International Wine Challenge awards 2010

The results will be announced at a gala dinner at the Park Lane Hilton on 7th September - the judges for the 2010 awards are the IWC co-chairmen Tim Atkin MW, Sam Harrop MW, Charles Metcalfe and Derek Smedley MW. These will be joined by Laura Jewell MW, Spar UK Ltd., Simon Thorpe MW, Negociants UK Ltd., David Cox, NZ Winegrowers and Rowan Gormley.

Personally I can’t wait to thank my Mum, my Dad my colleagues here at Yapp Brothers our wine maker friends in France, our loyal customers, my shrink, my dog, my dog’s shrink, anybody else who knows me and both of the people who read this blog!

Fred Filliatreau at Yapp Brothers

While Fred Filliatreau was over visiting last month, we had the pleasure of a staff tasting at Mere of six of his wines from recent vintages all of which were showing really well. We’re not the only ones to think so judging from the recent press accolades for Cuvée Domaine Filliatreau 2008 and Vieilles Vignes 2007 in the Spectator and Telegraph Weekend magazines respectively.

Fred’s illuminating commentary as we tasted helped put the wines in the context of a formidable winemaking lineage. Fred joined his father Paul in 1990, who himself was largely responsible for modernising the Saumur Champigny appellation in terms of winemaking practices in the 70’s as well as creating a strong sense of community in the local winemaking fraternity. Robin Yapp first bought his wines in 1976. Fred has continued to be a driving force in the Appellation, championing organic methods of cultivation: Saumur Champigny was the first French appellation to promote a biodiversity programme in the vineyards, including forbidding the use of herbicides and encouraging the study of weather patterns.

He is rigorous in his insistence on low yields and produces beautifully balanced, well-crafted and elegant wines. Fermented between 15 and 30 days, depending on the cuvée, in thermostatically-controlled stainless steel vats, the aim is to produce light, fruity and refreshing wines that are designed primarily for enjoyable drinking now but which have distinct style differences between the cuvées. All the wines lend themselves to chilling but perhaps the Cuvée Domaine Filliatreau especially.

Here are my notes from the tasting:

Château Fouquet 2009

13% abv (alcohol by volume). Vines planted in 1987 east of Saumur in the commune of Brézé on chalky-clay soil and one of the best terroirs of the appellation. Organically produced, well-balanced, with medium body and length with excellent concentration of ripe fruit (brambles) and supple tannins. Very well-balanced and drinking now but has potential to age up to10 years. With age it will become spicier. A great food wine creating a fresh sensation in the mouth. More forward drinking than the 2008.

Château Fouquet 2008

Delicious aroma of violets and ripe dark berries. More vegetal and savoury on the palate than the 09. Will age up to 5 years. As with all cuvées the grapes are hand-harvested and with Château Fouquet, the limit per basket load is 20 kgs so that the grapes don’t get crushed allowing the juice to oxidise.

Cuvée Domaine Filliatreau 2008

12.5% abv. From parcels of vines, approx. 20 years old on chalky-clay soil around the village of Chaintres. Biggest selling wine by volume to the restaurant trade-especially Paris. Fruit from 25 year-old vines. Grapes macerated for 15 days in stainless steel. Versatile, peppery, fresh and fruity, supple tannins. Drink young and between 12˚ and 14˚C.

La Grande Vignolle 2008

12.5% abv. Grapes are harvested from 45 year-old vines on chalky subsoil. Macerated for 20 days in stainless steel. Spicy on the nose. Medium body with great silky texture. Great balance with integrated fruit, tannins and acidity. Big seller in both the UK and the US (where they like it unfiltered).

La Grande Vignolle 2007

12.5% abv. 2007 was a complicated vintage with lots of rain in the summer. Savoury on the nose and quite restrained on the palate but extremely well-balanced with copious ripe bramble fruit and acidity and tannins to match. Well-matured, medium-weight and not too concentrated. Vestigial green pepper aromas but well-integrated with a pure fruit core.

