyFp71FrRtP7U0qnAmbZTSfb/w191-h200/220302%20Gavi%20Tenuta%20Santa%20Seraffa.jpg" width="191" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first wine was Gavi Tenuta Santa Seraffa accompanied by a
plain French goats cheese roulade.</div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Santa Seraffa estate is situated in the Gavi del Comune
di Gavi zone which surrounds the town of Gavi. The vines are, on average, 45yrs
old and are planted on south-facing slopes of chalky-clay soils with excellent
drainage. The name of the estate comes from the hermitage of Santa Seraffa - a
destination for pilgrims in the thirteenth century, who were also attracted by
the wines produced by the Cistercian monks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The wine has aromas of flora, citrus and green apple
combined with hints of frangipane. The palate has apple and lemon characters
and an appealing weight and minerality. The finish is textural and long. Serve
with seafood and shellfish.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2am30uE26Z_4bG-mb_s_DyOOWKwtLhRPdiPNxNbeLnFK3jiuJsnpI_n5LImaS0hguCfvMGTKt__kZ0FtMLFKuJFULGoRB0Jj7FjXY_kLPAHOX1QTtzxxfGAMdJ11qEwUern4J4DNAHeYIdLnvOtmmFTighg3wjfzbmFycH0nDOZZY17t9_kaaPoS/s520/220303%20Caruso%20and%20Minini%20Organic%20Grillo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2am30uE26Z_4bG-mb_s_DyOOWKwtLhRPdiPNxNbeLnFK3jiuJsnpI_n5LImaS0hguCfvMGTKt__kZ0FtMLFKuJFULGoRB0Jj7FjXY_kLPAHOX1QTtzxxfGAMdJ11qEwUern4J4DNAHeYIdLnvOtmmFTighg3wjfzbmFycH0nDOZZY17t9_kaaPoS/w191-h200/220303%20Caruso%20and%20Minini%20Organic%20Grillo.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Wine two was a Caruso and Minini Organic Grillo accompanied
by Reblochon<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Caruso & Minini are a part of new revival in Sicilian wine.
Small wineries have sprung up in the past decade with a strong interest in the
potential of the native grapes from Sicily. The estate’s grapes are grown in
vineyards in a hilly area east of Marsala at an altitude of 400 meters above
sea level. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pale straw in colour with golden tinges and aromas of lemon,
gooseberry, nectarine peel and sage. Bright and crisp on the palate then
rounder and more mellow, with a persistent hint of lime and white flowers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdrZiWo6QBXRsaE4dhae7xjcd44JYNvcSmeiIPxzRyuKrW1IW4gZnOYh46pbQiBUiBY2JChbg8m1cClBgxLhwXuO4r-_Wd2JRbB4qMv2DQ5hafY7WQK13EqxadO632iaY6QgZdx7kS5KcghKCzXp2eT4fgxGEMm_NqB9Fn3-pl4Ki1qrRUCSu6uvt/s520/220304%20Terrazze%20della%20Luna%20Pinot%20Grigio%20Rose.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdrZiWo6QBXRsaE4dhae7xjcd44JYNvcSmeiIPxzRyuKrW1IW4gZnOYh46pbQiBUiBY2JChbg8m1cClBgxLhwXuO4r-_Wd2JRbB4qMv2DQ5hafY7WQK13EqxadO632iaY6QgZdx7kS5KcghKCzXp2eT4fgxGEMm_NqB9Fn3-pl4Ki1qrRUCSu6uvt/w191-h200/220304%20Terrazze%20della%20Luna%20Pinot%20Grigio%20Rose.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Terrazze della Luna Pinot Grigio Rosato was the third wine
and was accompanied by Mozzarella.<br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The wine is a traditional <a href="https://www.decanter.com/learn/ramato-wine-ask-decanter-426324/" target="_blank">ramato</a> style of Pinot Grigio
rosé that is subjected to a short exposure to the press extract to release the
natural dusky bronze colour of ripe Pinot Grigio grapes, giving a pale, coral wine
and an elegant and dry rosé. The grapes are sourced from the Vallagarina Valley
in Trentino, a zone noted for its fine, crisp Pinot Grigio.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihB6cWkhrYFr111KVpWzXiwdUOTks_e0pBUIHevV4vkUJe3DtCiujbFGSDvvQ6VfJkmByEFDY887Fwu7uPgegV-wBe7LlnlZYgRFyo8Df4CU7-zrslipU66SW3xWjmmI6b8NjJAvwVtISxRgHqPwrasZdzt9l5iDe7IsVOisAlJRrSqRPUQH6o7CZD/s520/220305%20Fattoria%20Le%20Pupille%20Morellino%20di%20Scansano.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihB6cWkhrYFr111KVpWzXiwdUOTks_e0pBUIHevV4vkUJe3DtCiujbFGSDvvQ6VfJkmByEFDY887Fwu7uPgegV-wBe7LlnlZYgRFyo8Df4CU7-zrslipU66SW3xWjmmI6b8NjJAvwVtISxRgHqPwrasZdzt9l5iDe7IsVOisAlJRrSqRPUQH6o7CZD/w191-h200/220305%20Fattoria%20Le%20Pupille%20Morellino%20di%20Scansano.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>The first red was a Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di
Scansano 2020 accompanied by Grana Pandano, a hard, mature Italian cheese.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Fattoria Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano is a young, soft
and fruity red wine dominated by Sangiovese (85%) with Alicante (10%) and
Ciliegiolo (5%). It is red with ruby reflections. The aromas have scents of red
fruit, blueberries and cherry. On the palate the wine is fresh with a light
aromatic persistence and balanced tannins.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxJ_o_LAnQA3je_ah4vonUPjZ7eTHGXrp6oApqB-A17L_6qKW-iWqJOaHMZwyyr5MCm3pZaFDybN0Mg_ewBb9mvD0_Idc3mCC5eQVF_E8uAvUb-fiMZPXDPQprbLJcUVJHNuV_prUn5jnzRyWW04JEiPGomFiLQqeQp7jH3LPQ-vIsr-ZAJIRgPs0/s520/220306%20Neprica%20Primitivo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="495" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxJ_o_LAnQA3je_ah4vonUPjZ7eTHGXrp6oApqB-A17L_6qKW-iWqJOaHMZwyyr5MCm3pZaFDybN0Mg_ewBb9mvD0_Idc3mCC5eQVF_E8uAvUb-fiMZPXDPQprbLJcUVJHNuV_prUn5jnzRyWW04JEiPGomFiLQqeQp7jH3LPQ-vIsr-ZAJIRgPs0/w191-h200/220306%20Neprica%20Primitivo.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Neprica Primitivo was the second red. It is a blend based on
Primitivo with Negroamaro and was served<br /> with Pecorino Romana, another hard Italian
cheese.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The producer, Tormaresca, consists of two estates in
different areas of Puglia, in the heel of Italy. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The wine presents red fruits, black cherry and blackcurrant
on the nose. On the palate, the spice of the Negroamaro is complemented by the
plum jam flavours of Primitivo, resulting in a soft and well-balanced wine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg7vglbnB9lxJkus30Jx0xiXBRIQOUHcTogpRkeoq-PiNnIP0owzec2-2y94BYX3jpvtxgYl-nZig8mvC24mJW59z5iuxHvVdyAERKyLii03rO3NdbD30ON8BfljVwtxQRmbYn2sZnY-txRRQDM6afPMIEDMPWQW9rX2fB5O3woA22AaebJcaZvjL/s520/2203%2007.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="496" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg7vglbnB9lxJkus30Jx0xiXBRIQOUHcTogpRkeoq-PiNnIP0owzec2-2y94BYX3jpvtxgYl-nZig8mvC24mJW59z5iuxHvVdyAERKyLii03rO3NdbD30ON8BfljVwtxQRmbYn2sZnY-txRRQDM6afPMIEDMPWQW9rX2fB5O3woA22AaebJcaZvjL/w191-h200/2203%2007.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>The final wine was a Castelforte Amarone della Valpolicella
that was served with Gorgonzola.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Castelforte Amarone is made from dried Corvina and
Rondinella grapes. A long, slow fermentation and minimum 18 month aging in
large oak give this dry, full-bodied red wine a deep garnet red colour, a
complex bouquet of cinnamon, cherry jam and walnut and a palate of ripe black
cherry fruit with notes of vanilla and coffee on the finish.<o:p></o:p></p>Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-20969789718546809692022-02-06T02:33:00.005-08:002022-05-28T03:50:48.641-07:00 A Bright New Start<h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuT-dXMO9Lj5tSURYgY7WanJPOQolWVJFJFyFtYHkivU4adD5VWFGDgVIzkSqgI6XvjEdeBYxwY7AYrnUGnYTOcMoWx7TEz07nERPqsbsLpa3s2WpuiMvjdwCVxcmCsvuuPcbzcZZI-jOFg7tSvSYYug7cnez5XZHts5xhdNF1558fLgmsZF8qPSsd=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuT-dXMO9Lj5tSURYgY7WanJPOQolWVJFJFyFtYHkivU4adD5VWFGDgVIzkSqgI6XvjEdeBYxwY7AYrnUGnYTOcMoWx7TEz07nERPqsbsLpa3s2WpuiMvjdwCVxcmCsvuuPcbzcZZI-jOFg7tSvSYYug7cnez5XZHts5xhdNF1558fLgmsZF8qPSsd=w596-h281" width="596" /></a></h2><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As the Freeland Wine Club welcomes a new year of wine experiences it also welcomes its new committee and our first event of the year was an excellent opportunity for the committee to introduce themselves to the members and tell us about some of their favourite wines. </div><p></p><p>The new Freeland Wine Club Committee are;</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzbjsPIdd29IFgpJ8Erwmo9rlWCGi_EW4GdlI2rzoqlWPIHA9P2lFGIAwNoDaNGbA5HKvZL2a9vB9NPPUJqKrtee13tiklg1pmpho38TWQLTWBsi0WT1T-lz-aHfsL1CsaHziM1LSVD9suEDQn0ICYKhkL52_rqGznQBmZ2_vnS9M9bE4678BglOSP=s5139" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="5139" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzbjsPIdd29IFgpJ8Erwmo9rlWCGi_EW4GdlI2rzoqlWPIHA9P2lFGIAwNoDaNGbA5HKvZL2a9vB9NPPUJqKrtee13tiklg1pmpho38TWQLTWBsi0WT1T-lz-aHfsL1CsaHziM1LSVD9suEDQn0ICYKhkL52_rqGznQBmZ2_vnS9M9bE4678BglOSP=w599-h120" width="599" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi04KnnRIvpv65V-Qx_QwMlAqTaToZd1Nhz1h-1Swp83uNLjCRFSxPt99zSzXXNkqjEnZiSbhNUva--537stn63bQbirOTnOfbos1bXktmI34CdJzcUQBQ3uffN-GE3WI4bXkvvutyqmjeh-lb-ZrBAv04VhSWZ6ShWtS9XOFtH1c6elP122URTHXUa=s520" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi04KnnRIvpv65V-Qx_QwMlAqTaToZd1Nhz1h-1Swp83uNLjCRFSxPt99zSzXXNkqjEnZiSbhNUva--537stn63bQbirOTnOfbos1bXktmI34CdJzcUQBQ3uffN-GE3WI4bXkvvutyqmjeh-lb-ZrBAv04VhSWZ6ShWtS9XOFtH1c6elP122URTHXUa=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Before the committee introduced their wines, members were welcomed with a delicious <a href="http://www.the-buyer.net/tasting/wine/pignoletto-new-prosecco-buyer-road/#:~:text=In%20the%20mouth%2C%20it's%20a,price%20point%2C%20similar%20to%20Prosecco">Pignoletto </a>Brut; a sparkling white from Italy, which some claim is a superior drink to <a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/champagne-vs-prosecco/" target="_blank">Prosecco</a>, but it is probably a matter of taste. Nevertheless, if you would like an alternative to Prosecco, you couldn’t do worse than a Pignoletto.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR9d-eKzd2IhWSTch7ijnp0MCrhOTdzoQFKTWYxmnv36fc4xX7V-XwQ-ExI7uucOygbYOTyH-UGK-2WHTw3pZSm95QENtwRL9zbnS_xxGjjHI3PXUl931u0553PcxMtD3dFOmLNjrZeI2tohg206hOUHxRqfgd-uxqtYo0JqDScsHvig6Tip1sb-B0=s520" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR9d-eKzd2IhWSTch7ijnp0MCrhOTdzoQFKTWYxmnv36fc4xX7V-XwQ-ExI7uucOygbYOTyH-UGK-2WHTw3pZSm95QENtwRL9zbnS_xxGjjHI3PXUl931u0553PcxMtD3dFOmLNjrZeI2tohg206hOUHxRqfgd-uxqtYo0JqDScsHvig6Tip1sb-B0=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Mark Stuart-Thompson kicked the evening off by introducing a Greek <a href="https://www.bbr.com/grape-as-assyrtiko" target="_blank">Assyyrtko</a>. He had bought the wine two years ago as he had, at the time, planned to host an evening of wines on an Olympic theme, as he had hoped to visit Japan that year. Of course, the Japanese Games were postponed and although they did eventually go ahead, the very restricted conditions under which they proceeded meant that Mark never did make it to them. Therefore, he took the opportunity at the January event to present this Greek white from the <a href="https://www.thymiopoulosvineyards.gr/" target="_blank">Thymiopoulos </a>vineyard in the <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-naoussa#:~:text=The%20classic%20Naoussa%20wine%20is%20a%20structured%2C%20savory,The%20Naoussa%20appellation%20was%20created%20the%20following%20year" target="_blank">Naoussa </a>region of northern Greece. The accompanying cheese was a Greek goats’ cheese, <a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/manouri-greek-cheese-1705634" target="_blank">Manouri </a>from Waitrose.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXZq342n9qxgvCCSTI7hZO0Cm8aP6JF1ejGar40dchUXsse8pBoT39eLExnGxFg3a2CsrD5cb1kV8LaiyZlsjvVr9Ot0PIi_uuutv6J3lI8T2L3TPC5Z_wJ_yLVncZoB3Gdg46tuaM59SQHYIPUQF69reM57r84IiCSKj-C78vznu5niqBK2SN93Dr=s520" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXZq342n9qxgvCCSTI7hZO0Cm8aP6JF1ejGar40dchUXsse8pBoT39eLExnGxFg3a2CsrD5cb1kV8LaiyZlsjvVr9Ot0PIi_uuutv6J3lI8T2L3TPC5Z_wJ_yLVncZoB3Gdg46tuaM59SQHYIPUQF69reM57r84IiCSKj-C78vznu5niqBK2SN93Dr=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Terry Glossop introduced an English white from the <a href="https://www.three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk/" target="_blank">Three Choirs</a> vineyard in Gloucestershire. Terry is on a campaign to convert wine drinkers to drinking British (English and Welsh) wines. There are now over 500 <a href="https://www.gbvg.uk/glossary" target="_blank">vineyards in the UK</a> and the main grape grown is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPVrwcgLllU" target="_blank">Pinot Noir</a>; an improvement on <a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-760-bacchus" target="_blank">Bacchus</a>, which used to be the most popular grape grown in the UK. Going by the wine we tasted on the night the conversion process should not be too difficult; it was generally agreed that the wine presented on the night, called Stone Brook, was excellent. The accompanying cheese was an English <a href="https://www.wensleydale.co.uk/our-story-i22" target="_blank">Wenseydale </a>from Lidl.