Arriving at the tail end of last week the second mixed case of wines from Naked Wines forming a regular mailing under a Jamie Oliver Seasonal Picks selection. The case includes various recipes cards featuring Oliver's recipes, each linked to one of the wines wine.

The recipes:
Best Lamb Cutlets with Special Basil Sauce matched with Dusty Dog Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 This Australian red is big, deep and juicy. Not the most complex of wines but decent enough. Matched well with the lamb - such a wine friendly meat - and even leapt over the brown dollop of sauce (pummelled pine nuts and basil, loosened with olive oil, with zing added by lots of balsamic vinegar, hence the unappealing colour) with ease. Despite the slight derogatory stance of the description the sauce is delicious. (Recipe from Jamie's Dinners)

Char-grilled Pork Leg with Asparagus linked with Bain's Way Merlot 2008. (Recipe from Jamie's Kitchen).

Pan-Roasted Salmon with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Anchovy-Rosemary Sauce with Gosling Creek Verdelho 2008 (Recipe from Cook with Jamie)

Pasta Peperonata with Castillo de Tafalla Rosado 2009. (Recipe from Jamie's Dinners)

Incredible Roasted Shoulder of Lamb with Smashed Veg and Greens with Parrot Valley Red Blend 2009 (recipe from Jamie at Home)

Cheese and Onion Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing with Mistral Chardonnay 2008. Billed as a starter but a 'double' portion served as a late evening meal when served with a few slices of toasted French bread. The photo is a stylised shot of the salad; although in this form it could be served as hors d'oeuvres. Now, if you don't over-do the crumbled Roquefort, for it is strongly flavoured and would over power most wines, this un-wooded Chardonnay from Chile made for a rather satisfying combination. (Recipe from Jamie at Home)

Crispy Prawn Tempura with Ribbon Salad matched with Kimbao Sauvignon Blanc 2009. Good ol' SB; versatile in food matching. While the tempura is on the 'to try' list the first bottle was opened to accompany little filo pastry parcels stuffed with leek, caramelised onions and cheese; details on Spittoon Extra. A jolly decent match indeed.

Rhubarb and Custard Kinda Soufflé with Las Moras Late Harvest Viognier 2006 Not convinced this is sweet enough for a dessert, high acidity halts any cloying sensation; nice apricot flavours. Wouldn't automatically think of viognier though. Alcohol 12%. Sampled with a sorta trifle - layers of stewed rhubarb, crumbled ginger biscuits, custard, whipped double cream topping - the match was just 'OK'. Maybe the soufflé proper would work better. Thinking a pâté would be more suitable... or indeed the Roquefort left over from the salad! (Recipe from Jamie at Home)

The mixed case of 12 wines - some (the more expensive I imagine) are just single bottles, the others are doubled up - comes in at £70..

Tastes change as you age. I've long held a dislike of mushy peas, parsnips and champagne for example. Bubbles in drinks leads to an expectation of sweetness in a drink, which is of course the opposite of what you find in glass of champagne. But where once a few sips at a wedding or christening were plenty thank you very much, I can't get enough of the stuff now! In fact some of the most enjoyable of lifes episodes have involved opening a bottle of bubbly - the Taittinger training it from London to Portugal for example, the Bisol Prosecco and the helicopter ride over the vineyards in Italy or even the cheap (and frankly awful) bubbly watching the sun slip away on a boat in Cape Town all made so memorable by the glass in hand.

As a dog is not just for Christmas, champagne should not be kept for just special occasions. A particularly gruelling week ended with a Chinese takeaway and a bottle of Cordon Rouge; now that is 'special'! A starter of tempura coriander prawns - brilliant, sweet and sour chicken balls with special fried rice - enlivened, and not forgetting a huge bag of prawn crackers - perfectly decadent.

The bottle of Cordon Rouge [Adegga / Snooth] came complete with "George", a specially designed ice-bucket by Patrick Jouin. I'm not really up on designers but Patrick (subject of an exhibition in Paris "la substance du design" until May 24th) has designed interiors (the Gilt restaurant and bar in New York, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower), theatre sets, urban furniture (automatic public toilets and the bicycle rental stands and terminals in Paris) and some stunning cutlery too (Zermatt flatware collection, a teak and plastic spoon for nutella).

