Are you one of those people who love the idea of entertaining but stress out with the reality of actually doing it? It is, after all, an exercise in planning, lots of work and, not least of all, you are psychologically baring your culinary soul and exposing your personal interpretation of style. Of course you will also be fretting over whether your guests will get along together, plus all the other house and home related items that you will need to tick off, such as oven space, timing etc. No wonder we sometimes want to give it all a miss!
All this will be running through your mind before you even give a thought to whether the wine you serve will turn the fruits of your kitchen labour into a heavenly match or render your repast a sour discordant hotch-potch. The right wine to accompany your food, even a burnt offering (better bring the brandy out for this one), can really enhance the pleasure and taste of the dish, whether it be a simple pasta supper or cuisine that is more haute style.
Entertaining at home can be great fun, and is certainly a warm and wonderful way to spend quality time with friends. It is, after all, opening up your heart (and inevitably your purse), not just your home.
Anyway, enough chat.....get cooking. Actually, first things first, get planning. In our opinion there is nothing worse as a guest than to be sat at table whilst your host (read hostess most frequently!), constantly jumps up and down in the vain effort to be everything to everyone. Relax: you are not a restaurant, your guests want your company, that’s why they are there. So here are a few guidelines to make it simple and memorable.
1. PPPPP, that’s right five P’s. Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. This can be applied to all sorts of things in life, but don’t get carried away, serendipity still has a part to play. So, sit down, glass of wine in hand (come on, the whole process should be exciting and enjoyable), and write not just the shopping list, but also a detailed plan of action. Imagine how your recipes will taste and what wine will complement the epicurean extravaganza you will produce to astound your guests.
2. Keep it simple and use quality ingredients. Make just one fantastic dish, either preceded by drinks and canapés, or followed by a couple of distinctive and well kept cheeses. We feel champagne or sparkling wine are a sure way to put guests in the party mood. Prosecco makes a fine aperitif with savoury nibbles – try Majestic's Prosecco La Marca Extra Dry NV, £7.99 if you buy two or more bottles. However if, in your opinion, only Champagne will do, check out www.quaffersoffers.co.uk to find out if your favourite bubbles are on offer somewhere on the High Street, - the big names usually are. If you're looking for a smart Champagne without paying the premium for a grande marque, then search out good value alternatives such as Bredon Brut NV. It's made for Waitrose, but has no mention of a supermarket on the label and is just under £20 a bottle. Alternatively, you can never go wrong with white Burgundy, and the delicious Rully 2008 from Jean-Baptiste Ponsot combines a nutty savouriness with a touch of lime. From our Dinner Party Selection.
3. It is always a good idea to stick to a theme. For example, if the main course is of Italian influence, such as lasagne, or osso buco, then the cheeses should follow suit. A deliciously ripe Gorgonzola or Dolcelatte, contrasted with a hard cheese such as the classic Parmigiano served with figs or other small fruits, fresh or dried: Bella, bella, bella! Our cheese-friendly wine suggestion is Salentein Reserve Pinot Noir 2007, from Argentina. Brace yourself for the bouquet, this is a trendy purple Argentine 15% proof cracker. It has a suave nuttiness and will seduce you with its mellow latin charm. Also part of our Dinner Party selection.
4. Put the wine on the table - and tell everyone to help themselves. That is unless you have splashed out for “staff”! Forget doing the topping up yourself, no-one wants to see you madly jumping up and down like the proverbial Jack-in-the-box: we all drink at different rates and need to feel comfortable with our consumption. (One assumes that nowadays taxis home are a pre-requisite). And remember that, while you might have selected just the right red wine to complement your duck cassoulet, guests will have their own preference for red or white, so make sure you always have both on offer.
5. Be generous. Your gesture and effort will be appreciated and will no doubt open doors literally and figuratively. You will feel good and your guests will feel treasured by your hospitality.
6. Don’t Panic – actually a bit of stage-fright nerves isn’t a bad thing, it shows you are concentrating and caring. But if it is all just too much, Get Help! The Red White and Rosé Wine Events team can solve your problems from the viniculous to the sublime.
If you love the idea of entertaining at home, but would rather not face all the planning, cooking and wine sourcing (not to mention the washing-up afterwards!), then our wine and dine service could be for you. Details are on our website: http://www.redwhiteandrose.co.uk/Wine_and_Dine.
If you love to cook, but find the wine selection a chore, then our Dinner Party wine case could be just what you need. Two bottles each of three tried and trusted wines to suit most occasions, along with tasting notes and food matching suggestions. Delivered free in and around Guildford for £74.99. More information and online ordering at: http://www.redwhiteandrose.co.uk/Wine_offers.
Finally, remember that not everyone is good at everything: you may be a rocket scientist, but that doesn’t necessarily make you a decent cook! Restaurants are sometimes the perfect solution.
Bon Appétit!
Monday, 22 February 2010
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Great (and grape) expectations
“Love is the greatest refreshment in life” ~ Pablo Picasso
“Love, a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart, which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.” Anon. Is this love, or is this alcohol?
We were wondering if we could get away without mentioning the V word, as THAT DAY is fast approaching and setting hearts aflutter and stress levels soaring. No chance! The much hyped Valentines day, when anyone who does not receive a card, a bunch of flowers or a teddy emblazoned with those unimaginative, mystical, but so powerful three words, feels like they must be an unlovely freak of nature.
If this is you – just relax, you are beautiful and you deserve to celebrate yourself with a glass or several of whatever tipple takes your fancy, and don’t worry, we will be suggesting a few. Just think, you will be smugly happy whilst so many poor pairs are perspiring over a pricey dinner in pseudo pressured passion and will possibly be rueing the commercialization of what was once regarded as a day of secret trysts.
How did Valentine’s Day originate? Firstly, the timing co-incides with the ancient pagan festival of Lupercalia, celebrating the start of spring and fertility. Saint Valentine himself was said to be a priest in Roman times: he was killed and gained martyr status, because of his illicit practice of marrying couples to prevent the young men being conscripted into the army....not really very romantic.
In 1929 during the era of alcohol prohibition in America, bootleggers and profiteer mobsters such as Al Capone thrived with their strong arm, bloody and lawless tactics. (Let this be a dire warning to keep the wine flowing!) The “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre” is also relevant if you eat the typical gift of chocolate and champagne together. If you want to match your chocolates with wine HD declares there is really only one choice, PX Sherry. Intensely sweet grapes left to raisin, then fermented, fortified and aged for years to produce the stickiest, smooth and nutty liquid. You could also use it to make a sensuous treat of a pudding – pour it over the best quality vanilla ice cream, add a few raisins if you feel like it. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference PX is just £6.99.
“What I do and what I dream include thee, as the wine must taste of its’ own grapes”. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The Saatchi Gallery in London was transformed this week as all the priceless pictures were removed from the walls and thousands of litres of wine from around the world brought in. A different type of culture indeed. This was “open day” on a grand scale and mobbed by the cognoscenti and ignorati alike! Amongst the madness we made sure that on your behalf we sampled a few bottles – some of them pink – to make recommendations for your delectation on said14th, whether for sole use or à deux, (or more). As it is a celebration and a not very serious one at that, we felt that bubbles were appropriate. So we tasted from the sublime to the ridiculous. Our “afternoon delight” was Laurent-Perrier Grande Siècle Brut, and the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, followed up with Krug Grande Cuvée, all of which we sipped, savoured and didn’t spit! These “mistress tipples” (much enjoyed by Madame Pompadour, the celebrated, enterprising and long-time mistress to King Louis XV), range in price from £90 to £180, not everyday drinking for most.
