For some time now, members have been asking if we could take a look
at wines endorsed by celebrities. It’s a huge market but is it a gimmick to
make a fast buck or is there actually something in it? There are well over
100 celebrity wines to choose from, we took a look at a few in our
November Wine Club Meeting.

Our first wine was from one Kylie Minogue’s selections, a Pink
Prosecco. Like Kylie herself, this has a great following, with over 7
million bottles sold last year in the UK! Very drinkable and went down
well with most members. Think fresh and frothy raspberries with
pear but not too sickly!
We then moved on to Graham Norton’s Sauvignon Blanc. This is a wine
that was already established in 2008 by two Kiwi wine makers. One day
whilst visiting London they decided to “invite” themselves on to the
Graham Norton Show, with the offer of some free wine…..a few bottles
later and Graham accepted their offer of endorsing the wine! This is well
made and shows all the characteristics of a good New Zealand SB! With
over 2 million bottles sold a year, we would tend to agree.
We left Graham and headed over to South Africa, for a Chenin Blanc
called Big Easy – a reference to Earnie Els, once the worlds number one
golfer. He teamed up with Louis Strydom, an infamous wine maker in
South Africa to produce to exceptional wines. Mainly, some would say
because Louis only signed up on the basis that Ernie stuck to his golf and
he took care of the wines! The result is a lovely fresh wine full of early
spring jasmine and topical peaches. Try is as something different to kickstart your dinner party this Christmas.
We next went to James Martin’s Chardonnay Marsanne blend. My Favorite
wine of the evening although it was not to everyone’s taste! 80%
Chardonnay gave the wine both floral and fruity citrus notes but with a
balance of Marsanne, you get some buttery notes. Time has been taken to
allow this wine to ferment in barrels with some aging on the lees (the yeast
and stems that are found with the wine during fermentation), giving it
more complexity and a sophisticated taste.
You can’t have a celebrity wine evening without a wine from Brad and
Angelina’s Miraval estate. This was a Rose, Cotes de Provence. As is well
documented, their split several years ago means neither have too much to
do with the wine but it still gets 89 points in Decanter. This wine is very
good with savory red fruit and peppery spice, accompanied by a pounced
prickly acidity – well what else would you expect!
Next we tried an organic wine by Gary Barlow. He has several in his range.
This wine comes from central Castilla region and is very pleasant,
displaying notes of small hedgerow fruits, herbs and dark cocoa. If you are
having a meat board or tapas then this wine is well worth a try!
We moved on to a wine from Gordon Ramsay, called Intenso Rosso. Like
Gordon, you would expect it to pack a punch and we were not
disappointed! Made by Alberto Antonini, it comes from Tuscany and is a
blend of grapes that produces a dark fruit taste with herbs and spices but a
crisp acidity. Complex and really good value for money, this was well
received by the members.
For our final wine we went back to Erney Els and his Major Series wines
from Stellenbosch. 100% Cab Sauv, this was not a Bordeaux classic but it
stood out in its own right, with aromas of warm blackberry crumble
pudding and sharp ripe cherry, finished with a touch of oak.
This month also saw the sad passing of a hugely loved Wine Club member
and a great supporter of our Village, Simon Powell. We raised a glass to
Simon with a very kind donation by Hilary of some 1966 vintage Taylor
port. Like Simon, this wine was exceptional and will never be forgotten!
We did only try a few celebrity wines over the evening but for some there
was more than just a name behind the wine and with the amount of wine
consumed by the younger population falling, it may well be that this is just
one way of keeping wines going – it would be a shame to loose such variety!
If you would like to come along and try our Wine Club then please go on to
our website for more details www.uptonwineclub.co.uk
Ian (Chairman

