ARSE of course stands for Andrew's Really Secret Event, a tight gathering of wine and food bloggers and tweeters, rolling into a tapas bar near Kings Cross before heading off on the Piccadilly Line to Green Park.

The tasting venue itself was the Naval Club in Mayfair. I should take a moment to thank the Club hugely for letting us utilise their grandiose bar on a Sunday afternoon.

We were most fortunate to have Riccardo Tomadin in town to showcase a 'new to the UK' range of Prosecco's. The easy drinking Riccardo Prosecco Brut, the finely bubbled, creamy Riccardo Prosecco Extra Dry and the superb Riccardo Prosecco Cartizze. The latters 28g of sugar appearing little sweeter than the Extra Dry's 18g (per litre) making for a fine rendition of the pinnacle of Prosecco production.

When you ask a disparate group to bring along a bottle of something interesting you can be sure of an equally diverse and unique offering. This motley bunch didn't disappoint. We kicked off with a strident Vin Jaune, dividing all into a large 'dislike' group and a few brave-palated 'likers'. A crisp, lip-tingling Manzanilla sherry, limited production, hardly seen, followed before we slid into the white wines. A Croatian Chardonnay anyone? Distinctive, lightly oaked, delicious. A South African Sauvignon Blanc offering its own take on pungency, un-ripened strawberries and gooseberries all with a refreshing zing. And then quickly into the reds...

Those kind fellows at Bibendum had sent over two reds for us to sample - a full bodied Mexican wine, a first encounter for many at the tasting of Mexican vino and a Cotes du Roussillon Villages. The slightly baked, gravelly tannins of the Mexican, complete with vibrant, delicious fruit is a surprise on so many levels not least is the medley of grapes: Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvingon, Barbera and Zinfandel. The Roussillon was equally praised for its balance and ripe flavoursm and dark, brooding fruit. Both highly recommended.

A third red, from Ribera del Duero, more than managed to compete with these two blockbusters with its Spanish credentials rising to the fore. A superb Tempranillo with hints of sweet spice and deep black fruits. A excellant addition to the tasting!

To conclude something 'really interesting'. A red dessert wine from Italy, unavailable in the UK. More rosé in colour and with a lightness of sweetness that had us thinking of dark chocolate or a bowl of raspberries as an accompaniment.

Perhaps those acronym nay-sayers were miffed because they weren't invited? Those that did make it had a ball. How could they not with such a superb, interesting, range of wines!?

A full list of the wines is below complete with links were available. The photo above shows the participants. From left to right we have Riccardo Tomadin, Tara O'Leary [whose report on the tasting is on her Wine Passionista blog), Niamh, Jeanne, Douglas Blyde, Sara Belizaire-Butler, Rupert Taylor and Louis Villard. Thanks all for making the day such fun and playing along with my ARSE.

The wines were made by Gerardo Vernazzaro, an Italian from Naples. The wines mostly made from Falanghina, a white variety that I thought delicious and as charming as Gerardo himself. And how do I know he is charming? I've met him!

As myself, CookSister and The Wine Sleuth, scurried around the London International Wine Fair, I spied the distinctively packaged wines on a stand... and there he was Gerardo Vernazzaro himself. He took us through his range, several listed by Naked Wines. A the conclusion Denise the Wine Sleuth took a little video, cooksister holding the camera. I hate to steel her thunder (she does after all still owe me a tenner) but while they were videoing, I too recorded the encounter on my new camera. The video is totally unedited (hey, I was amazed the video came out at all!) but should work.

The wine they are tasting is the Falaghina Strione 2007 listed by Naked Wines (the only UK stockist) for £11.99.

Surprisingly I even recognise the parallels present in the results from Bibendums World Cup of Wine. Having missed the initial play offs I was keen to attend the semi-finals. Each team had two reds and two wines compared against similar bottles from the opposing team. A strident showing from Australia was pitted against a strong South African line up and on the other table the French, fielding a couple of classic styles, was lined up against Italy and being Italy these were rather idiosyncratic wines.

The wines were duly sampled and compared. Quite some discussion resulted. Was this Aussie Chard just a little too oaky? Did the length of the South African Chenin really pull it ahead? The discussions and re-tastings took the place of post match discussions and video replays of near misses and crowd pleasing action. There was a similar amount of spitting too.

Perhaps surprisingly South Africa fought off the strong Australian line-up, particularly the Chenin Blanc (Graham Beck, The Game Reserve Chenin Blanc, 2009, Robertson) which simply knocked everyone's socks off (well in my group anyway). It was a close run thing between two Pinot Noir's though. Was the sweeter, Aussie-sun lashed fruit of the Marchand & Burch Mount Barrow Pinot Noir, 2008 preferable over the more Burgundian, fungi-tipped, Newton Johnson 2009 Pinot Noir from South Africas Walker Bay? A close run thing but price played a part too and pushed South Africa into the lead and winning the match.

A different story over at France v Italy. Were the French a little too complacent and relieing too much on tradition and terroir to see off the Italians stylish showing? The result was a complete trouncing of France and a mammoth victory for Italy. In play two Italian wines really shone and come with a 'must buy' ticket.

On the red bench the Nicolis Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2005 is a hard sell apparently (why when it is such a delicious wine?) Deep, rich, wonderfully rich, with power and concentration but at the same time offering pure drinakable pleasure. Stylish in that Italian manner with a nod to elegance and food matching potential. Superb. This was the wine I went back too for a post-match slurp.

On the white bench the choice of a Soave, those easily dismissed, lemony, watery wines made fom dull old Trebbiano, was a pleasant surprise. Until the time came to try it. A whiff of weed, citrus pith and a delicious floral edge. Great acidity, lovely weight. A worthy winning player.

I've received comfirmation from Bibendum that June the 2nd is the date set for the Bibendum Wine Cup Finals. Should be a tense and fun game!

Wine Tasting Note: Suavia Monte Carbonare Soave Classico, 2008, Veneto, Italy.
Stockist: Bibendum Price: £15 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Prim and proper, pearl twirling, perfumed aura but note that sexy glint in her eye. Alcohol 13%.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Nicolis Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso, 2005, Veneto, Italy
Stockist: Bibendum Price: £15.76 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Suited, booted tussled haired Italian, country roots, city style. Come to mamma.Alcohol 13.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 96/100 [4.5 out of 5]

"Here he goes again - banging on about how grape blends are soooo much more interesting than single varietals... he'll be raving over some South African wines next, I'll bet"

"Yeh, repeating himself again. You wait he'll pick on some wine-maker with 'character' and imply that being a maverick or whatever can only influence the wine in a good way!"