Always a sucker for a bit of designer stuff the bucket is actually rather good. Taking the distinctive red sash of Cordon Rouge the bucket has a red lick that lifts at the back to act as a handle. There's a lip in the base to cradle the bottle too. A little designer piece of plastic to lift any moment to somethin special. Now if only they can do something similar to make parsnips palatable.

It was all a bit mad really. Four wine makers, a duo of wines opened in front of them and us given just ten minutes to talk to them. A speed-tasting. It certainly cut the flannel and got them wine makers to get to the point pretty darn quick! I'd compiled a few questions to ask each of them from twitter but once they had marked their cross on the regional map and given a potted history that darn bell forced us on; before I'd had more than a solitary sip of their wines!

The map location I thought important for Sonoma has differing regions - rolling hills here, sea influence here, heavy fog influence due to the San Pablo Bay here or higher temperatures up towards the north. Flowers ranch for example is just a stones throw from the Pacific coast - a dramatic wild location surrounded by virgin forest while Pedroncelli is right up in the wild north where the Dry Creek Valley has temperatures suitable for Zinfandel.

Present were Jim Pedroncelli, Proprietor and Director of Sales and Marketing at Pedroncelli (Adegga / Snooth) with 2007 Mother Clone Zinfandel, Rod Berglund President and Wine Maker at Joseph Swan Vineyards (Adegga / Snooth) with a 2005 Zinfandel and a 2007 Pinot Noir, followed by Jeff Stewart Vice President Winemaker at Buena Vista with a 2007 Chardonnay and 2007 Pinot Noir and finally Tom Hinde, President and CEO of Flowers Winery with their 2008 Chardonnay and 2007 Pinot Noir.

It is so easy to club all Californian, indeed all American, wines into one. But these examples demonstrated individual aspects modified by the location. Most had a story to tell. The Pedroncelli Zinfandel for example uses vines cloned from the original "mother" vines of which one quarter of acre exist to day and fruit from these 100-year-old vines are included in the blend. It is also a tradition to blend in the fruit from another old plot, the Buchignani vineyard, where vines are 40-50 years old.

I adored the two Flowers offerings. Both exhibited a real 'European' textural quality, but still with a ripe new-worldliness. Shame they have a retail price of £50-£60 a piece.

Due to the time constraint I had to email each of them with a couple of questions after the event; surprisingly two even found the time to reply!

From Tom Hind of Flowers Winery [Adegga / Snooth]:
a) In FIVE words what makes your wines stand out from the crowd?
High natural acidity and balance
b) In FIVE words why us Brits should buy your wines?
The most pure example of California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. (ummm, I count ten....)
c) Can you give me a quick titbit about your wines/a wine/the winery ie food matching, historical fact, something new etc etc
We are the western-most vineyard in all of California one mile from the Ocean. Our wines go with a wide range of foods due to their high natural acidity lower alcohols, balance and finesse.

From Jeff Stewart of Buena Vista Carneros [Adegga / Snooth]
a) In FIVE words what makes your wines stand out from the crowd?
Elegance, concentration, sense of place
b) In FIVE words why us Brits should buy your wines?
True expression of California quality
c) Can you give me a quick titbit about your wines/a wine/the winery ie food matching, historical fact, something new etc etc
Buena Vista Carneros is the first premium winery in California, founded in 1857. Today we produce special wines from a special place - our Ramal Vineyard Estate in Carneros, Sonoma County.

The tasting was at Goodman's Restaurant, where a meal after - complete with trademark steak - turned into a jolly, impromptu, wine and food matching event. The Zinfandel's tearing into the 8oz strip loin with gusto and the Chardonnay's matching beautifully with slices of Irish Smoked Salmon.

So what would you think if a guy you've never met before serves you a glorious cocktail on a coaster bedecked with impressively endowered Greeks doing stuff? Personally if the guy happens to be rather good looking and the owner of a rather decent and quirky bar-cum-restaurant you can't help but be envious at his cool style!

And this style - sorta cool-gay with a dash of irreverence and humour pervades the whole of The Public House. It's up in Islington, not as out-of-town as I assumed, but not a part of London I've ever stumbled though just a minute from Highbury &
Islington tube. Its not an overly styled 'too-cool-for-school' place. Not imposing. Not uncomfortable. The drinks menu ends with a list of the furniture and other fixtures and fittings: £1,500 for a couple of marble columns with candles? £650 for a deco stove? £450 for a free standing lamp? £800 for a 1950's French Butterfly Chandelier? You can buy them all. A quirky element that adds to the fun. I don't suppose they sell much, most was a bit too camp and boudoir for my taste (although I was rather taken with a couple of the chairs... and one of the other, more moveable, elements).