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTfjpXZuvF42ADeF5HFFZx-Z4Oe5X0u2YKg443TnHo0Edw93yFUuZK5xTOZhcccuCVT5uyAL3edtJWIvSPEmGdlVfopszCoo7aS4xCvqWlnD_lDIOLVxyFjyuiPusJzh6yCZTk7OOq1rj3VMhXNYIjLnZ_o9WW7u6ec88v-UJga_qV8sG2F0WHZXX8=s520" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTfjpXZuvF42ADeF5HFFZx-Z4Oe5X0u2YKg443TnHo0Edw93yFUuZK5xTOZhcccuCVT5uyAL3edtJWIvSPEmGdlVfopszCoo7aS4xCvqWlnD_lDIOLVxyFjyuiPusJzh6yCZTk7OOq1rj3VMhXNYIjLnZ_o9WW7u6ec88v-UJga_qV8sG2F0WHZXX8=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p></p><span style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>Louise Kelly introduced the first red of the night. Louise has an affinity for antipodean wines, not least because her nephew, Lee Winston, is a wine maker in New Zealand. However, on the night, Louise presented an Italian blend (</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74AcYoIRPOM" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Merlot</a><span style="text-align: justify;">, </span><a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-117-corvina" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Corvina</a><span style="text-align: justify;">) from the </span><a href="https://www.pasqua.it/it/storia-e-valori/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> vineyard in the </span><a href="https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/veneto/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Venetio region</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> of north-east Italy. The accompanying cheese was a French </span><a href="http://www.comtecheese.co.uk/history/" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank">Comte </a><span style="text-align: justify;">from Asda.</span><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgELBcnLGX2kp8gd6n9td7Fg-pre5ITPyhiJb1O2Fhntdu4nhvXc-u1mjdzP-qvbl6yc9AcMUNRZSdd-XM0hYHNF_ntI6XUq6L6vsYco7O8Hzp4Ylm6IBbm_kst0uxWQd2wAE_S_3yWhZvZkvkU4wtRRw48XGdRjdZTLYGXIMr2nHOiiHfI0Tv0lqJ5=s520" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgELBcnLGX2kp8gd6n9td7Fg-pre5ITPyhiJb1O2Fhntdu4nhvXc-u1mjdzP-qvbl6yc9AcMUNRZSdd-XM0hYHNF_ntI6XUq6L6vsYco7O8Hzp4Ylm6IBbm_kst0uxWQd2wAE_S_3yWhZvZkvkU4wtRRw48XGdRjdZTLYGXIMr2nHOiiHfI0Tv0lqJ5=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Bill Pinkerton has a very catholic taste in wine and has travelled widely visiting vineyards an experience which has left him with many memorable anecdotes. He introduced a <a href="https://www.bordeaux.com/gb/Our-Terroir" target="_blank">Bordeaux </a>blend (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74AcYoIRPOM" target="_blank">Merlot</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBiys5-ESiY" target="_blank">Cabernet Sauvignon</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8HxoHpMY0" target="_blank">Malbec</a>) from the <a href="https://www.monconseilgazin.com/en/home/" target="_blank">Chateau Monconseil Gazin</a> vineyard. The accompanying cheese was an English Davidstow mature cheddar, available from most supermarkets.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYILIu7m6XdHrfBuBaLCBCXcTirs3pbv2_nnR9W6bBpFuM9KDygZ3DFLkjF4Lp93K1t6zM-bHzq7YNaqvSvEIxLTXuJVltUWfTDmdIppxftD11e03_TtviJRbzoUIBvIXgqFsHfMy9ZjouI7VuCxJbmjIxQuThCK54gtde2KN-uEEH7V6DPI0xBsF2=s520" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYILIu7m6XdHrfBuBaLCBCXcTirs3pbv2_nnR9W6bBpFuM9KDygZ3DFLkjF4Lp93K1t6zM-bHzq7YNaqvSvEIxLTXuJVltUWfTDmdIppxftD11e03_TtviJRbzoUIBvIXgqFsHfMy9ZjouI7VuCxJbmjIxQuThCK54gtde2KN-uEEH7V6DPI0xBsF2=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">The only New World wine of the night was presented by Sue Campbell. Sue had an early introduction to wines as her father was a keen wine drinker. But it was when she married that she really got into wines, as her husband is a real wine enthusiast, to the point of knowing the exact weight limit of wines that their car could safely be loaded with when they ventured into France. The wine sue presented was from the Australian <a href="https://www.blackstumpwines.com.au/" target="_blank">Black Stump</a> vineyard. It was a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5eyxNrCxtA" target="_blank">shiraz </a>with a twist, in that it was blended with <a href="https://www.bbr.com/grape-zz-petite-sirah-durif" target="_blank">Durif</a>. The accompanying cheese was a Dutch Vintage <a href="https://www.cheese.com/gouda/" target="_blank">Gouda </a>from Lidl.</div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiSjbwRXVgrcXXAkxPlWjmj5FbIKEHrIbUMOCGMsQn0AUVLORm24mC_dXIG3_mu-H71sYHsaX86b45zguRJ2FK04uBfx8tWuq6-OjsuMiiKSDYyi_diUeIkpOEx6BXfXPWg4fopYmACM2rmfElW7MnlnkyIRtMZiQqpZtdK0xWIc3OnU1nXMLTkjN3=s520" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiSjbwRXVgrcXXAkxPlWjmj5FbIKEHrIbUMOCGMsQn0AUVLORm24mC_dXIG3_mu-H71sYHsaX86b45zguRJ2FK04uBfx8tWuq6-OjsuMiiKSDYyi_diUeIkpOEx6BXfXPWg4fopYmACM2rmfElW7MnlnkyIRtMZiQqpZtdK0xWIc3OnU1nXMLTkjN3=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></p><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The chairman, Bob Bradley, explained that he and his wife have many divergent hobbies and interests, but visiting wine cellars around Europe was an interest that they definitely shared. He finished the evening off with a Spanish varietal red (<a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-202-grenache-garnacha#:~:text=Grenache%20(Garnacha)%20is%20a%20red,distributed%20grapes%20in%20the%20world." target="_blank">Garnacha</a>) from the <a href="https://bodegasborsao.com/" target="_blank">Bodegas Borsao </a>vineyard in the <a href="https://garnachagrenache.com/campo-de-borja-2/" target="_blank">Campo de Borgja region</a> in Aragon, in northern Spain. The accompanying cheese was a French goats' cheese from Lidl.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It has to be said that we had another excellent evening, with not only some very fine wines on offer, but with the added delight of hearing different stories of the committee member’s personal adventures with wine and the passion and pleasure they get from experiencing a good wine.</p><p>A list of the wines presented on the night can be seen by following this <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/martincmarais/freeland-wine-club/" target="_blank">LINK</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkB5DKO5XpuRXfogoRa9rRYgAlqfuoAnKFhw6xGOHGanJVrZ2B3cwqTv8ezw7FJSIkPAE2EZNib6YX-pPSvEMh4BDd3Rha2876zTaziAVrpfSQg8pcCJuMA4R1GnHU1uMUA7S3Yu2Pr_ecVCJIWY3YStzwT_gdbPQtZn9T3_exgJOMiGqBj0yCGz8I=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkB5DKO5XpuRXfogoRa9rRYgAlqfuoAnKFhw6xGOHGanJVrZ2B3cwqTv8ezw7FJSIkPAE2EZNib6YX-pPSvEMh4BDd3Rha2876zTaziAVrpfSQg8pcCJuMA4R1GnHU1uMUA7S3Yu2Pr_ecVCJIWY3YStzwT_gdbPQtZn9T3_exgJOMiGqBj0yCGz8I=w596-h397" width="596" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div><br />Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-11208656873195310332021-12-11T03:01:00.008-08:002022-05-28T03:52:11.933-07:00A Time with Friends<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxjbtzdc8C97RDpy0pwnqtE-8lzsEJtATLMPK7g11z-NBCMNXFLVGfSOe0Tgu3YyeAOIj0QJEjv-66oz1CTIQQGjqgYuzvCDmiWAfVCBM1exfbWmB3ul0ZumWeSfVgK6RqDLlbXxmPwDa4Db9e8AYORiUP-yWN3tOqKIe5kXnMng7I1r27fj4pxOGf=s4644" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="4644" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxjbtzdc8C97RDpy0pwnqtE-8lzsEJtATLMPK7g11z-NBCMNXFLVGfSOe0Tgu3YyeAOIj0QJEjv-66oz1CTIQQGjqgYuzvCDmiWAfVCBM1exfbWmB3ul0ZumWeSfVgK6RqDLlbXxmPwDa4Db9e8AYORiUP-yWN3tOqKIe5kXnMng7I1r27fj4pxOGf=w640-h93" width="640" /></a></h2><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">As we turn the last few pages in the
diary for 2021 and reflect on the year, it is hard to believe it would turn out
to be so similar to 2020, if not quite as bad. As far as I can remember (it’s a
year ago now and the memory has faded somewhat) we did not have a wine club
event in November 2020 (there is no evidence of it on the blog). So, <u>there</u>
is one improvement we did manage in 2021. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjurPUHeW9ecylyhhWmQ18igAnxyqKgAcJ1L2Uh2XzNOifL361P0L7Tl98LraTzSPN6Z4hBkioS0DRdtirP01Yu3Et7pYnwwEJ_ozS_4I8OThWdx-8YEFYoBUW1_lfhNFT4ALeVSLY94j8dN89D-Ptf54V0YRZk_RK1GfRcCGxOE4tEJVva0vSGRAOY=s2048" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjurPUHeW9ecylyhhWmQ18igAnxyqKgAcJ1L2Uh2XzNOifL361P0L7Tl98LraTzSPN6Z4hBkioS0DRdtirP01Yu3Et7pYnwwEJ_ozS_4I8OThWdx-8YEFYoBUW1_lfhNFT4ALeVSLY94j8dN89D-Ptf54V0YRZk_RK1GfRcCGxOE4tEJVva0vSGRAOY=w160-h200" width="160" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The November meeting is the final soiree
of the year for the Wine Club. It is a time to come together to relax and to chat
with friends and have fun, this year in the form of a quiz created by one of
the members of the new committee, Mark Stuart-Thomlinson.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">In former years, a large table would
have been set up at one end of the village hall onto which everyone piled a
veritable feast of homemade dishes. The result is a table groaning under the
weight of a magnificent buffet. This year, however, the sharing of food was restricted
to individual tables, but a fine fare was still had by all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">As is the tradition, the Wine Club supplied
the wines on the night and as expected the choice was excellent. For those
wishing to pop to their local supplier to get wines from the selection provided
on the night, they were:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dSgYM2_ljTGlw5vC-oQyidi2DpvWmqA6QHQvdiXGHNjO9NKyxrYjZK5gcnMrlD7NzacJoKNNnwn7bpYn405LyiUa7BWlRdq-7QjZ1PfWcM7n0VcLfFpQZxK0QvIhypXL8sAaVA0PfbzLBSqTzjKwD7A6VnwPpQP8--hVUCbKtivVl3XcDVu7jJBy=s890" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="890" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5dSgYM2_ljTGlw5vC-oQyidi2DpvWmqA6QHQvdiXGHNjO9NKyxrYjZK5gcnMrlD7NzacJoKNNnwn7bpYn405LyiUa7BWlRdq-7QjZ1PfWcM7n0VcLfFpQZxK0QvIhypXL8sAaVA0PfbzLBSqTzjKwD7A6VnwPpQP8--hVUCbKtivVl3XcDVu7jJBy=w400-h248" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Frexinet Cordon Negro Brut (Cava)</u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grape Variety:
<a href="https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-2133-macabeo-parellada-xarel-lo" target="_blank">Macabeo/Parellada/Xarel-lo blend</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol Content: 11.5%<br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Vineyard: <a href="https://www.freixenet.com/origin/" target="_blank">Frexinet</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Region: Catalonia</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Country of Origin: <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/wine-from-spain-label-regions-rioja-beginners-guide" target="_blank">Spain</a></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc</u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grape Variety: <a href="https://www.winemag.com/2018/12/17/your-guide-to-sauvignon-blanc/" target="_blank">Sauvignon Blanc</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol Content: 13%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Vineyard: <a href="https://stoneleigh.com/en-nz" target="_blank">Stoneleigh</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Region: Marlborough</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Country of Origin: <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/introduction-new-zealand-wine-sauvignon-blanc" target="_blank">New Zealand</a></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Yealands Sauvignon Blanc</u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol Content: 12.5%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Vineyard: <a href="https://www.yealands.co.nz/" target="_blank">Yealands Wines</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Region: Marlborough</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Country of Origin: New Zealand</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Graffigna Malbec Reserva</u><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grape Variety: <a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/what-is-malbec-wine/" target="_blank">Malbec</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol Content: 13.5%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Vineyard: <a href="https://graffignawines.com/en/" target="_blank">Graffigna</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Region: Pedernal Valley</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Country of Origin: <a href="https://www.winesofargentina.org/en" target="_blank">Argentina</a></span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Porta 6 (Red)</u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Grape Variety: Tinta Roriz (50%),