For October, we welcomed our first external speaker of the season, Preet
Sahota from Edgmond Wine, who talked about wines from South Africa.
When thinking about South African wines, we often think of regions such
as Stellenbosh or Paarl. As an alternative, Preet took us to a Skerfberg, a
region further North, where we tasted some wines, mainly from Villa
Esposto, who make wine from small parcels of vineyards, that some have
compared to those of more famous regions, such as Burgundy.
First we tried a Villa Esposto Sauvignon Blanc 2022. If you are not a “SB”
fan, or even if you are and want to try something very different than the
go to French or NewZeland favourites then this is worth a try. Made from
vines 30 years old, this is drinkable now but also will keep and offers a
very different taste to that of the normal “SB”. A lovely complex wine
that would go still work with white fish or a creamy pasta!
Next we tried a Chenin Blanc from the Olifantsrivier region. Again from
old vines (planted 45 years ago) from several vineyards, that give a
unique taste. A more unusual Chenin Blanc to try, which went down well
with the members.
To compare, we then tried another Chenin Blanc from a single vineyard
from Villa Esposto. At nearly twice the price of the one just tried, this
would have to be exceptional – and it did not disappoint. Full of tropical
notes, this had depth and length that would allow the wine to be enjoyed
on it’s own but also with food – think of a Sunday roast and something a bit
different – yum!
We then moved on to some reds. Our first was a Malbec from Blake Family
Wine. Fermented in stainless steel tanks and matured in French oak
barrels, this again, gave members something different to try than perhaps
your go to regions of France or Argentina for a Malbec.
The Klawer region of South Africa is in the Western Cape province and has
been compared to Bordeaux in terms of its terroir and climate. This
produces some interesting wines you may wish to compare for a bit of
“fun”. 2021 had perfect climate conditions for grapes in this region and
most wines produced were of very high quality. This was no exception and
with delicious red berry flavours pouring through made for a really
enjoyable wine!
Our next wine was found by mistake….stuck at the back of a stock room
bound for another supplier who had gone out of business, it had remained
there for several years. It was a 2018 Pinotage and the years had been
very kind to the wine. A really good example of what you get when you are
able to leave the wine for a few years, this proved to be the most popular
wine of the evening.
Our last red for the evening was a Cabernet Merlot 2021 from Villa Esposto.
70% Cab Sauv and 30% merlot blend. A wonderful wine that was not
necessarily trying to compete with similar wines from Bordeaux but would
give them a run for their money!
We finished with a dessert wine. These sweet wines are not for everyone
but if you are a fan then this was one is very much worth a try. Villa
Esposto Muscat d’Alexandrie 2021. A sweet wine produced from old vines,
planted in 1969, that have low yields but pure nectar!
The evening was really well received by everyone. Next month, we are
looking at wines that are associated with famous people….Ian “beefy”
Botham, Graham Norton, Kyle, Angelina & Brad….just famous names or does
that add something to the wine…we’ll find out! If you are not a member
and would like to join us on Wednesday 15th November at the village hall,
please take a look at our website for details www.uptonwineclub.co.uk
Ian
Chairman

