Change of Venue - Wed 24 Nov

To avoid a set menu and a minimum spend I’ve switched this week’s WoW to Vats Wine Bar and Restaurant at 51 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NB (nearest tubes are Russell Square and Holborn).

For those who know Greeny, he may make an appearance at what will be his last WoW before returning to Oz . . . so it could be a good warm up to the festive season.

Look forward to seeing you there from 7pm (let me know if you think you can make it, I’ll try to give them an indication of numbers on Tue night).

Charlie

November . . . really?

The challenge is to believe it is November and by the 24th Christmas will be a sneaky month away. Cold, wet and rainy weather to boot means there is no better cure than a warming glass of vin rouge. Join us for a glass or more at Vivat Bacchus on 47 Farringdon St EC4A 4LL (nearest tube Chancery Lane or Farringdon) from 7pm on Wednesday 24 November.

www.vivatbacchus.co.uk

Look forward to seeing you there.

Charlie

Fresh Legs

It was a famous five both in person and wine. Refreshing as always to have a newcomer to WoW this was probably one that featured more chat about the wine itself than most. Honey, fruitcake and port were all mentioned on first sip of the Austrian wine Burgenlander Pittnauer Zweigelt. You would have thought we were drinking a dessert wine but it opened up as we drank it, the sweetness countered by tannin and taughtness without loosing that togetherness that was the sign of some clever oenology. I know nothing about Austrian wine but given the prowess surrounding such a country it is no surprise that the arbitrary things we know as borders don't define the limits of those who are extremely capable in the art of winemaking. With the other wines we travelled the world including Italy, Mendoza and France. Accompanied by some great laughs and several decisions to stay for "one more" it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen

Looking for a hat-trick of rainy Wine on Wednesdays we’re heading for 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen. It’s a new restaurant/bar with a motive firmly embedded in the enjoyment of good wine. Join us for a couple from 7pm this Wednesday at 140 Fetter Lane EC4A 1BT (nearest tube Chancery Lane or Temple).

Why to 28 to 50? Let that be your homework for Wednesday.

http://www.2850.co.uk/

One glass at a time

My chirp-up of the summer sunshine peaking around the crevasses of St Pauls Cathedral was left a little sodden after a couple of tropical style downpours. A few stalwarts braved the London lubrication and we sipped a cheeky red before disappearing home to dry off.

September takes us back to one of the first venues of Wine on Wed. Kensington Wine Rooms is one of a few venues that allows you to purchase tasting size portions of a selection of wines (as per the web address). You can go on an adventure around the wine world in one night or test your palate by trying to identify the subtle differences between the aromatic whites. At 127 - 129 Kensington Church Street W8 7LP it is just around the corner from Notting Hill Gate on the Central line and I’ve let them know we’ll be congregating from 7pm. Look forward to seeing you there.

If you can’t make it next Wednesday this venue is definitely worth a look when you get a chance: http://www.greatwinesbytheglass.com/

St Pauls Summer Sunset

Some semblance of organisation threatens to overthrow the haphazard world of Wine on Wednesday post pesto. For the remainder of 2010 WoW will be on the last Wednesday of the month. I will throw in a few in between (with venues a little bit out of the way or lacking the universal appeal) and let you know as these come up. The purpose remains threefold; a regular catch up, an exploration of London’s best bars and a chance to learn more about wine. I will keep you in the loop with these emails and this blog.

Our next adventure falls on the 25th of August at Dion St Pauls, a place renowned for its Krug room. Be not afraid, one will not be expected to max the credit card on a Nebuchadnezzar of vintage bubbles but do join us for one glass or many of whichever wine you desire. Will kick off about 7pm to catch the last of the summer sunshine in the surrounds of London’s famous dome (Dion St Pauls, Paternoster House, 65 St Pauls Churchyard, London EC4M 8AB).

Wine from the Middle East . . . seriously?