Good value at a fraction of this cost is Sainsbury’s award-winning Blanc de Noirs Brut NV at just £16.98 a bottle. However, if that you feel that flashing a supermarket label just won’t do, then Majestic’s offer on classy Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV could be just the job. It costs £24.99 if you buy two or more bottles.
“Your words are my food, your breath my wine” ~ Sarah Bernhardt
Aphrodisiacs come in many forms and classically oysters with champagne are renowned for their sensual heightening properties. However, there are many other foods that claim to be libido boosting, such as the Avocado, which in Aztec language was known as the “testicle tree”.....note the shape. Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, saffron and chilli (curry anyone?) also lay claim to have a heating effect on parts not reached by the likes of fish and chips or shepherds pie.
We suggest that to go with your curry you should forego the usual lager, and try a softly structured and fruity red such as Beaujolais-Villages Hospice de Beaujeu 2007/8 from Waitrose at £7.99: a non obvious but nevertheless great match. Or for something a little more conventional an off-dry German Riesling Pfalz 2007 by Bassermann-Jordan, also from Waitrose, at £8.99 would be really simpatico.
You could of course stick to Champagne which famously goes with anything, though perhaps this has more to do with its ability to convey celebration and a sense of occasion, rather than any innate food matching quality. However, at the risk of overstatement, a well chosen glass of wine swirled and sniffed appreciatively, left to linger on the tongue, then allowed to glide gratefully down your throat hits the spot, and the pheromones.
Other than the above our advice would be simply to avoid arguments.
We are probably all romantics at heart so enjoy this day and whatever you believe love to be, and drink an un-cynical toast to - love makes the world go round.....
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”
The Beatles ~ Abbey Road.
With love
“Love, a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart, which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker.” Anon. Is this love, or is this alcohol?
We were wondering if we could get away without mentioning the V word, as THAT DAY is fast approaching and setting hearts aflutter and stress levels soaring. No chance! The much hyped Valentines day, when anyone who does not receive a card, a bunch of flowers or a teddy emblazoned with those unimaginative, mystical, but so powerful three words, feels like they must be an unlovely freak of nature.
If this is you – just relax, you are beautiful and you deserve to celebrate yourself with a glass or several of whatever tipple takes your fancy, and don’t worry, we will be suggesting a few. Just think, you will be smugly happy whilst so many poor pairs are perspiring over a pricey dinner in pseudo pressured passion and will possibly be rueing the commercialization of what was once regarded as a day of secret trysts.
How did Valentine’s Day originate? Firstly, the timing co-incides with the ancient pagan festival of Lupercalia, celebrating the start of spring and fertility. Saint Valentine himself was said to be a priest in Roman times: he was killed and gained martyr status, because of his illicit practice of marrying couples to prevent the young men being conscripted into the army....not really very romantic.
In 1929 during the era of alcohol prohibition in America, bootleggers and profiteer mobsters such as Al Capone thrived with their strong arm, bloody and lawless tactics. (Let this be a dire warning to keep the wine flowing!) The “Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre” is also relevant if you eat the typical gift of chocolate and champagne together. If you want to match your chocolates with wine HD declares there is really only one choice, PX Sherry. Intensely sweet grapes left to raisin, then fermented, fortified and aged for years to produce the stickiest, smooth and nutty liquid. You could also use it to make a sensuous treat of a pudding – pour it over the best quality vanilla ice cream, add a few raisins if you feel like it. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference PX is just £6.99.
“What I do and what I dream include thee, as the wine must taste of its’ own grapes”. ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
The Saatchi Gallery in London was transformed this week as all the priceless pictures were removed from the walls and thousands of litres of wine from around the world brought in. A different type of culture indeed. This was “open day” on a grand scale and mobbed by the cognoscenti and ignorati alike! Amongst the madness we made sure that on your behalf we sampled a few bottles – some of them pink – to make recommendations for your delectation on said14th, whether for sole use or à deux, (or more). As it is a celebration and a not very serious one at that, we felt that bubbles were appropriate. So we tasted from the sublime to the ridiculous. Our “afternoon delight” was Laurent-Perrier Grande Siècle Brut, and the Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, followed up with Krug Grande Cuvée, all of which we sipped, savoured and didn’t spit! These “mistress tipples” (much enjoyed by Madame Pompadour, the celebrated, enterprising and long-time mistress to King Louis XV), range in price from £90 to £180, not everyday drinking for most.
Good value at a fraction of this cost is Sainsbury’s award-winning Blanc de Noirs Brut NV at just £16.98 a bottle. However, if that you feel that flashing a supermarket label just won’t do, then Majestic’s offer on classy Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV could be just the job. It costs £24.99 if you buy two or more bottles.
“Your words are my food, your breath my wine” ~ Sarah Bernhardt
Aphrodisiacs come in many forms and classically oysters with champagne are renowned for their sensual heightening properties. However, there are many other foods that claim to be libido boosting, such as the Avocado, which in Aztec language was known as the “testicle tree”.....note the shape. Ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, saffron and chilli (curry anyone?) also lay claim to have a heating effect on parts not reached by the likes of fish and chips or shepherds pie.
We suggest that to go with your curry you should forego the usual lager, and try a softly structured and fruity red such as Beaujolais-Villages Hospice de Beaujeu 2007/8 from Waitrose at £7.99: a non obvious but nevertheless great match. Or for something a little more conventional an off-dry German Riesling Pfalz 2007 by Bassermann-Jordan, also from Waitrose, at £8.99 would be really simpatico.
You could of course stick to Champagne which famously goes with anything, though perhaps this has more to do with its ability to convey celebration and a sense of occasion, rather than any innate food matching quality. However, at the risk of overstatement, a well chosen glass of wine swirled and sniffed appreciatively, left to linger on the tongue, then allowed to glide gratefully down your throat hits the spot, and the pheromones.
Other than the above our advice would be simply to avoid arguments.
We are probably all romantics at heart so enjoy this day and whatever you believe love to be, and drink an un-cynical toast to - love makes the world go round.....
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make”
The Beatles ~ Abbey Road.
With love
Monday, 25 January 2010
Eiswein anyone?
Written in the white-out!
NASA Terra satellite pictures show the UK blanketed in snow from head to toe, the heaviest snowfall in fifty years apparently. All of the media suggest we stay inside, and here in the provinces the silence is palpable from the lack of traffic. The Scandinavians call it “hyggelig” which translates to being cosy, snug, friendly and home. Most of us, especially children and dogs, love the adventure of gambolling in the snow, discovering wild animal tracks, and the myriad games to play with the unaccustomed white ingredient.
