Most of the time when it comes to food and wine matching we think of the dish first and then seek out a suitable wine match. Last week at the G.H.Mumm Scientific Food Pairing Masterclass, which was part of The Harpers Champagne Summit held at the well organised Soho Hotel, there was a different approach. Danny Hodrien, food flavourist for F&F Projects, assessed all of the champagnes from the Mumm range using gas chromatography to identify at a molecular level each of the key flavour compounds for each wine. Iain Graham, Executive Chef of Urban Caprice, then provided food matches for all the champagnes based on the scientific results.
The response from the audience at this masterclass was terrific as I described each Mumm champagne we tasted, with Danny then getting everyone to smell one of the key molecular flavour components of the particular champagne we had just sampled. Iain Graham then delivered the trump card with the food match.
This really illustrated how Mumm’s champagne range can be matched to a diverse selection of dishes for example, Mumm 2002 with roasted pork belly, served with macerated blue cheese and spiced bread crisp. Whilst Mumm Rose NV was enjoyed with yellow fin tuna sashimi, served with green mango and papaya salad. Delicious and original.

I have recently started listening to Deaf School again and particularly their song ‘What a week’ which includes the lyric, “77 and the summer’s gone, it’s all cooled down and the heat’s still on”. Deaf School were one of my favourite bands, who were sadly overshadowed by the rise and fall of punk in 76 and 77. Coincidentally Enrico and Bette(who is married to Suggs from Madness), two of the original members of Deaf School, have just released the first Deaf School album since 1978 on Probe Records.
This has been some week from a dining and vino experience. On Tuesday, dinner at the two star Michelin Helene Darroze at The Connaught, was beautifully presented and balanced. The crowd in The Connaught, a mixture of business and private types are made to feel relaxed by Head Sommelier, Huges Lepin.
The following day was the launch of G.H. Mumm’s prestige Cuvee R. Lalou 99 (as many people know I am the Champagne Ambassador for G.H.Mumm) at The Ritz. R Lalou 1999 is a fine piece of winemaking by Didier Mariotti, Chef de Cave for G.H.Mumm, that is really impressive now and which will keep. Andrew Neather, Evening Standard and Lucy Shaw, Drinks Business Fine Wine Review, have already written positive comments since the launch regarding this cuvee.
The basis of this launch was to serve Cuvee R Lalou 1999 at a range of different temperatures from 6 – 16 degrees in different shaped glasses, matched to a range of dishes created by John Williams, Executive Chef

at The Ritz. All of us could note the different flavours and complexities of R Lalou’s 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir blend as the serving temperature and glassware changed. The dishes created by John Williams were sublime and for many of us this was one of the most outstanding selection of courses that we had tasted for sometime. Hard to credit stand outs as the food matches were original and worked perfectly, however I particularly enjoyed the Salad of King Oyster Mushroom, Pecorino and Perigord Truffle and the superb Confit of Brixham Turbot, Oxtail with Hazelnut Butter.
On Thursday, I had the pleasure of presenting at Vogue House with Mantis, who have some fantastic locations for holidays. A great crowd and wonderful to meet some lovely people from Tatler, House & Garden, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Johansens and Vogue.
My week ended with a planning meeting regarding Taste of London and this is going to be their most exciting show yet at Regents Park in June.
I was due to be at Newbury Racecourse yesterday for their top jump meeting of the year and as we know two horses sadly collapsed and died in the paddock before the first race. Electrocution seems the likely cause and Newbury had no choice but to abandon the remainder of the card. A very grim situation. What a week this has been.

We may all be rightly raving about the delicious Burgundy whites and reds from 2009 (more about these soon), however do not let this great vintage overshadow some good wines from 2008. There are 2008 whites that have the required ripeness of fruit character, are backed by high acidity and will really age, whilst for the reds you need to choose carefully finding smooth, rounded and balanced wines – there are some astringent reds.
At the recent B.I.V.B (the official Burgundy Wines website) tasting I tried Santenay Clos de Malte 2008, Louis Jadot, rounded, soft buttery style white, good weight of fruit, lovely length and acidity.Santenay Clos de Malte 2008, Louis Jadot, dark cherries, raspberry fruit flavours, assertive minerally character, good style and balance.Both are available with pricing from Hatch Mansfield, who are the sole importers for Louis Jadot in the UK. Tel: 01344-871800 or sales@hatch.co.uk
The Hallgarten Druitt and Novum Wines Tasting at The Dorchester this week included St Veran 2008, Domaine Botti, £12.55 which is an excellent aperitif white, delicious, soft, rounded and drinking now.Stockists: Kevin O’ Rourke Wines, Strictly Wines, Great Wines Direct,Chablis 1er Cru Vaucopins 2008, Patrick Puize, £27.99, with 60% of this white wine aged in oak, complex, lime/lemon notes, subtle oak, good mineral character and stunning length. Decant this Chablis. Stockists: Everywine.co.uk, Kevin O’ Rourke Wines