I was lucky enough to try some Lebanese wine recently (even luckier that I was doing so in Lebanon). The results were not of note with one exception, the Ksara Reserve du Covent. A deep red blend of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah and Carignan that was reminiscent of a warming Cotes du Rhone. Not really suited for drinking in the steamy Mediterranean sun but nonetheless a wine I will keep my eye out for. To qualify this I should say that I did not manage to sample any Chateau Musar wines. Musar is the flagship of the Lebanese wine industry (outside of Lebanon at least) and another to put on the list.

The Find

Bafana Bafana will be a distant memory so the merlots and marsannes can return to centre stage for the next Wine on Wednesday 14 July. If you're a chance make your way to La Trouvaille in Soho (12a Newburgh, Soho, London, W1F 7RR) from 7pm. It is just east of Carnaby Street for the shoppers amongst us. If the weather is fair we will probably congregate in the laneway outside otherwise will probably try to nab the church pew downstairs. Hopefully it will be a good little find . . .

ps: Despite strict drink driving laws and a general disdain of public transport Wine on Wed has made a successful debut in Brisbane . . . www.wineonwednesdaybrisbane.blogspot.com

Never Say Never

It's true, this Wine on Wednesday is less about wine and more about a good Margeret River chardy or a ballsy Barossa red (or the football team where they're from). Most people have written Australia off but I am unwilling. As such I've booked the top bar at the Harcourt Arms in Marylebone. It is not a glamour pub but should be a great spot to catch Australia v Serbia amongst friends. On a day when London is likely to stop (for the England match at 3pm) don the Green and Gold and join us to see the Socceroos have a crack.

The top bar at the Harcourt Arms (32 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HX - walkable from Baker St, Marylebone and Edgeware Road tube stations) from 7pm Wednesday 23 June.

Charlie

Il Baretto

Staying central this week with a Italian tipple or two at Il Baretto on Blandford St in Marleybone from 7pm this Wednesday 28 April. Address is 43 Blandford Street London W1U 7HF and closest tube station is Bond Street. See you there.

To give you a little heads up we’re likely to head south to Green & Blue (Clapham North) on the 12 May and then east (Islington) on the 26 May for some tasting at “The Sampler” before we take a few bottle on to a local restaurant. More details to follow . . .

Two Halves at St John

In the place known for bringing hearty British food back into fashion we hardly managed to get beyond the wine list . . .

St. John Bar & Restaurant

Simple food, an architecturally inspired space and good wine . . . St. John Bar and Restaurant promises to deliver what we love best in a classy setting. If the weather is as good as last week it may be standing room only so I’ve booked a table. In an old smokehouse near Smithfield Meat Market this establishment takes its name from the street it resides on, actual address is 26 St. John Street, London EC1M 4AY (don’t get confused there is also one in Spitalfields). Look forward to seeing you there.

Belle Époque

Stepping into what are a very big pair of shoes (or possible an even larger pair of red pants) we embarked on WoW without its founder and brainchild. Ant, I can safely say we have not sold out. A hitherto undiscovered wine bar, some good company and lively conversation. It is always good to have a couple of WoW freshers and they came with fear of having to talk about Tattinger and tannins all night. To their relief the chat remained as simple as our choice of wine (and the A20 and EC2 are just the names of wines on the Bedford & Strand wine list not some complex wine terminology). We started on the Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir and stuck to it all night. It hails from the Napa in California (an area I know so little about) and takes it names from a bicycle inspired by the Belle Époque era that was “a celebration of the freedom and happiness that pervaded Europe in the late 19th century”. We didn’t come up with any such life-changing inventions but we did solve the problems of the world. The pinot was soft and plummy like an Aussie merlot but had complexity probably more expected of its Central Otago relatives. In short, good wine.

What's in a name?

Wine on Wednesday is on this week, 24 March from 7pm. The venue is Bedford and Strand, a well-established wine bar near Covent Garden that apparently avoids the tourist crowd. Needless to say there are plenty of wines on offer including an A20, an EC2 and a "Middle of Everywhere" Shiraz but I think I'll be hard pressed not to try the Gladiator.

http://www.bedford-strand.com/

Look forward to seeing you there,

Charlie

Who What When Where Wine

WoW! What a big, wonderful night.

