The Museum Inn, Farnham, Dorset

It felt like we were in the land of the lost as we weaved our way up Zig Zag Hill in thick fog last Friday evening. Our goal; The Museum Inn, Dorset, the reason; The legendary Yapp Christmas party, our immediate aim; to get there in one piece and ahead of Charlie, our fear; he would empty their barrels of 6X before we got there. Thankfully, thanks to my Stig-like driving prowess and Paul’s Ordnance Survey standard navigation (the Sat Nav’s nagging drone had long been confined to the boot), we arrived intact, in deepest, darkest Dorset (Farnham to be precise) and Charlie had barely managed to get to grips with his first pint.

The Museum Inn is a free house with fine dining and Bed & Breakfast, the perfect venue for a Yapp night out. It may seem strange having a Christmas bash in January, but this is the nature of the beast for all of us who serve in the wine trade. December is not a time for relaxation and frivolity; we leave that to you dear customers. Our blood, sweat and tears shed in that festive month are dedicated to ensuring that you all have a wonderful time. Our loved ones are now used to our haggard looks, twitchy behaviour and gentle rocking on Christmas Day a culmination of two months worth of frantic business (for which we are truly grateful). Now it is January, now it is our time…

Two bottles of house Chablis and several rounds of 6X helped freshen the palate and relax the muscles ahead of our meal. The bar was packed, which I took as a good indication for the quality of the menu ahead. We were then seated in our own room, under the watchful eyes of a wall of hunting trophies. I am still not sure whether our hosts had given us our own space for our benefit or the other patrons. Nevertheless, there was no time to consider this as the food started to arrive.

To start, I had opted for pan-fried, diver-caught Lyme Bay scallops and I was delighted with this selection. The scallops were delicious, so tender as to melt in the mouth. With my taste buds well and truly activated, I had to force myself to slowly chew my roast loin of local estate venison with a braised venison pie so to appreciate all the rich flavours.  Again, the cooking skills were self evident with the perfectly cooked meat and the miniature pie was a great addition. I can also venture to comment that the slow-roasted Gloucester Old Spot pork belly was another excellent main course (thanks to Bianca’s kind donation of left overs). The succulent pork was accompanied by some braised red cabbage, which was as good as I have tasted anywhere (sorry Mum)! To finish I had opted for an Assiette of Rhubarb: Rhubarb Crumble, Stem ginger ice cream and Rhubarb Shot, the perfect finish to a fantastic meal.

As we always appreciate, Tom and Jason had once again done us proud with a raid on the Yapp cellars and we were well fuelled with a Magnum tour of the Rhône – J.L Chave Hermitage Rouge 1993, Provence – Domaine de Trévallon Rouge 2005 and Australia – Jasper Hill Georgia’s Paddock Shiraz 2003. All of which were perfect partners to the Museum Inn’s superb cuisine.

Our stay at this most hospitable of venues was all too soon drawing to a close as our carriages arrived to collect us. The friendliness of the staff, the quality of the food and a not inconsiderable bar bill (as it spilled from Tom’s shaking hands and down to the floor one could not help but a liken it to an Andrex ad.) had all contributed to a great evening. It certainly helped to make the stresses and strains of Christmas trading well worth it.

This is where my reportage ends, with us all departing into the darkness with two reliable and brave cabbies. However, in that darkness glowed the neon lights of Legends night club, shining across the counties, like a beacon to weary travellers. However, that, dear readers, is another story……

Over the past few months, a new currency has been adopted in the sleepy village of Broughton Gifford and its surrounding hamlets. This came as a result of all the juggling that goes on in getting small children to and from where they should be.  Those of you who do this on a regular basis will know that, from time to time, it requires the calling-in of favours from other parents – this originally loose arrangement is now negotiated and supported by Yapp wine.

So, how does it work? The base currency and exchange rate is roughly 2 hours of childcare for one bottle of Lirac: La Fermade 2005 from La Famille Maby which, at £9.95 a bottle, is excellent value both in childcare and wine terms. Extra half hours of childminding can be arranged with different wines and vintages – it appears the Côtes du Rhône: Cuvée Personelle 2000 gets an extra hour when compared to Côtes du Rhône: Saint Gayan 2007. I’ve yet to broach how long we’d get for some Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006 – one of my personal favourites.

The upshot of all this activity is that now, outside the school gates and the village hall, you’ll overhear parents discussing the merits of the Catalan Carignan 2007 and its 130 year old vines and how the Lirac 2005 is a little smoother than the 2007.

The big question next time we get to venture out will be – shall I “cash in” my very small number of Brézème: Eugène de Monicault 2004 bottles for a babysitter or stay in and drink in style – I suspect I already know the answer to that one.

As a relatively new member of Team Yapp I’d set about trying as many of the wines as I possibly could as not only is it good for the soul but also helps in appreciating what the company is all about.

There’s always on-going discussions about which wines are showing well any many a recommendation to take on-board but I took a more systematic approach after been identified as a “Southern Man” by our Shop Manger – which I think this means that I have a preference for Southern Wines and nothing to do with anything else specifically unless of course you are of an age when Neil Young’s “After the Goldrush” rings any bells..

So, my plan was to start at the beginning of the Yapp list, starting on page 7 and have a vinery tour down the Rhone – naturally heading south. I’ve tried and returned to many of the mid-pagers (mainly the Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006, Côtes du Rhône: Cuvée Personelle 2000 and Côtes du Ventoux: Château Valcombe 2005) but soon headed off further down the page – I got to Bin 09 – Vin des Amis (literally “Wine of the Friends”) produced by Auguste, Pierre & Olivier Clape.

When I asked about it at Yapp HQ not that many of the staff had tried it recently – so I was literally heading off into uncharted water. The tasting notes say “A tasty, vibrant Syrah that is a terrific, low-priced introduction to the Clape range”- it was a gem of a find, 100% Syrah and as warming and satisfying as any Autumnal fireside red should be. This thought came to mind again when I was talking with a customer at our Vintners Hall tasting in November who was sharing her “secret find” with me of a fantastic red called Vin des Amis and had I tried it? Now I’m sure that we’re not the only ones to have enjoyed this particular wine – but it is worth a try if you are ever heading off towards the Rhone or browsing the first few pages of the Yapp list.

On a personal note, watch out at the end of the bottle as not only will you need to keep an eye out for the fine sediment (the wine is not filtered to give greater character) but you’ll want to order more – and we have finite stock and I’m hoping to hang on to a modest proportion of that myself.