"Better than moaning about a perfume-doused floosy at a tasting out smelling the wines"

"or a cigar-chomping lard-arse hogging the spittoon"

Three quick recommendations sampled at a trade tasting (SITT 2010 held in Vinopolis last February). They are from the A A Badenhorst stable, a project by Adi Badenhorst one of "the Cape's more colourful characters". After a series of vintages at Rustenberg, Adi set up, with a cousin, this new estate building on vineyards and facilities last used in the 1930's. The old vines are unirrigated, farmed and made into wine with as little intervention as possible. Adi was at the tasting, perched on the end of the Swig table, looking hot and tired but mercifully near the open door for some cool air. A wild hair cut, a slight manic gleam to the eye and as you spied his wines he was round the front of the table pouring and enthusing...

Can't say the labelling does anything for me. Bottle pictures from the estates website (which is in need of an update!).

A A Badenhorst Secateurs White, 2009, Swartland, South Africa.
Swig £8.50 [Adegga / Snooth]
Complexity in droves. Chenin Blanc forming 14% of the blend. "coming together nicely, will age beautifully" said Adi.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

The map location I thought important for Sonoma has differing regions - rolling hills here, sea influence here, heavy fog influence due to the San Pablo Bay here or higher temperatures up towards the north. Flowers ranch for example is just a stones throw from the Pacific coast - a dramatic wild location surrounded by virgin forest while Pedroncelli is right up in the wild north where the Dry Creek Valley has temperatures suitable for Zinfandel.

Present were Jim Pedroncelli, Proprietor and Director of Sales and Marketing at Pedroncelli (Adegga / Snooth) with 2007 Mother Clone Zinfandel, Rod Berglund President and Wine Maker at Joseph Swan Vineyards (Adegga / Snooth) with a 2005 Zinfandel and a 2007 Pinot Noir, followed by Jeff Stewart Vice President Winemaker at Buena Vista with a 2007 Chardonnay and 2007 Pinot Noir and finally Tom Hinde, President and CEO of Flowers Winery with their 2008 Chardonnay and 2007 Pinot Noir.

It is so easy to club all Californian, indeed all American, wines into one. But these examples demonstrated individual aspects modified by the location. Most had a story to tell. The Pedroncelli Zinfandel for example uses vines cloned from the original "mother" vines of which one quarter of acre exist to day and fruit from these 100-year-old vines are included in the blend. It is also a tradition to blend in the fruit from another old plot, the Buchignani vineyard, where vines are 40-50 years old.

I adored the two Flowers offerings. Both exhibited a real 'European' textural quality, but still with a ripe new-worldliness. Shame they have a retail price of £50-£60 a piece.

Due to the time constraint I had to email each of them with a couple of questions after the event; surprisingly two even found the time to reply!

From Tom Hind of Flowers Winery [Adegga / Snooth]:
a) In FIVE words what makes your wines stand out from the crowd?
High natural acidity and balance
b) In FIVE words why us Brits should buy your wines?
The most pure example of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. (ummm, I count ten....)
c) Can you give me a quick titbit about your wines/a wine/the winery ie food matching, historical fact, something new etc etc
We are the western-most vineyard in all of California one mile from the Ocean. Our wines go with a wide range of foods due to their high natural acidity lower alcohols, balance and finesse.

From Jeff Stewart of Buena Vista Carneros [Adegga / Snooth]
a) In FIVE words what makes your wines stand out from the crowd?
Elegance, concentration, sense of place
b) In FIVE words why us Brits should buy your wines?
True expression of California quality
c) Can you give me a quick titbit about your wines/a wine/the winery ie food matching, historical fact, something new etc etc
Buena Vista Carneros is the first premium winery in California, founded in 1857. Today we produce special wines from a special place - our Ramal Vineyard Estate in Carneros, Sonoma County.

The tasting was at Goodman's Restaurant, where a meal after - complete with trademark steak - turned into a jolly, impromptu, wine and food matching event. The Zinfandel's tearing into the 8oz strip loin with gusto and the Chardonnay's matching beautifully with slices of Irish Smoked Salmon.

"This competition is run by the Union des Oenologues de France and the Loire trade bodies. For the past 15 years, it has rewarded the finest Loire Valley Wines. More than 2,000 wines will be tasted by 300-plus professional tasters."

The gold medal winners were arrayed for sampling at the Palais des Ligers - a little side room to you and me - and while there I conducted a little tweeting. Rather than the 'normal' tasting note I endulged in a little creativity. This was inspired by a chat with Miss Bouquet. We both agreed that using traditional words such as acidity, tannin and so forth are an instant eye-glazing moment for the masses; so I decided to not use them.

As an experiment I'm not too sure that these 'work'; do these notes inspire people to try the wines, more so than the traditional mention of body, length, various flavours? Does the 140 character Twitter restriction mean they are fine for that medium but not suitable for 'proper' notes?

With wine in hand and mouth they made perfect sense at the time...

wine_scribbler: stand by for some unusual-for-spittoon tasting notes direct from the #loiresalon



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon just when the marmite tribe are safely tucked up in the cave berry throwing starts Bois Moze Anjou Villages 05 Cuvee Jean Joseph [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Jean Christophe Misandeau Saumur Champigny 07 a slither of liver served on a dusty roof tile, how do they balance it on a pebble? [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Sabler Verts Saumur Champigny 06 Cuvee des Sages The Francs having a gay moment on the blackfruit beanbag [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Chateau de la Bonneliere Chinon Rouge 08 stirring the berry compote with a chard green twig or three [ Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon roche honneur diamant prestige chinon rouge 08 - stoned on strawberries [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Montgilet Coteaux de l'Aubonce Les 3 Schistes 08 single bee honey; poured over peachy peaches; pineapple et tangerine [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Moncontour Nectar de Montcontour Vouvray Doux 05 a teaspoon of pineapple juice sieved through adonis' golden locks [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Gratien Meyer Saumur Brut Rosé - peachy cheecked milk maid frollacking in the hay barn; mind your head on the metal pale! [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Domaine de la Rouletière Vouvray Moussuex Brut 07 - bread rolling in spring meadowland; the pixie dust! the pixie dust! [Adegga / Snooth]

