Every now and then it’s fun to mix things up a little, and on my drive to work today one of the numerous reminders pinged up on the iPhone – being such an all-encompassing device the reminder really could be anything from a new local gig being flagged (as an aside, I’d strongly recommend the Apple 'Songkick' app should you be musically inclined), a work meeting or something I should have sent my children to school with today.
The one today then, a diverting break from the norm, was to remind me that we (that’s the royal ‘we’) were hosting a painting group in the Yapp courtyard – we’d moved it from last week after the weather was not suitable for a. water colours, or b. drinking summer wines while painting.
An existing Yapp customer had broached the idea with me at one of the Yapp sales and tastings last year, so it was great that the idea had finally come to fruition. The enthusiastic group of 8 are outside as I type, and are “scattered”, for want of a better phrase, around the courtyard, with easels, brushes and paint fully deployed – there’s talk of colours, paint and light and there’s a great but pleasantly understated buzz out there.
Our guests have also just purchased some chilled Côtes de Gascogne: Domaine Millet Rosé 2011 from our shop – that, as always, has been well received – they may well be here in rural Wiltshire today but could just as easily be in Provence – well, give or take just a few clicks on the thermometer!
I really enjoy the unusual, it always gives things a bit of a kick start – so if you’re artistically inclined or would like to visit us please do let us know – who knows what we may do next?
And, as for the other iPhone reminders this morning, my son thankfully did head off to school for his “show and tell” session with his new Captain America attack shield – digital reminders really are seemingly essential these days – as is a decent glass of rosé when painting!
In December 2011 a Swiss journalist called Rolf Bichsel published a creditable (if slightly sexistly titled) book called ‘Tavel – des Hommes et des Vins’ that ran to 151 pages and weighed in at 840 grams. While it is unlikely to top the best-sellers charts (with the possible exception of a small hot spot 10 kilometres north-west of Avignon) the very fact that it made it into print does indicate a certain level of interest in France’s only exclusively rosé appellation.
Uncoincidentally, Richard Maby furnished me with a copy of this tome – I presume because it says some nice things about his wines. I have yet to substantiate that though as I was close to my baggage weight limit on a flight out of Avignon and I was loath to jettison 840 grams worth of socks and boxers for the sake of the book so left it at my Dad’s flat in Uzès.
Richard Maby
Fortunately, I don’t need Rolf to tell me that Richard is a gifted wine-maker presiding over some prime Southern Rhône terroir. We have been shipping wines from Domaine Maby for over 40 years so have now got a pretty good insight into what they are about. Their Tavel ‘La Forcadière’ is a classic of the appellation, hailing from a cépagment of nine different grape varieties: Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Bourboulenc, Carignan, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Mourvèdre, Piquepoul and Syrah. It has a lovely, deep terracotta colour, crushed-berry scents and a surprisingly full-bodied palate. It is an incredibly versatile food wine and makes a great partner to spicy Asian dishes as well as classic Mediterranean cuisine featuring lots of olive oil, garlic and seafood.
The excellent 2011 vintage has just arrived here in Mere and rain or no rain I will be broaching a bottle tonight!
We Brits do love our wine but why must we serve our whites too cold and our reds too warm?
Whatever the weather this August, and if our English summer is true to form it will probably be tipping down, we do ourselves a disservice in this country by drinking most of our wine at the wrong temperature. Although post-war Britain has been quick to adopt many of the benefits of Continental Europe, from lattés to lingerie, we still insist on serving our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm.
‘Gastropubs’ (formerly known as ‘pubs’) are partially responsible for this phenomenon as they are under enormous pressure to maximise their returns on their house wines. A typical mark-up on ‘by the glass’ wines in a pub or bistro is about 300%, so if a wine is selling for £12 a bottle the chances are its ‘cost in’ was around £4. With duty accounting for £1.81 of that and transport, labelling, bottling and marketing to be taken into account it doesn’t leave much of a budget for the actual wine. Little wonder therefore that they are often of an inferior quality. With white and rosé wines this can be masked to quite a high degree by over chilling, as the colder a wine is served the less well one is able to smell and taste it.
I think the problem with red wines being served too warm is really a complicated combination of modern living, ignorance and laziness. While still white wine should ideally be served between 8˚ and 14˚ (sweet and sparkling wines may fair well a fraction cooler) red wines should be served between 12˚ and 16˚. As a general rule of thumb lighter, fruitier red wines like Beaujolais or Saumur Champigny can be served at cooler temperatures than big, tannic red wines especially during the warmer summer months. Personally I much prefer wines warming up from cellar temperature (10˚- 15˚) rather than being served at ambient room temperature – which is nearly always too hot. ‘Room temperature’ for red wines is fine if you are talking about a draughty castle in Scotland but not if you are in a centrally-heated semi in Surbiton.
The problem is compounded by the fact that few of us (me included more’s the pity) actually have proper cellars at home these days so it is an up-hill battle to get them to the right temperature in the first place. There is a lot to be said for playing against tradition and decanting white wines from the fridge to warm them up and oxygenate them a little and plonking reds into an ice bucket (or a nice bucket) for a minute or too just to tauten them up a tad.
