On the hottest day in summer for a while, we happily convened for a delightful real lunch round a rectangular table in the private dining room, in Galvin La Chapelle restaurant near Liverpool Street, east of the City. Its suitably cool interior for such weather has high stone double-height ceilings from the ground floor upwards past the mezzanine floor where …
LONDON WINE TASTING – ENGLISH SPARKLING ROSÉ – June 2021
Our first live tasting since lockdowns was held in the garden of Christopher Davenport Jones who led it – and to whom many thanks. We were warned to wear appropriate clothing lest the weather proved inclement. In the event, the forecast rain held off, and it was a fine evening for us to compare English sparkling rosés (and one Welsh). …
LONDON WINE TASTING – GREEK WINES – May 2021
No IWFS Zoom tastings this month to talk about, so I’m going to write about two contrasting Greek white wines I’ve tasted both made from the Assyrtiko grape. Many exciting wines are being produced in Greece from indigenous grapes, both red and white, by independent wine makers, using careful wine making techniques, with quality at their forefront. These wines are …
ITALIAN WINES by Zoom – April 2021
ANOTHER ZOOM WINE TASTING WITH LONDON IWFS Our latest foray by Zoom was to taste contrasting Italian wines: A white from a native grape grown in North West Italy Wine from a native red grape grown in Sicily A red wine from North East Italy, made by the ‘ripasso’ technique. We sourced the wines from our local Majestic branch. Prices …
ITALIAN REDS – SANGIOVESE FROM TUSCANY – by Zoom
ZOOM WINE TASTING WITH LONDON IWFS March 2021 Three types of red wines from Tuscany, made from the Sangiovese grape, were the subject of this Zoom tasting, and very enjoyable they were, too. Sangiovese is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. It has numerous clones of various sub-varieties, in different localities. It is extremely sensitive to where it …
FINE CHOCOLATE AND ALCOHOL TASTING – by Zoom
February 2021 We paired fine chocolate and different kinds of alcoholic drinks at this exceptional tasting via Zoom. A pack of six types of chocolates, separately identified only by number, was posted to each of us beforehand. Groups of generic types of alcoholic drinks were specified in advance, for us to select and provide for ourselves. Chantal Coady OBE, an internationally …
EVERYDAY CLARETS – a Zoom Wine Tasting with IWFS London
We tasted wines to illustrate “lunchtime clarets” – affordable workaday red Bordeaux – from three excellent vintages. I wanted to show that we don’t have to drink famous wines at high prices to enjoy a glass of claret. Vintage is important for Bordeaux wines. The weather can vary from year to year, and throughout the growing season and harvest. The …
IWFS LONDON WINE TASTINGS – A Japanese Koshu wine
November 2020 IWFS London Branch had a good attendance at its AGM by Zoom this month. We were invited, or perhaps that should be “reminded”, to bring along a bottle of wine to enjoy. It was a good excuse for me to try a bottle of Chateau Mercian, Koshu Gris de Gris 2018 for £20.00 from my local wine shop …
IWFS LONDON WINE TASTINGS – English Cheese and Wine: Virtually Meeting, Actually Tasting
December 2020 Packs of artisan cheeses and crispbread, together with English wine, porter and cider, were delivered to participants’ homes for London Branch’s delightful December Zoom cheese and wine tasting – and with cider and porter too. Greg Parsons, the owner of Sharpham’s Dairy in Totnes, led us through the following pairings, aided by Tom Wedgery from the Sharpham / Sandridge …
IWFS LONDON BLOG – Wine & Food – Matching with Game by Zoom
October 2020 – Wines to go with Game For this Zoom tasting, we focused on wines that would go with game. Some of us had prepared small pieces of game, such as roast partridge, venison, or game-flavoured sausages, to try out for ourselves with the three wines selected. Many wines are suitable for game, depending on both the particular game …