The Yorkshire Sommeliers` website

The Yorkshire Sommelier
Wine, Wit and Wisdom for Lovers of the Fermented
Fruit of the Vine and Reports from around the Region.
Number 48
March 2014
www.yorkshiresommeliers.co.uk
The Yorkshire Guild of Sommeliers
www.yorkshiresommeliers.co.uk
President
Deirdre Buchanan
(York)
Chairman
Peter Ambler
(Harrogate)
Vice-Chairman
Michael France
(Sheffield)
Representatives of
the Wine Trade
Terry Herbert
Martin Bayne
Diana Naish
(York)
(York)
(York)
Full Sommelier
Philip Laming
(Sheffield)
Friends of Bacchus
Fred Brown
Michael Whitaker
Kenneth Ward
(York)
(Leeds)
(Sheffield)
Officers,
Chairman
Treasurer
Committee Secretary
Peter Ambler,
Owl Barn,
Beckwithshaw,
Harrogate, HG3 1QS
Tel: (01423) 522436
e-mail: [email protected]
Michael Coupland,
6, Sunnybank, Barton on Humber,
North Lincolnshire, DN18 5LJ
Tel: (01652) 632865
e-mail: [email protected]
Richard Burn,
107, Kenwick Road, Louth,
Lincolnshire LN11 8NL
Tel: (01507) 604380
Subscriptions Secretary
Magazine Editor
Webmaster
07734542111
e-mail: [email protected]
Mike Harrison,
14, The Horseshoe,
York, YO24 1LX
Tel: (01904) 778256
e-mail: [email protected]
Ann Johnson,
82, Newland Park,
Hull, HU5 2DS
Tel: (01482) 441229
e-mail: [email protected]
See back page
2
Section Chairmen
Bingley
Damian Ward
Caistor
John Clark
Harrogate
Paul Donnelly
Hull
Nigel Green
Leeds
Scarborough
Michael Whitaker
24 Millbeck Drive,
Harden,
Bingley,
BD16 1TF.
e-mail: [email protected]
12 Riby Road
Keelby
Grimsby
DN41 8ER
Tel: (01469) 560626 +447745787738
e-mail: [email protected]
3, Goodrick Close,
Harrogate,
HG2 9EX
Tel: (01423) 527757
e-mail: [email protected]
The Paddock, North End, Goxhill,
Barrow-on-Humber,
North Lincolnshire, DN19 7JX
Tel: (01469) 531293
e-mail: [email protected]
Tiroran, 11 Turton Vale ,
Gildersome, Morley
LS27 7LJ.
Tel. 0113 253 1542
e-mail:
18,The Green,
Newby,
Scarborough, North Yorkshire,
YO12 5JA
(01723) 369253 07963545159
e-mail: [email protected]
20, Rockley View, Tankersley,
Barnsley, S75 3AN
e-mail: [email protected]
(01226)744265 07543916433
Pergola House, Linden Close,
Briggswath, Whitby, YO21 1TA
Tel: (01947) 811303
e-mail: [email protected]
6, Wheatley Croft,
Appleton Roebuck, York, YO23 7BX
Tel: (01904) 744308
e-mail: [email protected]
Ian Davis
0
Sheffield
Michael France
Whitby
Christine Stephenson
York
Gordon Gildener
3
When I last wrote this column, I was pressing my dress for the Annual Dinner & Dance
in Harrogate but in the event, there are no less than three occasions I should mention
briefly before I come to the Dinner. In early November I was invited to Weardale to
stay with Greta & Brian (Henderson) to attend a tasting of wines from Rioja and
elsewhere hosted and presented by Greta. The group is known as 'The Weardale
Tipplers' and I can well see why! Seriously, we had an excellent evening beginning
with a lively, pale coloured Cava (11.5%) from Aldi and at £6.95 a bottle, something of
a steal. My favourite wine was the Urbina Tinto Seleccion 1999 (13%), good value at
£11.95. Dark ruby red in colour with a concentrated nose of berries and figs and full
bodied, rich fruit cake and vanilla flavours on the palate. A fantastic homemade
supper followed and I hope I will be invited to 'tipple' in Weardale again!
The very next morning I drove across the light snow covered Pennines and on down
to Greengates to stay with my friend Jenny as we were to attend the Leeds Section
'Festive Wine Tasting and Dinner' at the nearby Peasehill Hotel the following
evening. This was to be my last Leeds event with chairman Jack Hesketh at the helm
and I would just like to thank him for all the work he has done for the Guild both as
Chairman of Leeds and as a wonderfully efficient, kind and charming Secretary of the
Yorkshire Sommeliers. We will miss your wit and wisdom at our meetings Jack. I
must mention that Jack had a marvellous assistant in Margaret and we wish them
both a long and happy future and hope that we will tempt you back into our midst
one day. Presenting his 'Festive Wine Selection' was the urbane, story telling marvel
that is James Long of Corney & Barrow. He began by showing us a fine moussed,
lemony Prosecco to sip on Christmas morning and continued with his choices for the
day. I especially liked the creamy, rich, lemony flavoured Chardonnay, the Olivier
Leflaive Auxey-Duresses la Macabree 2011 (13%) and bought a few
bottles at a 'special' price for the evening. I also added some more
affordable Chateau Moureau 2012 from Minervois, France. The
food at Peasehill is always very good and we can select on arrival
from a choice of four tasty 'mains' and five puddings or the
Cheeseboard. What a service and what great value for £20 per
person for the evening! So, another memorable 'James' special and
Olivier Leflaive
the perfect finale for Jack.
Whilst with Jenny, she arranged for me to visit the private cellar of her boss, Roger
Bowers at his home near Otley. What a treasure trove! Roger has been collecting
fine Clarets and Red & White Burgundy for years. It was amazing to see so many
famous wine labels and vintages in one place and Roger told me that his finest bottles
will sell at £5,500 apiece! More of Roger later.
4
Next up was a visit to Whitby Section when I was gratefully driven there and back by
the presenter of the evening, my good friend and wine merchant, Paul Tate-Smith, as
he had to pass my driveway. Paul also gave us his Christmas Day Selection. As did
James, Paul started with a Prosecco Venito and followed it up with a Domaine La Serre
Picpoul de Pinet 2012 (a favourite of mine and a good alternative to Sauvignon Blanc),
very good value at £6.50. Amongst the gems were a very drinkable Julienas Albert
Bichot 2005 (£8.50), 'Heaven on Earth' a Fairtrade, organic wine from South
Africa, "Christmas Pudding in a Glass" (£8.00) and the very special Lustau Pedro
Ximemez (a fortified wine from Spain) with a deep sweet flavour of raisins, priced at
£14.50 but you don't need a big glass! The three course dinner at 'Number4', the
Restaurant on the Parade, was delicious and the company on top form so a big thank
you Paul for the tasting - and the lift!
Now to the Annual Gala Dinner at the Cairn Hotel, Harrogate. There were about 100
of us attended and I enjoyed the whole event immensely. There have been
comments and I do agree that the food at the dinner was not up to our usual
standard although the service was excellent. Once again, James Long supplied and
presented the wines which he did with his usual aplomb. Thank you James, we do
appreciate your efforts and hope we can keep counting on your support. During the
evening it was my pleasure to present Lorraine (Collett) with 'The Ken Buchanan
Award'. She is a very worthy winner as she has done much for the Guild over the
years, having been our secretary for two years and Chairman of Leeds as well as
Chairman of the Guild. Recently, with the assistance of her husband, David, she has
saved Bingley Section from extinction by finding a young, enthusiastic new
Chairman, Damian Ward and they have a new venue, St. Ives Golf Club, Harden,
Bingley. Later on The Steve Cassidy band were on better form that ever and I think I
somehow managed to dance every dance! Thank you to all my partners, especially
you know who!! We will be revisiting the Cairn this Autumn and they have assured
our Chairman they will improve the standard of the food. Do bear this event in mind
please.
