The other night, while we were watching France go through to the final 16 of the world cup, my wife cooked a rosbif de cheval. This is of course horse meat. Most of our British friends baulk at the thought of eating horse meat but some are adventurous enough to try it.
Even though most British people will turn their nose up at the thought of eating a horse, many of them will have eaten it and enjoyed it without knowing. The horse meat scandal of 2013 saw horse meat entering into the European food chain but dressed up as beef.
Some supermarket hamburgers were often made from horse meat and the public enjoyed them without knowing that they were not beef. Horse meat also ended up in pies and lasagne etc. It also ended up in some supermarket pâté and sausages. Some unscrupulous butchers and meat suppliers had passed off cheaper horse meat as beef. The supermarket buyers were unable to tell the difference even if they saw or tasted the meat or meat products.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21765737
http://www.iga.net/fr/recettes_inspirantes/burger_a_la_viande_chevaline_et_au_fromage_fe/
We cooked the genuine horse meat joint in the same way as we would cook a joint of beef. It was rare and roasted with a generous knob of butter and an onion with some white wine to produce a sauce which was seasoned with salt and pepper. It is just was delicious as beef bit but it tasted a little sweeter.
We washed down the rosbif de cheval with a bottle of Gérard Bertrand Syrah/Carignan, Minervois red wine from the Languedoc in the South of France. It went perfectly with the meat and the generous tannin refreshed the palate. It was superb wine at a price of £9.99 a bottle and Waitrose had discounted it by 20% so it was even better value for money. This is one of my favourite wines and my team and I enjoyed it in one of our favourite restaurants in Hamburg; it was always on the menu even if horse meat was not.
Gérard Bertrand is a former French international rugby player so this wine is one up for the players and supporters of the real football. I wonder why rugby players do not writhe on the ground from much harder tackles than that they would would receive in a "soccer" game. Perhaps a good bottle of a full bodied red gives them strength. Rugby players are instructed by their coaches to get up immediately after a tackle and not act like babies.
We have tried to find butchers in England which sell horse meat without any luck and after the scandal it is now impossible to buy it in a British supermarket. I suspect, however, that it still enters the food chain if only by accident. Supermarkets in France sell it and there are specialised butchers too. Many other European countries serve horse meat and most people have no qualms about eating it. Luckily, it is easy to find a good bottle of Minervois red in Britain.
You can buy horse meat here, however:
http://www.exoticmeats.co.uk/horse-meat.html
http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-94592-G%C3%A9rard+Bertrand+Syrah/Carignan,+Minervois+South+of+France
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/17/how-to-cook-horsemeat-three-thrifty-recipes
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2409371/ALEX-RENTON-The-real-horsemeat-scandal-greedy-ruthless-supermarkets-got-scot-free.html
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Evolution White and Red - Planet of the Grapes
Last week I ate an excellent, tasty and substantial lunch at the Taberna Etrusca Italian restaurant in the City of London with a good friend. We washed it down with a bottle of Rioja. Why Rioja in an Italian restaurant? You may well ask this; well the waiter recommended it and it was jolly good too.
Naturally, after a lot of talk about politics, religion and wine the subject turned to football. Spain, Italy and England have been eliminated. It is a good job that Spanish and Italian wines can hold up a good long term reputation that out classes the football. France is still going strong and has produced moments of Champagne football. As for England, well improvements are needed all round.
An Italian player was sent off for a head high tackle on a Uruguayan player and Suarez the "footballing genius", who had single-handedly defeated England, was banned after biting an Italian opponent in the same match. Suarez was lucky not to have been sent off too and of course the weakened Italian side were defeated. Perhaps the Uruguayan and Italian footballers should be sent on a wine course where they can learn how to act with decorum rather than violence.
After our meal we decided to decamp to Planet of the Grapes just down the road for a quick glass of wine before heading home.
The waitress spotted that we were after drinking something different from French, Italian and Spanish wine and suggested Evolution White which is produced by the Sokol Blosser Winery in the hills of Oregon. The wine staff in Planet of the Grapes are very knowledgeable about wine and they know what they are talking about. So naturally we discussed the grape varieties and the climate and of course the quality of the wine.
Evolution White is made from nine varieties of grapes: Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Sémillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sylvaner.
Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sémillon are used to make some of the world's finest sweet and dry white wines. Riesling and Gewürztraminer achieve their best expression in Alsace and Germany and late harvested grapes in both regions are used to make the finest sweet white wines. Sémillon is used to make the finest sweet white wines in the Bordeaux region of France - Sauternes.
Late harvested grapes dry out and wither on the vines to concentrate the sugars in the grapes. In the Bordeaux region Sémillon grapes are exposed to noble rot which also withers the grapes to produce grapes with high sugar levels.
The Evolution White wine was semi-sweet but any sweetness was well balanced by the acidity. The wine had a tangy, spicy and fruity taste which lingered long on the palate. It is wine which is of genuine high quality. The wine had its own distinct taste which is one of the hallmarks of a very good wine.
It is the perfect aperitif but it would also go well with desserts that have a hint of spice. It is best enjoyed with food but we enjoyed it on its own with conversation.
The waitress also gave us a taste of the Evolution Red which is made from Syrah (or Shiraz), Montepulciano and Sangiovese red wine grapes blended with a little of the Evolution white wine. This wine is spicy and fruity and of course will go well with food.
Sokol Blosser also make make wine from the Pinot Noir varietal and I suspect that this wine will be exceptionally good as the Pinot Noir grape grows well in the cool climate offered by the Dundee Hills of Oregon.
Sokol and Blosser have produced wines with a winning formula here and they deserve all the success they can get. These wines can compete favourably with many top European wines. I recommend them highly.
http://www.sokolblosser.com/about/history.html
Naturally, after a lot of talk about politics, religion and wine the subject turned to football. Spain, Italy and England have been eliminated. It is a good job that Spanish and Italian wines can hold up a good long term reputation that out classes the football. France is still going strong and has produced moments of Champagne football. As for England, well improvements are needed all round.
An Italian player was sent off for a head high tackle on a Uruguayan player and Suarez the "footballing genius", who had single-handedly defeated England, was banned after biting an Italian opponent in the same match. Suarez was lucky not to have been sent off too and of course the weakened Italian side were defeated. Perhaps the Uruguayan and Italian footballers should be sent on a wine course where they can learn how to act with decorum rather than violence.
After our meal we decided to decamp to Planet of the Grapes just down the road for a quick glass of wine before heading home.
The waitress spotted that we were after drinking something different from French, Italian and Spanish wine and suggested Evolution White which is produced by the Sokol Blosser Winery in the hills of Oregon. The wine staff in Planet of the Grapes are very knowledgeable about wine and they know what they are talking about. So naturally we discussed the grape varieties and the climate and of course the quality of the wine.
Evolution White is made from nine varieties of grapes: Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Sémillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Sylvaner.
Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sémillon are used to make some of the world's finest sweet and dry white wines. Riesling and Gewürztraminer achieve their best expression in Alsace and Germany and late harvested grapes in both regions are used to make the finest sweet white wines. Sémillon is used to make the finest sweet white wines in the Bordeaux region of France - Sauternes.
Late harvested grapes dry out and wither on the vines to concentrate the sugars in the grapes. In the Bordeaux region Sémillon grapes are exposed to noble rot which also withers the grapes to produce grapes with high sugar levels.
The Evolution White wine was semi-sweet but any sweetness was well balanced by the acidity. The wine had a tangy, spicy and fruity taste which lingered long on the palate. It is wine which is of genuine high quality. The wine had its own distinct taste which is one of the hallmarks of a very good wine.
It is the perfect aperitif but it would also go well with desserts that have a hint of spice. It is best enjoyed with food but we enjoyed it on its own with conversation.
The waitress also gave us a taste of the Evolution Red which is made from Syrah (or Shiraz), Montepulciano and Sangiovese red wine grapes blended with a little of the Evolution white wine. This wine is spicy and fruity and of course will go well with food.
Sokol Blosser also make make wine from the Pinot Noir varietal and I suspect that this wine will be exceptionally good as the Pinot Noir grape grows well in the cool climate offered by the Dundee Hills of Oregon.
Sokol and Blosser have produced wines with a winning formula here and they deserve all the success they can get. These wines can compete favourably with many top European wines. I recommend them highly.
http://www.sokolblosser.com/about/history.html
Monday, 23 June 2014
World Cup Wine - Brazilian Merlot
We tried some Waitrose Brazilian Merlot to drown our sorrows after England's unfortunate venture in the World Cup and their defeat to Uruguay. At £8.99 it was rather expensive but Waitrose had discounted it to a more realistic price of £6.99. It went down well with rare English beef. The beef and wine were much better than England's football. One of our French guests found the wine rather palatable.