Last Tuesday saw me padding around in Lords Cricket Ground. We (myself and Densie the Wine Sleuth) hit on a little patch of red wines from the Southern reaches of France, all grouped on the Wine & Dine table. These are described as a "showcase of sophisticated wines for accompanying sit-down meals, which are, typically, served at table with food, thus defining a very different experience" (when compared to the Easy Drinking, informal wines for example). Perhaps this is why I enjoy them so much - their superb food-matching credentials

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Haut-Blanville Peyrals, 2007, Coteaux du Languedoc, France.
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
The depth of colour, the superb structure and rounded, deep fruit filled palate immediately attracted. Lovely balance. Herby, liquorice edged flavours. A blend of Syrah (young vines), Grenache and Carignan (very old vines).
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Chateau Gléon Selection Combe de Berre, 2006, Vin de Pays Vallée du Paradis, France
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
Another Syrah/Grenache/Carignan blend this with the addition of Mouvèdre. The 6th generation of the Montanié family manages the 150 acres estate, one located to the south of Narbonne. This very aromatic wine offers hints of mushroom and woodland undergrowth to the juicy blackcurrant flavours.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Mas Cremat L'Envie, 2007, Cotes du Roussillon, France
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
A beautiful deep violet colour and a lovely aroma full of blackcurrants and blackberries with a deep inky edge on the finish. Excellent structure and balance.

The Estates Tamarius red and Balmettes white are both stocked by The Winey at £7.99 a bottle; the L'Envie is going to be more expensive.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Gardies Le Clos des Vignes Tautavel, 2007, Cotes du Roussillon, France
[More on Adegga / Snooth]
A wine available in the UK! Look to The Wine Society who list this at £14.40 per bottle. It's another Grenache (55%), Syrah (20%), Carignan (15%) and Mourvèdre (10%) blend with the Carignan plucked from old vines about 60-70 years old. For me the star of the tasting (the other wines from the estate are also rather good). Not much to the nose mind but the palate is rich, concentrated, balanced, rounded with superb flavours. Alcohol 14%. The estate plans to be fully organic by 2012.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

While I imagine a fare number of the Wine Society's customers are more than content with the copious listings of Chateau this and that (as the large number of own-label Bordeaux bottelings and the highlighting of a £99 'Everyday Bordeaux' case at this tasting demonstrates) I have to admit to being stunned by a number of really non-traditional wines (and a couple of excellent more modern styled old-school offerings); all new to the Wine Society list and each unique and gorgeous in their individuality.

Wine Tasting Note: Sadie Family Sequillo, 2007, South Africa.
Stockist: Wine Society Price: £15.50 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A magical blend of principally Chenin Blanc with Marsanne, Roussanne and a touch of Viognier. Creamy edged, full, textural, weighty reminiscent of a Pinot Gris but with more of a crisp finish. Very food friendly. Alcohol 14%
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine La Réméjeanne Les Arbousiers, 2007, Cotes du Rhone, France.
Price: £9.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Coffee hints on the finish with integrated, complex, spice-led fruit. Can only be a Shiraz-Grenache blend. Full bodied, warm. Alcohol 15%.

Rémy Klein farms just under 100 acres of vineyard north of Tavel. This part of the Gard is well adapted to making fine and elegant syrah-based wines. This is 40% syrah and 60% grenache, all raised in tank. It is full bodied, richly fruity without any heaviness."

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Tissot Arbois Rouge, 2005, Jura, France.
Price: £18.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Trousseau is the same as Portugal's Bastardo variety; interesting palate, plenty of tannins, dry finish a delicious intensity, full-flavoured, cherry. Would love to try this with a simple roast chicken as the Wine Society wine list suggests.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Riserva, 2006, Tuscany, Italy
Price: £16.00 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Sangiovese as its most supreme. An age since I've had such a perfectly structured, ripe, balanced Chianti coupling a softness with copious velvety fruit. Alcohol 14.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Bóhorquez, 2004, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Price: £17.95 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
Stinkingly good Iberian red; lashings of cedar-tinged fruit, a complexity provided by a little bottle age and a very stylish long lasting, mouth-feel. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 94/100 [4.25 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Andrew Peace Felix Australia Sagrantino, 2005, Swan Hill, Australia.
Price: £15.50 Wine Society [More on Adegga / Snooth]
An Italian grape variety given the Australia block-busting treatment. Ripe and powerful with flourishes of blackberry, spice and raspberry. Vibrant. Violet hints. Very interesting combination of texture and flavour. Alcohol 14%.

A fantastically mellow and exotic-tasting red made from the Italian Sagrantino grape. Full-bodied and complex with savoury flavours backed by ripe fruit."

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Founded in 1874, The Wine Society's aim was, and remains, to introduce members to the best of the world's vineyards at a fair price. Holding a share in The Wine Society gives you a lifetime membership with no annual fee and no pressure to buy. The cost of a share is £40.

Many thanks to Ewan and his team for the tasting and texting me the grape details of the Sequillo after the event; most appreciated.

The foodie and tourist heaven of Borough Market is a great place - lively, ram-shackled, and bustling. As least it is on the true market days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). On a Wednesday morning the vacuous stares of the camera-clutchers show either realisation they have come on the wrong day or bewilderment over the lack of much happening in this 'must see' destination.

Bedales was one of a handful of places open (a couple of fruit and veg people, Monmouth coffee, Brindisa...). I couldn't decide if Bedales shabbiness was by design or accidental; it certainly fits in with the general air of the market, perhaps more so given the general lack of much happening. One good thing about going on an off-market day is the wide choice of seats!

Bedales doubles as a wine shop (with a hefty concentration on Europe and New Zealand - I didn't spot an Aussie or a Chilean wine at all) and is one of three in a chain (the others being in the city). More than one bottle though is graced with a little Bedales Ladybird sticker which, according to the Bedales blog, denotes a biodynamic wine.