My final Sommelier event of 2013 was our annual Christmas
Lunch following our Management Committee meeting held, for
the past few years at 'The Holgate Hill Hotel', York. This is
owned and run by Hazel (Hart)', a past
chairman of the Guild and she and her staff
Peter
Michael
do us proud. We each take a decent
bottle for us to taste and this year I took a magnum of Marco
Jack
Real 2009 from our October visit to Navarra. It drank well but sadly,
I cannot remember the other bottles we drank with our excellent lunch but I know I
enjoyed them!
Moving into the New Year, I missed a few events in January as I stayed with my
daughter and family so's to recover from bronchitis. My first outing was to stay with
the Colletts and go with them to the rebranding of Bingley at the Golf Club mentioned
earlier. Chairman Peter, past Chairman Nigel and Ann our Editor also lent their
5
support to Damian, David and Ben (the new team Bingley). The tasting of wines
from Southern Italy (mainly from Puglia) was presented by David Lawson of ChezVin
Ltd, Otley (clever that - almost Otley Chevin!) and you will find a report
elsewhere. My favourite was Cantine Carpentiere Pietra dei Lupi 2005, Castel del
Monte DOC Puglia (13%) at £14.99 deep, earthy and fruity, reminiscent of Pinot
Noir. There were a number of local, wine loving people attended, some being
members of the Golf Club. When asked, they all appeared to have enjoyed David's
presentation and wines and the Club gave us a very good supper afterwards, all at a
cost of £12! I am due to return to listen to Terry (Herbert) on the subject of Wines
from the Languedoc next week.
Only two days later it was our Management Meeting
followed by The Chairman's Lunch. Peter had very kindly
organised this to fall on my birthday and to be at The
White Swan. How fantastic was that? After the meeting
we enjoyed a glass of Champagne and I was toasted after
Greta had said a few kind words about me. I was also
presented with an enormous bottle which I have still to
unwrap! The lunch was extremely good and the wines
Peter treated us to were exceptional. Amongst others
we drank three St. Julien's with Slow Cooked Lamb
Henry, a Ch. Talbot 1996, 4th Growth; a Ch. Ducru
Beaucaillou 1995, 2nd Growth and a Ch. Leoville
Poyferre 1996. 2nd Growth and they all drank well at the
start with the Talbot fading a little later on. My favourite
was the Ducru Beaucaillou. To my palate very
delicious. I hope there is a full account of this lunch
somewhere as it is so memorable.
I must move to a close as the deadline is upon me but I must mention the family
party held in my honour on the 15th February (half term) when I was surprised by All
my family being present to drink my health and to our thirty year ownership of The
White Swan with a glass of Dom Perignon 1998 that I was given years ago and had
been lurking in my cellar just waiting for the right occasion. My son, Victor,
organised a wonderful meal and old wines from 1983 and 1998 and my
grandchildren each read a speech they had written for me. Quite an emotional
evening.
To finish, Chairman Peter organised an invitation for me to attend a Roger Bowers
'special' at Rombalds Hotel, Ilkley where we tasted some old bottles of White
Burgundy from the cellar I spoke about earlier, as we enjoyed a three course dinner
featuring fish. There were six bottles selected for each course but Roger was sure
that most of them would not be drinkable. I said I thought he would be surprised
and I was right. There were three or four that drank extremely well in each
group. My favourites were a Chassagne Ruchottes Ramonet1996, a Chasagne Vide
Bourse Morey 1996 and a Puligny Perrieres Carillon 2000. It was such a privilege to
6
have been invited and the huge bonus was that of the party of twelve, I was the only
female present!
A thousand thank you's Peter.
More next time but please do try to attend our AGM and Dinner at The Merchant
Taylor's Hall in York on Tuesday, 29th April, where the wines will be presented by the
very talented, knowledgeable and entertaining fellow that is Richard Goodacre. You
will not regret it.
Deirdre Buchanan
Chairman’s Notes
Its been a busy four months since the last Magazine came out. Not surprisingly
perhaps with Christmas falling during the period and providing the opportunity for
me to meet more of the members at some of your great Christmas parties – I can
certainly report that, as ever, Sommeliers are keen to enjoy themselves and it has
been lovely for Helen and me to be a part of some of it.
Firstly the Leeds Christmas party at Rombalds Hotel in Ilkley. What a lovely evening –
Philip Stirk from Martinez produced some very good wine and we had a thoroughly
good meal – many thanks to all of you at Leeds for your kind invitation. It was of
course Jack Hesketh’s last event as Chairman. He has been Chairman of Leeds for 10
years and during that time the Leeds section has grown in size and prospered under
his Chairmanship. He was thanked profusely by the Leeds membership for his efforts
and his efforts are also much appreciated by the Yorkshire Sommeliers Committee.
Mick Whitaker has taken over the reins and we wish him all the best over the next
few years.
Secondly we went to Sheffield in January for their Burns Night celebration which was
a new event for the Sheffield section. They held it at the Wortley Arms where they
have all their meetings and, again with lots of excellent wine and very friendly
company, it was a very good evening. Thanks to Mike and Val France and all the
members for welcoming us so warmly.
As many of you may know there have been some big changes in the Bingley section
of the Sommeliers. Peter Clayton decided to hang up his boots as Chairman after
many years since he was finding it harder and harder to attract members and guests
to the meetings. They were losing money on every event. Thanks go to him and also,
particularly, to Betty Robertshaw, the Treasurer, who had been the Treasurer at the
Bingley section since its inception in 1991. I don’t know if 23 years in office is a
record at any section but it is certainly a great achievement. Many thanks to you
Betty. Sadly all but four of the members of the section in December have resigned as
well as the Chairman.
However I can report that there is now a new Chairman of the ‘New’ Bingley section,
Damian Ward. Ably supported by David Taylor as Treasurer and Ben Tierney, the
first meeting was held at Bingley St Ives golf club on the 4 th February. This was a
great success, attended by no less than 32 people including a number of members of
Bingley St Ives Golf Club, some Sommeliers from other sections, our President
Deirdre and me. Many thanks to you all for your support. The evening made a
7
profit and they have tastings planned at least for the next 6 months. We wish them
every possible success with the new venture and it goes without saying that they will
get all the support they need from the YGoS committee. Any members who feel able to
go to any of their evenings will be very welcome. All meetings will be at Bingley St Ives
Golf Club on the first Tuesday in the month at 8.00pm.
Deirdre
Peter
Greta
Finally for the last Management Committee meeting on the 6 th February, we were at
the White Swan Hotel in Pickering. As I’m sure almost all of you know, this hotel has
been owned and run by our President Deirdre Buchanan and her family for many years
and the 6th February was also Deirdre’s 80th birthday. Since this meeting was also my
Chairman’s lunch I was delighted when she accepted my suggestion that we combine
the two to celebrate her birthday. Those of us at the lunch presented her with a
magnum of Champagne and, as you can imagine, a good time was had by all.