If, like HA, you live in a village blessed with a plethora of pubs, wine bars and restaurants, the atmosphere is virtually après- ski. Brightly adorned jolly snow revellers can be seen trudging to the local watering holes to regale their cohorts with tales of their snowboard and tobogganing prowess on the local golf course. Suddenly we are transported back to times when just being local was the norm, with it being a rarity and a brave soul who travelled outside the village environs. Community spirit seems to have been awakened in these adverse weather conditions and bonhomie is blooming. Long may it last after the snow is but a memory.
While we frolic, in Germany and Austria as the first light of day dawns, intrepid pickers snip frozen grapes from the vine for the small, expensive and renowned harvest which makes Eiswein. The grapes are crushed whilst still frozen to produce this very sweet, highly acidic and much prized wine. This same process is carried out in Canada and other seasonally chilled climes where the result is termed Icewine. We think this would be an unusual and rather appropriate gift to take to a party this month. Waitrose lists Weingut Heribert Boch, Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Eiswein 2004 – a mouthful in more ways than one. Its luscious sweetness and lipsmacking acidity are great for lemon roulade or fruit pavlovas. The price is eyewatering too, at £29.99 for a half bottle.
It will be interesting to see if our English vineyards are able to take advantage of the freeze, minimise wastage and tap into the Icewine practice. Keep your eyes peeled for the English version later this year. ....What could it be called....”Frozen wastes” or perhaps “Surrey Cold”!
Both Heathers agree that a good big red helps keep the cold at bay, and in fact it seems the natural beverage to imbibe at this time of year. HA was given a wonderful selection of South African reds as a Christmas gift – Galpin Peak 2008, a pinot noir from Walker Bay near Hermanus, produced by the Bouchard Finlayson Winery on this sunny Western Cape is an accomplished reflection of the fertile terroir. Something different is Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, grown, made and bottled on the Springfield Estate “by 9th generation Huguenots”. This wine claims to be harvested and developed by the ancestral (ie by hand) method, and developed using a gravity flow system with no pumps or crushers involved. This traditional method of production, using only the natural yeasts, and which is unfiltered and unfined, results in softer tannins and complex characteristics. Shipped by Bibendum and selling for £10.73 a bottle, this is definitely worthy of your palate.
Alternative, economic, invigorating, unusual (any more vowels?): this describes some of the wines we have tasted recently and from which we have selected some delicious examples to offer you. These non-supermarket wines represent real value and interest to the most discerning connoisseur. A six bottle around the world case for just £49.99. A real January re-juvenator.
We are delighted to get your feedback on the above and almost any vinous subject. Next we will be looking at restaurants and wine bars and would be delighted to receive your views on local hotspots, heroes and villains. We will be giving you our unbiased, un-pc views in the next edition of our Surrey Advertiser column. Trinny and Susannah have got nothing on us!!!
NASA Terra satellite pictures show the UK blanketed in snow from head to toe, the heaviest snowfall in fifty years apparently. All of the media suggest we stay inside, and here in the provinces the silence is palpable from the lack of traffic. The Scandinavians call it “hyggelig” which translates to being cosy, snug, friendly and home. Most of us, especially children and dogs, love the adventure of gambolling in the snow, discovering wild animal tracks, and the myriad games to play with the unaccustomed white ingredient.
If, like HA, you live in a village blessed with a plethora of pubs, wine bars and restaurants, the atmosphere is virtually après- ski. Brightly adorned jolly snow revellers can be seen trudging to the local watering holes to regale their cohorts with tales of their snowboard and tobogganing prowess on the local golf course. Suddenly we are transported back to times when just being local was the norm, with it being a rarity and a brave soul who travelled outside the village environs. Community spirit seems to have been awakened in these adverse weather conditions and bonhomie is blooming. Long may it last after the snow is but a memory.
While we frolic, in Germany and Austria as the first light of day dawns, intrepid pickers snip frozen grapes from the vine for the small, expensive and renowned harvest which makes Eiswein. The grapes are crushed whilst still frozen to produce this very sweet, highly acidic and much prized wine. This same process is carried out in Canada and other seasonally chilled climes where the result is termed Icewine. We think this would be an unusual and rather appropriate gift to take to a party this month. Waitrose lists Weingut Heribert Boch, Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Eiswein 2004 – a mouthful in more ways than one. Its luscious sweetness and lipsmacking acidity are great for lemon roulade or fruit pavlovas. The price is eyewatering too, at £29.99 for a half bottle.
It will be interesting to see if our English vineyards are able to take advantage of the freeze, minimise wastage and tap into the Icewine practice. Keep your eyes peeled for the English version later this year. ....What could it be called....”Frozen wastes” or perhaps “Surrey Cold”!
Both Heathers agree that a good big red helps keep the cold at bay, and in fact it seems the natural beverage to imbibe at this time of year. HA was given a wonderful selection of South African reds as a Christmas gift – Galpin Peak 2008, a pinot noir from Walker Bay near Hermanus, produced by the Bouchard Finlayson Winery on this sunny Western Cape is an accomplished reflection of the fertile terroir. Something different is Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, grown, made and bottled on the Springfield Estate “by 9th generation Huguenots”. This wine claims to be harvested and developed by the ancestral (ie by hand) method, and developed using a gravity flow system with no pumps or crushers involved. This traditional method of production, using only the natural yeasts, and which is unfiltered and unfined, results in softer tannins and complex characteristics. Shipped by Bibendum and selling for £10.73 a bottle, this is definitely worthy of your palate.
Alternative, economic, invigorating, unusual (any more vowels?): this describes some of the wines we have tasted recently and from which we have selected some delicious examples to offer you. These non-supermarket wines represent real value and interest to the most discerning connoisseur. A six bottle around the world case for just £49.99. A real January re-juvenator.
We are delighted to get your feedback on the above and almost any vinous subject. Next we will be looking at restaurants and wine bars and would be delighted to receive your views on local hotspots, heroes and villains. We will be giving you our unbiased, un-pc views in the next edition of our Surrey Advertiser column. Trinny and Susannah have got nothing on us!!!
Monday, 11 January 2010
Wine doesn't make you fat....
...it makes you lean
....against tables, chairs, floors and walls!
It’s the time for New Year’s resolutions and for many this will include the wish to lose a few pounds in weight and improve their fitness. Wonderful and well done, but such a bore. January is dreary enough anyway without any depressing dieting regimes. The good news is that you can shed the pounds and be happy too - the advice is to drink red wine to burn off the fat!
The English have obesity rates which were recently calculated to be in excess of one in five adults, whilst conversely our neighbours the French seem to stay enviably slim even though they eat delicious calorie laden meals. Why is this? The secret is known as The French Paradox. Professor Roger Corder in his book “The Wine Diet”, talks of harnessing the power of red wine which contains procyanidins and other polyphenol-rich substances to help the slimming process. We think that “polyphenol” will become the new fashion buzz word in 2010 and will be used in conjunction with all things desirably healthy of which red wine is professed to be one.......mark my words!
It has also been found that high levels of a chemical substance called resveratrol found in red wine could help in the process of losing weight and perhaps even more excitingly has an effect on the decline of heart function associated with ageing. Get that bottle open!
As we are not writing a scientific manuscript we are happy for you to do your own research, but would just add from the wine lover’s point of view that judicious use of the red beverage will help if nothing else to lift your spirits, surely an important aid in the fight against flab.