Have you ever wondered why some wines can be purchased for a perhaps
£10 but others cost considerably more? What’s the difference and are they
“worth the price”? In May, we looked at some wines that were in the region
of £30 per bottle and asked ourselves this very question.
We started the evening by sampling two Rieslings. The first was from
Austria by a wine producer called Johann Donabaum. This was a very dry
wine, fresh and with tones of lime and white pepper. The second was
called The Florita and was from Clare Valley, Australia. Not perhaps where
you might first expect to find a Riesling but made by Jim Barry, known for
his excellent quality wines. Another dry wine full of lemon and lime zest.
Rieslings are great wines for spicy foods as their alcoholic content is lower,
allowing you to enjoy the flavours in the food even more.
Our next two wines were made from the Chardonnay grape. The first was a
Burgandy wine from Poully-Fuisse, famous for quality Chardonnay wine,
called Domaine Ferrand. The rich complex aromas of exotic fruit and
vanilla were created in part by aging some of the wine in French oak casks
“on lees” – or with some of the stems, pipes etc. still in contact with the
juice to create a unique flavour. In contrast the second wine was from a
well known vineyard called Sleepy Hollow, Santa Lucia Highlands in
California. Carefully selected, hand-harvested grapes that again were aged
in 100% French oak barrels, which gave a wonderful taste of pink lady
apples, pineapple and caramelised brown sugar.
Our next two wines came from the Rhone region in France. The first was
from the Gigondas region by the wine producer, Domaine St Damien. This
was a full-bodied wine, rich with intense flavours of warm fig and dark
chocolate. Our second wine came from the well known region of
Chateauneuf-du-Pape and was called Chateau Fortia. A brilliant example of
a wine from this region that produced a flavour of black fruit jam and
spice, having been matured in oak barrels for 24 months.
We finished the evening with two wines from Bordeaux. Our first wine was
from an AOC region in Medoc called St Estephe and a vineyard called
Chateau Le Haye. A well blended Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot. The wine had good length with flavours of Cassis and blackcurrant.
Our final wine was another real treat. A Chateau Violet Sauternes desert
wine. A wonderful sweet wine that would go with sweet desserts or cheese
to finish an evening. Made from grapes that are only harvested when a
special fungi called botrytis has grown on the grapes, making them small
but very rich in flavour, with notes of candied fruit and a beautiful rich
taste of apricots and peach fruit.
So, were they worth the price? As always, that’s down to the individual but
if you consider that these bottles would set you back between £80-£100
typically in a restaurant, then the option to buy some and enjoy a very nice
meal in with friends becomes very attractive! If you wanted to try any of
the wines, they came from Strictly wine and Grape minds, both local wine
merchants.
The next wine meeting is on the 21st June and will mark the end of season
for this year. We would love to see you there for some fun, food and the
odd glass or two!!!
Ian Langley
Chairman Upton Wine Club
For further information, please see our website: www.uptonwineclub.com

It was really good to see such a large number of members and some new to
the Upton Wine Club come along to the village hall for a presentation on
wines across the Czech Republic. Known perhaps more for its consumption
of beer, it was good to hear Alzbeta (Betty) Sutera from Wines of Bohemia
take us all through a fascinating tour of some excellent wines that we may
not have thought of trying.
We started the evening, as we sometimes do, with a sparkling wine called
Chateau Radyne. Made with Welshriesling and Gruner Veltliner grapes,
using the traditional method (second fermentation in the bottle – just like
champagne), this wonderful wine was a great opener for the evening. Dry
and crisp, it is a great alternative from perhaps your normal go to sparkling
wines.
Our first white, from the Cech Winery, was called Veltlinske Zelene. Made
from 100% Gruner Veltniner, a grape variety mostly grown in Austria. It
came with some wonderful fresh green apple, peppery flavours that would
make it a great summer wine.
The next wine was a white from a winery called Svoboda. They had
produced a wine from a variety called Welshriesling, not to be confused
with the more common Riesling grown worldwide. The same grape as used
in the sparkling wine produced a lovely wine tasting of gooseberry and
clean minerality, created by the chalk soils where the vines are grown.
Our last white divided the audience, which was great! Some thought it was
the best wine of the evening, whilst others found it a little too powerful!
The Castle Winery and vineyards have produced a wine from the Palava
variety grape called Herbium. The result was a complex wine with hints of
rose petal and lychee. A great wine to try for your next curry, rather than
perhaps the usual Riesling?
Our first red of the evening was called Rulandske Modre and came again
from the Castle Winery and Vineyards producer (ZVB). As soon as it was
poured, it looked and smelt like a Pinot Noir. We were not disappointed,
with very familiar flavours of strawberry and cherry jam. It was a light
Pinot Noir and those wanting the more complex deeper flavours of a
Burgundy may be disappointed. However, for the price, it could not be
beaten and was a firm favourite across all members.
Our next red was a Neronet grape from the Cech Winery. It was great to
try some different grapes and again this one did not disappoint. Neronet is
a cross-bred grape from several dark grapes, producing a rich dark red fruit
wine, rich in sour cherries and cassis flavours. Definitely worth a try if you
want to have something different.
Our next red was produced by the Horak Winery and named
Svatovavrinecke. The grape, St Laurent, is the most popular grape grown
across the Czech and is from the Pinot family. The wine was a lovely deep
red, which had been aged in oak barrels for 24 months.
Our final wine for the evening, was Frankovka, produced by Tanzberg
winery. A wonderful deep red with notes of forest fruit and plenty of
depth. Definitely one that goes better with food and a great wine for a
special with friends.
There was plenty of interest and on this occasion, orders, from our
members. If you are interested in any of the above wines, check out Betty
on www.bohemiawine.com.
For May, we will be bringing some high-end wines for our members to try
and asking – “are they worth the extra ££££?”
For further information, please see our website: www.uptonwineclub.com

