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Wine: City in a ferment
The wine calendar shows that all roads lead to York this month. Christine Austin reports.
Once again, York is the destination for winemakers and wine buyers as they divert from their usual travels around the world to head for the York Festival of Food and Drink.
The festival, which celebrates its 10th birthday this year, has become an essential part of the wine-tasting landscape. This year it welcomes visitors from Argentina and Australia, as well as featuring hundreds of wines, all open and ready for tasting.
If the only image you have of Argentina has come from Madonna and the movie Evita, then Jos Alberto Zuccardi will definitely revise that image. Lively, dynamic and totally focused on making quality wines, Jos Alberto promises to provide a fascinating evening when he visits the festival on Sunday, September 24. He is the owner and winemaker at Familia Zuccardi, one of Argentina's best-known wineries. With 500 hectares of vineyards in the Santa Rosa district of Mendoza, the main wine producing region in the western part of this vast country, Zuccardi steers clear of the usual big-company approach to wine production. Instead of the usual empty vineyards and vast winery run by just a handful of people, the Zuccardi vineyards are full of people. On any day in the growing season there will be groups of people tending the vines, planting new vineyards or checking that the organic vines are completely free of pests.
"People can do a much better job than machines", says Jos Alberto when I last caught up with him in London, "and in Argentina, people need the work, so it is better for everyone, including the wine, if things are done by hand." Jos Alberto will talk about Argentina and present a tasting of his wines at York Minster's Chapter House. Tickets cost 12.50 and are available on the festival booking line, 01904 466687.
In the meanwhile, if you want to taste some of Jos Alberto's wines ahead of the tasting, you could try the soft, apricot fruit of Santa Julia Viognier 2005 (4.99 Sainsbury and Somerfield). There are lively, cherry fruity flavours in Santa Julia Bonarda Sangiovese (about 4.69 at Morrisons and Waitrose) or you could splash out on the big-flavoured top-of-the range Q Tempranillo (9.99 Tesco).
Imagine a job where you have several million pounds in your back pocket and you have to travel the world to buy wine.
That's a reality for another visitor to the festival, and even better than that, he was moved out to Australia to do the job, just so he can be closer to production areas. Now looking very relaxed after several years based in Adelaide, Master of Wine Phil Reedman is Tesco's product development manager and he is responsible for building close links with wine producers in the southern hemisphere and developing wines that we all want to buy.
Phil will be at York's Art Gallery on Wednesday September 27 to present a range of Tesco wines that he has developed. Tickets cost 12.50 and are available on the usual booking line number.
All events are better with a glass of fizz in your hand, and there will be several glasses of fizz available at the Champagne tasting on Thursday September 21 in the Guildhall. This event traditionally starts the festival and I will be hosting a tasting of well-known champagnes, under the general theme of "Is it worth spending more?"
We aim to start with some good-value names and climb the ladder of quality, looking for the best flavours-for-money. Tickets cost 17.50 and always sell out fast.
Everyone knows and loves Rioja, and there's a chance to taste a huge range of them in a walk round trade-style tasting at the Guildhall on Friday September 22. Soft supple reds, fresh fruity Rosados and modern Reservas and Gran Reservas will all be on show. Tickets cost 12.50.
A regular visitor to the festival is the Port Wine Institute who this year present Pass the Port (12.50), a tasting of a wide range of ports with a selection of finger foods to accompany them. This tasting is on Monday September 25 at York's Mansion House.
Port is also on show in the Guildhall on Tuesday September 26 as restaurants from across the city provide a range of puddings to team up with port. Tickets for this event are 7.50 and all profits go the British Red Cross.
Tickets are selling so fast for the Bordeaux tasting on Friday September 29 that it has had to expand to two sessions, to cope with demand. At 6pm and again at 8.30pm in York's Guildhall, over 100 Bordeaux wines, priced between 5 and 15 will be open and ready for tasting. From dry crisp whites, through soft mellow reds and sweet dessert wines, a whole range of wines from Mdoc, Graves, St Emilion and Sauternes will be on show. As an added attraction, you don't have to look far for somewhere to eat, before or after the tasting. A two-course dinner with Bordeaux wine will be served next door in the Mansion House, home of the Lord Mayor. Two dinner slots are available, at 6pm and 8.30pm, so you can eat first and then taste or vice versa. This is a very special opportunity to dine in the Mansion House and then go next door to taste wine. The Bordeaux tasting costs 12.50, dinner at the Mansion House costs 20 and both events can be booked independently.
On Thursday September 28, Oddbins hold their regular tasting (12.50), providing a great opportunity to taste through a range of their wines, while whisky is available in depth on Saturday, September 30 from 12.30 to 5pm at the Whisky Festival in the Guildhall (12.50).
