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Our tutored tastings are designed to appeal to people who appreciate fine wine. They are informal in style. The tutor will give some background information and then simply introduce each wine and encourage discussion. A tasting sheet and, where appropriate, maps will be provided but not detailed notes. Unless otherwise indicated, 8 wines will be tasted. There will be mineral water and water biscuits to refresh your palate between the wines so please, no snack foods, cheese etc. PROGRAMME FOR APRIL TO AUGUST 2008
Jancis
Robinson and Hugh Johnson think that Riesling is the noblest of the white
varieties. So, who are we to argue? Two examples each from Alsace,
Australia, Germany and New Zealand.
A selection
of dry white, red and dessert wines from some of Austria's top
producers.
Eight classic Italian wines served with a carefully selected array of cold antipasti.
The “Lafite of the Languedoc”? A touch over the top, in our estimation, but there is no doubt that Aimé Guibert’s Cabernet dominated Vin de Pays de l’Hérault is world class - a wine of great breeding and distinction. We will taste a recent vintage of the rare white and then the '97, '96, '94, '93, '92, '91 and '86 red. Not to be missed!
High use of Merlot means that the wines of Blaye, Bourg, Côtes de Castillon, St-Emilion, Fronsac and Pomerol are typically softer in style than those of the left bank, where Cabernet predominates. A representative selection of wines from the area.
A 400 year old tradition of wine-making rejuvenated for the 21st century. But what impresses most is not the sweet, ripe fruit and value for money of the supermarket bottles but the intensity and ‘old world’ complexity of the best cuvées from producers such as Bianchi, Catena, Norton and Weinert.
A tasting of some of New Zealand's finest Pinot Noirs including Ata Rangi, Felton Road, Mount Difficulty, Neudorf, Pegasus Bay, Quartz Reef and Rippon.
A selection of new wave Spanish wines with cold tapas.
Western Australia produces a small fraction of the Australian total but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Small specialist wineries predominate in this remote region. We will taste a selection of wines from the best of these.
A selection of fine white and red wines from some of Southern Germany's best producers.
Cabernet Franc often seems to languish in the shadow of the more celebrated Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a pity because, in the right hands it can produce wines of great distinction. Fine examples from Australia, New Zealand, California, The Loire Valley and Bordeaux.
Matching wine with chocolate is a bit of a challenge, but we think we have come up with some interesting pairings. How about rich chocolate truffles and Port, white chocolate and Sauternes or hot chilli flavoured bitter chocolate and Claret? Come and indulge yourself!
Light, fruity, refreshing and very food friendly, a glass of well chilled rose rosé is our favourite summer drink. We will taste a ‘pink’ Champagne, two classic wines from the South of France - a Tavel and a Bandol - and a selection of characterful examples from Spain, Portugal, Greece, Australia and New Zealand.
Classy wines
to go with summer desserts. There will be delicious examples from
California, France (Jurançon, Minervois, Montlouis and Sauternes),
Germany and Italy (The Veneto and Sicily). We will provide sweet
biscuits, fruit, nuts and some creamy blue cheese to accompany
the wines.
The probable line-up will be Tignanello (Marchesi Antinori), Tassinaia (Castello del Terricco), Primamateria (Poggerino), Flaccianello (Fontodi), Cepparello (Isole e Olena), Monticello (Il Colombaio di Cencio), Casalferro (Barone Ricasole) and Poggio Bestiale (Fattoria di Magliano).
Compare and contrast how Syrah/Shiraz performs in Australia, New Zealand, California, South Africa, South America, Spain and of course the classic regions of St. Joseph and Côte Rôtie in France’s Northern Rhône Valley.
With over 10,000 growers and over 500 appellations, it’s small wonder that buying Burgundy can seem to be a bit of a lottery. This tasting will attempt to address the problem and demonstrate that attractive wines can be found at affordable prices.
The pioneering
eccentrics have sold up. Wine making in England is now a serious
business and wines of real quality are being made. Join us in tasting
3 traditional method sparklers, 3 fragrant whites, a surprisingly
rich and robust red and a late harvest dessert wine. We think you
will be pleasantly surprised.
A chance to compare and contrast the different styles of Champagne - Non Vintage v Vintage, Grande Marque v Grower’s Wines, Blanc de Noirs v Blanc de Blancs, White v Rosé, Brut v Rich.
In this tasting, we will focus on the wines which many people think are the greatest of the region – complex, dry whites from Savennières, fruity reds from Chinon and Bourgueil and clean, crisply sweet whites from the Coteaux du Layon (including a rare old vintage of the fabled Moulin Touchais).
Daumas Gassac, the first of the new wave of southern French properties to achieve cult status, now has serious competition. Grange des Pères, Prieuré de St-Jean de Bébian, Château de Negly, D’Aupilhac – the list goes on. So what is all the fuss about? Come and taste for yourself.
The other side of Northern Italy, with its Barolos and Barbarescos, tends to steal the glamour, causing the wines of the north-east to be under-rated. Single vineyard Valpolicella from a top producer, for example, or the unusual Reciotto di Soave of Pieropan, or that unique wine, Amarone, not to mention the superb whites of the Friuli, rarely seen here, from producers like Maculan and Jerman.
A second chance to compare and contrast the different styles of Champagne - Non Vintage v Vintage, Grande Marque v Grower’s Wines, Blanc de Noirs v Blanc de Blancs, White v Rosé, Brut v Rich. Although the theme of this tasting is the same as Champagne 1, the wines will be different!
A selection
of new wave wines from the different regions and 'terroirs' of
Portugal, showing the diversity of grapes and styles which is Portugal's
main point of difference to other European areas. We will taste
a white from the Alentejo, followed by reds from Tras os Montes,
Dao, Douro, Alentejo, Ribatejo and Terres do Sado, finishing with
a fortified sweet wine.
Wines from
top producers in Oregon and Washington State, including Bergstrom,
L’Ecole No. 41, Firesteed, Hedges, Château Sainte Michelle,
Sokol Blosser and Willakenzie Estate.
KEY: VENUES
GLASSESYou will need to bring 6 wine glasses to each session. If you really want to sharpen up your taste buds, a set of the International Standards Organisation (ISO) glasses used by the professionals is recommended (the tutor will have boxed sets of 6 crystal ISO tasting glasses for sale at £15). TUTORSThe tastings will normally be introduced by Vivienne Franks, Lena Inger or Sandy Leckie. All have extensive lecturing experience, are members of The Association of Wine Educators and/or Circle of Wine Writers and travel widely to keep up to date.
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