A Perfect Score

Let the tasting commence!

For our February Tongham Taster’s evening we were invited around to Steve and Yvonne’s place in The Street, Tongham.  Steve had arranged a little tasting competition for us to see how much we had learnt in 16 months of our little group.  Despite a cold and snowy evening, eight of us gathered around their dining room table for an excellent evening of wine, food and chat, spiced up with Steve’s little fun competition.



A snowy day in Seale and Tongham

For our “Red All Over” evening, Steve had gathered together six single varietal red wines and we had to guess which grape varietal each was.  As we are not Masters of Wine, Steve gave us a chance by telling us in advance that he had a French Gamay, an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, a French Malbec, a New Zealand Pinot Noir, an Italian Sangiovese and a Spanish Tempranillo.   As usual we were blind tasting but we did get a little clue from whether the wines were a screw cap or not!

So how well did we do in identifying the wines and how did we rate them?  As usual the wines are listed in a descending order of preference and all of the scores noted are out of twenty.  Score are listed in the order John E, Jane, Steve S, Ian, John S, Clive and Sheila.

It was such a cold night outside that we really appreciated Steve's choice of doing all reds for this evening.

1. Katnook, Founder’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra Australia 2009, 13.5%, Waitrose £11.00

Everyone had this wine in his or her top three bottles of the evening and three had it as their top wine.  For those of us trying to guess the varietal is was relatively easy with its dark colour and classic plummy cassis with notes of tobacco and herbs taste.   This was the most expensive wine of the evening but one, which we can recommend.  Scores were 13.5, 15, 14.75, 13, 14, 14 and 12.  The region of Coonawarra in South Australia is the best in that country for Cabernet Sauvignon and Katnook Estate is a well know and respected wine maker and thus no surprise that this wine pleased our educated palates.

2. Marques de la Concordia Crianza 2007 Signa, Rioja Spain, 13.5%, Majestic £7.00

This wine had two top votes from our panel and three second places.   It was the last wine we tasted and had the classic taste of an oaked Rioja with vanilla notes and an aromatic elegance and was a relatively easy “spot” for some of us.   Marques de la Concordia produces some good value wines that are sold in Majestic.   Scores were 14.5, 14, 14.75, 14.5, 13, 19 and 11.  Another wine we can recommend.

3. Chateau Cos Suzanne Vielles Vignes 2006,  Cahors France, 12.5%, Auchan €6.50

This wine got one top vote but split the rest of the panel with some liking it and some not so sure.  It was one of the most difficult of the varietals to spot and probably wasn’t 100% Malbec but we had fun tasting it.  Initially some of us had this down as the Tempranillo as it had a distinct oakiness.  Clive loved it and thought it would be ideal for sitting beside the fire and supping throughout the evening.  Scores were 13, 14, 15, 11, 10, 18 and 10.  I’m rather disappointed that I missed this wine from an independent vigneron at the last Foire aux Vins in Auchan!

4. Majestic Peaks Pinot Noir 2009, Central Otago New Zealand, 13.5%, Majestic £7.00

This wine also got one top vote but not all of us appreciated this relatively cheap Pinot Noir from New Zealand.  For most of us it didn’t have the classic New Zealand Pinot Noir taste but the light colour of the wine and cherry taste helped identify the grape.  Scores were 10, 16, 12.5, 11, 10, 14 and 6.  Jane liked the taste of this one but Sheila found it too light and gave it a very low score.  At the price it may be worth trying.

5. Hospices de Beaujeu Beaujolais Villages 2010, 12.5%, France, Waitrose £8.50

Our first wine of the evening, Steve was very generous and slightly chilled this Beaujolais made with the Gamay grape.  It was relatively easy to identify with its light purple colour and classic Beaujolais taste.  Yvonne thought this was nice and like most Gamay wines is an easy match for many foods.  Scores were 10.5, 12, 10, 10.5, 10, 12 and 8.  This is a wine to drink and enjoy with snacks or food rather than to savour.

6. Mandrielle Sangiovese 2010 Banfi, 12.5%, Toscana IGT Italy, Majestic £6.00

This was the second wine of the evening ad definitely didn’t really have the classic taste of a good Chianti or Brunello for instance.  However, the colour helped give it away a little and if you have drunk enough cheap Italian wine over the years it did have a certain characteristic that gave it away.   Scores were 10, 8, 10.25, 9, 9, 13 and 9.  There weren’t really any fans for this but at last it wasn’t too

I claim my prize!