At the start of a new year it is interesting to look back at past events and passing fashions and as in all things alcohol has been presented to the public in some memorable ways. Does anyone remember Paris Hilton advertising “Prosecco in a can”? Bet you didn’t buy any of it though.
Just a few days ago (back in 2009), HA saw in Guildford one of the big chain of coffee houses advertising “egg-nog flavoured latte” ..Yuk! This was a reminder of childhood when at Christmas maiden aunts would venture away from the customary thimble-full of Sherry and go wild on a drink inexplicably called “snowball”. This weird runny omelette tipple was the egg-nog Dutch Advocaat, topped up with lemonade - remember the TV advert: “Eveninks and morninks, I drink Warninks”? A drink with kitsch appeal has now been reborn as a coffee additive! Now you can enjoy all the sickly and slimy appeal of Advocaat, but without any pesky alcohol to make the experience even mildly enjoyable.
The best coffee is (to our taste), Brazilian, and served in cups a quarter the size of the high street vast, American exports.(but we digress.) So if Advocaat is back, what’s next? Equally horrid concoctions spring to mind: HD remembers fond hours working behind the student union bar at University dishing out pints of Guinness and black(currant), or Guinness snakebite and black (Guinness, cider and blackcurrant) – ever popular with the Goth crowd, who always went for colour over taste.
These nostalgic ramblings are not going to be any help whatsoever in choosing your next bottle of vino, but we feel that a bit of time taken in retrospective thought can sometimes clarify the mind for the present. So, here is your horoscope prediction for 2010: “There will be a continuing trend of converts to decent wines, and a growing fan club for the 2 Heathers wine columns”! We would add that perhaps due to the fact that more people are choosing to buy wine to enjoy at home rather than just to sip in restaurants, interest and discernment will be enhanced.
We think that particularly in the cold winter evenings a glass of room temperature red, sipped ideally by a roaring fire can wonderfully waft your imagination away to warmer climes. Try a Rioja, vibrant garnet-red Spanish sunshine in a glass with a hint of the tack room, leather, chestnuts and a lean fruitiness. Think Hemmingway, passion, and plan your get-away. Rioja Urbina Crianza 2004 at £10.50 a bottle, (but you will want to buy the case of six), does the trick. Similarly Rioja Bodega Navajas 2008 at £7 a bottle will help you save for the holiday fund.
As always we have your best interests dear reader at heart (where did we get that phrase), and will be presenting you with our wonderful winter wine offer in our next article to help keep the cold at bay and a song in your soul. If you just can’t wait, call us 01483892678 or look online www.redwhiteandrose.co.uk and we will do our best to oblige. Otherwise we look forward with you in anticipation of the pleasures supplied by us to come your way.
We wish you a wonderful wine-time in 2010 and don’t forget the polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, sunshine and health you will be conferring upon your stressed out winter body by giving it what it craves.
Health and Happiness
In vino veritas
Heather and Heather
X X
....against tables, chairs, floors and walls!
It’s the time for New Year’s resolutions and for many this will include the wish to lose a few pounds in weight and improve their fitness. Wonderful and well done, but such a bore. January is dreary enough anyway without any depressing dieting regimes. The good news is that you can shed the pounds and be happy too - the advice is to drink red wine to burn off the fat!
The English have obesity rates which were recently calculated to be in excess of one in five adults, whilst conversely our neighbours the French seem to stay enviably slim even though they eat delicious calorie laden meals. Why is this? The secret is known as The French Paradox. Professor Roger Corder in his book “The Wine Diet”, talks of harnessing the power of red wine which contains procyanidins and other polyphenol-rich substances to help the slimming process. We think that “polyphenol” will become the new fashion buzz word in 2010 and will be used in conjunction with all things desirably healthy of which red wine is professed to be one.......mark my words!
It has also been found that high levels of a chemical substance called resveratrol found in red wine could help in the process of losing weight and perhaps even more excitingly has an effect on the decline of heart function associated with ageing. Get that bottle open!
As we are not writing a scientific manuscript we are happy for you to do your own research, but would just add from the wine lover’s point of view that judicious use of the red beverage will help if nothing else to lift your spirits, surely an important aid in the fight against flab.
At the start of a new year it is interesting to look back at past events and passing fashions and as in all things alcohol has been presented to the public in some memorable ways. Does anyone remember Paris Hilton advertising “Prosecco in a can”? Bet you didn’t buy any of it though.
Just a few days ago (back in 2009), HA saw in Guildford one of the big chain of coffee houses advertising “egg-nog flavoured latte” ..Yuk! This was a reminder of childhood when at Christmas maiden aunts would venture away from the customary thimble-full of Sherry and go wild on a drink inexplicably called “snowball”. This weird runny omelette tipple was the egg-nog Dutch Advocaat, topped up with lemonade - remember the TV advert: “Eveninks and morninks, I drink Warninks”? A drink with kitsch appeal has now been reborn as a coffee additive! Now you can enjoy all the sickly and slimy appeal of Advocaat, but without any pesky alcohol to make the experience even mildly enjoyable.
The best coffee is (to our taste), Brazilian, and served in cups a quarter the size of the high street vast, American exports.(but we digress.) So if Advocaat is back, what’s next? Equally horrid concoctions spring to mind: HD remembers fond hours working behind the student union bar at University dishing out pints of Guinness and black(currant), or Guinness snakebite and black (Guinness, cider and blackcurrant) – ever popular with the Goth crowd, who always went for colour over taste.
These nostalgic ramblings are not going to be any help whatsoever in choosing your next bottle of vino, but we feel that a bit of time taken in retrospective thought can sometimes clarify the mind for the present. So, here is your horoscope prediction for 2010: “There will be a continuing trend of converts to decent wines, and a growing fan club for the 2 Heathers wine columns”! We would add that perhaps due to the fact that more people are choosing to buy wine to enjoy at home rather than just to sip in restaurants, interest and discernment will be enhanced.
We think that particularly in the cold winter evenings a glass of room temperature red, sipped ideally by a roaring fire can wonderfully waft your imagination away to warmer climes. Try a Rioja, vibrant garnet-red Spanish sunshine in a glass with a hint of the tack room, leather, chestnuts and a lean fruitiness. Think Hemmingway, passion, and plan your get-away. Rioja Urbina Crianza 2004 at £10.50 a bottle, (but you will want to buy the case of six), does the trick. Similarly Rioja Bodega Navajas 2008 at £7 a bottle will help you save for the holiday fund.
As always we have your best interests dear reader at heart (where did we get that phrase), and will be presenting you with our wonderful winter wine offer in our next article to help keep the cold at bay and a song in your soul. If you just can’t wait, call us 01483892678 or look online www.redwhiteandrose.co.uk and we will do our best to oblige. Otherwise we look forward with you in anticipation of the pleasures supplied by us to come your way.
We wish you a wonderful wine-time in 2010 and don’t forget the polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, sunshine and health you will be conferring upon your stressed out winter body by giving it what it craves.
Health and Happiness
In vino veritas
Heather and Heather
X X
Friday, 11 December 2009
Chablis and culture shock in Italy
This week the two Heathers have been dipping their toes in culture – and getting culture shock – all in the pursuit of their love of wine.
