Having spent far too many birthdays in previous places of work where celebrations just seemed to involve some sub-standard cakes (a Swedish ball bearing manufacturer, an English Language School, a University and a larger B2B supplier to name just a few) it’s been a pleasant surprise to me just how much working at Yapp takes over your view of the world – and all for the better I should add!

I turned 44 last weekend – this is not really anything to shout about but I did base all the celebrations on wines from our list. As our house filled with various friends and family during the weekend, wine was always to hand and had been planned (with thanks to our Shop Manager) to, dare I say it, near perfection.

A fine selection of cheeses was rolled out to mark my specific birthday at Yapp HQ – and accompanied by quince cheese (that we’d tasted previously at our Christmas meal) – sadly, no wine as we were at work but it was certainly a good lead into the weekend. Friday night, before the deluge of people that descended I tried the first wine out with my wife (a regular event that she’s now thankfully become accustomed to) that was an often talked about match at Yapp HQ – Roquefort cheese, water biscuits and Jurançon 2008: Domaine Bellegarde – if ever I’ve tasted a perfect combination this has to be it – even Julie (my wife) was taken aback by the experience – strike 1!

After a day of, for want of a better phrase, “children” (mine and my nephew – all under the age of 6) we got them all tucked up and the adults ventured into the nearest town to our sleepy hamlet, where we devoured a fine Indian meal (The Sultan in Melksham if you’re ever down this way). With this we happily worked our way through a chilled bottle of Alsace: Pinot Blanc 2005 – all agreed (well, apart from my brother-in-law who refused to move away from his bottle of cider) that this was another hit – strike 2!

Sunday, we rolled out the big guns in both food and wine – we had a full rib of beef and, as an aperitif, we opened a cold bottle of the timeless Yapp Champagne (a not unexpected strike 3!) and then settled into the beef. A few of my tried-and-trusted ‘not for drinking on a school night’ bottles were opened – a Côtes de Provence: Domaine Richeaume: Cuvée Tradition 2008 and my last bottle of Brézème: Eugène de Monicault 2007 – perfect matches again, strikes 4 and 5 combined!

Then, to round it all off we re-ran the Roquefort cheese, water biscuits and Jurançon 2007 and a digestif of Bas Armagnac 1995 – our guests left full and with very contented smiles.

Maybe 44 isn’t as bad as I thought it might be. I could mention how I was due to get an iPad as a present but instead had to settle for a fridge freezer, but that I’ll save for another time…

Christmas Delivery

With the forecast of inclement weather, we would strongly suggest that any orders requiring delivery before Christmas are placed today – Wednesday 15th December – at the latest.
If you are collecting from our shop in Mere, we will remain open until 6pm on Friday 24th December and then re-open at 9am on Wednesday 29th December inclusive.

Yapp Brothers Staff Christmas Wine Suggestions
A straw poll around the office generated lively discussion as to what colleagues will be drinking once we have closed our doors on Christmas Eve. We hope that our selections inspire your Festive food matching!

While there was unanimous agreement that any of the excellent J. Dumangin Fils Champagne would feature strongly over both Christmas Eve and Day, one or two suggested that Clairette de Die Tradition (at just 7% ABV) might be a sensible breakfast tipple for any chefs who are organizing the lunch!

Ex-pat Frenchman, Michael, is toying with either white Cassis Clos Sainte Magdeleine 2008 or Picpoul de Pinet Domaine Peyrificade 2009 with the traditional Gallic starter of oysters, while fellow Bristolian, Richard, is eyeing up Pouilly Fumé Les Loges 2009 en magnum to satisfy the extended family and do justice to a side of smoked salmon.

Few of us could improve on Hamish’s match of a magnum of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Père Caboche in the terrific 2007 vintage to mark the main day, partnered with a rib of beef. Our anglicized dutch colleague, Bianca, will be evoking memories of home with raclette accompanied by the crisp, red Savoie Mondeuse 2008. Vegetarian Michelle will be drinking the ripe, fruity Chinon l’Arpenty 2009 whose soft tannins will complement baked squash and spiced couscous.