Vieilles Vignes 2007

12.5% abv. Fruit from 80 year-old vines. Sherry, raspberries, pepper and spice on the nose. Delicious velvety texture and well-integrated fruit on the palate. Mid-weight and good length. Drinking very well and would be excellent with roast lamb but steer clear of the mint sauce!

The Marseilles Trilogy

If, like me, you have a penchant for a noir crime novel and are partial to the food and wine of Provence you should make a bee-line for Jean-Claude Izzo’s peerless ‘Marseilles Trilogy’, published (in style and in English) by Europa Editions and excellently translated by Howard Curtis. The dark underbelly of Marseilles is exposed therein with insight and affection and it is littered with references to the local wine and cuisine. Izzo was born in Marseilles, to Italian immigrant parents, in 1945 and the soul of the city is infused in his writing. He died in 2000 aged 55 having achieved fame in the 1990s with the publication of 3 novels featuring retired cop Fabio Montale. Collectively known as the ‘Marseilles Trilogy’ the books draw heavily on Izzo’s upbringing in Marseilles, national service in Djibouti (where he worked as a photographer and journalist for a military newspaper) and early career in the book trade.

Jean-Claude Izzo 1945-2000

Food and drink were clearly important to Izzo as he draws the reader into details few novelists would consider. How to make the perfect pistou soup, bouillabaisse and aïoli are debated at length and the numerous references to wine are precise and clearly based on a deep personal knowledge - “I put down two litres of red wine from the estate of Villeneuve Flayosc, in Rouquefort-la-Bédoule. A wine a Breton friend named Michel had introduced to us the previous winter. Château-les-Mûres. Really delicious.” Pleasingly, on page 102 of the final book ‘Solea’ our Vieux Marc Égrappé [£29.95 since you ask] gets a mention: “Fonfon had brought along a bottle of Bunan. An old stemmed marc from La Cadière, near Bandol. “Taste this,” he said. “It’ll make a change from that Scotch of yours.” It was delicious. Quite different from my Lagavulin with its slightly peaty taste. The Bunan was dry, but extremely fruity, smelling of scrubland. By the time I’d won two games of rummy and lost eight, I’d already enjoyed four little glasses of it.”Izzo’s other great passion was music and his catholic tastes encompassed everything from jazz to rap, reggae and Neapolitan folk. Again the referencing is incredibly detailed but it’s the food and wine descriptions that really stay with you: “Her bouillabaisse was one of the best in Marseilles. Scorpion fish, gurnard, conger, dory, angler fish, weever, pandora, rainbow wrasse…A few crabs, too, and sometimes a lobster. Only rock fish. That’s what made it different. And for the sauce, she had a particular genius for combining garlic and peppers with potatoes and sea urchin. But her bouillabaisse was never on the menu. You had to phone regularly to know when she was making it.”

If that doesn’t stimulate your appetite for a Provençal feast then you are probably best off sticking to the latest Dan Brown but if you really want to transport yourself to the bars and terraces of the Vieux Port and the Panier then Izzo is in a class of his own.

“What makes [Izzo's] work haunting is his extraordinary ability to convey the tastes and smells of Marseilles, and the way the memory and obligation haunt every step his hero takes.”

The New Yorker

Caravan - North Wales

For as long as I can remember I’ve taken holidays in the wilds of North Wales and  growing up in the Midlands I’m sure I’m not alone in this experience. It’s a place of breathtaking beauty and extremes - if the sun shines its idyllic however if it decides to rain, its well, the reverse.

My parents have a static caravan that has to still be painted green to ‘blend in’ with the country side on the North coast of the Llynn peninsula, it’s nearly all owned by the National Trust so it’s a case of no (white) blots on the landscape.

I spent my childhood on the spectacular beaches and now my children do the same - nothing appears to have changed in the last 40 years and all still seems reassuringly familiar.

On heading off last week I had packed my holiday wines - I’d not tempted fate and had my usual selection of southern Rhone reds - no whites or rosé, as that would have suggested that I was expecting the sun to shine at least once during the week and recent experience had indicated warming reds would be more appropriate.