When we got to the end of the evening, Steve was rather surprised that three of us, Ian, John S and myself had all managed to identify all six wines and thus got the perfect score!   A tie break meant that I won the prize of a  really nice bottle of Mas de Cynanque 2008 from Saint Chinian, but I shared it with the rest of the team as it was a Friday evening, by which time we were discussing Vladimir Putin, and it probably gave everyone a Saturday morning hangover!

Chorizo and Saucisson

Steve and Yvonne had put on a really great spread including some lovely bread from Tongham Bakery, some lovely saucisson and chorizo and some amazing Comte and Ossau Iraty cheese from Waitrose, not too mention the usual palate cleansers.  A great fun evening.

Next up is  a Tongham Village Hall wine tasting dinner on Saturday March 3^rd when we will be having seven Mediterranean wines matched with seven Mediterranean dishes  for just £22.50 a head.  This event is open to up to fifty or sixty people depending on demand.  Give Jane a call on 07983 154 295.

Following this, our next Tongham Tasters’ evening is on Friday March 16^th when I will be presenting six, hopefully stunning,  Italian wines (two white and four red) along with some Italian pasta dishes.  This evening will cost the normal £10 per head and will be limited to our normal ten or twelve participants.  We love seeing new faces so if you live near Tongham and want to join in the fun ring me, John, on 07717 876 743.  For our other dates and more information, click on Wine Circle above.

As usual thanks to Clive for his excellent photographs of the evening.

Invitation to a Mediterranean Wine Tasting Dinner

FLAVOURS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Santorini, Menorca, Sicily

TONGHAM VILLAGE HALL

SATURDAY 3^rd MARCH 2012 7pm

7 COURSE WINE TASTING DINNER TO RAISE FUNDS

FOR MAINTENANCE OF OUR VILLAGE HALL REG CHARITY No. 200365

Suggested Donation £22.50

Ring Jane Etherton 07983 154 295 to book your tickets and participate in the life of your village

EASY, QUICK & HEALTHY PINOT NOIR TASTING MENU

French Cooking in Ten Minutes

I have to admit to being a disciple of Edouard de Pomiane who wrote books about cooking 5 course French meals in ten minutes back in the 1930s.  Some of you may remember a great BBC2 Series from 1995 entitled French Cooking in Ten Minutes, which was dramatized from his work.  If so you may be interested in the following links.

The BBC2 series can be seen on You Tube.  I would highly recommend watching them, as they are both entertaining and inspirational. Click here to watch the first of the series.

and the second

and the Third

and the Fourth

and the Fifth

and the Last

Edouard’s book is available from Amazon.  Click here for a link to their site.

I thought it might be an idea to take some inspiration from Edouard and write a few blog posts on easy and quick wine tasting menus.  They will use the techniques of Edouard but bought up to date with the use of modern frozen food and microwaves etc.  My intention is also to keep the meals balanced and relatively healthy from a modern perspective.  The ten-minute rule is just a guide and I won’t stress myself with keeping exactly to this rule, even our hero broke it on occasions.

A nice bottle of Burgundy Pinot Noir

My first menu is one for tasting with a bottle of Pinot Noir, which is probably one of the easiest wines to pair food with; it even goes well with some fish. If there are just two of you have just one bottle of wine and see how it goes with each course.  If there are four of you have 2 different bottles of wine, if six then three bottles etc.   Choose any Pinot Noir within your price range, but just remember that buying Pinot Noir under £9 is risky.  There are good Pinot Noirs available from Burgundy, Oregon, California, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and even from Germany and Austria, so there is a good choice to choose from.

For this menu I have particularly emphasized the healthy aspect of the meal, as January is a time of the year when we all make New Year’s resolutions about eating or drinking more healthily.  This meal will certainly help you towards your five-a-day and there is a considerable amount of raw food in this recipe that can be also be very good for you.  With a really good bottle of Pinot Noir you might also wish to consider this as a Valentine’s meal that in any case should never be too heavy.   It is assumed that you will serve some water as well as wine with the meal as this means that you will slake your thirst with the water and the wine will be for appreciation and pairing with the food.  You will probably also want to serve some nice crusty bread with the meal so that you can clean your palate between courses and fill up as necessary.