Jason will be serving the garrigue-infused Pic Saint Loup ‘Arbouse’ 2008 to his thirsty neighbours on Boxing Day with Jane Grigson’s classic recipe for devilled and pulled turkey. Tom is looking forward to tucking in with Colombian-in-laws and thinks that Richeaume Tradition 2008 might have the versatility to tackle Bandeja Paisa – grilled steak, fried pork rind and chorizo on a bed of rice and red beans that is then topped with a fried egg and a side of sliced avocado and plantain – provided his cargo survives the journey to South America.

Joyeaux Noël and bon apétit,

Yapp Brothers

P.S. Stuck for last minute Christmas gift ideas? A wine gift voucher from Yapp Brothers could be ideal!

It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!

One of the rewards of having a gastronomically obsessed father is a bi-annual block booking for 100 lunch covers at Le Gavroche. Commendably, this peerless temple of high cuisine refuses to partner a dish with a wine that they haven’t previously road-tested and yesterday was the day of judgement. I was off to meet the Chef-patron Michel Roux, Head Sommelier David Galetti and Director of Operations Silvano Giraldin to trial different wines with specially selected dishes. As ever I felt slightly shabby alongside Michel’s crisp chefs’ whites and Silvano’s faultless Italian tailoring but our first task was relatively straightforward. What fizz should we serve to accompany a palate-stimulating selection of canapés? Nothing too heavy, this is for a lunch-time function after all, but we need enough weight to partner food. After a quick tasting and short discussion we settled on a Saint Péray Mousseux Brut from Jean-Louis Thiers. Silvano proclaimed this bottle-fermented Marsanne from the Northern Rhône to be an ‘interesting crowd-pleaser’ and dry enough to benefit from a shot of Crème de Cassis for those that are that way inclined.

As Silvano and I settled at the table the kitchen then went into overdrive and a succession of amuse-bouches and starters arrived thick and fast. A charlotte potato terrine with friseé salad and duck gizzards was subtle and superb but was soon trumped by a divine dish of seared scallops, langoustines and whelks with a parsley and garlic sauce. Curried mussels with wilted spinach lifted the palate but proved less wine-friendly than its predecessor which had married brilliantly with a rare white Brézème and an on-form Pouilly Fumé ‘Les Loges’ – both in the superb 2009 vintage. Just as we were fixing upon a piscine theme a game consommé arrived accompanied by a partridge mousse and ceps which opened the betting wide. Seafood fought back as two classic coastal wines were served – a 2009 Picpoul de Pinet from Domaine Peyreficade and a 2008 Cassis from Clos Sainte Magdeleine. A dish of gurnard with artichokes, porcini and Bayonne ham was heavenly as was a fillet of Terriyaki cod served with a rice cake and citrus sauce, although only the white Brézème was weighty enough to juxtapose the salty cod. Yet more langoustines then appeared, this time with a crispy chicken wing, pickled peppers and a sweetcorn sauce. This worked well with all four wines and we were pretty sold upon it until the kitchen produced a final starter of seared scallops with squid ink tapioca and parsley sauce. Quel choix. You wouldn’t want to leave this to amateurs. We finally decided to lead with the squid and tapioca as an appetiser and have a more substantial portion of the gurnard and porcini mushrooms to follow, both to be partnered with the Pouilly Fumé and the Brézème blanc.

Silvano Giraldin and lots of wine glasses

Unbuckling my belt a notch or two as Silvano greeted some regulars, I braced myself for the main courses. Neck of highland beef with fondant potatoes, red onion confit and broccoli set the bar quite high when paired with a brace of classic Rhônes – the 2005 Gigondas from Domaine Saint Gayan and a Domaine Biguet Cornas in the same vintage. It also showed well against two outsiders – the 2008 ‘Cuvée Tradition’ Côtes de Provence from Domaine Richeaume and a precocious 2007 Faugères from Château des Estanilles. Any normal selection committee could have flipped a coin and happily retired at this juncture but at Le Gavroche the highest standards must be maintained. A sublime veal fillet with morels, mashed potato and baby carrots was sidelined for being a touch out of season and too similar to what was served last time we convened. Roast partridge with roast chestnuts and game jus upped the ante considerably but a wild card entry of Chausson de Canard (a posh pasty to the uninitiated) brought the house down and was declared a clear winner. All four red wines had an affinity for the duck in pastry but after much deliberation we settled on the Côtes de Provence and the Gigondas.

