Nigel Rumsey from Rumsey’s Chocolates and The Wine Tipster joined Kat Orman on BBC Radio Oxford for Foodie Friday. Nigel produces delicious handmade chocolates and we had some fantastic matches on Friday including orange seville with Vilarnau Rosé Cava NV, a stunning combination of raspberry cream chocolate with the Edmeades Perli Late Harvest Zinfandel 2006 and the Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port 2008 tasted great with Gruyère cheese dipped in an organic chocolate log!

Details of the the wines, port and chocolates below.

Muscat Beaumes de Venise 2010 Vidal-Fleury, Rhone, France. Stockist: Bablake Wines £13.99.Chocolates: Organic Dark Chocolate Log and Salted Caramel.

Vilarnau Cava Brut Rosé NV, Sant’ Sadurni d’ Anoia, Spain. Stockist: The Oxford Wine Company £10.99 or £10.44 when buying a mixed case of 12 bottles.Chocolates: Orange Seville and Praline Cocoa.

Edmeades Perli Late Harvest Zinfandel 2006, Mendocino, USA. Stockist: www.hailshamcellars.com £10.79 for a half bottle. Chocolates: Raspberry Cream and Cafe

Supreme.

Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port 2008, Douro, Portugal. Stockist: Waitrose £15.99. Chocolates: Chilli Amaretto, Praline Cocoa and Gruyère cheese dipped in an organic chocolate log!

New Year’s Day at Cheltenham Racecourse was very wet and windy, with the racecourse team doing a great job in keeping racing going for the afternoon. Although racegoers were rewarded with some impressive performances by Annie Power, Oscar Whisky and Mendip Express it was certainly a day for staying inside and enjoying some liquid refreshment in the various racecourse bars.

The Golden Miller Champagne Bar was certainly a popular spot with many punters raising a glass of Piper Heidsieck Brut NV or those who had hit the jackpot were enjoying some delicious Dom Pérignon 2002.  In the Final Flight bar Adam Henson’s  Rare Breed Bitter, brewed by Butcombe Brewery, was doing a roaring trade.

On Cheltenham Racecourse Radio when interviewed in the wind and rain by presenter Rupert Bell before racing I tipped Oscar Whisky, who won, whilst my other tip Burton Port, was clearly off colour.  Rupert had set me the task of finding a warming drink at the course and Tullamore Dew’s hot toddy was certainly enticing, however the Fireside bar delivered the goods with their not over spiced mulled wine. Hopefully when I’m back on Cheltenham Racecourse Radio on January 25th we can talk about good ground and dry conditions.

In terms of liquid refreshment, the festive period equalled quality imbibing in 2013 with the stunning Champagne Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV, whilst my last bottle of Perrier- Jouët Millésime 1998 fizz was an exquisite, beautiful and complex champagne to savour on Christmas Day.  Château D’Anglès Classique Rosé 2012,  La Clape, Sud de France made from Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache was a top class, cerebral pink for Christmas Eve.  Dalmau Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2005 made from fruit from their sixty year-old vines in their single vineyard plot Canajas was a brilliant example of what Rioja achieves at Group 1 level and tasted great with the duck. Folks never think enough about fortified wines at Christmas and Gonzalez Byass’ Matusalem Oloroso Dulce Muy Viejo VORS Sherry was outstanding with the stilton and mince pies over the festive period.

Boxing Day came with grade one racing from Kempton Park and it was great to see our local trainer Charlie Longsdon win at this high profile meeting with Loose Chips. The elegant Meerlust Pinor Noir 2011 from Stellenbosch in South Africa was perfect the with ham from Slatters’ Butchers in Chadlington and for armchair viewing too!

New Year Eve’s drew in with Louis Roederer’s Brut Premier NV and like my tips will be for 2014 this champagne was right on the money!

 

Big thanks to Adam Engberg and James Keelly, who whilst having a couple of pints of ale responsibly in their local The Tite Inn, created the concept of The Great Brook Run. Today, was the sixth edition of The Great Brook Run, with a record breaking 148 runners deciding to burn off some of those calories piled on over the Christmas period. Although The Great Brook Run isn’t a marathon, it is a challenging one mile race starting at The Tite Inn in Chadlington, with the first half mile run across very muddy fields before entering the mighty brook to encounter rushing water, obstacles and a tunnel which requires you to get on your hands and knees. Once out of the tunnel you muster the energy to sprint up the hill to the finish and collect your medal for completing. There is really nothing quite like it as you stand around afterwards dripping wet and getting colder by the minute. There was also nothing like the speed of the winner Ben Chapman, who won the race for the fifth time and the first lady finisher Amy Turner who was ninth.