Heather Aitken
So there I was in the Royal Opera House Covent garden, soaking up the atmosphere from under a crystalline chandelier. The cast – mostly French - were singing the praises of the star of the show, that well-known and ancient export from northern Burgundy – Chablis.
The first time the wine Chablis was recorded was 312AD, so it has been around a very long time. It is made purely from the Chardonnay grape variety grown on limestone soil formed in the Kimmerigian period, which retains a wealth of fossilized oyster shells from this upper Jurassic era. This soil imparts the acidity and the sun gives the balance of the fruitiness to the wine. There is a village in Dorset called Kimmeridge which is well known by geologists for its rich fossil finds but to my knowledge this area does not produce wine.
The Chablis symposium was held in magnificent splendour and we the delegates were talked and tasted through Petit to Grand Cru.....little to big quite literally, that is French vineyard speak! As they say “it’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it!”
It is worth noting here that the word “symposium” , now taken to mean some sort of educational teaching and discourse, actually comes from the Greek word sympotein which translates “to drink together”, so very apt in this instance. Next time your partner says that he or she is going to be late home as they are at a symposium - take it that they are in the pub!
After the symposium there was the opportunity to talk with the growers and exporters of Chablis and the chance to try the often distinctly different styles of this wine. I learnt that the four appellations of Chablis, Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru are grouped around the river Serein, with arguably the best wine found on the right bank. Within these appellations there are distinctive differences in taste and longevity.
Maud Manfredini –Mullard (doesn’t sound French to me) of Lamblin & Fils was very informative and in her opinion Petit Chablis is at its best at 2 years old, Chablis at 5 years old, Premier Cru 6 to 8 years and the Grand Cru 15 maximum. Some people will tell you that these wines will last for longer, but they would have to be of exceptional vintage.
Daniel Etienne Defaix owns one of the most ancient estates in Chablis and his first claim to fame is that the Romans regarded this stretch of land so highly that they built a road around it rather than crossing it in a straight line as was their usual practice! His more recent claim to fame is that he supplies many Michelin restaurants such as the Roux brothers with his wines
Biodynamics is the new buzz word for natural methods of cultivation, really a throw back to the ways our ancestors observed. In a nutshell, plants are treated with only natural products such as cow manure and medicinal plants, and as much as possible the rhythms of the solar system are followed to perform certain tasks. The idea is to be in harmony with nature. Well I’m all for it as Joseph Drouhin has produced some magnificent quality wines which have benefited enormously from this old, but newly re-instigated practice.
Finally and most importantly a quick word on the compatibility of the different types of Chablis with food. Petit Chablis is perfect with aperitifs and goes wonderfully well with Chevre, goats cheese. Chablis is great with seafood and fish, and also complements swiss cheese and mature cheddar. Chablis Premier Cru can accompany chicken dishes, ham and is renowned for being the perfect foil for the famous Burgundian cheese Epoisses. Chablis Grand Cru works well with creamy dishes, but as it is a special wine it really deserves to be drunk with its equals – foie gras and lobster.
Life is short, enjoy its pleasures. To quote that famous poet, Anon, “Life is too short to drink bad wine”!
Alto Adige – It’s Italy, but not as we know it….
Heather Dougherty
While Heather A was getting cultural at the Royal Opera House, I was jetting off to what I thought was Italy. Well we landed in Verona, that’s definitely Italian, no problem there. But after a two hour drive north, we were in the Italian Dolomites in the region that is officially known as either Alto Adige, or Südtirol – and there lies the clue.
Most people here are native German speakers (though they are all bi-lingual); the scenery is most definitely Alpine; I spotted men in Lederhosen; our welcome address was outside in the cold and dark because “it’s good for the heart”. I put it to you m’lud, that Alto Adige is not Italian at all, but a long lost bit of Austria.
This most northerly part of Italy borders Austria and clearly has much in common with that country – indeed it was part of the Austrian Empire until as recently as 1919. I went to bed feeling rather confused.
The next day dawned and there were the mountains – but equally, I spotted fig trees, cypresses and the odd olive tree. They may be gearing up for the ski season now, but in the summer this place can be hotter than Rome…maybe it is Italy after all.
The wines are a fascinating mix of those Alpine and Mediterranean cross currents – mostly white, clean and crisp, but with a sense of warmth and ripeness to the fruit. Look out for Pinot Grigio with character and shape, the usually overlooked Pinot Bianco, stunning Gewurtraminers and occasionally thrilling Rieslings. They even take Müller-Thurgau seriously here – the grape forever damned for its part in creating lolly-water Liebfraumilch. You might also find a smattering of Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) reaching the UK.
Heather Aitken
So there I was in the Royal Opera House Covent garden, soaking up the atmosphere from under a crystalline chandelier. The cast – mostly French - were singing the praises of the star of the show, that well-known and ancient export from northern Burgundy – Chablis.
The first time the wine Chablis was recorded was 312AD, so it has been around a very long time. It is made purely from the Chardonnay grape variety grown on limestone soil formed in the Kimmerigian period, which retains a wealth of fossilized oyster shells from this upper Jurassic era. This soil imparts the acidity and the sun gives the balance of the fruitiness to the wine. There is a village in Dorset called Kimmeridge which is well known by geologists for its rich fossil finds but to my knowledge this area does not produce wine.
The Chablis symposium was held in magnificent splendour and we the delegates were talked and tasted through Petit to Grand Cru.....little to big quite literally, that is French vineyard speak! As they say “it’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it!”
It is worth noting here that the word “symposium” , now taken to mean some sort of educational teaching and discourse, actually comes from the Greek word sympotein which translates “to drink together”, so very apt in this instance. Next time your partner says that he or she is going to be late home as they are at a symposium - take it that they are in the pub!
After the symposium there was the opportunity to talk with the growers and exporters of Chablis and the chance to try the often distinctly different styles of this wine. I learnt that the four appellations of Chablis, Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru are grouped around the river Serein, with arguably the best wine found on the right bank. Within these appellations there are distinctive differences in taste and longevity.
Maud Manfredini –Mullard (doesn’t sound French to me) of Lamblin & Fils was very informative and in her opinion Petit Chablis is at its best at 2 years old, Chablis at 5 years old, Premier Cru 6 to 8 years and the Grand Cru 15 maximum. Some people will tell you that these wines will last for longer, but they would have to be of exceptional vintage.
Daniel Etienne Defaix owns one of the most ancient estates in Chablis and his first claim to fame is that the Romans regarded this stretch of land so highly that they built a road around it rather than crossing it in a straight line as was their usual practice! His more recent claim to fame is that he supplies many Michelin restaurants such as the Roux brothers with his wines
Biodynamics is the new buzz word for natural methods of cultivation, really a throw back to the ways our ancestors observed. In a nutshell, plants are treated with only natural products such as cow manure and medicinal plants, and as much as possible the rhythms of the solar system are followed to perform certain tasks. The idea is to be in harmony with nature. Well I’m all for it as Joseph Drouhin has produced some magnificent quality wines which have benefited enormously from this old, but newly re-instigated practice.