The Menu:

Amouse Bouche – Peppered Strawberries

Starter – Beetroot and Blueberry salad

Main Course – Seared Tuna with Pak Choi and Oyster Sauce

Cheese Course – Shavings of Manchego, Double Gloucester and Red Leicester served with a salad of young leaves.

Dessert – Fresh Cherries and Raspberries (or seasonal fruit)

As you can see, there is nothing time consuming or complicated about this menu but there are some elements that will perhaps surprise and delight your partner or guests, particularly if served with a nice bottle of wine.  The Beetroot and Blueberry salad will be something new to most people but it is a great combination and the recipe below really pairs well with a Pinot Noir.   Having shavings of cheese is also different and it may surprise you how it enhances the taste and reduces your calorie and dairy intake.

Each dish is described below and the ingredient lists are for a cosy dinner for two but can be easily multiplied up for more.   Prepare everything but the main course before the meal, it shouldn’t take you long at all.   The Tuna should be cooked in between courses but you should be away from your guests for less than 10 minutes.

Peppered Strawberries

6 fresh ripe Strawberries

Black Pepper

Bring the strawberries to room temperature and then cut them each into two lengthways.   Arrange in a small bowl or plate and season with freshly ground black pepper.  Serve just before the meal and before your first glass of wine to liven up your jaded palate.  Remember what the strawberries smell and taste like as many Pinot Noirs have that characteristic.

Beetroot and Blueberry Salad

3 Medium sized cooked (but not pickled in vinegar) beetroots

A good handful of blueberries

A handful of rocket leaves

2 Chestnut mushrooms

Very Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Very Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar (go easy on this)

Salt and Black Pepper

Dijon Mustard (very small amount)

Put the olive oil, vinegar, seasoning and mustard into a large salad bowl and stir together.  Dice the beetroot and mushrooms into centimeter squares and add to the salad bowl along with the blueberries and rocket leaves (chop the rocket only if the leaves are on the large side).   Mix all together and plate up just before serving.

The earthiness of the beetroot and mushroom, the fruitiness of the blueberries and the pepperiness of the rocket mimic the flavours of a Pinot Noir and thus pair well with one.

Beetroot and Blueberry Salad

Seared Tuna with Pak Choi and Oyster Sauce

2 Fresh Tuna steaks

A head of Pak Choi

A bottle of Chinese Oyster Sauce

Sunflower or Groundnut Oil

Half a lime

Salt and Black Pepper

Pat the two tuna steaks dry, wipe with a little oil and season well with salt and black pepper.   Wash and slice the Pak Choi ready for stir-frying.  Heat a grill pan to it is very hot and at the same time heat the oil in a wok or similar type pan to a high temperature.  Get the oyster sauce out of the cupboard, ready for use.  First put the Pak Choi in the wok or pan and stir-fry for about two minutes before adding a few good dollops of oyster sauce and a squeeze of lime and stirring in.   Turn the heat off the wok and cover.  Then sear your two tuna steaks for about 30 seconds to two minutes maximum on each side (frankly the smaller the amount of time the better but I appreciate that not everyone likes their steaks very rare).    Serve by putting the pak choi on the plate with the steaks on top. 

The Cheese Course

Shavings of Manchego, Double Gloucester and Red Leicester

A small portion of Spanish Manchego or other hard sheep’s cheese

A small portion of good quality Double Gloucester or other medium cow’s cheese

A small portion of good quality mature Red Leicester or perhaps Cheddar or Wensleydale & cranberries

A handful of young salad leaves

Put a small amount of salad leaves in the middle of each plate.  I prefer not to dress this salad and then you can just pick up the leaves by hand and enjoy their true unadulterated taste.   Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of each cheese onto the plate on and around the salad leaves.  I prefer to keep each cheese to one region of the plate so that one can appreciate each one separately.   You should finish the wine with this course, or of course if being very good leave some for another night!

Fresh Cherries and Raspberries

A handful of fresh cherries

A handful of fresh raspberries

Wash the fruit and arrange in a bowl for serving.   You can eat on their own for a really healthy end to the meal or serve with a little sugar or cream or perhaps a chocolate dipping sauce.   