An unplanned chat with the wine-buyer/managing director, Arnaud Compas, just 'passing through' gave a little background to the range - "education by trial", "to entice the non-connoisseur with the unusual", "fall in love with the oddities". In the brief chat you figure he greatly prefers wine tasting and befriending the wine-makers over spreadsheets and signing cheques... even if, in his own words, Bedales is "run like a car-boot sales. wine in - wines out".

"Whilst we import much of our produce ourselves, we also maintain an impeccable army of artisan suppliers. We source our charcuterie and artisan cheeses, many of which are unpasteurised, from France's famous 'Rungis Market', the world's largest larder (it in fact covers more land than Monaco). Many of our finest bins come from boutique producers unearthed during globe-trotting research trips. For sapid support, we utilise some of the finest, most dedicated purveyors in the capital including fellow Borough Market traders."

Wine Tasting Note: Fattoria di Fugnano Vernaccia di San Gimignano, 2008, Tuscany, Italy.
[More: Adegga / Snooth] £12.99
A cool aperitif and cut through the Bedales food platter beautifully. Crisp, nutty, "with a duty, straw-lined barn edge" as Arnaud put it. Pears and a lovely closing edge of almonds to me.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Clos Les Files Bianco, 2005, Priorat, Spain.
[More: Adegga / Snooth]
A superbly drinkable blend of grenache and maccabeu; again the crispness matching the food with a smoke dimension adding interest to both aroma and finish. Interestingly no alcohol indicated on the label.

Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Marc Barriot Clos de l'Origine, 2004, VdP des Côtes Catalanes , France.
Price: £21.99 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A fault? Fizz and rather too much of it too but a vigorous shake and some time open reveals the true extent of this bottles deliciousness. Grenache-Syrah blend with a superb, full, dark berry fruit led palate. Firm tannins and an edge of spice. Alcohol 14.5%. Biodynamic. The score is after the fizz dissipates; but rather an odd bottle to open as an example of the range; most would return it as faulty.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

A few more glasses of wine appeared; but what with the chatting, slathering the excellent duck rillet on to bread, and comparing an 'interesting selection of cheeses' with each new wine as it appeared - and simply just relaxing and soaking up the markets atmosphere - I neglected to write anything down. There was an impeccable Swiss Merlot I believe...

Bedales
5 Bedale Street
Borough Market
London SE1 9AL

Our private lunch time tasting - just five wines - lasted way into the afternoon. I can think of worse things than being in good company, drinking a personal selection of stunning wines and regaled with stories on each. If the wine doesn't have a 'story' or Kathryn hasn't detected your 'passion' your wine just isn't going to be listed.

"At artisan&vine our objective is to bring your taste buds as close as possible to the fantastic produce of artisans and vineyards. To do this, all of our 120+ wines are either naturally or locally produced. We think you'll taste the difference this proximity to the grapes brings and we are proud to be London's first wine bar to specialise in local and natural wines.

With around 20 English wines and liqueurs, we think we could have London's longest English drinks list. With the remainder of our wines and liqueurs being all natural or biodynamic (more than only organic) we have one of the longest and most interesting natural wine lists in the capital too."

No English wines at the tasting, although I noted two from my local vineyard, Brightwell, on the shelf.

Wine Tasting Note: Casa Coste Piane, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, 2004, Italy.
Price: £29 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Light and playful but appley, citrussy with some weight. Very fine bubbles with a "hazy, natural appearance". Long lasting yeastiness. Alcohol 11%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Bret Brothers La Soufrandière Pouilly Vincelles, 2006, Burgundy, France.
Price: £31.10 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A wonderful 100% Chardonnay. Palate has a richness that is quite delicious, barrel fermented, lovely texture, a big wine with elegance and structure. Touch of ripening strawberry to the flavour. Delicious. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Alain Caux,Tir a Blanc, Le Casol de Mailloles, Vin de Table, France.
Price: £35.60 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Unusual in the extreme; a blend of Grenache Blanc and Maccabeu that is so distinctive on the nose that my initial reaction was met with hoots of laughter by those who had already tried it! Extremely 'cider-like', straw, apples, hawthorn, pears. Weighty, Exceptionally long aftertaste. Distinctive and I'm sure will have its detractors but, after initial scepticism, enjoyment ensued to the extent of drinking a glass or two rather than the Pouilly Vinzelles. Alcohol 13.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Frank Cornelissen Rosso Contadino 5, 2007, Vino da Tavola, Sicily, Italy
Price: £28.10 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
Another controversial bottle, but a huge talking point none-the-less. A blend of white and red varieties Carricante, Inzolia, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Alicante,... 100% natural, no added sulphites; non-filtered. With the aroma evolving with every sip it was clear the wine is different (and doesn't hold up well after a day being open). The volcanic soils that give the grape a foothold on the mountainside also supply individuality - a combination of freshness and a Pinot Noir-like lightness that gives sweet rose-hips and darker, mixed fruit jam, gives way to darker, blacker fruit flavours and a tannic structure. Alcohol 13%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Cuvee 51, Le Clos Perdus, 2007, Corbieres, Languedoc, France
Price: £28.50 [More: Adegga / Snooth]
A wine with character - gorgeous generous, black fruits and tobacco. A wine "that refuses to behave in the mouth". A blend of Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre. Alcohol 14%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

All prices are 'drink-in' bottle price. All wines are available, cheaper, to 'take-away', there are even plans for a full internet wine shop. Fingers crossed! More photographs of the wine bar are on SpittoonExtra and pictures of some of the wines on flickr. Rob at The Wine Conversation has also written a post on the tasting.

Awards drip from the wines. If you have never encountered a drinkable, enjoyable, Pinotage Beyerskloof is the label to turn to.

If you sit in the open-sided deck restaurant, with the Kanonkop hill in the distance (photo on SpittoonExtra) at your feet lies the 'field' a mixed planting of vines that goes into the companies Bordeaux-style Field Blend.

Their pale, peachy, refreshing, sparkling Pinotage Rosé Brut washed down a plate of superb garlic snails beautifully while a selection of older Pinotage's and various Cape Blends vintages, tasted in the cellar with Beyers Truter himself, were very interesting. The latter come in various mixes - the 2006 Synergy comprises 43% Pinotage, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Shiraz and 7% Merlot compared to the 2001 Synergy being 55% Cabernet, 37% Pinotage, 8% Merlot and 14% 'others'. Basically they are still experimenting with these! I didn't enjoy the older vintage, I have to admit, the reductive edge on the nose dominatated but perhaps I'm just more susceptible to those aromas as my tasting partners enthused.

