Welcome to the November edition of Quaff Drops
Your monthly wine magazine from
The Wine Wise Company
This month edition includes
• New Look Wine Wise Website
• Quaff My Bluff
• Languedoc Masterclass - Côtes de la Malepère
• Christmas is Coming
• Sarah’s Wine of the month
• Tastings News
New Look Wine Wise Website
We have been working hard redesigning our web site which now not only has a fresh new look but also some new features. You can now view all our events and book and pay on-line using Paypal.We will of course still accept payment by cheque or over the telephone by card if you prefer.
The vineyard tours take centre stage on our home page and we are expanding our range of tours. We currently have 2 tours to choose from; Minerve & Corbièreswhich is a 3 day tour of the vineyards in these stunning a and important areas and Bienvenue à Languedoc! a 3 day tour including vineyards, French food and culture. Over the coming months we will be adding to the list to offer you even more choice so we hope to tempt some of you to join us in the south of France.
For those of you planning a holiday in the region we will also be offering one day tours which we have named ‘Vin en Vacances’. When you are in a vineyard region its great fun to seek out vineyards and try your hand at a little degustation however finding the better producers can be a little tricky if you are new to the area. So why not join us, sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery, the food and the wines with no worries about drinking an driving either!. Take a look at the range of tours available.
Training courses are a major focus of our company and we offer WSETas well as Wines & Vines Courses (Wine Appreciation) in Birmingham, Leicester and Warwick. Our range of Wines & Vines Courses and Tastings are all listed on our new look web site. You can choose from our 8 and 6 week courses to the Master Class sessions which take a closer look at particular countries and regions.
Private Wine Tasting Eventsare a growing side of our business. They are an excellent way to socialise with friends and family or work colleagues and customers. Choose from wine appreciation evenings to Blind Tasting Quizzes.
We hope you will like the look of our new web site and have the time to take a browse through it. If you like what you see why not add it to your favourites.
‘Quaff My Bluff’
Our range of wine related corporate events are a great way to entertain clients and colleagues. Last month we were delighted to be invited by the Midlands World Trade Forum to stage one of our most popular events ‘Quaff My Bluff’. This fun wine tasting activity was part of the fringe event MWTF were holding at the Conservative Party conference. The aim of MWTF is to help companies develop their expertise in international trade and the fringe event was aimed at raising their profile through media coverage and by attracting an audience made up of local businesses and politicians from the conference.
The Wine Wise ‘Quaff My Bluff’ involves a panel of ‘wine experts’ who entertain by describing the wines the audience are tasting. Each panel member is convinced that their explanation of the wine is the true one and it is up to the audience to decide who is bluffing and who is telling the truth. On this occasion the panelist were our very own Wendy Gedney, Tim Underwood from Underwood wines who also sponsored the wines for the event and John Shuckborough who runs an Oxford based company called The Wine Advisor. They were all kept in order and the audience entertained by our wonderful presenter John Lloyd.Glenis Polletti, Executive Director of MWTF was delighted with the event and commented ‘I think that our biggest coup was that we managed to attract Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Shadow Minister for International Development’.
If you are looking for ideas for an event to entertain your clients or perhaps to fund raise for your cause the Wine Wise ‘Quaff My Bluff’ could be the perfect answer.
Languedoc Masterclass
Côtes de la Malepère was awarded AOC status on May 2nd 2007. It is a hilly area south-west of the city of Carcassonne which is included in the appellation along with 31 other towns and villages. Although the area claims a great history of wine making it was in the 1970’s that the vineyards began to be replanted and VDQS status was granted. VDQS is the intermediary wine designation between Vin de Pays and AOC and is a testing ground for would-be AOC’s to prove that wines from all the producers share a common personality before they can be awarded full AOC status. Although an obscure region the Malepère is well worth a visit and offers a very different terrain to the more recognizable Languedoc appellations. There are many interesting medieval circular villages to visit. They were built this way to form ramparts to act as protection for the inhabitants. The Cathar religion was strong here and the area is immersed in history and folklore.
This red and rosé appellation allows Bordeaux as well as Mediterranean grape varieties. Although the Bordeaux varieties dominate the blends the wines bear more similarity to those from the Gascony region of south west France than those from Bordeaux. Merlot dominates the blends accompanied by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc plus a little Cot (Malbec), Grenache and Cinsault. The wines are usually deep in colour with redcurrant, raspberry and blackcurrant on the nose with hints of spices, truffle, pepper and a lightly wooded scent. They have a powerful & rounded palate with a tannic structure, good acid balance and develop well when matured in casks.
If you’re tempted to learn more about these wines we include a visit to this area in our Bienvenue à Languedoc! wine tour.