Our March meeting was an evening sampling Greek wines, presented by
members of the club – occasionally interrupted by bouzouki music.
Having been making wine for several thousand years, Greece is home to
some 300 varieties of indigenous grape. Most of these varieties are unheard
of outside the wine producers, and probably only one (Assyrtiko) has made
it to other countries. The evening was an opportunity to taste and learn
about 8 indigenous varieties, albeit ones not easy to find in this country.
Debra Paul opened the evening with a Savatiano from Central Greece,
made by a lady winemaker Vasiliki Akriotou. A gold medal winner, this dry and
creamy white has caught the attention of Julia Harding MW on Jancis
Robinson’s web site, who described it as outstanding and very good value.
Natalie Morgan followed with a Robola from Cephalonia of Captain Corelli
fame, a fresh and aromatic wine. From vines grown at an altitude of 600m
on Mount Ainos, this mineral and acidic white has also been praised by the
critics, James Suckling awarding it a high 92 points.
Mike Collins presented an Assyrtiko made by Karavitakis in western Crete.
Santorini is the home of assyrtiko, a mineral almost saline white. However
the desperately difficult growing conditions there – on volcanic rock with
very little rainfall and strong winds – mean that yields there are low,
although quality is superb. This, coupled with demand for land to build
holiday homes, has led to ever-increasing prices for Santorini Assyrtiko,
making it comparable to Chablis. Fortunately, the grape is now grown
elsewhere in Greece, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,
California, Italy, and even in trials in Champagne. This is a grape to watch
for the future.
The final white of the evening was shown by Dermot Paddon, a Malagousia
from Vourvokeli in Thrace, northern Greece. Alongside some other Greek
varieties, this grape was rescued from extinction by a couple of
winemakers. This aromatic wine featured spice and floral flavours with a
tropical fruit backbone.
Brian Rippon showed the first red of the evening, an Agiorgitiko from
Domaine Skouras in the Peloponnese. This grape, allegedly pronounced AYE
-yor-YEE-tee-ko, is probably the Greek red that you’re most likely to find in
this country – should you be lucky enough to find one at all in a wine
merchants or on a restaurant list (most supermarkets are yet to discover
them…). Delicious and easy drinking but sweetly fruited and aromatic, this
could probably be enjoyed slightly chilled in a hot Greek taverna! Another
one that has drawn praise with 92 points from James Suckling.
Fiona Poole entertained everyone with her showing of a Liatiko from
Douloufakis in Crete. This early-ripening grape, named after Iouliatiko,
meaning ‘of July’, is up-and-coming, following its earlier decline in favour.
This was a wine that has benefitted from 12 months in oak, making it silky
but not at all oaky.
The evening concluded with a couple of stunning reds. Derek Whitmell
showed a Xinomavro from Alpha Estate, named ‘Hedgehog’ because of the
nesting site of these inhabitants in the single vineyard in which the grapes
are grown. Jancis Robinson described it as a very individual wine that
shows Xinomavro’s distinction well. Dermot Paddon followed with a
Moschomavro from Magoutes – another rare variety rescued from extinction
by the producer, and yet again one which Jancis Robinson raved about:
‘utterly captivating’ and ‘charmingly fragrant’.
The wines were sourced from Maltby & Greek, Strictly Wine, and The Wine
Society.
Members enjoyed a selection of Greek snacks produced by Natalie Morgan
and Giulia Rippon, and the wines mostly impressed and probably surprised
those present.
At our next meeting on 19th April we look forward to a presentation of
Czech wines, shown by Betty Novotna from Wines of Bohemia Ltd. Whether
you are an existing member or would like to come along as a guest, we
hope to see you there! You really don’t need to know anything about wine
to be able to enjoy the evening…
All the details can be found at