On a serious note, all profits are being donated to the Chadlington Memorial Hall, with a big thank you to all organisers, runners, helpers, supporters and the sponsors House & Carriage, Cotswold Cycles, Slatter’s Family Butchers, Chadlington Quality Foods, The Cotswold Brewery Co, The Tite Inn, Fete Game Hire, RunningImp and of course The Wine Tipster!

Thanks also to BBC Radio Oxford for their support and interest.

See you all in 2014.

Each year we leave our drinks shopping later and later so here are my Ten to Follow win bets for Christmas and the New Year.

Champagne Fever is top of many tipsters lists for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham in March and this horse’s name sums up the Yuletide period for fizz sales so here is my combination exacta with the Tote (first three in any order) for bubbles: Pommery Brut Royal NV £29.99, down from £38.99, Sainsbury’s  is dry, delicious and creamy, whilst the award winning Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV has made its mark as a consistently high quality performer, Majestic £42.00 buy two bottles save 1/3 to £27.98.  If you are looking for a well-bred, Group 1 quality champagne  from a great vintage year then Dom Pérignon 2004 Gift Box, £120.00- £135.00 Majestic, Selfridges has class and elegance in abundance with a memorable finish.

There have been some famous New Zealand racehorses including Playschool, ridden by Paul Nicholls,  then jockey and now seven times champion jumps trainer, who won the Hennessy and Welsh Grand National in 1987. It was around that time that many people were discovering that a chilled  New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was the wine for them and the fan club has only carried on increasing over the years so if you are a member or haven’t yet  signed up the try this delicious, zingy, fresh, peppery, spicy, Peter Yealands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 £10.85, Co-op with your smoked salmon  – some NZ Sauvignon Blanc is just too full on for this kind of matching – but this is spot on.  You may also want to snap up the  ante-post 11/4 on the Nicholls’ trained Big Buck’s for the World Hurdle at The Cheltenham Festival.

From the list of runners with drink related names at The 2013 Cheltenham Festival I tried to include Vino Griego (successfully backed at 25-1 to win at their January meeting)  in my group for this year’s Cheltenham Festival Racecourse Radio piece, however I was given a yellow card for this one as Vino Griego didn’t quite match up to Champagne Fever, John’s Spirit and The Liquidator! (hugely impressive on his last run). Despite my reprimand, I’m a big fan of Vino Griego and I’ll be backing him for his next run, which will hopefully be the Argento Chase. In vino terms, Oldenburg Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2012,  Stellenbosch, South Africa, £16.99 – £17.95, Berry Brothers & Rudd, www.sawinesonline.co.uk is a classy, premium, subtlety-oaked and complex white which is ideal with fish dishes in a creamy sauce. Alternatively if you are having the full roast turkey with all the trimmings then mark your card with Château Cissac 2009 Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux, France, £17.95. Stockists: Tanners www.tanners-wines.co.uk, The Sampler. 2009 is one of the great well-bred Bordeaux vintages with winners at all grades and this intensely fruity, well structured red will most definitely bring some Christmas cheer.

As a punter I’m always on the look out for a bit of value and with Yuletide it is no different with Torres Vina Sol 2012, Catalunya, Spain, £6.69, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, down to £5 in Asda and Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2011,  Viña  Concha y Toro, Valle Central, Chile £7.99-£5.99, Sainsbury’s, a couple of runners I would definitely back. These are perfect wines to enjoy whilst taking in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on 28th December.

We invariably don’t spend enough time on the cheese course or the wines to match, however make it different this year. Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2007, Alsace, France, £33.00, The Wine Society, vintagemarque.com is a brilliant, top class, off dry wine with complex flavours of citrus, honey and pear, with a truly memorable finish. This is a great match with blue cheese and worth every penny of your pre-Christmas winnings. Alternatively, your tipple might be port, so check out Sandeman’s Late-Bottled Vintage Port 2008, £15.99, Waitrose, which is definitely well-handicapped.

Cheers!

