Pintxo

Spain is the name of the game next week. We're heading to a brand new pintxo bar on Westbourne Grove for Wine on Wednesday, 7 October 2009. So if you're keen for el vino and some Spanish tapas toothpick included, come along.

If you need more of a reason, I believe it'll be Liz Moynihan's final WoW in London before she jets off home soon. Also, show and tell on the evening will be provided by Vincent van Chaz. In keeping with the theme he is going to present biographical stories and 29+ sketches from his recent weeks travelling through Spain. Though this may only be partly true, Charles (the name he also goes by) will be there as he fleets through London, like Liz, homeward bound.

The bar is called Pix and is at 175 Westbourne Grove, W11 2SB. Closest tube is Notting Hill Gate on the Central Line.

I've booked a space for 7:30pm.

See you then.

Cheers

Anto

Cheese Cracker

Not too long after I arrived in London I noticed a little unassuming place on Moxon Street called La Fromagerie. It looked marvellous - a cheese room, walls of wine, artisan breads, fresh produce, leaf teas, a lovely sit down area..... I wondered how best does one do this place? Breakfast hopefully (I tried to once or twice), Sunday lunch (maybe), dinner..... well tonight I finally worked it out. Cheese and wine tasting. I've just come from there where it was an evening on Piedmont. Conveniently, the region where I was last weekend for the Slow Food Cheese Festival, so a wonderful follow up, and in it's own right exquisite. Patricia Michelson who opened the first shop in Highbury in the early 90's took us through a wonderful array of wine, cheese and food from the region in Northern Italy. It began with Prosecco and Grana Padana crisps, and ended with pears and quince poached with vanilla mascarpone, and in between included risotto, Ubriaco, Branzi, Taleggio, truffle cheeses, Barbera and Nebbiolo wines. No doubt you've heard of all of them. I certainly hadn't, many of them aren't publicly available apparently. It was a cracker.

http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/

Thanks Tess.

See you for Wine on Wednesday next week.

Antonioni

An Italian, a Frenchman and a Kiwi?

I went to the town of Bra in Italy last weekend for the Slow Food Cheese Festival. This event was brilliant. In any case, the reason I bring it up is because Bra is based in Piedmont in the North Western corner of Italy (just south of Turin) and is home to some of Italy’s best wines including Barolo and Barbaresco. Still buoyed by the trip on Wednesday night, I thought it’d be good to start with one of these wines...... alas, the Pavillion’s wine list wasn’t to be obliging. Not to worry, we stuck with Italy and tried a bottle from the Puglia region (the heel to Italy’s boot). Lovely, smooth and a little spicy – a bold-ish start. We also had our theme for the night… where have you been and what’s the wine like.

Next, Marty, who’d recently ventured to France for some canal boating along with a few wines, tempered things a little with a Beaujolais. The name derives from this historical province and wine-producing region in France located north of Lyon. It is a red wine made of the purple-coloured Gamay grape. The one we drank on the night was from producer Dominique Morel (Domaine de Gry-Sablon) from Fleurie. (There are ten specific Beujolais ‘Crus’, and Fleurie is one of them. My reading tells me that “Cru is a term which in Beaujolais can be loosely translated as ‘not crap’!”). Chilled slightly, light, nicely bodied, fresh, fruity and delightful – great choice.

To finish, Karl, one of our resident Kiwis on the night, took us to the New World. As we’re on the reds, it wasn’t going to be one of New Zealand’s cliché albeit outstanding Marlborough Sauv Blancs. Instead, it was a lovely Pinot Noir from that area by Kim Crawford. Beautiful. A good note to end the evening on.

As for it being the last of summer on Wednesday night, it certainly was the first day of autumn. A lovely night beside the bowling green nonetheless.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Autumnal Equinox

I'm trying to squeeze the most out of this summer. For the next Wine on Wednesday I've chosen a delightful little venue situated by a bowling green, yet right in the middle of town. I'm hoping it'll be a lovely summer's afternoon for us to enjoy a few quiet wines after work. I say summer, but in actual fact it will be the first day of Autumn, you see this year the Autumnal Equinox falls on the night before - Tuesday evening, 22 Sept. This is when night and day are nearly the same length as the Sun crosses the celestial equator.

So, on Wednesday, 23 September 2009, whether technically it's the last day of summer or the first day of autumn, come and join me for a relaxed wine or two at Finsbury Circus around 7/7:30pm. The place is called The Pavillion. Here's the website:

http://www.pavilionlondon.co.uk/

It's right in between Moorgate and Liverpool Street tubes.

Ant

One to Remember...

There were plenty of Kodak moments to be had in the fun of last Wednesday night, downstairs at Fino’s wine cellar in Mayfair. It’s etched in everyone’s memory… I’m sure… I hope…

… see I’d like to share the wonderful photos I/we took, but the camera they were taken on is missing in action. The pictures telling 1000 words may well turn up, but for now, I give you my version:

From an early stage, the girls were sipping Proseco (Italy’s version of sparkling wine which is from Veneto in the North near the border with Slovenia). This I’m sure was meant as an aperitif, but, if I recall correctly, proved a stayer and carried on as their drink of choice through most of the night. In any case, it ensured proceedings kicked off well and laid a solid foundation for the rest of the evening.

The boys on the other hand relied on Italy later in the night, finishing with a wine from Vicchiomaggio – well rounded and tasty – Ripa Delle Mandorle , from 2005, which may explain the tastiness and smoothness. See it turns out Vicchiomaggio was Italian Winemaker of the Year that year. Let me digress further, Vicchiomaggio is located in the heart of the Chianti Classico area. This is the biggest of seven sub-areas in the Chianti region in Tuscany. Interestingly, for a wine to retain the name of Chianti, it must be produced with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. However, the one we drank on Wednesday night only had 75%, the remaining 25% being Cabernet Sauvignon. Delightful, Toscana delightful, albeit not a Classico.

Back to where I was, the boys chose a Spanish flavour in the beginning, a lovely 2004 Rioja. Before I try and pretend to know too much about it and impart as much on you I’ll have to study up on it… so, for another day.

As for Fino’s (which lays claim to being the original London wine bar), it’s certainly a cosy bar with a friendly atmosphere, if last Wednesday night it was devoid of patrons outside of the WoW crowd. It was fun to explore “the warren of passageways leading to secret alcoves and private dining rooms”. The old school barmen in their uniforms were a pleasure - polite, hospitable and attentive – I thought. Great snacks too.

Wato, great to have you over from Aus. Likewise, Burnsy in from Oxford for the night, and Prue, your regular presence noted, glad you made the effort after hockey training.

As ever, thanks to everyone for making it a particularly memorable Wine on Wednesday, especially those whose first WoW it was.

Cheers

Anto

Come for a Red

Venue for next Wednesday is Fino’s Wine Cellar in Mayfair.

http://www.finos.co.uk/finos_winecellar/index.htm

123 Mount Street, W1K 3NP, is in between Bond Street (Central line) and Green Park (Jubilee line) tube stations.

Please come for a vino. The order of the night is red, but if it happens to be sunny, we can enjoy a white or even a (summer?) Rosé in the lovely little laneway out the front.

Look forward to seeing to you there around 7:30pm/8pm.

Cheers

Anto