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