I'd arranged to meet my friends, Ana and Nigel (both of whom are involved in the wine trade) for dinner. Conveniently enough, there are two off-licences nearby, The Wine Rack (ex-Threshers) next door (which would come in handy later in the evening) and across the street, a local independent, Wines of the World. I've popped into their shop in the past and they always have a rather eclectic, exciting selection to choose from, as well as dispensing great advice.
We started off with a white Bordeaux, Chateau Minvielle '06.
A classic bordeaux blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, this was a crisp little number with a lovely citrusy, white flower nose. We all agreed that it was medium-bodied and slightly waxy on the palate (due to the semillon) with citrus flavours dominating the palate along with hints of white pepper and a refreshing lemon peel finish. An excellent way to begin the evening while we were perusing the menu.
Since we were having spicy Korean food, I'd chosen an '07 Alsatian gewurztraminer from 
Gerard Metz, a small producer located in the heart of Alsace on the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mtns. This wine had the typically spicy nose associated with gewurz - chinese five spice prominently displayed with elderflower and a touch of honey and grapey-ness hanging around the edges. It was not too complex, fresh but medium-bodied. White flowers, jasmine, dried apricots and maple syrup were all competing for attention in my mouth. Once we started eating the spicy Korean BBQ, the tastes of rose petals and white peaches really jumped onto our tongues. They served watermelon as a dessert and the gewurz seemed to make the watermelon really sing while the rose petals once again came to the forefront.
That wasn't the last wine we had, just the last one with food. More tomorrow....
Both wines came from Wines of the World in Earlsfield.
Gerard Metz - £10.99
Ch. Minvielle - £6.99
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