We spent last weekend with some friends in Calvados in Normandy to see some of the 70th anniversary D-Day commemorations and to enjoy some good food and wine and of course some really good cider.
We paid a visit to the Château de Cannon and farm which is situated 20 kms or so just south east of Caen. The Cidre Fermier Biologique of Hervé et Héloïse De Mezerac is superb. It has fine bubbles and has a taste reminiscent of Champagne. Their Champoiré or perry is also superb. And , of course they make Calvados and Pommeau. Pommeau is a type of fortified cider; Calvados is used for the fortification to around 18% alcohol. My wife and I do not drink much Calvados or Pommeau but we do use it for cooking.
Cider is a good alternative to wine if you do not want to drink a stronger alcoholic beverage and I find that it goes well with the cuisine of Calvados. I like it with shellfish, pancakes and of course pork. Cheese is better with wine , however.
It is worth paying a visit to Château de Canon as the farm uses organic farming techniques as well as the vineyard. The sheep looked particularly healthy and they seem to leave the lambs with their mothers for longer than they would on a non-organic farm.
http://www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com/normandie/produits-de-la-ferme/ferme-ferme-du-chateau-de-canon-2661-146789
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Hindleap Brut 2009 Bluebell Vineyard Estates - English Sparkling Wine
This is superb vintage English Sparkling Wine from East Sussex. We drank a bottle of this wine as an aperitif with friends. I tried to fool them that they were drinking Champagne but they did not fall for it. Our friends do not usually drink Champagne as they prefer Cava. Most of the Champagne that they drink is with us and we like to serve Champagne from the Aube which is much stronger tasting.
I wonder how many people would be able to tell the difference between this sparkler and Champagne, from the north of the region, in a blind tasting?
Hindleap is more similar to the Champagne from the Montagne de Reims. We know a family producing Champagne in Bouzy which is one of the top villages and Hindleap is able to compete on the basis of both the quality of the wine and its taste.
The soil of the Bluebell valley estate is similar to the best areas for growing Champagne grapes near Epernay and Reims. The alluvial soil is situated over chalk. This soil is ideal for growing the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes used for the production of Hindleap. The soil encourages the grapes to produce the acidity required for good quality Sparkling Wine. So does the climate.
The climate in the UK remains cool, despite global warming, therefore the grapes do not ripen as fully as they would further south. The grapes, therefore, keep their acidity. But, the climate in the UK is often too wet to maintain the quality of the grapes year after year. This represents a severe problem for the English Wine industry. The unit cost of producing wine in the UK is higher than in France or Italy and of course this is reflected in the price.
It took one sip of the Hindleap for me to recognise that this is very high quality wine which has been produced by the traditional method but with loving care and high quality grapes. The 2009 vintage helped and it was a good vintage across most of France too.
The back label described the wine as elegant with a floral nose and I couldn't agree more. It also tasted a little bit of toast and I could taste the flavour of the breakdown of the yeast added for the second fermentation in the bottle. It is not just flavour which makes good Sparkling Wine; it is the balance of the acidity and sweetness (or lack of it) and of course the bubbles. Hindleap's bubbles are particularly fine.
We did not eat with this wine even though tidbits were available; everyone just enjoyed the taste of the drink. I enjoyed the last half-glass of the bottle with my dessert which had retained its bubbles throughout a rather long meal - well, I deserved it as I had the good taste to both find it and serve it.
On the website, Bluebell Vineyards claim that they avoid intervention, as much as possible, in the vineyard with the use insecticides, herbicides and other chemicals. I think that this shows through in the wine. The French wine producers call this "la lutte raisonnée" or the reasonable struggle. This is good practise as the vineyard can be saved from disasters such as mildew setting in in damp conditions. However, in good years the vines can be left to grow "naturally".
http://www.morethanorganic.com/lutte-raisonnee
I am not a lover of English Wine in general especially the still wines which I find vapid and lacking in body. The price has to be high, so in terms of value for money they are terrible so I buy English Still Wine just for sentimental reasons. The industry needs any support it can can get. Gradually, there will be an improvement as the climate will get warmer but if this means more rain in the summer then there could be problems building up. Luckily the climate looks favourable for Sparkling Wine production and long may this continue.
Vines need to rest in the cool of the winter. The UK winter of 2013/14 was exceptionally warm so the vines probably did not rest properly and insect pests probably survived better. I can foresee problems for the 2104 vintage because of this and especially for producers brave enough to attempt "organic growing" techniques. "La lutte raisonnée" is therefore a very good policy and a sensible choice for Bluebell Vineyards.