It seems that the English players were rather naive and got caught out by a half-fit Uruguayan player, Suarez,who spent the whole match lurking around unmarked in the England penalty area. He only touched the ball twice but to score goals - brilliant and quick witted thinking. How could this have happened? Our football players did rather a lot of spitting so perhaps they had spent more time on wine tasting courses than football training but I doubt it; they are just bad mannered. They should have concentrated on the football and not trying to look cool or macho.
The Brazilian Merlot could not compare with a bottle 2010 Château Peybonhomme Les Tours Cru Bourgeois red from Blaye. This red is produced from organically grown grapes and is a complex wine which is typical of Bordeaux. It left the rather simple Brazilian Merlot far behind and in France it does not cost that much more.
I could see my guests casting admiring glances in my direction but they were too polite to cheat and try and grab the bottle of the good stuff so there was no need for the use of shaving foam to prevent a cheating hand crossing the demarcation line. They waited for me to serve it.
This is what I like about wine lovers: they know that it is not good manners to spit at the dining table or in public and they have learnt not to cheat, play act and writhe about to create a diversion. Wine lovers can be found in every country and they may not be rich but they have learnt to behave like urbane and civilised citizens. It really is a pity that the footballers cannot follow in their wake.
http://www.vignobles-hubert.com/en/chateau-peybonhomme/
It seems that the English players were rather naive and got caught out by a half-fit Uruguayan player, Suarez,who spent the whole match lurking around unmarked in the England penalty area. He only touched the ball twice but to score goals - brilliant and quick witted thinking. How could this have happened? Our football players did rather a lot of spitting so perhaps they had spent more time on wine tasting courses than football training but I doubt it; they are just bad mannered. They should have concentrated on the football and not trying to look cool or macho.
The Brazilian Merlot could not compare with a bottle 2010 Château Peybonhomme Les Tours Cru Bourgeois red from Blaye. This red is produced from organically grown grapes and is a complex wine which is typical of Bordeaux. It left the rather simple Brazilian Merlot far behind and in France it does not cost that much more.
I could see my guests casting admiring glances in my direction but they were too polite to cheat and try and grab the bottle of the good stuff so there was no need for the use of shaving foam to prevent a cheating hand crossing the demarcation line. They waited for me to serve it.
This is what I like about wine lovers: they know that it is not good manners to spit at the dining table or in public and they have learnt not to cheat, play act and writhe about to create a diversion. Wine lovers can be found in every country and they may not be rich but they have learnt to behave like urbane and civilised citizens. It really is a pity that the footballers cannot follow in their wake.
http://www.vignobles-hubert.com/en/chateau-peybonhomme/
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
World Cup Wine - Waitrose Brazilian Chardonnay
I tried a bottle of Brazilian wine for the first time last Sunday: Waitrose Brazilian Chardonnay 2013 vintage at £8.99 a bottle. Someone had to bring out a Brazilian wine for the world cup but couldn't Waitrose have thought of a better brand name? At least Tesco and Marks and Spencer have thought of some brand names. What about about Pele Blanco or "Hand of God Cuvée".
Brazil produces this wine in the Serra Gaúcha region which is on the 29th parallel south of the equator in the hills; the Argentinian border is nearby. The hills provide a cooler climate to grow grapes and about 5,000 hectares are planted with vitis vinifera vines for quality wine production. The 29th parallel is outside of the conventionally accepted wine zone of between 30 and 45 degrees South and you can tell even though the vines are grown in a cooler micro-climate that this is really not top flight wine.
Vine growing was introduced by the Portuguese when they arrived to colonise Brazil in the 16th century but it was not until the mid 19th century that wine production in Brazil was mastered because of the marginal climate.
We drank this wine with some Brazilian friends as an aperitif with some smoked salmon. I was really looking forward to it after a 10km run through High Elms with Orpington runners. To prepare for the run I had not had a drink for a week and I was thinking about a glass of wine as I ran through the pain in my knees on the steep inclines. Maybe, I should have downed a bottle before I started the run to dull my senses.
