Sunday 30 September 2012

Woks it all about ? ( or for the sake of Sake).





I found myself in Wagamamas, this week, trying to understand the menu. It can be frightening "skiing off piste", but i think leaving your comfort zone every now and again is healthy. the Japanese restaurant is very slick and well run. The simple tables, give a sense of communal eating. The lack of space demarcation, can be thrilling....once and again!
 

It feels more Communist China, than westernised Japan. However, this free spirit made me skip over the regular wine list and head for the plum wine and Sake section. I read with interest, how James Bond had got it wrong in "You only live twice".




The dialogue went : Tanaka asks James, "You like Japanese sake, Mr. Bond - or would you like a vodka martini?" James replies, "Oh no, I like sake, especially when it's served at the correct temperature, 98.4F, like this is."        
                                
Wagamama can do your Sake at any temperature. I didn't chose Mr Bond's rice wine selection, which it turns out, is body temperature. Instead, my rice wine came chilled, with an eggcup like shot glass. When drinking it, I kept thinking of cheap vodka,poured into a carton of take-away plain rice. The mix did seem to go very well with the Japanese Beef and noodles,I was having it with.


Little Italy in Ireland

While staying in Dublin, we went to an Italian restaurant, located in the Hotel. It was the lazy option for us, because my wife and I both felt tired. The day had started early, getting out of the house and then getting to the airport.

I always try to encourage my wife to pack small, so we can carry on the plane, all our luggage. It goes back to a time, when I was travelling in America. We used to say "if you can't hack it, don't pack it". I am sure we will come back, with clothes unworn, even now.

So in this very large and fairly empty restaurant, the waitress, Anna, was trying to gauge how much we know about wine and then go in for the sell. I tend to humour them and play dumb. I wanted to see what was popular and what she would want to drink. This narrowed the field to three whites.

Wines from the Supermarket, this week Tesco.

This week, I made a trip to Tesco, in search of some good wine. The shelves were well stocked, with a wide range of wine. The only thing lacking,seemed to be good offers.

One offer did catch my eye, that was for a half price Wairau Cove, Sauvignon Blanc. Down from £11.99 to £5.99.  It comes from Marlborough, on the Southern Island of New Zealand. The wines lives up to expectations of New Zealand Sauvignons. There is cut grass and lime on the nose. I also found this wine had an enjoyable gooseberry and passion-fruit blended burst on the tongue.

Monday 24 September 2012

Adult breaks in Ireland

Today finds me sitting at a desk, in a beautiful suite, in a Hotel in Dublin. I have a free day to do what I want and when. Just for four clear days, there are no kids, chores or DIY, just relaxing.

I should explain that every year, we are lucky enough to go on an "adult break". It is only made possible by my fantastic Parents-in-law, who look after the children. I think in the sitcom, "The Good Life", called it their Pagan Rite . A time to get dressed up, a time for posh frocks and pushing the boat out a little.

Saturday 22 September 2012

Starlight Express

These wines caught my eye, because of the stylish label and the choice of red grape.
Petit Verdot is usually used in small quantities, with Left Bank Bordeaux's. It tends to be added to give depth and colour, so I was interested to see how it would taste on its own.

I then remembered that I had ridden on the train, pictured on the label. I was travelling around America at the time and had just had a bad nights sleep in Seattle. As the train pulled out, the conductor announced  that there were first class cabins, available at reduced rates.

Jumping at the chance, I had one of the most luxurious train rides of my life. When we reached California, the conductor (who was state proud) kept up a running commentary of all the produce, being grown in the fields we were passing.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Fifty shades of red (and white)

In the first part of how it looks,  we dealt with the legs. Now we are going to tilt our glass 45ish degrees and look at the wine against a white background. The two areas we are focusing on are the general colour and the edge of the wine.

Firstly, the general colour, its not just red, white and pink. The are fifty shades of red, from brick red, cherry red, garnet etc. You have to imagine you are writing the Farrow and Ball chart and come up with your own.

Sunday 16 September 2012

Fairground Attraction

This weekend, the fair is in town. A yearly event, which the kids look forward to and the parents have to save up for! The kids and I now have an understanding that they don't "win" any fish.

Toy guns are another problem in our house, as all too often these are won and broken, before they get home.

Thursday 13 September 2012

Wines from the Supermarket, this week the Co-op

The Co-op is not my shop of choice, there I have said it, it is out there. To pan for gold you have to wade through dirt and every now and again you find nuggets in the most unlikely places.

This week's nuggets are both on offer. The first from Spain, is half price and I have to say I went back and have bought a case, after tasting. It is called Espelt and comes from the Costa Brava Carinena, in the North Eastern part of the country. It is made from Garnacha grapes grown on 55 year old vines.


The wine is matured in French New Oak barrels and  comes from the 2008 vintage, personally I feel this wine will continue to age in the bottle and will  benefit from all the years you allow it to mature.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

The Book Group cometh.

"The Book Group are drinking, I mean meeting, here tonight" my wife informed me this morning.
A monthly "do", that a band of Mothers take it in turns to host. The object is to read a book between group meetings and then turn up and gossip for two hours.

The talk is fuelled by tasty bites and choice cuts from my cellar. This time, I am prepared, I took steps to buy wine in and taste beforehand. I put forward three wines, one of which was the rosé, which  I wrote about this week.
The other two were picked out, because they looked interesting on the shelf.

Monday 10 September 2012

The Butler's guide to wine tasting, part one of "sight"


How a wine looks can tell you a lot. The colour of the wine can narrow down grapes, the "legs" indicate full bodied wines and hint at alcohol content and the rim of the glass can tell you the age of the wine and if it is mature enough to drink.  So important is the sight of a wine, that I have seen Sommeliers get colour wrong, in a blindfolded tasting.

I once spent some time with one of France's top Sommeliers, who took part in competitions that used black goblets. His encyclopedic knowledge, helped me to catalogue a Cellar I was running at the time. He told me that being denied this bodily sense, really made him earn the prize money.

Sunday 9 September 2012

A flurry of Fleurie from Louis Jadot


This week I was searching  my cellar, for a light red Burgundy, to accompany a Duck dish we were having. Louis Jadot is a very consistent producer in this region and I have been stocking their wines,since 1997.                       Over the years, I have built up a good relationship with Hatch Mansfield, the agent for Louis Jadot in this country. They have put me on to some very good offers over the years. One such offer meant that I had a case of Fleurie 2007, which really needs drinking.

Friday 7 September 2012

Wines from the supermarket, this week Sainsbuy's

A few weeks ago, I touched on wines from the supermarket, extolling their virtues.
I thought it might be an idea to try this out on a weekly basis.
This weeks offerings have been chosen from Sainsbury's and are selected on quality and value for money basis.

With the sun suddenly appearing, now the kids are back to school, I have chosen two whites and a blush.
The first is from South Africa and is a Sauvignon Blanc, from Batttlefield Wines. It is down to £5.00 from £5.99 and has been £9.99, but does all the things you want a Sauvignon to do. It also raises money for the Royal British Legion.

Monday 3 September 2012

Notes on tasting wine with the Butler, "the smell"


The Smell of it!

Twenty two years ago I was a passenger in a car,driving back from the coast to London, with my Uncle. My Uncle was a Financial Adviser at the time and I innocently asked how he remembered all his clients names.

He said to me that the trick was word association, he told me that he latched on to items of clothing that his clients always wore and repeated them with their name.

For example Tim....bow ties, Tina......pearls and Steve.....cord jackets. It felt at the time like a conjurer's trick explained or that I had been privy to some industrial secrets.