Pressing Matters - Somerset Cider

Whenever I think of Somerset, cider is what most readily comes to mind, so with Apple Day, officially 21^st October this year, being celebrated across the county, it would be remiss of me not to consider the merits of our local ciders. I say this despite my own reluctance to drink it on more than the odd occasion; stemming from what I still recall as ‘the cider incident’, one lunchtime many years ago, at the tender age of 11, in a very posh hotel.

As autumn heralds cooler temperatures, cider goes well with hearty casseroles and stews, the one pot meals that also save on the washing up, and where the cider itself makes a good addition, as well as an accompaniment, particularly to chicken or pork dishes.

It's been a big learning curve, and I’ve taken instruction from renowned cider maker, Julian Temperley, at Burrow Hill, along with expert Alan Stone, along with other respondents to my persistent enquiries.

The number of local ciders is vast, so choices this month expose readers to some more interesting and individual offerings. Not all local cider makers bottle and sell their products through retail outlets, so look out for signs along the highways and byways to alert you to a real taste of Somerset. Many producers offer tours, usually by appointment only. The Somerset Cider Map, free to download, gives details of most cider makers in the county.

It is arguable that the best bottled conditioned ciders are made from a selected blend of different cider apples, in much the same way that wine is made, but at Burrow Hill they make two exceptional bottle fermented sparkling ciders from single varieties, by the ‘Champagne Method’, Kingston Black or Stoke Red, not cheap at £8.50 (8%abv); you get what you pay for. They also sell still cider straight from the barrel.

Also look out for ciders made by the old English process of 'keeving', as they do at Pilton, Nr. Shepton Mallet, which results in the cider retaining more of its natural fruit character.

Perry's, in the village of Dowlish Wake, where they still use the traditional rack and cloth method of cider making, have on offer a range of ciders, stored in wooden barrels, which scooped a handful of gold stars at this year's Great Taste Awards.

Honey Pot Farm at South Petherton has available Sweet Copin as a single variety, along with bottle conditioned cider, sold direct from the farm.

Chant Cider (Naish's) at Midsomer Norton pride themselves on producing cider as the Romans did, reputedly the only makers now using this chemical free, traditional, seasonal method. Hardly surprising given the family business spans almost 200 years, but bring your own containers.

Ashill Cider, just off the A358 between Taunton and Ilminster, claims it produces 'cider with a kick', and lastly, a more commercial product, Katy, produced by Thatcher's, which I buy copious amounts of, because I have a cider drinking god-daughter called..... Katy.

As a point of interest, Julian was the first person in the UK to gain a license to distill cider to make cider brandy. Matured for up to 10 years in small oak barrels, for hardened imbibers such as myself, it’s always a favourite after dinner option .... I’ve got my own apple press, so maybe it’s time I learnt how to use it!

BLACK MAGIC – CAHORS MALBEC WINES

With both Hallowe’en and All saints Day just around the corner, it seemed appropriate, that on a recent wine trip to France, to accept the proffered invitation to move over to the dark side, of wines that is.  

Hence, a flying visit to Cahors, at the invitation of renowned chef Robert Veril, who knows everyone there is to know in the local wine business, including my host for the afternoon, the charming, handsome, Jérémy Arnaud, the Marketing Director for Cahors Malbec wines.

Thus began a marathon tasting session, including visits to three local vineyards, with a four hour lunch the following day. I’m not joking when I say that being in the food and wine business requires stamina, especially if I’m to remain sufficiently sober to remember what I’ve tasted! It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it, to keep you well informed, and I’ve got the pictures to prove it!

First things first. Cahors is situated along the Lot River in the South of France and is best known for its ‘black wines’, which have been made and exported for almost 1000 years, long before Bordeaux developed its own wine industry.