Congratulations to Deirdre on reaching this milestone in such fine fettle – what more
proof do we need that good wine and plenty of it is the secret to a long life?!
Finally you will all be familiar with our scheme whereby any member introducing a new
member gets a bottle of wine for each member introduced. Fred Brown suggested this
scheme two years ago and was kind enough, at the time, to offer to provide the bottles
of wine. His offer ended at the end of the year but the scheme continues because
Deirdre, our President has kindly offer to take over. Many thanks both to Fred for his
generosity over the last two years and to Deirdre for taking it on from this year.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the AGM and dinner for which,
this year, we have returned to the Merchant Taylors Hall where I am sure we will get a
good meal from Poppy’s caterers and good wine from Richard Goodacre in fine
surroundings.
Peter Ambler
8
WINE OFFER
Treat yourself to an early Easter present!
Corney & Barrow’s exclusive offer to members of The Yorkshire Sommeliers
has treasures to hunt for (but no chocolate I’m afraid)! I hope you enjoy –
James Long
Sparkling
Prosecco, Sparkling Rosé Brut, Le Colture, Veneto, Italy, NV x 2 bottles:
With its delicate, rose-petal pink colour and fine mousse, this sparkling wine
looks simply beautiful in the glass. On the palate, it does not disappoint
either!
Prosecco Bianco, Sylvoz, Le Colture, Veneto, Italy, NV x 1 bottle: The perfect
aperitif wine and ideal for celebrations! Pale straw in colour with a delicate,
fine mousse.
White Wine
Petite Gasconne Blanc, Côtes de Gascogne, Producteurs Plaimont, France,
2012 x 2 bottles: Colombard 50% and Ugni Blanc 50%. Pale lemon in
colour. The nose is open and attractive and the palate shows round, supple
fruit while hitting the all important balance between sweetness and acidity
(and it’s only 11%).
Lowry’s Pass, Chenin Blanc, Robertson, South Africa, 2013 x 2 bottles:
100% Chenin Blanc. The nose is open and aromatic with plenty of fresh
citrus fruit. The palate is refreshing with grapefruit, lime and some nettley
notes – delicious.
Red Wine
Domaine St Estève, Merlot, France, 2012 x 2 bottles: 100% Merlot. Silky,
round and ripe, this juicy Merlot is packed full of soft, red fruit and rich plum
flavours. Particularly good with your Easter Fayre, and not forgetting
cheese.
Mas Oliveras Tempranillo, Bodegas Roqueta, Catalonia, Spain, 2012 x 2
bottles: 100% Tempranillo. Intense and scented on the nose. The palate
offers fresh summer berry and black fruit flavours, soft rich textures and a
warm finish.
Dessert Wine
Domaine de Coyeux, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Rhône, France, 2007
x 1 bottle: A delicious sweet wine, rich and grapey with a touch of apricots
in the background. Great with those eggs! Boiled for 5 mins!!!
List price for this case of 12 bottles: £113.20 inc VAT and delivery
Members Offer Price: £100.00 inc VAT and delivery
To place your order, please contact: JAMES LONG (Managing Director)
T: 01638 600000 M: 07836 230432 E: [email protected]
9
Bingley Section Report
December
At the last meeting of the Bingley Sommeliers all seven members were present and
voted 6:1 to close down Bingley branch. They and their guests enjoyed a tasting of
favourite wines. The Picpoul seemed to please everyone though there were votes for
both Vermentino and Gruner Veltinea. The Saumer Champigny and the Roussillion
were well liked, but the star was the 9 year old Gran Reserva at an astonishing £8.99.
Thanks to you all for all your support over all the years.
Picpoul De Pinet
2012
12.5%
£6.49
Villemarin
Vermentino
2012
13%
£7.99
Poggioargentiera
Gruner Veltliner
2012
12.5%
£8.99
Weissenkirchen
Rioja Gran Reserva 2004
13%
£8.99
Vina Eguia
Saumur Champigny 2010
13.5%
£9.99
Chateau De Targe
Cadet De Lauriga
2008
13%
£7.99
Peter Clayton
This was a different meeting as members had already been informed it was going to be
the last.
Chairman Peter Clayton at the beginning of the evening announced that things had
become impossible and that falling numbers at meetings were just not making ends
meet and basically in his words ‘the cupboard was bare’.
He and most of the members in the room promptly resigned with regret and then
proceeded to present his ‘Chairman’s Choice’ Selection of wine.
Peter Ambler ,the chairman of the Yorkshire Guild of Sommeliers, was in attendance
and spoke of possible support both in financial terms as well as moral and hope that a
few willing people would able to consider formulating a rescue package in the New
Year. It was therefor agreed not to have a meeting in January to allow some time for
Damian Ward (in his absence) David Taylor and Ben Tierney to meet in January to
discuss possible relaunch of the group.
Tuesday January 7th
Damian, David & Ben met in the ‘Golden Fleece’ in Harden to try to start formulating a
master plan to put ‘Bingley Sommeliers’ back on the map. New ideas were tossed
around and in general it was agreed a new look/modernisation/updating package was
needed. New venue/change the night/new logo and name/professional presenters/
costs to be maintained/forward planning brochure, all this was thought to be needed
to attract new members to attend and enjoy what we believed to be a worthwhile
event.
10
February -St. Ives Golf Club
In the members lounge saw the re-incarnation of the ‘Bingley Sommeliers’
David Lawson of Chez Vin Ltd. Otley, presented a delightful selection of wine from
Southern Italy. Five of the six wines he presented were from
Puglia with the second white wine coming from Campania,
none were well known wines and members were offered a
10% discount on any mixed case ordered there and then with
no charge for delivery.
Thirty Two members and guests enjoyed an interesting tasting
which was well presented and enjoyed by all. Adrian Weaver,
the golf club manager, and his team were in attendance
throughout the evening making sure we had all we needed
and later after the tasting served us with a lasagne supper
which linked in with the Italian theme of the evening. In
attendance were several Yorkshire Guild dignitaries Deirdre
Buchanan, Peter Ambler, Nigel Green, Paul Donnelly, Lorraine
Collet, Ann Johnson, along with a lively delegation from St. Ives Golf Club.
Needless to say this was a promising result with great support from many people,
cementing the new found interest is now the challenge for us at Bingley and the
coming months will be testament to the fabulous efforts that have been made.
Ben Tierney
David
Treasurer
Deidre
Damian
Chairman
11
Peter
Ben
Report Writer
Caistor Section Report
November
Our visitor this month was Richard Goodacre, an old friend of Caistor, who certainly
lived up to our high expectations with a selection of Austrian wines. If you immediately
think of unwanted ingredients in the wine, fear not, Austria very quickly and efficiently
cleaned up their act and in fact, the anti freeze scandal did them a favour. They
progressed from mainly supplying wine to the Germany wine industry, including wine
produced in the eastern bloc to becoming a quality wine producer in their own right.
We started the tasting with a 2006 Riesling, deep colour and slight dryness due to
concentration of fruit with great length on the palate. Next was a Gruner Veltliner
reserve 2011(called Groovy in the USA!) novel for its 50cl bottles, a clear light coloured
wine with some white pepper and rustic nose. The first red was a Sankt-Laurent 2009, a
spicy dark fruit nose, soft tannins and well balanced. Next was a Rubin Carnuntum
2007, slightly smoky nose with still great cherry fruit flavour and should keep for 15-20
years. We finished with two sweet wines an Auslese Muskat Ottonel 2012 which was a
clear golden colour with a fruity nose and a hint of sweetness, good with duck pate.
