My goodness this month has whizzed by! I am currently in week four of the Diploma and have learnt and am learning an awful lot about pruning, pests, soil and other things that someone without a garden or green fingers struggles to really be fascinated by. However when the outcome is understanding the process of how to create beautiful wine and not dried up cherry tomatoes (currently raisined on my balcony) with no responsibility for myself to actually water anything then I plough (of course not literally) through and strive to understand! And hopefully reach the next part of the course sooner, which involves drinking said wine. But that won't happen if I am late again to my course, crossing the river when what hardly ever happens, happens.
Frustratingly the boat was really quite small (hence no photo) and the mast looked just a couple of inches too high forcing the bridge to open.
So a busy month what with the studying but also the FIRST EVER Deptford and New Cross Wine Club! It was a very fun event, taking place at the Albany in Deptford. I met some lovely people and everyone said they really liked the wine and learnt lots! Here is what we had, plus cheeses and charcuterie.
Not sure what my favourite was but one of them is one of the Wines of the Month! Anyway the next Wine Club is taking place on May 13th. There is more information about it here.
So the Wines of the Month are...
The first featured sweet wine, the Sauternes mentioned above. This is absolutely brilliant. It has a deep gold and beautiful botrytis nose with honey, apricot and a bit of walnut. It was creamy and unctuous on the palate with flavours of peach and creme brulée. It had beautiful balance and a very long crisp citrus finish. We did a classic pairing with Stilton, delicious! Very good value from a Premier Cru Classé producer, amazing value at £12 a half bottle!
The next wine is a very likeable, easy to drink, extremely reasonably priced Australian Shiraz Cabernet. This was tasted at the Wine Society's Wizards of Oz tasting at Lord's Cricket Ground last week. Taylors Wines Promised Land Shiraz Cabernet 2013. Very promptly a few of these bad boys were purchased! This is not an overly complex wine but it is smooth and well balanced with lovely rich black fruit flavours and soft vanilla from oak. A light touch of pepper and a roundness that develops the more you drink it. I felt amongst all the others I tried that this was a bit different and very likeable. Good value too at £7.50.
So back to the viti-studies for me, writing paragraphs on frosts, hmmm.
Gadget Time!
This month I would like to introduce you to the Steady Sticks! With summer soon upon us and the threat of nice weather, wouldn't these be lovely in the park or garden or just somewhere outside with a patch of grass, or even doing a festival in style! Available at Amazon I believe.
