Vending Machines and Monster Claws

Hedonism Wines is the Mayfair wine shop that has it all.  It has an extensive collection of wines from all over the world, everything from the most reputable and sought after wines to unusual finds.

Every detail has been thought of, from the helpful and friendly staff to the design of the shop; it is chic and glamourous, with both traditional features and modern, quirky twists.

It is a Hedonist's playground, whether you are just looking to window-shop or indeed buy one of their fine wines.

The best way to have the full hedonistic experience without over stretching the purse strings is to sample wines from the enomatic machines (a.k.a. wine vending machines).  Well, depending on which wine you go for, as the samples tend to range anything from 20p to £20.

 Finally, I must give a shout out to the monster claw chamber and...

... the bathroom mirrors - not to be missed!

Matching wine from Mendoza

At a recent wine tasting, I asked the producer a standard question about his wine: "What would you pair it with?"

His vineyards are in Mendoza, Argentina and I thought he would point out the best known food match for Argentinian reds - steak - as well as hopefully some personal favourites.

His response was that wine is to be paired with a place, a time, company and music.  His wines are full-bodied and bursting with flavour but most notably, they are also elegant, rounded and refreshing.  He explained that they go well with food but that their raison d'être is simply to be savoured and enjoyed.  It's not just for your palate that you can look for a match but for all of your senses.  Music can be the perfect single accompaniment, as can a beautiful scene.

His explanation brought me back to my first vineyard visit, which was what initially sparked my interest in learning about wine.

At nineteen, I travelled around Argentina with one of my best friends.  One of the places we stayed was Mendoza, the principal red wine producing region.  Here, we cycled around the vineyards and saw first hand for the first time the skill and care that it takes - both in the vineyards and afterwards in the wineries - to produce, what I previously only knew to be alcoholic grape juice.

After learning about wine production, we were shown how to sample wine: observe the colour, then get your nose in the glass and take a good sniff.  Finally, swirl the glass around, take a sip and, whilst the wine is still in your mouth, breath in through your teeth and then swallow or spit.

Malbec is the main grape variety grown in Mendoza and is the same varietal as Cot, produced in the south west of France.

Well-known Bordeaux varietals are also grown in Mendoza, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, where Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc are sometimes even included in the blends.

Malbec from Mendoza tends to be big and fruity as well as smooth and soft with ripe tannin.  It has notes of plum, cherry and often also rich chocolate.

The classic food match for an Argentinian Malbec is steak and you could even make a dark chocolate sauce for the steak to go the whole hog with the pairing: Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, Chocolate and Wine Sauce

Otherwise, KISS (keep it simple stupid) and serve the steak rare with it's own juice for sauce and some fresh vegetables (and/or chips), as demonstrated above right and below at El Boliche de Alberto in San Carlos de Bariloche:

Of course, as recommended above, Argentine wine can also be partnered with other experiences.  What better way than pairing it with a sunny vineyard in Argentina and friends, whilst listening to guitar... before digging into a juicy steak!

Bottle of Beer at Craft Beer Rising

A new and exciting annual festival was unbottled this weekend in London.  It is the Craft Beer Rising Festival and if you didn't make it this year, then get your ticket booked early for next year's event as it's not to be missed.

The trade event takes place in the daytime on the Friday, then tickets are available for the public on the Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening; entry is a bargain, ranging from  £10 - £12.

I attended the festival on Friday and it was a massive first for me.  My drink of choice tends to be a glass of wine, a good old G&T or sometimes even a whisky...  I've only ever had a pint on the odd occasion and only if it is filled with a cloudy west country cider.  This Friday was the first time I chose beer as my drink and not just for a round but as the theme for the whole evening!

I turned up at the Old Truman Brewery (yes - the festival takes place actually IN a brewery) fifteen minutes after the doors were due to open expecting to walk straight in but was surprised to see a decent queue for entry down Brick Lane.  The event had sold out and in true British fashion, those of us with tickets were queuing in an orderly fashion to enter the brewery...  apart from one poor chap from Chicago who was hunting avidly amongst the crowd for a spare ticket.  A fan of all things British and most specifically English beer, he was keen to get in!  Lucky for him - and unlucky for  one of my friends who had dire food-poisoning - I had a spare ticket and he joined our group.

The festival was filled with an eclectic array of beer-lovers from the hipster to the businessman to the hippie to the heavy metal fan.  Everyone there for the same reason... no, not just to get trolleyed (not that this didn't necessarily happen!) but to appreciate 40+ different types of craft beer.

So what is a craft beer?  What it isn't is a beer from a mass-brand company that can be bought here, there and everywhere.  What it is, on the other hand, is a beer from a traditional, small and independent brewery.  It is well defined here - "Craft Brewer Defined" 

There was a fantastic range of beers at the festival and the different stalls were more than happy for you to sample their range for free.  So most people would go round tasting the different beers and then head back to their favourite breweries for a pint... or two.  I found the samples a great introduction to the range of craft beer available and the tasting measures were just right.

The most quirky flavours I tasted were the Mexi-Cocoa beer, which is a chocolate and vanilla flavoured stout from the Rebel Brewing Company in Cornwall as well as a banana bread flavoured beer from another brewery, which they recommended to go very well with curry (and, not forgetting, with banana bread).

As well as the two mentioned above, here is a list of my favourite beers from the event:

- Hélène - a spiced wheat beer, also from the Rebel Brewing Company

- Nelson Sauvin Saison, from the Meantime Brewing Company, London

- Kriek Boon - a traditional Belgian beer with a twist as it is cherry flavoured, from the Boon Brewery

- Brewers & Union Unfiltered Dark Lager - I expected this to be heavy and hard to drink but, although it was big, it was smooth, rich and delicious.  It was also surprisingly refreshing.  It is from Brewers & Union Craft Beer (brewed in Bavaria and Belgium)

- Beast of the Deep - an unfiltered strong lager, both elegant and fruity.  This is also from Brewers & Union Craft Beer

It was really interesting to try such a great variety of craft beer in one evening, learning about the different breweries and comparing their different styles.  For a previously non-beer drinker, I have definitely been converted... not to all beer but to craft beer.  As one of the brewers highlighted, women in particular have tended to choose wine over beer, as beer that is most readily available can often be mass-produced and mass-marketed with seemingly indistinctive and unexciting flavours.

With the new interest in microbreweries and their attention to detail, beer produced by craft breweries is being recognised as complex, unique, artisanal and accessible to all.  craft beer deserves this recognition.  It is master-crafted and from the huge variety available, there is arguably a craft beer out there for every palate to enjoy.  Similar to wine, there is a different type of craft beer to go with every event, to suit every time of year and to match every kind of food...

... Speaking of food, I must mention the good ol' gorgeous grub at the festival.  I tried a delicious posh nosh pork and chilli sausage roll at the start of the evening as well as some pork crackling and then ended the evening at Hix's Fish Dog stall - the ultimate fish finger sarnie!

All in all, it's a great event with a fantastic atmosphere.  It's really well organised, with a great crowd, good music, tasty local food and - not forgetting - both quirky and traditional, high-quality craft beer.