Hidden in plain sight

 

As there have recently been calls for more action, and resources, in relation to curbing violence and aggression, particularly against women, it is interesting to observe that when it comes to court cases that attract public attention, character witnesses on behalf of the defendant often focus on their church attendance and choir membership as indicative of their good standing within the community. As a regular church goer myself I could hardly be described as holier than though. Far from it, and I am not about to cast the first stone. However, we must not forget that historically some of the worst abuse has been perpetrated against youngsters by those who on the outside at least seem to be pillars of the community. Often it is their ranking in society that allows them to get away with such behaviour relatively unscathed, as their victims are too afraid to put themselves up against the establishment.   

DOMAINE DE LA SOLITUDE OLD VINES

 

I cannot remember a time when I was not interested in food and wine. This love for the good things in life was instilled in me by my single parent mother as she struggled to bring up three children in a series of rented rooms, then a council flat, in what was then a shabby part of London. Acton is not so shabby now though! A particular fan of Robert Carrier, my mother was a keen cook, and used to hoard the luncheon vouchers from one of her several jobs until she had saved enough to take us to ‘posh’ restaurants, usually ‘up town’ in Knightsbridge or Kensington. Our meals were always accompanied by wine. This was the late 1960s remember, and the national minimum drinking age limit was yet to be introduced, so we satisfied ourselves with a bottle of Chianti in a straw-wrapped flask, Mateus Rosé, or Blue Nun. Oh, how times change! 

More than fifty years on, little did I realise the extent to which my life would be dominated by food and wine.

Fast forward to my early thirties, and finding myself half-way across the world, homeless and with no income, I decided to cook for a living; with no experience or qualifications. Despite later reaching the exalted heights of Chef to the British Ambassador to the UN in New York, at first I found myself living in a bedsit in Chicago and, in order to satisfy my expensive tastes, volunteered to work for free at The Chicago Wine School, run by wine author Patrick Fegan, in exchange for attending his wine tastings, which I could ill afford.

Thus began my professional wine journey.

So many wines, and so many tastings, at so many vineyards, in so many places.

There are however memorable moments that I can recall so readily; the time, the place, the company, the food, the wine. Sensory experiences can do that to you.

One such moment occurred in 2008 when, as a WSET tutor, on a vineyard tour of the Southern Rhône, I visited Domaine de la Solitude in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

At the time of jotting down my notes for the trip I obviously had a giddy moment as I wrote ‘Florent Lançon, our winemaker and host, is young and handsome, with Italianate looks, and despite the grubby effort at a beard – he could be the man of my dreams. As passionate about food as wine, you should hear him speak. I am embarrassed to admit it makes my heart sing – how pathetic is that?!’

Thirteen years on, of all of those vineyards that I visited on that trip, it is this one that sticks in my mind; and not just because of its winemaker.

The property has one of the longest histories in the Rhône Valley and has been in the same family’s hands for 400 years, since Florent’s ancestors came over with the Pope from their native Italy. They are direct descendants of the Barbarini family, whose motto is ‘All that the Barbarians haven’t done, the Barbarini's will do’. This is not a family to be messed with, which is evidenced by the many antiques that were plundered locally.

It was one of Florent’s descendants in the 18^th century, Paul Martin, who was the first to sell

his wine in bottles and began exporting to England under the name “Vin de La Solitude”, at a time when the concept of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape did not yet exist.

Florent is the eighth generation of his family to continue the work begun three centuries earlier and since taking over the helm in 2008, he has created “Maison Famille Lançon” under which “Domaine de la Solitude”, and a selection of other Rhône Valley wines, are produced, following organic farming principles.

It is the passion with which he continues to pursue his dream of producing great wines, with respect for tradition, that is so inspiring; preserving and improving what nature has to offer and acknowledging that every living thing has a role to play: the wildlife and natural vegetation, the vines, and the people.