Despite the British weather and climate Bluebell Vineyards are producing a superior product with their Hindleap Sparking Wine. One that easily competes with Champagne for drinking on a special occasion and one which puts Cava into the shade.
No wonder it is a prize winner. It is a pity that English Sparkling Wine cannot find a brand name that rolls of the tongue easily. Hindleap is worthy of the name "Champagne" if not in law then in spirit.
I bought this wine at Waitrose for £17 a bottle and at that price it is superb value for money. Try some; you will be pleasantly surprised.
http://www.bluebellvineyard.co.uk/
http://www.waitrosedirect.com/product/bluebell-vineyard-hindleap-rose/856837
I wonder how many people would be able to tell the difference between this sparkler and Champagne, from the north of the region, in a blind tasting?
Hindleap is more similar to the Champagne from the Montagne de Reims. We know a family producing Champagne in Bouzy which is one of the top villages and Hindleap is able to compete on the basis of both the quality of the wine and its taste.
The soil of the Bluebell valley estate is similar to the best areas for growing Champagne grapes near Epernay and Reims. The alluvial soil is situated over chalk. This soil is ideal for growing the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes used for the production of Hindleap. The soil encourages the grapes to produce the acidity required for good quality Sparkling Wine. So does the climate.
The climate in the UK remains cool, despite global warming, therefore the grapes do not ripen as fully as they would further south. The grapes, therefore, keep their acidity. But, the climate in the UK is often too wet to maintain the quality of the grapes year after year. This represents a severe problem for the English Wine industry. The unit cost of producing wine in the UK is higher than in France or Italy and of course this is reflected in the price.
It took one sip of the Hindleap for me to recognise that this is very high quality wine which has been produced by the traditional method but with loving care and high quality grapes. The 2009 vintage helped and it was a good vintage across most of France too.
The back label described the wine as elegant with a floral nose and I couldn't agree more. It also tasted a little bit of toast and I could taste the flavour of the breakdown of the yeast added for the second fermentation in the bottle. It is not just flavour which makes good Sparkling Wine; it is the balance of the acidity and sweetness (or lack of it) and of course the bubbles. Hindleap's bubbles are particularly fine.
We did not eat with this wine even though tidbits were available; everyone just enjoyed the taste of the drink. I enjoyed the last half-glass of the bottle with my dessert which had retained its bubbles throughout a rather long meal - well, I deserved it as I had the good taste to both find it and serve it.
On the website, Bluebell Vineyards claim that they avoid intervention, as much as possible, in the vineyard with the use insecticides, herbicides and other chemicals. I think that this shows through in the wine. The French wine producers call this "la lutte raisonnée" or the reasonable struggle. This is good practise as the vineyard can be saved from disasters such as mildew setting in in damp conditions. However, in good years the vines can be left to grow "naturally".
http://www.morethanorganic.com/lutte-raisonnee
I am not a lover of English Wine in general especially the still wines which I find vapid and lacking in body. The price has to be high, so in terms of value for money they are terrible so I buy English Still Wine just for sentimental reasons. The industry needs any support it can can get. Gradually, there will be an improvement as the climate will get warmer but if this means more rain in the summer then there could be problems building up. Luckily the climate looks favourable for Sparkling Wine production and long may this continue.
Vines need to rest in the cool of the winter. The UK winter of 2013/14 was exceptionally warm so the vines probably did not rest properly and insect pests probably survived better. I can foresee problems for the 2104 vintage because of this and especially for producers brave enough to attempt "organic growing" techniques. "La lutte raisonnée" is therefore a very good policy and a sensible choice for Bluebell Vineyards.
Despite the British weather and climate Bluebell Vineyards are producing a superior product with their Hindleap Sparking Wine. One that easily competes with Champagne for drinking on a special occasion and one which puts Cava into the shade.
No wonder it is a prize winner. It is a pity that English Sparkling Wine cannot find a brand name that rolls of the tongue easily. Hindleap is worthy of the name "Champagne" if not in law then in spirit.
I bought this wine at Waitrose for £17 a bottle and at that price it is superb value for money. Try some; you will be pleasantly surprised.
http://www.bluebellvineyard.co.uk/
http://www.waitrosedirect.com/product/bluebell-vineyard-hindleap-rose/856837
Friday, 16 May 2014
Top Ten Drinking Nations
Some figures were just published regarding the average amount of alcohol consumed by people over the age of 15 for most of the the countries of the world. All of the "top ten nations" were European. Top of the list was Belarus at 17.5 litres per head of population (over 15 years of age). This is an awful lot of alcohol which is poisonous. Given that fact that some people do not drink at all or are moderate drinkers then the amount consumed by some heavy drinkers must be shocking.