Was the wine as good as the football? Well it provided some novel entertainment and was better than England's performance against Italy the previous evening. I rather liked its sporting behaviour; the bottle did not take a dive when the cat just brushed his tail against the label to get to my smoked salmon. However, the wine did not really score any goals; it wasn't bad wine but it was ordinary and hardly a match for fine dining provided by my wife.
This wine cannot hold a candle up to Waitrose Macon Villages Cave de Lugny Chardonnay at just £7.99 a bottle so it looses 3 nil.
Waitrose also do a Brazilian Merlot at £8.99 a bottle and from the same region so more of this later. I shall buy some to drink with the England v Uruguay match if it is not on too late. Perhaps, it will get a score draw against some Jacob's Creek Shiraz.
£8.99 is a lot to pay for a bottle of wine but why not get into the spirit of things as at least you do get some value for money and it is better than paying for a hyped up FIFA rip-off.
I shall buy a bottle of Marks and Spencer Coconova Sparkling wine to celebrate if England get through to the last sixteen , even though I am half English and half Welsh and was born Wales - they play real champagne football there and it is called rugby. Perhaps, Waitrose will break out some real English wine for the Rugby World cup in England next year. Why not drink some Webb Ellis Reichensteiner Blanc - heaven forbid? But then, there is always some marvellous Tenterden Sparkling Wine to celebrate England winning the Rugby World Cup - at least they have got a real chance.
More to come I think........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichensteiner
http://www.marksandspencer.com/c/style-and-living/the-brazilian-bubbles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/10187866/Why-Brazil-is-on-the-wine-radar.html - Come off it.
http://www.waitrosecellar.com/all-wines/recommended-wines/new-exclusive-wine/waitrose-brazilian-chardonnay-861344
Brazil produces this wine in the Serra Gaúcha region which is on the 29th parallel south of the equator in the hills; the Argentinian border is nearby. The hills provide a cooler climate to grow grapes and about 5,000 hectares are planted with vitis vinifera vines for quality wine production. The 29th parallel is outside of the conventionally accepted wine zone of between 30 and 45 degrees South and you can tell even though the vines are grown in a cooler micro-climate that this is really not top flight wine.
Vine growing was introduced by the Portuguese when they arrived to colonise Brazil in the 16th century but it was not until the mid 19th century that wine production in Brazil was mastered because of the marginal climate.
We drank this wine with some Brazilian friends as an aperitif with some smoked salmon. I was really looking forward to it after a 10km run through High Elms with Orpington runners. To prepare for the run I had not had a drink for a week and I was thinking about a glass of wine as I ran through the pain in my knees on the steep inclines. Maybe, I should have downed a bottle before I started the run to dull my senses.
Was the wine as good as the football? Well it provided some novel entertainment and was better than England's performance against Italy the previous evening. I rather liked its sporting behaviour; the bottle did not take a dive when the cat just brushed his tail against the label to get to my smoked salmon. However, the wine did not really score any goals; it wasn't bad wine but it was ordinary and hardly a match for fine dining provided by my wife.
This wine cannot hold a candle up to Waitrose Macon Villages Cave de Lugny Chardonnay at just £7.99 a bottle so it looses 3 nil.
Waitrose also do a Brazilian Merlot at £8.99 a bottle and from the same region so more of this later. I shall buy some to drink with the England v Uruguay match if it is not on too late. Perhaps, it will get a score draw against some Jacob's Creek Shiraz.
£8.99 is a lot to pay for a bottle of wine but why not get into the spirit of things as at least you do get some value for money and it is better than paying for a hyped up FIFA rip-off.
I shall buy a bottle of Marks and Spencer Coconova Sparkling wine to celebrate if England get through to the last sixteen , even though I am half English and half Welsh and was born Wales - they play real champagne football there and it is called rugby. Perhaps, Waitrose will break out some real English wine for the Rugby World cup in England next year. Why not drink some Webb Ellis Reichensteiner Blanc - heaven forbid? But then, there is always some marvellous Tenterden Sparkling Wine to celebrate England winning the Rugby World Cup - at least they have got a real chance.
More to come I think........
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichensteiner
http://www.marksandspencer.com/c/style-and-living/the-brazilian-bubbles
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/10187866/Why-Brazil-is-on-the-wine-radar.html - Come off it.
http://www.waitrosecellar.com/all-wines/recommended-wines/new-exclusive-wine/waitrose-brazilian-chardonnay-861344
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Château de Canon - Organic Cider
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
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
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
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