The final wine was another Auslese this time Chardonnay 2009, denser texture and
richer style, fruity on the nose a good Christmas taste of fruit peel to complement the
sweetness from Chardonnay.
A fascinating selection of unusual and very well made wines presented by Richard,
with great knowledge and humour, one of our very best evenings!
December
Our Christmas gathering saw us returning to Kenwick Park Golf Club with an
exceptionally pleasant start to Christmas with a Champagne reception followed by a
delicious meal. Members bought their own wine and we were entertained with
quizzes and lots of fun.
January
Our AGM took place at the beginning of our first meeting for 2014. Chris Rothery
retired as Chairman and John Clarke was elected to take over as chair for the next 2
years with Angela Lawrence as Vice Chair. All other officers were willing to stand again
and were re-elected en-bloc. Sue Cropp will assist Yvonne Croasdaile as Treasurer.
The AGM was followed by a quiz organised by Richard Burn, Richard Croasdaile and
Chris Rothery which once again proved how little we all know about wine. The wines,
which tested our knowledge were - Heidsieck Brut Monopole, Cloudy Bay Pelorus
both NV; Cotes du Rhone Saint Cosme 2012 Blanc, Chateau de Saint Cosme Les Deux
Albion 2011 Rouge; Meerlust Estate Red 2011 and finally an excellent single vineyard
Rioja Contino Reserva 2007 that most thought was a Bordeaux!
February
February saw a return to the popular venue of Abbey’s Wine Bar in Grimsby, with
Stuart Vass presenting lovely wines from “The Southern Rhone” We started with a real
cracker, Chateau Simian, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2011, peachy nose, full bodied
and good length made predominately from white Grenache, the most expensive wine
12
of the night. Next up was a Rose, Combe des Avaux, Cotes du Rhone 2012, straight
Grenache with strawberry nose which received a mixed reception. The reds were
tasted in pairs, starting with Cotes du Rhone Domaine de Boissan 2011 and Chateau
Simian Combe des Avaux 2010, the first was lighter with cherries and a white pepper
after taste, whilst the second was richer, earthy, black currants on the nose with
good length but totally different on the nose to the taste. We then had another pair
Chusclan les Genets 2011 Cotes du Rhone Villages and then Lirac “Gold Medal” 2011
Domaine de Georand, the first was more punchy and tannic with dry after taste
whilst the Lirac had a slight leathery nose, gentle fruits and was the more popular.
Tasting at Ch. Saint Luc May 2013
The final pairing of Vacqueyras Domaine de Boissan 2011 with Gigondas 2011 from
the same producer was fascinating as both were made from grapes grown close
together. The first having a nose of Christmas pudding fruits, spicy with white pepper
to the finish, the Gigondas had a more subtle sweeter nose with plenty of dark fruit
and white pepper. This time the Vacqueyras came out just the winner, but all agreed
that they were both very drinkable and reasonably priced.
We enjoyed an educational tasting and
appreciated the parallel tasting format.
Stuart had once again produced a very good
night for us and certainly the noisiest
meeting for a long time, probably
something to do with the amount of wine
consumed!
Kay Rothery
York Wines
13
THE YORKSHIRE GUILD OF SOMMELIERS
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2013
2013
£
2012
£
Subscriptions
Bank Interest
Surplus on A.G.M./Dinner
th
Surplus on 50 Anniv. Garden Party
Surplus on Annual Dinner/Dance
£
9,979
1
10,449
1
53
-
-
62
160
212
------Total Net Income
£
--
10,193
----- —————
10,724
Less : Expenditure
Section Assistance
News Bulletin Production & Distribution
5,965
1,393
6,234
1,657
Fees to Officers
1,500
1,500
Chairman’s Honorarium
600
600
Insurance
130
130
-
42
Website Expenses
22
-
Officer’s Chains Ribbon Bars
83
-
102
61
Deficit on A.G.M./Dinner
Sundry/Admin. Expenses
Room Hire for Committee Meetings
-
9,795
96
10,320
-------
--------
------
--------
EXCESS (DEFICIT) OF INCOME OVER
EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR
£ 398
£ 404
======
======
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT SCRUTINEER
I have examined the financial records of the Guild for the year ended 31 December 2013 and certify that
these statements are in accordance therewith.
David Robinson
14th March 2014
14
THE YORKSHIRE GUILD OF SOMMELIERS
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2013
2013
ACCUMULATED FUND
£
£
Balance at 1 January 2013
Excess of Income over Expenditure for the year
Balance at 31 December 2013
2012
£
£
3,000
2,596
398
-----
404
-------
£ 3,398
£ 3,000
====
====
EMPLOYMENT OF FUND
Current Assets
Cash at Bank: Current Account
Deposit Account
Stock of Postage Stamps
1,785
3,209
1,083
1,090
-
177
Stock of Ribbon Bars
210
-
2014 A.G.M./Dinner Deposit
420
-
------
3,498
------
4,476
Less : Current Liabilities
Net Deferred Income
Sundry Creditors & Accruals
100
-
-
1,476
------
100
------NET CURRENT ASSETS
£ 3,398
====
Michael Coupland
Honorary Treasurer
14th March 2014
15
------
1,476
-------£ 3,000
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Harrogate Section Report
November
The Southern Rhone still offers better value for money than many other parts of
France – and plenty of variety at all levels – so a tasting on the topic with Graham
Coverdale of House of Townend was well timed just before Christmas. Of the six
wines on show, three originate from the Brunier stable, famous for Domaine du Vieux
Télégraphe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. These were: 2010 Le Pigeoulet des Brunier, a
rich, smooth blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault from the Vaucluse; 2012
Megaphone, an assertive Ventoux still needing some bottle age; and 2011 Les
Pallieres Terrasse du Diable, a wonderfully intense Gigondas. Graham also showed us
a pleasantly soft 2011 Arbouse ‘Massif d’Uchaux’ Cotes du Rhone Villages, and a pair
of wines from Domaine de la Citadelle in the Luberon – a voluptuous 2012 Viognier
and a spicy 2010 blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. All in all, a very
popular selection – as proven by the orders Graham received!
December
As usual, our pre-Christmas meeting was a festive supper with wines to match, and a
light-hearted quiz. This included a mystery wine: an Australian Viognier, which one of
us guessed correctly in a ‘last man standing’ knock-out.
January
With his detailed knowledge, Miles Corish of Bowland
Forest Vintners always provides us with plenty of useful
information – as well as introducing us to new and
interesting wines. On this visit to Harrogate, he showed us a
range of Italian wines from all corners of the country. We
started in Piemonte, with a 2012 Gavi La Zerba ‘Terrarossa’.
While enjoying its refreshing elegance, we learnt about the
dangers of lower-priced Gavis, and the importance of a
hillside location to achieving quality. Other whites included
a weighty yet clean-tasting 2012 Cantine Rallo Bianco Maggiore Grillo from Sicily
(perfect for seafood risotto) and – a revelation for most of us – a wine made from a
grape called Pecorino. This was the 2012 Collefrisio Pecorino di Chieti from Abruzzo, a
slightly peachy, creamy white with good minerality.
The three reds in the tasting were just
as widespread geographically: a well
-balanced 2012 Adalia Valpolicella; a
rather reserved 2009 Ormanni Chianti
Classico; and a fascinating Sicilian
blend of Pinot Nero and Syrah, the
2010 ‘Jubilum’. At only £8.99, the latter
was felt to be something of a bargain,
with the black fruit of the Syrah being
softened very slightly by Pinot from the
slopes of Etna.