Portugal was tenth on the list and the average consumption was 12.9 litres per capita. Portugal is mainly a wine drinking nation.
I am a moderate drinker and I have calculated that my consumption of alcohol is about 10 litres pa. I do not drink every day of the week or usually exceed 2 bottles of wine per week. I might have a pint of beer or two per week. I drink a shot of cognac or spirits maybe once a quarter.
I was rather surprised by this figure.
It is easy to calculate how much alcohol you consume. Wine is about 13% alcohol by volume. A pint of bitter or beer is 3.5 to 4% alcohol by volume and spirits are usually 40% alcohol by volume. You must be honest with yourself about how much you drink.
One of my best friends was an alcoholic for all of his adult life and he consumed more than a bottle of scotch per day despite the efforts of his friends and family to persuade him to cut down. He remained hooked on alcohol and cigarettes for all of his adult life which ended in his early sixties. He was divorced twice.
I calculated that he consumed over 100 litres of alcohol pa. This is what I mean by shocking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/13/worlds-heaviest-drinking-countries-revealed-infographic_n_5314613.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
Portugal was tenth on the list and the average consumption was 12.9 litres per capita. Portugal is mainly a wine drinking nation.
I am a moderate drinker and I have calculated that my consumption of alcohol is about 10 litres pa. I do not drink every day of the week or usually exceed 2 bottles of wine per week. I might have a pint of beer or two per week. I drink a shot of cognac or spirits maybe once a quarter.
I was rather surprised by this figure.
It is easy to calculate how much alcohol you consume. Wine is about 13% alcohol by volume. A pint of bitter or beer is 3.5 to 4% alcohol by volume and spirits are usually 40% alcohol by volume. You must be honest with yourself about how much you drink.
One of my best friends was an alcoholic for all of his adult life and he consumed more than a bottle of scotch per day despite the efforts of his friends and family to persuade him to cut down. He remained hooked on alcohol and cigarettes for all of his adult life which ended in his early sixties. He was divorced twice.
I calculated that he consumed over 100 litres of alcohol pa. This is what I mean by shocking.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/13/worlds-heaviest-drinking-countries-revealed-infographic_n_5314613.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Brindisa Tapas bar
Last Sunday we spent a couple of hours in the Brindisa Tapas bar in London's Borough Market. We enjoyed the company of good friends and Tapas consumed with a bottle Rioja Vega Saja Crianza 2009 red wine.
Rioja is made primarily from the Tempranillo grape. Crianza red wines are matured for at least two years before they are bottled with at least 6 months in oak. Rioja Crianza whites are matured for at least one year with at least 6 months in oak.
Vega Saja 2009 was a very good quality red wine which is between medium and full body. It was very fruity and the tannin had softened to remove any bitter aftertaste. The wine went perfectly with tapas and was ready for drinking. Crianza wines are lighter than their Reserva and Gran Reserva cousins and have less of a flavour of oak.
The wine was perfect for a Sunday afternoon and helped to remind us of Spain even though we were stuck in the middle of London. It also helped us to remember all the lovely food and wine that we have consumed on numerous visits to Spain.
This wine and Brindisa is well recommended. You cannot reserve a table at the restaurant so expect to wait to be seated.
http://www.brindisatapaskitchens.com/assets/tapas-brindisa-london-bridge-drinks-menu.pdf
Rioja is made primarily from the Tempranillo grape. Crianza red wines are matured for at least two years before they are bottled with at least 6 months in oak. Rioja Crianza whites are matured for at least one year with at least 6 months in oak.
Vega Saja 2009 was a very good quality red wine which is between medium and full body. It was very fruity and the tannin had softened to remove any bitter aftertaste. The wine went perfectly with tapas and was ready for drinking. Crianza wines are lighter than their Reserva and Gran Reserva cousins and have less of a flavour of oak.
The wine was perfect for a Sunday afternoon and helped to remind us of Spain even though we were stuck in the middle of London. It also helped us to remember all the lovely food and wine that we have consumed on numerous visits to Spain.
This wine and Brindisa is well recommended. You cannot reserve a table at the restaurant so expect to wait to be seated.
http://www.brindisatapaskitchens.com/assets/tapas-brindisa-london-bridge-drinks-menu.pdf
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Intermarché Champagne out does Aldi
On a recent trip to Troyes we found a good bottle of Champagne - Marine Clément Cuvée Emotion NV - for 12.50 Eur at an Intermarché supermarket in the town. We grabbed a few bottles. We still have not been able to find the £10 Aldi Champagne, in England, as we don't have a store nearby: Lidl seem to have pushed them out in our area.