Article written by Wendy Gedney AIWS
Christmas
Sorry to mention that word. I hate it when Christmas starts in October but there is no getting away from it as it is on its way and you will soon be turning your attention to present buying and thinking of ways to celebrate. For the wine lover in your life we have plenty to offer:
Christmas Wine & Dine, December 12th in Birmingham – this is a fabulous 4 course southern French dinner accompanied by 12 wines from the Languedoc. A great way to entertain friends, family colleagues and clients
6 Week Wine & Vine Courses – these course are available in Birmingham, Leicester and Warwick commencing in January. Take a look at our Events Calendarfor details
Gift Vouchers – our gift vouchers can be redeemed against any of the services we offer from vineyard tours to half day courses.
These are just a few of our suggestions and for more ideas why not take a look at our events calendar. Link
Christmas Food & Wines Course, Leicester Wine School
To get you in the mood for Christmas and to help you decide which wines to serve over the festive season we have put together a really useful and enjoyable course. You will discover which wines will best match a traditional Christmas lunch, which wines to drink with Christmas pudding, why you should not save your fine claret to pair with Stilton and lots lots more. Over 3 hours we will taste at least 8 wines and sample each of them with Christmas style foods.
The course is running on Saturday afternoon December 6th and is available at a special price of £30 per person. Places are limited so please either book on-line or telephone Wendy to book your place. Tel: 01926 497687
Sarah’s wine of the month
Maycas del Limari Syrah Reserva 2007 I’ve chosen this wine as we are now well into autumn I thought we needed something to warm ourselves up with and this full bodied big number will certainly do that! Th e wine is from the Limari valley which is in the far north of Chile and is protected by the low lying Altos de Talinay mountains on one side and the Andes on the other. There is a balance of coastal breeze and dry heat of the interior and there are rain free summers and frost free springs. The Incas used to mine copper in this valley before the Spanish arrived and now due to the excellent climate Syrah and Chardonnay are grown and produce wines with powerful mineral-rich aromas. Concha y Toro, owners of Maycas del Limari dedicated their vineyards in this region to the production of premium quality single varietal wine.
On the nose this gorgeous Syrah is strikingly full of ripe black cherries and fruits of the forest with a generous dollop of 
chocolate. As it opens up, more spicy notes come through with a hint of liquorice in the background. The flavours explode on the palate and the spice really comes to the fore and lasts right the way through to the finish. Cherry is accompanied by blackberry on the palate and the tannins are well structured yet soft. It has amazingly well balanced acidity with excellent length. I opened this last night to warm us up and to accompany a delicious Puy lentil and meaty sausage casserole. The combination of flavours and warmth worked brilliantly and are a fantastic autumn-winter warmer. This wine is widely available (Oddbins, Tesco and on-line) and cost £8.99 which is excellent value for this high quality and superbly well made wine.
Article written by Sarah Long, AIWS
Quote of the month
"In victory, you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it."
Napoleon Bonaparte
Tastings News
Some weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend a very interesting local wine tasting where they were showing delightful and slightly different wines for everyday drinking, through a great selection of mid priced wines to some fabulous “weekend” wines including the award winning Pinord +7 Priorat from Spain. Anyone who had never before 
tasted a Priorat had a treat that evening as, though the wine was young (2005) it was rich, with multi layers of dark fruit and a long silky finish. The tasting was hosted by Lindsay Poole of Wine Poole and I understand from her that she is now preparing for her Pre-Christmas Tastings due to take place at the Warwick Suite at The Warwick Arms Hotel, High Street, Warwick from 6pm to 9.00pm on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st November. As an ardent supporter of Macmillan Cancer Support she is not only donating part of the entrance fee but also a percentage of the sales on the night. At this tasting she will be showing everything from good value wines for “Drinks Parties and Beyond” plus the perfect wines to complement Christmas Fayre. Since most of us have at some time bought a “special” wine, which has disappointed, my advice is to try before you buy and this tasting is the perfect opportunity to do just that. If you wish to go, please either phone Lindsay on 01926 490970 or email her on tastings@winepoole.co.uk and state how many tickets you require and for which night. But don’t delay as places are limited and these tickets will not be around for long………. and you never know you just might see me there too!
Other Tastings available locally in November:
Underwood Wine Warehouse, Montague Road, Warwick.
Nick and Tim are hosting four wine tasting dates in November where they will be serving a selection of their top quality wines from around the world to enhance your festive season. The tastings are running on Tuesdays and Wednesdays November 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th from 4.30 p.m. until 8.30 p.m. It is important that you book your place so just decide which date suits you best and give them a call on 01926 402100
Roland Kay Wines, Claverdon Church Centre, Church Lane, Claverdon, Warwick. CV35 8PD. This tasting is also aimed at wines fro the festive season and is being held on Friday evening November 7th and Saturday afternoon November 8th. For more information call Roland on 0794 1967464
Happy Quaffing!
Wendy and Sarah