I predict a riot : well almost!

A selection of Sicilian wines

A selection of wines from the Wines of Sicily Trade Tasting in London

Twenty years ago, I predicted that the England football team should stop playing 4-4-2, as this system was outdated, one-dimensional and would guarantee failure at every major international tournament. Hardly anyone believed me then, but pretty much everybody agrees now. I also predicted that fewer and fewer people would turn out to vote at elections and this also seems to be true.

In terms of wine, a few years ago, I came to the conclusion that perhaps Vinho Verde Tinto was not quite the joke it was sometimes made out to be – even the Portuguese considered it a rather eccentric style of table wine for the home market only. I’ve now seen it advertised in the wine trade press for UK consumption! However, ten years ago, following a holiday to Sicily, I rated the island as a future wine force, as the signs of quality were starting to shine. Having just attended the Wines of Sicily tasting in London, I can definitely say that I was not wrong.

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Chile and Argentina : wine nations to be taken seriously

Chilean and Argentinian Wines

A selection of wines from the Chilean and Argentinian Trade Tastings at Lords Cricket Ground

I recently attended the Wines of Chile and Wines of Argentina Annual Trade Tastings at Lords Cricket Ground. The two countries offer a rich diversity of wine styles worth discovering, as well as strongly supporting Fairtrade wine production. Before offering some highlights, here’s a little bit of background information to both countries’ wine traditions.

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A voyage of discovery : a journey into the unknown

Via Nova wines

Via Nova ‘Mencia’ and ‘Godello’ wines from Galicia in North West Spain.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are over. Inspiration for some, annoyance for others, for many they represented a journey into unknown territory – sports that people had never heard of, watched or tried before. So perhaps now is the time to build on this spirit of adventure and try new types of food and drink. In this article, I will be looking at expanding our taste sensations with products you may never have previously considered or discovered. Come with me on a voyage of discovery…

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A Sense of fun : Olympic proportions !

A sense of fun

Beers and House of Chilli from the Isle of Wight and some interesting people at the GBBF!

So the Olympics have finished, but the smiles remain, even if the full benefits won’t be felt for another 20 years, or so we are told. Hopefully, the Paralympics will be a fantastic success too (although can’t the Olympic flame be continued until those Games have finished ?). A real sense of fun has pervaded the atmosphere, which leads me to the following observation. Has food and drink become more “fun” recently? I think so and about time too!

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A Fond Farewell to Kemp’s Wines !

Kemps Wines

A selection of Kemp’s wines, including the appropriately named “Swansong”

After 26 years in the wine business, John Kemp retired at the end of last year. An extremely talented winemaker in Suffolk, he cites age (72 but looks considerably younger), a desire to do the things he wants for the rest of his life, like kayaking (!) and the rising cost of petrol affecting transportation costs as reasons for stopping. Previous owner of Giffords Hall, in Hartest near Bury St Edmunds, he decided to set up a small winery nearby in three acres of land, approximately nine years ago. Keeping his operation small, he decided to sell wine at country shows and through mail order only. John retires at a time when English wine is receiving an increasing number of accolades and the future is definitely wine-coloured, if not orange.

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The Definitive Italian Wine Tasting 2012

Definitive Italian Wine Tasting

The "Definitive Italian Wine Tasting" event at Lords Cricket Ground on 18th June was a great showcase for wine diversity. Few countries exhibit such a range of styles and grape varieties as Italy. Given the size and shape of the country, it is not surprising that the climate varies hugely from the Alpine glacial moraines in the north to the volcanic Sicilian slopes in the south. Many grape varieties planted there are well known, but there are others virtually unknown outside Italy which are capable of making some fantastic wine. I went in search of surprises and returned happy with my discoveries, some of which I will now share with you.

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The Real Ale Revolution Continues

So real ale used to be thought of as an old man’s drink (probably an old English man wearing a flat cap) and as far removed from youthful trends as Jeremy Clarkson’s dress sense. However, this is clearly no longer the case.

CAMRA reports increasing numbers of younger drinkers and new microbreweries opening up, despite increases in pub closures. In the USA, craft brewers are flourishing and in Italy, there is a growing appreciation of real ale with over 360 microbreweries and a consumer organisation similar to CAMRA, called MoBI (Movimiento Birrario Italiano) – www.movimentobirra.it/presentazione.aspx?%2f. Now Spain is moving in on the act, but surprisingly it’s wine that’s driving this forward.

Rioja is famous around the world as one of the premier wine-producing regions. Tempranilo, garnacha and viura are three of the quality grape varieties used to make wine in this area of Northern Spain. Now barrels previously used to mature wine made from these grapes are being used to mature beer. According to the Drinks Business www.thedrinksbusiness.com, Mateo & Bernabé produce two kinds of beer – a wheat beer and a golden ale, using hops and wheat from England and Germany. It will be interesting to see now whether Spanish drinkers support this new venture, as cold lager still has a major hold over consumers’ beer tastes in the hot Mediterranean countries. What next – a real ale revolution in Germany ???

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London International Wine Fair

I spent yesterday at the London International Wine Fair (LIWF) 2012, one of the biggest trade events in the wine calendar. Here are just a few highlights.

Firstly, guess what – you can’t say that I’m not ahead of the times !!! Nyetimber’s Blanc de Blancs 2003, featured in the "Tipple of the Month" has just been awarded a Gold Medal at the prestigious International Wine Challenge 2012 (http://www.internationalwinechallenge.com). This was one of my favourite wines at the recent English Wine Producers Tasting and the award is well deserved recognition for the quality of Nyetimber’s wines.

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Organic or Local : you choose !

A farmer market

Organic produce may be a wonderful thing, but there are some, err, buts! For example, it tends to be quite expensive, not always readily available, can have shorter shelf lives and may be flown in thousands of miles before it reaches you. Sales of organic food in the UK are 10 times higher than they were in the mid-nineties. However, in our current climate of economic and financial hardship, sales of organic produce are unsurprisingly dropping.

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National Food Stereotypes

beef burger

Every nation is justifiably proud of its culinary traditions. France, the home of "gastronomie", has a worldwide reputation for culinary excellence. Similarly, Italy is famous for quality food and drink and increasingly, the diverse flavours of Asian cuisine are winning plaudits from a global audience. British food and drink, on the other hand, have for decades been subject to negative connotations, despite the rise of award-winning British chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants, specialising in British recipes and ingredients.

Although there are historical reasons for this, including changes brought about by the industrial revolution, post-war rationing, 1970s kitsch and preferences for tinned and processed food over home-cooked, today’s reality is markedly different from the enduring global myth of impoverished British cuisine.

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