At London Branch we arrange a wide variety of wine tastings of different kinds. The aim of this tasting, led by Keith Ellis, was to show good value Portuguese wines for current drinking, that were not expensive and which were readily available if we wanted to buy any that we had particularly liked. In the twenty or so years since …
Red Bordeaux from the 1970s
IWFS London Branch enjoyed a wine tasting of a wide selection of Red Bordeaux from the 1970s. The idea was to see whether wines from a decade long ago had lasted longer than had been anticipated. We do this from time to time with Bordeaux and Burgundy fine wines. We are optimistic, but do not know what to expect. Happily we …
A Tasting of Fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape
At this London Branch meeting we tasted a special selection of Châteauneuf-du-Pape from different years and top estates, led by Jeffrey Benson. ‘Old Châteauneuf can be sumptuous – complex, spicy and distinctly gamey, retaining much of its original warmth and ampleur’ – Remington Norman. We started with the earliest and worked forward. 1955 – Domaine J. Vidal-Fleury This is the …
A Japanese Wine Tasting
“The new wave Japanese wines are very much in the same idiom as natural wines, being light-bodied and often relatively crisp’ – quoted in the Financial Times by JancisRobinson. Japanese wine makers are becoming very successful. Wines are now being produced on a par with some of the finest wines world-wide. Many thanks to Christopher Davenport-Jones for organising this London …
FINE MATURE BEERENAUSLESE AND EISWEIN
Jeffrey Benson led the London Branch tasting Fine Mature Beerenauslese and Eiswein at the Naval Club, Mayfair, of these luscious sweet white wines from his cellar. Six wines in the tasting were Beerenauslese from Germany, one was from Austria, and the Eiswein was from Austria. The best sweet wines are made from grapes that are very rich in sugar. One …
RED BURGUNDIES FROM THE 1980s
This tasting for IWFS London Branch of Red Burgundies from the 1980s at the Naval Club, Mayfair, was led by Jeffrey Benson, of wines from his cellar, to see how well they had lasted. We tasted the following: A 1988 Volnay from Joseph Drouhin, a consistently highly regarded producer. The good 1988 red burgundies are classic in style, long-lived and …
Revisiting The Bordeaux 2005 Vintage
The second part of our revisiting of mature Bordeaux wines, all from the great 2005 vintage, was generously provided from the cellar of Richard Jackson. What a treat for those fortunate members of IWFS London Branch who attended! Regrettably, Richard was not even able to be there himself this evening, although his two sons were with us on his behalf. …
Lunch at Roux at the Landau
Roux at the Landau restaurant is at the Langham Hotel in Portland Place, and has received consistently excellent reviews since its refurbishment a year ago. Members of London and St James’s branches enjoyed lunch in its elegant airy surroundings. The menu is overseen by Michel Roux Jnr. The Head Chef is Nicolas Pasquier, and the desserts are created by Andrew …
A Sous Vide Masterclass for London Branch
From time to time London Branch arranges Masterclass events, typically given by leading chefs on methods of preparing particular ingredients. The latest was on Sous Vide (‘under vacuum’). A few of us had already used this technique in our own kitchens; others of us were complete beginners, curious to understand what it was all about and how it worked. With …
A Tasting of Wines from Moldova
Did you know (I didn’t, until London Branch’s wine tasting) that Moldova has renamed its capital international airport Wines of Moldova? Or that winemaking is its main agricultural activity, measuring 25% of agricultural exports; that it has the highest per capita production of wine in the world; and that 5% of the country is under vine, with 150,000 hectares of …