I suspected that my Welsh wine experience would be a fairly solitary one but once you’ve got wine under your skin it seems to appear when you least expect it. We met another family with small children on the camp site (again borrowing their parents caravan and with a good 20 years of holidaying there under their belt) and during a chat over an impromptu BBQ Jeremy asked if I’d like a drink - and then went on to say, I really only drink wine and I love French wine - small world. So, we set about my holiday consignment and over the next few days we dispatched my Vacqueyras: Cuvée Spéciale 2003, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau: Saint Gayan 2006 and a few others, including my last bottle of Vin de Pays Duché d’Uzès: Camp Galhan Pérassière 2007 that I’d left there from my last visit.

Slate - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Later in the week we were on a small beach called Towyn that has always had a small shop (or ’shed’) on the cliff top that sells ice creams and other beach paraphernalia - but this year had diversified into general random Welsh products - I’ve always liked the ‘unusual’ so was intrigued to see, for want of a better word,  a “lump” of Welsh slate by the assorted Ben 10 surf boards - but slate with 3 holes drilled through that I decided had to be made for wine - and it was!

The slate was from the, now closed, Blaenau Ffestiniog quarry so there was never going to be another one - in the same way that wine vintages can never be repeated it was a must have - my wife was not as keen it has to be said - but anyway it’s now safely back in Wiltshire.

So, once you’ve got the wine bug - it catches you out when you least expect it!

Fred Filliatreau

My first guest was Fredrik Filliatreau, from Saumur Champigny, who I’ve known for years and is a close family friend. Fred was purporting to be in the UK on business and any rumours that he was actually over for a spot of chalk-stream fly fishing on the river Wylye should be ignored. Having been President of the appellation of Saumur Champigny while still in his thirties Fred is an authority on Cabernet Franc so that (and all Loire wines for good measure) were strictly off the menu. We served him a Corsican rosé from Domaine Saparale as an aperitif which seemed to meet with approval. The only problem being my thirsty neighbours who can hear a cork pop at 50 metres and are particularly partial to sophisticated saignant wines. To be fair they are a very jolly bunch and they entertained Fred with aplomb while Pippa and I faffed about in the kitchen. We then sampled a nervy Neagles Rock Riesling, in the newly shipped 2009 vintage, with a simple crab salad, followed by an organic red Côtes de Luberon, Château la Canorgue with a slow-cooked leg of lamb ‘boulanger’. With a selection of English cheeses (from our local fromage-pusher Paul at Sagebury Cheese in Frome), including my new favourite ‘Danegeld’ made by Jamie Montgomery (do try it), we had a bottle of Gigondas 1990 from Domaine Saint Gayan. This majestic old Grenache was (like me) showing its age but it made a fine end to fun evening and we all retired to bed at a fairly sensible hour.

Dan Buckle

Two days later ace Aussie wine-maker Dan Buckle, from the celebrated, Mount Langi Ghiran estate in Victoria, descended upon us prior to the wedding of some mutual friends. Dan was somewhat less of a vinous challenge as he is a keen Francophile with limited access to French wines in his native Australia. We served Dan a sparkling Loire rosé ‘Cuvée les Tonnelles’ from Domaine Aubert, enlivened with a soupçon of Sirop de Pamplemousse Rose from Domaine Combier in Saumur, which we all agreed made a refreshing start to the evening. With our starter of steamed English asparagus we had a taut young Reuilly 2009 from Gérard Cordier followed by a roast chicken that I couldn’t resist pairing with the 2007 ‘Vieilles Vignes’ Cuvée of Filliatreau Saumur Champigny - as Fred had stayed with us so recently. Dan had brought us some great cheeses from Neal’s Yard in Borough Market with which I struck lucky with a 1971 Saint Joseph from Rhône legend Ernest Trollat. I was correct in my guess that ‘71 was Dan’s birth year and although he didn’t actually weep with gratitude he definitely looked a little misty in the corner of his eyes.

