Tongham Heritage Open Days

The Historic Tongham Village Hall

This year, Tongham is participating more than ever before in the National Heritage Open Days from the 6th to 9th September 2012.

Jane and I have devised a Tongham Hop Trail, which is a family friendly self-guided trail around Tongham.  Much of the late 19th and early 20th century history of Tongham was associated with the hop industry and there are remnants of it today.  Follow the Hop Trail and visit some of Tongham’s historical buildings and links to the hop growing trade.   Admire the unusual detached bell tower at Saint Paul’s Church, visit the newly refurbished kiln, walk with you children through Tongham Community Wood and take part in a nature quiz, visit Tongham Village Hall and enjoy tea and cakes whilst viewing the photo exhibition, visit the White Hart which is holding a beer festival or visit the local Hog’s Back Brewery.  There will be much to do over the weekend.

You can download the "Tongham Hop Trail" brochure from the Guildford Borough Council website, here:  Tongham Hop Trail map [4Mb]

Participating in the "Tongham Hop Trail" and in the Heritage Open Days are these fine Tongham institutions:

The Kiln – www.amberandgreen.com
 St Paul's Church – www.stpaulstongham.org.uk
 Tongham Community Wood – www.tonghamwood.org.uk
 The White Hart pub – www.thewhiteharttongham.co.uk
 Tongham Village Hall – www.tonghamvillagehall.org.uk
 Hogs Back Brewery – www.hogsback.co.uk

Details of Tongham Open Days events and opening times can be found in Guildford Borough Council's Heritage Open Days brochure, which you can download here:  Heritage Open Days brochure 2012 [4Mb].

For those of you who are wine enthusiasts, note that Greyfriars Vineyard on the Hogs Back near Puttenham will be open on the Sunday September 9th between 10am and 4pm.  They are well worth a visit.  If in doubt read a report on our Tongham Tasters  visit there last year.  Click here for a report on a Vineyard in Transition.

Checking out the grapes at Greyfriars vineyard in 2011

Hope we see you around Tongham on the weekend of 8th and 9th of September!

If you cycle, do take a ride down cycle route 22 (turn left at Kei's restaurant in Runfold after cycling down Grange Road)  to Puttenham to see Surrey's last Hop garden.  They will be picking in September so be quick.

Puttenham Hop Garden August 2012

If you enjoyed our Hop Trail and fancy a longer walk through this part of Surrey's Literary Heritage click here.

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

INVITE TO OUR NEW ZEALAND WINE TASTING DINNER

SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2011, 7PM

                                              

TONGHAM VILLAGE HALL

£22.50 per head inclusive of all food and wine

8 Courses – 7 Different Wines to Taste

Contact Jane Etherton to book your place and participate in the life of your village. Tel 07983 154295

All profits go towards the upkeep of Tongham Village Hall, 75 The Street

Registered Charity No.200365

September 2011 Diary

Tongham Tasters Evening
Our next get-together is on Thursday 15th September in Poyle Road Tongham. Theme of the evening is top wines to buy in the UK at £10 or under. As usual we will be sampling 6 wines with some accompanying food to cleanse the palate or enhance the tasting experience. We’ll also share tips on how to buy good wine for under £10. Anyone is welcome to join us for this evening, although we are limited to a maximum of 12 persons. Cost to be shared amongst those attending is a maximum of £10 each. Let John know if you would like to attend; either ring him on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com. We welcome new faces to our events.

Local Events in Surrey
Our local vineyard on the Hog’s Back – Greyfriars – is holding an open day on Saturday 10th September. A few of us intend to pop up there so maybe we’ll see you there. Details are on the Greyfriars Vineyard website.

I note that on Tuesday 20th September the Surrey Hills Society are having a tasting in Albury of ten wines from six different Surrey Vineyards. Details are on their website. Book early if you wish to go as there are limited places. Unfortunately, I can’t make this one, should be interesting.

Surrey Farm and Food Week is happening between September 17th and September 24th. We’ll probably attend the farm walk on the Hampton Estate on Saturday 24th September as we are big fans of their produce (beef, pheasants, rabbits, honey etc). Look for details of all that is going on, on the Surrey Farm and Food Week website.