I rather wish we had arrived earlier to fully explore the drinks list for this too exhibits some of this quirkiness. They list a Bulgarian Muscat Ottonel by the glass (£4.50), a Patrucius Dry Furmint from Hungary (£30 a bottle) and a Viognier made by Zaca Mesa from the States (£36) for example. On the red side there is an Oregon Pinot Noir, Four Graces, (£45), great to see a Portuguese red Frontaria from the Douro (£19.50) and a Bogle Petite Syrah from California (£7.50 glass, £30 bottle). I would like to have indulged in a glass of the Chateau Du Donjons from the Minerviois (£4.50/£16.60) or maybe one of the four sparkling wines available by the glass (sadly no producers detailed but there is a Prosecco £6/£32 and a Saumur Brut Rosé £6/£32 for example or if you can only suffer champagne a Joseph Perrier at £7.50/£42)

A short list - but grief, I hate having a wine list so long it makes selecting a bottle a horrific chore.

My companion, the affable Mr Blyde, selected a Bouza Albarino from Uruguay (£27). I ask you, can you get more obscure and quirky?! It certainly wouldn't have been my choice but I did rather enjoyed it; a decent weight, a broad palate and a fine food matching style. It work rather well. Honeyed pears mixed with grapefruit; fresh, crisp acidity.

Our discussion of the food was rather intense, critical and 'dissectional'. Starters of Duck Terrine, Roasted Beetroot and Beetroot Leaf Pesto (£7.50) for me was generously sized and neigh-on perfect but the Scallops with Haggis and Champagne Rhubarb (£8.50) offered a little too much in the way of flavours. Beautifully presented and delicious scallops indeed, but either the haggis or the rhubarb have to go...

Mains. I can't think of a more perfectly cooked Pork Tenderloin that I've eaten. Absolutely perfect. Generous in size (although the 'wrapped in pancetta' bit seemed absent) served with a roast apple and a cauliflower puree. The puree was little more than a smear, the apples stuffing, liver I believe, was little more than a teaspoons-full in size. So I could have done without the cauliflower and wished for more of the liver stuffing. Greed perhaps, more than a critique. Pork Tenderloin wrapped in Pancetta, stuffed roast apple and cauliflower puree is on the menu at £12.95.

The mix of flavours in the Halibut with Venison Stew and Wild Mushrooms (£17.95) was as unbalanced as the haggis and rhubarb. An expensive and generous portion of superbly cooked fish, the venison dividing the attention. Unlike some of the odder pieces of furniture they didn't quite gel together to make an over-arching statement.

Dessert I couldn't fault. The Apple and Berry Pie (£5) was consumed with remarkable celerity. Not due to any problem but rather my need to make a 'last of the evening bus-train connection'. Amazing how the passage of time alters - a little wine, damn decent food, an interesting location and a lively catch-up with an old friend and before you know it the chat turns to train times.

The conversation pre-dinner, was dominated by that coaster - was the middle figure actually a guy? Impressively muscled or wearing man-boobs? The coasters weren't for sale.

The Public House
54 Islington Park Street
London N1 1PX
www.boutiquepubs.com

One of the oddest pairings I've sampled recently - roast lamb and late bottled port.

The lamb was cooked at a very low temperature for neigh-on 18 hours. This certainly results in a deeply juicy joint of meat so it was a fine choice indeed to accompany with a cannelloni bean mash laced with water cress and fresh spinach.

The next sentence is going to be contrary. The match - lamb and Cockburn's Port - was surprisingly lovely and beautifully paired only it was too rich and decadent! I loved it but drinking more than a glass or two could became a little too overwhelming for some. All down to the ports 20% alcohol.

The recipe was designed by chef Steve Bulmer as an Easter Day special. Even I know that roasting a leg of lamb for 18 hours isn't a standard way of preparing a Sunday roast but if you can't do something really special for Easter...