It was great to catch up with both Fred and Dan and I look forward to inflicting similar damage to their cellars when I next visit them in Saumur and Melbourne respectively.

Pestle and Mortar

I’m not sure if it was my idea or Rowley’s. A bit of both probably. It was certainly hatched over a fine lunch with some good bottles open for inspiration. The concept was pretty simple really - to host a Provençal feast partnering classic dishes with local wines. Obviously, this was to be a summer celebration and we had to select a date before schools broke up and mass migration from the capital began. So last Friday lunchtime some 40 diners sat down for the inaugural ‘Grand Aïoli’at Le Café Anglais. In fact we started off standing up, enjoying a glass of a white Coteaux d’Aix 2009 from Domaine des Oullières, that was served as an aperitif with some excellent sardine pâté, saucisson sec and black Niçoise olives. This dry, herb-tinged wine is a new discovery of ours that is grown at altitude on the southern slopes of the Chaînes des Côtes and it is fresher and fruitier than many of its peers. It hails from an unusual blend of Grenache Blanc and Rolle and is très Provençal. The same estate bottles a decent rosé too but it is the scrub-scented white that really transports one to La France Profonde.

As we were seated a second wine was being poured - the Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine 2008. This inimitable white wine comes from the Mediterranean coast between Bandol and Marseilles and is produced, by the Sack family, from a blend of Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc. It made for a marvellous foil to pungent bowls of freshly-made aïoli that accompanied hard boiled eggs and crudités of thinly sliced fennel, peppers and carrots along with peppery radishes and sticks of celery. My lunch guest, outspoken, wine-writer extraordinaire, Malcolm Gluck kindly provided me with his tasting note: ‘This is one of France’s great undiscovered ’secret’ whites, preferable to many a soi-disant ‘great’ white burgundy in feel and fruit. It is beautifully textured, like ruffled silk, and it has a genteel finish of gooseberry and citrus.’

The enviably well-appointed Clos Sainte Magdeleine vineyard at Cassis.

Things took on a distinctly piscine theme with the next two dishes to be served. Large platters of lightly-salted (wonderfully flaky) cod with new potatoes, and sea bass cooked with artichokes and olives were passed around all accompanied by lashing more aioli and a delicate,coral-pink Côtes du Luberon rosé from Château la Canorgue. Fortunately we were blessed with a lovely warm day and the high-ceilinged, light and airy dining room and friendly chatter really helped evoke a Provençal ambience to this most relaxed of lunches.  

Some more robust cuisine was called for to partner a chest-thumping red Bandol: Mas de la Rouvière 2003 that, with bottle-age, was beginning to show the forest floor scents and game and mushroom tastes that define a good Mourvèdre. Le Café Anglais rose to the occasion with beef brisket served with chickpeas, and a superb roast ham with French beans. Once again Malcolm waxed lyrical: ‘Astonishing coal-edged tannins, quite remarkably gorgeous and roasted, clinging to fruit which is seems as if it has been pressed in a coffee grinder. There is a herby element, perhaps cinnamon, certainly a touch of white pepper, but more sensually there is chocolate. Altogether a wine of momentous, almost heady, richness.’

Fortunately, I still had the stamina to toy with some lovely mature Brie de Maux

(chef’s licence: ‘there aren’t many cows in Provence’) and a budget-busting glass of Domaine de Trévallon 2006 that was just beginning to show its full potential and earthy garrigue flavours.

While we could have all departed fully sated at this juncture a divine peach and almond tart proved irresistible. Not too sweet with a nice grainy texture, served with small glasses of cold, golden Muscat de Beaumes de Venise 2007 from the peerless Domaine de Durban. A perfect finale to a perfect repast. Those wishing to attend next year’s event would be prudent to contact us and get their names added to the waiting list!

