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 19^th 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)

This February we asked some of our members to present a wine of their choice (along with the odd story).   Whilst we may all have our wines we love and those we don’t love so much, the one thing that unites us all is that there is always a story behind some of our most memorable wine moments.  That’s one of the reasons we all enjoy coming to the club each month!

To start, Ian reminded us that knowing just a little bit about where our wines are from can be very beneficial by letting us try a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire region in France.   From the Upper area we tried a well known SB from Sancerre and compared this with a SB from the Middle region of Touraine.  At nearly half the price of the Sancerre, any wine from Touraine is worth a go as a good alternative.

Our newest member of the committee, Natalie spoke fondly of a wine from Greece, Assyrtiko which was a reminder of the wine served at her wedding reception, which was held next to a winery in Santorini.   A wine not many had tasted and well worth a try.

Brian spoke about an amazing women called Samantha O’Keefe, who single handily set up a winery in South Africa on the Lismore Estate, with no previous experience.  Along with bringing up two small children, she managed to produce some of the highest rated wines by the worlds most notable wine tasters, only to have it all brought down around her by a fire that took away her vines but also her house.  Undeterred, she is selling the last few remaining wines and starting again.  You will not be able to try her new wines for another 2 years but there are still some left from the last harvest!  We tried the Viognier but they are all good and available at strictlywine.com.

Paul took us through the last of the whites, which he tried presenting a few years back but was unable to find a wine from Lanzarote to present.   You would not think vines could grow in volcanic soils with not much more than a few inches of rain each year but this was an experience for us all. Look out for El Grifo, which was a very refreshing drink.

We had three reds to finish.  Derek took us through two wines.  The first was a red from Austria.  Not a normal part of the world to find a red due to the cooler climate.    The grape variety called Zweigelt produced a light (9.5% vol) wine that was labelled a picnic wine.  To finish we were treated to a wine he had bought 8 years ago and laid down in temperature controlled storage.  Bought at just over £10 and now worth over £20, the Chateau Beaumont, Haut-Medoc, 2009 was a real treat.

In between these wines Simon talked mainly about a bit of a road trip in Georgia he had been on where he came across various wineries.  We tasted a bottle which was made from 100% Saperavi grape.  Another excellent wine but equally good story!

It was great to hear everyone talk about their experiences with wine, thanks to everyone who contributed!  Next month, we have a real treat with two guys who supply wines to Strictlywine “pitching” for our vote as they present wines from various countries from around the world – all related to the rugby Six Nations (both current and potential future participants!)

If you would like to come along then please get in touch with Ian (ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk) or try our website: www.uptonwine.com

Ian Langley

 

Wine Club – January meeting

Upton wine club celebrated “Wineuary” this month with a selection of wines where we had tried to find a bargain buy!  Whilst you should look out for offers from places such as the Sunday Times Wine Club (where most of our wines were sourced this month), the best priced wine of the evening came from Strictly Wine, which had no sale, “just permanently good priced wine all year round!” as Brian put it.

The aim was to keep it under a tenner per bottle and see what bargains could be found.   To start, we tried Tenuta Ca’Bolani, a perfectly good Prosecco from the North West of Italy.   Light and easy drinking, it had a fruity flavour with good intensity.  A good wine that would work well as a welcome drink to any party.

The next white was a 2.4K Sauvignon Blanc from the tip of the NewZeland South Island.  Just round  the corner from the more famous Marlborough region.  Do not let this give you any indication on it’s taste!  With a ripe peach and apricot aroma on the nose and lots of tropical fruits coming through when tasting, you could be forgiven for not picking this up as a Sauv Blanc.  If you are not a typical lover of this grape then please try this as something a different!

The third wine, from stictlywine.com, was a new grape to the wine club.  From the less well known region of the Republic of North Macedonia.  Tikves Smederevka (we all had fun pronouncing that one!) produces a white wine with tropical and stone fruit aromas, underpinned by a zesty lemon note.  This is an award winning wine made from the Smederevka grape that produces a great alternative to some of the more well know varieties.