Castelão (40%), Touriga Nacional (10%)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Alcohol Content: 13.5%</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Vineyard: <a href="https://www.vidigalwines.com/portal/eng/" target="_blank">Vidigal</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Region: Liboa</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Country of Origin: <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/wine-from-portugual-grapes-best-wines-vinho-verde-dao-douro-wine-on-a-budget" target="_blank">Portugal</a></span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 6pt;"></p><span style="font-family: arial;">The label is an original painting by
<a href="https://atelier49lisboa.com/hauke-vagt-the-man-behind-atelier49/" target="_blank">Hauke Vagt</a>, an eccentric German painter, who lives in Lisbon. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAzaCxTiyU8WfZXZjhfafsOKVb7YURHKUl41QzjkhNFdnJe1NJYVoEof8xeRG6LcVXddtZD6OO0ERxBAaDoBSZeCVsDrJ_JlWEsKqZACtl_E9h7Mv4R_yzgseo-v1Zzfophf0KK4QZOGyIVy5_6vd4YMg1lQDqQ4OhgyyXVl0vAaXAfyv3obPyr_is=s6025" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6025" data-original-width="522" height="1063" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAzaCxTiyU8WfZXZjhfafsOKVb7YURHKUl41QzjkhNFdnJe1NJYVoEof8xeRG6LcVXddtZD6OO0ERxBAaDoBSZeCVsDrJ_JlWEsKqZACtl_E9h7Mv4R_yzgseo-v1Zzfophf0KK4QZOGyIVy5_6vd4YMg1lQDqQ4OhgyyXVl0vAaXAfyv3obPyr_is=w93-h1063" width="93" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The quiz was
quite testing. Four rounds with some, n</span><span style="font-family: arial;">aturally, focusing on wine. For those
wishing to be reminded of the top 10 wine producing countries they are (as of
2020);</span><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Italy
4,910,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">France
4,660,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Spain
4,070,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">USA
2,280,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Argentina
1,080,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Australia
1,060,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">South
Africa 1,040,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Chile
1,030,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Germany
840,000,000 litres</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">China 660,000,000
litres</span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And here are
the names of the various sizes of wine bottle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Split
0.187l</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Piccolo
0.2l</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Half
0.375l</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Standard
0.75l (1 bottle)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Magnum
1.5l (2 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Bouble
Magnum 3.0l (4 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Jeroboam
4.5l (6 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Imperial
/ Methuselah 6.0l (8 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Salmanazar
9.0l (12 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Balthazar
12l (16 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Nebuchadnezzar
15l (20 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Melchior
18l (24 bottles)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Solomon
20l (28 bottles0</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Melchizedek 30l
(40 bottles)</span></li></ol><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.bas-uk.com/alpacapedia/what-are-alpacas/" target="_blank">Alpaca </a>was the
answer to one of the questions in the Revue of 2021 round. Poor Geronimo was the
alpaca who had to be put down because he tested positive for bovine
tuberculosis. You can read his sad story by following this <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/08/vets-caution-that-law-is-clear-and-geronimo-the-alpaca-must-be-put-down" target="_blank">LINK</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Interestingly
alpacas have been in the news again recently, but this time their story is a
much happier one, so, you may wish to read this <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-london-59498730" target="_blank">BBC Report</a> instead, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">During your
reflections of 2021, you might ask yourself, “Is there such a thing as a lucky
table?” and the answer would appear to be, “Yes, there is such a thing”; at
least going by the experience of the November Wine Club event. One table, let’s
call it Table 1, not only won the quiz, getting a bottle of splendid wine each,
but also won both prizes in the raffle. Well done them! I was delighted for
them, not least because I was on the table! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">All-in-all it
was yet another delightful occasion and a lovely way to spend a cold, dark
Friday evening.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I would like to
take this opportunity, on behalf of the committee, old and new, to thank everyone
for their continued support and attendance. It is often said that it is the
members that make a club, this is absolutely true, and that without them the
events could not happen. This is less true. The committee could still arrange the
bimonthly events and wine tastings, but it has to be said, without the members attending
them, they would be rather dull affairs. So do please keep coming, as I am sure
you will.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, we
wish you a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year and look forward to
seeing you all in 2022. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the meantime, enjoy your wines. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why not tell us, in
the comments below, which wine(s) you plan to toast the New Year.</span></p><p></p>Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-65033826762295686822021-10-18T12:39:00.007-07:002022-05-28T03:53:11.023-07:00A very Warm Welcome<h1 style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Welcome Back to Members</span></b></h1><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Freeland Wine Club’s second night back in the village
hall after lock down was a very welcome occasion in more than one way. Firstly,
it was a welcome back to the members, to the first formal session for almost
two years and we made the most of it, with around 45 members turning up; it
seemed that however many tables were put out there
were never enough! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Secondly, it was welcome to the new committee! After years
of stalwart service, Bruce and Chris have stood down as the lynch-pins of the
club which now has a more formal structure and a committee. Thank you both,
Chris and Bruce, as the founding fathers of the club, your years of service and
dedication have been truly admirable and very much appreciated. And let us not
forget Marge and Doreen, the unsung behind-the-scenes heroes without whom the club
would not have operated as smoothly as it has. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6ZF0MTrRvM7TscG4QAZvEhThKTd1-53E7vLSgL3sxhTKYMqiYCqSDtZuXJ-koY5Pl8vWYwniuDjncmRRDvrPM6MILRia2vYCMrTkn7HTIGEcJ2-pSFqrsPi9NnLmcd1-H1F8aRsfXH4OPB5ExHgBil6E-JivYbz3oafV95njenyj7KLcmHKEMqDX_=s625" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="625" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6ZF0MTrRvM7TscG4QAZvEhThKTd1-53E7vLSgL3sxhTKYMqiYCqSDtZuXJ-koY5Pl8vWYwniuDjncmRRDvrPM6MILRia2vYCMrTkn7HTIGEcJ2-pSFqrsPi9NnLmcd1-H1F8aRsfXH4OPB5ExHgBil6E-JivYbz3oafV95njenyj7KLcmHKEMqDX_=w400-h143" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Welcome Back to Toby</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It was also welcome back to Toby Chiles - another stalwart
of the club. Toby has hosted 5 wine tastings for the club, including one by
Zoom. As is obvious from his numerous visits to the club, Toby is one of our
favourite hosts. He has worked for Banbury b</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">ased wholesaler </span><a href="https://www.shjones.com/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank">S H Jones</a><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> since 2007 and has a Diploma from the Wine and
Spirits Education Trust in London. He also works for <a href="https://www.wineunearthed.co.uk/" target="_blank">Wine Unearthed</a> a company that runs wine tasting sessions across the country. Toby hosts a
comprehensive 5-hour wine experience (with a three-course lunch) for Wine
Unearthed on one Saturday each month. Toby did not let us down and his event
for the wine club was yet another creative and fascinating evening learning
about the delights of wine.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9cNyG2DEWx-AHjD5RSfURnyXBPPjcOpWw6GQw49fbVZrvvJTqL39CHIk1H2aJKR-lRVBnhDWFYeXuGvF6IsbO9lkCODEuroA6pXbhzMMqHxYwcz2b0dEDxGf5dBgPLB6nBXqS8lSanMFeYp89PCKwLMCPC6C6EW0Chw95lGD9kEMfnCW1tiPg2FdU=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="1080" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9cNyG2DEWx-AHjD5RSfURnyXBPPjcOpWw6GQw49fbVZrvvJTqL39CHIk1H2aJKR-lRVBnhDWFYeXuGvF6IsbO9lkCODEuroA6pXbhzMMqHxYwcz2b0dEDxGf5dBgPLB6nBXqS8lSanMFeYp89PCKwLMCPC6C6EW0Chw95lGD9kEMfnCW1tiPg2FdU=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">An Evening of Three Parts</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The evening was divided into three tasting rounds, each
with three different wines. This was a treat; we normally taste between 5 and 6
in an evening. The wines Toby introduced are listed at the end of the blog.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The first wines were all Rieslings and all from the same
producer. The aim was to see how versatile grape varieties can be and how they
can be used to make different styles of wine. The second collection were all
Malbecs from different countries (Chile, France and South Africa). The aim was
to see how wines differ when they come from different origins. The third were
all Sangiovese from Italy, but with different prices (£6, £14, £37), the price
being a proxy for the quality of the wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">In each round the wines were tasted blind and members
encouraged to discuss them. As a result, there was much discussion, debate,
banter and laughter, the latter especially as the evening drew on and the wine
flowed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Members were amazed after the first round at how different
a varietal wine could be. (I recommend that people experiment with a range of different
sauvignon blanc. That is another wine that can be amazingly variable). Most
people seemed to think that there was a much smaller difference between the Malbec
wines. Malbec does tend to be a consistent grape, with notable differences
resulting when wine makers do something creative with it, for example
fortifying with brandy or <a href="https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/308827806" target="_blank">adding coffee</a>.