Cows at Chaintres

On our recent Yapp sortie to see our French vignerons in Burgundy and the Loire, I became very aware of the huge range of weird and wonderful creatures that we encountered along our travels. Normally, of course, vineyard domaines are essentially agricultural places therefore one would expect to see cats and dogs and the occasional chicken wandering freely around. A few of our growers still practice polyculture, so we were fairly certain to come across the local bovine breed of Charolais, and plenty of sheep. Polyculture is historically a simple way of insurance for a small domaine - a way of spreading ones risks as a safety measure just in case any of the harvests fail totally due to adverse weather conditions. Ideally one would have a few hectares of vines, a small cereal crop maybe, some vegetables as well as livestock. It’s the perfect way not to have all your eggs in one basket - although if you had a lot of chickens…

However, there were several other creatures that featured. Firstly, when visiting the tufa chalk cellars of Vouvray and Montlouis; painstakingly hewn out by hand and ideal for keeping an ambient temperature of 12ºC; one had to be very aware of low flying missiles in the shape of swifts and swallows which were constantly arriving and departing to feed their nesting young.  Others were the pigeons that we dissuaded from roosting on our window ledge in Tours, the cockerel at Menetou-Salon that seemed to have mistaken twelve noon for dawn and the wonderfully realistic home-made “birds of prey” that were dotted all around the cereal fields of Oiron (Thouarsais) that acted as very effective scarecrows while fluttering menacingly in the wind.

But now the creatures started to get a little more bizarre. At Chateau de Ligre, (Chinon) during our vineyard tour, where one could clearly see the effect of the soil on different parcels of vines (the sandier soils producing a lighter, earlier drinking style, while those vines grown on the heavier clay-based soils give a much fuller, richer and more tannic style); we were treated to an amazing early evening orchestra of sound by countless numbers of crickets in the nearby long grass. I was immediately reminded of a similar experience in the Dentelles de Montmirail in Gigondas some five years ago, when the Provencale crickets (cicadas) were also fully on song.

Le Crocodile

Still at Chateau de Ligre, after a comprehensive and detailed tasting of their range conducted by Pierre Ferrand in their pristine and stylishly modern on-site shop premises, we walked the short distance back to our vehicle, and we heard the most amazing symphonic clamour emanating from what seemed to be the next field. Pierre said the racket was the croaking made by hundreds of bull frogs in a lake some half a mile away. I couldn’t believe the decibel level of the cacophony of amorous amphibians with their arsenal of mating calls.

Probably the strangest creature was found inside the collegiate church of Saint-Maurice in the picturesque town of Oiron where, as previously mentioned in past Yapp catalogues, we found an eight foot stuffed crocodile mounted on to one of the walls. The explanation for this is that the jaw of the crocodile, a reptile which at that time was deemed to hold mystical powers, was ground up to form a paste (hopefully the croc was dead at this stage) to make a magical potion which would cure the townsfolk of the dreaded plague. Certainly different! As we left the sacred church we noticed, in Latin, an inscription on top of the arched entrance which read, ‘Here is the End’!

And then there were 4…setting off up luz ardiden

Having developed an unhealthy interest in cycling the legendary peaks of the Tour de France over the past few years and having my friend Paul Bottrill entered in to this year’s Etape du Tour (see August 2009 posting ‘Etape in Cotes du Rhone’), I chose to spend a long Bank Holiday weekend on ‘recon’ in the Pyrenees.  Six good men and true scaled the Col du Tourmalet on Saturday 29^th May following in the footsteps of Merckx, Bahamontes, Coppi, Millar and Van Impe (all leaders over this 19km, 7.4% average gradient climb).

We had warmed up on the Thursday and Friday with picturesque valley rides to Cauterets and Garvanie both ending in climbs up to ski stations, as we waited for the major Cols to clear of snow (Tourmalet at 2110m, amongst others, was initially closed) and as we found our mountain legs.

The successful ascent of the Tourmalet was celebrated with a visit to Pascal Labasse’s delightful Domaine Bellegarde in Jurançon, where the residual sugar in the sweet Manseng wines seemed to serve as ideal recovery fuel.  Pascal generously sent us on our way with the remains of a bottle of his late (December) harvest Sélection DB from the 2000 vintage - a handy addition to one’s bidon, if ever there was.

