Fellow Wine Lovers,
The cars on Arthur Road go toot-toot-toot, toot-toot-toot, toot-toot-toot; the cars on Arthur Road go toot-toot-toot, all day long…
Whilst Wimbledon tennis continues to wage war with the weather, the good motorists of Arthur Road continue to get their fits & giggles by creating gridlock and then berating each other for being unable to reverse/drive forward/use their mirrors/read the road signs/know the width of their vehicles. In fairness, it’s not local traffic, it’s Wimbledon Tennis Land Rovers vs Mitcham Plumbers and, suffice to say, it has made more exciting viewing than some of the televised sports we’ve seen of late!
Although, wait a minute, what’s this? We thought that, post-election, our lighter political entertainment this week would be limited to watching PM Starmer wandering around with a football in his hand reminding everyone that he’s a lifelong support of the other North London club, whilst hoping to tap into the Euro Final excitement and show he’s properly down with the kids.
However, the Conservatives had other plans. Never shy of a headline, prize-fighters Kemi and Suella have really hit the big time this week, with verbal fisticuffs, talk of taking responsibility for the election failure, a suggestion that one of them was having a nervous breakdown and generally tasteless trolling in the full media glare. Jerry Springer could have had a field day whilst, in the background, someone gently recited The Scorpion and The Frog.
My, my, how we’ll miss them!
Not to be out done across the pond, the 81 year old leader of the free world and the man with the nuclear button has proved his suitability for the job. To prove George Clooney, Stephen King and Michael Moore right, but not meaning to, he not only got President Zelensky confused with the Putin but also referred to Kamala Harris as Vice-President Trump.
The convicted felon will win again if this goes on much longer….
Back to here for now, we seem to have become good at sport again! I mean, we’re still not really 2nd week candidates in the, tennis and, since Cav’s epic win the cycling hasn’t really been troubled by anyone carrying a Union Jack but you know, in the cricket and the football, we’re doing alright!
It all feels a bit 1996/1997 – are we about to witness Cool Britannia 2.0? Watch this space…
In the world of booze, we discover that during the Euros we have spent more time and money in the pub than usual and that bears are still rushing off into the forest, Kleenex in paw. By all accounts, if the sun shines, people drink more rosé and in the depths of winter a hearty red is often desirable. Do we think some of these researchers are getting money for old rope? Or are the biggest charlatans those characters at the Met Office who can incessantly mis-forecast our weather but will always get paid… sometimes I think there are easier ways to earn a living than selling wine (but not many!).
And then we hear, from Wine GB, that there are now 1,030 vineyards in the UK (mainly England and Wales, I think).
So, in 2004, Seyval Blanc was the most grown grape variety (a hybrid variety suited to cooler climates), followed by Reichensteiner (a crossing of Müller-Thurgau and Madeline Angevine – which isn’t necessarily a good thing), Müller-Thurgau (of Liebfraumilch fame) and Bacchus (light, elderflowery, delicate and actually not bad).
Nowadays, it’s a very different story – Bacchus has 8% of the total vineyard space, Seyval Blanc 3% and Reichensteiner just 2% – now the big players are Chardonnay with 32%, Pinot Noir with 27% and Pinot Meunier with 9%, the famous grapes of Champagne. They say don’t put all your eggs in one basket but why would anyone listen to that – 76% of wine produced in the UK from 2023 will be sparkling – that’s an awful lot of competition….
Speaking of competition, we’ve got a game on this Sunday and so for tasting this weekend we’ll put England vs Spain on the counter.
Since Kane & Co have been playing champagne football all tournament, we thought we’d open Rathfinny Classic Cuvée Brut 2019 – £33.00. Hailing from East Sussex, about 4 miles from Seaford, in Alfriston, east of Newhaven, this estate was established in 2010 by husband and wife team, Mark and Sarah Driver.
The first 50 acres of vines were planted in 2012 and they eventually expect to have 350 acres under vines, predominantly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier (of course) as well as a small amount of Pinot Gris. Consequently, the blend is 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier and they say it spends 36 months in bottle before release – in fact the stock we have now was disgorged in January this year, which puts it closer to 48 months on the lees, which can only make it more delicious!
For the red, we’ll be visiting the most famous Spanish region, Rioja.
Bodegas Roda Sela 2021 – £24.99 – class, elegance and a source of constant pleasure – this could be the Spanish team in a glass… made with fruit from bush vines of between 15 and 30 years old where yields are kept low to encourage a concentration of intense aromas and depth of flavour complexity on the palate. The blend is 87% Tempranillo, 7% Graciano and 6% Garnacha and spends 12 months aging in 100% semi-new French oak. A nose bursting with aromas of cherries, redcurrants and blackberries lead onto an elegant palate with lively, fresh red cherry flavours. A suitable drink with which to drown ones sorrows…
And that’s a wrap. We hear the that The Burnley Express has left the station for one last time and we salute him, even if he did celebrate retirement with a can of Guinness Draught 0.0%…
Cheers!