The general conclusion with the Sangiovese was that price is no guide to what
you might like in a wine. Indeed, a number of members popped off to Lidl the
next day to bought the cheapest of the three. It would be interesting to know
if any popped out to buy the most expensive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><b style="font-size: large;">Say Cheese</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As usual a fine selection of cheeses was provided with the
wines. This time we were also treated to charcuterie with some of the wines.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><u>With the Riesling wines: </u><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Le Roulé. A soft French cheese
with garlic and herbs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Reserve Gruyère. From a small Swiss diary that is matured
for a minimum of 10 months.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><u style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><u>With the Malbec wines</u></u></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Traditional Air-dried Salami
from France<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Spicy Spanish Chorizo<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Red Leicester (Vintage <a href="https://www.beltonfarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Red Fox</a>) from Shropshire. Matured
for a minimum of 18 months.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><u>With the Sangiovese wines:</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Manchego. A full-fat,
hard cheese made with sheep's milk matured for a minimum of 9 months,
from the La Mancha region of Spain. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Parmigiano Reggiano. A rich, distinctive hard
cheese from Italy that is matured for a minimum of 30 months.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"><b style="font-size: large;">And Finally</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">All in all, the event was yet another most enjoyable
evening. Thanks to Toby for being such an excellent host (yet again) and to the
members for their thoughtful and enthusiastic involvement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Finally, the committee would like to thank members for
helping to tidy up after the evening, it was very much appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Wine List</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><u>ROUND 1 – STYLE: German <a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/the-tasters-guide-to-riesling-wine/" target="_blank">Riesling</a></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Mathy Schanz Riesling Classic (Dry) circa £10 <a href="http://www.weine-mosel.de" target="_blank">www.weine-mosel.de</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Mathy Schanz Auslese (Medium sweet) circa £10 <a href="http://www.weine-mosel.de" target="_blank">www.weine-mosel.de</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Mathy Schanz Sekt (Sparkling) circa £12 <a href="http://www.weine-mosel.de" target="_blank">www.weine-mosel.de</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.weine-mosel.de"></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSKl4w6VECed2RkvpmSVfYMM3TxC4weXhc2ylm98qBC0b6UafKOGgH914GWSnX5ZuyPmHx2aL8ibNPf2CcalyUYjeCuUCd0LvXdCuQ1McMPhUCT6TcRQ0J2DF2Glzck2luQ4VYiNCsGDuCPbsig_wFVQ1_c45Ctd9gWcackROSxSGp0_jue3Zw_370=s1080" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German Riesling Wines" border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1080" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSKl4w6VECed2RkvpmSVfYMM3TxC4weXhc2ylm98qBC0b6UafKOGgH914GWSnX5ZuyPmHx2aL8ibNPf2CcalyUYjeCuUCd0LvXdCuQ1McMPhUCT6TcRQ0J2DF2Glzck2luQ4VYiNCsGDuCPbsig_wFVQ1_c45Ctd9gWcackROSxSGp0_jue3Zw_370=w400-h189" title="The Riesling Wines" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><u>ROUND 2 ORIGIN: <a href="https://winefolly.com/grapes/malbec/" target="_blank">Malbec</a></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Chateau Bur Lagardette Cahors, France, M&S £12.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Emiliana Adobe, Chile, <a href="http://kwoff.co.uk" target="_blank">kwoff.co.uk</a>, <a href="http://ndjohn.co.uk" target="_blank">ndjohn.co.uk</a> £8.50</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Gabb Family Vineyard Malbec, South Africa, Majestic, £11.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIYYzi1wBpPeVbmNjOqmpjBfnTIt_3DmhVG-Vuy4czSWrMqJi484gUPkkqNbrRDxsOtOKPz95z71qbMVMXMk3fSogysxAdfz07wEl_R8irRftC4hVoSNWKmRTdVyd8B0b-JnjJJ4E0PEXsxxDxHjrgVSGszGh5ty5Yw3qqnir_6NfbnX1wff1kJKpw=s1079" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Malbec Wines" border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1079" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIYYzi1wBpPeVbmNjOqmpjBfnTIt_3DmhVG-Vuy4czSWrMqJi484gUPkkqNbrRDxsOtOKPz95z71qbMVMXMk3fSogysxAdfz07wEl_R8irRftC4hVoSNWKmRTdVyd8B0b-JnjJJ4E0PEXsxxDxHjrgVSGszGh5ty5Yw3qqnir_6NfbnX1wff1kJKpw=w320-h156" title="The Malbec Wines" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><u>ROUND 3 PRICE: Italian <a href="https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/guide-to-sangiovese-wine/" target="_blank">Savgiovese</a></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Geografico Brunello di Montalcino 2016 <a href="http://winbuyers.com" target="_blank">winbuyers.com</a> <a href="http://clubvini.com" target="_blank">clubvini.com</a> £29 - £45</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Chianti Classico Villa Cafaggio 2019 Waitrose £10.99 - £13.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Corte alle Mura Chianti Riserva 2016 Lidl £6</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3CX5QSwxOsiOYzRPti0flJc9JgLgLam5bu8_c3WUJFxTFqh-hkN_cZMvWje7eLmepbKHTYoFlnOgI7DBrmOppl2LQa-OH8MjWzht1zU7WhckcNxLiYsBJDcVxJuvPtgze0dnlmd4Fx87fgiDDDPS-qzNYGfPO_qtOHBheXhJjgfHp-woM97B3ZDWl=s1079" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Savgiovese Wines" border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1079" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3CX5QSwxOsiOYzRPti0flJc9JgLgLam5bu8_c3WUJFxTFqh-hkN_cZMvWje7eLmepbKHTYoFlnOgI7DBrmOppl2LQa-OH8MjWzht1zU7WhckcNxLiYsBJDcVxJuvPtgze0dnlmd4Fx87fgiDDDPS-qzNYGfPO_qtOHBheXhJjgfHp-woM97B3ZDWl=w320-h194" title="The Savgiovese Wines" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Photographs all Copyright Bruce Hamersley 2021</span><p></p>Martin.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10038100932390693266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-23686667574155081482021-07-31T08:29:00.003-07:002021-07-31T13:39:04.356-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> At Last!!!!</h1><p><br /></p><p>The Freeland Wine Club, is able to meet again and we are not talking Zoom here but meet and be with others sharing the love of wine and the enjoyment of each other's company. </p><p>Our last face to face meeting seems an age ago, back in the time that will be called Pre-Pandemic. January 2020. As the say, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and water was not on our minds last night at the meeting. That said water had been a big part of the day, you see we were aiming to ease into the meetings by having a group picnic, all bring foods, chairs, blankets, for those reading this outside the UK need to know that the Brits generally picnic very close to, well actually, on the ground, normally on a blanket. You can buy picnic blankets, made just for that purpose. In any event the weather this week has been rain or about to rain, so not good for alfresco food. On Friday it rained most of the morning and into the afternoon but by late afternoon the skies cleared and the rain stopped. So all good, we stayed under cover and enjoyed our picnic foods with friends in the Village Hall. After such a while it was very good to be with Wine Club members, chatting about all sorts with the common interest being wine. Still keeping a distance and very little shaking of hands or, heaven forbid, kisses. </p><p>No wine tasting as such, but lots of bubbles to taste, Prosecco in good quntitity, An organic Prosecco was the main wine. Very good too. </p><p><br /></p><p>All of the wines came from that famous wine cellar in Oxford, Aldi, sadly the Jura Cremant is currently unavailable but when there is a star buy. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSkYWexEs0Nu1Dh86XV8zOdR6NIMK3TG1l6Rek0AvUVDMcpd64ZJ6SJj9JYDRhIETe6kUmBs7S-3y77p1DVzuZsbVniVy68beu5BsbEHuxvyJJPcMulvqaHMWrEVCNb6-JMtiX4z4NBQ/s1080/Wine+Club-+21-07-31.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1080" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSkYWexEs0Nu1Dh86XV8zOdR6NIMK3TG1l6Rek0AvUVDMcpd64ZJ6SJj9JYDRhIETe6kUmBs7S-3y77p1DVzuZsbVniVy68beu5BsbEHuxvyJJPcMulvqaHMWrEVCNb6-JMtiX4z4NBQ/w582-h298/Wine+Club-+21-07-31.jpg" width="582" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIYYGB1qtMxsjHaStCMOcN2rcf36GgjxpUXFXK9m4tg7nGxyc4bmLrSqpOfOnXiMi6Q9y7VPYl5nL_IselBxUJUWXthSatUJLWw0-1lcjPHB4FTYjWyViVM2nFLqYoXlIdkE3c5SfZho/s2406/Wine+Club-+21-07-31+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2406" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIYYGB1qtMxsjHaStCMOcN2rcf36GgjxpUXFXK9m4tg7nGxyc4bmLrSqpOfOnXiMi6Q9y7VPYl5nL_IselBxUJUWXthSatUJLWw0-1lcjPHB4FTYjWyViVM2nFLqYoXlIdkE3c5SfZho/w288-h640/Wine+Club-+21-07-31+1.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not everyone got to taste the red of the night, it was felt that red would not be wanted, how wrong can you be? The Sangiovese was very popular. the Italian grape making the journey to Chili more than well and producing a fine red wine. (Aldi £6.49)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Prosecco was organic, dry and very well received as well. (Aldi £7.49)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8PlOhMOfnsGPt3kEPZW5HDaJHSr6ee0V2eIL8JYzNGCNpoPSmFrdnEr9lXx3P6VKXmQKxEM6fpRYxpVC4UNyhujwV7Pbu7QOy4luJ5wTRyD7sltKdIXDGDM_BVRVLezrilPS6tuGspg/s1571/Wine+Club-+21-07-31+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8PlOhMOfnsGPt3kEPZW5HDaJHSr6ee0V2eIL8JYzNGCNpoPSmFrdnEr9lXx3P6VKXmQKxEM6fpRYxpVC4UNyhujwV7Pbu7QOy4luJ5wTRyD7sltKdIXDGDM_BVRVLezrilPS6tuGspg/w440-h640/Wine+Club-+21-07-31+2.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>If the photographer failed to photograph you then he is sorry for that but if your picture is here he hopes you approve.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhHjDZCe_3PsRDfpeCya5ZptgzbjtPE2cAZZ4mHoLEgc8letzV1LrS7UvwoLhTmrHCDEFDv5-5DcZL6mCGT4ncAVExyc0WGRLZIFG1DSqmODYEoDHqsLZAonfzIHTacsm7LPW2pmqhOI/s1080/Wine+Club-+21-07-30+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhHjDZCe_3PsRDfpeCya5ZptgzbjtPE2cAZZ4mHoLEgc8letzV1LrS7UvwoLhTmrHCDEFDv5-5DcZL6mCGT4ncAVExyc0WGRLZIFG1DSqmODYEoDHqsLZAonfzIHTacsm7LPW2pmqhOI/w640-h426/Wine+Club-+21-07-30+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-8202726122717571252020-10-04T11:09:00.010-07:002020-10-06T02:22:55.171-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> English Wines of some quality.</h1><p><br /></p><p>Its so good to be member of a Wine Club with members that will step up and take on tasks that are not easy. Why would I say this, well the subject in question is English wines. Maybe you will be aware of the fact that the production of English Wine has increased by 75% in six years, that there are now over 500 vineyards in England. That our, soon to be called English Champagne has won major awards. All true but also the feeling that these wines expensive and not always such great tasting wines which maybe, do not represent great value. </p><p>So how would anyone like to talk on the subject and throw some well needed light on the matter. Our speaker, our own Wine Club member Terry Glossop was that very man. He gave a very comprehensive talk and went a long way to put to rest some of the possible unconscious bias of the members, (I for one) hold. </p><p>We we walked through the recent history of wine production in the UK. Let's be honest we are a very long way North to compete with areas of the world which boast 300 days of sunshine, and sunshine is needed to make the sugars to produce the grapes suitable to produce first class wines. But then we now have the possible curse of the 21st century, climate change, the South of`England is now able to produce grapes on a regular basis that do have the sugars and maturity dates needed to produce good wines. What is emerging is also the ability to have consistent and very good quality effervescent wines. It seems post Brexit we can call such wines English Champagne. Little surprise then that Tattinger are making wines, sparkling wines in the UK, other Champagne houses have a record of something similar in other parts of the world so its interesting to see the UK has now joined that list of options.</p><p>So of the wines, on Zoom we were able to talk about the wines we were tasting and what we thought of them - generally we thought them fine, with thought then on the expensive side but also somewhat surprising, typical comments were, 'Well I'm surprised, yes this is a good wine, a distinctive wine but a fine glass...'. would people buy again, maybe is the answer, that the price point of the wines are against some stiff competition from many famous and good wines . That said the one wine that was well received was the Three Chires Wine (Majestic) and also the fizz from our local vineyard at Brightwell, the 'English Champagne' was said to be quite exceptional.</p><p>Terry a big thanks and thanks to all participants, the Wine Club continues and does so because of the collaborative work of all involved.</p><p>Terry noted a number of English wines with prices and availabilities.</p><p><br /></p><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Three Choirs White -- Offer price £11 from Majestic.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Balfour Chardonnay Ortega 2019-- Price £13 from Marks & Spencer<br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Woodchester Culver Hill -- Price £13.99 from Eynsham Cellars</div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Brightwell Pinot Noir -- Price £15.49 from Eynsham Cellars<br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Blackbook Chardonnay Clayhill Essex 2018 -- Price £19 from <a href="http://blackbookwinery.com/">blackbookwinery.com</a> <br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Simpsons The Roman Road Chardonnay, Kent--Price £27 from <a href="http://robersonwine.com/">robersonwine.com</a><br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">We hope to be able to offer something approaching a social evening at our usual date -in later November, this we will need to circulate when the have further plans confirmed and will be emailing in due course. </div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">bruce</div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-19683931642397873452020-08-08T06:06:00.002-07:002020-08-08T06:06:51.628-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> An evening like no other</h1><p><br /></p><p>What a night, humidity you could cut with a knife and sadly only a few faces on the Zoom meeting, what a shame as this meeting turned out to be just terrific, and why was that?</p><p>Well the format was not the usual, we had three speakers, three members offering what to them were wines that meant something more than just the wine. For this we thank our speakers, Marilyn, Bill, and Bob.</p><p>Marilyn told of memorable holidays and visits to South Africa, giving memories of tasting a stunning Chardonnay on the vineyard in Stellenbosch, and then the holiday in the South of France,Provence and a luscious Rosé. Bill tells of a white cote de Rhone, almost as rare as hen's teeth and a good looking Cote de Bourge, with Bob offering us a Spanish Ganash alongside an English white wine.</p><p><br /></p><p>All the wines are noted below, and are available to buy. </p><p>Bill was telling us of the vineyard B&B that the had stayed in when on holiday in the Bordeaux region and tasted the wine at the vineyard and of the family making the wines. Marilyn of the trip to Provence, enjoying the wine while looking out over the wonderful Cote d'Azure. and Bob's childhood being spent next to the Woodchester Vineyard near Stroud, shades to Cider with Rosie here!</p><p>Sadly your Blogwriter failed in not recording the evening which turned out to be concluded with a quiz, this was wonderfully eccentric with the questions not always being understood or in the correct order. The result was a relaxed and enjoyable quiz the points gained being le ss important than taking part. Something that were always told as a child, it's the taking part that matters, last night this was the case. To the Quizmasters, husband and wife team, David and Mary, a big thanks you. </p><p><br /></p><p>The wines:</p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Waitrose:<i><span style="color: #0056d6;"><span></span></span></i><span> <br /></span></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Maison Castel, Cotes de Provence 2019 </span><span>Rose. (On discount at Wairose)</span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Eynsham Cellars<br /></span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Lanzerac Chardonnay white wine from Stellenbosch. Winemaker: Wynard</span><span> Lategan. Origin: jonkershook Valley. Winery: Lanzerac Wine Estate,</span><br /><span></span><span>South Africa. </span></span></li></ul><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(181, 26, 0);">Tres Picos, Borsao, Garnacha</span></span></li></ul></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span></span></span></p><div><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(181, 26, 0);">Woodchester Valley, Culver Hill </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(181, 26, 0);"></span></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wine Society</span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Caractere 2017 by Chateau de la Grave from the Cote de Bourg (right bank) bordeux.</span></li></ul></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-82256823605868653202020-07-06T02:38:00.001-07:002020-07-06T11:31:53.537-07:00The Wine Club goes to The Napa Valley<br />
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We all know of it, we know Napa Valley is in California and we have heard of the wines, we know they are said to be some of the best in the world. We know only a little of how much wine is produced, we know the wines are expensive and that in '76 they amazed the world in a famous blind tasting which resulted in them being classed as the best wines in the world.<br />