Enjoy and be surprised what a nice healthy wine tasting meal you created with so little effort.

New World Wines for the New Year

Our Tongham Taster’s New Year started with one of our regular trips to Farnborough where John S treated us to a fantastic evening of New World wines.  Five of us travelled up from Tongham where we met up with four of our Farnborough regulars for this entertaining evening introducing us to six wines from four countries accompanied by an interesting mix of food and appetisers.



Happy New Year!

New World wines cover North and South America, Australia and New Zealand plus Asia and Africa.  They tend to be more fruit driven and powerful but would John’s selection appeal to our refined palates!?   It was certainly well sourced and we got a very good £10 worth as John had picked most up as special offers – all prices quoted below are what John actually paid.  Find out below our thoughts on all the wines we blind tasted, which are listed and described in descending order of preference.  Scores mentioned are out of twenty and are presented in the order John E, Jane, John S, Jill, Ian, Kathryn, Steve S, Sheila and Clive.

John and Jill enjoying their evening

Lindauer Special Reserve Blanc de Blancs, New Zealand Sparkling White NV, 11.5%, Majestic £7.20.

Six of our team voted this their top wine of the evening, which was no surprise as it had a wonderful biscuity nose and a very subtle smooth dry taste – in fact not obviously New World at all.  Some of our team guessed that this was from New Zealand and even got the producer.  This wine is made with Chardonnay grapes and thus is the same as a classic Blanc de Blancs Champagne but much cheaper.  We can certainly recommend this as a good value sparkler.  Scores were 13.5, 20, 11, 15, 12, 18, 15.5, 13.5 and 18.

Hahn Winery Pinot Noir, Monterey California Red 2010, 14.5%, Waitrose £10.44.

This wine got two of our team’s top votes and was probably the best USA wine we have had at one of tastings to date as everyone had it in their top three wines.  Few, if any, realized that it was a Pinot Noir but it was a lovely spicy pleasant wine.   Scores were 14.5, 16, 14, 14, 15.5, 16, 13.75, 13 and 16.

John and Steve discuss he finer points of sparkling wine

Villa Maria Private Bin Dry Riesling, Marlborough New Zealand 2011, 12%, Majestic £7.20.

With five of our team including this in their top three wines, this lovely New World Riesling just scraped into third place.  Initially, some of us thought it was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but we could see from John’s face that we wrong and so plumped for a Riesling instead and capped it by even getting the producer.  This wine just missed out on getting into our recent Village Hall tasting and we can certainly recommend it for its limey taste, although Kathryn found it slightly soapy.   Scores were 14, 19, 12, 14, 12.5, 12, 12.75, 8 and 15.

Flaxbourne Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand 2011, Marks and Spencers £8.49.

One of our team had this as their top wine and it was obviously a Sauvignon Blanc.  Rather like The Ned we served at the Village Hall it has some minerality as well as fruit.  As for the fruit our team named everything from Apples to Pineapple.  Scores were a 14.5, 13, 10, 13, 14, 11, 12.5, 10 and 17.   A good buy at this price.

Boschendal SMV, South Africa 2009, 14%, Morrisons £6.95.

Although only our fifth best wine of the evening, this wine was still very well received.     It had a good herby berrylike taste but some thought it was a Pinotage rather than a Syrah, Mouvedre, Viognier blend.   Scores were 13.5, 14, 10, 15, 14, 12, 12, 10.5 and 13.  A nice wine for this price and good to see a wine from Morrisons for a change.

Casa Leona Cabernet Sauvignon, Rapel Valley Chile 2011, 13.5%, Marks and Spencers £5.49.

The cheapest wine of the evening was the only one that didn’t impress and everyone had it in last place.  Scores were a very lowly 7,10, 7, 8, 6, 6, 4.5, 6 and 9.   After all the beautiful aromas of the other wines, this one had a quite horrible smell and a metallic taste.    Obviously something wasn’t right with this bottle as we have had some nice Casa Leona in the past.

With all these wines we were served some lovely cheese, some homemade cheese straws, humous, bread, Thai spring rolls, Prawn crostini, Satay and more!  An excellent spread.

Peppered Prawn Crostini

As usual the conversation flowed alongside the wine and we had another great evening.


