The Wine Wise Company newsletter October 1st, 2008
Welcome to this months edition of Quaff Drops the monthly wine magazine from The Wine Wise Company. This month edition includes:
- Wine Wise Launch Birmingham Wine School
- Italian Tasting & Supper
- Languedoc Masterclass
- Wine tasting in Claverdon
- Christmas Wine & Dine Event
- Sarah’s Wine of the month
The Launch of our Birmingham Wine School
We are delighted to announce the launch of our Birmingham wine school which means that we now offer WSET and Wine Appreciation courses in the centre of Birmingham at The Old Joint Stock Theatre in Temple Row West.
Many of you have enjoyed attending general wine appreciation courses or WSET courses and now want to learn more about specific countries and regions. Our web site contains a full list of courses available and running on Thursday Evenings at the Old Joint Stock Theatre. The courses include:
| January 8th | Burgundy |
| February 12th | The Rhône |
| March 12th | Languedoc-Roussillon |
| April 9th | Spain |
| May 14th | South American Wines |
Each course lasts 2 hours and costs between £25 and £45. You can make a 10% saving by booking onto 2 courses and a 15% saving when you book onto 5 courses. To book your place please contact Wendy on 07880 796786 or you can book on-line.
As one of the WSET APP’s (Approved Program Providers) we run WSET courses at Intermediate and Advanced level. Because many people find committing to a series of evening classes difficult our courses are held on Saturdays. We have developed a 3 day Intermediate course and a 5 day Advanced course commencing in Birmingham on the following dates next year:
| Intermediate | January 10th | May 2nd | September 19th |
| Advanced | February 7th | October 17th |
Information about the courses and the content. To book your place please contact Wendy on 07880 796786 or you can book on-line.
Italian Wine Tasting & Supper Thursday 16th October
This two hour tasting provides an overview of this prolific wine producing country. We will take a journey from North to South stopping off on the way to discuss the most famous areas and taste 8 wines including Barolo, Gavi, Amarone, Chianti and some less well known ones. NEW VENUE The evening is taking place at The Old Joint Stock Theatre, 4 Temple Row, Birmingham. B2 5NY. The price is £30 and includes a one plate Italian supper to accompany the wines. More details...
Languedoc Masterclass
Last month we brought you an overview of the Languedoc region which is the area of southern France that we specialise in. Each edition of Quaff Drops will feature an area, producer or bring you news from this spectacular wine producing part of the world and this month our focus is on Limoux.
Limoux is an attractive market town in the Aude département with a handsome church and interesting weekly (Friday) market. It lies on the River Aude some 30 km due south of Carcassonne. The river flows through the town from north to south and there are a number of interesting bridges connecting the east and west halves.
This is a white wine producing area set amidst beautiful rolling countryside. The most famous wine from this region is the sparkling Blanquette du Limoux, which has been in production since before 1531 and claims to be the first sparkling wine predating Dom Perignon’s accidental production by about half a century. However the original production method is not the same as that used for Champagne or any sparkling wine made ‘mèthode traditionnelle’. The method originally used to make these wines and one that is still used by many producers is called ‘mèthode ancestrale’. The wines made this way are produced entirely from the Mauzac grape and fermentation begins in the usual fashion but is arrested when the temperature drops which it did naturally as winter approached. These days it is helped with the aide of temperature controlled equipment. Originally the wine did not fully ferment and was bottled and corked and when the spring weather raised the temperatures the yeast would get to work again and create bubbles.
Blanquette du Limoux can be made either ‘mèthode ancestrale’ or if made ‘mèthode traditionnelle’ it can contain up to 10% Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. You can also buy Cremant de Limoux, which is made ‘mèthode traditionnelle’ from 60% Mauzac and equal measures of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay and is a richer, fruitier wine.
Although the majority of wine from Limoux is sparkling there are some still whites made here and these wines were given AOC status in 1993. The variety of microclimates and aspects has led to the definition of four different zones: Autan (named after the hot wind of the area), Aceanique, Mediterranean and Haute-Vallée. One of the finest producers of still and sparkling wines is Les Caves du Sieur d’Arques which is a cave co-operative in the town of Limoux and is responsible for about three-quarters of the production in the area. They produce a Chardonnay called ‘Toques et Clochers’ which is made from fruit grown in all 4 of the zones which they call their ‘petit Meurault’. The wine is matured in new oak which confers complex flavours of melted butter, nuts, caramel and toast. There is also a delicious lemony twist in the finish. The accent is on the terroir and minimal intervention and it also ages beautifully.
It takes its name from the annual auction of exceptional barrels from the best parcelles which is held in Limoux on the Sunday before Easter every year. A gala dinner is cooked by a celebrity chef (hence the Toque – the chefs traditional tall hat) whilst the proceeds of the auction go to a different Limoux wine village each year to be used for the restoration of the bell tower (the Clocher).