First, the venue - Wine Wharf, what can only be described as bustling, with an extensive wine list worth checking out. No surprise it's attached to Vinopolis and in Borough Market territory.

Next, the wine - we certainly went around the world in this department. In this respect, on a personal note, it felt more than fitting as my farewell to London wine nights as we hit a great variety of vinos. Some highlights included:

* "Little Beauty" Pinot Noir from Marlborough in New Zealand, courtesy of Ralphy and in honour of Mike Perry's love of this grape variety and the kiwis in attendance.
* A Serbian red, courtesy of Allana (though she wasn't happy with this particular drop, it was great to explore a less frequented wine spot on the globe).
* The 2006 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the smooth Italian red headlining the formal tasting at the start of the night.

The other wine which stuck in my head from the night was when proceedings had moved on to The Hide Bar in Bermondsey Street - a 2006 Francis Ford Coppola Director's Cut Zinfandel from California. Lovely, smooth and one to keep an eye out for and try. Zinfandel is America's answer to Italy's Primitivo red grape and this one is a beauty.

Last but not least, the people - like the wines a great mix and made the night. Thanks to all for coming.






Keep enjoying your wine, each other and the times and places you do it.

Cheers

Anto

WWF

Wine Wharf Finale. Next Wednesday's WoW (so 10 March 2010), we're heading London Bridge way to the wonderful Wine Wharf - attached to Vinopolis, it's the wine bar you enter from Borough Market side.

http://www.winewharf.com/

I've organised a formal tasting to kick-off of the night at 6:30pm, so please let me know if you're interested in that (further details below) or just come along as usual around 7:30pm for a mid-week vino.

I hope to see as many of you at some stage on the night as possible and share a wine with you as next Wednesday is the final WoW for me before heading back to Australia later in the month. So, though WoW will remain (under the careful guide of my brother, Charlie), I will be bidding farewell to London.

The tasting, for those keen, is run by the Wharf's own sommelier who covers six wines over the course of an hour and costs £25 per person. Again, please just confirm with me if you intend on coming to this so I can advise them of the numbers.

Cheers

Ant

Try Manouche

It was good.

per CP

Sapori in Armonia

Heard I missed a good little get together last night for WoW (post from Chuck to come shortly). Conveniently for me, the language school I’m attending here in Siena had organised a wine and cheese tasting evening last night – "Flavours in Harmony" - so I managed a wine on Wednesday also. It included a degustazione (sampling) of different pecorino cheeses with various flavours of honey and marmalades, and of course vino rosso of the region, Chianti. Not much more to say really - was fantastico and very interesting to get a little more insight in to the wine, cheese and condiments. (For instance, I had wondered why the Tuscan's have so many varieties of honey, so I asked the question last night. Rooted in Roman times, it's viewed as having various health benefits, being somwewhat medicinal, nutritional, and the like. It also keeps very well - more important back in the day. Add to this the fact that beekeeping has been around in the area for almost an eternity and is commonly a hobby for many of the locals who turn to it in retirement, and you can start to understand why they have the blueberry to green apple to capsicum infused honeys available. Tutti benissimo.)

Anto

Bring on Brunello

I'm lucky enough to be in Tuscany at the moment and so am taking the opportunity, as much as possible, to sample some of the vino locale. It's sometimes difficult to know exactly what you're drinking as the trattorias (small, local, often family-run restaurants) give it to you in a carafe. Fortunately, in this area, more often than not it is Chianti and typically very good tasting and value for money. However, I have come across one particular wine, more in the Enotecas, which is a magnificent vino rosso and that is Brunello. Brunello is the local name which the town of Montalcino has given to Sangiovese (Tuscany’s grape of choice). In so doing, Montalcino has made Brunello famous. It is widely and highly regarded in the wine world - known as a great red and one which improves with age. So, if you see it on a menu, and it’s in your price range (it can tend be a little expensive), have a go.

Manouche is the Word

The carrier pigeon finally arrived in Italy with the message to say that WoW is on at Manouche this week, Wednesday, 24 March. As I am away, my brother, Charlie will be "hosting" the evening.