As usual thanks to Clive for the more professional pictures that accompany this blog post.

Next up is Steve S’s choice of wines on Friday 10^th February, John E’s Italian wines and pasta evening on Friday 16^th March and Clive’s wines on Thursday 12^th April 12^th.  All of these events will be held in Tongham, before we return to Farnborough again on Saturday May 19^th for Ian’s wines.  Jane has plumped for our midsummer date of Thursday June 21^st.   Feel free to join us at any or all of our events– contact details are in Wine Circle at the top of this blog.   Our next big wine tasting dinner in Tongham Village Hall will be on Saturday March 3^rd – more details coming soon but the theme is The Mediterranean (Greece, Sicily, Catalonia and the Languedoc).  

An Alpine Christmas Party in Tongham

Savoie Wine label

Following a recent knee operation and not having drunk any wine for three weeks, I was badly in need of some Christmas cheer at our December Tongham Taster's Christmas party.   Finding dates that suited everybody proved impossible and thus we ended up having just seven along to our vaguely Alpine themed Christmas festivities.   However, it proved a good number for another really enjoyable evening (we caught up with a few more of our regulars the following week when we had a Jura wine and food tasting evening).

Our Almond Tart complete with TT logo

Four of the wines were from the Savoie region of France as was the main dish - a raclette, where you melt slices of cheese from the region over potatoes and charcuterie.   We also served three other wines including a rather more expensive wine than normal which was my Christmas present to the group.   The evening finished up with a mulled wine competition and a Santiago Almond Tart with Membrillo (we used Jane's homemade Quince jam) which Jane and myself made from Rick Stein's new book on Spain.

As usual we list below the wines we had in descending order of preference along with our comments and scores out of twenty.  Scores are shown in the order John E, Jane, Ian, Kathryn, Clive, Sarah, and Sheila.

1. La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza, Reserva Especial, Spanish Red 2001, 13.5%, Noel Young Wines £24.
Before the evening began I was wondering if this stunning wine would be appreciated but its quality shone through and it was easily the top wine of the evening and possibly the best in all fifteen TT evenings we have had so far.  Having said that it was also the first wine we have had costing over £20. Scores were 20-, 20, 16.5, 16, 20, 18, and 13.  All seven of us voted this the top wine of the evening, making it the first clean sweep we have had so far.   Comments were Wow!, smooth and silky, chocolatey - I really like it, very approachable, love it!, cedary nose.  Nobody guessed that it was a Rioja.  We can definitely recommend this as a special occasion wine and I think it is actually good value bearing in mind the quality.

2. Lingot Martin,  Bugey Cerdon, Methode Ancestrale, French Rose Sparkling NV, 8%, purchased in France.
The next three wines were very, very close in term of rankings. However, this wine got three votes as the second best wine of the evening.  This demi-sec sparkling rose was not loved by all and it would be probably best served with dessert rather than the pistachio nights we served it with on the night.  The wine is made from Gamay and Poulsard grapes and is low in alcohol.   Probably difficult to find in the UK but look it out for it if in the region or a French supermarket.  Scores were 12, 14, 9.5, 13, 16, 13 and 10.5.  Comments were Quite sweet but nice, tastes like strawberry's and cream, too sweet.

3.  Savigny Les Beaune, Premier  Cru Les Labieres, Vincent Sauvestre, Burgundy Red 2006, 13%, purchased in France.
This red burgundy Pinot Noir  that had been aged in oak for fifteen months was very pleasant but struggled in comparison with the Rioja and probably was not a great match for the food.  Scores were 15, 10, 12, 13, 19, 11, and 9.  Probably a little light for some and some found it slightly metallic.

4.  Les Hauts de Pavieres, Crozes Hermitages, Cave de Tain, Northern Rhone Red 2007, 12.5%, Waitrose, £10.
This co-operative produced Syrah also did well in terms of the voting.  One third of it had been oaked for 15 months.   Scores were 15.5, 17, 9, 12, 18, 12 and 10.   Not one of the best Crozes Hermitage from this very good year but still worth a try.  Some commented that it showed a slight sweetness.

