ARSE 2: The People

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Andrew Barrow in Articles, Tasting Reports

arse 2 relaxing on coombe hill

An odd lot are bloggers. You would assume intelligent but some are disgracefully bad at even making the right railway station let alone getting on the right train! ;-) (My fault apparently that Chiltern Railways switched platforms). The more awake/non-hung-over invitees did make it out to the Chilterns in time for a little light ARSE play – that’s Andrews Really Secret Event, number 2 as it happens. And frankly if you don’t like the acronym then these little events are not for you.

The first was in the Naval Club in London with Riccardo Prosecco and a bring-a-bottle tasting. ARSE 2 was a picnic on the highest point of the Chilterns with stunning views across the Aylesbury Vale. Not that anyone apart from me and some helpers knew this, nor the weather which, after a glorious week, turned to wind and rain for the first half of the day.

So the plan to walk up the hill worked OK despite getting lost in the woods. That WAS my fault. The late arrivals escaped this pre-tasting exercise and were ferried up by car. (Though this came with a price – carrying the final supplies across the hill to our little tasting area).

For some reason plans for a video shoot were forgotten and I hardly took any still photos at all! Nor did I eat much, or even get to try all the wines! Ooops.
Of the wines we began with a selection supplied by Nick of Bordeaux Undiscovered. Two sparklers, two whites, two rosés and two reds – all bar the latter served blind. Food was next – delicious homemade cakes crafted by Tasha Karalsinggam after a selection of salads, meats and so on from Waitrose Entertaining. There were also three cheeses I picked up from my local deli and two pies from my local butcher (Game and Pork and Leek). All this washed down with a Hardy’s Pinot Grigio and a bag-in-box Shiraz-Cabernet.

The final wine selection comprised an Australian red from Waitrose and three whites from Oddbins. (Wine specifics saved for another post).
The ARSE concept – in addition to providing a little mystique in not knowing the format or exact location and a little juvenile play with the acronym (“I kiss you on both cheeks”) – is to make wine tastings fun, more social and open them up to non-bloggers/non-wine experts/non-tweeters. So, in addition to my friends (many thanks again for helping out), we were joined by husbands and friends to add to the social mix. I hope all enjoyed the day.

arse2 group shot

Participants list

  1. Ailbhe (Alva) Phelan – http://www.simplysplendiferous.com//http://www.twitter.com/Ailbhetweets
  2. Andrew Barrow – http://www.spittoon.biz//http://www.twitter.com/wine_scribbler
  3. Andy Thomas – http://blog.supermarketwinereviews.com/
  4. Denise Medrano – http://www.thewinesleuth.co.uk/http://www.twitter.com/thewinesleuth
  5. Dimas Perkasa
  6. Letitia Perkasa
  7. Eben Upton
  8. Giordana Goretti
  9. Jeanne Horak – http://www.cooksister.com http://www.twitter.com/cooksisterblog
  10. Juel Darkely – http://www.winewomansong.com / http://www.twitter.com/winewomansong
  11. Liz Upton – http://www.gastronomydomine.com/ / http://www.twitter.com/Liz_Upton
  12. Niamh Shields – http://www.eatlikeagirl.com/ http://www.twitter.com/eatlikeagirl
  13. Nick Druiff
  14. Phil Blyth
  15. Siva Karalasinggam
  16. Tara Devon O’Leary http://www.winepassionista.com http://www.twitter.com/tara_devon
  17. Tasha Karalsinggam

arse2 coombe hill
arse2 cake!