Having partaken of 12 dishes at this stage we were fully warmed-up for desserts. A bitter chocolate praline with gold leaf made for a very tough wine match and only a dark Banyuls Réserva from Domaine la Tour Vieille proved capable of coping with its intense flavours. This was (sensibly) considered too heavy a dish to follow the duck but the ‘Assiette du Chef’, a plate featuring small portions of (at least) five desserts was a real show stopper but again made for very difficult wine pairing. A 2009 Coteaux du Layon Rablay from Château la Tomaze and 2007 Monbazillac were then bought into play alongside a classic Tarte Tatin served with the best vanilla ice-cream I have ever tasted. Just when it appeared things couldn’t be improved upon we were served a pear sabayon that married perfectly with the delicate orchard fruit flavours of the Coteaux du Layon, so it is that exquisite partnership that they will serve at our lunch party next Thursday 14th October.

We do still have a few places left next week so if you want to sample the cuisine of the master ‘Master Chef’ give us a call on 01747 860 423 or e-mail us at: sales@yapp.co.uk

My diet commences tomorrow….

Last week, I co-hosted a Provencal Dinner and wine tasting, ably assisted by Jason Yapp and the genial Chef-Patron of The Ambassador, Clive Greenhalgh.

For a nominal £10 fee, guests were free to partake in a 15 wine, tasting tour of Provence. With the bottles spread down The Ambassador’s long bar and Jason and I on dispensing duties, it made an enjoyable start to a cracking evening. We met lots of new people as well as some old familiar faces and it was great fun sharing the aromas and flavours of the region’s assorted wines with an inquisitive and appreciative audience. With such a diverse range of grape varietals including Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Marsanne and Vermentino in the whites and Cinsault, Syrah, Folle Noir and Mourvèdre amongst the reds, there was a wine and style for everyone and that’s not including the three different rosés on show.

All the wines showed well on the night and here are details of my 3 favourites:

White
Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine 2008 – £16.75
This is always an interesting wine. Clairette, Marsanne and Ugni Blanc give a wine with a herb/pine aromatic nose and mouth-filling citrus flavours with an intriguing oily texture that carries the developing flavours that last for a long finish.

Rosé
Côtes du Luberon: Château la Canorgue 2009 – £12.25
Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Syrah form lovely red berry aromas that continue on the palate. Crisp and refreshing, it is a real taste of summer in a glass.

Red
Côtes de Provence: Domaine Richeaume Cuvée Tradition 2008 – £15.50
This has a fantastic nose, full of fruit, spice and herbs. On the palate, the Syrah provides the warming richness with a spicy core. Cabernet Sauvignon contributes to the backbone of mouth-chomping berries and robust, yet yielding tannins as well as a lingering touch of mint.

Ambassador Cafe

Following the tasting, there was an option to stay for a three course Provencal feast for a bargain £25. There were six wines available to purchase from the tasting to consume with the dinner. My table opted for a Coteaux d’Aix: Domaine Oullières Blanc 2009 (£9.25) to go with the generously portioned Pissaladière with Cornish Sardines. It’s salty, savoury flavours were well matched with the fleshy, oily sardines.

For the main course of Rump of Lamb with Olive Oil mash, peppers & lemon thyme, I just had to go back to the minty Domaine Richeaume. Hats off  to Clive for a superb dish. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the Domaine Richeaume’s complex flavours combined well with the tender meat and the delicious, rich mash.

Forgoing apricot tart we all shared a French cheeseboard. A glass of Côtes du Ventoux: Château Valcombe 2005 (£9.95) was the perfect all-rounder to finish with. Plummy fruit, light spiciness and rounded tannins lead to a smooth finish and there was still enough dry, acidity to cut into the stronger cheeses and leave one wanting more.

Overall, it was a great evening and although officially ‘work’ it never seems as such when you have such a relaxed, fun crowd sharing the experience. From the favourable comments on the night, it really reminded me of how interesting and educational these events can be.

Clive Greenhalgh - Ambassador Cafe

If you are not on the Yapp mailing list, do get in touch or sign up on the Yapp website, as we regularly advertise our upcoming tastings and dinners via our mailing. Alternatively, our website is constantly updated and you can find the latest events here Yapp events.

Ambassador Cafe

The Ambassador, 55 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL.

Tel: 020 837 0009

www.theambassadorcafe.co.uk

JH