Events Further Afield
For those of you keen to refill your wine rack, cupboard or cellar, the Foire Aux Vins in France are rapidly approaching. This is the time of the year when the French supermarkets have some wine bargains and also a much larger selection of wine than normal. From their website, I believe that Auchan in Calais and Boulogne are having their Foire aux Vins between Tuesday 13th to Monday 26th September (not open on Sundays). Again some of our group are planning trips, so we might bump trolleys en France! I have some postings to help you choose you wine – click on this page link.

Old World versus New World Wines

In the left hand corned we have the Old World.....

Do you prefer the wines of the traditional wines making countries such as France, Italy and Spain, or do you prefer the wines of the new boys such as Australia, Argentina and Chile? Can you even tell the difference? For our next Tongham Taster’s evening on Friday 12th August we will be investigating the differences between old and new world wines. John E will be selecting 3 red grape varieties and providing us with an example of each from the new world and old world. Which will have more power and more fruit? Which will be more food friendly? Come and find out with us from 8pm in Grange Road, Tongham, Surrey.  Six wines will be blind tasted and food will be provided to help us test the wines in real conditions.



As usual we will share the cost, which should be around £10 a head which will include tasting 6 wines and having a simple 3 course supper. This month we will be throwing in a birthday cake and desert wine for free to help Jane celebrate her birthday! Sound like fun? Give John E a ring on 07717 876743 Or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com. We welcome new members, so if you enjoy tasting wine, give us a try!

If the weather is warm we will be tasting outside or if we are having a typical English summer’s evening we will retreat indoors. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 14 but we usually have about eight or nine of us sharing some good wine, food and conversation. John reckons he has selected six stonkingly good red wines, but you can be the judge of that if you join us on August 12th for another Tongham Tasters’ wine evening. Find out more about us by clicking on Wine Circle at the top of this page.

Ceps foraged last week

..and in the right hand corner, The New World!

If you can’t make this event, here are some other dates for your diary. On Thursday September 15th we will be competing in Poyle Road, Tongham to find out who can bring along the best £10 or under bottle of wine. Then in October on Saturday 15th we will be in Farnborough to discover The Joy of Ceps with our resident Ceps maniac, Ian, and seeing what wines go well with mushrooms. If you are into long range planning then another date for your diary is Saturday November 19th when we will be have another Tongham Village Hall Wine Tasting Dinner – New Zealand wines and Pacific Rim cooking.

Untl then...... cheers!

Storming the Bastille

On July 14th Tongham Tasters’ will be celebrating French National Day by trying 6 French wines, each selected by a different member of our tasting group. We would love you to join us, but spaces are strictly limited to 14 and as we have a lot of interest for this one give me a call or send an email early to guarantee your place. Food will be more substantial for this event and we will be having a starter, main course and dessert, all following the French theme. If we are lucky, Jane and Jean-Michel will have taught us how to sing La Marseillaise by the end of the evening! Venue as usual is Tongham, this month in Grange Road.

A reminder of the wines we are having at this event and who is buying them:

Sheila - A bottle of Champagne or other French sparkling wine up to the value of £20.
John S - A bottle of dry white Burgundy or Loire wine up to the value of £18.
Myself - A bottle of red Burgundy up to the value of £20.
Clive - A bottle of red Bordeaux up to the value of £15.
Steve S - A bottle of red Rhone or Languedoc wine up to the value of £12.
Ian - A bottle of sweet white dessert wine from the Loire or Bordeaux up to the value of £15.

In addition, I will put a few bottles in reserve as it looks like we are going to have a good attendance again this time.  Hopefully, Jean-Michel is bringing along one of Dominique's lovely desserts.

If you want to join in the fun just ring John on 07717 876743 or email Tonghamtaster@gmail.com. Remember we equally welcome faces old and new, so give us a try. As usual we will be sharing the cost of the evening which may be slightly more than the normal £10 for this evening.