My parents joined The Stroud Wine Society just before punk rock started and remained members beyond the Oasis and Blur band rivalry. I have always been grateful for their vino interest because I found myself, soon after I had graduated from a world of urban deprivation and The Human League, filling a guest spot and attending a tutored tasting by Mark Savage MW on Chardonnays from around the world. This was enough to turn me away from the influence of my old university city Sheffield and contact The Wine and Spirit Education Trust in London.
In 2010, I returned to present to The Stroud Wine Society and I will be back there again later this year. The Stroud Wine Society has always had a waiting list and yet I hear of some wine groups who are struggling to get new members. Perhaps they should pick up some tips from The Bournemouth Wine Society, where Stan Pretty, Chairman, and his wife Jennifer have worked hard in creating an interesting programme of events which has seen the membership rise to 185 with a waiting list.
It is pleasure to present to such a fun and lively group where there are invariably 120 members attending each well organised tasting. Stan is always keen to have a diverse range of wines and prices across all events and this was demonstrated last night with our Wines of South Africa tasting focussing mainly on Stellenbosch. The star wines on show were:
First Cape Limited Release Pinot Grigio 2010 Western Cape £7.49. Stockist: Waitrose.
The subtle, ripe fruity finish gives away the New World label with this nicely integrated dry, crisp and appealing white.
Ken Forrester The FMC Chenin Blanc 2009 Stellenbosch £17.99. Stockist: Waitrose.
Low yielding Chenin Blanc, fermented and aged on the lees in oak. Outstanding, complex, dry, intense, buttery, beautifully balanced and ideal with fish or white meats.
Zalze Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier 2009 Western Cape £6.99. Stockist: Waitrose.
Popular, well priced medium bodied easy drinking red with spicy, herbaceous, earthy, raspberry tones and subtle oak.
Rustenberg John X Merriman 2008 Stellenbosch £11.99. Stockist: Waitrose.
This Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot is a structured, class act with smoky,cigar box notes, blackberry and damson flavours. Great value, drinkable now, however will loosen up over five years.
We also covered South African wine tourism, good restaurants and thanks to a great heckle two key ante post bets for The Cheltenham Festival in March! All this will be of interest on a wider scale.
Click on this link for Stellenbosch Wine Routes Maps ,the Wines of South Africa site for general information, plan your trip and book in advance for these restaurants in the Stellenbosch region: Terroir, Tokara, 96 Winery Road. Visit regions like Franschchoek and Constantia as well. A Pinotage wasn’t featured at the tasting, however I did recommend Diemersfontein from Wellington which can be ordered online.
Finally my ante post bets for The Cheltenham Festival are:
17th March, 3.20 Grands Cru win bet 3/1, Ladbrokes.
18th March 3.20 Weird Al each way 50/1, William Hill.
See you during the next season Bournemouth Wine Society.

New Zealand is generally keeping its reputation for premium wines intact. The 2010 vintage was a good one for Sauvignon Blanc and at the recent Wines of New Zealand 2011 tasting the St Clair Premium Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, £11.99 proved the point: Classy, elegant, lemony, flinty and mineral character. Stockists: Mill Hill Wines Tel: 0208-959-6754, Highbury Vinters Tel: 0207-226-1347, New Zealand House of Wine Tel: 01428-648930.
Keeping with same producer, St Clair’s Premium Riesling 2010, Marlborough, £11.99 is a delicious, dry and refreshing aperitif 12% abv white with exotic fruit notes. Stockists: Cheers Wine Shop Tel: 0207-706-4684, Wine and the Vine, Radlett, Tel: 07973-753928, C + N Wines, York, Tel: 017549-303606.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is branching out, now being produced as a dry and fruity Marlborough sparkler by Brancott Estate, £12.99 and as a pink too. Southbank Estate Sauvignon Blanc Rose 2010, Marlborough, £8.99 is blended with a small amount of Syrah for colour and fruit character, a dry, classy, structured, drinkable pink, packed with appealing fruit flavours. Stockist: Waitrose. The Nelson region on South Island is growing in wine popularity and Spinyback’s Pinot Noir 2009, Nelson, £10.99 is soft, accessible, with red fruits and smoky notes. Stockists: Underwoods Wine, Warwick Tel: 01926-402100, Field & Fawcett, York Tel: 01904 – 489073, Wine

World of Honiton Tel: 01404-43767.
On a Northern Hemisphere note, I have been in France this week and I always on any visit check out the new Euro albums. Bernard Lavillers is one of my favourite French singers and his new album is Samedi soir a Beyrouth and also pick up the new live CD Putan de Stade by the very popular Indochine.