Is it acceptable to actually add ice to the wine itself? I would say officially ‘no’ but provided you don’t tell anyone else and it is off the record, then ‘yes’. Especially if you have just got in from a hard day at the office and the fridge is empty. I have often seen respected wine makers add an ice cube to a glass of wine and in these days of rising alcohol levels a little dilution is no bad thing.
We need to stop being so British and give our licensed victuallers free and frank feedback about the quality of their wines and the temperatures at which they are serving them only then can we hope to emancipate ourselves from a world of tooth shatteringly cold Pinot Grigio and blood-warm Cabernet Sauvignon!
(This article first appeared in Country Calling, 27/07/2011)
Today is my last day in the office before I head off for the habitual family two weeks away up in the wilds of North Wales, so last night I started to scribble down my list of holiday essentials.
Times have certainly changed, my children are now a little older (as we all are) and whereas a few years ago I’d have been jotting down the likes of baby bottles, baby food and travel cot I found myself still noting that I’d need bottles but we’ve moved on from the 8oz (standard baby size) to the 75cl (standard adult size - wine).
My list started with children’s bikes at #1 but at #2 wine has made the cut this time round. I’ve learnt over my time at Yapp HQ a few things along the way and I’m happy with my plans for this summer.
I’ve asked the Shop Manager to pack my wine in 6 packs – this seems to fit better in the back of the car boot and fills the space well behind the 2 children’s bikes. It has the added bonus that I can keep 6 bottles separate for my own personal consumption and proffer other wines to folk that appear on our campsite over the next 2 weeks. I’ve got a pack of well priced and road tested crowd pleasers (a couple from Saint Pourçain – the white Cuvée Printanière 2009, the great decently dry and quaffable rosé La Chinière 2010 and the ever popular red, Côtes de Thongue: Tradition 2010).
The campsite is very small and most of the regulars there, like myself, went there as children and now repeat the process with our own children. So Jeremy and family, Oliver and co. – you may want to brush up on the above as that’s what you may well be drinking over the next few weeks.
The ‘hidden’ 6 pack (currently packed behind the beach BBQ and firelighters) is the ‘special’ pack – so Jeremy, if you see any of these being broached, you know we’ve worked our way through the others. Keep an eye out for the simply wonderful Sancerre Blanc: Les Perriers 2010, my favourite summer red (Chinon, l'Arpenty 2009) or a bottle of the rather splendid Champagne: Dumangin Fils..
Well, that’s the essentials covered – with a bottle opener at #3 on the list. Let’s hope the trek through the black mountains and brecons takes us safely to the wilds of the Llyn peninsula with these bottles ready to be opened – very possibly on arrival.
Each May when the majority of our newly-bottled rosé wine range has arrived here in Mere we host a tasting to assess the vintage and compare and contrast offerings from different producers. Our chosen venue for this is Medcalf bar and restaurant in Exmouth Market, London EC1 because its relaxed, urbane atmosphere seems to suit the genre and they have a secluded and sheltered private terrace which is ideal for tasting au plein air - undoubtedly the best way to sample pink wines.
Tired of big, corporate, free-for-all tastings we deliberately arrange for this to be a low-key and understated event by the simple expedient of not inviting many people. While this may seem commercially illogical it does make for a very pleasant atmosphere and ensures that those who do attend are unhurried and relaxed which are also important considerations when sampling subtle, berry-scented, summery wines.
The big variable, over which we have no control, is the weather. Rosé wines are very atmosphere sensitive and they never show at their best if it is overcast or, even worse, tipping it down. Fortunately, last Monday we were blessed with sunny skies and gentle breezes in the Metropolis prompting Jancis Robinson to Tweet: ‘Perfect day for tasting Yapp’s interesting rosé range outside at Medcalf – will report.’
The spectacle of two dozen different rosés lined up side by side is always a visual treat as there is a full spectrum of colours from a very pale ‘onion skin’ hued Reuilly Pinot Gris through the classic coral pinks of Bellet, Bandol and Cassis right up to the deep brick-red of an Irouléguy. My opinion is, of course, heavily biased but the 2010 vintage seems to be bien classique to me, with ripe red fruit aromas and flavours in abundance and plenty of deft wine-making in evidence. Personally I can’t abhor sweet, ‘jammy’, over-extracted rosé wines and happily there were none of these in evidence but bags of elegance and finesse which bodes well for carefree drinking this summer. My personal favourites were the delicate, bone-dry, Vin de Corse Sartène 2010 from Domaine Saparale, the ever-reliable Sancerre ‘Maulin Bèle’ from André Vatan and the rare Bellet: Domaine de la Source, made from pure Braquet, which I revisited over a delicious and highly convivial lunch of artichoke hearts, asparagus and hand-picked Dorset crab. Indeed – a perfect day!
The start of our trade event season for 2011 began this week with our hosting a stand at The Specialist Importers Trade Tasting event (SITT) 2011 in Manchester (Monday) and London (Wednesday). We have worked at this event for the past couple of years and watched it grow into an already much talked about interesting show for the smaller, specialist merchants in the UK wine trade.