Upton Wine Club

Brian (mail@uptonwineclub.com)

February is the month to celebrate your love!  And so, not to be left out, we celebrated our love of wine this month by sampling some very special bottles of wine…..or did we?    If you did want to buy a slightly (or a lot) more expensive wine to celebrate Valentines Day, then you may have looked for a well known grape variety…a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for example.  You may also have looked for a well known region…a Rioja or Sancerre?  There is a price to pay for these wines but is it worth it?   We decided to put it to the test and “tasted” eight quality wines that were in the region of £30 per bottle….in reality only four of the wines  presented were genuine!  The other four were still good wines but at least half the price of what we said they were….could anyone tell the difference?

The first wine was a Sancerre called La Demoiselle (£34.99 from Majestic).  Sancerre wines have a particular price tag because of the chalky, flinty soils giving the sauvignon blanc grape a particular flavour.   If you like it, then it does tase different from other wines made by the same grape and is worth trying!

The second wine was presented a high end quality Chablis Premier Cru at £35 per bottle.  In reality, it was the Exhibition Chablis from the Wine Society at half the price.  Due to the vulnerability of the seasons in this region, the wine will reflect the quantity produced….so, whilst a great wine, you may also be paying for it’s rarity for that year!

Our third wine came from the Rioja region and was presented as a £25 bottle of Conde Valdemar – a very fine white Rioja.  In reality, members were trying a £11.49 Nivarius (Strictly wine).  Again a wonderful Rioja but at a fraction of the price.  Rioja is well know for it’s red wines but don’t overlook some white wines, they can be exceptional!

Our last white of the evening was presented as a quality £40 viognier called Condrieu.  In reality it was a £14.99 viognier called Saint Clair (Waitrose).  This wine has had a bit of a resurgence of late, nearly going into extinction several years ago due to lack of popularity.  If you like the intense tropical flavours of apricot and peach then do try this grape!

Our first red of the evening was a pinot noir.  If you are looking for a classic, then look no further than Burgundy and the well known  region of Nuits-Saint-Georges.   We tasted a Domaine Jean Chauvenet wine at £30.  A really good example of wine from this region.

Our second red was a zinfandel grape and was presented as a £24.99 bottle called Decoy (clue in the name there!).  In reality, we tasted a 7.49 Definition wine from Majestic (who do a range of Definition wines showing off a very good baseline for many grapes).

When thinking of well known quality wines, it is difficult not to include a wine from Chateauneuf-du-pape.   We tasted a £29.95 Domaine de la Solitude from Strictly wine.  Climate change has had an effect on this area, with more sun, increasing the sugar content in the grapes.  Net result is that the alcohol content has increase by 2% over the past 30 years.   The wine is changing but as it can be produced by blending over thirteen different grape varieties, producers are still creating some high quality wines!

The final wine of the evening was a wonderful deep Merlot form Bordeaux, near Saint-Emilion called Chateau Puy Guilhem Fronsac (Strictly Wine, £25.99).   A great example of fine wine from this region and probably the best received wine of the evening.

So what was the conclusion?   Hard to say, in reality all the wines were quality and without knowing any different, the general consensus was that they were all enjoyed!   So is there value in spending a bit more for a bottle of wine?  For me, part of the enjoyment of a wine is knowing the love and care that goes in to the making of it.  Usually produced from small parcels of land with huge amounts of love and care put in to the production of the wine, which will make it taste just that little bit more special…and who doesn’t like sharing something a little special for what you love!