5.  Prestige des Rocailles, Apremont, Pierre Boniface, French White 2007, 11.5%, purchased in the Savoie region,
I probably made a mistake with the whites in not serving them cold enough as the next day I tasted them again after 24 hours in the fridge and they showed more character.   This was one of the local Savoie whites that are often served with raclette.  Scores were 12.5, 12, 11.5, 9, 18, 11 and 10.5.  Comments included - a nutty taste, rather lemony.

6.  Cuvee Reserve, Adrien Vacher, Rousette de Savioe, French White 2009, 12%, Auchan €4.48.
This wen suffered from being served slightly too warm and immediately after the slightly sweet rose.  Thus it was voted by all seven of us as the worst wine of the evening.  Funnily enough it tasted great next day!   Scores were 11, 10, 8.5, 6, 14, 8, and 6.  Comments included - not a lot of taste there!

Raclette

Three of our regulars volunteered to enter a competition to see who could make the best homemade mulled wine.   Ian came up with a recipe that had been passed down the family over the years and contained Cabernet Sauvignon, Cointreau and other secret ingredients.  It certainly had the potential to be excellent but had perhaps been over sweetened on the night.  Clive used a BBC recipe on the web that included wine, sloe gin, cinnamon, satsuma and lemons.  It was very good, spicy and warming.     Jane used the cheapest possible wine she could find and a recipe from the Thermomix cookbook.  Probably the cheap wine let her down slightly and did not have enough body or sweetness but still had a lovely spiciness.   In the end we called it a draw!  

So ends 2011 and we look forward to some more Tongham wine tasting evenings in the New Year.  First event will actually be in Farnborough where John S will be introducing us to some New World wines for the New Year on Thursday January 12th.   Steve S will be hosting our February event,  Jane our March event and Clive our April event - all in Tongham itself.   Some great evenings to look forward to as we enter 2012.   Do feel to join us for any of these evenings if you live locally and fancy a sociable evening chatting and drinking wine. Click on Wine Circle at the top of this blog for more details.

Thanks again to Clive for some of the photos accompanying this blog.

Kiwi Kapers

John & Jane introduce the evening

On Saturday 19th November we had our tenth wine tasting in Tongham Village Hall and for the first time indulged in some New World Wines - the wines of New Zealand.  We had our biggest attendance to date and Jane cooked eight courses for over sixty people!   The fund raising element was also successful and we raised over £1,000 for the maintenance of the Hall.   Below is a report on the evening and some food and wine facts about New Zealand produce. 

NEW ZEALAND FOOD AND WINE FACTS

The Maori, New Zealand’s indigenous people, originally came from Polynesia from where they brought with them the kumara sweet potato. Traditional Maori cooking is done on hot stones in an earth oven known as a hangi. Apart from Maori influences, New Zealand cooking has developed alongside Australian cooking and has strong British, Mediterranean and Pacific Rim elements.

Classics of New Zealand cuisine include;

Jane's Kiwi Pavlovas

Pavlova – A meringue dessert that was created in honour of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in about 1926. Both Australia and New Zealand claim they invented it first.

Anzac Biscuits – Oat biscuits created during World War 1 to send to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers fighting on the front line.
Lamington, Leamington or Lemmington cakes – These sponges covered in desiccated coconut are a common cake in Australasia. The raspberry ones are more common in New Zealand.

Raspberry Lemmington Cakes

Meat Pies and Sausage Rolls – Both of these British classics are popular in Australasia and are often served with tomato ketchup.

Lamb – There are more sheep than people in New Zealand and although much lamb is exported it is still a favourite ingredient.

Green-Lipped Mussels – New Zealand is an Island and thus seafood is bound to play a part in its cuisine. The big mussels are good on their own or in curries or soups. Other seafood such as prawns, scallops and oysters also find their way into New Zealand cooking.

Kiwifruit - Originally known as the Chinese gooseberry, the Kiwifruit plays a part in New Zealand cuisine as it is so widely grown there.

Fusion cooking – This is a style of cooking that combines different culinary traditions. In New Zealand this often combines European and Asian elements.

New Zealand has been making wine since the middle of the nineteenth century but did not really become one of the world’s important wine regions until the 1980s. Amazingly Sauvignon Blanc was only planted commercially in New Zealand in the early 1970s. New Zealand wine comes from about ten designated regions some on the warmer North Island and some on the cooler South Island.

