Beverages

[Hickybank Profile]

Absolutely love Nyetimber, it was recommended to me by a Master of Wine who happens to be the son of a fellow WI member.

He came and did a wine pairing session about how different foods alter the taste of wines. In involved trying the wine, eating the food and then tasting the wine again - some of the changes in taste were very marked indeed.

My favourite wine is a Rag and Bone reisling although haven’t been able to source it for some time now. I enjoy most dry reisling, especially Australian or New Zealand.

BB

Long time since I tried a Reisling, perhaps I should try one, I only tend to drink red wines.
Rag & Bone is in stock here at £11, although I have never used them.
https://www.thewinebox.co.uk/product/ra ... ling-75cl/

[WWordsworth Profile]

Don't be afraid that all reislings are like the stuff my parents enjoyed in the 70s.
Many of the NZ ones are delicious.

[Busybee Profile]

Thanks Hicky, I have placed an order. £10 delivery, but the Rag and Bone is £6 per bottle cheaper than the place I have bought it from before, so a bit of bargain to boot!

I agree WW, reisling can be dry, crisp and totally delicious.

BB

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Anyone remeber Lutomer Laski Reisling from Slovenia?

I went inter railing in 1973 and went to Koblenz, where the Rhine meets the Moselle

There were some fabulous wines around there, nothing like Blue Nun or Goldener Oktober (Black Tower came later I think?), from the reisling and sylvaner grapes mainly, I've had a soft spot for them ever since, also Alsace wines, especially Gewurztraminer. They can be a bit pricey though

I also like Gruner Veltliner from Austria, the Witorse (that said Waitrose before autocarrot got to it) Blueprint version is a good introduction to the style, and Veltliner tends to dry but fruity. Perfect with schnitzel of course

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I think we probably all thought Liebfraumilch was the cat´s whiskers back in the 70s.
However, although I´ve never been to the Moselle valley, Sue, I have tasted one or two delicious Riesling in the past few years; once in Switzerland and, believe it or not, Clapham - where my mate lives! He served us a 30 yr old Riesling as a dessert wine.

[Hickybank Profile]

I think we probably all thought Liebfraumilch was the cat´s whiskers back in the 70s.
However, although I´ve never been to the Moselle valley, Sue, I have tasted one or two delicious Riesling in the past few years; once in Switzerland and, believe it or not, Clapham - where my mate lives! He served us a 30 yr old Riesling as a dessert wine.

Shows the power of good marketing, we went on a wine tour of Germany many years ago & came back with cases of the stuff, we thought we were the bees knees

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I wonder what we'd think today of those wines popular in the 1970s. It might be that they're not as bad as we imagine. They've gone from being fashionable to being unfashionable, therefore perhaps over rated to underrated. Clearly they were sweeter, with perhaps less acidity than is currently the fashion.

In the last few years we've been to Hungary a couple of times (overseas travel - whatever next?). I reacquainted myself with Bulls Blood. It's a perfectly good wine, big in the 70s but virtually unheard of now.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Bull’s Blood of Eger is OK - in fact I too had some very good drinking on both my trips to Hungary

I used to go to wine tastings and sometimes we’d do “will it keep” - drinking up odd bottles of wine the organiser had past their expected best by date. We always ended with a couple he was pretty sure would be enjoyable.
Anyway, we tasted blind, and he dug up a 30 year old bottle of Goldener Oktober. It died in the glass after 10 minutes or so, but until then it was fine, recognisably a decent German wine of a certain style, and I correctly identified it

[Hickybank Profile]

Blue Nun was the first wine to receive mass marketing in the 70s,
Advertised as a wine that could be drunk with every course of a meal, thus alleviating the stress of wine pairing, it seemed to work, just goes to show the power of advertising.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Surely most people buy a bottle of wine to go with a meal, as opposed to several different wines. In traditionally wine drinking countries, unless it's a posh do, there will be some local wine to have with a meal. The idea of one type of wine with several courses isn't so radical.

People in the 70s were starting to try new things; in our family wine had meant VP or a bottle of Emva cream at Christmas, maybe a port, which obviously had to be diluted with lemonade. 'Country wines' were usually sweet too. That's what wine meant to most British people at the time. A full-bodied red or dry white would have been a bit of a culture shock, perhaps a step too far. A sweetish white, though more dry than they were used to, was accessible. I suspect that explains the success of those brands.