On the 15^th March, we will be looking at wines from Greece.  If you would like to come along, all the details can be found on www.uptonwineclub.com Hope to see you there!

 

Ian – Chairman

It was a cold Wednesday wine club night
this month but with the prospect of trying
some very different wines, we had a record
attendance for January, with 30 people
coming along. Natural wines, including
organic, biodynamic, and no-sulphite wines,
are simply ones that have far less
intervention in the growing and production
process. You may sometimes see a cloudy
wine, which simply means it has not gone
through the filtration process nearly all the
wines we drink have experienced. The
result can be a very different tasting
wine….and we found some wonderful
examples!
To start the evening, we had a delightful crisp and refreshing sparkling rose
called Lia Pet-Nat, from a small vineyard just outside Logrono, the capital of
Rioja region. If you see Pet-Nat on a bottle it simply means the wine has
gone through a natural fermentation process in the bottle using nothing but
the natural sugars from the grape. The fresh fruit taste of apples and pears
worked very well with some welcome cake that was brought in from a
member, who was celebrating their 50th Birthday – we’ll mention no names
but you know who you are
Our first white of the evening was a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon
Blanc called Basic Instinct. Produced with minimal intervention, from the
Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where the clay soils contain the
perfect retention of water, allowing the Mediterranean climate to create
some wonderful citrus flavours with exotic fruit and crisp green apples. Well
worth a try with or without food!
Our next wine was an unfiltered, cloudy wine called “No es Pituko”, Chilean
slang for “it ain’t fancy”. To make a wine from such “simple” minimal
interventions does take great talent, and this really was a great example.
The grape variety was Viognier and if you like that then definitely one to
try, unlike any other viognier you have experienced! The dry long
Mediterranean summers create a really vibrant peach and tropical fruit
flavour – we wanted to try something a little different and this didn’t
disappoint!
Our final white for the evening was an Australian wine from a vineyard just
by the Frankland River in Western Australia. With the climate being kept at
a moderately cool temperature (hardly ever going above 30 degrees!), the
grapes are allowed to enjoy the sun for much longer without being too sun
kissed! The Fiano grape produces a rich flavour of quince and fig with notes
of tropical peach. Worth trying on these cold days and drifting off to
somewhere warmer!
Our first red was an orange wine! If you buy on looks alone then you would
not fail to be attracted this wonderful deep orange wine, made by allowing
the skins and seeds from multiple grape varieties, macerated for three
months, far longer at this stage of the process than most wines. The result
was a very floral wine on the nose and if the colour orange had a taste, this
would be it!
The first real red was made from the Braucol grape from the Domaine
Gayrard, towards the South of France. Not a common variety but said to
originate from the Carmenère family. This wine has been hand harvested
from very old vines, which enjoy the clean living of no herbicides or
insecticides being used during the growing season. The dark-skinned grape
produced a lovely wild blackcurrant grape flavour loved by many on the
evening.
Our next red was a Grenache from Chateau de Campuget, 17km south of
Nimes, made without sulphites and from sustainably cultivated grapes. If
you like Grenache wine then this was well received by the members, very
fresh and crisp clear cherry flavour!
To finish the evening we had a Malbec produced by an innovative up and
coming wine producer called Emmanuel Rybinski. With a small parcel of
land in the Cahors region he has been practicing organic production of
grapes since 2015. With this wine we sampled a rich plum and berry wine –
perfect for that winter stew!
Next month we are asking what we mean by “value for money”. With such
a wide range of wines to try, are you getting what you expect from behind
some of those prestigious labels? If you would like to come along or want
more details, please see our website: www.uptonwineclub.com
Ian Langley
If you would like to come along and see what we are all about then please
do get in contact at mail@uptonwineclub.com

