Fellow Wine Lovers,
Writing today from a crowded funicular, somewhere above Tignes…
Rosé is pink,
Claret is red,
But if you don’t fancy either,
Have Champagne instead!
Bit of an up and down week for us Park Vintners types.
We watched all the rugby at the weekend and concluded that last weekend was what is known in retail as a ‘soft opening’. The real sparks will start to fly this weekend as there are a few games (three, to be exact) where we could see some big scores logged. If not we might start watching something else, Crown Green, perhaps.
Wayne has been wandering around like a moody teenager, having not made the final cut to join Chris Evans’ Top Gear selected presenters – however the prospect of him growing a mullet and getting into drunken fights has now been avoided, we can only hope.
But the saddest news we received was yesterday. Wayne rolled up at the door of Norbiton Cheese at 11am, to pick up our stash for our Wine & Cheese tasting, and was greeted by the owner, who looked puzzled to see him. ‘Hi Bryan, I’ve come to pick up my cheese order that I placed last week’ said Wayne. ‘I’m sorry Wayne but we’ve closed for business, as of Monday just gone’
And that was that. It would seem a couple of lucrative revenue streams suddenly closed on them and as a direct result cash flow ceased to flow and business dried up. We’ve worked alongside these chaps for five years now, they have been a constant source of great cheese, consistently good advice and good humour, and we will miss them greatly. Another local independent folding up their trestle table for good is no good thing.
Buying the cheese from Waitrose didn’t quite feel the same…
VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER
Positive that no one will have forgotten, but similarly positive that if someone has they will be grateful of the reminder, we thought we’d mention that this Sunday, 14th February, is VALENTINES DAY. Yep, it’s a Sunday, so you won’t be at work or on a business trip (unless you scooped a quick flight to Italy for the rugby), so there really are very few excuses that will wash. We suggest a card, some croissants and a bottle of pink fizz to set the day up just perfectly.
IS IT GRAN PASSIONE OR MEERLUST?
To help make hard decisions easier we’ve lined up a few wines to taste this weekend appropriate to St. Valentine’s. Our go to Rosé bubbly has to be our friend Ulrich’s Hoffmann & Rathbone Rosé Reserve 2011 – £38, a stunning, sparkling, English Rosé for that stunning, effervescent rose in your life!
However, should bubbles be banned, we will have a couple of reds open too – Gran Passione Rosso 2014 – £12.99 and Meerlust Red 2012 – £12.99. Two top notch wines, both at the same price, but which one will you choose?
Wines open tonight and tomorrow, don’t forget to buy a card.
Rosé’s not red,
Sauvignon’s not blue,
I was asked to compose a rhyme,
Now I’ve done two!
Don’t forget to ben zee knees!