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We were taken there with the very excellent guide, our very own David Lloyd David was hoping to spend time on sabbatical in California and so we joined him on his virtual trip and time there.<br />
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The evening was set up well, and was like a game of football, it came in two parts, we kicked off with the wine area, the size, the values, the costs of the wines and the amount produced, the history and the famous blind wine tasting of the mid 70's which shot the Valley into the stratosphere of quality wines a position that have enjoyed since and still enjoy today. <br />
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The members do like a good quiz, so we had two, they were based on what we had just seen and heard, David must have been pleased as the members all did well remembering much of the detail of the presentations.<br />
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Here I take the opportunity to say a big thank you to the team that put the evening together, in addition to David a big thanks to Chris and Phill, and to Louise, our quiz masters and tech co-chair. All just brilliant.<br />
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For the second part of the evening David gave told us of his dream trip around California and the Napa Valley, as mentioned David was hoping to spend time this year when he took a sabbatical, sadly that is now not going to happen but his time in planning was not wasted as he was able to take us on that tour, and the tour was terrific.<br />
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A you will imagine the winemakers of the Valley know how to show their vineyards to very best, and in the Valley this can be to an amazing degree.<br />
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To do this we climbed aboard the Wine Train and visited a number of vineyards,<br />
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We went on to see more all were amazing and fantastic:<br />
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Take for example the Castello di Amorosa. Built at stupendous cost tof $40,000,000 to showcase the wines of the world famous vineyard. <br />
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Or the vineyard of the film producer Francis Ford Coppola:<br />
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David tells us of the highly exclusive vineyards such as Screaming Eagle, no wine tasting possible and wine can only be bought if you are 'on the list' of those that can buy. Then a limit of how much can be purchased and then the wine could be sold on for a multiple of the amount bought for. If you are think the Napa Valley is not like anywhere else in the world of wine you would be right. And our thanks for David for lifting the lid on the world for us.<br />
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It was very clear from the general feeling of the membership that the Zoom meetings are well received, in some ways offering some advantages over meeting in the Village Hal, that said though it is also clear we will be happy to be back in our usual venue but sadly that still looks like being a way off. On the horizon though we could, perhaps, have our usual social evening in later November if restrictions are eased a little more. While that is on hold I think we can say it just may be possible to meet then and remain within the restrictions needed for group meetings.<br />
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What we do want to do is to have another Zoom meeting in August, normally we assume too many are away on holiday in August but not so this year.<br />
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As soon as we are organised on that front I will be emailing with dates etc.<br />
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BruceBruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-91043149666080309662020-06-07T09:34:00.001-07:002020-06-08T02:39:11.725-07:00<h2>
First a virtual winemaker and now a virtual trip to France</h2>
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The Wine Club only meets every other month, well it did but during the pandemic and lockdown we cannot get together, share wines and generally have a jolly time, so we now meet every month, we can meet and hear speakers from the other side of the world, we can re-run the Wine Club's visit to the Loire region France last year and for our last meeting that is just what we did.</div>
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Last June 7 of us and Bob the dog visited the confusingly called central region of France but the Eastern end of the wine making area of the Loire. We wanted to taste and get to know the wines of the area, the area famous for the two famous wines of the Loire, Sancerre and Pouilly Fume.</div>
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We have taken one or two such trips in the past, it is done with what's sometimes called, a light touch, we all go independently and meet up in area. In this case we had a Air BnB in the village of Fussy, close to the town of Bourges.</div>
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All worked well and we tasted and bought a number fo wines. </div>
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Our main interest was the wines, but not from Sancerre but rather the communes that are close to the town but are often overlooked or eclipsed by the world famous Sancerre AOC.</div>
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Sancerre itself produces app 18 million bottles of wine each year. It is a massive industry, by comparison the areas we saw where producing some outstanding wines.</div>
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The AOC are</div>
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Qunicy</div>
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Menetou Salon</div>
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Reuilly</div>
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and slightly further afield, Touraine. </div>
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We also visited the town and vineyards in the Pouilly Fume area, based upon Pouilly Sur Loire</div>
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The striking aspect to these wines is how different they are but how much the same they are. Let me explain. They are all made with sauvignon blanc grape, all grown in the same area or nearly but, and it a very large but, their taste differences are distinct and different, not better or worse but different. So yes a very interesting trip, terrific wines, a great evening allowing usto to return to it.</div>
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The talk(s) were given by Renata and John, Chris and myself, the after dinner treat was a suitably obscure quiz, of a visual nature by the very able quiz maestro Martin Marais.</div>
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Our next meet in this way will be (ABW) on July 3rd but more info will be coming in due course.</div>
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Once again a huge thanks to all the support and encouragement given and seen over the last few months, all greatly appreciated.</div>
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-55822989624971861322020-05-09T11:24:00.000-07:002020-05-13T09:36:29.993-07:00The Virtual Wine Maker<br />
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So many things wrong with being cooped up and locked down but as they say, necessity is the mother of invention and so it is. We at the Wine Club have embraced Zoom, a word that was something to do with rockets until a few weeks ago and now we have Zoom meetings, and now we all know what is meant by this. At this n[meeting and by courtesy of Zoom we have a morning meeting with Lee, a very able and altogether lovely man from New Zealand. Lee and his partner have now a young son, just two years old he was able to say hello to us all from the other side of the world, just terrific. We have to say a very biog thanks to you to Lee, you gave a great talk about the qualities of wine and this before his breakages and while we could enjoy wine tastings. Specifically he asked us to compare a 'good' wine , a more expensive wine to or a more 'run on the mill' wine but from the same area for comparison. This we did and enjoyed to know more now of the telling points of comparison.<br />
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We were able to record most of the talk, this you will be able to access via the link in the email to this Blog.<br />
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So rather than this writer detailing the evening I suggest you hit the link and hear and see the man in action.<br />
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In addition to the talk we also had a very good but stupendously tricky quiz. Martin Marias thank you, it put us all into serious concentration mode and was just great.<br />
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Sadly this was not recorded. <br />
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<br />Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-58046923432284712772020-04-11T06:16:00.006-07:002020-04-11T06:16:55.122-07:00<h2>
A Virtual Wine Club </h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Easter and April 2020, lock down is well established with the whole country painfully aware of the need to be socially isolated or at the very least distant. In our village so much of the communitie's activities have come to a halt, the very things that glue our community have stopped. Included in this is a halt to our normal meetings and discussions with common interest groups so Wine Club has no longer been able to meet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That said the we did wonder if the use of technology can, perhaps, come to our aid here. Three weeks ago the word Zoom was for most a word used by youngsters when playing with toy cars but now it has become a verb. Yes the virtual meeting is very alive and well but still a new type of technology and also one that for us in the Wine Club was unknown. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A little over a week ago we decided to set up a Zoom meeting, not knowing very much about the mechanics or the acceptability of the arrangements for our members, we emailed all, we gave good directions and signposts as time, how etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the popularity of the platform has increased, this has meant hackers have found out ways to integrate themselves to some meetings. Zoom have respond well by beefing up the security levels and changes have been made to the protocols to enter and to get connected, so what you may say. Well for us it meant that our various mails with details of the meetings became nonsensical when Zoom changed the reference numbers that allow members to join our first meeting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This we discovered just 10 minutes before we were to open up the meeting to all. Our very able and cool minded controller of the mail system, Louise, sent out another and corrected mail shot to all members and we crossed our fingers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As it turned out we needn't have been too concerned, come the evening around 50 members joined us for what become a very good, interesting and enjoyable meeting along with the chance to catch up and see our friends from the Club.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We aim to host another virtual Wine Club in a month's time, probably on the 8th May but confirmations etc will follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also can I take this chance to say a huge THANK YOU to all involved last night, your patience and good humour all helped to make the evening work.</span></div>
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(Ref: Bob Bradley)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were very fortunate in having the very able services of Toby Chiles as our guest speaker, the role is not that easy, all the microphones are tuned off bar Toby so no feedback to the speaker, no response to has comments, no oh's and ah's at his observations. Toby did a great job, he spoke about storage, serving and the matching of wines with his usual aplomb and an obvious depth of knowledge. What was more impressive in many ways was his discussion within the group of what wines members were drinking at home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had suggested that we all bought some wine to enjoy as we watched and listened, he was able to discuss all the wines and in some detail, alternative sources, food matching, the grape varieties and the cultural methods. He has a breathtaking range of knowledge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Without wishing to re-invent the wheel let me add Toby's notes:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">FREELAND WINE COMMUNITY CHAT 10<sup>TH</sup> APRIL</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some simple tips for storing wine effectively.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.Store Wine at the Proper Temperature. Of all the factors influencing the quality of stored wine, temperature is perhaps the most important. Unsuitably warm or cold temperatures are a sure way to spoil wine. In general, the ideal temperature for long-term or short-term wine storage is around 55ºF (13ºC), but this can vary from wine to wine. For temperature recommendations about specific wines, consult the manufacturer. Regardless of the type or label, wine should never be kept below 25 °F (-4ºC), which can cause wine to freeze, or above 68°F (20°C), which can accelerate the aging process and destroy volatile compounds. Most importantly, your wine storage temperature should be kept as stable as possible: temperature fluctuations can cause the cork to expand and contract, allowing wine to seep out (or air to seep in) around it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.Store Wine Bottles Horizontally. For bottles with corks, be sure to store your wine horizontally in a wine rack. Keeping wine on its side helps keep the cork moist, which is key for long-term storage, as a dried out cork can cause seepage and premature aging. While it’s not necessary to keep screw top wine bottles on their sides, horizontal storage is nevertheless an efficient way to store your wines for maximum space and easy access. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.Protect Wine from Light and Vibration. Whether you’re storing it for months, weeks, or days, keep your wine in the dark as much as possible. UV rays from direct sunlight can damage wine’s flavors and aromas. You should also keep wines away from sources of vibration, such as your washer and dryer, exercise area, or stereo system. Vibrations can disturb sediments in the bottle, disrupting the delicate process that causes wines to age favorably. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.Store Wine at the Proper Humidity. Humidity extremes in your wine cellar or storage area can also impact your wine’s longevity. At lower humidity levels, your corks can dry out, leaving the wine vulnerable to the effects of oxygen, while higher humidity can cause labels to peel off the bottles, making them difficult to display or sell. In general, your wine cellar humidity should be between 60 and 68 percent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5.Store Wine in a Wine Fridge, Not a Regular Fridge. If you don’t have a wine storage space that’s consistently cool, dark, and moist, a wine refrigerator (also known as a wine cooler) is a good idea. Unlike a standard refrigerator, which keeps your food very cold and dry, a wine fridge keeps wine between 50-60˚F (10-15˚C) and at the proper humidity. (A good fridge will also have a cooler setting for champagne.) Keeping your wine in a separate wine fridge also helps prevent cross-contamination from food odors. If cost is a concern, remember: wine can be an investment, and in that case a good wine fridge is a way to protect your investment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6.Serve Wine at the Proper Temperature. When preparing to serve a stored bottle to fellow wine lovers, allow time for it to come up (or down) to the proper serving temperature. This ensures full expression of wine aroma and flavor. Red wine should be served chilled slightly below room temperature, somewhere between 58 and 65˚F (about 12-19˚C). The precise temperature is determined by the age of the wine, with older wines being held better at 61-65˚F and younger wines on the colder end of the spectrum. Reds with stronger tannins should be kept on the warmer end of the temperature spectrum than lighter red wines, which can go as cold as 55˚F. White wines, meanwhile, can and should be served colder than reds. But they mustn't be kept so cold as to affect the aromas. Instead, white wine should be chilled between 45-55˚F (8-12˚C). White sparkling wines should be on the colder end of that spectrum, as should sweet white wines. Champagne should be served coldest of all, at 38-45˚F (5-8˚C). </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">7.Store Open Bottles of Wine Properly. Stored properly, an opened bottle of wine can last 3-5 days. The key to extending the shelf life of an open wine and retain its original qualities is to recork it promptly and tightly. To recork wine, place some wax paper around the cork and slide it back into its original position. The wax will ease the cork into the top and also ensure that no stray parts of the cork drop into the bottle. If recorking isn’t an option——for instance, if the cork is splintered or has been discarded—a rubber wine stopper can create a tight seal. Finally, an upgrade option for recorking is a wine vacuum pump, which enables you to suck the air out of an open bottle, creating a nearly airtight seal.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9 Tips For Pairing Wine & Food</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you’re just getting started, you’ll find these tried-and-true methodologies to produce consistently great pairings. That said, as you get more familiar with different wines, you’ll become confident and can experiment breaking the rules! (Gamay with trout anyone?