The wines are known as ‘black wines’ because of the deeply intense colour of the wine produced from the principal grape, Malbec, a popular choice also for wines from the Mendoza region of Argentina. Until fairly recently these wines were considered to be at the cheap and cheerful end of French wines, the type you find on the bottom shelf at supermarkets, but no longer. Since AOC status was granted in 1971, the makers of these red wines have focused on quality and character, and at the upper end, there is certainly plenty of both, along with an intense, almost tangible, passion. These wines pair beautifully with the walnuts, truffles and foie gras that form the backbone of the region’s cuisine.  

Getting the balance between commerciality and quality is a fine art. The wines of Cahors Malbec can broadly be divided into three styles – tender and fruity (around £6 a bottle) intended for easy everyday drinking; tasty and powerful (£10 a bottle) aged 12 months in oak; intense and complex (£15 up), the best of which will age for 10 years or more.

Under the AOC status a small amount of Merlot or Tannat is permitted but top wines are usually made from 100% Malbec. As with most good wines, the older the wine the more developed and complex the nuances of flavour become, losing some of the simple fruity character of a young wine, to be replaced by hints of truffle, chocolate, violet and spice. Around 80% of the producers have small vineyards, often with no more than 15ha. under vine. 

Favourites, amongst those that are chateau bottled and sampled on this trip include:-

·        Château Pineraie, L’Authentique, 2009, 13%, séléction parcellaire  £24 – only, 20,000 bottles produced. Smooth and chocolatey, yet retaining some fruit character.

·        Domaine de Capelanel, Cuvée Titouan, 2009, 15%,  £22 – this family has been making wines here for 5 generations. 10,000 bottles a year produced from old vines. Hints of liquorice and mint on the palate.

·        Clos Troteligotte, ‘K’, 2009, 14%, £20 - organic producer, using small parcels of land to produce his ‘K’ wines, this one aged 24 months in oak. This one, black as ink. Surprisingly, Emmanuel has not heard of ‘K-9’, but his ‘K2’, like its namesake in the Himalayas, is a big wine. Some white and rose also produced, in the hope of non-red wines from Cahors eventually being granted AOC status.

·        Château Ponzac, Eternellement, 2011, 15.5%, £18 – a powerful wine, providing a big bang for the buck. Aromatic, tasting of cooked black fruits, along with a spicy element. Made by this family since the 17^th century.

·        Château Lagrezette, Cru Exception, Tete de Cuvée, 2002, 13.5%, £60 – The premier cru of this 500 year old winery. Grapes are harvested and de-stemmed by hand. Elegant, long keeping, with hints of cocoa, vanilla and blackcurrant.

·        Château de Cèdre, Cahors GC, 2003, 14%, £75 - organic vineyard with old vines, oak aged for 2 years, and handpicked grapes. A complex aroma of farmyard, coffee and truffles. Described as ‘tip top’ by my host; I agree.

Not all are readily available in the UK, but any of the wines from these passionate winemakers are well worth looking out for. 

Incidentally, ‘Cahors’  has its own official wine glass, complete with a finger hole in the centre of the stem, and did I mention, that for Hallowe’en, there’s no need to get a costume, as the wines do literally turn your teeth and tongue black?! Happy drinking.

Celebrity wines for Christmas

CELEBRITY VINEYARDS

With Christmas looming large my thoughts turn to the problem of present buying; wine of course, and in this case, a look at some celebrity vineyards. A vineyard may be the perfect present for the person who has everything, but without busting the budget treat your loved one to a bottle or two from a vineyard owned by their favourite star, or at least named after them. 

The trend of celebrities owning vineyards is not a recent phenomenon. In ancient times, leading philosophers, playwrights and politicians often owned vineyards for personal use. Nowadays, there are many reasons why celebrities gravitate towards owning their own; some do it just because they can, and others because of the tax benefits. It does save nipping down to the supermarket every time Gary Barlow pops round for a drink. Some, such as film director Francis Ford Coppola, come from families with a history of winemaking, whilst others, such as our own Cliff Richard, have been lifelong wine enthusiasts. Johnny Depp and David Beckham own vineyards solely for personal use, but others use their celebrity status as a selling tool in the wine industry. It can be a very lucrative business. There are different degrees of involvement, and nearly all of them collaborate with an established winemaker. 