This is a small French wine bar in the basesment at number 61, whose name literally translated means "gypsy" in French. Perhaps it'll be a little bohemian..... they also talk about it being a perfect place for "tête-à-tête" - a head-to-head or face-to-face - so I'm sure it'll be a great spot for wines and I look forward to hearing what it's like.

7pm onwards. It's on Goodge Street in the heart of Fitzrovia, so Goodge Street or Tottenham Court Road tube stations will be your best bet.

http://www.manouche-winebar.co.uk/

Cheers

Ant (and Charlie)

Cool night

It was chilly. There was snow. Perfect for trying some wine last Wednesday. And, Ebury, in my opinion, put on a good show as a venue - convenient enough, sufficiently classy and professional without being pretentious and a wine list that matched that actually. The food also was above average.



To start, a couple of us tried the Sicilian white, Grecanico - an indigenous variety apparently which was lovely and refreshing to begin the evening. I've been getting more in to Sicily's reds lately, but hadn't tried any of their vino bianco. Now having done so, I feel Sicilian wine will be, where possible, more of a regular come wine ordering time. I did also branch out and try a Chilean Viognier. This grape variety had been a bit of an unknown quantity for me. Looking in to it - although it's traditionally from Northern Rhone in France, the New World, including Chile, does have its versions. There wasn't much memorable that struck me about it - I'd call it polite... and so it will remain a wine enigma for me for the time being. I'll have to try it with a Thai or other equally spiced South East Asian dish which it apparently goes well with.

Enough on white - it was an evening after all begging for winter warmers, so red naturally dominated. I know Kel had a go of a Spainish Garnacha (Grenache) which she hadn't done so before, at least knowingly. Its one of Spain's regulars, alongside Tempranillo. However, it was the Charamba from the Douro Valley in Portugal (the area traditionally famous for it's sweet red wine, Port, but is now producing some great drinking reds), which had the run of it on Wednesday night. There were others, one particular later in the night which I unfortunately can't recall. Perhaps that is testament to the evening, which following on from the Douro Valley lead, finished with a LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port. Lovely.

I will say on the food front, a few of us had the wild mushroom risotto with toasted pine nuts and parmesan. This was delicious and particularly enjoyable with the Chianti Classico we were drinking at the time. Cheers to Tuscany.

Thanks to all for coming along. Kel Murdoch, your last WoW before heading home to Aust? Thanks for being a regular supporter.

Keep an eye out for the next WoW - I will not be there, but my brother Charlie is looking to organise something for 24 February. Watch this space.

Ant

Green & Blue and Azerbaijan

In the lead up to tonight's "something new" theme, I thought I'd share a couple of wine related firsts I've had recently.

I'm currently staying at East Dulwich in London's south-east. Down here is the lovely Lordship Lane, which I can encourage a visit to. There's not only some great pubs and cafes, but there's a fantastic wine shop, deli and bar called Green & Blue. These guys specialise in smaller producers with most of the wines being organic or biodynamic and the shop was voted Best Indepedent Wine Retailer in the UK, so you can be assured it's reasonably good. They also run regular wine events, with the tastings typically happening on Wednesday evenings (prices ranging from £16 to £35). So, if you're looking to try something new, head to Lordship Lane to find Green & Blue sometime.

The second story involves a night out at a friend's place. This particular friend regularly visits Azerbaijan on work trips and he thought we should sample a bottle of the local Azer wine. I loved the idea of branching out, but unfortunately we didn't like the wine so much. Not to worry. I've now gone from knowing nothing about Azer winemaking, to getting a small insight. And, while I certainly wouldn't profess to at this stage be a fan of or more to the point know much at all about the winemaking in Azerbaijan, I have since learnt that the country has quite a rich wine history - apparently before the arrival of the Arabs in the 7th century, the Tovuz region was known as the oldest land of quality wine-growing. Further, Azerbaijan and its western Gyandja-Tovuz region is traditionally a wine-growing territory home to famous Russian, German and Azeri historical figures, scientists, proprietors and millionaires. Interesting. For more, including how the French are now there trying to aid a renaissance of sorts, I can lead you to the website below.

http://www.vine.az/

Something new. See you tonight.

