- Details
- Published: 11 February 2014 11 February 2014
I have just returned from Devon where the roaring sea is literally munching on the coastline, absorbing it into its belly. The debris whistles around the dumbstruck onlookers faces aided by the oceans partner in storms, the wind. We stood on a rocky outcrop called Bolt Head and the wind topping 90mph several times dislodged my feet from their placement on the path. It was adrenal and cleansing to be mocked by nature in such away. Afterwards we headed back to Salcombe and basked in the exhaustion.
With such chaotic and still persisting weather conditions striking the isle of Briton, what on Earth am I doing drinking this lovely translucent, light, red-fruity Beaujolais Villages by benchmark producer Louis Jadot?
Gamay grapes from this part of France, south of Burgundy, usually make an appearance in my glass around spring and summertime. That must be a cause of habit. Supping this now and feeling my cheeks pukka with delight mean I need to be drinking it more often. As the worlds weather becomes consistently extreme and unseasonal, I think it is time my wine choices followed suit. This 2012 vintage was a tough one for producers as the weather was playing up then too, however, expertise has delivered us a fine drop to behold.
This wine is a delight for a wide variety of dishes including some fish and salads. It can also be drank alone as a refreshing, zesty aid to conversation with friends. I taste raspberries and red currents and fair bite of acidity that refreshes the mouth ready for the next forkful of food or sip from the glass.
Louis Jadot have produced another good example of how Beaujolais Village can titillate, so get some in before we're all taken alive by the elements. At least we'll be able to whistle along with with the howling wind!
Beaujolais Village 'Combe aux Jacques' 2012
RRP £10.49, available at Tesco, Waitrose and Booth’s
Nick Breeze
@NickGBreeze
Climate change podcast
Discord in Odesa; pruning at Shabo goes on!
Last week a picture was posted on Twitter of vines in Shabo, a large estate that lies to the west of Odesa on southern Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline. The image seemed benign at face value but the reality, of course, is that the city of Odesa has been bracing itself for attack by Russian forces.
An aperitif by the coliseum
As COVID-19 conspires with the grimmest of winds and rain to force a societal retreat behind our own front doors, the word ennui springs to mind. The muddle of displeasure is pierced when Natalia hands me a large bulbous glass of a liquid I do not recognise.
Artichoke pasta and very fine Pigato
Britain’s lamentable exit
On the eve of Britain’s official departure from the EU, my partner and I decided to explore a small town on the Italian Riviera where thewintry cold doesn’t feel so much like cold war bite.
I had warned my significant other that I would be having an inverse departure party, a release of the sanity valve if you like!
Soave: volcanic wines with elegance and longevity
Sitting inside the ancient castle walls inside the town of Soave, a short drive from Verona in northern Italy, the unique slightly almond aroma of the indigenous grape, Garganega, rises gently from my glass. The castle sprawls up the side of an extinct volcano that gives the region its variant soil structures that mark out the better quality of Soave wines.
An American In Paris; Tanisha Townsend (@GirlMeetsGlass) discusses podcasts, Paris wine bars, & what she's drinking at the moment
Tanisha Townsend decided to move to Paris 4 years ago after regularly passing through the city en route to the world’s most famous vineyards. In fact, it was about 2 years ago at the Printemps de Champagne Bouzy Rouge tasting in Reims that I saw (who we shall now refer to as) GirlMeetsGlass chirpily speaking to her web followers on Snapchat.
Wine tasting in Galicia: The pilgrims search for Albarino
The cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, the final resting place of Saint James, rises out of the landscape, infested with antiquity. The rambling steep streets give way to shafts of dramatic light, emblazoned chapels, and tightly packed tapas bars, dusty, as old novels pressed together in antiquarian bookshops.