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.

Wine Circle: What's in the Sock?

Twenty questions is a brilliant game for 'guess the wine'.  It is fun for all involved - from the omniscient Master of Wine to those who simply enjoy a casual glass from time to time.

It doesn't matter how much you know but how much you're up for getting involved and you'd be surprised how easy it is for the expert to be caught out and for the novice to get the taste of the wine spot on!

The rules:

- Everyone brings a bottle in a sock and takes it in turn to be the one questioned about their 'socked' wine.

- Try to go in order of wine style, from lighter to fuller bodied whites, then lighter to fuller bodied reds.  It will probably not end up going in the perfect order as no one knows what each other has but if you think it's the moment for your wine let the group know and off you go!  The first person to play would probably be concealing a light white such as a Pinot Blanc from Alsace.

- The wine is passed around at the start of each round and everyone tastes the wine before and whilst the questions are asked.

- The blind tasting is then played just as the usual version of Twenty Questions, where the group asks the individual twenty 'yes and no questions' about the wine being tasted.

- If nobody guesses the wine once the twenty questions are over, then you can extend the round with more questions or just reveal the wine.

Taster's Tip: Decant the bottle several hours beforehand (pour it into a decanter / jug etc) and then pour it back into the bottle before you put it in the sock.  Be careful not to spill the wine!

The first time I played the game was at a Nottingham Wine Circle, whilst I was studying for the WSET Advanced.  Most of the group had been members of the Wine Circle for 20+ years and worked in the wine industry.  I was by far the least experienced and had never worked with wine but it was so much fun!

This was my Sock of Wine:

Grape: Cabernet Franc
Region: Bourgeuil, Loire Valley, France
Tasting notes: minerality, cassis and truffles.
It has similarities also in style, colour and body with Pinot Noir.

I chose Peu Muleau from the Caslot family's Domaine de la Chevalerie as the Loire Valley is known best for its white wines; its reds aren't always given the credit they deserve but can be fantastic!  Here are some of the questions asked by the group:

- Is it from Chile?  No.

- Is it Italian?  No.

- Is it from Burgundy?  No.

- But it is Pinot Noir?  No.

- Is it Vin de Pays?  No.

And so on until...

- It's not from the Loire Valley, is it?  Yes it is.

- But it isn't 100% Cabernet Franc.  Yes it is.

NB: One of the tell tale signs for Cabernet Franc - Pencil Shavings on the nose!

Here are some other bottles from the Sock of Wine Tasting:

Grape: Nebbiolo
Region: alba, Italy
Tasting notes: Strawberries and rose water
Vintage: 2009

Grape: Blend
Region: Southern Rhône, France
Tasting notes: Leather, earthy, black fruit
Vintage: 1994

Grape: Merlot
Region: Maipo Valley, Chile
Tasting: Plum and black pepper
Vintage: 2002

Grape: Syrah
Region: Northern Rhône, France
Tasting notes: Mulberry, blackcurrant and a hint of liquorice

Grape: Syrah
Region: Côte-Rôtie, Northern Rhône, France
Tasting notes: Red fruit, liquorice and chocolate
Vintage: 1994

Grape: 50% Mourvèdre, 50% Syrah
Region: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Tasting notes: Intense, plum and leather
Vintage: 2009

Hope the unsocked wines above help you choose a wine you'd sock for Twenty Questions.  Enjoy!

Prucia Plum Liqueur

This delicious plum wine liqueur is produced from a Japanese recipe and by using plums from Moissac, France.

The plums are marinated in grape spirits and aged in French oak barrels.  The stones are kept in the plums during this process, adding notes of marzipan to the finished drink.

Prucia Plum Liqueur is smooth with a lengthy finish.

How to serve Prucia Plum Liqueur:

- On the rocks

- with Champagne

- as the Plum Mojito.  Mix together five mint leaves, Prucia Plum Liqueur, dark rum, fresh lime juice and crushed ice.  Add slices of lime to finish.

Good food match: dark chocolate - together they create a taste of black forest gâteaux.

Champagne Gosset

Day One

7.00hrs:

Pre-coffee and half an hour in advance, I arrive at St Pancras for my first trip in the wine industry. I have never met the people I'm about to spend the next two days with and the nerves are kicking in!

7.30hrs:
I have found the group and it feels like the first day of school as we all begin cautiously to get to know each other with the usual polite, introductory questions. Slowly, with my coffee in one hand and almond croissant in the other, I begin to feel more human on this early Monday morning.

8.31hrs:

On Eurostar - next stop Paris...

