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Fellow Wine Lovers,<\/span><\/p>\n Right, let\u2019s start today with Ecclesiastes 1:9 from the King James Bible: <\/span><\/p>\n The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n These thoughts are attributed to Solomon but a close elderly acquaintance was reflecting yesterday about how life today reminds him a lot of life in the 1970\u2019s \u2013 nothing new under the sun.<\/span><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/span>How do you mean, Wayne? \u2013 I say<\/span><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 – <\/span><\/span><\/span>Well, we\u2019ve got the summer of \u201976, the British Tennis Champion of \u201977, and perhaps we have the Ashes winners of 78-79 (5-1 for all you young folk)?\u00a0 Unfortunately the British Open was won by Americans for most of the decade, and Sir BW was the first Brit to top the podium in the Tour de France last year, but I think you get what I mean, Alex.<\/span><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 – <\/span><\/span><\/span>But weren\u2019t we in recession too, I remember talk of the three day week and the commercial power-cuts from my history lessons…<\/span><\/p>\n –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 – <\/span><\/span><\/span>Well, the recession was largely over by early 1976, and it was such a lovely summer to celebrate this, although of course the drought and crop failure in the late summer resulted in double digit percentage increases in food prices… but it was such a lovely summer!<\/span><\/p>\n And then he settled back into his deckchair to continue his thorough investigation of what goes on when one shuts one\u2019s eyes on a sunny afternoon…<\/span><\/p>\n SO WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN GOING ON?<\/span><\/span><\/b>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n We have doubled the size of our English Wine Range, listed a new beer and discovered that Wimbledon Park in the sunshine seems to have an unslakeable thirst for Ros\u00e9 wine and white port!<\/span><\/p>\n NEW HALL VINEYARDS BACCHUS RESERVE 2012 (\u00a312.79)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Ever since we listed Gusbourne Estate Blanc de Blancs 2008 (\u00a331.99) as our home-grown sparkler from Kent (the Garden of England indeed) our Essex man has been chomping at the bit to get something listed from the land of his birth.\u00a0 We shucked the oysters, tasted the Maldon Sea Salt, even stuck some Tiptree on our toast, but none of it seemed to fit the wine-shop image.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Until now.\u00a0 The vineyards of New Hall are located just outside of Purleigh, apparently if you go down the hill, the road bends round to your left and it\u2019s just there on your right but I digress… these are some of the oldest plantings of Bacchus in the UK, certainly the largest (44,500 vines) and they provide grapes to a couple of well-known English Wineries that, frankly, are not very close to Essex.<\/span><\/p>\n Anyway, enough waffle.\u00a0 The wine has a vinous, limey nose that leads you into a fruit focused medium dry palate with a reassuring zing on the finish.\u00a0 Damn tasty and a refreshing change from Malibu and pineapple.<\/span><\/p>\n ROCKY HEAD BREWERY ZEN 4.8% (\u00a33.85)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Our local superstar micro-brewery has released its next edition.\u00a0 Many of you have listened patiently when we have promised that a slightly lower alcohol pale ale was in the offing.\u00a0 Well, the wait is over and it\u2019s here now.\u00a0 Beautifully refreshing with a citric hoppiness (new word) and extraordinarily gluggable (next new word).\u00a0 Buy it, drink it, buy some more, trust me, I\u2019m in sales.<\/span><\/p>\n KROHN DRY WHITE PORT (\u00a312.99)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n We\u2019ve had it in stock for ages but it seems to have caught on in recent weeks.\u00a0 Chilled from the fridge, hi-ball glass filled half and half with tonic water, add a twist of lemon sit in the back garden, rehydrate.<\/span><\/p>\n BOTHAM MERRILL WILLIS SHIRAZ 2008 MAGNUM<\/span> (\u00a334)<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n We managed to get half a dozen of these splendid fellows, equivalent to two bottles or, as Sir Ian might say, lunch. <\/span><\/p>\n WINE SCHOOL 18TH<\/sup> SEPTEMBER \u2013 23RD<\/sup> OCTOBER<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n The last of the local schools break up next Wednesday and everybody hightails it out of Dodge.\u00a0 Before you pack the speedos, why not sign up for our 6 week wine course, give yourself something to look forward to in the autumn.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n 6 weeks, around 60 wines, all the major grapes covered, food matching tips, corked and faulty wines, sweet wines, fizz, fun, informal, educational, Wayne\u2019s jokes \u2013 all these and more will appear over the duration of the course, all for \u00a3150 per person<\/b>.\u00a0 We limit the class to a maximum of 10 people, so do be sure not to miss out on this opportunity to polish up your tasting skills and wine knowledge before the Christmas party season!<\/span><\/p>\n