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.The wine should be more acidic than the food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.The wine should be sweeter than the food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.The wine should have the same flavor intensity as the food.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4.Red wines pair best with bold flavored meats (e.g. red meat).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">5.White wines pair best with light-intensity meats (e.g. fish or chicken).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">6.Bitter wines (e.g. red wines) are best balanced with fat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">7.It is better to match the wine with the sauce than with the meat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">8.More often than not, White, Sparkling and Rosé wines create contrasting pairings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">9.More often than not, Red wines will create congruent pairings</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Congruent Pairings vs Contrasting Pairings</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A contrasting pairing creates balance by contrasting tastes and flavors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A congruent pairing creates balance by amplifying shared flavor compounds</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Identify The Basics Tastes</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In this day and age, we’ve learned that there are over 20 different tastes found in food – from the basic, including sweet, sour and fat, to the extreme, including spicy, umami and electric. Fortunately you only need to focus on 6 tastes when pairing food and wine: Salt, Acid, Sweet, Bitter, Fat and Spice (Piquant).</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Basic Taste Components in Wine</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the most part, wine lacks the 3 tastes of fatness, spiciness and saltiness but does contain acidity, sweetness and bitterness in varying degrees. Generally speaking, you can group wines into 3 different categories:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.Red wines have more bitterness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2.White, rosé and sparkling wines have more acidity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3.Sweet wines have more sweetness. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Basic Taste Components in Food</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Simplify a dish down to its basic dominant tastes. For example, baked macaroni has 2 primary components: fat and salt. Southern barbecue is a bit more complex and includes fat, salt, sweet and spice (plus a little acid!). Even dishes without meat can be simplified. For example, a green salad offers acidity and bitterness; creamed corn offers fatness and sweetness.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Consider the Intensity</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">FOOD: Is the food super light or super rich? A salad may seem lighter, but perhaps the dressing is balsamic vinaigrette with high acidity. If the intensity of the dish isn’t obvious at first, just focus on the power of each taste component (acidity, fat, sweet, etc).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">WINE: Is the wine light or bold? Here are a few examples:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Sauvignon Blanc is light-bodied, but it has higher acidity</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Chardonnay has more body, but it’s usually not too acidic</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Pinot Noir is lighter bodied (for a red wine) and it doesn’t have too much tannin (bitterness).•Cabernet Sauvignon is more full-bodied and has high tannin (more bitterness)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The blue lines show flavor matches and the gray lines show flavor clashes</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8 CLASSIC GRAPES, THEIR FLAVOUR PROFILE, WHAT MATCHES WITH THEM, AND, SOME ALTERNATIVES</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cabernet Sauvignon</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Kab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Black Cherry, Black Currant, Baking Spices, and Cedar (from oak)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Full-Bodied Red Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied red grape first heavily planted in the Bordeaux region. Today, it’s the most popular wine variety in the world! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wines are full-bodied with bold tannins and a long persistent finish driven mostly by the higher levels of alcohol and tannin that often accompany these wines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: lamb, beef, smoked meats, French, American, firm cheeses like aged cheddar and hard cheeses like Pecorino. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Cabernet Sauvignon</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Merlot: Middle weight, lower in tannins (smoother), with a more red-fruited flavor profile</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Cabernet Franc: Light to middle weight, with higher acid and more savory flavors, one of Cabernet Sauvignon’s parent grapes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Carménère: Usually from Chile, very similar to Merlot in body, but with the aggressive savory flavors of Cabernet Franc</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•The Bordeaux Blend: Usually dominant to Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, but also includes any of the other Bordeaux varieties</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Syrah</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sear-ah” (aka Shiraz)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Blueberry, plum, tobacco, cured meat, black pepper, violet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Full-Bodied Red Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Syrah (aka Shiraz) is a full-bodied red wine that’s heavily planted in the Rhône Valley in France and Australia. The wines have intense fruit flavors and medium-weight tannins. Syrah is commonly blended with Grenache and Mourvèdre to create the red Rhône blend. The wine often has a meaty (beef broth, jerky) quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: lamb, beef, smoked meats; Mediterranean, French, and American firm cheeses like white cheddar, and hard cheeses like Spanish Manchego.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Syrah</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Malbec: (Argentina) More black-fruited, often with more aggressive oak usage, less meaty, but with more coffee and chocolate flavors</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Petite Sirah: (United States) This grape has no genetic relation to Syrah, but has even more aggressive tannin and a fuller body</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Monastrell: More broad texture, with similar meaty notes, but more of a mixture of red and black fruits</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Pinotage: (South Africa) Similar in terms of body, with even more intense, smokey notes.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Zinfandel</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Zin-fan-dell”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: A broad, exotic array of fruits from stone (overripe nectarine), to red (raspberry, sour cherry), to blue (plum, blueberry), to black (blackberry, boysenberry), Asian 5 Spice Powder, Sweet Tobacco</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Medium-bodied to full-bodied Red Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Zinfandel (aka Primitivo) is a medium-bodied red wine that originated in Croatia. Wines are fruit-forward and spicy with a medium length finish. Zinfandel is a red grape that may be better known in its pink variation, White Zinfandel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: chicken, pork, cured meat, lamb, beef, barbecue, Italian, American, Chinese, Thai, Indian, full-flavored like cheddar and firm cheeses such as Manchego</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Zinfandel</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Grenache: More middle-weight and red-fruited flavors, with the meaty and peppery qualities you get with Syrah</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Tempranillo: (Spain) Tempranillo has more savory cherry notes, as well as lower alcohol and body. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•GSM / Rhône Blend: This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre originally from Rhône Valley of France. It’s very similar in terms of taste, but not usually as fruity!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Carignan: This wine doesn’t have the cinnamon-spice that Zinfandel often exudes. Expect more candied cranberry notes and sometimes a funky, meaty note.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pinot Noir</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Pee-no Nwar”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Very red fruited (cherry, cranberry) and red-floral (rose), often with appealing vegetal notes of beet, rhubarb, or mushroom</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Lighter-bodied Red Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Pinot Noir is a dry, light-bodied red that was first widely planted in France. The wines typically have higher acidity and soft a soft, smooth, low-tannin finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: chicken, pork, veal, duck, cured meat, French, German, cream sauces, soft cheeses, nutty medium-firm cheeses like Gruyère</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Pinot Noir</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Gamay: Lighter, juicier, more floral, with subtle herbal notes on the finish. Look for wines labeled “Beaujolais” from France.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Schiava: (Italy) A rare find from Trentino-Alto Adige with candied cherry, rose hip, and allspice notes.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Chardonnay</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Shar-dun-nay”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Yellow citrus (Meyer lemon), yellow pomaceous fruits (like yellow pear and apple), tropical fruits (banana, pineapple), and often a touch of butterscotch, vanilla or toasted caramel notes from oak</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Medium- to Full-Bodied White Wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Chardonnay is a dry full-bodied white wine that was planted in large quantities for the first time in France. When oak-aged, Chardonnay will have spicy, bourbon-y notes. Unoaked wines are lighter and zesty with apple and citrus flavors. Chardonnay is the white grape of Burgundy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: lobster, crab, shrimp, chicken, pork, mushroom, French, cream sauces, soft cheeses such as triple cream brie, medium-firm cheeses like Gruyère</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Chardonnay</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Sémillon: More middle weight, although often with oak as well, more citrus and herbal aromatics</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Viognier: Often richer in body, with lots of perfumed, floral-driven aromatics when oaked. Unoaked Viognier are lighter and more zesty.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Sauvignon Blanc</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Saw-vin-yawn Blonk”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Aggressively-citrus-driven (grapefruit pith), with some exotic fruits (honeydew melon, passion frUit, kiwi) and always an herbaceous quality (grass, mint, green pepper)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Light- to Medium-Bodied White Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Sauvignon Blanc is a dry white grape first widely planted in France. Wines are tart, typically with herbal, “green” fruit flavors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: fish, chicken, pork, veal, Mexican, Vietnamese, French, herb-crusted goat cheese, nutty cheeses such as Gruyère</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Sauvignon Blanc</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Vermentino: from Italy is less herbaceous, but with more appealing, bitter flavors (bitter almond)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Verdejo: from Spain is almost identical, although sometimes fuller in body</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Grüner Veltliner: from Austria has more savory vegetable notes (arugula, turnip, white pepper)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pinot Gris</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Pee-no Gree” (aka Pinot Grigio)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Delicate citrus (lime water, orange zest) and pomaceous fruits (apple skin, pear sauce), white floral notes, and cheese rind (from lees usage)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Light-Bodied White Wine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Pinot Gris is a dry light-bodied white grape that is planted heavily in Italy, but also in France and Germany. Wines are light to middle-weight and easy drinking, often with some bitter flavor on the palate (bitter almond, quinine)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: Salad, delicate poached fish, light and mild cheeses</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Pinot Gris</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Albariño: from Spain is similar, but has more acid and more citrus-driven aromatics (tangerine, orange juice) and floral aromatics</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Soave: The grape is Garganega, but often more bruised and oxidized apple-y character, still relatively bitter</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Melon: The grape is Melon de Bourgogne, and the wine region is called Muscadet in France. It’s often much higher in acidity, but with heavy lees and relatively neutral flavor</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Riesling</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Reese-ling”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Taste: Citrus (kefir lime, lemon juice) and stone-fruit (white peach, nectarine) always feature prominently, although there are also usually floral and sweet herbal elements as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Style: Floral and fruit-driven aromatic white that comes in variable sweetness. Some producers choose not to ferment all the grape sugar and therefore make the wine in an “off-dry” style.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Description: Always very high in acid, when made as a table wine Rieslings can be harmoniously sweet (sweet and sour) or dry (very acidic). The wine is polarizing because some people find dry styles too acidic and sweet styles too cloying, but sweetness is always a wine making decision and not inherent to the grape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span> Food Pairing: chicken, pork, duck, turkey, cured meat, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Moroccan, German, washed-rind cheeses and fondue</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Great Alternatives to Riesling</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Moscato Less acidic with a much more aggressively floral flavor profile</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Gewürztraminer: richer, with less acid and more broad texture, rose candy and lychee are typical aromatics</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Torrontés: Related to Moscato, but always in a dry style, more full-bodied and bitter</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">•Chenin Blanc: Also very acidic and made in sweet and dry styles, but much more savory with more apple-y, savory aromatics</span></div>
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-42225622433817771112020-02-01T03:25:00.000-08:002020-02-01T08:44:37.587-08:00<h2>
2020, and Wine Club starts a new year....</h2>
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At the start of each new season for the Freeland Wine Club for the last four years we have started with the first meeting being given by the very able and knowledgeable speaker Toby Chiles.</div>
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For this year, we were to go to Australia for our wines and wine choices, but not the wine that is so often associated with Australia, Chardonnay, none to be seen but rather a selection of grapes and wines all very new to the members.</div>
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Toby did as ever, a great job in sourcing interesting choices of wine but also did a great job of entertaining and informing.</div>
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He is a master of the stand up / sit down quiz. Not complicated, and with the multiple choice answers numbering two you might think it would be a breeze, a breeze it wasn't but very entertaining it was.</div>
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Normally I would now go through the various wines but on this Blog I will first show the winners, you see we had number of trivia quizzes and those that know the Wine Club will be aware of the high level of competitiveness that comes out whenever the word quiz or competion is mentioned, so the winners:</div>
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And the wines:</div>
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We enjoyed 8 wines, one white, two sparkling wines, three reds and two sweet wines.</div>
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All accompanied by various cheeses, these were a soft Brie de Meaux, two hard cheeses to accompany the reds, a Wensledale and a mature Gouda, the sweet wines had a choice of chocolate, 70% cocoa or a French Roquefort. All worked very well.</div>
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The wines.<br />