Champagne - Marine Clément Cuvée Emotion is made by a a wine broker or négociant in Neuville-Sur Seine which is in the Aube district of Champagne about 50 kms south east of Troyes. The négociant in question is Stéphane Février.
The Champagne tasted very good for the price; it was a light gold colour with fine bubbles. The Champagne tasted much stronger and richer than Champagne from further north . This is more to the taste of local people than the international tastes of Laurent Perrier and the like.
The soil in the Aube district to the south of Troyes is more limestone based than chalk and this affects the taste of the wine.
We opened a couple of bottles with family and friends for the London marathon celebrations and my niece who was running the next day had half a glass. She finished in a good time, so the moderate tipple did not spoil her chances even if it didn't improve them. It just goes to show that you can break the dietary rules and still get away with it.
All our friends and family though the Champagne was very good and though that it was of similar quality to most of the other Champagne's that they had drunk. My wife concluded that it was not the best Champagne, and she should know as she was born in Troyes. However, she said that it was great value for money. Who am I to disagree? I thought that the Champagne left a little bit of a bitter after taste on the palate but I had swirled the wine around my mouth.
Our other guests just drank the Champagne and did not notice the bitterness. Perhaps, it pays not to try to be too professional.
Somebody guessed the retail price of the Champagne to be about 18 Eur a bottle which is the price on their web site. Intermarché had negotiated a good deal but I do not think that it is a loss leader for them.
My brother in law knows lots of the producers in the area but he can never get a figure on how much it really costs to produce a bottle of Champagne from the Aube. He surmises that it is less than 6 Eur a bottle so the profit margins are good.
Three cheers and bon chance for Intermarché.
http://www.marineclement.com/champagne_brut.php
Champagne - Marine Clément Cuvée Emotion is made by a a wine broker or négociant in Neuville-Sur Seine which is in the Aube district of Champagne about 50 kms south east of Troyes. The négociant in question is Stéphane Février.
The Champagne tasted very good for the price; it was a light gold colour with fine bubbles. The Champagne tasted much stronger and richer than Champagne from further north . This is more to the taste of local people than the international tastes of Laurent Perrier and the like.
The soil in the Aube district to the south of Troyes is more limestone based than chalk and this affects the taste of the wine.
We opened a couple of bottles with family and friends for the London marathon celebrations and my niece who was running the next day had half a glass. She finished in a good time, so the moderate tipple did not spoil her chances even if it didn't improve them. It just goes to show that you can break the dietary rules and still get away with it.
All our friends and family though the Champagne was very good and though that it was of similar quality to most of the other Champagne's that they had drunk. My wife concluded that it was not the best Champagne, and she should know as she was born in Troyes. However, she said that it was great value for money. Who am I to disagree? I thought that the Champagne left a little bit of a bitter after taste on the palate but I had swirled the wine around my mouth.
Our other guests just drank the Champagne and did not notice the bitterness. Perhaps, it pays not to try to be too professional.
Somebody guessed the retail price of the Champagne to be about 18 Eur a bottle which is the price on their web site. Intermarché had negotiated a good deal but I do not think that it is a loss leader for them.
My brother in law knows lots of the producers in the area but he can never get a figure on how much it really costs to produce a bottle of Champagne from the Aube. He surmises that it is less than 6 Eur a bottle so the profit margins are good.
Three cheers and bon chance for Intermarché.
http://www.marineclement.com/champagne_brut.php
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Some rotten French wine
We recently made a visit to a family reunion in the town of Quissac which not far from Montpellier in the Languedoc region of the South of France. Whilst we were there we also took a tour around and our trip included a visit to Toulouse in the Haut-Garonne department. At the party we drank some lovely Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from the local co-operative and some really excellent Alexandre Bonnet Champagne Blancs de Noirs Brut from Les Riceys from the Aube department. This champagne was excellent.
http://www.alexandrebonnet.com/website/indexf.html
But where did we find some of the worst wine I have ever drunk? We did not have to go far for we paid a visit to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer which is a charming seaside town and which is the capital of the Camargue in the Bouches-du-Rhône department on the Mediterranean. The French love fish and chips just as much as the British and we found a lovely restaurant by the sea front. This restaurant will remain nameless. I ordered a pichet of the local white wine to go with my fish and chips, without the mushy peas, and it was disgusting and undrinkable. It was my own fault as I should have ordered a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet but we were on a mission to drink only a restaurant's offerings when we had a meal out.
