Whether you love wine or are a bit indifferent, the one thing most of us will agree on, is the importance of having a good laugh with some friends. And so it was, at this month’s wine club meeting.
Our village hall can still comfortably take up to 30 people at a social distance and with the use of bistro tables, we were able to spread members out at a safe distance with still the same (arguably more) good humour and banter that we have come to expect from our evenings.
The challenge for this month was for the committee to select wines they had enjoyed over the summer that could still easily be drunk now, as we put our clocks back and see in the darker evenings.
We opened with a lovely white from Austria called Gruner Veltliner. This is a lovely light aromatic wine, with plenty of zesty lime flavours and touch of white pepper. If you don’t want to cook one evening and fancy a Thai, then do try this as a wonderful accompaniment to the spicy food.
Next was a Florent Rouve, Vire Clesse. One of the best wines of the evening (Ed opinion) and a classic example of a Chardonnay from the South of Burgundy at a very reasonable price (have a look when next in M&S!) Crisp, dry and full of peach and honeysuckle flavours, but nice and deep. Perfect with any creamy pasta dish!
Our third white was called Villebois, a classic example of a Pouilly Fume from the Loire. If you like Sauv Blanc, then you will love this wine. Try it with white fish or meat dishes, the crisp flinty flavour will match perfectly.
The last white was a Roussanne called Chateau Montfin. This was pretty much a wine made with 100% Roussanne grape. If you’ve not tried Roussanne before then worth a try.
We had 4 very different reds to try. The first was a Gamay grape from Touraine in the Loire valley called Domaine de la Chaise. Normally known for making Beaujolais, this was a really good wine, perfect slightly chilled and with a plate of sliced red meats.
Next was a Pinot Noir from the Saint Clair winery in Marlborough, New Zealand called Pioneer Block. A selected wine made from a specific block of vines grown on the estate – yep they can differ from area to area within the vineyard! This was another excellent wine, full of red fruits and one for that Sunday roast Lamb!
The penultimate wine was a Grenache/Syrah blend called Me & Monsieur Jones. A lovely wine from the Languedoc region, France. A strong but very smooth wine full of rich dark berries. Definitely one for your beef stews!
The evening was nearly over but not without trying a “GSM”, a three classic grape blend called The Cutler from South Africa. Full of Raspberry, Cherry and peppers. Again, a great wine and very versatile. Try it with a late season BBQ or some simple French onion soup!
We all really look forward to the time when this blasted COVID-19 is but a memory or at least something we can cope with whilst living much more “normal” lives. Until then, the healing powers of laughter, I believe, benefits everyone and there is never any shortage of that at the wine club meetings!
The next meeting is on the 19th November. If you would like to come along, then look out for the invite as norm or contact ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk. Hope to see you there!
Ian
(Chairman)