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An easy drinking wine, a term that can be interpreted many ways but in this context a pleasant wine but not a remarkable wine. Certainly citrus notes and maybe a touch of ginger there. </div>
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Pinot Noir, within the bottle and available form Waitrose, Those that love Pinot will enjoy the crisp and cool 'fizz' . A very slight blush to the colour of the wine harvested in the cool of the night in the Adelaide Hills.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XYG6_bdGDkiF2K0_qWF8EZv1wpdT9ewI1SaTtnC6t7C6zrxlSldkz9IOu3dShxuXwg3hnt9LmnQfrPdByWXCaGr60E0Fm4XKGBEL_NGr10TnnZAPcqlHX5LQD9F_el2S6W3mGTtdgoI/s1600/WC--5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1098" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XYG6_bdGDkiF2K0_qWF8EZv1wpdT9ewI1SaTtnC6t7C6zrxlSldkz9IOu3dShxuXwg3hnt9LmnQfrPdByWXCaGr60E0Fm4XKGBEL_NGr10TnnZAPcqlHX5LQD9F_el2S6W3mGTtdgoI/s640/WC--5.jpg" width="468" /></a><br />
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A great label to this Fork and Spoon sparkling Shiraz, but maybe a red fizz too far, some enjoyed but a lot found the concept of red fizz daunting. The question of what would you drink this with and why? But then the price is an incentive.(£5.99)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCjIbLoWd3FeCm1GUU-4zKXxzJ0dra6IiluwTVyYb6hwuj7ZvuwCZ6Gpih3oXvApT47IHUpTVZqGa06jKisL5jOFnfqQExSgOi0LcmEwqSwVohqkkZkny3Uk3BIOMtkVa6R3v55rw11c/s1600/WC--2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="773" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCjIbLoWd3FeCm1GUU-4zKXxzJ0dra6IiluwTVyYb6hwuj7ZvuwCZ6Gpih3oXvApT47IHUpTVZqGa06jKisL5jOFnfqQExSgOi0LcmEwqSwVohqkkZkny3Uk3BIOMtkVa6R3v55rw11c/s640/WC--2.jpg" width="328" /></a></div>
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This was a super wine, the grape associated with Italy and the Tuscan Barolo, so here you have an Australian Barolo and this is a fine wine. Better with a duck or hearty meal that will allow the wine to cut through the richness of the foods.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8ot5evtAiG9qObJRXh2D7kJdhrgDsfNZPektsv9yqvXlu10GdMBdOuvsDeNOwJI1fe62Yb1RUi67S6hq9oUNea9T_pf0AHuVqf-ZmHeNmdMsvVG2ToKX6dUsO_sthL7LFM2mt1TWmUQ/s1600/WC--4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="697" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8ot5evtAiG9qObJRXh2D7kJdhrgDsfNZPektsv9yqvXlu10GdMBdOuvsDeNOwJI1fe62Yb1RUi67S6hq9oUNea9T_pf0AHuVqf-ZmHeNmdMsvVG2ToKX6dUsO_sthL7LFM2mt1TWmUQ/s640/WC--4.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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The best received wine of the evening, a delightful Cab Sav, just soft, lovely. From Amazon!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP5ENKntTSMpNzgmljIzRPbYO2V6a7hYyfze-VE8vvx7LWEy-X9lrO1NspQVsoKy1Bd_4-IEhT-CVm3IZxe_EWa24rpPFWHFLoBuVxu0lnCFSDRKzh8bBJm3NzaUgNR0Ej3UGDuyB5Zs/s1600/WC--3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="980" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP5ENKntTSMpNzgmljIzRPbYO2V6a7hYyfze-VE8vvx7LWEy-X9lrO1NspQVsoKy1Bd_4-IEhT-CVm3IZxe_EWa24rpPFWHFLoBuVxu0lnCFSDRKzh8bBJm3NzaUgNR0Ej3UGDuyB5Zs/s640/WC--3.jpg" width="418" /></a></div>
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The follow the Cab Saves would never be easy, but this wine was a worthy wine, better with foods and very acceptable.</div>
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Then the 'stickies" oh yes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_KC60R7fCvtt2A3QepEamykRUsjZa18H0vkydMDJNhy625J2cwDoup0TNJCAO-GwTE_5A7_x2mM40nuePNs-WrKOsR1ceK3QsZW4C_BWK3tGtw-fcBb9ZwIDPll8GMXnB6iZgruD1aI/s1600/WC--8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik_KC60R7fCvtt2A3QepEamykRUsjZa18H0vkydMDJNhy625J2cwDoup0TNJCAO-GwTE_5A7_x2mM40nuePNs-WrKOsR1ceK3QsZW4C_BWK3tGtw-fcBb9ZwIDPll8GMXnB6iZgruD1aI/s640/WC--8.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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Toby was telling us of the challenges of making wines like this, huge numbers of grapes are needed as the grapes are withering on the vine, so no wonder the cost is higher but then only a small amount is needed and the depths of flavours are immense. Of the two this was the weaker I felt but still a worthwhile wine.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmNA2QO8FSsRZcZo6G-r3wIfo8K6yeyOou6YjzwDGfPiztVz2-QtURUBOCZLkmuDn3GBjASLGsNQ81MBppgIJFxgHf__swK1zNmCysUUr1WUnlcW6cxq-ci5-9Nh_-c8feQvOHvqQyhM/s1600/WC-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="784" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmNA2QO8FSsRZcZo6G-r3wIfo8K6yeyOou6YjzwDGfPiztVz2-QtURUBOCZLkmuDn3GBjASLGsNQ81MBppgIJFxgHf__swK1zNmCysUUr1WUnlcW6cxq-ci5-9Nh_-c8feQvOHvqQyhM/s640/WC-.jpg" width="334" /></a></div>
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...And what does the label say, aged 8 years in barrel, jutst gorgeous. and fortified to 18%. A cracker!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s-CIPyP91XEgzYjtHEG9DjsIpG4YhIv6wMRyOO9555jMt3fM5ARF_0q0fC8C9DkvyNQh8tAxnSnooYR3rTrb9QX65G0yROXIpsAioGaSR3X4KGYGY4bPoFSexPzWnXUrsB4jHEgtrfY/s1600/IMG_2843.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s-CIPyP91XEgzYjtHEG9DjsIpG4YhIv6wMRyOO9555jMt3fM5ARF_0q0fC8C9DkvyNQh8tAxnSnooYR3rTrb9QX65G0yROXIpsAioGaSR3X4KGYGY4bPoFSexPzWnXUrsB4jHEgtrfY/s640/IMG_2843.jpeg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Thanks to all for making the evening go so well, if there you will know that we had large turnout, the largest in fact to date, but all worked well and only down to us all working as a team.</div>
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Have good 2020 to all and see you at the end of March</div>
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-47979245568837777872019-11-23T03:58:00.003-08:002019-11-24T00:21:12.770-08:00Not so much a Blog.....<h2>
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November 22nd, and Christmas starts here. At the end of the Wine Club's Season we have what could call a social evening. A pot luck supper, quizzes, games and the odd poem. It also marks the first of the Christmas get togethers. Last night we enjoyed such an evening a large turn out for the Club and what did we enjoy on the wine front?</div>
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We had three wines.:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIeJW5RgGQsyPiZNxtUlxcB9doiYzA3QyjVsFMbm9s4LEfkocy2mzR0cit1vIiFYlO61sWbCP1k83ofQRRDm4TAzfEO_kEVl6QJD4UkkBBk09LZvPc462KQlLhFq8XfJTDn-ZcMFutjg/s1600/Porthmadog-7326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="621" data-original-width="1500" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIeJW5RgGQsyPiZNxtUlxcB9doiYzA3QyjVsFMbm9s4LEfkocy2mzR0cit1vIiFYlO61sWbCP1k83ofQRRDm4TAzfEO_kEVl6QJD4UkkBBk09LZvPc462KQlLhFq8XfJTDn-ZcMFutjg/s640/Porthmadog-7326.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Al available locally and all well received.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6mxCYekPzun1ALe3oZDaIXcwJXEnmdIpRu0obMn0o2-zmKaC27TaRZLMzPemHxaz4u0nlDMwCBFIi1hs-LeTj1-BdUeYkOvkhEkGgt7Vmqbt7oDHPfFKW8IXsYgM21SLn1Hx-CtjnGo/s1600/Porthmadog-7332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1500" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6mxCYekPzun1ALe3oZDaIXcwJXEnmdIpRu0obMn0o2-zmKaC27TaRZLMzPemHxaz4u0nlDMwCBFIi1hs-LeTj1-BdUeYkOvkhEkGgt7Vmqbt7oDHPfFKW8IXsYgM21SLn1Hx-CtjnGo/s640/Porthmadog-7332.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The crement came from Aldi at a little over £8.00 a bottle. some say a complete snip. Light and just the right side of acid. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WeWado3-bAnQ_ghEHdW7pCBT7a8uIpFypn4l8FlZWWazGMW7zWN8J6wUOPBENR7cw9f52jCW5bsCRI2lChrik7-dqAoOb44SDW8ag1gH-pa0pHrxzOU1R5lKSPcrm_KqCT81n9NFwDk/s1600/Porthmadog-7327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1248" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WeWado3-bAnQ_ghEHdW7pCBT7a8uIpFypn4l8FlZWWazGMW7zWN8J6wUOPBENR7cw9f52jCW5bsCRI2lChrik7-dqAoOb44SDW8ag1gH-pa0pHrxzOU1R5lKSPcrm_KqCT81n9NFwDk/s400/Porthmadog-7327.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
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With our foods, a choice of the above Viognier, a wine that I was advised tastes different from each region. Well this is produced in the very South of France, its so hot in that part of the world that the harvest, the vendage, is completed at night. A Waitrose wine at around £9.00 per bottle.</div>
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This accompanied by a great red, the soft and smooth but with a very good character - the Cairanne.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUoJIVCwpNS3dJ7dk0aoZ6sps2gd67wYifdTEwTPKeDMq5jNiU076EE5RX3YLDj23NyeU0bHnlVBRCFlggldMueBOyh-34nee9aiW57Xkb21SbGd2I56s9yu2qmqeSLg3pkzRGL8iXnc/s1600/Porthmadog-7328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1197" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUoJIVCwpNS3dJ7dk0aoZ6sps2gd67wYifdTEwTPKeDMq5jNiU076EE5RX3YLDj23NyeU0bHnlVBRCFlggldMueBOyh-34nee9aiW57Xkb21SbGd2I56s9yu2qmqeSLg3pkzRGL8iXnc/s320/Porthmadog-7328.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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Another Waitrose win at the £12.00 ish price. Very well received indeed, and often on offer via the store.</div>
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My thanks go to the makers <span style="background-color: yellow;">of</span> really fine foods, a magnificent 'spread', both savoury and sweet. </div>
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A huge thanks to all concerned. </div>
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Now for the pictures:</div>
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A massive thank you to Martin, who would have thought you could have so much fun with Scrabble tiles? A really good choice of games and quiz's and well managed by you as quiz master.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYiiANb4B-mI8kGCFzAym6dBH1-kKb27IKl0tC0PVCK0KaqZRS9kE6Jur2FIEajZRJNzE4lJrdXidIlpMOMaE65iDng6bOuB9fFHtAcEIKT9VU1CnnOsB04DGh1gX5mkxar94eyXdo34/s1600/Porthmadog-7311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYiiANb4B-mI8kGCFzAym6dBH1-kKb27IKl0tC0PVCK0KaqZRS9kE6Jur2FIEajZRJNzE4lJrdXidIlpMOMaE65iDng6bOuB9fFHtAcEIKT9VU1CnnOsB04DGh1gX5mkxar94eyXdo34/s640/Porthmadog-7311.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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An almost spontaneous reading of a very good wine based poem. Many thanks Hugh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUgdc98vggcEba7VWv1GSUhAyhbpLlk43zHyvFFzS4VZMdIJYoUKziEwGFvcbHA5InlSoWhdJuaci9YtLONBUWiOxKlp5kSiq0OswPhjUBllHX93VNAkQQ0BABSC0HIFxog5abT5drQ/s1600/Porthmadog-7320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="541" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmUgdc98vggcEba7VWv1GSUhAyhbpLlk43zHyvFFzS4VZMdIJYoUKziEwGFvcbHA5InlSoWhdJuaci9YtLONBUWiOxKlp5kSiq0OswPhjUBllHX93VNAkQQ0BABSC0HIFxog5abT5drQ/s1600/Porthmadog-7320.jpg" /></a></div>
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And then there were the members, sadly not everyone photographed but here a few:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1okApm13iiVR7U7za03RSUrEqTo8TUN12fWJ3RGPNVGM0x28fOLucSbf_0irEmUbwBoczFgwRV0ALWkzCVe5PltvgdLxVHE9qLetDCpCpgP2UDCZEjgesxwAME_5A7Gsh0-I6t66RZU/s1600/Porthmadog-7265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis1okApm13iiVR7U7za03RSUrEqTo8TUN12fWJ3RGPNVGM0x28fOLucSbf_0irEmUbwBoczFgwRV0ALWkzCVe5PltvgdLxVHE9qLetDCpCpgP2UDCZEjgesxwAME_5A7Gsh0-I6t66RZU/s640/Porthmadog-7265.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LBIU1bn_hVkwD9nawN9NJ_n_teaY8ILavlUlnkh-5gXfiWkmNG-T4x3dbCGvCUTjrQac6KryypDFMimeahyphenhyphensxcnw8Oc0QYEr0QFpJyscwuyQ7RSznUxw1B6wnqLNtg4XLO_wU1juJ98/s1600/Porthmadog-7271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LBIU1bn_hVkwD9nawN9NJ_n_teaY8ILavlUlnkh-5gXfiWkmNG-T4x3dbCGvCUTjrQac6KryypDFMimeahyphenhyphensxcnw8Oc0QYEr0QFpJyscwuyQ7RSznUxw1B6wnqLNtg4XLO_wU1juJ98/s640/Porthmadog-7271.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-69104696257271618992019-09-28T04:46:00.002-07:002019-09-29T09:18:25.729-07:00Sounds like Germany but it's quite definitely France<h3>
The Wines of Alsace</h3>
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Now it's September, the Summer is a memory and we are officially in the Autumn season, the season of mellowness and so it was with the selection of wines for our September meeting of the Wine Club. </div>
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We were to taste the wines of the Alsace region of France. </div>
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We were fortunate to have the experience and knowledge of the Ian Sobey to give us an, almost literally, a birds eye view to the area and of the wines of this little known wine region of France.</div>
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Ian many thanks, once again you were able to both tell and us show the region aided by the brilliant Google Maps app, allowing us to fly over the region and to drop down and virtually visit the streets, towns and vineyards of the areas we were to taste on our visit to the AOC.</div>
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The evening began with our usual welcome wine, but here we had luck on our side as one of the Wine Club organisers, Chris, had just returned form the region with wine for the opening of the evening, and so we were able to enjoy a cool glass of Slivaner to start the evening. </div>
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Interesting the cat from the pub also came along to the meeting, he felt the sweeter wines we're to his taste!</div>
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Ian flew us over the area and down into the town and vineyards with Google earth, this was a great way to get a feel of the area and the region. It seems that the Alsace AOC is very strict on what grapes can by put into wine bottles. Blends are big no-no in the ares with the area being dominated by the production of white wines and off dry white wines. </div>
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Historically the region has been at the centre of a number of political and military conflicts resulting an an area that is France but feels like Germany in many ways. The German language is spoken in part and the town names and looks reflect the strong German influence. When looking at the wines the grape varieties are also heavily influenced by Germans varieties, Riesling and Gurwurtztraminer being two of the key varieties grown in the area. </div>
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The wines are dominated by white wine, 90% of production is white wine with 10% given over to Pinot Noir</div>
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The whites are dominated by floral and peachy aromas and can pair well with chicken, guinea fowl and quail. The wines, although off dry do still retain acidity to balanced by the sugars. No use of oak leaves a smooth and a subtle wine. </div>
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In addition the whites, the Pinot Gris, Guwurtztraminer, and Riesling we also tasted two ofthe Pinot Noir wines. These are produced in small amounts and do fetch a premium price tag. </div>
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The first was a very soft and gentle Pinot but the second more robust and had more depth. </div>
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The other type of production of the area is of Crement, to many this is another name for the wine that comes from the Reims area of France but cannot be called Champagne. Made in the same way but with differing grapes, the crement was a great start to the evening and a very good wine.</div>
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And finaly a thank you to Phil for thinking of the Wine Club in asking our speaker to come along and share his enthusiasm and knowledge with us.</div>
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The cheeses for he evening were a miix ou UK, Spanish and Awiss cheeses.<br />
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The UK ones were the Cornish Brie (Waitrose)<br />
Yorkshire Blue (Waitrose)<br />
Red Fox - Red Leicester (Aldi)<br />
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Spanish Manchego (Aldi)<br />
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Swiss Kaltbach (Waitrose)<br />
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Welsh goat (Aldi)<br />
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Date of next meeting and note change of date:</div>
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<u>November 22nd.</u></h4>
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-18083074589930652042019-08-05T09:07:00.000-07:002019-08-06T14:05:35.484-07:00Martin goes to JapanJuly and the day the heat wave breaks, well good because on the evening we have some travelling to do. <br />
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Martin, something of a veteran speaker to the Wine Club, takes us to countries not normally associated with wine and wine production, Japan, Israel, Uruguay, The Lebanon, India and, would you believe, Thailand. It's fair to say that the great wine producing countries and areas of the world need not be too worried about the amount or competition from the wines from these wines but they were more than just drinkable, they were interesting, different and in one or two cases, exceptional. They were always surprising, but in a good way<br />
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Martin, a very willing speaker and on this occasion a willing model.<br />
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A very good talk Martin, a surprising one and one that gave us all the chance to taste and assess the wines from countries we almost certainly would not have been able to have done without your diligent search and sourcing of these surprising wines. Many thanks.<br />
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The first wine, one of two white wines, was from Japan. Not a country known for wine, A country that shared the problem of all the countries wines we tried, a climate that is not best suited to the growing of grapes. So a challenge but one that was accepted and resulted in a wine that's suitable as an aperitif, not a lot of body or style, but very pleasant as pre dinner drink with friends prior to eating fish or a light salad perhaps. In which case this wine could carry through the meal. It would certainly lead to the discussion of the wine. It would be almost certain that no one had tasted Japanese wines before. It was challenge to obtain in the UK and this had to be bought on line from a specialist retailer.<br />
