Each Bluffing session will be based around a theme, with an expert on board to guide guests away from terrified ignorance into confident repartee.
Events take place fortnightly on a Tuesday and are well-worth going to.. fun and informative. And it’s a great bar/restaurant if you’ve not yet discovered B&H Buildings in Clerkenwell, London.
2015 Wine Trends – March 31st
Bored of Bordeaux? Not so savvy about Sauvignon? Queen of the grape, Jane Parkinson was on hand at this buzzy event in the gorgeous bar at B&H Buildings to guide us through the trends in wine.
Jane knows her stuff and this is what we learned:
“Longer lasting and cheaper bubbles, aromatic New Zealand whites, Slovenian blends, elegant lighter reds and (brave) new, New World wines.”
Here’s the wines we tested:
Philippe Michel Cremant de Jura 2012 from Aldi (£7.29). Longer lasting and cheaper bubbles. Aldi have upped their game with this on taste and price. Cremants are made using the champagne method and deliver a more concentrated bubble and softer flavours that would suit ‘all day drinking’ (no, not like that) – think summer weddings and buttery brioche.
Brancott Sauvignon Gris 2014, Ocado & Tesco (Now £7.85). Check out the label, almost identical to the well-known sauvignon blanc but this is sauvignon gris, a pinkish forerunner of the sauvignon blanc grape and also grown in Marlborough on glacial silt soils. New Zealand wants to shift its “one trick pony” image – having planted their first sauvignon blanc grapes in 1975 and almost single-handedly transformed the New World of white wines and now they are pushing this pungent, earthy aromatic Sauvignon Gris.
Dveri Pax Furmint/Pinot Gris/ Traminer/Riesling 2013 from M&S (£10) – trend in blended wines and from Slovenia. It’s less important to have a single grape variety wine, these grapes go well together to make a great white wine. And it’s from Slovenia – where wine has been made long before the Romans introduced wine making to France and Spain. Our favourite of the night.
Domaine de I’Idylle Savoie Mondeuse 2012, Yapp Bros (£12.50) A lighter red? Wine trends are to the more elegant, less of a big hit and punch to the nose. This is 12% alcohol by volume from the mondeuse grape grown in Savoie, east France. Yapp Brothers Wine Merchants is widely recognised as the UK’s leading importer of French regional wines championing under appreciated, distinctive wines.
Cornelia Red, South Africa M&S (£10). Wines from the new, New World. Cousins Hein and Adi Badenhorst make natural wines in the ‘traditional’ manner, meaning minimal interference, on 28 ha of old bush vines grown in dry Swartland, South Africa. The soils of Cape West coast retains the winter moisture, allowing sun-loving powerful Shiraz, fresh Cinsaut, and spicy Mouvedre, to thrive. Another blend, fragrant full-bodied red scented with dark berry and wild floral aromas. Brave new New World off the beaten track and one of the lesser known Cape Wine Routes.
BOOK HERE for
Bluff Your Way To…
A guide to Gin Trends- April 14th
The General Election– April 28th
Online Stardom – May 12th
Cannes Film Festival – May 26th
Tickets are priced at either £10 for general admission or £25 to include relevant drinks and flights of tasters.
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