The South Island includes Marlborough which is New Zealand’s largest wine district. This is where much of the NZ Sauvignon Blanc comes from but they also grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Riesling. South of Marlborough is Canterbury where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominate. Even further south is the Central Otago region where Pinot Noir is the rising star. The other main region of the South is Nelson where smaller artisanal growers are more likely to be found.

The North Island’s biggest and best known region is Hawkes Bay where you will find Chardonnay and loads of different red grapes – many of the best NZ reds apart from Pinot Noir come from this region. At the southern tip of the North Island are the Wellington regions of Martinborough and Wairapara – these are other good regions for Pinot Noir. Other regions on the North Island include Gisborne, Auckland, Northland and the lesser known Waiheke Island where the small producers dominate.

New Zealand wines are never the cheapest wines in the supermarket but they do offer very reliable quality and some superb examples of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and increasingly other varietals.

NEW ZEALAND WINE TASTING DINNER MENU

Pelorus with Salmon Blinis

1. Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut NV
New Zealand Chardonnay Blend Sparkling White Wine made using the traditional champagne method (Majestic and Waitrose £16 to £19))
Served with Smoked Salmon Paté on homemade Blinis
This is one of NZs best sparkling wines made by a winery owned by Veuve Cliquot. It has creamy, yeasty, apple and hazelnut flavours.  A great way to start off any special evening.  Buy some for Christmas.

2. The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough
New Zealand white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes near the Waihopai River (Majestic and Watirose £7 to £10)
Served with Beetroot and Goats Cheese Verrine
This is my favorite NZ Sauvignon Blanc as it doesn't have just the classic New World fruitiness but a good minerality as well.

Jane prepares the salad

3. Lone Range Heretaunga Chardonnay 2009 Hawkes Bay
New Zealand oaked white wine made on the North Island with Chardonnay grapes (Marks & Spencer £10 to £11)
Served with Prawn, Avocado and Mango Salad
NZ doesn't just make Sauvignon Blanc whites and here is a fine example of a Burgundy style Chardonnay with citrus, peach and apple flavours.  Beautiful as long as you don't mind the oakiness.  I loved it.

4. Clocktower Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough
New Zealand red wine made with Pinot Noir grapes (Marks & Spencer £10 to £12)
Served with Johnny's Fusion Sausage Roll served with Jane's Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Pinot Noir was the first red grape that really made it big in New Zealand and this one has a fruity acidity to offset the typical fattiness of a sausage roll.

Jane's Tongham ketchup

5. Wild Rock Gravel Pit Red 2009 Hawkes Bay
New Zealand red wine made with Merlot and Malbec grapes (Waitrose £10 to £11)
Served with Lamb and Kumara Hot Pot
This shows that the North Island can make great reds using grapes other than Pinot Noir. Its big dark fruits and spicy flavours should stand up well to a hearty stew.

6. Man O'War Syrah 2008 Waiheke Island
New Zealand North Island red wine made with Syrah Grapes (Noel Young Wines, Harvey Nichols £17 - £18)
Served with a Cheese Board (Cheddar, Gouda and Manchego)
This is a seriously good red wine even if it doesn't have the classic New World syrah/shiraz flavours and enhanced our classic cheese board.  The white pepper complexity of this wine makes it a exceptional tasting experience.  A wine also great for drinking on on its own.  Do try this one.   Here is a link to Noel Young wines.

A lovely first course

7. The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Marlborough
A late harvest New Zealand sweet dessert white wine made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes (Majestic £9 to £13 a half bottle)
Served with Kiwi Fruit Pavlova
Dessert wines from New Zealand have only recently started to be imported into the UK. We are serving ours with a classic NZ dessert.  Pleasant and worth a try but too one dimensional to beat a classic dessert wine.

Fusion Sausage Roll

8. Coffee served with Raspberry Lemmington Cakes

Thanks to everyone who turned up and made this a special evening.  Special thanks to Jane whose cooking makes these evenings a culinary experience and also to Christine, Bob and others who also put in much hard work.  Finally, thanks to Clive for some of the pictures that accompany this post.
 
Coming soon - my recipe for the sausage rolls!

For other recipes from this evening, visit Jane's blog Why is there Air.

Its all Greek to me!