Domaine de la Solitude owns 37 ha. of vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all located in the La Solitude lieu-dit (where the estate gets its name from), next to La Crau. Of the total, 30 ha. are devoted to the production of red wine, the remainder used for growing grapes for their white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate produces 5 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines and 2 white. Production of each wine is limited, often to 250 cases, hence it is much in demand.

The ‘soil’ in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is comprised of galets roulés (pebbles), one of which I confess to having stolen, carrying it back on the plane in my luggage. I still have it.

The grape varieties grown are the thirteen permitted varieties traditionally associated with the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, of which the principal varietals grown here for the red wines are Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, and for the white wines they are Clairette, la Roussanne, and Grenache blanc.

During our visit Florent entertained us in style. He was clearly very excited by their new label for the 100% Grenache ‘Cornelia Constanza’, his very first wine since graduating from college, aged in oak barrels from the Caucasus mountains.

For me though, the highlight of the visit was the enduring image of the pre-phylloxera Grenache vines, well over 100 years old, and being given the opportunity to taste the wines produced from them. The family own just 1ha. of these precious vines, which were discovered when Florent was digging up old vines planted in a sandy area close to the house.

What makes this tiny parcel of vines so special is that in Europe there are very few vineyards that escaped infestation by this malevolent plant louse. Putting nostalgia to one side, it is generally accepted that, all else being equal, old vines seem to give more concentration and fruity complexity to wines when compared with vines still in their infancy. Older vines, by virtue of the mere fact that they have survived, means that they are fighters, tough old bruisers. The gnarled woody mass evident in their structure gives the vine additional reserves of energy, and their deeper root structure enables them to cope better in dry conditions.

On the downside, yields are of course lower, but as consumers we have the joy of knowing that when volume is not the key focus for a winemaker our taste buds will profit from the commitment to quality that shines through.

Whilst Domaine de la Solitude does offer other wines from ‘old vines’ (those more than 25 years old), my focus has been on those made exclusively from grapes hand-harvested from these venerable pre-phylloxera vines, the wines from which are highly rated, with prices to match.

Remember, you get what you pay for, and you only live once!

Look out for their current vintages of Domaine de la Solitude Cuvée Cornelia Constanza, A.O.C. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2017 and 2018. A large proportion of the wine is aged in vats and the rest in 600-litre oak barrels. Unfined and unfiltered, expect to find rounded, complex wines that will benefit from some ageing to fully integrate the characteristics bestowed by their oak ageing. Hints of cocoa are joined by a smoky Sichuan pepperiness and aromatic cardamom, which on the palate explodes with concentrated ripe, juicy, red currant and berry fruit flavours.

Of course, as a wine lover, self-confessed foodie and self-taught chef, for me the two are inseparable. After my visit to Domaine de la Solitude we lunched at a nearby restaurant, Le Verger des Papes, a hidden jewel, next to the castle walls, with stunning views, and still recommended by Michelin. The simple menu is limited, and rightly so, to enable the quality of the food on offer, a perfect match for the local wines, to really shine through. 

Domaine de la Solitude’s website states ‘From generation to generation, the estate has been handed down in a spirit of love and sharing’.  I’ll certainly drink to that!

Florent Lançon,

Domaine de la Solitude,

Route de Bédarrides,

84230 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France

+33 4 90 83 71 45

www.domaine-solitude.com

THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND?

 

As one member of the Somerset Visually Impaired Cricket Club said to me during their match against the Rotary Club of Ilminster this weekend ‘It was a bit like the blind leading the blind!’ 

The Visually Impaired Cricket Club was officially formed in 2011 and has since gone on to achieve a number of successes in the past eight seasons. They play their home games at Wombats CC (Bishops Lydeard) and matches are played with a larger ball (size of a handball) that makes a sound, and the wickets are larger. Each player much be registered blind or partially sighted. Each player is placed into one of four sight categories and the team is then made up of different sight categories, with no more than two players from the high partial category. 