Future Tongham Tasters wine tastings wil include "Old World versus New World" in August, "Best Wines Under £10" in September and "The Joy of Ceps" in October. Do join us!

Italian Wine in Seven Easy Sips!

Saturday July 2nd should be one of the next dates to put in your diary. We are holding one of ourTongham Village Hall wine tasting dinners and this time it is time to polish up on your Italiano!

We will be serving you seven superb Italian wines chosen for you by John and a 7 course dinner cooked by Jane. The cost is just £20 each which is an incredible bargain in these inflationary times – but expect to have your arm twisted to buy some raffle tickets on the door.

As usual you will have fun trying Italian food and wine as well as participating in the active social life of Tongham Village.

Please book soon to avoid disappointment. Contact John on 07717 876743 or Jane on 07983 154295. Money is payable on booking. We hope to see you there.

BBQ Wines

INVITATION

Summer is approaching and summer, even with our weather, means Barbeques. But what wines to serve with a BBQ? We will be getting some ideas from Hazel this coming Friday, 3rd June, at our next Tongham Tasters’ evening. Expect some rosés! To road test them properly there will be an accompanying BBQ and perhaps some of Steve's homemade bread. All we need now is your company and some good weather.

Format will be as usual, with 6 wines being blind tasted and some accompanying food. We will be sharing the cost (about £10 a head) between all the attendees and anyone is welcome to join us. Just send us an email to tonghamtaster@gmail.com or ring John on 07717 876743 if you fancy joining us. The fun starts at 8pm. If you have never met us before and want to know more about our group click on Wine Circle at the top of this page.

JOHN’S BBQ WINE ADVICE
Most rosés go well with BBQ food. What better to drink on a hot summer’s night?
With reds either go for big wines such as Shiraz, Malbec, Pinotage etc or go for some more acidity with a lighter Beaujolais. Probably a young Australian Shiraz would be a popular choice with many in the UK. In the USA they would recommend a Zinfandel – why not try the Ravenswood Zinfandel from Majestic?
If you fancy a white, try a Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
Which exact wine you choose will depend on what exactly you are barbequing and what sauce or marinade you are using and even on you and your guests own personal taste. Don’t worry too much as BBQ is not haute cuisine – just don’t waste an expensive wine. Have fun trying a selection of value wines. Join us next Friday for some ideas.

French Sauvignon Blanc Evening

France is the spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc with Sancerre and Pouilly Fume having created the worldwide reputation of this white distinctive grape varietal. Nowadays, perhaps some consumers believe that Sauvignon Blanc comes mainly from New Zealand as this is the favourite tipple of many. For years Sauvignon Blanc was my favourite wine and of course, being me, I prefer the French Sauvignon Blancs. There are many French Sauvignon Blancs other than Sancerre and Pouilly Fume. Perhaps surprisingly, Quincy was the second ever Appellation Controlee after Chateauneuf du Pape, and Quincy only grows Sauvignon Blanc. Also in the Loire, Reuilly and Touraine grow lovely Sauvignon Blanc wines as does St Bris in Burgundy. In the Loire, Bordeaux and South West Regions Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with other grapes to produce other distinctive and delicious wines.

For our next Tongham Tasters’ wine evening we will be blind tasting some of these French Sauvignon Blancs – 4 single varietals and one blend. Our sixth and last wine of the evening will be a red – I’ll bring along something special. The date for your diaries is Thursday 12th May at 8.00pm and the venue is in Tongham Surrey – full address when you book.

Everyone is invited and welcome but places are limited to just 14. Cost is the usual maximum of £10 and is payable on the night. If you want to join us please ring John Etherton on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com. It should be a good convivial evening with nice wine and some simple food to match. Hope to see you there! If you need more information click on Wine Circle at the top of this page for our FAQs. We welcome new faces to our events so please feel free to join us.

If it’s Friday it must be the Languedoc!

You are invited to our March 2011 Tongham Tasters wine evening, which, unusually this month, is on a Friday. The date to put in your diaries is March 11th at 8.00pm.