The Field Blends are certainly worthy of trying. They age beautifully too. The 1995, which my notes contradictorily say is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, had a gorgeous perfume, complex with tobacco-edged age. Little stock remains but it is available on the restaurant wine list. The 2001 was luscious with a vailed smoothness from the addition of Merlot. I didn't catch the blend details but the 2006 has 60% Cabernet Sauvignon coupled with 40% Merlot.

According to our host Pinotage works wonderfully in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Merlot, however, is not a great working partner. No stainless steel tanks for Pinotage either, rather the grapes at Beyerskloof see open, concrete, fermenters, a little temperature control and manual punching of the cape by hand.

While age worthy it is the younger Pinotage single varietals that impressed during the cellar tasting. With ripe, sweetish upfront fruit, good structure and length they have structure and drinkability with the Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage being singularly impressive.

Especially good - by itself and with the various wines - was the Godminster Vintage Organic Cheddar. Next to it laid a perfect boxed slab of Cranborne Chase Alderwood (unpasteurised semi-soft rind cows milk cheese from Dorset) with the third being Simon Weaver's Kirkham Farm Organic Cotswold Brie. Coupled with a handful of fresh tomatoes and a salad of local mixed leaves (from Down To Earth) all I forgot was to add a handful of basil I was growing on the window sill...

FoodStories: #aeww back at Andrews now, more English wines and cheeeeese! He also has fabulous windows.

Three of the wines were brought from Festival Wines of Chichester. The Brightwell Sparkling was brought from the vineyard after our tour and tasting while the Balfour Sparkling was a free sample.

Wine Tasting Note: Sedlescombe Vineyard, Sedlescombe, East Sussex a blend of Ortega, Faber, Bacchus, Huxelrebe and Siegerebe. £8.19 wine_scribbler: #aeww sedlescombe dry white organic and vegan not much on the nose but nice flavours chalky wine_scribbler: #aeww sharp finish - not greatly liked - made from vegans thewinesleuth: #aeww organic vegan english wine- um, not very interesting

We were here for a Circle of Wine Writers Wine and Charcuterie Tasting hosted by Fiona (matchingfoodandwine.com) at the new Terroirs wine bar in William IV Street, London. The Charcuterie comprising a delicately flavoured Jamon de Teruel from Spain, a nicely textural Duck Rillette, Saucisson Sec from the Pyrenees and a garlic and spice Terrine Terroirs.

Rather than the 'usual suspects' to accompany charcuterie (simple rustic French wines) Fiona picked a more eclectic list of bottles to sample, each calling on the intrinsic flavours of the food (smoky, spicy, garlic). The only thing not offered was a sparkling...

Wine Tasting Note: Maitres Vignerons de Saint-Tropez Rosé Carte Noire, 2008, France. Price: £9.99 Nicolas A nice opening shot - and as expected a fine match for the array of foods. Nice berry fruits and a decently long, dry, finish. A 'standard' rosé wine for such fare and I thought a superb foil to the Terrine, although others disagreed.

Wine Tasting Note: Assyrtiko Hatzidakis, 2007, Santorini, Greece. Stockist: Caves de Pyrene Waitrose Price: £9.00 Not a wine I would ever have considered, interesting but didn't really work for me lacking a bit of zip and zing. Seafood and shellfish apparently work better. The pepper edge in the saucisson was really emphasised by the wine.

Wine Tasting Note: Weingut Christmann Riesling IDIG Grosses Gewaechs, 2007, Pfalz, Germany. Stockist: Charles Taylor Price: £35 Not being a lover of Riesling - heresy I realise - I did enjoy this wine. Very young still but the way I like it; a touch of weighty sweetness, superb fruit but sadly not a wine that worked well with any of the food. Too delicate in flavour I think; but then what do the Germans eat with all their charcuterie?

Wine Tasting Note: Chapel Hill Verdelho, 2007, Australia. £9.49 in independents including Planet of the Grapes, Ongar Wines Ltd, Australian Wines Online, Rehills of Jemond, Badmington Wines A zesty citrus and nettle wine; far too forceful with the charcuterie though.

Wine Tasting Note: Lambrusco Reggiano Concerto, 2007, Emilia Romagna, Italy. Stockist: Everywine, Harrods, Booths Price: £8-£10 In terms of matching with the food this was the star. A combination of bubbles, a bitter twist to the wine and perfect acidity was great with the rillettes and the (positive) fat of the jamon.

Wine Tasting Note: Jean-Luc Matha Cuvee Lairis Marcillac, 2006, Marcillac, France Stockist: Caves de Pyrène Price: £9.99 Not convinced this rustic country wine (from the South West of France) really worked as well as others seemed to think. Remained rustic and overly tannic for me.

Wine Tasting Note: Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon, 2007, Beaujolais, France Price: around £16 a bottle from Caves de Pyrene, slurp.co.uk I believe there were a couple of markedly different bottles of this being poured; I managed to get some of the 'good' bottle. The lack of tannins and the soft fruit brought out the wonderful sweetness in the jamon particularly. For someone who never drinks Beaujolais this was a revelation; my second choice for the top match.

Wine Tasting Note: Isabel Estate Pinot Noir, 2005, New Zealand £18.55 Berry Brothers & Rudd A lovely fruit-forward Pinot that worked with the charcuterie much better than expected. Lovely spicy, sprightly palate that seemed particularly good with the duck rillette (duck plus pinot is always a good choice) and managed the garlic infused Terrine too.

Wine Tasting Note: Manzanilla La Gitana Sherry, NV, Spain. £8.49 at Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury, Majestic, Somerfield, Wine Rack, plus independents. Not a fan of Riesling nor Sherry; more howls of derision from my neighbours. Despite being a tapas favourite this wine just trampled over all the food. Far too forceful and strong. The salty component matched the salt in the jamon OK but the delicate flavour was lost. Unsurprisingly this was many peoples preferred choice.

