22 July
So with the world cup furore over for another four years we can all wrench ourselves out of our armchairs, de-robe our cars and houses of St.George banners, and start speaking to the wife again. It was one of the most unpredictable competitions in decades with many of the favoured countries making a swift exit, most notable no-shows in the the final eight were France, Italy and England. South America appeared to be faring better at this stage but big guns Brazil and Argentina fell at the last hurdle leaving an all- European clash for the final. Uruguay were the shock of the tournament but were widely chastised for performing their very own ‘hand of god’ act, knocking out local favorites Ghana.
For a second year running then, European football fans have won bragging rights over their South American counterparts. The opposite is happening in the Wine industry however with some really flavoursome grapes coming out of Soutj American regions like Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Mexico at the moment. Chile in particular is producing some sterling Reds, the grapes grow in rich, fertile soil on the high altitude vineyards of the Maipo and Raphel Valleys. Just like their bold young squad who gave Spain a real scare in the group stages, Chilean wine such as the full bodied Cabernet Carmener Montgrass are challenging established European favourites such as Spanish and Italian Wine
The Argentinean team are widely regarded as one of the best in the world, while their wine producing capabilities may not live up to that glorious accolade at present, they have all the ingredients to be one of the major players in the industry in the not to distant future. Just as their starting eleven is made of a huge pool of individual talent, the touch of Messi, the dogged determination of Tevez, their Vineyards posses a range of qualities. The Mendoza and Patagonia regions can boast the purest water flowing from the Andes, clear, unpolluted skies and year round sunshine adding up to make the ‘Argies’ a major player in the Wine World Cup
Even if your country didn’t fare to well in the football this summer, take comfort in the fact that they probably produce an amazing wine that will help you relax and forget all your World Cup worries, at least until 2014!
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16 July
We all love a nice glass of wine, whether it’s an Italian wine after a tough day at work or an Australian wine with friends and family at an al-fresco dinner party, for some of us however, a bottle and a glass is simply not sufficient for extracting maximum enjoyment from our poison of choice. While using additional equipment to serve alcoholic beverages may seem fussy and unnecessary to some, you may be surprised to learn that decanters were being used by the ancient Greeks thousands of years go. It emerges then that aids tio wine drtinking a not some superfluous 21st century product, they simply fell out of fashion in our convenience obsessed and time-poor culture.
It is time to start bringing this kind of kit back into general usage; after all, what’s the use in splashing out on a decent grpae if we’re not going to get maximum enjoyment out of it? Most of us hurriedly deposit the wine into an unsuitable glass, get it down the hatch and be done with it. This is not the way to enjoy a fine vintage. The first job is to make sure your wine is the correct temperature, whites and champagnes are best served chilled so if you are having a dinner party or BBQ, invest in a cooler to maintain a stable temperature.
When the wine is the desired temperature, ensure you de-cork carefully and with a well made cork-screw to avoid unsightly lumps floating around in your fine vinatge. While we’re on the subject of glasses, get some better ones! A long stem will allow you hold the glasses without warming the wine with your hand, while a wide bowel will allow the aroma of the wine to circulate, enhancing the drinking experience, especially with Alsace wines.
Once the wine is open it would be a good idea to use an arealator to introduce more oxygen to the bottle, allowing the wine to breath. A decanter of course performs a similar function. In the unlikely event that you don’t polish off all of your wine, a stopper is an absolute essential so it doesn’t inherit the smell of left-over pizza from your fridge. Of course if you really knew your stuff you’d have a rickety old wine rack wine the basement! There are some simple products to make your next glass of wine into a taste and smell explosion rather than just a drink.
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06 March
I am very lucky to live in such a lovely town which is on the South Coast. To the south of my house I have the English Channel which is only 5 minutes away by car and to the North I have the beautiful Sussex Downs.
I love going to the beach, especially on a cold day when the sea is really rough.It gives me time to blow all the cobwebs away and take stock of everything that is going on.When the summer finally arrives, it’s not much fun because all the tourists converge on our town, but luckily there are still some private coves I can escape too.
As though all of that wasn’t enough to be glad about, within walking distance of our house we have a few pubs and plenty of restaurants so if I want to go out for a drink when I have finished work, it’s really easy.
Each year during spring, one of the local pubs puts on a massive wine festival.With spring now just around the corner i haven’t got long to wait now and am counting down the days to the festival.Last year I was stunned at the huge array of wines on offer, some from countries I didn’t even know produced wine!
As the event is becoming so well loved, you have to now purchase your ticket way in advance. It’s a pretty good deal though because for a couple of Pounds I get to drink as much wine as I like.
Last year (early on in the day I hasten to add), I can remember sampling some German Wine, a lovely Portuguese Wine and some tasty Italian Wine. Anything I consumed after this has been forgotten, due to the fact I had drunk too much of the Italian wine!
This year, I think I may just have to pace myself a little bit better, after all it’s not every day you get to sample so many delicious wines and get change from a Ten Pound Note!!
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