Sunday wasn’t a day of rest as we hauled weary limbs up another Hors Catégorie climb, Luz Ardiden (13km @ 7.7% average), a ski station finish that has been won by legends such as Indurain, Armstrong, Delgado and Virenque.  This climb couldn’t be ignored as it started at the front door of our hotel.

I finally met my nemesis on Monday half way up the Col de Marie Blanque which had lulled me with a gentle opening 4 km, before averaging 12% for the second half.  Having swore blind that I was done for the trip, a finally sally up the Col du Soulor (13 km climb @ 7 %) was rewarded with meeting the Astana team and reining Yellow Jersey holder, Alberto Contador, at the top - although he didn’t seem impressed by my retro gear and road-weary countenance.

So on Sunday 18^th July I shall be raising a glass to Paul and giving thanks that I am not setting out to ride 181km and scaling the Marie-Blanque, Soulor and Tourmalet on the way.  If you achieve it, Paul, a bottle of Selection DB is on its way!

Constantine in the Palazzo

The Eternal City is a great destination for a Spring break with the family. April doesn’t guarantee good weather but it does ensure that you don’t swelter too badly as you tour the sights of the Centro Storico. A good starting point is to buy a Roma Pass (widely available at stations and tabacchi) for 25 euros. This is valid for 3 days and entitles adults to free admission to the principal historic attractions such as the Colosseum, Forum and Capitoline Museum and soon repays the investment. It also entitles you to by-pass some hefty queues (invaluable with kids in tow) and includes free underground, bus and tram travel. Entry for children under 12 is usually free - a rare concession in the tourist driven city centre.

The Colosseum is a sure-fire hit with blood-thirsty youngsters and the giant body parts from the colossal staute of Constantine in the Palazzo dei Conservatori are similarly jaw-dropping and provide an unparalleled photo opportunity.    

Tourists in Rome need to be thick-skinned and cautious as there are numerous touts and hawkers vying for your custom selling sunglasses, tripods, chestnuts, guide-books, plastic swords and silk scarves. The crowds also attract pickpockets and bag snatchers so personal belongings need to be kept securely about your person.

Three days of fairly incessant sight-seeing is enough for anyone and so on our fourth day we headed for the green open space of the Villa Borghese where we hired bikes for a pleasant morning’s cycling with pit stops for capuccini and gelatti.

Technotown 3D Faces

That afternoon we headed out of the city centre to the Villa Torlonia a charming park, albeit that it once housed Mussolini’s Ducal Palace, that is now home to Techno Town - a science-based interactive museum for 11-17 year-olds. Although intended for native Italian speakers the enthusiastic student staff gamely improvised an English tour for Alfred (10) and William (8) who declared this the highlight of our trip. Souvenirs don’t come much better than a life-size 3-D image of your face cut into polystyrene by a robotic drilling arm. Amazingly these were included in the bargain 4 euro admission price.

One of the great joys of visiting Italy is, of course, the food and our M.O. was to avoid the tourist traps in the middle of town and visit the less obvious but welcoming eateries a little further out. Delicious tramezzini (crust-less sandwiches) and cut to order pizza in myriad flavours cost about 2 euros for a generous portion, so eating out needn’t break the bank. A pasta dish in a local restaurant costs about 10 euros and this does all mount up over a family holiday. When in Rome one should certainly do as the Romans do and drink, coffees, beers and soft drinks standing at the bar as this is at least 30% cheaper than table service. n.b. Public lavatories are few and far between in Rome (although conversely excellent drinking water is universally available from ever-flowing drinking fountains) so one needs to opportunist in bars, cafes and museums.

