Finally, proof that polar bears don’t like Twiglets…

Fellow Wine Lovers,

So it seems Stuart Lancaster has bombed out, athletics is on a fast track to rehab and the cricket is, well, only cricket.

We’re hoping that Sebastian Coe is feeling discomfort for blaming the media when the story first broke some months ago. We’re definitely in Daley Thomson’s camp with the “Stand up and show some leadership” quote, but sadly expect it’ll all just fall on the desk of yet more lawyers!

One of the International Athletics Federations key objectives is “To spread the universal message of the purest of humankind’s sports, regardless of race, religion, colour or country of origin.” So let’s deal with the cheats, sort out independent testing, and get everyone on a passport system! RANT OVER…

In wine news this week, the BBC team filming ‘The Hunt’ up in the Arctic Circle has had problems with their wine stash. A polar bear broke into the cabin and rifled through their food supplies, only to be scared away by the crew banging on the walls. Down, but not out however, the bear returned whilst the crew were away filming and drank deeply of their box of red wine.

Upon their return they found the polar bear asleep with red wine around its mouth, and had to set off flares to scare it away.  All the wine had been drunk and all the food eaten except, tellingly, the Marmite.  It’s the unexpected things we learn that are often the most exciting!!

Early Close Monday

We will have to close at 6pm on Monday as we have been invited to the Time Out Awards Dinner, so fingers crossed!

Where’s Alex?

This year’s world tour kicks off this Saturday…full dates below

Saturday 14th November –  St Matthew’s Church Winter FairDurham Road SW20 0DE 11.30am – 2pm.

Wednesday 18th November – The Wimbledon Rugby Club Christmas Bazaar. – Barham Road SW20 0ET 6.30pm – 10pm.

Sunday 6th December – Wimbledon Park Primary School Christmas FairHavana Road, pouring the mulled wine – one for you, one for him, one for you, one for him… and repeat!

Wine School

Wednesday 27th January at 8pm, for six weeks, skipping the 10th February as it’s half term and all good schools need a half term.

A number of you asked about gift vouchers for this as a present, so pop in and see us or give us a call on 020 8944 5224. Full details attached.

Tasting This Weekend

Always keen to make new discoveries, we made two this week.  Firstly we discovered that Italy makes wine, and quite well to boot.  Ok, we knew that but what we hadn’t realised is that we haven’t opened some of them for a while.  For example, Sarotto Tenuta Manenti Gavi di Gavi 2014 (£12.99) hasn’t been opened for weekend tasting since 6th December 2013 which means many of you have been missing out on the ripe, rich white peach flavours, stony minerality and long fresh finish emanating from the 50 year-old Cortese vines, grown at altitude in the Maddalena vineyard by Roberto Sarotto.  This will be resolved today.

More worryingly, Monte del Frá Tenuta Lena di Mezzo Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2012 has never been opened.  Never. This is properly rubbish on our part, so we’ll get one open immediately. 

For those who don’t know about the wine, the skins of the grapes that have been pressed to make Amarone (and Recioto sometimes) are added to this Valpol towards the end of winter, which allows the fermentation to continue for longer (the yeast now has more food) resulting in a stronger, more complex wine.  To add to this complexity the wine is then aged in 30-hectolitre French oak casks for at least 18 months before bottling.  The result is a mouthful of cherries, plums and liquorice, pepper and cinnamon and even hints of the forest floor.  The palate is dry, fruity and very well-balanced.  You won’t like it…

I suspect Alex will return with some open bottles on Saturday afternoon too, so if you time your visit well, it could be a very nice start to the evening!

 

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