The Rotary Club of Ilminster first became involved with the club several years ago when they certainly met their match and this year, as part of the club’s focus on community engagement, with Rotarian Tony Walker at the helm, his committee colleague Brenda Lake organised a return match. 

Hosted by Ilminster Cricket Club, and with the weather being kind to us, a healthy crowd of onlookers and supporters was there to cheer on team Captain, Rotary President Kirsty Hughes, as she and her fellow players donned the special glasses that ensured that they did not have a visual advantage over their competitors. This was shown to be very effective, as the Visually Impaired team trounced their Rotarian opponents by 80 runs, during a game of 20 overs for each side. 

After a proper cricket tea, of course, President Kirsty said, ‘It really does make you think how lucky we are to have our sight, but also really heartening to see everyone enjoying the game. I hope we can continue this as an annual event.’ 

BLOOMING LOCAL GARDENERS

 

Although we cannot deny the negative impact of the pandemic over the past 18 months, it seems that our resident gardeners have really benefitted from the enforced time at home to cultivate their gardens, resulting in an abundance of splendid blooms, fruits and vegetables. 

With many events remaining on hold for the time being, it is heartening to see that a number of our local communities have decided to go ahead with ‘mini’ flower and produce shows. 

In the last couple of weeks alone I have attended ones at Winsham, Whitelackington and Dowlish Wake, and even entered the ‘virtual’ show put on by Donyatt, delighted to win second prize for my chocolate pecan cake! 

As the night’s begin to draw in, and we look ahead to celebrating the harvest season, I am really looking forward to seeing, and sampling, the bounty of nature’s harvest, not forgetting the scrumptious cream teas on offer! 

When times are tough it is amazing to see how small communities pull up their socks, shoulders back and best foot forward, to demonstrate that no matter what hardships are faced, life must go on, and as long as we support each other we can get through anything.  

I would just like the time to smell the roses! 

Full Steam Ahead at Chard Museum

 

It looks like being full steam ahead for Chard Museum when at an Extraordinary General Meeting held this week, those members who attended agreed to go ahead with a proposal to purchase the museum from South Somerset District Council. The definitive result of the vote is yet to be ratified, as the wishes of those members unable to attend in person have yet to be counted. But, local councillor, and museum trustee, Linda Vijeh, said, 

‘It was great to see such a high turnout amongst our members. This is a fantastic opportunity for the museum, and I cannot see why it should not go ahead. Our Chairman, Vince Lean, has worked tirelessly over many months to bring this about, along with fellow trustee Howard Bailey. The museum is in healthy financial shape and will be able to stump up the £50,000 required for the community asset transfer. Until now the museum has been leased from the district council but, as it is a full repairing lease, we have been responsible for maintenance and other costs, so with the £9,000 a year saving on rent we will be in good shape money-wise and will be able to determine our own future. There are already exciting plans for a makeover, which is part of our long-term plan. During lockdown there have already been some interesting innovations as the museum works to ensure that it remains relevant to both townspeople, and visitors alike.   

Organisations such as museums owe their existence to the dedicated time and effort of its volunteers and like many other organisations, the museum is always looking for fresh blood to keep it on its toes.  It was super to see local student, Olivia Lawrence, receive a certificate in recognition of her work with the museum as part of her Duke of Edinburgh award.  

Gardening is not my forte, quite the opposite in fact, but over the summer months I was delighted to work with a team of volunteers to spruce things up in the grounds in time for our re-opening, and we were grateful for plant donations from Combe Dingle Nursery, B&Q and Chard Garden Centre.  

Since re-opening for private tours earlier in the year, the museum kick-started its autumn events this month with a celebration of the life of Roger Carter, by the Chard community and fellow historians. A former curator, author, local historian and most importantly, friend to so many people, Roger had a vision for the future and wanted to excite young people about history and science, especially engineering, making sure that history was saved for future generations.  

