Fellow Wine Lovers,
Seems like weather forecasting has yet again proved itself to be a bit of a dark art and, in fact, Wayne’s cooking activities provide a more accurate guide to future meteorological activity.
We call him Weather Vane Wayne.
Having expected rain on Sunday and cloudiness on Monday, we actually ended up with two sunny weekend days (whilst Wayne was, for the most part, inside) and then, no sooner had he lit the coals on Monday than the heavens opened and his back garden became a lido with a barbecue shaped bird bath in the corner.
For guidance, he says he might put some lamb chops on the barbecue late Sunday afternoon, so make sure you’ve done all your chores before then or at the very least, take an umbrella…
So, as of yesterday, we have a dissolved parliament. We are reliably informed by the website www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk that: ‘As of 10:00 on 30 May 2024, 134 MPs have announced that they will not stand again at the election on 4 July. MPs intending to stand again have until 4pm on 7 June to deliver their nomination papers and so it is likely that further announcements will follow in the coming days’
That’s an awful lot of leaving-do’s and cake.
Of the 134 MP’s not returning, 82 started out as Conservatives, 36 Labour, 9 SNP, 3 Sinn Féin, 2 PC, 1 Green and 1 DUP. In percentage terms, that translates to 100% of Green’s leaving town, 50% of PC, 42% of Sinn Féin, 22% of Tories, 18% of SNP, 18% of Labour and 12.5% of DUP. Clearly the Lib Dems are doing something right as no-one is stepping down and none of them ended up on the naughty step/independent.
Interestingly, none of the main party leaders in the 2019 election are still in charge which only goes to emphasise the capricious nature of UK politics today.
Elsewhere, the Donald has been Tangoed but I think we should all wait until July 11th before we get too excited….
But we move on and away from politics, for now, to discover that we were right all along. The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has released a report revealing that 70% of beer and wine served in UK pubs and bars is short-measured and that when beer was short, it was typically 4% less than a full pint, while wine was usually 5% below the standard 175ml glass. Not sure we’re going to pop down to The Wandle and read them the Weights and Measures Act but it’s nice to know we weren’t always imagining things…
As a follow up, another CTSI survey gauging opinion on the inclusion of the beer head in the pint measure was divided. 35% believe the head should not be included and 23% think it should be – which means that 42% of people abstained/are incapable of deciding between 2 polar opposite choices/don’t give a toss, which could also end up being true on July 4th.
You heard it here first.
Sport and booze collided somewhat unpleasantly earlier in the week when the French Open organisers had to ban drinking in the stands – raucous behaviour and spitting were the complaints from players – I wonder if the AELTC and Pimm’s are feeling a little nervous?
Last week I mentioned some new wines on the shelves, so I thought I might introduce some of them today.
Earlier this year, whilst driving through France, Alex and his wife ended up in the delightful city of Reims, in the heart of Champagne. Being ‘in the trade’, Alex has been lucky enough to visit the city a number of times, usually on someone else’s dollar, however his wife has not been quite so fortunate. Alex was excited by the prospect of finally seeing the Cathedral without scaffolding up the façade whilst his wife seemed more invigorated by the prospect of formation champagne drinking. So they came to a compromise: a quick spin around the outside of their Notre-Dame and then off to the restaurant they’d had recommended by the lady whose house they were staying in.
Café du Palais is in the heart of the city, opposite the courthouse (hence the name) and it was suggested as having the both the best Croque-Monsieur’s and best champagne list in town. Win, win, what’s not to like. So they ate and drank and, as luck would have it, got into long conversation with the owner about champagne, of course. Now this man is connected. He had just had lunch that day with Garance from Thiénot and was going for dinner the following night with someone from Billecart-Salmon, from memory. Anyway, after a cellar tour, a couple more glasses and perhaps some of their famous tarte tatin, they wended their way, with the abiding memory that the wines from De Saint-Gall were ones to definitely look out for.
Fast forward a few months and Alex discovers that one importer in the UK has these wines, so he made contact.
We’ve started at the top, no messing about but a GC B de B from a cracker of a vintage, how could we resist?
De Saint-Gall Orpale Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru 2012 – £125
I’ll endeavour to be a little less lyrical about the rest of the wines otherwise we’ll be here until close…
WHITES
Guillaman Colombard-Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Gascogne, France – £11.99 – a zippily fresh drop with grapefruit and passion fruit character on the nose and a rounded palate showing those same fruits.
J Fernando Verdejo 2023, Rueda, Spain – £14.49 – lovely and tangy and fresh with a drop of minerality in its midst to add a bit of texture
Westcott Estate Chardonnay 2021, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Canada – £29.99 – just wow. Our first venture into Canada for over 10 years, this is awesome – like a burgundy but at the richer end with great poise
ORANGE
Bel A Ciao Vin Orange 2022, Vin Atlantique, France – £16.99 – it’s organic and it’s orange, how on message are we? A blend of mostly Semillon with a splash each of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, it has tangerine and wild flower aromas leading to more tropical but still citrusy notes on the palate with a lightly spiced lemon note to finish, definitely worth a try!
ROSÉ
Château Paquette 2023, Côtes de Provence, France – £18.49 – a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and a local variety Tibouren, which is what brings the garriguey herbiness. It transpires that this small estate in Fréjus was recommended to our supplier by Elizabeth Gabay MW, the world’s foremost expert on rosé!
RED
Le Voisin d’En Face Syrah 2023, IGP Ardèche, France – £16.49 – northern Rhône but you know, not named as such. Beautiful nose, hint of spice and a rich, fruitful palate – more approachable in its youth than any of its posher peers would be.
Klinker Brick Winery Brickmason 2018, Lodi, USA – £18.99 -a blend of 80% Zinfandel, 10% Syrah and 5% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Syrah. Bright red fruits, a touch of juicy blueberry too, lovely freshness of finish and a little tannic grip give it great balance – a barbecue shoo-in.
Château d’Anielle 2015, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, France – £27.99 – I know, who’s buying claret in June? Well, if you got caught in the monsoon yesterday afternoon, perhaps it wold be you! We often find a lot of good Bordeaux in the summer months and this is one we’ve had our eye on for a while, keep it in mind!
We should probably let you get back to work now – we’ll be opening the Guillaman Colombard-Sauvignon Blanc and Le Voisin d’En Face Syrah tonight, so come and let us know what you think.
Finally, yes, we have read the article in The Guardian about Orange wine sales – we do have a few but aren’t planning on extending the range particularly. Sherry, White Port, Madeira, Riesling, Torrontés, Rum, chilled reds – all are examples of what has been touted as the drinks of the summer in previous years, without actually ever getting close to toppling Rosé from its perch, just saying!
And with that, we’re taking our cynicism out for a drink, filled right to the top please…..