This month, Steve S is hosting the event and choosing the wines. Most of us know that Steve is a big fan of the Languedoc and so no surprise that the theme of this month’s evening is the wines of the Languedoc.

As usual we will be blind tasting 6 wines, enjoying a little food and of course thoroughly enjoying each others company. Cost of the evening is shared by all who come along and is limited to a very reasonable £10 per head – cash on the night.

Participation is limited to 14 as it is being held in one of our homes and we only have one bottle of each wine. As we normally only get nine regulars along to our events there is room for a few additional people to come along and join in the fun. We welcome any new faces and if you want to join us, give Tongham Taster organiser John a call on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com.

Vines in the Languedoc

The venue will be in Tongham which is close to Farnham, Aldershot, Seale, Ash and Runfold in Surrey, UK.. Address will be supplied on booking your place. Hope we get to clink glasses with you on the 11th.  If all is stilll not clear click on Wine Circle at the top of this blog for our FAQs.

If keen on the wines of the Languedoc do tune in to this blog for information and recommendations relating to this region each week during March.

Invitation to the February Tongham Tasters Wine Get-together

Less than two weeks to go before the next Tongham Tasters’ get-together. This month, Clive is hosting the evening and providing the wine and food. As usual we will be blind tasting six different wines. The date for your diary is Thursday 17th February at 8.00pm and the location is Tongham, Surrey, UK. The cost of the evening is shared between those who attend and is limited to a maximum of £10 per person.

6 Glasses ready to be filled with interesting wine.

We always welcome new people coming along to our events. No knowledge of wine is required, just an enthusiasm to try different wines in a social atmosphere. So whether you know us or just happened upon our blog site, and fancy coming along, contact us to reserve your place. Spaces are limited to 14 as we hold our get-togethers in our homes.

For more information and FAQs, click on Wine Circle above. Hope to see you on the 17th!

To contact us ring John on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com.

TONGHAM TAPAS FIESTA

Tickets are now on sale for our Saturday February 12th Spanish wine tasting dinner in Tongham Village Hall. Seven superb Spanish wines and twelve tapas dishes to taste should make for an excellent evening and represents tremendous value at just £22.50 per head. We should also be able to raise a few hundred pounds to help the continuing renovations of the village hall – hopefully you will notice quite a few changes since our gala champagne dinner last year.

In some parts of Spain they have Tapas festivals or fiesta during February as part of the lead up to Lent. This may be the first time we have had a Tapas Fiesta in Tongham.

As this is fiesta time, the emphasis this time will be on fun rather than formal so Spanish Tapas is ideal as it is little dishes made for sharing. Rather than black tie this time, we want some colour so wear something red and yellow – the colours of the Spanish flag. There will a bottle of wine for the best dressed person following this theme.

As usual we will include a large educational element so that you will leave the evening with the history of tapas and an introduction to the main Spanish wine regions. Wines will include Rioja, Priorat and Albarino and we will also be reintroducing you to Sherry.

We always sell out, so book early to avoid disappointment. As my mobile phone is broken at present, ring 01252 783447 or 07983 154295 for tickets. We need cheque or cash within one week of booking.

Don’t miss out on the Tongham Tapas Fiesta. Ring today!

Dates for your diary

Tongham Tasters hold wine tastings in Tongham near Farnham Surrey on the second Thursday of each month.   As we hold our get-togethers in our homes, participants are limited to 14 each evening.  Each month a different member of our wine circle selects the wines.  Cost of the food and wine is shared and the cost per person is limited to £10.  We warmly welcome new wine lovers coming to our evenings.   All of us are at different levels of wine knowledge and experience, so don't let being a novice put you off - we all learn more by drinking interesting wines each month.   Also don't worry about not living in Tongham as tasting doesn't necessarily involve swallowing.  Get a flavour of our get-togethers by reading the reports of our evenings and other blog postings below.

Our next events are -

Thursday December 9th - 8.00pm - Sheila
Thursday January 13th - 8pm - Steve & Hazel
Thursday February 10th - 8pm - Clive

To find out more email any questions to tonghamtaster@gmail.com or ring John on 07717 876743.