Villa Adriana

Another recommended excursion is a trip out to Tivoli, which takes just under an hour by train, to visit the Villa d’Este and the Villa Adriana. The former is by far the easier to access and consists of a fresco crammed Renaissance villa set in fountain rich water gardens. This is more child-friendly than one might imagine as there is plenty of space to play hide and seek amongst the hedgerows. The Villa Adriana is a short bus ride and a long walk out of Tivoli and (considering it is a UNESCO heritage site) is terribly sign-posted and hard to locate. It is well worth the effort though as here one can see the substantial remains of Hadrian’s personal palaces giving incredible insight into his power and wealth and the might of the Roman Empire. This is a great place to wander casually making new discoveries and is ideal for picnicing so one should really allocate at least half a day for a visit.

A pensione is probably the best bet for family accommodation, although we stayed with our friends Maura and Elena, whose generosity was tested to the limit when our return flight was cancelled due to the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.

As we were forced to extend our trip we caught a train 70 miles south of Rome to the attractive Mediterranean resort of Sperlonga. Shallow clear water and empty sandy beaches were an ideal tonic after the stress of cancelled flights, and al fresco meals of local seafood soon restored our spirits. Perhaps the optimum week-long break would be to spend 3 days in Rome another 3 in Sperlonga and then have 1 day for a final fling in the Eternal City before departure.

Oh yes. The wine wasn’t bad either. We drank some particularly good organic Nebbiolos from Sicily that Maura and Elena had carefully sourced but that is another story…

Jamie's Italian

Living in a village can be strange. Period. It’s a microcosm of the bigger outside world and where everything is roughly 10 times more emphasised than it probably should be - everyone knows everyone and everything, is the way it seems to work.

My wife had her birthday last Monday and another friend in the village had her birthday a few days after and before we knew it over a few glasses of Gigondas Grand Montmirail 2005 one Sunday lunch we’d agreed to head off to Jamies Italian to mark both occasions. 

So, the village being the village, with the grape vine working 10 times more effectively than it probably should (Facebook playing it’s part as always) 10 of us headed over to Bath to Jamie’s - 10 being a useful number as you can only book a table if you have more than 8 in the party, even though it did feel a little like the Jolly Boys Margate Beano from Only Fools and Horses for those of you who can remember that far back..

Having worked in marketing for many years, I was as interested in how Jamie Oliver’s brand was working in the restaurant, as I was the food. He’s a part of our collective culture, we all feel like we know him personally and he’s been indirectly responsible for many a decent dinner party over the last 10 years. All of us were looking forward to going to ‘Jamie’s’ - what a brand!

The restaurant in Bath looks small as you enter but stretches way back - it has the same look and feel of the Jamie Oliver books and television programmes - that has been pretty consistent since the Naked Chef first hit in 1999 - it all felt familiar even though we’d not been there before.

So, putting the brand to one side, we looked at the menu - we opted for the antipasti planks to kick start the meal - the Italian cheeses working particularly well, with buffalo mozzarella, pecorino and an excellent chilli jam. My choice of pasta for the next course had been scratched from the menu (the linguini alle vongole) as it had sold out (it was near 10pm after all) but I’d already had an alternative lined up - sausage pappardelle - slow cooked Italian sausage, tomatoes, red wine and parmesan with crunchy herby breadcrumbs. So, having changed direction down the page I changed my planned wine route as well.

Working at Yapp Brothers, my knowledge of French wine has naturally grown (although I’m the first to admit I still have plenty more to learn) but I decided to transfer what I knew I liked in French wine to the Italian list, by grape variety (I know terrior plays a major role but on the fly this approach seemed to make sense..) I’d chosen beef for my main dish (beef carpaccio and rocket salad) so opted for a bottle of Shiraz Di Sicilia 2007 Villa Francesca - in the Yapp list I’d have chosen an Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage 2007 so I was hoping for some similar tastes to match with my beef. The Shiraz Di Sicilia was similar in style and suitably peppery, perhaps not up to Mr Graillot’s standards but enjoyable all the same.

It was well past 10 and our 10 were the last to leave - the restaurant works on all levels, a place to enjoy all things “Jamie”, it’s relaxed and not at all expensive - I think we’ll be going back at some point soon - we might even go for lunch and indoctrinate our small children to this omnipresent brand!