Some celebrities lend their names to a special "one off" wine production, as in the case of Pol Roger’s famous Cuvée Winston Churchill.  Rothschild has for some time employed famous artists, including Prince Charles, to design labels for their wines. 

Francis Ford Coppola - Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford, Napa Valley, California, USA. Bought using profits from The Godfather films, this is serious winemaking at its best. Not cheap, the exceptional Classic Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely for keeping. My top choice.

Gerard Depardieu – Chateau de Tigne, Anjou, France (and others). He is very active and hands on, owning several wineries, even listing ‘vigneron’ as his occupation on his passport. The rosé is notable and would be no. 2 on my wish list.

Antonio Banderas – Anta Banderas, Ribera del Duero, Spain. Try the ‘a10’, Tempranillo with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Cliff Richard - Adega do Cantor, Algarve, Portugal. His wines sell well but are not for connoisseurs. 

Sting - Tenuta il Palagio, Tuscany, Italy. Each release is named after one of his songs; his ‘Sister Moon’ red blend gets good reviews. 

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt – Chateau Miraval, Brignoles, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Recently available for public sale, the wine sold out within days. An award-winning rose, Pink Floyd (the group recorded part of their album, The Wall, here) is also produced.

Lionel Messi – Bodega Valentin Bianchi, Argentina. All profits from his wine ‘Leo’, go to his charitable foundation. Two reds made from Malbec, and a white called Torrontés are produced.   

Nick Faldo - Katnook Estate, Coonawarra, Australia. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc available. 

David Ginola -  Coste Brulade, Provence, France. Silver medal award winning rosé produced.  

Ian Botham and Bob Willis – McLaren Vale, South Australia. The BMW wine range was created in conjunction with Australian winemaker Geoff Merrill, producing a chardonnay, a cabernet and a shiraz.

Graham Norton  - Invivo, the NZ company that supplies his chat show wines, is putting out a special Sauvignon Blanc under his name. 

These wines are all available to buy online in the UK, and most are available for around £10, up to a whopping £100+ a bottle.

Influx of Bulgarians and Romanians - always look on the bright side of life

EASTERN EUROPEAN WINES
Sadly, I am of an age, to recall Bull’s Blood, a famous Hungarian wine, much loved during the early 1970s by the cheap and cheerful brigade. This is unfortunately no longer the case, where a bottle will now require you to stump up something in the region of £11. Amid the recent furore over the fear of an influx of Bulgarians and Romanians into the UK this week, as Monty Python would say, 'Always look on the bright side of life'....especially where wine is concerned. 
 
Not previously known for producing wines of any great quality, both Romania and Bulgaria, along with other Eastern European countries, have made every effort to up their game in the last few years. There has been something of a shift away from using their indigenous grape varieties such as Mavrud and Rubin, mostly unheard of over here, and often unpronounceable. However, with a continuing interest in new discoveries, wine lovers are beginning to explore with more open minds. With an eye to the Western European market, as their ties to Russia begin to loosen a little, canny Eastern European winemakers have moved towards significant plantings of old familiar favourites, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, often mixing old and new varieties into acceptable blends, more suited to our palates. 
 
Whilst the quality of most Bulgarian and Romanian wines have yet to match up to the finest on offer from Spain, Italy or France, there is much to be said for those of us trying to eke out our hard earned cash a little further, in experimenting with their wines; both countries are of course now popular destinations for second home buyers. 
 
Good for quaffing with a moderate degree of gay abandon, even the best of these won’t break the bank, and if you are looking for something a little different, they may just be the ticket. Available at most major supermarkets, or online.

BULGARIA
I read with interest that in the 1990s Bulgaria’s Cabernet Sauvignon was Sainsbury’s best selling wine, and then it all went downhill, but only for a while. Try these for size.

