Fellow Wine Lovers,
So, that’s week 38 nearly done, how did it treat you, ready for a drink? September is certainly gathering pace as this week seems to have cantered by and we can see October just around the corner. Today is a bit of an anomaly weather-wise because up to now the temperature seems to have taken a tumble, it’s definitely dark when we leave the shop and talk is now turning to roast dinners and stews rather than barbecues with green salad.
Talking of food, fine dining and exquisite good taste, the American Ego that is POTUS landed in the UK this week, for a tongue-twisting second, unprecedented, presidential state visit. Unprecedented President reads like it could be oxymoronic and, whilst I appreciate it far from fulfils the correct definition of an oxymoron, I’m just taking great delight in using the word moron three times in a sentence that also include the word President. I know, small pleasures…
And then, for my sins, I got totally sidetracked by ITV News at Ten on Wednesday, whilst waiting for Jack Reacher to fill the screen, and could not quite believe how thickly the red carpet was being rolled out for the American mischief maker – clearly a royal charm offensive is seen as the new way of negotiating tariff reductions. And boy, didn’t they show Donald a great time. What could be better than a ride in a horsedrawn carriage with footmen in fancy frocks, sat beside the King of England, on the way to a Real Bigly Castle, down avenues flanked with Guard of Honour to massage one’s fragile ego. But it didn’t stop there, the banquet dinner was as follows:
- Panna Cotta de Cresson et Oeufs de Caille sur Sable de Parmesan
- Ballotine de Poulet Fermier en Robe de Courgettes
- Bombe Glacée Cardinal
And the drinks list included:
- Wiston Estate Cuvée 2016
- Domaine Bonneau de Martray, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2018
- Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 2000
- Pol Roger, Extra Cuvee de Reserve 1998
- Warre’s 1945
- Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne
- Bowmore Queen’s Cask 1980
Having consulted Larousse Gastronomique, I can confirm that the menu roughly translates as:
- two Filet-o-fish
- two Big Macs
- well-done steak with ketchup
- meatloaf
- no vegetables
- cherry-vanilla ice cream
Whilst the drinks list includes:
- Chocolate milkshake
- Diet Coke
Delicious, I wonder what Keir cooked at Chequers yesterday – Royale with cheese, I imagine?
We weren’t invited to dinner in Windsor this week but we did go to a rather good tasting up in Camden on Tuesday. We sipped and swirled a variety of wines from around the world and hopefully will be getting a few of them on the shelves in the months to come. With this in mind, we would like to remind you all that next Tuesday, 23rd September, the shop will be closed ALL DAY. Somehow, we need to be in EC4, SE1 and later on W1 to taste more wines from 3 of our best suppliers; thus, we need to stay closed as we could be some time…
We watched with glee as the England Women progressed to the semi-final of the RWC; we were disappointed not to watch the final stage of La Vuelta A España as the stage was cancelled and no winner declared; we watched the start of the Champions League football season, once we found out where it was being shown (Prime, fyi); we watched the golf at Wentworth and started to get more excited about the Ryder Cup; and we’re watching the cricket season drawing towards a close, next stop the start of The Ashes on 21st November (alright, I know there are T20’s and ODI’s in the meantime but, you know, they’re just not red ball!)
And now to where we started – week 38 nearly done, ready for a drink? Having chatted earlier about Sunday Roasts and wrapping up warm, I now discover that the seaweed beside my door is parched bone dry and, as a consequence, I boldly predict a sunny weekend ahead but equally, as they famously said, I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining, because I’m free, nothing’s worrying me…
With this in mind it feels appropriate to open Cramele Recas Solara Orange Wine – £14.99, you know, the one with label where an orange is pretending to be the sun, ring any bells? If not, here’s the lowdown: it’s from Romania and is owned by Englishman Philip Cox and his wife Elvira. A blend of 69% Riesling, 22% Sauvignon Blanc and 9% of other varietals, this is a natural, minimal intervention wine made by leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the pressed juice which then ferments naturally without the addition of yeasts, sulphur or any other additions, creating a deep orange-hued finish. The nose exhibits quince, Poire William and a hint of vanilla, leading to a complex and structured palate with elegant and discreet stone fruit flavours, backed up with a complexity and long, balanced finish and a delightfully fresh finish.
As a foil, the red will be a youthful Rioja – Palacio del Camino Real Crianza – £12.99 – which is a classic blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano aged for 12-14 months in a mixture of French and American oak. It has a real understated elegance, with gently spiced red fruits, a touch of leather and a polished soft finish giving it great all-rounder potential – you can drink it just as easily inside by the fire as outside in the sundance!
So that’s it from us, one last pearl of wisdom for you before we go:
“People don’t remember who the critics were” Robert Redford – 1936 to 2025