16
February
During the year, we try to have
a mix of regular speakers and
newcomers – so it was nice to
welcome for the first time Philip
Kirk of Martinez, a longestablished independent wine
merchant in Ilkley. As a Spanish
wine specialist, Martinez has an extensive range from all regions of the country,
and this tasting was biased towards less familiar wines. Whites included a 2012
Abadal Picapoll, from the Pla de Bages, near Barcelona, and the Crego e Monaguillo
Godello from the same year, made in Galicia with the addition of 20% Treixadura (a
similar grape to Albarino). Both went down very well with our group, and are great
examples of how indigenous grapes make such a refreshing change from the
international varieties.
With the reds, the grapes were better known to us – two Tempranillos and a
Grenache/Carignan blend – but their flavours and aromas were more unusual. For
example, the 2009 Puertas Novas de Toro (from central Spain) was extremely dry
with dark fruits and hints of tobacco. In contrast, the 2010 Torremilanos ‘Los
Cantos’ Ribera del Duero offered more inviting, sweeter fruit – although some of us
still felt the tannins were rather dominant. Most importantly, all the wines in this
tasting provoked debate. Much of this was highly favourable, making the evening a
very successful Harrogate debut for Philip.
Future programme
11th March
th
8 April
Mike Perry of Nidderdale Fine Wines
David Lawson of Chez Vin
th
Ben Robson of Bat and Bottle
th
10 June
Julia Trustram Eve of English Wine Producers
8th July
Mel Jones MW of Quaffers’ Offers
13 May
17
Hull Section Report
November
It is always a delight to welcome James Long of Corney and Barrow on his annual
tour of the North to delight us with his traditional seasonal selection. This has
become something of a fixture in our calendar as it is for other sections. With this
in mind I will defer to the greater descriptive powers of other contributors to the
august publication other than to note how delighted I was with the AuxeyDuresses la Macabrée,2001 from the esteemed Oliver Leflaive. This village is just
up the road from the more renowned Mersault and shows many of the qualities
one would expect from its more illustrious neighbour. Lightly wheatish in colour,
with a yeasty nose, the creamy texture makes it feel like a liquid buttered toast
made in heaven.
I must observe, however, that James is famed for his discursive anecdotes which
occasionally lead him to ramble from topic to topic and it was during such a
moment that I had something of a revelation. Having come to a momentary halt,
James asked of himself as to which story he had originally been telling. “Ah, yes”
said he, “I was saying something about something.” This could equally have been
expressed as “ everything about everything” and for me captures in a nutshell the
particular appeal of James as a presenter, he can always be relied upon to say
“something about something” and long, no pun intended, may he continue to do
so.
December
To accompany our Christmas Dinner we had chosen, by way of divertissement, to
hold a “Call My Bluff”. A panel consisting of Nigel Green, Ann Johnson and myself
issued forth a tissue of lies, a web of fabrications and the occasional truth in
respect of a selection made most expertly by Nigel himself.
Definitely not a Californian Pinot Noir nor a Muscadet was the Robert Blanck Vin
D’ Alsace Muscat 2011 which was unusually dry, as the tendency in the region is
to produce sweeter examples of all grape varieties, forfeiting high alcohol levels
for residual sugar. This Muscat is a dry, aromatic wine with fine floral
characteristic smells of orange flower water and bursts forth with peaches on the
palate.
The misdirection for the Elanor Chardonnay Haretnberg Estate 2004 included it
being an Aussie blend of Chardonnay and Semillon or that it was a Vouvray 2005.
It is in fact rated from one of the top 20 wine estates in South Africa. It is a
multiple medal winner and being from the extremely rare 2004 vintage made
special because only 17 barrels were ever produced. This wine has a wonderful
depth of flavour with textured oatmeal and quince fruits, creamy and citrusy with
hints of nuttiness and elderflower and a minerality that results in a persistent
finish.
Finally, rather than a Barolo or a Cahors Malbec, the entertainment ( or torture?)
was brought to a close with a Castillo de Monjardin Gran Reserva Cabernet
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Sauvignon 1998. Bright garnet in colour, spicy aromas of blackberries and, on the
palate, this full bodied meaty wine displayed sweet tannins with hints of chocolate
and cocoa beans. It was a delight to drink and evidently difficult for some to
identify.
The least suggestible attendees won a prize for their perspicacity, well done Paul
and Matthew, the latter being especially commended as a novice.
January
It remains, as ever, a challenge to find something interesting to say about our
AGM. Despite the presence of both the Dali Lama and Kim Kardashian (and what a
couple they make!), I am afraid to say there was very little of significance other
than I may have not recalled the evening with total accuracy.
Nigel Green reflected upon a successful year for us as a section which had seen
many interesting tastings. Michael, our Treasurer, gave a good account of himself
and the accounts themselves, all the evenings’ events being accurately recorded
by his better half and our esteemed Secretary, Joanne. Olwen gave a glimpse into
the future with an outline of the programme for the coming year, which promises
to be as rewarding as the last. Throughout the evening Michael presented a
selection of Californian wines the star of which was the estimable Marimar Estate,
Doña Margarita Vineyard, “Mas Cavalls” Pinot Noir 2006, a great start to what we
all hope will be great year.
The diversions for the evening were completed with a quiz set by an ignorant
fiend, the highlight of which for some was in respect of the precise ingredients of
Chinese Three Penis Wine.
February
From the Scarborough section we were delighted to welcome John & Sheila
Atkinson for a tasting of wines they had sourced on his travels around the
Beaujolais region. Like many my only previous experience of the Beaujolais region
was sampling dreadful B. Nouveau so I must confess I had lowered expectations
for the evening.
As John had sourced the wines directly from the, generally
small, producers this meant that none of the delights on
offer would be readily available. This is especially
disappointing in regard of the excellent 100% Gamay
grape offerings from Domaine De La Chapelle Des Bois.
Firstly the Fleurie Cuvée Bel Air 2011, powerful dark and
supple followed by the Chiroubles 2011more delicate but
with a very appealing freshness
Such is John’s enthusiasm and so vivid a picture does he paint that he should be in
the employ of the Beaujolais Tourist Board. Apparently, in 1395 Philippe the Bold,
Duke of Burgundy dismissed the Gamay grape as being 'a very bad and disloyal
plant.’ on the evidence of this evening this was an unwarranted slur.
Stephen Hussey
19
Leeds Section Report
November
We returned to one of our favourite venues, Pease Hill
at Rawdon, for our November tasting. This was our
‘cabaret night’ with James Long as the MC and presenter
of Festive Wines! The occasion was a bit special, as it
was the tenth anniversary of our Corney & Barrow
tastings with James, who expressed a recently
discovered liking for ‘mooshy peas’! As usual we had
some very entertaining yarns and tales from James, and in between we did taste
some wines! First off was the rather nice Sylvoz Prosecco, followed by the very
refreshing 2012 Ortega from Biddenden Vineyards, Kent. The Picpoul from
Domaine de Morin-Langaran 2012 was rich and long, and the Leflaive AuxeyDuresses la Macabree from Burgundy was a lovely wine and good value at £16.50
on the night. Highlights from the reds, were a well received and reasonably priced
Minervois , Chateau Moureau 2012, and a well balanced 2011 Valpolicella Ripasso
from Beretta. Best red by a long way was the 2009 Chateau Barrail du Blanc Grand
Cru St Emilion. This had a terrific nose, good balance and structure on the palate,
and finished long. With our Pease Hill dessert, we had a 2012 Nelson Estate
(S.Africa) Late Harvest Semillon by Parri, well balanced with honey and marmalade
on the nose. I’m sure our Leeds members will have consumed many of these wines
during the Christmas period.