Domaine Boyar, Deer Point, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012 - £6.75
Discovery Series, Sofia, Merlot, 2012 - £6.99
Domaine Boyar, Peach Garden Chardonnay, Thracian Valley 2012 - £6.99,
Eniro, Bessa Valley, Thracian Valley Merlot/Caberent Sauvignon 2008 - £12
Edoardo Miroglio, Thracian Valley, Pinot Noir 2009 - £13.95
Castra Rubra, Cabernet Sauvignon, E. Thrace, Merlot, Cabernet Franc 2009 - £28.60



ROMANIA
As Europe’s fifth largest wine producer, there are a lot of vineyards in Romania, and EU funding has helped go boost quality. Wines tend to be lighter that Bulgarian wines.

Cramele Recas Selene Feteasc, Neagr, 2012 - £12.
Dulce range, including Imbratisare, Claritate, Noua Vieti, NV - £10
Paris Street, Sebes, Pinot Grigio, 2012 - £7.49
La Catina Demisec, Tamaioasa, 2012 - £7.49
Prince Stirbey, Romaneasca Sec, Tamaioasa, 2012 - £9.95 
 
Linda Piggott-Vijeh, Service Matters - Somerset's only accredited wine tutor with 100% rating

Start 2014 in Style

For some of us New Year’s Eve can be the least favourite event in the celebration calendar. All the glitz and glamour can ring false, with forced gaiety heralding the end of a well earned break from work, as well as the morning after the night before ... well, enough said! 

Renowned three Michelin-starred chef, Fernand Point, is reputed to have downed a full magnum of champagne before breakfast, every day, and whilst I might not be recommending that as the antidote to New Year celebrations, on New Year’s Day, along with my constant resolve to get it off to the best possible start, I usually gather with friends for lunch, and a champagne cocktail or two; hair of the dog and all that. Research has shown that sparkling drinks carry the alcohol faster into your blood stream, so go careful on the quantities. 

Aside from its festive associations, champagne conjures up a feeling of sophistication and elegance, brightening even the greyest of winter days. Purists would say it would be a sacrilege to use the likes of Krug or Cristal, but I’m of the opinion, that any recipe is only as good as the ingredients you use.

So, this month here are a few of my favourite cocktails made from my favourite tipple; mouth watering creations worth trying, some with a novel twist, to keep your guests guessing. Do I see a party game coming on?

Firstly, the ultimate classic Champagne Cocktail, made by first soaking a sugar cube with Angostura bitters, adding 20ml. of cognac, and topping it up with your favourite champagne, adding a twist of orange or lemon peel if the fancy takes you. 

My personal favourite is the Bellini. Just one sip transports me immediately back to Harry’s Bar in Venice, where it was invented in the 1930s or 40s, depending on who you  believe. Easy on the budget, it should be made with 2 parts dry Prosecco (real champagne itself can be too harsh), to one part fresh white peach puree (or juice, obtainable from good stores). To emulate the original recipe add a dash, no more, of framboise to give a cheerful, rosy pink glow to both the glass, and your cheeks.

Don’t be put off by the rather violent blue/green shade of the next one on my list. Ritz Fizz is concocted with the unlikely combination of a dash each of amaretto, blue curacao and lemon juice, topped up with champagne, and a jolly sprig of mint on top to chase away the cobwebs.

Still feeling under the weather, and your guests not knowing ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’?  Then cure all with Death in the Afternoon, by adding 20ml.of absinthe to your glass of champagne, and if suitably into Hemingway, then follow the advice given in his book of the same name and ‘drink 3-5 of these slowly’. 

Were it not for the possibility of legal action, I'd be recommending a spot of 'sabring' as a suitable sporting activity, but if it didn't go according to plan it could bring your New Year to a rather premature end. It’s at this point I feel it would be prudent to add my own disclaimer - don’t blame me if you get more than you bargained for, but do have the best possible start to 2014, in every way.