"This Easter, impress your guests with an extra special slow-cooked lamb dish matched with a glass of rich Cockburn's Late Bottled Vintage 2004. The recipe for this tender, 18 hour slow-cooked lamb was created by Steve Bulmer, head chef at Brook Hall Cookery School and inspired by the UK's favourite port.

This melt-in-the-mouth lamb is satisfyingly rich, and virtually cooks itself, making it the perfect dish for Easter Sunday lunch. Pairing it with Cockburn's Late Bottled Vintage 2004, a full and fruity port, will really complement the sumptuous nature of the lamb. The port's hints of cherry and dark chocolate on the palate will further enhance the depth of the dish, whilst its complex character will leave your taste buds tingling."

Cockburn's Late Bottled Vintage 2004 is widely available, 75cl, RRP £11.22.

Cockburn's have the recipe and a video on their site (direct link to load video here) describing the cooking of this lamb dish. The recipe is below if you wish to try it out.

There is an issue with Sauvignon Blanc. When it's cheap, it's nasty, rough, acidic and one dimensional. Even modest examples can lack complexity and a layering of flavour that should be there to tamper the inbuilt high acidity. Wine makers can rely on rounding it out with the addition of Semillon of course (i.e. Bordeaux) or call on the terrior providing a level of minerality to supply interest (i.e. Loire). But it is easy to tire of wines that give a little more than an acidity punch lined with gooseberries or a green grassiness. New Zealand has built its reputation on stunning Sauvingons vibrantly punchy with gooseberry and asparagus but even from here you can find wines lacking in body and texture (wines that needs a brave man to drink down the throat rasping juice!).

Last week the good wine folks on twitter indulged with a day of tastings and discussions on Sauvignon Blanc. The tag to read through is #sauvblanc. My plan was to tweet this Villa Maria offering in conjunction with the 'event'; but being run and dominated by Americans it didn't kick off until way past my bedtime and anyway a few friends dragged me out to the pub with the evening ended with a Chinese takeaway and laughing at the ridiculous pap put out by various TV stations of an evening...

I did sample a Sauvignon while out (in our drinking hole of choice, the Old Post Office) and had planned to sample a sauvignon with some goats cheese. The tweets were limited to: #sauvblanc in old Post Office Wallingford Riscal lovely honeyed acidity minerality to fore, quite full so different from a kiwi version

Then #sauvblanc ooooh baked pineapple

And discovering the pre-purchased Pouilly Fume - pont du milieu pouilly fume 08 dosent go with chinese takeaway #sauvblanc

In regards to food matching the classic pairing of Sauvignon is with goats cheese, rather than a mixed plate of Cantonese take-away. Try topping cut rounds of thick walnut bread, topped with goats cheese and walnuts, warmed though in the oven, and served with slices of pear and lambs lettuce. Drizzle the dish with walnut oil. Paired with the Villa Maria Sauvignon this made for a stonkingly good lunch (equally it would be a classy starter).

Channelflip Media, a London-based production company specialising in making three minute video shorties has released a "a light-hearted, funny wine show, called Olly Smith's Drink Tank"; the latest episode is entitled "Zinging Whites". I just watched it with the sound off - simply hilarious! I imagine it'll be rip-roaringly funny with the full audio experience...

A mamouth "wine tasting with a difference" s being organised for the 12th April - The Big Portuguese Tasting. You can participate from the comfort of your armchair (as I'm likely to do, perhaps with a gathering of friends) or you can go to Lords Cricket Ground, John Lewis in Oxford Street or Waitrose Canary Wharf. Details are a bit sketchy at the moment, the big tasting website isn't up and running for example, but the early announcement gives us a chance to plan and get some friends invited... and get those wines purchased...

1) You can join in tasting with the irrepressible Oz Clarke starting at 7.30pm at Lords Cricket ground. (Tickets available from www.seetickets.com £15 per person)

2) Join in one of the 'on-line' outside events at John Lewis in Oxford Street, or Waitrose Canary Wharf.

3) View the tasting with Oz on-line at www.thebigtasting.com from the comfort of your own home.

All the wines being tasted are available from Waitrose so you can purchase in advance . There are six that will be tasted (links go to Waitrose online):

1. Tagus Creek Cabernet/Aragonez


2. Quinta de la Rosa Waitrose Douro red


3. Arco de Esperao Alenjejo


4. Tinta da Anfora


5. Vida Nove (assuming this is the red rather than the Vida Nova Rosé)


6. Quinta da Azevedo

You can also follow ViniPortugal and their preparation for the event on twitter at 'vpwine'. These details have been lifted from a facebook event.