December
Our annual Christmas tasting once again took place at the Rombalds Hotel in
Ilkley. There was a local feel to the evening, as our presenter was Philip Kirk from
Martinez Wines of Ilkley, who have been in the town for over 30 years. Highlights
from the tasting included the excellent Muga Conde De Haro Brut Vintage Cava
and the Jean-Paul Balland Sancerre 2012, which was quite complex and well
balanced, with a long finish. This was followed by an interesting and quite savoury
Pinot, from Paul Cluver (Elgin) 2010. We moved on to an unusual Spanish wine
made from the Mencia grape. The Privilegio Bodegas Ribas del Cua Bierzo 2006,
had little ageing, was quite pale and perfumed, and was definitely a food wine. To
close, we tasted a really good value Claret. The Rousseau De Sipian 2005 was deep
in colour, had a lovely soft creamy nose, and good balance and structure, but
definitely needed food.
Following on from our traditional Roast Beef meal, Mick Whitaker, the incoming
Chair, gave a vote of thanks to Jack Hesketh, who was standing down as Chair, his
wife Margaret, and Terry Hanson our Treasurer, who was also standing down.
Jack and Terry have had over 26 years in office between them. The evening
concluded with a standing ovation for them all, our way of expressing our
20
gratitude for their services given to the Leeds branch (oh, and of course some wine
and flowers too!)
January
The speaker for our January evening was Janet Guest ,who besides being a
member of the Leeds Sommeliers is also the Regional Sales Manager for the Louis
Latour Agencies. Janet presented ‘Louis Latour Family Wines’. Latour, besides
having a strong presence in Burgundy, also produces wines in Beaujolais and
Ardeche in the South of France. Maison Louis Latour was founded in 1797, is still
100% family owned by the ninth generation of the family, has it’s own cooperage,
and can boast to be ISO 14001 accredited, which means that they are an
environmentally sound organisation. To toast the New Year and the new Chairman,
Janet provided the 100% Pinot, Simmonet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne. This was
unusual in that it was made by the only sparkling wine producer in Chablis ! We
enjoyed the 2011 Macon Lugny, which is their best selling wine, before moving
onto the marvellous 2007 Mersault. Plenty of life left in this yet. The final white
was the 2011 Grand Ardeche Chardonnay from the South of France - a lovely, great
value wine with good use of oak ageing. The pick of the reds was the 2011
Domaine de Valmoissine. This was a Pinot, made in the South of France in a
Burgundian style. The 2010 Cote de Beaune Villages, was garnet coloured, had
good tannins, and would improve for a year or two yet.
February
This month ,after a long absence, we welcomed back to Peasehill, Paul Tate-Smith
from Tate-Smith Ltd of Malton. Paul brought us a selection of really good value
wines from South America. His brand ‘Derventio’ Wines, relates to the old Roman
name for Malton. Our first white was the 2013 Urban Torrontes from Mendoza,
Argentina. This was clean and fresh, being 100% fermented in stainless steel. We
then ventured into Chile, which Paul told us first came to prominence when
phylloxera was ravaging France, and an alternative supply of wine needed to be
found. The 2012 Cousino Macul Dona Isidora Riesling had no oak treatment, was
made from handpicked grapes, and was a decent dry Riesling. We also sampled a
rather nice Chilean 2012 Torres Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, which was
well balanced with good light fruits. Definitely a notch up from the usual insipid
roses! In the Lomas Carrera Carmenere 2012, we found a really good value house
wine, a snip, priced at £5.50.The best reds were the 2010 Dante Robino Reserva
Malbec, full bodied, with lovely dark fruit, and still good value, even at £11, and the
2008 O Fournier B Crux, a Malbec, Merlot, and Tempranillo blend. This had a
mature nose, was well balanced, and showed really good dark fruit. I shall
definitely be paying a visit to Paul’s shop at Castlegate, Malton.
Mick Whitaker
21
Scarborough Section Report
December
This month saw the welcome return of James Long of Corney & Barrow
(www.corneyandbarrow.com). Most of you will know James, so it will come as no
surprise that we had a very entertaining night with quite a few laughs along the way.
The wine itself was also very good. Corney & Barrows' House White Cotes de
Gascoigne (£5.95 a bottle) had a lovely fresh and clean taste and would make an
excellent everyday wine. If you're looking for a wine to go with turkey the Chateau
Cadet Minervois (£12.56) had dryness with a bit of acidity and plenty of fruit to match.
We were also advised to roast our birds breast down to improve the flavour. I would
like to finish however by mentioning the San Emilio Pedro Ximinez Solera Reserva (£1665). This was a sweet sherry which was the colour of mahogany and tasted of dates
and figs. It needs to be served slightly chilled and James recommends you serve it
poured over a simple vanilla ice cream. At last a sherry I actually like!
January
Annual Dinner
We had our Annual Dinner at the Ambassador and the
Hotel really stepped up to the plate to give us a really
good meal and some very hearty cheese and dessert
portions! The wine was chosen by Howard and our
Chairman Ian had clearly put a lot of thought into the
menu and the preparations - so a big thank you to both of
them. Needless to say a good time was had by all and as
you can see by the photo I’m glad to say that our
Chairman also found time to enjoy the event as well.
February
This was a little different - we turned up to find the doors locked and then the wine
(that was supposed to have been delivered to the Hotel) had gone missing! Fortunately
Chris Mooney was able to buy some Torres wines from Morrison's and one of our
members, Tim Marshall, obtained some Spanish wines - so many thanks to both of
them. Having got some replacement wines our host for the night, Christina Torres
(daughter of Marimar Torres), gave us a very interesting talk on the 'Morrison's Wines
of Torres', which was all the more impressive given that none of them were on the
original tasting sheet. All 5 Torres wines were eminently drinkable and the San Valentin
2012 stood out as a lovely fruity white wine which went surprisingly well with our
cheese. I must also mention Tim's wines since all three were excellent. I particularly
liked the Diez Siglos which was a white Verdejo tasting of melons with a steely
22
undertone. For those of you who don't know, Tim is a partner at Betton Wines in
East Ayton (www.bettonwines.co.uk) and judging by the three wines he rustled up at
very short notice I think a trip to Betton Wines will be on the cards. Hopefully Tim, or
one of his partners, could be persuaded to give us a full tasting of their wines at a
future tasting and Christina also indicated a desire to return and give us the tasting
of the higher end Torres wines that was originally planned. Needless to say, as is
often the case, from adversity sprang a very enjoyable and memorable evening.
Martin Fozard
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23
Sheffield Section Report
November
November brought John Butterwick, independent wine educator, to Sheffield. He
presented us with 8 wines from Leventhorpe vineyard, Leeds. A potted history of the
vineyard was discussed along with an explanation as to how grapes grow at
Leventhorpe at all!
We opened with the Leventhorpe sparking brut, 2010. Pale gold with a hint of green
and a nice mousse. Citrus on the nose but soft, rounded and juicy on the palate.
Next to the 1st of 2 Seyvals. First the 2011, very pale gold in colour, stewed rhubarb
on the nose. Some astringency on the palate but very delicate. The 2009 however
was more rounded with a Bramley apple nose and more golden in colour. Fuller in
the mouth with slight sweetness and vanilla.