[Hickybank Profile]

Regarding Whisky.
I am an avid fan of polar exploration ( I have a library of books on it, )
I picked up one book " Shackletons Whisky by Neville Peat.
Shackleton although a non drinker took a few cases with him that were stored under his hut.
They were discovered when scientists started work on preserving the building ( 3 cases were found under the hut frozen in solid ice) & were transported to New Zealand where they were kept in a lab at -35 until the work was finished & they could be returned.
Macenlays, who made the original asked if they could have some, after long negotiations 3 bottles were sent by private jet ,Handcuffed to their guardian until they safely reached the distillery, on the proviso they could draw a sample by syringe from 2 & open 1 then return them.
After months of experimenting they producede a near a match as possible.
Top whisky aficionado's from around the world came together for a tasting ( a small glass of original against their duplicate)
The Mackinalys owner told the testers " If I see anyone add water to the original I will personally shoot you )

The reason for this post is, I have just ordered a bottle from Morrisons on special offer for £22, usually £30+ which is quite a lot for a blended whisky. (I will be so disappointed if it has all gone)

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Shackleton's story is truly remarkable. I have seen one or two of the places he was associated with, indeed, have seen his grave.

Have you ever been to the Polar museum in Cambridge?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Surely most people buy a bottle of wine to go with a meal, as opposed to several different wines. In traditionally wine drinking countries, unless it's a posh do, there will be some local wine to have with a meal.

Yes, I think people do now, and always have done in wine drinking countries

But up until the 70s I think wine drinking was seen as posh, something that had one of those arcane codes only the initiated would know, like when to wear black tie and when white tie think of all those comedy skits with Hancock or Terry Jones revealing their ignorance or Freddie Frinton playing a wine waiter. The one bit of the code that filtered down was that white went with fish and red with meat, and I suppose that where people would come across different wines with each course would be at events, like Masonic or military or academic or even union or political events at places like the Connaught Rooms or guildhalls around the country. Events that were formal or even ceremonial.

[Hickybank Profile]

Shackleton's story is truly remarkable. I have seen one or two of the places he was associated with, indeed, have seen his grave.

Have you ever been to the Polar museum in Cambridge?

No, I must add it to my bucket list.
To visit his grave on South Georgia must have been amazing, did you offer him the Whisky toast, I am so jealous

[Badger's Mate Profile]

But up until the 70s I think wine drinking was seen as posh, something that had one of those arcane codes only the initiated would know, like when to wear black tie and when white tie think of all those comedy skits with Hancock or Terry Jones revealing their ignorance or Freddie Frinton playing a wine waiter. The one bit of the code that filtered down was that white went with fish and red with meat, and I suppose that where people would come across different wines with each course would be at events, like Masonic or military or academic or even union or political events at places like the Connaught Rooms or guildhalls around the country. Events that were formal or even ceremonial.

Oh absolutely, but I don't think any amount of marketing would have got my lot drinking (for example) claret in the 70s. I remember Dad telling me the story of how he asked the guy in the local offy for 'a nice wine for Christmas'. He was sold a bottle of Beaune. Apparently it was 'horrible, like vinegar'. Whilst it's not impossible that it had actually gone off, my bet was that it simply wasn't sweet like they expected.

Hicky, there have been a number of exhibitions relevant to Shackleton in recent years, commemorating the centenary of the Endurance expedition. We went to one in Cambridge and another at the RGS.


ETA
https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/shackleton/

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I meant Terry Scott not Terry Jones of course

[Busybee Profile]

Hicky,

We had the grandson of James Wordie come to our WI to give a talk about his grandfather and the expedition, he had some very interesting photos etc. If you ever see him on the lecture circuit I can highly recommend. We opened up the meeting to the general public and it was very heartening to see almost the full troop of local scouts attend, their enthusiasm for expeditions was infectious.

I wasn’t particularly interested in polar expeditions but it certainly lit mu curiosity.

Sorry, nothing to do with beverages.

BB

[Badger's Mate Profile]

I meant Terry Scott not Terry Jones of course

Not Terry Scott of the Antarctic?

Yes it was a comedy theme of the time, I can't remember particular sketches, but I'll bet Benny Hill, Charlie Drake and Harry Worth all had encounters with snooty wine waiters.

Terry Jones of course, did drink Chateau de Chasselay in the Four Yorkshiremen sketch, albeit not the original one.

[scullion Profile]

Have you ever been to the Polar museum in Cambridge?

i have.
a close friend of our family was on the antarctic expedition with vivian fuchs.

i used to prefer piesporter to Liebfraumilch. marginally less sweet - maybe i should revisit it.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

To visit his grave on South Georgia must have been amazing, did you offer him the Whisky toast, I am so jealous

Yes and yes. Even without the history, South Georgia would be just about the most spellbinding place I've ever been to.