It is fair to say that the team at Yapp Brothers are anticipating the imminent royal nuptials with varying degrees of enthusiasm but all of us are looking forward to yet more time off work to spend with family and friends and we are hoping that the recent sunny spell continues.

The Marquis of Westminster

They then intend to dash round the corner to catch a glimpse of Kate leaving another Yapp account, The Goring (or the ‘boring Goring’ as The Queen allegedly refers to the hotel that hosts her staff Christmas parties!). If the sun is shining, it’s off to the big screen in Hyde Park, otherwise its back to the boozer to watch it on the telly.

Claire will taking her young family to visit a proper ‘old fashioned’ street party in Gillingham where some bubbles should prove uplifting – lemonade for the kids and Vouvray Mousseux Brut for the grown-ups.

Frenchman Michael has promised not to recite the traditional Gallic wedding toast: Buvons un coup, buvons en deux, à la santé des amoreux, à la santé du Roi de France, et medre pour la reine d’Angleterre, qui nous à declare la geurre! Instead he is going to content himself with the last of the seasons’ oysters which he recommends savouring with his favourite Provençale white – Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine.

Charlie and his wife Jodie are bravely taking their one year-old, William, camping in Charmouth Bay where they hoping to sample some Lyme Bay scallops with a nervy young Clare Valley Riesling from Neagles Rock .

Avid cyclist Paul plans to visit some of the hostelries surrounding Mere by bike. The White Lion at Bourton and Spread Eagle at Stourton are two of his favourites where he recommends the Otter Ale and locally brewed Kilmington Best bitter respectively.

Cheese aficionado Michelle has discovered a passion for Godminster Vintage Cheddar, made down the road in Bruton, after they prudently dropped in a sample at Yapp HQ. She is planning a visit to their farm shop to stock up but is still undecided about the best wine accompaniment being torn between a warming glass of Rasteau or a lightly-chilled Chinon.

Patriotic Welshman Meirion will celebrate the new union by heading down to the idyllic Isle of Purbeck and the picturesque village of Worth Matravers. Weather permitting, he intends to walk along the cliff top South West Coastal Path, ending up at Dancing Ledge, where he will partake in a light lunch with a cool, refined glass of Stephane Brocard’s Meursault, to toast the happy couple, and wish them all the best for the future.

Welshman Meirion isn’t sure rosé is good for his macho image!

Father of two Hamish will be taking his kids to a barbecue organized by the local scouts on Broughton Gifford common. He thinks a ‘chest-thumping, southern red’ is the best foil for burnt bangers and is laying in supplies of Xavier Bruguière’s dark and brooding Pic Saint Loup ‘L’Arbouse’ for the occasion.

Jason, who still has happy memories of spending his commemorative jubilee coin in the school tuck shop in 1977 after the delightful discovery that it was legal tender, will be enjoying an informal lunch with his neighbours in their local community garden. Apparently bunting is encouraged but flags are regarded as de trop by the somewhat precise denizens of Keyford Gardens. What is certain is that lashings of rosé will be required if the weather holds. Jason has a penchant for the Vin de Corse Sartène from Domaine Saparale but he reckons the Coteaux d’Aix from Domaine Oullières might be a better budget option given past form.

Dutch expatriate (not ex-patriot!) Bianca and her family will also be joining friends for an al fresco repast. She has lain in supplies of the white Chinon from Château de Ligré and the juicy young red Côtes de Thongue ‘Tradition’ from Les Filles de Septembre so should be able to please all comers.

Last but not least Londoner Jonathan will not be doing much in regard to celebrating or watching the Royal festivities  as he still has flash-backs after donning  a full Household Division guards uniform and bearskin hat as a young lad for the Silver Jubilee back in ’77. Instead he will be cooking a fish pie for friends that he will serve with a Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos 2007 to raise a glass to the happy couple as it is assured to kick-start a very convivial après midi!

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!