Wine Tasting Note: El Grifo Canari, 1997, Lanzarote, Spain. A cream sherry (or rather sherry-style wine) from Lanzarote. Far too sweet for the charcuterie but a marvellous opportunity to try such a delicious wine. There you go - sherry and delicious in the same sentence!

A learning experience; just much more enjoyable than my (detested) school days. I did miss the juvenile giggling at the cookery teachers hairy legs encased in green tights mind...

Fiona has posted her own take on the session on Matching Food and Wine.

It is a wonderful spot for visitors; even if you have only a passing interest in wine - there's the oldest oak tree in Africa (a hollow Old English Oak believed to be 300 years old) and gardens aplenty (rose, herb, camellia, fynbos, hydrangea). The homestead is open to visitors and is full of classical Cape Dutch furniture and there are picnic areas too (although you don't bring your own food but buy pre-packed boxes at the estate) and, for posher-nosh, the Lady Philips Restaurant.

We were there for the wines though. A pouring of the Sauvignon Blanc was served alongside fresh oysters - to general acclaim of my compatriots, but not moi as I 'don't do' oysters. But my 'line fish' in the Lady Philips restaurant, later, was beautifully moist and accompanied the lightly oaked Vergelegen Chardonnay 2008 superbly [picture].

Wine Tasting Note: Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Western Cape, South Africa. [More: Adegga / Snooth] 97% Sauvignon with the remainder being Semillon. Lovely crisp, frim fruit, fresh. Touches of fig, gooseberry and a pleasant leafy-ness (straw, green peppers, peas) Alcohol 13.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Vergelegen Chardonnay, 2008, Western Cape, South Africa. [More: Adegga / Snooth] Medium bodied by design, 60% in oak giving a subtle oak-complexity, not too heavy either (medium bodied). Pear, cream, apple flavours; a typical Chardonnay.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Vergelegen Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa [More on Adegga / Snooth] A single vineyard wine - the 2 hectare vinyard on the lower Schaapenberg. More complexity here with a little lees contact giving a creaminess to the flavour and a more rounded texture. Floral touches enliven the herbaceous palate. Minerals, peach stones and citrus play around too. Beautiful. Alcohol 14.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Wine Tasting Note: Vergelegen Cabernet Reserve, 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Price: £9.99 [More on Adegga / Snooth] Cabernet dominates here (91%) with Cabernet Franc and Merlot splitting the remainder. Superb berry aroma - very, very Bordeaux-like. Savoury depths, touches of herbs. Firm palate, but smooth until the great burst of tannin led blackfruits hits the tastebuds. The grapes were selected from Vergelegen's Stonepine, Rondekop, Rooiland and Kopland Vineyards. Alcohol 14.5%. Age worthy; a 2004 was also sampled.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]

Lizelle was lovely, fielding my inane questions with gusto and a wry smile. She has been with Boschendal since 2005. At the conclusion of the tasting I asked what she would really like to do, experimentally, outside the day to day work. Two things, she replied. "To make a stickie from Weiser Reisling and to play around with White Grenache" She didn't expound on what she would like to make exactly.

Boschendal have split their wines into 5 distinct ranges; in price order they are:

1. The Pavillion Range with a Shiraz/Cabernet, a Chardonnay/Semillon blend and a Shiraz Rosé. The range is named after the Le Pavillion Gazebo and come priced at around £6.49.
2. The Favourites Range with the emphasis on easy drinking. Priced at £7.29.
3. The 1685 Range with the distinctive bottle shape. The bottle first produced in 1985 to celebrate the 300 years of wine making at the estate and is based on an original 1685 bottle. Priced at £8.99.

   
   Review0.3
   Wine Tasting Note: Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir, 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
   [More: Adegga / Snooth]
   A mix of Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (40%) resulting in a golden hued, elegant wine packed with red berried fruit flavours, a touch of lees, and gentle oak. Alcohol 13%.
   Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 88/100 [3.5 out of 5]
   



4. The Reserve Range of single varietal wines - higher quality grapes reflected in a slightly higher price of around £10.99.

   
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   Wine Tasting Note: Boschendal Sauvingon Blanc Reserve, 2008, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
   [More: Adegga / Snooth]
   The first vintage released in screwcap. Half the Sauvingon is sourced from Boschendal local grapes, the remainder from the Somerset West area. Minerally, limey, lively style. Flinty, citrus and a great mouth-feel.
   Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
   

   
   Review0.3
   Wine Tasting Note: Boschendal Grand Reserve, 2005, Stellenbosch, South Africa
   Price: £9.99 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
   A Bordeaux-style blend heavy on the Cabernet Franc (Cabernet Franc (70%), Malbec (10%), Shiraz (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%)), nicely perfumed, with an edge of cassis and raspberry-meatiness.
   Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 90/100 [3.75 out of 5]
   

   
   Review0.3
   Wine Tasting Note: Boschendal Reserve Collection Shiraz, 2004, Stellebosch, South Africa
   [More on Adegga / Snooth]
   Sourced from low yielding 10 year old vineyard. Full-bodied, Rhone-style - a touch of elegance missed in with the pepper, herb and spice palate. Potential for some aging. Good tannic backbone. Alcohol 14.5%.
   Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 92/100 [4 out of 5]
   
   



5. The Cecil John Range named after Cecil John Rhodes a major 19th century player in Boschendal's development. Two wines in this 'site specific' range a Sauvignon Blanc (£12.49) and a Shiraz (£15.99), neither, sadly were opened for us to taste.
   

Newton Johnson pitches itself at the premium end of quality in a boutique type manner. Plenty of wines opened for us to spit, swirl and sniff starting with a comparison of Sauvignon Blancs. As an aside our host, Bevan Newton Johnson highlighted a cultural difference - the South Africans prefer their Sauvignons younger and more acidic than us Brits, a point evident in the Newton Johnson 2008 Sauvignon Blanc - A quite 'green' acidity being evident despite the addition of a little Semillon "to give firmness and a balance for food". A second Sauvingon, also 2008, with a higher ratio of Semillon (25% against 7% in the first) was racey, firm and despite its youth delicious. Only 180 cases were made of this 'yet to be released' wine; when available in 2-3 months time it should retail for around £10 plus.

