Anakena '06 S. Blanc and Tempus Two Botrytis Semillon

I'd like to thank the academy...(me and the Tempus Two)

So, continuing on with my dinner with Ana and Nigel. By now, we were done with the food and moved onto a straightforward Chilean sauvignon blanc because somebody had brought it and we couldn't really leave it there all by itself in the bag, now, could we?

The Anakena 06 Sauvignon Blanc from the San Antonio Valley was a typical offering from that part of the world. Tropical fruit nose, a slight grassy-ness mingled with asparagus and the aromas of stewed gooseberries. On the palate, loads of starfruit and pineapple with notes of bell peppers and a softness in the mouth that you just don't get from those sometimes bracing NZ sauvignon blancs. It was much more subtle with a pleasingly long lemon-lime finish. We thought it would go down well with seafood like fresh oysters or poached salmon.

But that wasn't the end, nooooo, somebody (ok, me) had the bright idea of popping next door while Ana, the voice of reason, was in the ladies room (this is where The Wine Rack comes into play) for a dessert wine to finish off a wonderful vinous evening. I didn't have high hopes but The Wine Rack has a much better selection then the old Threshers it replaced. And, lo and behold, they had a Tempus Two Botrytis Semillon dessert wine from the Hunter Valley. Nigel gave us a bit of history on the winery since he had visited it last year. The winery is owned by Lisa McGuigan, one of the few Australian wineries conceived and run by a woman. The Tempus Two winery is famous for their annual concert season where big names such as Elton John and Rod Stewart perform for the entertainment of the grapes (and the 10,000 people in the winery amphitheater paying big bucks to hear them sing). They're also known for their unusually shaped bottles, an example of which is at the top of this blog.

El Dorado is what I would call this wine if I was naming it - a ripe, warm, bright, golden hue. A swirl of honey, marmalade, orange peel, aged pineapple and a whiff of white grapes tempted our olfactory nodes. Now it was the tastebuds turn - dates upfront then dried apricots and honey coming thru finishing off in a crescendo of orange marmalade and raisins trailing off into a lingering finish. It was rich but clean and fruity, full bodied with excellent acidity to get us ready for the next wave. Mouthwatering!

The staff saw that we were enjoying our wines so much that they gave us all a shot of plum wine as we tottered off into the night. I think I'll be visiting them again soon. And the food was good, too!

Tempus Two - £10.99, The Wine Rack
Anakena '06 S. Blanc - sample wine

Ch Minvielle 06 White Bordeux and 07 Gerard Metz Gewurz

By last Wednesday, I'd sufficiently recovered from the EWBC in Rioja to face a bottle or 3 again. Now it was time for some white wine. A new Korean joint, Cah Chi, has just opened up in my neighborhood and the best thing about it is that it's BYOB, something of a rarity in London and the corkage fee is a very reasonable.

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

A visit to Dinastia Vivanco with the EWBC

The town of Briones overlooking the vineyard

The second day of the EWBC was held at the Dinastia Vivanco winery in Briones, Rioja. Dinastia Vivanco was founded in 1915 but despite that, they have a state of the art facility, opened by the King of Spain in 2006. More importantly, they have an awesome museum of wine. You'll have to visit the museum website to see the inside as no pictures were allowed but here are some photos from the outside collection.

examples from the outside collection

The museum was the dream of Pedro Vivanco, the father of the current winemakers and owners of the vineyard. Pedro spent a good part of his life collecting everything connected to the vine. From ancient jugs to giant 18th century screwpresses, one of the largest corkscrew collections in the world (over 3,000 at last count) as well as decanters and an impressive collection of wine related art. There are even a couple of Picasso lithographs in the collection. There is also an ampelographic ( the study of grape varieties) collection on the grounds of the vineyard showcasing over 222 different varieties, including both foreign and spanish grapes.

The collection is divided into sections, each devoted to a particular aspect of the wine world. There are some excellent video presentations of the Riojan seasons in the vineyard, barrel making, glass blowing and even wine fermenting. I would highly recommend this museum if you're in the Rioja region, it's definitely a must see.

Upcoming Bluebird Cigar and Cognac Tasting

The Bluebird Wineshop in Chelsea had become one of my favourites because of their great winetastings and Penny Johns, the manager has come up with a great list of tastings for the Autumn.

This Wednesday, Sept 10th, she is hosting a Fine Cognac and Cigar tasting in the courtyard of the Bluebird Restaurant. Amanda Laden from Delamain Cognac will be on hand to conduct a blind tasting of 3 premier cognacs along with Dan Pink from Hunters and Frankau, cigar importers, who will talk us through the cigars. Dan is also bringing along a cigar roller for a brief demonstration. It should be a fun and informative evening. Tickets are still available click here for more information. I love a good Cuban cigar, I got a nice box of Montecristos in duty-free last weekend coming back from Spain, so I can't wait for this tasting. 

The following week, Finca Sophenia of Argentina will be giving a tasting of their range on Friday, 19th of Sept. Monday, 22nd Sept. sees the Vidal Winery, located in Marlborough, NZ on hand and the very next day, 23 Sept. Cillar de Cillos from Ribera del Duero, Spain, will be tasting through their latest offerings and may even have a few surprise vintages to taste. For more information visit Penny, either in person - if you're here in London, or at the Bluebird wineshop website.