Writing about the wines of Piemonte, Italy and France
The weekend has that nice relaxed feel about it, a moment to search the cache of bottles in the kitchen or beyond for something different to try. My recent trip to Berry Bros & Rudd’s Aladdin’s cave at Basingstoke produced one of these. Chateaux de Lascaux 2006 from the Languedoc, with a galloping horse on
After the anticipation, the tasting. Ten members of Andover Wine Friends gathered to try two of Alsace’s great white grape varieties followed by a simple supper. We settled quickly to the task after a taste of Aureus, Cremant de Loire, a bottle-aged single vintage Chardonnay, 2002. Toasty, decent acidity if slightly milder than much Champagne,
Particularly Alsace Read More »
To Sunday evening dinner with long-standing friends, a retired diplomat and wife who was a skilled saleswoman, where you expect quality with a French accent. In this case both literally and in the glass. We knew that the other guests included the chef and front-of-house couple of our excellent local French restaurant (www.closdumarquis.co.uk), not to
Red Burgundy’s contribution to European unity Read More »
One of the risks of going to parties is the range of competent but dull wines you may encounter. Things look up however if the party is thrown by a member of a wine club and lots of the wine club are there. While no one would expect rare or valuable bottles, finding interesting party
Half the fun of putting a tasting together is in the search. We will all have our favourite places to start – in your own cellar (under the stairs), your local supermarket, on the web or in a local shop. I had already put together a tasting of Gewurztraminer and Riesling from Alsace and could draw
Searching for older Alsace bottles Read More »