Next year we will be including a visit to this excellent co-operative in one of the vineyard tours we offer in the region. You will also be able to buy the ‘Toques et Clochers’ wine from our web site in the very near future when our web site is ready for you to buy wines from all of the producers we visit on our tours.
Article by Wendy Gedney AIWS
Wine Tasting in Claverdon
Roland Kay Wine is a wine merchant that specialise in providing FREE tastings for you to sample all his wines before you buy. I went along to one earlier this year and had a lovely evening tasting many wines from all over the world and enjoying the free buffet. The tastings are held at Claverdon Church Centre in the heart of this pretty village close to Warwick. The room was laid out with about 10 tasting stations each one offering 3 or 4 different wines to try. When I arrived I was given a tasting sheet and began my evening by tasting sparkling wines and Champagne then moved onto some wonderful whites and reds and finished with the sweet wines. There was absolutely no pressure to buy anything and I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I succumbed to a wonderful Valpolicella Ripasso which I can highly recommend. Ripasso literally means ‘re-passed’ and it is a way of adding extra flavour and alcohol to Valpolicella which is usually quite light. This is done by re-fermenting the young wine on the un-pressed skins of Amarone wines after these dried grape wines have finished their fermentation. Amarone wines are Valpolicella made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate the sugars, acids and flavours and are very full bodied. So a Valpolicella Ripasso wine will be fuller bodied than a standard Valpolicella but not as full bodied as an Amarone.
Roland Kay Wines are holding another tasting event featuring wines for the festive season on Friday evening November 7th running at 5.30 until 9pm and Saturday 8th November midday until 2pm. It is taking place at Claverdon Church Centre, Church Lane, Claverdon, Warwick. CV35 8PD
Article by Wendy Gedney AIWS
The Wine Wise Christmas Wine & Dine Event
Friday December 12th
Last year we held our first Christmas Wine & Dine evening and it was a great success. Those of you who joined us will stand witness to how wonderful the food, wine and the venue was at Aston Conference Centre and you will be in no doubt as to why we have chosen this venue once again. Head chef, Gene Downes is a genius and this year he is working with us to present you with a Southern France Christmas of glorious food and exceptional wines.
Many of you who have attended my courses or tasting will have heard me say ‘this wine would be fabulous with wild boar’, 
well this is your chance to see if I am right as the menu will include wild boar as well as other southern French dishes. The dishes will be accompanied by fabulous wines from the Languedoc region supplied by the winemakers we visit on our wine tours. With each course we will taste 3 different wines and decide which we think pairs the best. I will be including a superb wine from one of my favourite producers in the Minervois, Clos de Gravillas owned by John and Nicole Bojanowski. They make a stunning red wine called Rendez-Vous du Soleil made from old vine Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Will this be the best match for the boar or will it be Cuvée Entramis a Corbières wine I have chosen from Pierre Bories?
The full menu and lists of wines will be posted on our web site very soon and we recommend you book your place or table as soon as possible. The price is £70 per person or book a table of 10 at £60 per person.
To book your place please contact Wendy on 07880 786786
Sarah’s wine of the month
This month I decided to taste something a little different; Pérez Barquero’s ‘Gran Barquero Pedro Ximenez’. This is a deliciously sweet treacle-like wine from the Montilla region in Andalucía, Spain. The wine is produced from a white grape variety called Pedro Ximenez which is grown extensively in the Montilla and nearby Jerez regions.
For these sweet and sticky wines, the grapes are actually laid out on mats to dry in the hot Andalucian sun for around a week after picking. This increases the concentration of sugar and produces a deliciously dark and sweet wine, the colour of dark mahogany.
On the nose there are dried fruits such as prunes and raisins as well as hints of fennel, aniseed and cinnamon. On the palate there are dates and even hints of dried apricot with a subtle raisin character on the finish. Despite being so sweet, the acidity levels are very well balanced which gives the wine a very pleasant finish.
For the ultimate self-indulgence, I would highly recommend this wine with either a chocolate or a toffee based pudding. I tasted The Pudding Compartment’s Milk Chocolate Pudding and Sticky Toffee Pudding and both were fabulous matches. For chocolate lovers, tasting the chocolate pudding with the Gran Barquero seemed to just turn the wine into chocolate! And with the sticky toffee pudding, the dried fruit character of the wine was a perfect match to the toffee and dates in the pudding. You could also try this wine in a few months time with a Christmas pudding as the fruity combinations would be fantastic! Pérez Barquero’s ‘Gran Barquero Pedro Ximenez’ is available at Waitrose for £6.49 for a 50cl bottle, which is great value!
Article by Sarah Long AIWS
Quote of the month
‘Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.’ Anonymous
Forthcoming Events
Our tastings and courses make ideal presents for Christmas, birthdays or any occasion and we also offer gift vouchers. For details of all our planned events in 2009 please visit our Events Calendar
Happy Quaffing
Wendy and Sarah