Onto our second comparison this time the Madeline Angevine grape. First the 2010,
light gold in colour, elderflower on the nose and peachy on the palate. To the 2009
growers reserve more golden lychee and pear drop to smell, soft and rounded with a
hint of fruit on the palate an very delicate wine.
Next to the award winning 2007 Madeleine late harvest. Richly golden, a wonderful
honeyed nose and a taste of rich candied fruit. Lovely!
Another fizz, this time the 2010 sparkling rose extra brut. Very pale copper and
delicate bubbles. A yeasty dry nose but on the palate, freshness and slight
sweetness.
Finally to the 2008 west riding red, ripe plum in colour, bursting with black currents
on the nose, some sharpness and slight tannin on the palate. A lovely wine.
A very interesting tasting of some high quality English wines. Lots of history to back it
up too!
Thomas Darby
December and January
No meeting
Michael
Valerie
24
YORKSHIRE GUILD OF SOMMELIERS
Dear fellow Sommelier
Agenda for the 31stth Annual General Meeting is to be held on 29th April 2014 at
19.30 at the Merchant Taylors Hall, Aldwark, York, North Yorkshire YO1 7BX.
1)
Apologies
2)
Minutes of 30th AGM & Matters arising
3)
Chairman’s Report
4)
Treasurers Report
5)
Accounts
6)
Appointment of Accounts Examiner 2014-15
7)
Elections to Management Committee
Mike Harrison having indicated that he would be resigning as Membership
Secretary from today’s date, leaves a vacancy for this position.
A proposal for the appointment of Chris Rothery has been received to be
presented to the meeting.
8)
Any other business
President’s address
Dinner on completion of the evening.
There will be a Champagne reception hosted by the Chairman followed by Dinner and
Coffee. Once again, Richard Goodacre has kindly agreed to select and present wines
to accompany the meal. The cost is £40 for members and £45 for guests.
Members wishing to reserve seats for dinner should forward their applications to the
Chairman.
Photographs from the Annual Dinner Dance in Harrogate
Deirdre
Lorraine
Janie
Philip
Diana
James Long
25
Andrea
Nigel
.Whitby Section Report
November
A full gathering at No.4 The Parade in
Whitby enjoyed a tasting presented by
Paul Tate-Smith of Derventio Wines in
Malton. We were honoured to welcome
not only the Guild President but two of
the past Chairmen as well. A Prosecco
'Divici' awaited us, made by the 'cuve
close' or Charmat method. A Picpoul de
Pinet 2012, Dom.La Serre opened the
white selection: fresh with a distinctive
taste and good with our starter of
smoked salmon and prawn cornets.
Two further whites were tasted, a Redbank 'Sunday Morning' Pinot Gris 2011 from
N.E. Victoria and Bon Courage Prestige Chardonnay 2012 from Robertson Valley
S.Africa. The latter had been in used oak barrels for 8 months and was of good quality.
Breast of Chicken was accompanied by Vistamar Sepia Reserva Pinot Noir 2012 and a
Julienas 2005 from Albert Bichot. The former was good wine but up against a lot of
competition, the latter was serious Beaujolais and excellent with food.
We tasted two dessert wines, a South African organic Muscat named 'Heaven on
Earth' – interesting but rather cloying for an 11% wine as it seemed to lack acidity; and
Lustau Pedro Ximenez, a well-known sweetie sherry. An excellent evening was
enjoyed thanks to Paul Tate-Smith and the 'équipe' at No.4
December
Our Christmas event was held at The
Saxonville Hotel and we enjoyed wines
provided by our Chairperson Christine
Stephenson and by Nigel Green.
A pleasant Prosecco awaited our arrival
and following that we tasted a Pinot
Auxerrois 2011 Vin d'Alsace by Robert
Blank. With the starter Finca de
Villatuerta Chardonnay 2011 by Chivite,
Navarre and also 'The Eleanor'
Chardonnay 2004 by Hartenberg Estate, Stellenbosch South Africa. Both excellent.
The reds comprised a Nuits St. Georges 'Les Boudots' 2001 by Chanson Pere & Fils and
a Ch. Beaumont 2007 Haut-Medoc. Lovely Burgundy and a well-known Bordeaux
estate which met expectations. Finally to round off the evening a rather special
Vouvray 'Le Marigny' 1995 from Dom.des Aubuisiers.
Richard Evans
26
January
On Monday, 20th January the Whitby
Section held their A.G.M.at the Stables
restaurant at Cross Butts.
Our welcoming wine was a Pinot Blanc de
Noirs Scloss Munzingen Baden Sekt which
was a lot easier to drink than it was to
pronounce.
Our meeting was helped along by a Casa
Marin Sauvignon Gris after which we tried
a Macon Villages 2010 Bastion de
L'Oratoire and a Chablis Grand Cru 'Les
Clos' 2007 to compliment our mushroom
starter.
With our main course we drank a beautiful Langhe 2000 accompanied by an Avvoltore
Maremma Toscana 2003 both complimented our main course perfectly.
With our chocolate fudge we were served a Cuvee Elaine Gewurztraminer 2009 which
rounded the evening off.
All the wines were from the excellent cellar of our own Nigel Green.
Hugh Rayner
February
The venue for our February meeting had
to be hastily re-arranged due to the
original venue, The Vinyard, changing
hands. The day was saved by Hugh
Rayner and Maureen Imray from No 4
The Parade, who kindly stepped in at
short notice to host the event. Our
speaker was Chris Mooney from John E
Fells and Sons, who presented us a
selection of wines from South America.
Our welcome wine was a Muguel Torres
Estelado Rose, an excellent sparkling wine, which was followed by a Trapiche Astica
Sauvignon/Semillon 2012. Our meeting then followed the usual format of a three
course meal with wine, our starter being a warm salad of wild mushrooms, chorizo
and peppers accompanied by two Chakana wines, a Torrontes 2012 and a Malbec
Rose 2013. Our main course of game pie was accompanied by a further Chakana
wine, a Malbec 2013 and a Trapiche ‘Estacion 1883’ Bonarda 2011. The evening was
rounded off with a fresh fruit pavlova accompanied by a ‘Nectaria’ Botrytis Riesling
2009. The wines were relatively inexpensive and very good value, which resulted in a
significant number of orders, particularly for the two Chakana Malbecs.
27
York Section Report
November
The November event took us to the ever-popular Fulford Golf Club with our very own
Waitrose Wine Specialist Larry Murray showcasing eight excellent wines under the
theme “All I Want for Christmas”, and unashamedly including two surprises from Aldi
on the back of rave reviews in the press of their own label champagne ranking above
top brands costing nine times as much!
The Aldi wines were a delicious, nutty rich sparkling Philippe Michel
Crémant du Jura Chardonnay served as an aperitif and later on a fine
oak barrel fermented, Burgundian-style 2012 Exquisite Collection
Limoux Chardonnay - both stunning value at just £6.99.
Paying homage to the original theme for the evening of an England
versus Germany wine challenge, we tasted a not so cheap 2012 Leitz
Rosengarten Riesling Kabinett (£13.99), which would perhaps justified
its award winning credentials served alongside Thai food. By contrast a superb 2012
Waitrose Sancerre La Franchotte, J Mellot (£13.99) certainly merited its Silver medal
on its own and enticed a few members to dash to the store the next day to take
advantage of the temporary 25% discount offer.