Finally and most importantly a quick word on the compatibility of the different types of Chablis with food. Petit Chablis is perfect with aperitifs and goes wonderfully well with Chevre, goats cheese. Chablis is great with seafood and fish, and also complements swiss cheese and mature cheddar. Chablis Premier Cru can accompany chicken dishes, ham and is renowned for being the perfect foil for the famous Burgundian cheese Epoisses. Chablis Grand Cru works well with creamy dishes, but as it is a special wine it really deserves to be drunk with its equals – foie gras and lobster.
Life is short, enjoy its pleasures. To quote that famous poet, Anon, “Life is too short to drink bad wine”!
Alto Adige – It’s Italy, but not as we know it….
Heather Dougherty
While Heather A was getting cultural at the Royal Opera House, I was jetting off to what I thought was Italy. Well we landed in Verona, that’s definitely Italian, no problem there. But after a two hour drive north, we were in the Italian Dolomites in the region that is officially known as either Alto Adige, or Südtirol – and there lies the clue.
Most people here are native German speakers (though they are all bi-lingual); the scenery is most definitely Alpine; I spotted men in Lederhosen; our welcome address was outside in the cold and dark because “it’s good for the heart”. I put it to you m’lud, that Alto Adige is not Italian at all, but a long lost bit of Austria.
This most northerly part of Italy borders Austria and clearly has much in common with that country – indeed it was part of the Austrian Empire until as recently as 1919. I went to bed feeling rather confused.
The next day dawned and there were the mountains – but equally, I spotted fig trees, cypresses and the odd olive tree. They may be gearing up for the ski season now, but in the summer this place can be hotter than Rome…maybe it is Italy after all.
The wines are a fascinating mix of those Alpine and Mediterranean cross currents – mostly white, clean and crisp, but with a sense of warmth and ripeness to the fruit. Look out for Pinot Grigio with character and shape, the usually overlooked Pinot Bianco, stunning Gewurtraminers and occasionally thrilling Rieslings. They even take Müller-Thurgau seriously here – the grape forever damned for its part in creating lolly-water Liebfraumilch. You might also find a smattering of Pinot Nero (aka Pinot Noir) reaching the UK.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Beaujolais and bubbles
Beaujolais nouveaux – is it vieux chapeau?!!!
It's dark November, bonfire night is over, Christmas not yet begun – so here are two distinctly different excuses to party....from petillance to full on fizz.
The year was 1972, Terry Wogan first hosted his Radio 2 breakfast show, the Watergate Scandal hit the news headlines, and most importantly in this year 1972 Alan Hall, wine critic of The Sunday Times, challenged his readers and fellow journalists to be the first to bring back a few bottles of the new Beaujolais harvest to his desk.
Before this time there had always been a race in France to get the new vintage to the Parisian restaurants, but this was something new internationally and instigated a significant marketing opportunity – not to be missed in the fun, “go for it”, non PC 70’s! Referred to as The Wacky Races it was taken to heart by all and sundry who welcomed any excuse for a party and so just seconds after the official release time of the new wine (the third Thursday of November), it was transported back to U.K. by every imaginable form of transport, from rickshaw, balloon, helicopter and even the RAF in a Harrier jump jet....everyone got involved! Sadly those heady days have passed but the tradition lives on albeit in rather a more staid and elitist fashion featuring vintage cars and 5 star hotels ......I wouldn’t say no!
Beaujolais Nouveau is a lightweight red best served chilled – yes – and made 100% from Gamay grapes harvested entirely by hand. The grapes are fermented very briefly before bottling and the resulting fruity fresh taste is unmistakable, quaffable and in my view still very worthy of celebration. Nowadays it is extremely popular in America as it arrives on the market just a week before the Thanksgiving festival – and just happens to be a perfect accompaniment to the American way of serving turkey and all the trimmings. Karen Page and Andrew Donenburg, authors of “The Flavour Bible” and contributors to The Washington Post, say that Beaujolais Nouveau and Thanksgiving “have become as inextricably linked as Champagne and New Year's Eve”.
Allan Hall (he of wacky races fame), was one of the old school infamous Fleet Street hacks. For many of the journalists lunch began at around 11 or earlier and would stretch on till the last one passed out (often in the wee small hours). They had incredible stamina and I’m still not sure when they found the time to write. They were a charismatic bunch. In 1980 Allan Hall wrote for James Goldsmith’s NOW magazine and hosted a particular lunch where fine wines were consumed and for which he claimed expenses (and was paid) £11, 000, that’s the equivalent of about £50, 000 today!........The following year the magazine closed down - (surprise). He and his cronies probably inspired the expression “A legend in his own lunchtime”!
This year’s Beaujolais Nouveau arrives Thursday 19th November and is reported to be exceptional, the best since 1949 according to some. Whatever your opinion is of this young wine it is an excuse to celebrate and a real vinous Harvest Festival.
Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!
Bubbles for nothing and fizz for free
Readers of the Surrey Advertiser have the chance to win a case of La Marca Prosecco - just pick up a copy of this week's edition.
You might not think winemakers are the type to stage a military style coup. But Italy's makers of Prosecco, the light frothy fizz, have done just that.
Prosecco is the name of the grape from which the sparkling wine is made yet, from next April, no-one outside the wine's homeland in north eastern Italy will be able to use the name Prosecco, even if their wine is made from that grape. From now on the rest of Italy, or indeed anywhere in the world, can only use the rather unattractive and unknown grape name Glera instead.
At a stroke, Italy's winemakers have ripped the carpet out from under anyone who fancied grabbing a piece of the growing Prosecco market.
The bottom may have fallen out of the Champagne market in the UK in the past year, with consumption dropping like a stone. But it's an ill wind that blows no-one any good and Champagne's loss has been Prosecco's gain.
You can see their point, to a degree. You might remember Paris Hilton advertising “Prosecco in a can” earlier this year. This sort of thing, as well as the noxious pink Prosecco will effectively be outlawed, which is undoubtedly a Good Thing. But the sheer chutzpah of the Prosecco growers takes the breath away.
Prosecco, Italy's favourite sparkling wine, is in no way simply a cheaper version of Champagne. It has a long and illustrious history in its native area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene (that's never going to roll off the tongue is it?) in north eastern Italy, midway between Venice and the Dolomites, with its own distinct identity.
Champagne undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to produce the fizz, followed by a period of maturation during which it develops its characteristic aromas and flavours.
Prosecco, meanwhile, acquires its bubbles through a second fermentation in a tank, with no long maturation. Indeed many growers carry out the second fermentation on demand during the year to ensure their wines retain their fresh, fruity and floral characters. Where Champagne is dry, often savoury, Prosecco is off-dry and intensely fruity – great for aperitifs.
Favourite Proseccos
Ombra Prosecco Frizzante NV - £9.99, £7.99 as part of a mixed case, Oddbins
Frizzante is a lightly sparkling version of the more usual spumante style. Pear skin fruit and a relatively dry style.
Bellenda Prosecco Spumante Brut San Fermo NV - £10.34, Les Caves de Pyrène (www.lescaves.co.uk)
Unusually dry, making for a more food-friendly and grown up style.
Perlage Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry Col di Manza - £10.99 Vinceremos (www.vinceremos.co.uk)
Biodynamic and organic, a touch sweeter than many, but with more complexity too – flint, nuts and fruit skins.