Calm of Zero will release their acoustic sessions part one shortly.
Riesling
Why ignore? Serve to dinner party guests you like. A varietal that is super impressive as an aperitif, spicy food match or dessert wine from a number of countries and producers. Check out Protege Tim Adams (Oz),Dr Loosen (Germany), Darting Estate Durkheimer Michelsberg (Germany), Chateau Ste Michelle Dry Riesling Washington State (USA)and St Clair (NZ).
Wild Flag
From Portland, Wild Flag include two ex members of Sleater-Kinney. Look out for their first album in early 2011.
South Africa
South Africa had qualified in wine terms well before The World Cup.They continue to play well, whether it is white or red between £8 and £15; and without resorting to the long ball tactic. There are so many grape varietals hitting the net in this country, backed by numerous winemakers who are delivering top quality balanced wines. Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, Diermersfontein Pinotage, Ken Forrester Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache Shiraz, Rustenberg Chardonnay and John x Merriman , La Motte Shiraz.
Coffee Shops
Stop meeting people in Starbucks and check out Freddo, Flat White, LJ Coffee House and many others. The Independent’s 50 best coffee shops will help your research.
Willi Optiz
Willi Klinger, from The Austrian Wine Marketing Board has done a great job of promoting and publicising the wines from this country. Taste wines made from Gruner Veltiner and try the a rated and award winning wines from the supreme winemaker Willi Optiz.
Finally, watch out for wines from India and Turkey this year.

Kauto Star
The brilliant Kauto Star will make history just after 3pm next Saturday and win his fifth King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. No other horse will come close to achieving this in the decades ahead. We are in a rich period for jump racing.
Wine Tourism in England and Wales
There are over 400 vineyards in England and Wales and there are some excellent producers to visit. Please start supporting the buoyant English Wine Industry . To get going, buy a copy of the Wine Tourism UK Guide and also check out the English Wine Producers site for events during English Wine Week 28th May – 5th June. The Wine Tipster will be presenting English Wine Seminars on 28th May – 30th May at Art, Design & Taste of Summer .
Whites from Portugal in 2011.
Portugal is rightly renowned for their Portuguese reds, however at the recent Wines of Portugal International Conference (WOPIC), which featured wines from over 100 different producers, the whites created great interest and positive comments. Look out for: Quinta do Ameal, Esporao, Arinto from Quinta de Chocapalha,Alvaro Castro’s Quinta de Saes.
2009 Red Burgundy
The wines from the exceptional 2009 vintage are released this month and I can’t wait to taste these.With the excitement around red Burgundy please do not ignore the excellent 2009 Beaujolais’ that are currently available. They are wonderful and make you realise what good Gamay can really taste like. Look out for producers like Fessy, Lafont, Duboeuf and Tete. If you haven’t been to Burgundy, then go. The BIVB site – The official Burgundy Wines website – has plenty of info.
British Sea Power, Calm of Zero and Sophia
Tomorrow British Sea Power’s Valhalia Dancehall is released and I will be seeing one of the most original bands in the UK in February. The Calm of Zero acoustic gig at The Slaughtered Lamb was one the highlights of 2010 for me and they

will soon be releasing their mini album download. Will my favourite band Sophia play a gig in London this year? Robin Proper-Shepherd is the main man and Robin “There Are No Goodbyes”.