The BIG Tasting with Oz Clarke
Date: Monday, 12 April 2010
Time: 19:30 - 22:30
Location: Lords Cricket Ground, Waitrose Canary Wharf, John Lewis on Oxford Street or from the comfort of your own home!

La Cuisine For the Wine Savvy: A Guest Post by Douglas Blyde:

With 25 to his name, the world's most Michelin starred chef, Joël Robuchon announced a culinary collaboration with 'true friend' and fellow super savvy businessman, Bernard Magrez, Wednesday. The venue: London's installment of his 'La Cuisine' restaurant, suspended between the leafy ground floor 'Atelier' and gilt, cut glass and onyx edged penthouse bar. Checkerpot tiled, with shiny ingredients mounted on racks, it felt oddly tempting to draw parallels between the formally informal decor here and that of a Pizza Express. Alas, big, black, bulbous apple sculptures blocked the view of fellow diners - a fillet of the good, greying and greedy members of the British wine world's glitterati...

Born in 1930's Bordeaux, press pack printings qualify Magrez's determination to succeed as stemming from a ruthless stonemason father. Indeed, the charming, confident, statuesque icon was apparently forced to endure daily hikes to school bearing the sign, 'I am lazy'. According to lucid top wine scribe Robert Joseph, Magrez was awakened to the world of commerce aged 25 whilst taking a bus road-trip around the US, being 'struck by supermarkets'. Back in Bordeaux, he purchased a small Port wine importer, channelling his energies into turning it into the vehicle for a best-selling whisky and budget, branded Bordeaux - an operation eventually bought by 'Castel' seven-years ago.

Whilst still fascinated by quantity, this collector of vineyards continues to harbour the ambitions of one who is 'rich and restless' (Peter Hellman). However, Magrez's focus now concerns solely top quality beverages, resulting in an enviable portfolio comprising Chateaux, Pape Clément, Tour Canet and Fombrauge (allegedly St. Émilion's largest) as well as plantings in Iberia, South America and North Africa.

Before being instructed to take root in a surprisingly warm chair at a long table today named after Magrez's estate, 'Les Grands Chênes' (winner of an '05 competition of 'Bordeaux versus California') smiling and occasionally winking staff plied guests with thickly chipped, joyously fatty slithers of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. Aided by sticky '07 white Fombrauge (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris) the ruddy, soft, salty meat provided epic culinary foreplay.

The soundtrack of piped whistling mercifully dimmed and everyone's cod liver oil lubed joints folded into place, it was time for lunch proper, prepped by chefs whose full names were embroidered on red-piped black tunics. Under starters orders, a creative statement 'par' Robuchon made a luxurious statement. Initially resembling a tin of boot polish, when its lid was clasped, as a mini closh, free, the 'en surprise' was tense oscietra caviar pressed over sweet crabmeat.

Substantial curls of pink foie gras with truffle discs on firm, but absorbent truffle marinated potato landed next, followed by moist, plancha cooked sea bass with baby leeks, poignantly fresh ginger and bright spiced honey. This trio of dishes were partnered with '05 Pape Clément Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle). Powerful, oak bevelled, and despite an illusion of nectarine-like sweetness, dry, with a feint lag of tannin, this struck me as the finest Pessac-Léognan I've ever slurped. It worked best with the smooth bass, but least against the ascerbic dressing of the truffled dish. Frustratingly, its dramatic price tag of over £100+ per bottle is exacerbated by the diminutive quantity in which it is made.

After hearing an engaging sizzling from the open plan kitchen, I delightedly fed on the milk fed result - two fragile looking lamb cutlets. Their cosy, greeting, fatty aromas mingled with a dried posy of fresh thyme and a gooey, roasted garlic bulb. A glorious plop of Robuchon's dare I say infamous, gluttonous, adhesive, mash potato was possessed by butter (against any doctor's advice, I begged seconds). Being soft, with silky tannins (the profile of many of Magrez's wines, beloved by critic, Robert Parker jnr.) the '00 magnum of Pape Clément (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) enveloped the mashed pat, retaining acidity through to the end. Perhaps this was 2010's most seductive gastronomic combination, so far?