Sitting down to a good meal with wines to match is probably the best way to enjoy wine and there are some great opportunities to taste a range of wines with dinner during the festival. The Gourmet dinner on Sunday, September 24 offers Champagne from Devaux, and wines from Western Australian producer Ferngrove and Argentinian producer Pascual Toso. Kim Horton, winemaker at Ferngrove and Rolando Luppino from Toso will be at the dinner to introduce their wines.
Rounding up the wine part of the festival will be regular visitor, wine writer, broadcaster and TV personality Charles Metcalfe. He will host a lunch and talk about Portuguese wines at Meltons Restaurant on Saturday September 30 (30, ring Meltons on 01904 634341). In the evening he will be in action again in the Guildhall presenting a selection of Spanish wines with tapas (25, 01904 466687).
All festival events can be found on the website www.yorkfestivaloffoodanddrink.com or you can ring the festival booking line on 01904 466687.
On the Grapevine...
Christine Austin keeps you up to date with the world of wine. e-mail: christine@christineaustin.co.uk
Best buys
Sainsbury has a huge range of wines on special offer until Monday, with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne down from 19.99 to 14.99. There's also the terrific Zonte's Footstep Shiraz Viognier down 2 to 5.99 and the deep-flavoured Taste the Difference Coonawarra Cabernet down from 6.99 to 5.24. Starting on Monday there will be a new range of offers including St Hallett Faith Shiraz down 2 to 5.99 and Taste the Difference Marlborough Sauvignon down to 4.86 from 6.49.
Wine tour
If you want to go tasting then tour operator Susan Worner has a trip leaving on Sunday October 8 to Provence, Rh'ne, Burgundy and Champagne. You fly out and return by coach, so you can bring home some of the many wines you will taste. The week-long trip costs 1,150 for all transport, hotels and some meals, single supplement is 180. Contact 01904 651651 or www.susanwornertours.com
Tastings and dinners
The autumn season of wine tastings has started. Fernando Almeda, from Miguel Torres in Chile, will be hosting a tasting at Beverley High School on September 13. Tickets are 10 and are available from Roberts and Speight on 01482 870717. I will be hosting a tasting and dinner at The Star at Scampston, near Malton, on September 14. Tickets are 50, telephone 01944 759111. South Africa is the theme of a dinner hosted by Harrogate Fine Wines on October 11 at the Courtyard Restaurant, where Lee Anne Bosman, from the Morgenhof Estate, will be showing a range of her wines. Tickets are 45. Details: 01423 522270.
Port competition
In advance of their appearance at the Port tasting at the York Festival of Food and Drink, Noval, who make top quality port, have six pairs of bottles to be won. They are offering a bottle of the lovely Noval Late Bottled Vintage and a bottle of 10 Year Old Tawny Port to six readers who answer the question below. Noval's most prestigious wine is Naional, made from a tiny vineyard at Quinta do Noval. How big is the Naional vineyard, measured in hectares?
Answers on a postcard only please, with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Noval Port Competition, Michael Hickling, Yorkshire Post Magazine, PO Box 168, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1RF.
A dozen from Down Under
Save more than 13 on our September offer –
a mixed 12 bottle case of Australian wines chosen by Christine Austin.
With warm, sunshine fruit and easy drinking flavours, Australia continues to provide excellent wines for all occasions. This month I have chosen a mixed case from some of Australia's top producers, bringing together a wide range of styles, from crisp, zesty whites to round, robust reds.
This selection comes from Australian specialist Nidderdale Fine Wines, based in Pateley Bridge and would normally cost 68.88, plus 5 delivery but we have negotiated a special price of just 60 delivered to your door. That is a saving of over 13 on this 12-bottle case.
The case contains
The Whites:
n Two bottles of Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Chardonnay 2005: Soft peachy fruit uncluttered by oak.
n Two bottles of Yalumba Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2006: Fresh, lively, new season Sauvignon.
n One bottle of Head over Heels Pinot Grigio 2005: Light melon and honeyed fruit.
n One bottle of Opal Ridge Gewurztraminer Verdelho 2005: Packed with floral and citrus fruit, perfect with Thai dishes.
The Reds:
n Two bottles of Peter Lehmann Weighbridge Cabernet/Merlot 2003: Smooth and full of red fruit flavours.
n Two bottles of Yalumba Oxford Landing Shiraz 2005: Layers of raspberry and cherry fruit with soft tannins.
n One bottle of GB51 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2004: Big-flavoured spicy fruit.
n One bottle of Tiddy Widdy Well Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2004: Upfront fruit and a concentrated palate.
...Published September 9, 2006
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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