It's dark November, bonfire night is over, Christmas not yet begun – so here are two distinctly different excuses to party....from petillance to full on fizz.
The year was 1972, Terry Wogan first hosted his Radio 2 breakfast show, the Watergate Scandal hit the news headlines, and most importantly in this year 1972 Alan Hall, wine critic of The Sunday Times, challenged his readers and fellow journalists to be the first to bring back a few bottles of the new Beaujolais harvest to his desk.
Before this time there had always been a race in France to get the new vintage to the Parisian restaurants, but this was something new internationally and instigated a significant marketing opportunity – not to be missed in the fun, “go for it”, non PC 70’s! Referred to as The Wacky Races it was taken to heart by all and sundry who welcomed any excuse for a party and so just seconds after the official release time of the new wine (the third Thursday of November), it was transported back to U.K. by every imaginable form of transport, from rickshaw, balloon, helicopter and even the RAF in a Harrier jump jet....everyone got involved! Sadly those heady days have passed but the tradition lives on albeit in rather a more staid and elitist fashion featuring vintage cars and 5 star hotels ......I wouldn’t say no!
Beaujolais Nouveau is a lightweight red best served chilled – yes – and made 100% from Gamay grapes harvested entirely by hand. The grapes are fermented very briefly before bottling and the resulting fruity fresh taste is unmistakable, quaffable and in my view still very worthy of celebration. Nowadays it is extremely popular in America as it arrives on the market just a week before the Thanksgiving festival – and just happens to be a perfect accompaniment to the American way of serving turkey and all the trimmings. Karen Page and Andrew Donenburg, authors of “The Flavour Bible” and contributors to The Washington Post, say that Beaujolais Nouveau and Thanksgiving “have become as inextricably linked as Champagne and New Year's Eve”.
Allan Hall (he of wacky races fame), was one of the old school infamous Fleet Street hacks. For many of the journalists lunch began at around 11 or earlier and would stretch on till the last one passed out (often in the wee small hours). They had incredible stamina and I’m still not sure when they found the time to write. They were a charismatic bunch. In 1980 Allan Hall wrote for James Goldsmith’s NOW magazine and hosted a particular lunch where fine wines were consumed and for which he claimed expenses (and was paid) £11, 000, that’s the equivalent of about £50, 000 today!........The following year the magazine closed down - (surprise). He and his cronies probably inspired the expression “A legend in his own lunchtime”!
This year’s Beaujolais Nouveau arrives Thursday 19th November and is reported to be exceptional, the best since 1949 according to some. Whatever your opinion is of this young wine it is an excuse to celebrate and a real vinous Harvest Festival.
Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!
Bubbles for nothing and fizz for free
Readers of the Surrey Advertiser have the chance to win a case of La Marca Prosecco - just pick up a copy of this week's edition.
You might not think winemakers are the type to stage a military style coup. But Italy's makers of Prosecco, the light frothy fizz, have done just that.
Prosecco is the name of the grape from which the sparkling wine is made yet, from next April, no-one outside the wine's homeland in north eastern Italy will be able to use the name Prosecco, even if their wine is made from that grape. From now on the rest of Italy, or indeed anywhere in the world, can only use the rather unattractive and unknown grape name Glera instead.
At a stroke, Italy's winemakers have ripped the carpet out from under anyone who fancied grabbing a piece of the growing Prosecco market.
The bottom may have fallen out of the Champagne market in the UK in the past year, with consumption dropping like a stone. But it's an ill wind that blows no-one any good and Champagne's loss has been Prosecco's gain.
You can see their point, to a degree. You might remember Paris Hilton advertising “Prosecco in a can” earlier this year. This sort of thing, as well as the noxious pink Prosecco will effectively be outlawed, which is undoubtedly a Good Thing. But the sheer chutzpah of the Prosecco growers takes the breath away.
Prosecco, Italy's favourite sparkling wine, is in no way simply a cheaper version of Champagne. It has a long and illustrious history in its native area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene (that's never going to roll off the tongue is it?) in north eastern Italy, midway between Venice and the Dolomites, with its own distinct identity.
Champagne undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to produce the fizz, followed by a period of maturation during which it develops its characteristic aromas and flavours.
Prosecco, meanwhile, acquires its bubbles through a second fermentation in a tank, with no long maturation. Indeed many growers carry out the second fermentation on demand during the year to ensure their wines retain their fresh, fruity and floral characters. Where Champagne is dry, often savoury, Prosecco is off-dry and intensely fruity – great for aperitifs.
Favourite Proseccos
Ombra Prosecco Frizzante NV - £9.99, £7.99 as part of a mixed case, Oddbins
Frizzante is a lightly sparkling version of the more usual spumante style. Pear skin fruit and a relatively dry style.
Bellenda Prosecco Spumante Brut San Fermo NV - £10.34, Les Caves de Pyrène (www.lescaves.co.uk)
Unusually dry, making for a more food-friendly and grown up style.
Perlage Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry Col di Manza - £10.99 Vinceremos (www.vinceremos.co.uk)
Biodynamic and organic, a touch sweeter than many, but with more complexity too – flint, nuts and fruit skins.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Two Heathers are better than one
On the premise that “two heads are better than one”, I am pleased to introduce Heather Aitken (two Heathers are better than one) who shares my passion for all things vinoculous!
From her debut in the Good Wine Guide in 1977, Heather went on to own a string of shops, delis and restaurants in London, before succumbing to the lure of the sun and “the good life” in Portugal. Now, like the Terminator, SHE’S BACK, and will regale you with her own particular brand of wine, food and fashion psychology. Together we are devising all sorts of entertaining ways with wine and we'll be keeping you updated on all the excitement on our website and here in this column.
Heather A: To misquote Barry Manilow, “Music and fashion is always the passion” – and so too is food and wine. “The enjoyment of wine is part of a stylish lifestyle”, says Georges Deboeuf, who produces the No.1 French wine brand in USA and is the most popular producer of Beaujolais in the world. I had the good fortune to meet Georges back in the late 70’s, then a charming young fellow with a steely determination to succeed. His interest in art and design has been in evidence ever since a bouquet of English wildflowers inspired him to sketch the first of his “flower labels”, now a trademark of his Beaujolais Crus. Every year artists are commissioned to create a new label. In November I will tell you the exciting story of Beaujolais Nouveau, Alan Hall and the jolly band that popularized the race to get this new wine to England.
On the subject of Georges Deboeuf's flowery labels: after copious amounts of scientific research (by many many people), it was found by one Professor Larry Lockshin that the average time for wine consumers to decide which bottle to buy is 38 seconds. Decisions are mainly influenced by the label!
Wine makers are therefore trying to produce accessibly named wines such as “Good red” (boring), or bottles illustrated with recognizable symbols or celebrities they want customers to associate with the wine. In America I am told some of the popular choices for labels are “chateau traileur parc”, “white trashfindel” and “peanut noir”. On this basis I think we can do better, how about “Simon Cowell Syrah” – “an acerbic taste, but good body and extremely rich”. Or “ Cheryl Cole Chardonnay” – appears a sweet crowd pleaser, but with complex undertones. Very popular”. We could go on!