The Wine Tipster has selected four champagnes for Christmas and New Year which are definitely in racing terms “well handicapped at the weights” in terms of quality. First up is Canard-Duchêne Authentic Reserve NV, £26.99, Waitrose, down to £19.99 until 2nd January. Canard-Duchêne are making some lovely, fresh well balanced, easy drinking champagnes and I like the rounded, fresh character and soft, creamy, dry finish, which makes this fizz  just perfect for Christmas morning or as an aperitif  at your New Year party.

Charles Heidsieck is always one of the champagne houses I look out for at any tasting and Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV, £45.00, Fortnum & Mason, is the bubbly to share once all the relatives have left! Their Brut Reserve NV is beautifully balanced, elegant with buttery, ripe vanilla, and a floral and nutty character.

Lanson Brut Rosé NV, £37.99, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose produced by an underrated, ultra consistent champagne house, this is a delicate, dry, crisp rosé with refined raspberry fruit,  ideal with salmon or a light, spicy dish.

There is so much more interest in vintage champagnes that there was a couple of years ago and Laurent-Perrier Millésime 2004, £50.00 down to £35.00, Majestic, is well-priced and floral with light brioche, lemony fruit and tangy flavours.  A champagne that will continue to develop and should be served at a couple of degrees above fridge temperature as an aperitif or with oysters.

As a tip look out for some of the lovely expressive champagnes from the 2006 vintage from Jacquart, Canard-Duchêne and G.H. Mumm.

Cheers!

 

The Wine Tipster presented a Champagne Masterclass at the Aston Wine Club for the first time last night and we all had a marvellous evening.

Our Champagne journey included Bruno Paillard’s high class Premiere Cuvée NV, £49.99, Selfridges; Pommery’s Brut Royal NV, which was delicious and creamy £39.95, Harrods, www.vrankenpommery.co.uk and the delicate, Canard-Duchéne Cuvée Léonie Rosé NV, £32.00, The Wine Library, Richard Granger Fine Wines.

In terms of vintage, Autréau’s impressive, well-priced, full flavoured Autréau Cuvée Prestige Les Perles de la Dhuy Grand Cru Millésime 2005, £35.99, www.simplywinesdirect.com is why you need to have vintage champagne on your Christmas list.

Of course you should have a prestige cuvée available too and Perrier-Jouët’s Belle Epoque 2004, £120.00-£130.00, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, is a stunning champagne from a beautiful vintage.

Very pleased to see members of the Thame Players Theatre last night and looking forward to our gig on March 21st 2014.

Big thanks to Aston Wine Club and look forward to seeing you on 21st November 2014!

 

 

 

Great session on BBC Radio Oxford today with Phil Mercer on the Garden Cafe show. Here are the four wines for Autumn that we featured:

Finca Flichman Reserva Malbec 2012, Mendoza, Argentina. Stockist: Waitrose £9.99.

Beronia Rioja Reserva 2008, Rioja, Spain. Stockists: Waitrose £12.99, Ocado £9.74 until 3rd December.

Edmeades Zinfandel Mendocino County 2010, California, USA. Stockist: Hedonism £18.10.

Quinta do Vallado 2010, Douro, Portugal. Stockist: winedirect.co.uk £23.

Really impressive selection. You can listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01kfj57

 

Bodega Maraňones Picarana 2011, Vinos de Madrid, Spain, £15.20, listed by Wine Bear in Chipping Norton, is one of the top whites The Wine Tipster has tasted so far in 2013 and it is no surprise that this classy wine comes from Spain.

Made from 100% Albillo, the 30 – 70 year old vines are located in the hills of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, where you will also find the Picarana bird at the highest points.

Picarana is a  serious, weighty, complex white, with tropical, citrus, creamy, vanilla flavours, styled by beautiful elegance, a stunning lengthy finish with further development to come.

Although intense, it is not fat, so Picarana can be enjoyed on its own or would easily match with veal in a creamy sauce.

Spain is known for its traditional white Riojas and Albarinos, however look for the grape variety Godello, found in northwestern Spain, which is now being used to produce some perfumed, citrus, complex whites that will develop including Louro do Bolo 2011, Valdeorras, Bodega Rafael Palacios, £20.00, BBR and Valdesil Sobre Lias Godello 2011, Valdeorras, £15.99, Waitrose.  

 

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