Our last white was a Chardonnay from the Limestone Coast, Australia.  A “Cleanskin” wine, meaning The distributors do not detail the exact source of wine, just letting you know the region (which helps keep the prices low).  A good, reasonably balanced wine, with some length that reflects the quality of it’s origin.

Our first red was a Shiraz, Malbec blend from Australia called Mr Anderson.  A rich wine full of black fruit and herbal notes.   A smooth finish with some length that went down well with the members.  The suggested pairing is with any rich sauced pasta dish.

We then compared two further Shiraz wines.  A cleanskin from the Langhorne Creek region and Deep River Shiraz from the same region in McCaren Vale.  The second wine was billed as a half price offer wine (normally over £18).  Shiraz is one of Australia’s most popular grapes and both were labelled as bold, medium acidity with medium tannic.  Both were very nice wines and if you love Shiraz you would not be disappointed.  On reflection you could tell the Deep River had a few more years to mature.

Our last wine was a classic Rioja from the Alavesa region.  Baron de Barbon is a classic Rioja full of red fruit and full body, with a typical vanilla taste.  Good value Rioja, “safe” and paired with grilled lamb chops , char-grilled vegetable kebabs for example.

Wine fact for the month:  Rioja has over 140,000 acres of cultivated land that produces  250 million litres of wine annually, helping make Spain the 3^rd largest producer of wine in the world!

Next month, we will be asking our members to select a wine to talk about.  Looking forward to a wide selection of wines to try!   If you would like to come along and see what it is all about please visit our website (www.uptonwineclub.co.uk) or email ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk.

Hope to see you on the 19^th February!

The nights are drawing in and you can feel the rapid advancement of Christmas in the air.  There was definitely some high spirits at the November Upton Wine Club meeting on the 20^th of November. The evening was hosted by Ian and David, who took us through a comparison of blended wines from both New and Old world wineries.  Wine makers blend grapes to create some “complexity” in the wine they are making, developing new and different tastes that are reflected in the many thousands of wines we can choose.   Blended wines could be as simple as mixing 2 or 3 grape varieties or, as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, up to 13 different grape varieties.

Over the evening we compared several blends, two wines at a time, with similar blends from both the New World and the Old world.   First, we looked at sparkling wines with classic Pinot Noir, Meunier and a touch of Chardonnay blend.  From the Champagne region Drappier Premier Cru and from South Africa Graham Beck Brut.  There were less “toast and yeast” notes that you might have expected from a champagne in the Drappier and the Graham Beck proved a good alternative to a prosecco if you fancy a change.

The next set of whites compared was Château Recougne Blanc, a white Claret (Yes you can get some white wines from Bordeaux) and Parcel Series from Australia’s Margaret River region.  Both based on Sauvignon Blanc with significant blend from Sémillon.  General consensus was that it was best to stick to reds when selecting wines from Bordeaux!

Our first set of reds were based on a blend of “GSM” (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre). From the Old world we looked at Gigondas Carobelle 2018, a very typical wine from the Rhone valley region in France and Yalumba Strapper from Australia.  Both were very good wines with strong flavours of black fruit, followed by blackcurrant, thyme, liquorice and tobacco characters.   Both wines would go well with your winter Stew!

To finish we went back to Bordeaux and selected a better known Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend wine, Les Ormes Sorbet and compared it with Capaia One from South Africa.  Again, both good wines but if there was a standout wine of the evening it was the Les Ormes Sorbet 2007.   If you are looking for a very good value red for Christmas day, that will go with your duck and (if you have any leftover) your cheese later in the day, then this is highly recommended.  At around £15 per bottle (we sourced this one from Majestic)  and are in favour of toasty, spicy red fruit notes then you will be hard pushed to get better value!