http://www.saintesmaries.com/en/
http://www.alexandrebonnet.com/website/indexf.html
But where did we find some of the worst wine I have ever drunk? We did not have to go far for we paid a visit to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer which is a charming seaside town and which is the capital of the Camargue in the Bouches-du-Rhône department on the Mediterranean. The French love fish and chips just as much as the British and we found a lovely restaurant by the sea front. This restaurant will remain nameless. I ordered a pichet of the local white wine to go with my fish and chips, without the mushy peas, and it was disgusting and undrinkable. It was my own fault as I should have ordered a bottle of Picpoul de Pinet but we were on a mission to drink only a restaurant's offerings when we had a meal out.
http://www.saintesmaries.com/en/
 |
| Les Saintes Maries de la Mer When we visited the Pont du Gard the previous day we were treated to a pichet of glorious and local dry red wine at the Le Colombier Restaurant which is 200 meters from the entrance to the Pont du Gard park. This restaurant is well worth visiting The food and wine , however, could not compare to the glory of seeing the Pont du Gard Aquaduct. The Romans were phenomenal engineers.  Next we were off to Toulouse which is a very rich, vibrant and young city in the Haut-Garonne. I must have been the oldest person there. The city is also very expensive and we thought that we would try and save some money and eat in a tapas bar. We broke our rule and ordered a bottle of wine - shock horror it was Rioja. The wine was rather good but the waitress knew nothing about Spanish wines and she couldn't care less what grapes it was made from. They weren't French grapes so why bother to know anything about the wine. We left the Tapas bar with my wallet lightened by 50 Euro for three plates of tapas and a bottle of wine; but never mind. The next day we met some friends and they knew Toulouse really well and where to find good food at a reasonable price and this was at the Victor-Hugo market. On the first floor there are five restaurants selling excellent food and we choose the Louchebem. What else could we eat other than Toulouse sausages with mashed potatoes - where have I eaten Sausage and Mash before? A pichet of the local dry red wine washed this down really well, things were getting better and the costs were getting lower. We were surrounded by wine and the flags, insignia and photographs of the Toulouse rugby club.   Next we travelled to Pezenas and back to the Languedoc; we stayed the night in the delightful Hotel Moliere on the Place du 14 Juillet. We dined in the nearby village of Valros and drank some excellent local dry red wine once again. We finally paid a visit to family in Montpellier and once again drank some excellent local wine before making our way back home to the excitement of London. Most of the wine is very good in France but like all countries it has some pretty undrinkable stuff especially if you buy it served in a pichet. If you want good quality all of the time it is best to stick to a bottle with a recognisable label. |
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Chablis and distinctive taste
Whilst waiting for a plane to Montpellier at Gatwick Airport the other day my wife treated me to some smoked salmon and a glass of dry white wine at the Caviar House wine bar; she must have been feeling rich.
I took one sniff of the wine and guessed correctly, blind, that it was Chablis as it had all the mineral and stony flavour consistent with wine from the region.
How did I get it right first time? I can't do this with many other wines. Well Chablis has the distinctive and inimitable taste of the appellation. No other wine region in the world can mimic this taste even if they use Chardonnay grapes and have a cool climate. It is something to do with the unique soil and climate of the Chablis area and the way the wine is made. This is why I love Chablis it has the distinctive taste of its own and it goes so well with fish and fowl. Chablis has no need for varietal labelling.
Being able to recognise a wine also stems from familiarity with it. My wife's family come from the region and we drink the wine so often.. We can also recognise other wines from the area such as Irancy and Epineuil just by giving them one sniff. Our taste buds and sense of smell are no better than anyone else but familiarity with a distinctive tasting wine helps.
This is why I love Chablis, Irancy and Epineuil so much; they have a style and quality all of their own which no other wine producing area can copy.
I took one sniff of the wine and guessed correctly, blind, that it was Chablis as it had all the mineral and stony flavour consistent with wine from the region.
How did I get it right first time? I can't do this with many other wines. Well Chablis has the distinctive and inimitable taste of the appellation. No other wine region in the world can mimic this taste even if they use Chardonnay grapes and have a cool climate. It is something to do with the unique soil and climate of the Chablis area and the way the wine is made. This is why I love Chablis it has the distinctive taste of its own and it goes so well with fish and fowl. Chablis has no need for varietal labelling.
Being able to recognise a wine also stems from familiarity with it. My wife's family come from the region and we drink the wine so often.. We can also recognise other wines from the area such as Irancy and Epineuil just by giving them one sniff. Our taste buds and sense of smell are no better than anyone else but familiarity with a distinctive tasting wine helps.
This is why I love Chablis, Irancy and Epineuil so much; they have a style and quality all of their own which no other wine producing area can copy.
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