The reds were kicked off by an own label ”Mellow and Fruity Spanish Red” (£4.99),
which not only lived up to its name, but was cleared out of the York store the next day
for a party glugging and was followed by a more serious, soft and supple 2008 Cune
Rioja Reserva (£12.99) for the most discerning of Christmas guests. The reds closed
with a big, spicy and well balanced 2010 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Terres Brul
(£34.99), which whilst drinking well now, is perhaps one to ask Santa for
and lay down for a future Christmas treat.
We had a delicious meal prepared by the locally renowned Andrew Flint
of lamb confit, followed by warm plum and almond tart with vanilla
mascarpone, which was complemented by a luscious, deep gold sweet
2005 Samos Anthemis (£9.99) vin doux naturel Muscat to round off a
wonderful evening.
Jason Valentine
December
Our Christmas Dinner at the Merchant Taylor's is becoming something of a tradition,
the 14th Century Hall with its blazing hearth provides a truly magnificent setting,
particularly at this time of year.
Once again Terry Herbert provided some lovely wines to match some great food, an
informative and relaxed presentation began with a delightful clean, light and dry Gavi
Spumante “Las Battistina” (100% Cortese from the quality conscious Araldica
(co-operative). The next two whites had a difficult task making their aromatic qualities
felt due to the log fire, Ephemera Viognier/Pinot Gris 2012 from New South Wales
was round, smooth with baked apple flavours whilst La Bascula Verdejo/Viura 2012
from Rueda, barrel fermented, had exotic guava, apricot and vanilla.
28
Chateau Noaillac 2006 from Medoc gave a cedary nose and a classic Bordeaux pencil
shavings finish. Chateau Caronne Sainte Gemme 2003, a pedigree red from HautMedoc fully justified Terry's choice, rich red and black berry fruit on the nose, mouth
filling ripe soft tannins. Then with dessert and cheese Palazzina Moscato Passito
2010 from Araldica in Piemonte, rich and classy, a singular bargain, and finally a single vintage tawny port, Krohn Colheita 2001, toffee, fig, raisin with a light touch,
never cloying.
All this was followed by singing from Ed and Jane Sturmheit, with Geoffrey Coffin at
the piano, great music which resonated with the guests and filled the Hall.
Thanks to everyone who made it such a great night, in particular Gordon, Jason,
Diana, Sue and Sheila.
Larry Murray
January
Our January member’s only social event took us to Hazel Hart’s
Holgate Hill Hotel where we were challenged by our very own
wine aficionados Richard Goodacre, Stuart Calder and Terry
Herbert to a light-hearted blind-tasting competition in the style
of the game show “Call My Bluff”.
First we were reminded of the remarkable value Aldi offers
with their elegant Contevedo Cava Brut bursting with fruit at
just £4.89 a bottle – a wonderful reception drink.
We then went on pit our wits against one another - plus of course our three
“panelists” - who we soon discovered were well prepared with some seemingly
plausible descriptions behind the identity of two whites and two reds in our glasses.
Inevitably many of us were swayed by some red herrings and a bit of wicked
mis-information artfully slipped in, so managing to talk ourselves out of the correct
choice by means of some dodgy deduction! However, the well deserving jointwinners managed to correctly identify all four which was a commendable feat.
The whites were an aromatic 2013 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New
Zealand (Majestic, £9.99) and a smooth Blason de Bourgogne Saint-Veran,
Maconnais, France (Waitrose, £10.99). The reds were a jammy 2012 Louis Guntrun
Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Rheinhessen, Germany (Field and Fawcett, £10.95) and a
deep violet, spicy 2010 'Zuccardi Q' Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina (Field and Fawcett,
£15.90).
We then had a delicious meal prepared by Hazel’s team of pork and apple casserole
followed by an wide choice of desserts all washed down with either a delicious Cave
de Turckheim Gewurztraminer Tradition, Alsace, France (Tesco, £7.99) or a smooth
2012 Rasteau, Remy Febras, Rhone, France (Waitrose, £9.99) to round off a
wonderful, relaxed and fun evening organised by our Chairman, Gordon Gildener.
Jason Valentine
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I do hope that everyone had a great Christmas and that you are already
enjoying your wine tastings in 2014. I certainly am and I did enjoy the
launch of the new Bingley Section. I hope to continue to visit other
sections this year.
Our President Deirdre’s 80th birthday was a most memorable occasion
and one I shall not forget. I do hope that I can be as fit and active as
Deirdre when I hopefully reach my 80th birthday.
I am continuing to introduce your committee members to you and I would
like to introduce Peter Ambler our current Chairman who is from the
Harrogate Section in this edition .
Present Chairman
Peter Ambler
I was born and brought up in Yorkshire in
a village outside Bradford and sent away
to school from an early age. On leaving
school, I went to University in France for
a year and then decided I wanted to be a
wine buyer .With that in mind I got a job
with Allied Breweries who after a while
sent me to Germany to work for a
company, Langenbach, in Worms-amRhein. I had studied German and French
throughout my schooling, so 9 months in
a winery in Germany was good on both
the language and wine front. On my
return, I worked for 18 months in a retail
wine shop in London and then spent 3
months in Champagne with Lanson.
During my period in London I took the
first two WSET wine exams.
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By now it was 1968 and, at that time small independent wine merchants, apart from
a few London wine shops, were the only sellers of wine to the general public. A lot of
these were being taken over by the big Brewers. Hard to believe that there was no
wines available in supermarkets and of course no online shopping. As a Brewer
bought yet another independent wine merchant, they didn’t need the wine Buyer so
it seemed that there were going be fewer and fewer wine buying jobs left.
Mistakenly, because very soon wine was to become a very popular drink and there
would be much more potential for budding wine buyers, I left the wine trade and
went into Textiles where I spent all my working life. After qualifying as a Chartered
Textile Technologist I worked for a while for a large public company and then had the
chance to join a small private company specialising in animal fibres such as Mohair,
Cashmere, Camelhair, Alpaca and others – but not wool. My Co-Director at the time
and I then bought the company from the existing shareholders and I became selfemployed. Strangely every annual clip of all these fibres differs as a result of climatic
conditions in the previous 12 months as, of course, does every vintage of wine and I
ended up spending 35 years travelling the World assessing the quality of fibre from
the last clip rather than the last vintage!
I retired fully in 2009 and, deciding to renew my acquaintance with the wine trade,
continued from where I had left off 47 years before with my WSET exams. Having
kept an interest in wine over the years, I had been a member of the Harrogate
section of the Yorkshire Sommeliers for some time and in 2007, along with a very
able and supportive team, took over the running of the section, finally retiring in
2013 to become your Guild Chairman last April.
Karen
Peter
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
Text in Calibri is attributed to various authors

All Text in Comic Sans MS is by the Editor.
The magazine is also available on the Guilds Website.
The webmaster is
David Robinson
98a Tadcaster Road
YORK, YO24 1LT
Tel: 01904 702808
e-mail: [email protected]
The Guild of Yorkshire Sommeliers would like to increase its overall
membership and so an incentive scheme has been approved by the
committee.
If you are able to recruit a new member to join then you will be
rewarded with a bottle of wine, which is kindly being donated by
Deirdre Buchanan To receive this complete the slip below and return
to Mike Harrison, Subscriptions Secretary, with membership
application form.
—————————————————————————————————————
Name of member_______________________________________
Section_______________________________________________
Name(s) of prospective member(s)__________________________
_____________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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