Next month is our Christmas meeting on the 11^th December and is one of the most favoured meetings of the year.  A chance to kick-off the Christmas season with some of your village friends and with some great food and wine.  This year, attendees will have a chance to win some very special prizes to make your festive season even more special!   As a member or someone who just wants to come along and see what we are all about this is a great meeting to attend.  If you are interested please see our website  (https://uptonwineclub.com/) or contact Ian (ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk).   At just £12 for members and £14 for non-members, this is a chance to try some amazing wine if you are still looking for something special for your celebrations this year.

Have a great festive season!

Ian (Chairman)

On 16^th October, we welcomed the return of Tim and Gill from ‘Joie de Vin’, who have now become an established feature of the Upton Wine Club annual calendar.  There was a good turnout of 34 from the village and there was a mood of eager anticipation for the forthcoming wines on offer.

The evening kicked off with a lovely sparkling wine, ‘Domaine Des Pampres d’or Cremant de Bourgogne’, which is from the South Burgundy area. It is made in the traditional method and is complex; it is especially recommended as a pair to canapes. It achieved much approval from the members!

The second bottle of the night was a Sauvignon, ‘Domaine de la chaise’, Touraine Chenoneaux Blanc, AOP 2016 (vegan)’. This was a rich full wine with exotic and citrusy fruit flavours, similar to a Sancerre. This wine particularly works well paired with oily fish or creamy sauces.

The third bottle was ‘L’Orfevre Viognier, IGP Cotes du Lot 2017’. This came with a note of peaches and apricots on the palette and Tim advised that it would go well with chicken and cheese. The latter was in fact confirmed by many on the night, as we were able to sample the delightful tapas on each table, which included some lovely strong cheese.

The fourth bottle, our final white of the evening, was the ‘Domaine Normand Pouilly Fuisse Les Crays 2017, (vegan)’. This wine is produced in the Burgundy area, with a limited production of 2500 bottles a year, as the grapes are handpicked from a small vinyard. The wine exudes rich aromas of exotic fruit, citrus and coconut and is very minerally on the finish.

Onto the reds. First up, the Domaine Pampres d’Or Cuvee Prestige Beaujolais Rouge, 2015 (vegan). This was a complex nose of rich red fruits with a slight hint of vanilla. It is an exceptional Beaujolais made from the estate’s best parcels of Gamay. This red goes very well with meat in sauce, cheese… or simply on it’s own!

The second red wine of the evening was the ‘Chateau Le Plantay, Cotes de Castillon, 2015’. This was a classic right bank Bordeaux, deep in colour and full and smooth on the palate. Again, another particularly appreciated wine of the night.

The next wine was ‘Domaine du Bon Remede Le Grange Delay Ventoux, from the Rhone Valley, 2017’. According to the notes provided by Tim and Gill, “ this is a wonderfully smooth full wine from the Southern Rhone, to the east of Chateauneuf- du- Pape. Awarded 97 points and a platinum medal by Decanter magazine, this is what they had to say about this wine:- A tremendously fruit intensity. Complex and immaculate. Enough to make you sit back and marvel!

The final wine of the evening was the ‘Chateau Montfin Cuvee Margot 2016 AOP Corbieres’ which is certified organic (my personal favourite!). This is a deep dark wine with intense red fruit and vanilla aromas. It is made from Syrah (60%), Grenache (25%) and old Carignan (15%). This wine is excellent with roast beef or mature cheese. This is an exceptional wine and a great wine to end a very enjoyable evening.

A big thank you to Tim and Gill for another memorable evening. We look forward to welcoming members (and newcomers) to our next wine club event which is to be held on 20^th November, with a focus on ‘blends’. See you there!  For further information please got to: https://uptonwineclub.com/

Natalie Robertson, ‘new’ committee member.

The Upton Wine Club started their fifteenth season in the newly furnished village hall this September.   A great evening, with a touch of “ first day of term” feeling about it.   To dust down the taste buds and remind everyone of the wide variety of flavours you can get from wine, the committee held a call my Bluff game.   Three descriptions of wine were read out, with only one being correct.  The audience simply had to guess the right one!