Something New at Ebury

Next Wednesday, 10 February, we're going to head down to the Ebury Wine Bar, on Ebury Street, SW1W 9QU, in between Victoria and Sloane Square tube stations.

http://www.eburywinebar.co.uk/contactus.php

In the name of going for a theme - I'd like, as much as possible, to encourage all to go for something new - try a wine that you haven't tasted before. We'll see how that goes. Have a look at the wine list on their website in the meantime.

I'll be there from 6pm onwards, so please join whenever you can.

Also, with my impending trip to Tuscany I'll look to put on a bottle of Chianti Classico at some stage and even finish the evening with a final winter Port.

Hope to see you there.

Ant

Primary, Secondary and Tertiary

Wholefoods and Reidel put on a brilliant tasting last Wednesday night. Very informative, worthwhile and value for money. Get along to one and keep an eye out for the glassware - Reidel know what they're doing. Fascinating to sample the wines out of the different glasses and compare the taste of a certain wine in the different styles of stemware. Who would have thought the nuances of glassware had such a role or affect on the taste of wine. In any case we've now got a better idea as to which wines work better in which styles of glasses and conveniently Reidel tend to name their glasses after the particular wines they suit.

Cheers

Aus Clarke and Grape Expectations

I thought before the wine tasting tomorrow night I'd share what Australia's expert on wine, Oz Clarke, has to say about the matter, including his tips.

"Wine's about pleasure. If it doesn't give you a buzz, there's no point to it.... The thrill about wine is that every bottle tastes different. That's why you like some wines, and don't like others. It's taste. Some people like broccoli. Some don't. It's the same with wine. Follow the flavour, and you'll soon be making sense of why different wines taste like they do: grape varieties, regions of the world, they're all different. Tasting wine means understanding what you are drinking - and enjoying it more..... to help you find the stuff you like and the stuff you don't. Now, how to taste wine?

1. Read the label
2. Look at the wine
3. Smell the wine
4. Take a sip
5. Spit or swallow?
6. Jot down your impressions."

Looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.

Tutored Tasting

What better place to start for the first WoW of 2010 than a Beginner's Guide to Wine. I got a tip off that Wholefoods run wine nights every other Wednesday evening. So, on 20 January I thought WoW could head to Wholefoods on High Street Kensington for a wine or two and learn a thing or two at the same time. It's only £10 and will take us on a tour comparing 5 wines. The night is taking a special look at a particular brand of glassware. I would guess it's the most widely used and well-regarded wine glassware and one that I'm sure you would have previously seen/heard of - the Austrian company, Reidel. It's always struck me as impressive... and reading in to it, given it's been 11 generations under the ownership of the same family, it's no wonder "Reidel Glass has stood for the high art of glassmaking".

So, if you're keen, please let me know as at this stage, I've only reserved 6 places and I'd hate for anyone to miss out.

Summertown - Winter Wines in Oxford

Happy new year to all. I wish everyone the best in 2010 and hope it includes some tasty wines at some point. I hope everyone had a lovely and restful Christmas break. It seemed much needed after 2009... at least I thought so.

I was fortunate enough to spend a few relaxing days in Oxford just after Christmas, which included a visit to the Summertown Wine Cafe. This place in the North Oxford suburb is brilliant. Resident Oxfordian ‘Dr Burns’ first introduced me to it earlier in the year, but cheers to Nick and Georgie for taking Rach and I back there for wine tasting.

For a modest £8 you can sample 12 wines. The staff are excellent and spent an hour at least running us through 6 whites and 6 reds from around the world, including a Spanish Cava to start and a LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port to end. Some v tasty and interesting wines indeed and at very good prices too. It’s certainly worth a stop if you find yourself up that way.

http://www.summertownwinecafe.co.uk/

Please note the first WoW is now on 20 January 2010. Keep an eye on the other dates for your diary. Look forward to seeing you this year. More on what's in store for WoW in 2010 soon, so until then, cheers.