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The wine is available from novelwines.com at £18.99</div>
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Wine Number 2, a Chenin Blanc from India.</div>
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Chenin Blanc the grape most associated with South Africa, but here on very good form from the sub continent. After the rather bland first wine this was very good, A crisper offering and a very satisfactory wine, all the more so when you start to think where the wine is form, the country of tigers and monsoon!<br />
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Grape: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Chenin Blanc</div>
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Year:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2017</div>
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Estate:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sula Vineyards (founded 1999)</div>
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Region: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Nashik Valley</div>
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ALC:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12.0%</div>
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Price:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>£10.99</div>
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Retailer: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> www.novelwines.co.uk</div>
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Before our break and the chance to review the cheeses we try our first red, a rather soft wine from Thailand. Here the problem is not so much the growing of grapes but rather stopping of the vines from producing grapes continually, without the seasons the vines will keep on growing grapes twice a year, and not very good grapes at that. The wine makers have to make the vines think it has been winter by stripping leaves and in so doing starting the fruiting cycle at a time that will give just one crop a year, this process seems to does make for a soft and very pleasant wine to drink.<br />
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Grape: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Shiraz blend</div>
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Year:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2013</div>
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Estate:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Monsoon Valley (founded 2003)</div>
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Region: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hua Hin</div>
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ALC:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12.0%</div>
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Price:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>£9.99</div>
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Retailer: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> www.novelwines.co.uk</div>
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The second of the red wines was, for many the best wine of the evening, possibly because the previous wines were soft and a little neutral on taste but this wine, a rather gusty red was very well liked. Accompanied by the salty Roquefort cheese this was winner.</div>
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Something of a surprise was that Israel has been making wines since 1882, the vines introduced by the Rothschild family. A very good and very enjoyable red, and from the Judean Hills of Isreal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZwpIUFSfFXjAEl4zmXm6ToEv7eYroCn-q9y56XiLsDE2CMA8r53z7srLhEJINRTu1FIlC_Xnw8J0KSgyBUUF71PwREYfwIiaxHnvDDSK115j_VadEFrUyFFIB3I8u3KSMVOuP0XZrGI/s1600/Wine+Club+07-19-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZwpIUFSfFXjAEl4zmXm6ToEv7eYroCn-q9y56XiLsDE2CMA8r53z7srLhEJINRTu1FIlC_Xnw8J0KSgyBUUF71PwREYfwIiaxHnvDDSK115j_VadEFrUyFFIB3I8u3KSMVOuP0XZrGI/s640/Wine+Club+07-19-4.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
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Grape: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Argaman</div>
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Year:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2017</div>
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Estate:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Segal Winery (founded 1954)</div>
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Region: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Judean Foothills</div>
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ALC:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12.5%</div>
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Price:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>£13.49</div>
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Retailer: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eynsham Cellars</div>
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One of the countries to border Israel is the Lebanon, and it was the Lebanon that gave is our next wine, another red but bolder now. From the Bekaa Vally, of course it is and why not, this was a gutsy wine, for some a little too much maybe but with a the mature cheddar, a grade 5 on the cheese Richter scale, the cheese complemented the wine well and made for a good team. The cheese was the extra mature cheddar.</div>
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Grape: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Syrah 40%, Cinsault 15%, Carignan 5%)</div>
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Year:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2015</div>
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Estate:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Domaine des Tourelles(founded 1868)</div>
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Region: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bekaa valley</div>
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ALC:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>14.5%</div>
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Price:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>£12.99</div>
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Retailer: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eynsham Cellars</div>
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Our final wine of the evening was one that was made from the grape noted for its exceptional levels of tannin, so we knew that this was going to be a wine that is astringent and it was but one that would age well in the bottle. Some said this is one to lay down for a few years and would make great wine.The wine comes from Uruguay, a formidable grape and wine, bring out the boar stew!</div>
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Grape: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Argaman</div>
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Year:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2017</div>
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Estate:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Segal Winery (founded 1954)</div>
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Region: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Judean Foothills</div>
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ALC:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12.5%</div>
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Price:<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>£13.49</div>
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Retailer: <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eynsham Cellars</div>
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The cheeses of night were:</div>
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1 Ricotta </div>
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2 Gruyere</div>
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3 Reblochon</div>
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4 Roquefort</div>
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5 Mature Cheddar</div>
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6 Stilton</div>
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The cheeses were bought from Aldi with the exception of nos. 2 and 3 they were from Waitrose. All were thought to be of high quality.</div>
Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-528580162556348839.post-52459819323286676452019-06-09T09:33:00.001-07:002019-06-10T09:11:06.821-07:00<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wine Secrets and Grape Moments</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Being a member of a Wine Club will mean a </span></span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">thirst, not just for wine but also a thirst for knowlage and information on the world of wine. For the presentation given at our last meeting this was provided in spades. Not just information but information that's presented with a skill and panache. Fo this we need to thank David Lloyd, a speaker who very clearly researches thoroughly and is able to present complex and though provoking information in a way that allows us all to enjoy and appreciate. Lat Friday we heard not just of wine but some too the philosophical aspects of wine making and enjoying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Many thanks David.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">David began with a look at Food and Wine’s top ten most unusual wines, of which David promised attendees would try one of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These included everything from snake bile wine and lizard wine to birch sap and rose petal wine. Even seagull wine and pumpkin wine were on the list, but in the end we tasted Retsina, pine resin originally used by the Greeks to seal their wine vessels – the pine then infusing the wine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wine 1: Kourtaki Retsina dry white from Greece, a well-established brand since 1895. Grape variety: Savatiano, 11.5%. £5.75 From Sainsbury’s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As for the seagull wine (not tried!), David read Suzanne Donahue’s tasting notes: “If you opened up a Toyota’s carburetor and drank the leftover fluid from inside, that would be pretty close. It goes down hard and settles in even worse. But I must say it sure gets people inebriated in a hurry. And the next day’s hangover is nothing short of spectacular. You’ll feel like you’ve been repeatedly beaten over the head by a giant…well, seagull.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second wine was called Fruit Orchestra, a blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier, from the Western Cape of South Africa. Available from the Coop at £6.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This wine was selected following the story of the fascinating research by Adrian North from Heriot Watt University whose research showed that the type of music that plays in a room can actually alter the taste of a wine to a considerable extent. So the next time you visit a restaurant and order a drink, pay close attention to the background music - it might totally change whatever is in your glass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">The research is interesting and something of a taster for other research information that told more of influences on the tasting of wines. this wine was well received and good wine and from our local coop as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">We looked at philosophy and wine, with recommendations to read ‘The philosophy of wine: </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">A case for truth, beauty and intoxication, by Cain Todd; ‘I Drink Therefore I Am: A Philosopher's Guide to Wine’ by Roger Scrutton and ‘Questions of Taste – The Philosophy of Wine’ by Barry Smith.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This session and session four looked at whether the judgements of 'experts' have any objective validity? Is a great wine a work of art? Can a wine be feminine, profound and cheeky? Questions like these will have been entertained by anyone who has ever puzzled over the tasting notes of a wine writer, or been baffled by the response of a sommelier to an innocent question. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">These sessions also looked at the mischievous research of Frederic Brochet, of the University of Bordeaux, he conducted two separate and very mischievous experiments. In the first test, Brochet invited 57 wine experts and asked them to give their impressions of what looked like two glasses of red and white wine. The wines were actually the same white wine, one of which had been tinted red with food colouring. But that didn’t stop the experts from describing the “red” wine in language typically used to describe red wines. One expert praised its “jamminess,” while another enjoyed its “crushed red fruit.” Not a single one noticed it was actually a white wine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In recognition of this, we tasted a white Pinot Noir, mixed with pinot Grigio, from Italy, available from the Oxford Wine Company at almost £14 a bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">For many the best wine of the </span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">evening, not confusion on costs here, the price would seem to be well represented in the wine, a very enjoyable white wine made with a grape normally associated with quality reds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second test Brochet conducted was even more damning. He took a middling Bordeaux and served it in two different bottles. One bottle was a fancy grand-cru. The other bottle was an ordinary vin du table. Despite the fact that they were actually being served the exact same wine, the experts gave the differently labelled bottles nearly opposite ratings. The grand cru was “agreeable, woody, complex, balanced and rounded,” while the vin du table was “weak, short, light, flat and faulty”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Forty experts said the wine with the fancy label was worth drinking, while only 12 said the cheap wine was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">David then looked at a study by Antonia Mantonakis, a wine researcher from Ontario’s Brock University. This showed that people who know more about wine were more likely to report that difficult-to-pronounce wines were worth more money. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">As a result, we tasted a £14 Bordeaux with a very long name – a Chateau Les Tourelles Du Barrail, 13%, available from Eynsham Wine Cellars, at almost £14. this was a very enjoyable Bordeaux, having heard David's talk I hesitate to say this but yes a great example.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_Wjp_0mjbZFxjD9HL3fHV1x7EbYfIlENt8VjcmXTr6zLpAr9ujW28B4-W1s9oRVE1ahSFKbpZKbIviiCfSv0DTgwRYovRyWtpPDI2MUG8NSNFVrcRc6tP-yBF2d_P7HOtVEwoT7jLsw/s1600/untitled-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_Wjp_0mjbZFxjD9HL3fHV1x7EbYfIlENt8VjcmXTr6zLpAr9ujW28B4-W1s9oRVE1ahSFKbpZKbIviiCfSv0DTgwRYovRyWtpPDI2MUG8NSNFVrcRc6tP-yBF2d_P7HOtVEwoT7jLsw/s640/untitled-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">We also looked at wine and health with some encouraging findings that a glass of red really is good for the over forties.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In celebration of this, we tasted Apothic Inferno – an apothecary being a medieval pharmacy. It is a Californian wine, aged in whisky barrels for 60 days, thus weighing in at 16%. Available from Sainsbury’s at £13.50 a bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">We finally looked at wine and culture, looking at the book by Mark Forsyth ‘A short history of drunkenness. Many remarkable facts over the centuries on how alcohol impacts people as a society.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Since the Greeks believed ‘If you can drink a lot and still behave, then you are an ideal man with great virtue of self control,’ we finished on another Greek wine, a sweet one served with chocolate brownies. This Mavrodaphne of Patras Cameo is aged in oak barrels and is 15%. Shop around – prices seem to vary, as does availability.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The conclusion came in two quotes</span></div>
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<li style="font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Louis Pasteur defined the 1st principles of modern winemaking when he says: "A bottle of <b>wine</b> contains more philosophy than all the books in the world" </span></li>
<li style="font-family: Times; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">“The simplest definition of a great bottle of wine is when you feel sad because the bottle is empty.” </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times"; font-size: large;">Our last wine was in the Grape Surprises section, after a white Pinot Noir the a sweet red served with brownies. A good end to a good selection of wines and very good talk.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmQ-NSBQv8E9upwIWA3xu_9gjeuQZwsNYhVwmq_qAmgQpWa74xyjok5hRLE2cVI3Ba5CIXbY65FJs-uJ2G9P4BFQ8ZI6xWNeSgACYeGbJrr-93CtA-A1OQKH-fpFFHzJJ7zEaGXHFEjA/s1600/untitled-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJmQ-NSBQv8E9upwIWA3xu_9gjeuQZwsNYhVwmq_qAmgQpWa74xyjok5hRLE2cVI3Ba5CIXbY65FJs-uJ2G9P4BFQ8ZI6xWNeSgACYeGbJrr-93CtA-A1OQKH-fpFFHzJJ7zEaGXHFEjA/s640/untitled-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times";">Many thanks David</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Postscript</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was about to post the blog and the door is knocked and my neighbour is standing on the doorstep clutching the attached:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Yes the Chinese snake wine, in person as it were!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Many thanks Dennis.</span><br />
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Bruce Hammersleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11782759788592525001noreply@blogger.com0