Let's now get past the label (before we get sued!), and find what else attracts us to the “noble rot”. It is sensuous: perceived by the nose (aroma), and the mouth (taste), and unlike food is held in the mouth to savour. (OK, I know we all quaff and gulp as well!) Wine is so often linked to the idea of seduction and the feel good factor that it must be deduced that from the lowliest supermarket plonk to the finest vintages, we are titillated and desirous of tasting and enjoying the effects.
There has grown up a real connection between women and wine which I will elaborate and report on in more depth at another time. Suffice it to say most women I talk to have a real relationship with a glass or two of sauvignon or shiraz, and see it as a form of reward at the end of the day/lunchtime/whenever. Forget the old maxim “tea and sympathy”, today it’s all about “chardonnay and cheers”. I look forward to hearing your comments on this phenomenon and to continue to carry out my own research.
Heather and I can give you the opportunity to try and to appreciate widely differing styles of wine, and to go to places where wine is matched harmoniously with food. Coming up soon (watch this space) – Wine, Food and Fashion events - yes, all rolled into one as of course all the best parties are. But whatever we can do for you don’t forget to drink it, revel in it, enjoy it, it's good for you....all those vitamins and minerals. Have you heard about “the French Paradox”?
Heather D: Perhaps that's something for another time, I think we need to wind up...
Heather A: OK, here's a recipe for meditation: select a glass, carefully pour your chosen tipple two thirds full (enjoy the feeling of restraint), note the colours and texture before lifting to your nose...then breathe in the aromas and smile. Take a sip and let the liquid linger for a moment on your tongue, feel the sensation as it glides down your throat and sets off a little ping of pleasure in your brain. ...Feeling good? History, fruit of the earth, life and romance in a bottle.
Chin chin, keep your pheromones up!
Weekly wine picks
Hallowe’en is upon us and Guy Fawkes night is just around the corner. This can mean only one thing (well, apart from children eating their own body weight in sweets and candy floss) – eating outdoors, when really we know it’s just too cold. Warming red wines are what you need:
Hospices de Beaujeu 2007, Beaujolais-Villages, £7.99 at Waitrose
We’ll be talking more about Beaujolais another time, but if there’s one thing that these wines do well, it’s generous, juicy fruit and soft tannins – a perfect foil for a honey mustard sausage.
The Society’s Argentine Malbec 2008, £6.25 The Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com)
Enough savoury beefiness to stand up to meaty barbecue fare, with a whack of warming black fruit.
Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2007 - £7.99 Taurus Wines near Bramley
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo may be a bit of a mouthful, but the wine itself slips down a treat and its smoky fruit is the ideal accompaniment for rockets and Catherine wheels.
Originally published in the Surrey Advertiser, but this is much longer (and funnier).
From her debut in the Good Wine Guide in 1977, Heather went on to own a string of shops, delis and restaurants in London, before succumbing to the lure of the sun and “the good life” in Portugal. Now, like the Terminator, SHE’S BACK, and will regale you with her own particular brand of wine, food and fashion psychology. Together we are devising all sorts of entertaining ways with wine and we'll be keeping you updated on all the excitement on our website and here in this column.
Heather A: To misquote Barry Manilow, “Music and fashion is always the passion” – and so too is food and wine. “The enjoyment of wine is part of a stylish lifestyle”, says Georges Deboeuf, who produces the No.1 French wine brand in USA and is the most popular producer of Beaujolais in the world. I had the good fortune to meet Georges back in the late 70’s, then a charming young fellow with a steely determination to succeed. His interest in art and design has been in evidence ever since a bouquet of English wildflowers inspired him to sketch the first of his “flower labels”, now a trademark of his Beaujolais Crus. Every year artists are commissioned to create a new label. In November I will tell you the exciting story of Beaujolais Nouveau, Alan Hall and the jolly band that popularized the race to get this new wine to England.
On the subject of Georges Deboeuf's flowery labels: after copious amounts of scientific research (by many many people), it was found by one Professor Larry Lockshin that the average time for wine consumers to decide which bottle to buy is 38 seconds. Decisions are mainly influenced by the label!
Wine makers are therefore trying to produce accessibly named wines such as “Good red” (boring), or bottles illustrated with recognizable symbols or celebrities they want customers to associate with the wine. In America I am told some of the popular choices for labels are “chateau traileur parc”, “white trashfindel” and “peanut noir”. On this basis I think we can do better, how about “Simon Cowell Syrah” – “an acerbic taste, but good body and extremely rich”. Or “ Cheryl Cole Chardonnay” – appears a sweet crowd pleaser, but with complex undertones. Very popular”. We could go on!
Let's now get past the label (before we get sued!), and find what else attracts us to the “noble rot”. It is sensuous: perceived by the nose (aroma), and the mouth (taste), and unlike food is held in the mouth to savour. (OK, I know we all quaff and gulp as well!) Wine is so often linked to the idea of seduction and the feel good factor that it must be deduced that from the lowliest supermarket plonk to the finest vintages, we are titillated and desirous of tasting and enjoying the effects.
There has grown up a real connection between women and wine which I will elaborate and report on in more depth at another time. Suffice it to say most women I talk to have a real relationship with a glass or two of sauvignon or shiraz, and see it as a form of reward at the end of the day/lunchtime/whenever. Forget the old maxim “tea and sympathy”, today it’s all about “chardonnay and cheers”. I look forward to hearing your comments on this phenomenon and to continue to carry out my own research.
Heather and I can give you the opportunity to try and to appreciate widely differing styles of wine, and to go to places where wine is matched harmoniously with food. Coming up soon (watch this space) – Wine, Food and Fashion events - yes, all rolled into one as of course all the best parties are. But whatever we can do for you don’t forget to drink it, revel in it, enjoy it, it's good for you....all those vitamins and minerals. Have you heard about “the French Paradox”?
Heather D: Perhaps that's something for another time, I think we need to wind up...
Heather A: OK, here's a recipe for meditation: select a glass, carefully pour your chosen tipple two thirds full (enjoy the feeling of restraint), note the colours and texture before lifting to your nose...then breathe in the aromas and smile. Take a sip and let the liquid linger for a moment on your tongue, feel the sensation as it glides down your throat and sets off a little ping of pleasure in your brain. ...Feeling good? History, fruit of the earth, life and romance in a bottle.
Chin chin, keep your pheromones up!
Weekly wine picks
Hallowe’en is upon us and Guy Fawkes night is just around the corner. This can mean only one thing (well, apart from children eating their own body weight in sweets and candy floss) – eating outdoors, when really we know it’s just too cold. Warming red wines are what you need:
Hospices de Beaujeu 2007, Beaujolais-Villages, £7.99 at Waitrose
We’ll be talking more about Beaujolais another time, but if there’s one thing that these wines do well, it’s generous, juicy fruit and soft tannins – a perfect foil for a honey mustard sausage.
The Society’s Argentine Malbec 2008, £6.25 The Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com)
Enough savoury beefiness to stand up to meaty barbecue fare, with a whack of warming black fruit.
Gran Sasso Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2007 - £7.99 Taurus Wines near Bramley
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo may be a bit of a mouthful, but the wine itself slips down a treat and its smoky fruit is the ideal accompaniment for rockets and Catherine wheels.
Originally published in the Surrey Advertiser, but this is much longer (and funnier).
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