Two Chardonnay's next. The Newton Johnson 2007 being the most beautiful of wines. Sourced from high altitude vineyards giving cool mornings and evenings results in some magical fruit. A lively citrus streak, minerality, weight, fig-led flavours with a walnut complexity. A touch of oak too. Superb. The 2008 vintage was elegant but tightly-young with a more oaky complexity evident. Nicely creamy mouthfeel.

To the delight of our female companion - Felicity of Fresh Escapes magazine - the next wine was the Newton Johnson Felicité Rosé, 2008. With a full palate and a lovely clean, fresh, palate this 75% Shiraz/25% Sauvignon Blanc blend comes across as a great food wine.

From a vineyard right under the tasting area the 2008 Newton Johnson Pinot Noir offered plenty of complexity and a tight, focused palate. Let down only by its slightly high price (a little under £20). A second Pinot - better value at under £15 - offered a smoky edge, a touch of restraint and a delicious, juicy finish. The difference between the two? The first comes from clay soils, the second from fruit grown in Elgin on quartz plus a cooler climate during the evenings. A great demonstration of terrior differences you could never hope to find for both wines were distinctively different.

Finally a Rhone-style blend that accompanied a 'bit-too-hearty-for-lunch' Bobotie (declared the national dish of South Africa by the United Nations Women's Organisation in 1954) - the Newton Johnson Shiraz Mourvèdre 2006. A delicious savoury edged, spicey wine with a lovely mouthfeel and, bearing in mind my penchant for blends (and Rhone style blends in particular) my favourite wine on display.

Now Arniston Bay may well be one of those ubiquitous brands that clog the wine aisles; but actually the wines are not too bad. Look out for the Reserve bottling of the Sauvignon Blanc (fresh, crisp finish, touches of lychee, soft, upfront sweetness) and those offered in innovative pouches.

Sometime ago I received a sample of an Ariston Bay Chenin-Chardonnay in a pouch and, to my annoyance, neglected to write anything about it. It's the packaging that offers the interesting story, but the wine itself was surprisingly drinkable for a mid-week slurp.

Developed at some cost by the Company of Wine People the pouch is a world first in terms of packaging.

The pouch offers an environmentally friendly solution to wine packaging, creating 80% less environmental impact from cradle to grave than the equivalent volume in glass bottles, 90% less waste and takes up less space in a landfill than two glass bottles. It is also 20 times lighter than a wine bottle and preserves the wine for up to a month once opened.

"We have worked hard to create a packaging solution to redefine the boundaries of sustainability in the wine industry and make people think differently about the cradle to grave lifecycle of wine"

They are available in Chenin/Chardonnay and Pinotage Rosé styles from branches of Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons priced at around a tenner for 1.5 litres.

Incidentally the Arniston Bay website offers a little downloadable book detailing recipes for Governer's Trifle, Peri-Peri Chicken Mozambique Style, Tomato and Prawn Bredi, Egg Plant, Date and Cashew Nut Briyani and Chilled Butternut, Orange and Cumin Soup - all designed of course to complement one of their wines.

The Kumkani Range is a step up in price and interest. Kumkani is a word derived from the Xhosa word translated as 'King' - you have to practice the tongue click on word Xhosa; Isabel demonstrated and despite a few half-attempts we all spectacularly failed at replicating. Anyway the Kumkani range comprises single varietals, dual varietals, the Reflections range and award-winning single vineyard wines.

Particularly noteworthy is the stunning Kumkani Sauvignon Blanc Lanner Hill with grapes sourced from a single vineyard - Groenekloof in the Dorking region. A lovely slice of 'green gooseberry' intensity with a mineral, flinty complexity (listed by Majestic £11.99)

Great pleasure and hums of excitement - well you can't say much with a mouthful of wine - greeted the Kumkani VVS 2005. This has stonkingly good complexity and superb balance/intensity coupled with a fascinating aroma from an unusal mix of grapes - Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho. There's a touch of oak in their somewhere too.

"This unique wine is the first white wine blend in South Africa to have Verdelho as a blending component. All the components - 40% Viognier, 40% Verdelho and 20% Sauvignon Blanc - of this wine were fermented separately before blending. The Viognier and Verdelho fermented in 20% first fill, 40% second fill and 40% third fill 300-litre French oak barrels. Kept on fermentation lees for eight months, batonage two times a month. The Sauvignon Blanc component was fermented in stainless steel tanks. No wood treatment on this component, kept on fine lees for eight months."

Our sample was the 2005 vintage, the initial release, so a little age development. Currently the 2007 is available but I'm still waiting details of UK stockists.

The Kumkani Cradle Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, proved to be a damn delicious, serious wine. Hefty tannins, so give it another year or so or bring on the Springbok! Rich and classy. The Kumkani blog suggests pairing with Rump of Beef Cooked Slowly in Red Wine and provides the recipe. As with the equally superb Kumkani Shiraz 2007 I'm lacking details of stockists or prices sadly.

Isabel is a fascinating person; shame we didn't have time to chat longer. Prior to demonstrating her beautiful singing voice (in Xhosan too) she mentioned her work in promoting wine to the rising black middle class. Wealth divisions in South Africa may take many, many years to even out but the progress in just a few years has resulted in greater affluence for many - the 'Black Diamonds'. Isabel is involved in township wine clubs for example... as I said, just one fascinating story I would have liked to explore further...

The wine range is split into four - The Family Reserve Range is at the top "produced from the best hand-picked grapes of selected vineyards. Available in limited quantities and only in certain vintages". Next the Vineyard Selection "Quality grapes from premium vineyards, aged inthe best oak barrels to provide wines with flavour, complexty, structure and cellaring potential" followed by the Cellar Selection (such as the Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc) "These wines are made to be be more accessible and friut driven. They represent good value, to suit our customers' tastes. This range reflects our motto: "We make wine for people to enjoy". The bottom rung is the Foot of Africa range "named after one of our farms situated at africa's southern tip. These wines are produced from selected grapes from various vineyards in the Western Cape".

Full pictures of the meal are over on SpittoonExtra.

Blown away by the Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, around £15. [More: Adegga / Snooth] A combination of green bean herbaceous flavours and minerality (the latter from West Coast fruit apparently) Clean, fresh, green pepper, not too grassy. Ages well according to our host Ross Sleet. Stonkingly good with the meal's starter - Crumbed Goats Cheese with Figs.