The Upton Wine Club was established nearly 20 years ago. Yes, it’s primary purpose was to broaden the knowledge of wine for anyone interested. A very close second however, was to allow the residents of Upton to catch up for a “bit of a social”. The December wine club was a great example of that!
For the past few years, rather than the usual presentation of 8 wines for our members to try, we put on a festive dinner and with nearly 60 people attending, we were just about at capacity!
In true village spirit, people arrived early to help set all the tables up. A core team from the committee had prepared the food and set to task, putting the village kitchen’s facilities to stretching point to get all the food out!
Over the course of a very enjoyable few hours, we enjoyed prawn cocktail starters, a full turkey roast dinner, which was finished off with sticky toffee pudding and mince pies! There was plenty of wine to accompany the food topped of by wonderfully rich and smooth Pedro Ximenez sherry to pair with the pudding –“Christmas in a glass”, which if you have never tried it is a must (provided you like the taste of Xmas pudding!).
The evening was made all the better with a high level of chat throughout the hall, lots of good spirit from many in helping get the food out to everyone, a few raffle prizes to add a bit more fun to the evening and to top it all, Rob and Fiona singing live between courses to keep everyone entertained, whilst the kitchen became a hive of activity with food preparation!
For this meeting at least, the wine took a back seat, whilst the members of the wine club and their friends enjoyed a great Christmas get together –proof, if it were ever needed that wine is so much more than just a drink!

Ian Langley
If you would like to come along and see what we are all about then please
do get in contact at mail@uptonwineclub.co

It was great to see over 40 members and several guests come along to the
November wine club, where we enjoyed a comparison of some Crémants
followed by a few Ports. Crémants are French sparkling wines, made with
differing grapes (which gives you a different taste depending on the region)
but all made in the same style as the much more expensive champagne (i.e.
a second fermentation in the bottle)!
First we tried a Poulet & Fils Crémant de Die. The principle grape variety
here was a less well known Clairette Blanche, which gave it an apple torte
taste. Went down well with some members but less so with others, which is
great as the point of the club is to help you decide what wine is right for
you!
Next we tried a Cuvée Royale from Limoux. Made from 70% Chardonnay,
this was compared to champagne by some members, maybe because the
same grape can be found in both?
Next was a Crémant de Bordeaux. Unlike the other wines, this was made
with predominantly from the red Merlot grapes, which would have been
difficult to spot as just the white juice from this grape was used in
production, leaving a crisp white sparking wine, with some brioche and
apple notes to taste.
We then moved on to a Crémant from the Jura region, Domaine do
Montbourgeau. This was a 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine, bone dry and
with some wonderful floral and summer fruit taste. Perfect if you want to
try something a little different to Prosecco!
Our last Crémant of the evening came from the Alsace region. A Cuvée
Julien Dopff au Moulin. This was made by blending equal amounts of the
Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc grape. The result was a wonderfully fine bubble
sparkling wine, with hints of quince and white flowers.
If you do want to try something other then a Cava or Prosecco this Christmas
then any one of the above would be a wonderful alternative and at a price
far more affordable than Champagne!
To finish the evening, we looked at three Ports, the first being a late bottled
Port from the Wine Society. A perfect wine for Christmas, that pairs with
most strong cheeses for an end of meal or just evening treat!
Next was the Society’s Exhibition Crusted Port. Crusted Port is made in the
style of a vintage wine (grapes from one year) but will use grapes from
various harvests over several years. This was a great value wine with ripe
plum and blackberry notes – delicious.
Our final wine was a 10 year old Tawny Port, again from the Wine Society.
This has some ageing in oak barrels, which gave it a lovely smooth finish,
perfect with a bit of stilton!!
Many thanks to all those who made some food to go along with all the wines.
And special thanks to Giulia for making a surprise (but very welcome)
birthday cake all could share with the Chairman!!
On Wednesday 14th December the wine club will be hosting a Christmas
dinner and wine evening for just £15! If you would like to come along and
see what we are all about then please do get in contact:
mail@uptonwineclub.com
Hope to see you there!
Ian