9.30hrs:
*POP* and the first of many bottles of bubbly is open. What an ice-breaker and special treat to start the working week!


Tasting notes: Gosset Brut Excellence NV (45% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay and 13% Pinot Meunier). Refreshing and elegant. Good body. Stone fruit with notes of minerality and spice.

11.47hrs:
... Ohhh laa laa, on arrive à Paris Gare du Nord and the first port of call is the boulangerie - mais bien sûr !

12.58hrs:
Après notre petite pause à Paris, we get on the TGV and head for our final destination - Champagne.


13.44hrs:
We arrive in Reims and hop on a bus straightaway to see the vineyards of Champagne. It is the start of October and the majority of the grape picking has just taken place. There are still some vines with grapes on and with the changing seasons, the colours of the leaves on the vines are beautiful.


One of the most beautiful viewpoints is in Verzenay in the Montagne de Reims. Here, far from the sea, is none other than a lighthouse! It was built in 1909 by Joseph Goulet and has a stunning view across the vineyards.


The area is also historically interesting as in and around Reims suffered greatly during the First World War. Although it was rebuilt after the war, there is still damage from the shelling.

... Après une petite sieste, on visite la cathédrale de Reims.  The cathedral's architecture is breathtaking.  It is named Notre-Dame de Reims, which means 'Our Lady', same as Notre-Dame in Paris.

Historical fact no. 1: the kings of France were once crowed here.

Historical fact no. 2: the English captured Reims and its cathedral in the Hundred Years' War.  It was only in 1429 that it was liberated by Joan of Arc from the English and Charles VII was able to be crowned king at the Notre-Dame de Reims.

Historical fact no. 3: Some of the statues on the cathedral are headless.  They were beheaded during the French Revolution.

After looking around the cathedral, we head for a 'Chocolat Viennois' before heading to 'Le Wine Bar' - Reims very own Champagne bar.  Here we open more bubbly as an aperitif before our Gosset dinner.

19h00:

The dinner has been specially organised such that each course is complimented by a different Gosset Champagne:

- First course: Grand Blanc de Blancs Brut - light, crisp & refreshing.  Subtle, elegant citrus and mineral notes.

- Second course: Grande Reserve Brut - full-bodied, elegant and smooth.  Some floral and fruit notes; marzipan.

- Main course: Celebris Vintage 1998 Extra Brut - amazing.  Perfect balance of elegance and rich fullness.  Stone fruit, minerality and frangipane.  Complex and rounded with a long finish.

- Dessert: Grand Rosé Brut - red berry fruit.  Matched with Crème Brulée.

After the delicious Champagne dinner, we finish the evening by tasting two different Cognacs by Frapin.  Both Frapin and Gosset are owned by the tradition-focused yet forward-thinking Renaud-Cointreau family.

- Frapin VSOP - fruity and floral notes with a hint of vanilla.

- Château de Fontpinot XO - wonderful balance and length with complex notes of vanilla, apricots and floral nuances.

Day Two

We spend the second and final day of the trip in Epernay.  Gosset is traditionally based in Ay but has purchased a house in Epernay in the last few years that previously belonged to Laurent Perrier.

Before visiting the Gosset house, we wander down the Avenue de Champagne, where you will find the most well-known Champagne houses all in one avenue from Moet et Chandon to Pol Roger, Perrier Jouet, Veuve Clicquot and many more.  

We head onto Gosset and start by visiting the striking 1.5km cellars.  The cellar is filled with bottles as Gosset is conscious only to sell a limited number of its bottles each year, guarding the rest to be sold in future years once aged for a longer period.

There are also engravings on the walls from soldiers inhabiting the caves during WWII.

At the end of one tunnel in the Champagne cellar, there is a statue of the God of Wine (either Dionysus - the Greek God of Wine or Bacchus - the Roman God of Wine).

Riddling of larger than 75cl bottles take place by hand in the cellars.  This is when the bottles have been aged on the lees (residual yeast from fermentation / ageing) and before disgorging the Champagne (removing the lees).  Riddling: the bottles are put at a 45 degree angle with the bottle top facing downwards and are turned once every couple of days so that the lees are slowly pushed to the head of the bottle.

If the pressure is too high, then the bottle explodes when turned!

After the tour of the cellar, we visit the vats where the fermentation takes place and then where the corks are put in at the final stage of the Champagne production.  It was fascinating to see the shape of the cork before entering the Champagne bottles!

We taste the delectable soon-to-be-released 2004 vintage and have our final meal "à la Gosset" before catching the Eurostar back to London.

A la votre et à la prochaine fois !