Scrobs is right - avoid a warm wine cup like the plague, unless you happen to be at Cliveden; a teetotal Lady Astor instructed her butler to arrange for a wine cup to be warmed up using a first growth, for the estate drinks at Christmas.
The butler refused and felt it his duty to offer his resignation immediately. "Of course you can't resign, Hargreaves", exclaimed Lady A, having recanted her suggestion, "if you go, I go".
12 comments:
Great tale Idle!
I'm on leave this week, and yesterday I confirmed a personal wine theory all on my own...
"I HATE ROSE"!
We popped into a local pub for lunch, and feeling a bit silly, I suggested that for a change, a bottle of sparking rose would bring a new slant to the proceedings...
Mrs S didn't think it was a bad idea, as she knows I always slate the stuff, but of late we've been surprised on some wine which we've always said 'Naaaah' to.
It was awful, unbalanced, faint texture of liquid parrafin, Brobat overtones, OXO undertones, colour and flavour of a Walls Ice Lolly, smelling of silage...the works
It wasn't off or bad so we were stuck with it, and I still feel that bloated combination of a pain in the wallet and also the interstices!
My apologies if you happen to like the stuff, I don't want to put you off...
scrobs, there's a truly excellent rose' from Northwest Tuscany - the producer/coop is "Lunae" and its called "La Principessa" or summat like that. I commend it to you.
idle, I used to infest a fine drinking hole in EC3 called the Reynier Wine Library (now simply "The Wine Library"; mine host there was (and is) Peter, an excellent fellow. Many a time I would have a swarm of eager clients there, we'd have done a major New World tour, and at c. 4pm I felt a last dip into the cellar was required as a sort of grand finale -
Tuscan Tony: "PETAAARRRRR - Haut Brion, son, and I need it RIGHT NOW!!!"
Peter: "No problem Tony, fine, but give me 45 minutes to prepare the bottle, decant it and let it breathe awhile"
Tuscan Tony: "Never mind all that, old cock, just bring the frikkin' bottle to the table sharpish, I've a 5 O'clock broker meeting"
Peter arrives at the table with tail between legs, muttering, but also with the vital fluid to hand.
Ahhhh. The wonders of expensed luncheons
The founderMark Reynier is an acquanitance of mine, Tuscan. Rented an estate cottage from a mate over towards Haywards Heath.
He bought the Islay ditillery Bruichladdich with some partners a few years ago, has returned it to its former glory and making good returns, I gather.
Mark's only drawback that I remember was that he was a Burgundy bore and thought little of claret. (I know, that makes me sound like a wine bore myself. Oh well).
Berry Bros do a fabulous own-label sparkling pink Saumur, scrobs. Quite cheap if bought in bulk for parties. The females at my tenth wedding anniversary bash many years ago swallowed it with abandon.
Thanks for that Idle, and Tuscs (Marquis Tuscs now as there is a God)!
Love the story of The Wine Library too - I see they have a Cloudy Bay 2005, which is mine and Mrs S's all time favourite. 4.00 pm sounds about right to me...
Actually, now I feel recovered enough to read the post, without the small earthquake reeling in the groins, I will accept your kind advice and give it a go. (blimey, I sound like Owen in Vicar of Dibley...)!
My real problem is that my business partner, who really is an expert, likes rose, and keeps getting it behind my back...er...rephrase that...he often buys it on a hot day when we are under the spreading oaktrees at The Kings Head, Sevenoaks with the team, or similar, with plans all over the place and crumbs in the calculator...
And he knows his beer too, his latest find is Workie Ticket from Tyneside. It turned up in one our locals recently as a guest beer. Marvellous!
The rule of thumb on rose, scrobs, is avoid anything american. They don't know how to do it and make it strawberry flavoured and get sidetracked by marketing gimmicks like calling it "blush". Wankers.
I think rose does well out of hot terroir, so I tend to stick with southern France, Spain, and the odd rosato from Italy (Avery's Il Fagiano Rosato = excellent bang for bucks).
Right Idle,
I'll give it a go...
Oh hell...
"Avery's Il Fagiano Rosato "
I'm on the case (as they say).
Whilst in Bocca di Magra area the other day I shipped in a couple of cases of the "Lunae" offering (see TT blog for link if interested), it is a v pleasant drop, will try and bring some over.
Excellent idea, Tuscan.
I've no rosato left in the shed, but plenty of Il Fagiano rosso, which I first bought on spec four years ago from Averys when they started the label, simply because I liked the look of it for shooting lunches. Imagine my pleasure when it also tasted quite good. Never looked back since. A bottle a day through the winter, except when classed growth or burgundy is required, and never been near a medic.
I thought the Sevenoaks economy was founded on Rose...Mateus.
Post a Comment