There was a wide variety of wines tasted, all mainly around the £9 – £12 mark.   We use this as benchmark prices for the wines we taste as we feel it provides great quality wine for an affordable price.  One of the principle purposes of our club is to give people the opportunity to try wines they may not have tried before.  Look at the wines we tasted and if any look of interest give them a try!

Graham Beck Brut – A sparkling wine made from the same grapes used to make Champagne.  Made in the same classic way as Champagne but you will pay significantly less!  Well worth trying if you like your bubbles!

Definition Viognier – A grape grown all over the world and a must if you like aromatic, floral flavours.

Godello, Katia Alveraz – Not a well known grape but becoming very popular due to its versatility to pair with pretty much everything.  Try it with fish to pick up on the citrus flavours.

Blind River, Savignon Blanc – A classic SB from Marlborough NZ.  Full of herbaceous flavours and a must try if this grape is a favourite of yours.

Definition Pinotage – a big red wine, full of rich flavours of blackberry and raspberry.  Perfect if you like strong bold flavours.

Morgon Chateau de Pizay  – A Gamay grape with a fine fruity taste.  Lots of blackberries and cherries and a silky smooth finish!

Viñalba Reserve Malbec – Another big red wine from Argentina.  Full of dark fruit, cocoa and lip=smacking melted tannins.  Perfect with an Autumn steak!

Revival Zinfandel – Picking up flavours of jam, blueberry and black pepper and a smoky finish.  It is a lovely smooth red.

If you like your wine and want to try a broad range, whilst catching up with a few of your fellow neighbours from the village then come and join us on the 3^rd Wednesday of every month at the village hall between 8-10pm.  All details on our website: https://uptonwineclub.com/  Hope to see you there!

 

Ian

(Club Chairman)

I hope you are all enjoying your Summer?   This is the time of year when some of us decide to travel away from these shores to more exotic locations and (just to be social) try some of the local wines!  If you are feeling that little more adventurous then pick up a local cheese to go with your wine and see if the local produce really does go best with the local wine!

Whether it’s a vacation or “staycation” then here are a few more tips and recommendations to try out!   Most of which have been tried and tested by our wine committee!

• Going to a Summer BBQ round friends and want to ensure you are able to drink a nice bit of plonk with your chicken burger/salad/Prawns….etc Take a good bottle of Rose…..most people will assume this is a cheap bottle from one of the budget supermarkets and leave well alone, heading for the white instead. Leaving you to enjoy some good quality wine all to yourself!
• Want to try something different to cool you down? Look no further than the drink of this Summer, An Aperol Spritz!   Cool, easy to drink, looks and tastes amazing!   How do you make it?   4 oz chilled prosecco, 2 oz Aperol, Sparkling water and a slice or two of orange.  Put it in one of those large round gin glasses you got for Christmas with buckets of ice.  Sit back and enjoy!
• Food idea? Meal for one (or two small eaters) and cannot finish off the entire bottle?   Open a bottle of nice dry white wine and make a risotto.  Have a glass whilst you are making it.  Pour a glass in as you make it and then have a glass whilst eating it!   Nothing wasted and a great use of wine!   (For reference I use the Jamie Oliver simple risotto recipe, although I normally end up opening a second bottle!)
• Lastly, and something I know we have all experienced. If you are on holiday and find yourself sitting down by the pool, with the hot sun on your back and a glass of some local wine in your hand (for probably less than 5 EUROS), drink it ALL and leave it out there, along with the wonderful memories of your trip.   If you try bringing it back home to recreate that magical moment, then the likelihood is you will get to realise why it was just 5 EUROS!

Whatever you are doing, enjoy your break!   The Upton Wine Club will be at the Fete this year on the 7^th September.  Please do come along and say hi!   Our first meeting will be on the 18^th September at the village hall.   If you are new to the club and want to give it a try then please do send me an mail: ian.langley@yahoo.co.uk

Ian Langley