First introduction to the Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc [More: Adegga / Snooth]
- 30% of the grapes in this have been influenced by botrytis adding depth and complexity. Totally unwooded.

8,000 case production for the Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc [More: Adegga / Snooth]. Available to the on-trade in the UK. Barrel fermentation creating a different beast than the Cellar Selection Chenin but similar in style with a fruity, delicious, roundness. A little young still, 2008 vintage.

Interesting wine selection for the Seared Scallops, a choice of lightly chilled Pinotage Cellar Selection over a Pinot Noir Vineyard Selection [no links as unsure on vintages]. The balsamic reduction picked up in the Pinotage but the Pinot worked beautifully too being a little lighter in style with softer tannins. Table split between the two - I'd edge toward the Pinot Noir if only for those seductive tannins.

The estate is having an exciting time with Pinotage experimenting with terrior and vine placements.
Salze Shiraz-Mouvèdre-Viognier blend, 2007, Cellar Selection range, [More: Adegga / Snooth]
with a split of varieties at 65% Shiraz, 20% Mouvèdre and 15% Viognier. Delicious in a robust, characterful way. Designed to be drinkable/accessible. Screw-capped and 14.5%. Available from Waitrose in the UK.

Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005. [More: Adegga / Snooth] Lovely concentration, smooth, richly textured, perfectly matching my main course of Springbok. Plentiful tannins but supple and wonderful with the meat. I was so enraptured with the partnership I failed to note any Madeira flavours in the sauce...

Kleine Zalze
Die Boord
Stellenbosch, 7613, South Africa
PHONE: +27 (21) 880-0717
FAX: +27 (21) 880-0716

Generally the whites disappointed. There were eight whites available, four each from Spain and Portugal and most were either over priced or just plain unexciting. Or a combination of both. A shame really as several wines from the SITT tasting (Specialist Importers Trade Tasting) the Wednesday prior offered some really exciting whites from Portugal in particular.

Fourteen reds were opened for the crowd. Apart from one (where a lively debate ensued where I thought it lacking but my tasing partners disagreed) my fellow tasters/bloggers (Andrew Chapman and Denise Medrano) were in agreement on the quality. The best being...

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bodega Castaño Monastrell, 2007, Yecla, Spain.
Price: £6.50 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A crowd pleaser being full, soft, flavoursome with sweet ripe fruit. Deep black-fruits, leather complexity, inky finish. Monastrell is Mourvèdre. Good value.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bodegas Acoustic Vinyes Velles, 2006, Montsant, Cataluna, Spain
Price: £14.95 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A little expensive perhaps (the victim of the poor pound!) but a delicious, stylish wine. Montsant is a small region lapping around Priorat (had to look that up on an excellent map available at the tasting) that most seemed unfamiliar with. A super blend of Garnacha and Carinena from 15 - 35 year old vines.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Telmo Rodriguez Gabo do Xil, 2006, Galicia, Spain.
Price: £8.95 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A producer that all should be familiar with; seldom offering a disappointing wine. This 100% Mencia has an excellent nose, balance and a delicacy and poise that we pinpointed to violets. Ripe strawberries adds to the complexity of flavour.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: A & J-L Gomes Azamor, 2005, Alentejo, Portugal
Price: £7.85 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A blend - which always seems to work better than single varietals from Portugal - of 40% Syrah, 40% Touriga Franca and 20% Merlot. Great fruity aroma, still fresh despite a few years of age. Lovely, soft, plummy palate with good structure and acidity. Some elegance.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Quinta do Centro Pedra Basta, 2006, Alentejo, Portugal.
Price: £12.50 [More on Adegga / Snooth]
A blend of Tridadeira, Aragones, Alicante Bouchet and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe fruit with savoury touches to the aroma, excellent balanced palate a little sweetness to the fruit. Notes ended with a scrawled 'I like this a lot!'.

Bibendum have grasped the social media by the short and curlies as tasters across the country joined in a large group of novice and more expert wine tasters to twitter over three wines.

I've pinched the video above from documentally - who was highly entertaining host for the event.

Thanks also to The Wine Conversation for organising it all; his thoughts on the event (including the same video) are on his wesite but the basics are 300 tweets in the 45 or so minutes which overtook tweets on Obama for a short time. Next time how about streaming the tweets to a large screen display in the main tasting hall for more exposure?

One issue I discovered was that entering my tasting notes via a mobile is limiting as it is impossible to view direct replies or responed to others questions and tweets, thus limiting the 'conversation'.

The three wines tasted were:

1. Delicato Old Vine Zinfandel 2006
2. Dinastia Vivanco Crianaza Rioja 2005
3. Laurenz V Friendly Gruner Veltliner 2007

An interesting selection that introduced many to Gruner Veltliner for the first time.The Delicato was well received for its easy drinking, rich, quality while the Rioja, with its savoury, tomato quality stood out for many as the star.

"Although we have an extensive range of the world's finest wines, I am very proud of the amount of outstanding wines we stock under twelve pounds. It was tough work deciding what to leave out as the quality of wine at this price range has come on leaps and bounds in the last 10 years, as standards continue to improve every year. This is great news for an independent wine retailer like Jeroboams as it means we can offer a more varied portfolio and be confident of the quality of the wines."

It was in the depths under Milroy's in Soho that myself and man-about-town Mr Blyde wandered for a wine tasting back in October. I should apologise for the briefer-than-usual tasting notes; the palate was fading somewhat after a morning food and wine tasting across town - and the effects of alcohol shouldn't be ignored either.

Manging to slurp and sniff twenty of the 66 wines open, the following received more than a VG in the margins of the tasting note booklet. [Another Jeroboam's wine that is highly recommended is the Cellar Cal Pla Mas D'En Compte Blanco]

Tesco organises this event every year giving the winners a guaranteed listing in national and regional Tesco stores for a minimum of 12 months.

The Tesco Drink Awards are designed to champion regionality and small producers, giving them a route to market and wider exposure to the UK consumer.

Now I think the bottle pictured is Flying Dog Classic Pale Ale brewed by the Flying Dog Brewery in Maryland, America. As you can read in the press release below this won the Best Bitter and Ale category - which must have been the table I slurped around - so it would appear my fellow judges were as impressed as I was!

Coming to a Tesco near you then, Flying Dog Classic Pale Ale.