In addition to the formal tribute, in which the current curator Angie Loader, spoke of the support Roger had provided to her and others, including long-standing volunteer Gerrie Bews. A plaque honouring Roger’s contribution was unveiled by Chard Town Councillor Jenny Orchard, and in the company of members of Roger’s family, we all enjoyed entertainment provided by Mike Froom to accompany the food, pasties from yours truly, and cider, kindly donated by Perry’s and Burrow Hill.  

Donations given at the event, will directly fund an annual science workshop for the museum’s new half-term activity programmes for families and young people (starting in October), and also the archiving of Roger’s extensive collection that he donated to Chard Museum.   

Later on this month the museum is participating in Heritage Open Days, with its theme of Chard Remembers. This will celebrate the stories and memories of local Chard residents through the theme of food, contrasting the differences between village and town life, why people moved to the town, and even some war time memories. There will also be a World War 2 Cooking Challenge to cook a World War 2 recipe.  

Further information about the museum and its wide range of activities can be found at info@chardmuseum.co.uk  

Colombian La Laguna Reserva Coffee

Colombian La Laguna Siberia Reserva Excelso EP, Cauca Department 

Think of Colombia and the words that spring most readily to mind are drugs, violence and…. Coffee. 

In the UK, we are mere beginners when it comes to coffee consumption, at just 95 million cups per day; 13% of this comes from a good old jar of instant.  

During adulthood, having abstained from coffee consumption in favour of wine, after my baptism of fire a few weeks ago, I am certainly making up for lost time.  

Amidst the growing global concern about the state of our planet, I have been exploring in some depth the ethics of our consumer behaviour. 

I DO care where the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the goods I buy come from.  

Hence my sudden interest in Colombia. 

Introduced to a single origin 100% arabica specialty coffee from La Laguna Siberia Reserve, in the north-east of Cauca, I was shocked to discover the brutal murder, in April this year, of Nasa indigenous woman human rights defender Sandra Liliana Peña Chocué, who was violently abducted from her home by four armed men and shot.  

Sandra was governor of the indigenous reserve “La Laguna-Siberia SAT Tama kiwe” and a community leader who was appointed the Education Programme Policy Coordinator of the reserve. In her role as governor, she had spoken out against the increase in illicit crop cultivation in the reserve, subsequently receiving threats from illegal groups that exercise territorial control in the area. It is believed that she was targeted and killed solely due to her peaceful and legitimate work in defence of indigenous peoples’ and land rights. 

Such incidents continue to increase in Colombia, where the authorities seem powerless to act. In 2020 alone the killing of at least 177 human rights defenders in Colombia was recorded, more than half of those recorded worldwide, enabling Colombia to retain its dubious title as the deadliest country in the world in which to defend human rights. 

This co-operative of twelve families formed an association to manage, control and coordinate their coffee because they were fed up with being taken advantage of by middlemen in the area. In 2014, they got in touch with Central Cooperative of Cauca (CENCOIC) and became Fairtrade certified, which kick-started their quest for quality and better prices for their coffee. The majority of the community speak Spanish as their mother tongue but there is currently a drive to revive the local language Nasa Yuwe, and more bilingual schools have been created as a result. 

Tasting notes, depending on whose opinion you consider, reveal much the same variations used when describing wine. The official technical term is ‘cupping’, a standardised process used worldwide to assess coffees and compare them. 

The beans, Colombia, F6, Caturra, Típica & Tabí varietals, are washed and hand sorted to produce a fruity, yet smooth and creamy, single origin, 100% Arabica, Speciality Coffee. 

Grown amongst panela (sugar cane), plantains, pineapples, yucca and lemons, these flavours come through in the sweetness of the cup, with hints of chocolate, grapes, prune, raspberry, redcurrant, caramel and fruit pastilles. 

Whilst communities such as La Laguna struggle to make a new life for themselves, earning an honest living by growing crops that can be exported for our enjoyment, we owe it to them to support their efforts in the face of significant adversity.