Some years ago I did a 100 mile circular ride from Norwich. I haven’t been back since, which was nothing to do with the ride or the scenery. Louise, who studied at UEA, booked us in to The Beechwood Hotel, North Walsham, 15 miles north of Norwich. Don Birch and Lindsay Spalding bought the hotel in 1993 and have a loyal following as most of the other guests we discovered had stayed there before. The property in a past life was visited on a regular basis by Agatha Christie and the layout of this 17 room hotel, lounge and restaurant would make a perfect Poirot setting. Steven Norgate, the chef since 1995, delivered some excellent dishes from a daily changing menu including a delicate Lowestoft sea bass on saffron and prawn risotto, with wilted greens, tomato fondue and basil reduction and some full flavoured Haddock fishcakes which made you realise what a poor job some gastro pubs are doing. The star of the New Years Eve menu was Phillip Roofe’s local fillet of beef (all products are locally sourced), with the disappointment a poorly executed trio of desserts.
The wine list is diverse with Don and Lindsay including a dozen wines from Austria’s award winning producer Willi Opitz. Over the three nights we enjoyed: a superbly balanced and dry white Pinot Blanc Spatlese Trocken 2008, Austria, Willi Opitz; a well structured and accessible Cotes du Rhone Syrah Vielle Vignes 2007, France, Domaine du Jas ; a really traditional intense, oaky Rioja Tinto from Marques de Murrieta Ygay Reserva 2004,Spain, which is still youthful.
A couple of quibbles are the guys need to be make more of the midnight celebration as this passed with a whimper and they should offer guests a complimentary glass of champagne for the passing of the old into the new.
Overall, if you want to stay at a hotel where you can socialise with people or not, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, the attention to detail in terms of design throughout the hotel, quality food and wines, a

nice crowd on New Years Eve and a good base for exploring Norfolk then book up. A three night stay with dinner on each night including a New Years Eve black dinner was £600 (excluding drinks).
Cley next the Sea is 15 miles away and is a good starting point for a coastal and marshes walk. Also, whist in Cley, nip into the well known Picnic Fayre Deli and don’t forget to buy some Yetman’s Beer abv 4.2% from the nearby Holt Brewery. On New Years Day we had a planned stop off at Fakenham Races for their jumping fixture, which had a great close to the action local feel. At the track I tasted my best Pork Pie of 2011 made by Bray’s Cottage!

Before Christmas when I went to collect (travelling by rail as our car was stuck) my snowbound mother I was greeted with a glass of Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva 2008, Chile, on offer until 5th January at £5 in Londis. Concha y Toro make good wines across the board and this red reminded me of what a great job they do. This medium bodied wine has lovely dark fruit and coffee flavours with a warm and soft, rounded finish.
Sticking to the brand theme, I was a huge admirer of the now retired Philip Laffer at Jacob’s Creek – Bernard Hickin the very accomplished, unassuming and influential successor, who has been with the South Australian producer for over three decades, has taken over from the inimitable Laffer. The other day, as part of a market research project by the DoILikeIt Wine Research Company, I was given a range of sparkling wines to taste blind and judge based on: not purchasing, sharing with friends, having at a dinner party and stating the price you would pay. My top rated sparkler was Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Chardonnay/Pinot Noir NV, Australia, which I judged at a price higher than the £9.49 price tag. This dry, creamy, serious Chardonnay/Pinot Noir sparkler has always punched above most other new world sparklers. Stockists: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Londis.
The HQ of the Torres wine business is in Penedes in Spain and Miguel Torres, the craftsman behind the wines, rightly achieved The IWC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. Miguel Torres has overseen a wine business that makes excellent entry wines such as Vina Esmeralda and Coronas, with serious, whites and reds for the longevity stakes such as Fransola and Mas la Plana. Time and time again I return to Vina Sol 2009, Spain, £6.49, for my dry, easy drinking, refreshing, full of citrus flavour, European white. Stockists: Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and other major retailers.
These are all good party wines for seeing in 2010.
Looking ahead I will be at Kempton on January 15th 2011 for the rescheduled King George at Kempton Park. The brilliant champion Kauto Star will win for a record fifth time.

It is not often that during a busy morning in the middle of December you are in Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons’ kitchen matching some beautiful desserts with champagnes from G.H. Mumm. Last week I was doing just that and thanks to Benoit Blin, Executive Pastry Chef, Arnaud Goubet, Sommelier and Richard Phillips, The Academy of Culinary Arts Pastry Chef winner for 2010. Richard had created his award winning dish of a modern interpretation on Black Forest Gateaux which was beautifully balanced and light. We also had some delicious passion fruit and banana macaroons made by Richard. After our pairing session (I will write up the matches in due course) Benoit gave me a tour of the rest of the kitchen and aside from desserts, Benoit and his team also produce 12 different breads each day. This was a brilliant production that should have been captured on film. By the way, if you are looking for a late Christmas present for 2011 then a day at Raymond Blanc’s Cookery School would make a great gift.