The SITT acronym is an ironic one as a long day is spent on one’s feet tasting, chatting and advising a steady flow of guests including Sommeliers, Journalists, fellow wine merchants and consultants. There was certainly precious little time to sit!
Michael and Tom attended the Manchester event, which as a rule is a little quieter than the London one. Tom the hot footed it back to help Jason and I look after things in London at Vinopolis in the historic Borough market near London Bridge.
We always try to keep our wine selection fairly small and snappy, but equally try to reflect as much of our varied and wide-ranging portfolio as possible. This tasting provided a good opportunity to look at some of our 2009 vintages that are going to be firmly at the forefront of our 2011 list. The white wines were all particularly well received on the day (which may partly reflect the ambient temperature of a packed hall)!
I thought that our Condrieu Terroirs 2009 (100% Viognier) from Francis Merlin was an excellent wine; good body, with lots of that AC typical minerality that makes Viognier wines from this area so interesting and different. One of the comments from a journalist who tasted it on the day was that it was refreshing to try a Condrieu that actually tasted like Condrieu is meant to, which is something very different from Viognier found elsewhere in the wine world. A third of the assemblage is put into oak and this helps carry the complex flavours through to a long and satisfying finish. This is a great early showing for the 2009 Rhône wines that we have been telling you about for the past couple of months.
Domaine Saparale Vin de Corse Sartène Rosé 2009 (Nielluccio, Sciacarello and Vermentino) is a stand out rosé wine. From sun-blessed Corsica, it has a lovely pale Salmon colour with lots of mouth-filling summer fruit flavours as well as crisp, slightly savoury tinge. This is Spring/Summer drinking out on the terrace with a salad or some seafood.
All of the reds that we had on show are firm favourites of mine and I am really pleased that our Pascal Frères Gigondas 1999 was well received by people on the day. Gigondas is generally a younger, more rustic cousin to the refined, maturity of good Châteauneuf du Pape and it is not often that you can find it available with any decent age. We are fortunate to have a long standing working relationship with Yves Cheron and he continually delights with his late release of these great value wines. Don’t get me wrong, this Gigondas does not have the rich complexity of good Châteauneuf, but to be fair it also does not have the price tag! Beautiful autumnal flavours expand on the palate, the rusticity of youth has been mellowed with age into a smooth, warming wine. Plenty of classic cigar box aromas and long finish, make this a wine for slow, relaxed contemplation. A great value wine in my opinion.
Overall, it was another successful event, lots of interesting wines on show and a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and new. When the doors finally closed after a busy day dispensing wine, we continued the long standing wine trade tradition and swapped the grape for the grain with a quick refreshing beer from the nearest market tavern, albeit though, still no seat to be had.
Working at Yapp HQ has always been an interesting experience and there’s never a shortage of recommendations about new vintages, new wines and particularly new food and wine pairings. As a man who came from the cider and cheese school of thought it’s been a real eye opener – not that cider doesn’t go with cheese but it’s the 'chip butty' of the food and wine matching world – good and basic but not all there is too it. So, proof of the pudding and all that – last Saturday I put my absorbed knowledge to the test. Some long-standing friends and their off spring assembled (Alex, the 5 year old had been so excited by the idea of a “sleep over” he’d packed his bag at 5.30am on the Saturday morning – I think the enjoyment of food and wine comes with a little more age and he was more excited about using his spider man “ready bed” in anger, but I digress).
The aperitif was triggered at the same time as we started getting all the small folk to bed – this may have been a slight error of judgement but we started with a favourite fizz - Crémant de Limoux Brut Cuvée Selection with a dash of Crème de Pêches – an ideal aperitif and as (from what I remember) Michel Roux Jr. once said was ‘great, as it made you really want to eat’ (this was at least the gist of the quote, and maybe not verbatim).
I was on the starter – being a disciple of all things Slater (Nigel, not the one from East Enders) I decided to keep it simple – pan fried scallops, fresh ginger, some lemon chilli flakes (from Austria of all places) and a watercress salad – it would have been churlish not to match this with the Yapp Corsican Rosé (Vin de Corse Sartène Rosé: Domaine Saparale 2009).
The main dish was provided by Donna – I thought she’d arrive with something cooked but no, it arrived in raw form – she insisted that it had to be made there and then. I’d asked advice on this one in advance – what to have with Basque Chicken? Our resident food and wine expert had a flash of inspiration on her drive home – have a Basque wine! Not rocket science maybe but the Irouléguy: Domaine Illaria 2007 was spot on and not a wine I’d tried before and a great hit around the table.
So, into the home straight with combinations I knew would be great but it was terrific to see the responses from our guests – when this goes right, it really is an eye opener. Raspberry brûlée with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise: Domaine de Durban 2007 then a selection of powerful blue cheeses with Jurançon 2008: Domaine Bellegarde then following the digestif of Bas Armagnac 1989 our guests retired sated, content and with smiles on their faces.
My daughter fell out of bed at 4.30am on Sunday morning that, like dominoes, woke up the other 3 children under the age of 6 but once again I think that may well be another story...