Surprisingly, the riper '03 (from an Impériale, equivalent to eight standard bottles) played out well with a fine, 'Haliborange' vitamin perfumed dessert featuring orange cream and sheerly cocoa rich Araguani chocolate. Adorned with a little flower, and brightly coloured, it was sufficiently inviting aesthetically and decadently perfumed to utterly ruin my Lent promise to avoid chocolate.

Magrez mentioned that with 35 estates, he could satisfy the most demanding of customers. 'As long as we listen to what they say, we won't get it wrong'.

Despite awful, over-stewed tea, and a slightly silly use of attractive but inedible garnishes such as coloured sandy grains to accentuate the pudding, Robuchon's meal had been as delicious as it was meticulous without being desperately filling, with dishes conversing well with Magrez's outwardly modern, but inwardly classic wines.

The duo will continue to 'celebrate their friendship' through food and wine synergy over all Robuchon's restaurants, which currently span eight cities worldwide. From where I sat, their mantra of kudos through quality and quantity seems believable.

Three items of note and certainly link-worthy:

1. My very good friend Jeanne is organising H2Ope for Haiti, an online raffle to raise funds for Concern Worldwide's relief effort in Haiti. She writes that she has selected

   "Concern Worldwide because of its long track record and quick response after the quake to provide clean drinking water and water purification tablets. This non-governmental international humanitarian organisation founded in 1968 works around the world to reduce suffering and work towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world's poorest countries. Concern International has been working in Haiti since 1994 and had over 100 staff members on the ground when the earthquake struck. Despite losing several team members in the tragedy, they have been quick to act with distribution of supplies. Concern Worldwide estimates that its initial response to the emergency will last at least six months."

   The money raised by this raffle will be paid directly into Concern Worldwide's account by Justgiving and will be used exclusively for the Haiti relief effort.

   Tickets cost just £6.50 each and the list of over 30 prizes includes £200 worth of Virgin vouchers, an iPod shuffle, original artworks, many signed cookbooks by authors such as Skye Gingell, David Lebovitz and Simon Majumdar.

   A worthy effort indeed that I trust you will support.
   



2. Dynamic/Internet savvy retailer Naked Wines has released details of a £5 million investment fund for talented winemakers looking to set up in business.

   "We're looking to commission experienced, proven winemakers, who are looking to go it alone, to create stunning new wines for UK wine drinkers. And through the overwhelming support of our key investors, our community of Angel customers, we've been able to pledge a significant sum to launch the project.

   We will cover production costs, pay a salary, guarantee an order, market the wines, pay a profit per bottle sold... In other words, provide all the tools an independent winemaker needs to create their own wine, under their own label, without the risks usually associated with being self-employed in the wine world.

   All that remains is to raise awareness and get recruiting."

   Interested winemakers can find out more about the project, and apply for a slice of the pie, at http://www.nakedwines.com/workwithus
   



3. A little late in highlighting the discussion over on Guardian Food after my other friend (I'm sure I had more than two last time I looked...) Oliver Thring posted a thought provoking article on wine and the role of the critic - Wine Critics's Advice is Unchallenged Bunk. The follow-on reader comments, particularly those on food-wine matching are well worth reading. I've long attempted to explain the that wine education is worthy of pursuing; best summed up I feel by this comment by Fiona Beckett

   "Most people in my experience do appreciate a steer towards a food and wine combination that works just as if they're cooking something for the first time it helps to follow a recipe. No-one gets riled if you say that mozzarella goes with basil and tomatoes. Why get worked up if you suggest that oysters might go with Muscadet?"

   Basically, if you are happy to be guided by recipes or combining certain ingredients why the hostility towards a critics guidance on certain wine and food combinations?

   "Of course we need wine critics. And restaurant critics. And movie critics. And critics of the critics! Complex, provocative topics (like wine) will naturally inspire debate... around the dinner table, in the pub, on the internet, wherever. Whether I agree or disagree that a particular wine smells like "freshly cut tomato vines" doesn't matter. What's important is that there is open discussion and dialogue. The value is in the sharing of information. The listener/reader decides for themselves what's useful and what's not."

   The last quote from curlyluddite.

A certain amount of controversy follows in the wake of the BrewDog brewery; not least this video advert for their latest high-alcohol offering.

