I was away working in London all last week and after two rain-sodden weeks of school holidays, it felt like something of a mini-break. Admittedly quite a weird one; I spent much of it spitting out wine. Not because they were horrible but because I was judging at a wine competition. One night I sat at a table at one of my favourite restaurants in Soho (from the old days, before kids ofc) with a plate of spicy crab cakes and a side order of chips whilst reading my book/watching the world go by on my own. Heavenly. Anyway, the competition results are out next month (I’ll report back on the best ones) but in the meantime, here’s what I learnt:
- I plan to drink a lot of Italian Vermentino this summer
- Same goes for Godello from Spain
- There’s some very good non-vintage Champagne about at the moment
- Canadian Ice wine gives you a better sugar rush than chocolate
- I like the Saperavi grape from Georgia more than I thought I did
- English Sparkling Wine is a great way to start the day (even if you do have to spit it out)
As for an end of day palate cleanser, G&T is the answer. Strictly no spitting.
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Hi Helen, when we visited the Niagara area in Canada 5 years ago they were also drinking their ice wine as a slushy and it was gorgeous 😍
What a good idea! Now all we need is some sun and I’ll be doing the same 😉
I keep hearing about English sparkling wine and I am (almost) ready to take the leap. It’s not that I think all sparkling should be Champagne, I live in Spain and cava is part of our daily diet, and I love the lesser known sparkling wines, like Pignoletto in Emilia Romagna. I am still just skeptical! Maybe this summer.
Seriously, give it a go! Start with something like Nyetimber, Camel Valley, Wiston or Hattingley. Promise you will be pleasantly surprised!