For our November 2011 Tongham Tasters evening we were back in home territory following our October trip to Farnborough. It proved to be another fun evening of good wine, food,conversation and laughter.  Our host was Sheila. She had gathered together six wines and some food from Waitrose. What would our six intrepid tasters think of them? Find out below with scores out of twenty in the order John E, Sheila, John S, Steve S, Jane and Ian. As usual the wines are presented in descending order of preference. All were tasted blind so that we could test our lack of wine tasting skills and score them without prejudice.

1.. Organiki Tsantali Cabernet Sauvignon Private Collection 2006, Greek Red, Waitrose £8.99. 14.5%

Two Thirds of our tasting team had this as their top wine of the evening and everyone had in their top three wines. It was a very smooth tasting wine with some raspberry, tobacco and herbal flavours. Ian wondered if it was from Portugal and John E wondered if it was an Argentian Malbec. Jane complained that she couldn’t taste the sunshine! John S spotted that it was a Cabernet Sauvignon but nobody guessed it was from Greece. Scores were 13, 13, 17, 15, 17, and 16. This was a Greek red that we can definitely recommend for slightly under £9.

2. San Leo Vino Spumante Prosecco Aromatico Brut NV, Italian Sparekling White, Waitrose £8.99. 11%.
The other third of our tasting team voted this sparkling wine their top wine. Only John E didn’t really rate it at all, and he was also the only one to identify it as a Prosecco. It has a nice bouquet and Ian thought it had lots of umph! Quite a few thought it was chardonnay but they were wrong. Scores were 10.5, 16.5, 13, 13, 18 and 14. Most of the team rated this a good sub £9 sparkler.

3. Neethlingshof Estate 2011 Stellenbosch Gewurtztraminer South African White, Waitrose £6.99. 13%.
Both Jane and Ian wondered if this from the Alsace. Others wondered if it was an Italian Pinot Grigio. With a slightly smoky taste, it was in fact a pleasant South African Gewurtztraminer from this year’s vintage. Everyone had it in there top four wines and the scores were 12, 16, 12, 12.5, 14, and13. Another good buy white wine at this price.

4. Waitrose Seriously Plummy Grande Reserve Maury, French Dessert wine, £9.99 for 37.5ml, 16%.
With some wondering if it was Spanish or Californian, John E confidently said it was French and a 100% Grenache Vin Doux; for once he was right! Steve S said he thought it was well made. What was absolutely certain was that it went perfectly with chocolate; Sheila thoughtfully providing us with some 85% cocoa chocolate pieces. Scores were 11, 12, 12, 10.75, 15 and 15. This sweet red wine is an absolute must for chocoholics.

5. Champteloup Selection Rosé d’Anjou, 2010, French rosé wine, Waitrose £6.99. 11%.
John E confidently announced this wine was a white wine, somehow totally ignoring the cough mixture colour! Sheila though it had not a lot of flavour, John S thought it floral and Ian described it as rose hip syrup. Not a popular wine with no top four votes, the scores were 10, 10, 9, 6, 8 and 11. Probably one for those who don’t really like wine!

6. Chateau Musar 2004 Gaston Hochar, Lebanese Red wine, Waitrose £18.99,
Although there was some taste of blackcurrants there was also an unpleasant taste of glue in this light coloured red wine. Nobody really liked it and when we unveiled what it was we found out it was a similar wine to the Lebanese wine that bombed at our tasting a few months ago. Scores were 8.5, 8, 8, 8.75, 12 and 8. I wonder if it tastes better and you decant as they instruct on the bottle. At this price we wouldn’t bother trying.

Thanks to Sheila for selecting these interesting wines. I particularly appreciated the Greek red and the Maury. With the wines Sheila served some cheese, Polish sausage, bread crackers and a selection of dips. Her conservatory proved another great location for one of our tasting sessions.

Next month is our Christmas party on Thursday December 15th in Grange Road Tongham. Three of our group will be competing to find out who can produce the best mulled wine. We will also be having a raclette cheese dish served with some Savoie and other French wines. If you want to join in the fun, click on Wine Circle at the top of this blog. Cost will be slightly more than the normal £10 for our December evening but everyone is welcome if they have an interest in wine, food and socialising.  Before this we have our New Zealand wine tasting dinner in Tongham Village Hall for which we have already sold out our 57 tickets.  See you there!