Offended? Racist? Personally I think its laugh-out-loud funny. Items like shooting a penguin at a battleship is just gloriously funny.

The 41% Alcohol beer itself is now available in 330ml bottles at £40 each. I seldom buy a full bottle of wine at this price point so a small bottle of beer doesn't stand an earthly... or does it?

Sink the Bismarck! from BrewDog on Vimeo.

For your chance to taste Sink the Bismark! head to the Rake, Borough Market, London on Friday (19th Feb) from 8pm to 10pm. (The Rake - 14 Winchester Walk Southwark London SE1 9AG)

8pm-10pm on Friday 19th February - just drop by between these times. The tasting is free and will be in the upstairs room.

Taking over the vacated Majestic space in Vinopolis Laithwaites new flagship store opens this Friday.

From what I've heard the shop is impressive; including what they claim is the world's longest tasting table - an impressive 14 metres! The branch also stocks over 1,000 wines from 30 different countries. Not sure I could even list 30 wine making countries...

The official opening at 4pm - with the Mayour of Southwick - may well be worth a visit although the Saturday might be more exciting.

"Join staff from Laithwaites and Vinopolis, as well as stallholders from Borough Market, for a celebratory glass of champagne, canapés and wine tasting.

The celebrations continue on Saturday February 20th when Laithwaites is offering customers the unique chance to walk away with a bottle of the finest wine for just £5.

From 10am - 10pm, Laithwaites will offer 500 'mystery' bottles for sale to customers, all for £5 each. Highlights include Lafite, Haut-Brion, Mouton and mixed in amongst the bottles will be other established classics and New World discoveries (see the full list at laithwaites.co.uk/luckydip)"

Opening of the Laithwaites Store - February 19th 4pm - 6pm onwards
Wine Lucky Dip - February 20th 10am - 10pm

The 24th Loire Valley Wine Trade Fair/Salon des Vins de Loire ran over three days (1st - 3rd February 2010) last week. In addition to the great and the good of this oft ignored region offering their ranges to taste the Fair also hosts the Le Concours des Ligers competition. [Tweets from the Fair can be read via the #loiresalon tag]

"This competition is run by the Union des Oenologues de France and the Loire trade bodies. For the past 15 years, it has rewarded the finest Loire Valley Wines. More than 2,000 wines will be tasted by 300-plus professional tasters."

The gold medal winners were arrayed for sampling at the Palais des Ligers - a little side room to you and me - and while there I conducted a little tweeting. Rather than the 'normal' tasting note I endulged in a little creativity. This was inspired by a chat with Miss Bouquet. We both agreed that using traditional words such as acidity, tannin and so forth are an instant eye-glazing moment for the masses; so I decided to not use them.

As an experiment I'm not too sure that these 'work'; do these notes inspire people to try the wines, more so than the traditional mention of body, length, various flavours? Does the 140 character Twitter restriction mean they are fine for that medium but not suitable for 'proper' notes?

With wine in hand and mouth they made perfect sense at the time...

wine_scribbler: stand by for some unusual-for-spittoon tasting notes direct from the #loiresalon



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon just when the marmite tribe are safely tucked up in the cave berry throwing starts Bois Moze Anjou Villages 05 Cuvee Jean Joseph [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Jean Christophe Misandeau Saumur Champigny 07 a slither of liver served on a dusty roof tile, how do they balance it on a pebble? [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Sabler Verts Saumur Champigny 06 Cuvee des Sages The Francs having a gay moment on the blackfruit beanbag [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Chateau de la Bonneliere Chinon Rouge 08 stirring the berry compote with a chard green twig or three [ Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon roche honneur diamant prestige chinon rouge 08 - stoned on strawberries [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Montgilet Coteaux de l'Aubonce Les 3 Schistes 08 single bee honey; poured over peachy peaches; pineapple et tangerine [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Moncontour Nectar de Montcontour Vouvray Doux 05 a teaspoon of pineapple juice sieved through adonis' golden locks [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Gratien Meyer Saumur Brut Rosé - peachy cheecked milk maid frollacking in the hay barn; mind your head on the metal pale! [Adegga / Snooth]



wine_scribbler: #loiresalon Domaine de la Rouletière Vouvray Moussuex Brut 07 - bread rolling in spring meadowland; the pixie dust! the pixie dust!