Floral wines with Linda Piggott-Vijeh

When assessing wine prior to drinking it, one uses one’s nose to identify the key notes that will help to establish not only the grape variety, but also how the wine was made, by whom, where it was made, and its age.
The three key aroma groups are fruity, floral and vegetal; in general, while one or two will predominate, wines will have many nuances of aroma, which will be dependent on a wide range of factors.
Certain wines, if well made, have distinct aromatic characteristics, and with spring in mind, my thoughts have turned to wines with a distinct floral characteristic; in this case, violets.

As one would expect, floral notes are most commonly associated with white wines; lavender, ylang ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, iris and honeysuckle being common; while rose and violet are by far the most predominant, and associated with both red and white wines.
There are a number of grape varieties associated with floral nuances, but in narrowing down the choice, my top three recommendations with violets as a characteristic, are one red, made from the Nebbiolo grape, and two whites made from the lesser known Viognier; a nice tie in here is that recent work on DNA analysis has found a genetic relationship between Nebbiolo and Viognier.
Nebbiolo is most dominant in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, and these wines are reknowned for their powerful intensity. Nebbiolo is made into Barbaresco, but my recommendation here is the more fragrant, powerful and tannic Barolo. Available locally is the Terredavino 2008, 13.5% abv, at £15.99.

There are two famous appellations in Northern Rhone, where the only permitted grape is Viognier; beguiling, musky, and surprisingly masculine for a white grape and if well made, producing very special wines. The all-viognier appellation of Condrieu, and also Chateau Grillet, a single-chateau estate only 9.4 acres in size, are the only appellations in Northern Rhône that are exclusively white wine appellations, so look out for these wines, which are not always easy to find. More easily available are the single variety wines produced in the New World. Here I’m recommending the Australian Yalumba Eden Valley 2011 Viognier, 12.5% abv, costing £12.99. Stay away from the much cheaper Pays D’Oc wines as in general they lack substance and character.
Next month, with Father’s Day on the horizon, we’ll have a look at wines with more masculine characteristics – leather, tar, tobacco, farmyard…you get the picture...

RED WINES l Nebbiolo – violet, dried rose l Pinot Noir – violet, rose petal l Cabernet Sauvignon – violet l Merlot – violet l Cabernet Franc – violet l Gamay – iris, peonies WHITE WINES l Viognier – violet, iris, ylang ylang, orange blossom l Vedelho – honeysuckle l Sauvignon Blanc – elderflower l Riesling – rose, jasmine, honeysuckle l Pinot Gris – rose, violet l Gewurtztraminer – rose, lavender l Muscat – jasmine, ylang, ylang l Colombard – honeysuckle

http://www.limitededitionsomerset.co.uk/society/10445227.Floral_wines_with_Linda_Piggott_Vijeh/

On the Campaign Trail

They say a week's a long time in politics - well it certainly is!
Bruised knuckles from trying to shove leaflets etc. through inaccessible post boxes, accusations being made about the opposition and illegal expenses, and my own brief shot at fame on the opposition's main website - most read article apparently, which is really great for my own free publicity, all as a result of my great ad. in the local newspaper - see, advertising really does work! Just over 3 weeks to go now and am well embedded to go on and win. My approach may be unconventional but then my whole life has been that way, so no surprises there.
Am still being groped by vaguely unsavoury types in the local hostelries, and verbally barraged by angry residents, all water off a duck's back to me.
I now know why everyone said that Mrs. T could survive on only 5 hours sleep a night - same here at the moment, am practically post-menopausal and after 5 years of hell with barely 4 hours a night I am now sleeping soundly undisturbed for 5 hours and waking full of beans - hence my nocturnal forays into the hinterlands of Chard.
I have joined everything in sight and quite honestly had not realised quite what an exciting town Chard is - there is so much going on it's a wonder anyone can keep up. All we need to do now is work on the image... something I'm good at ... work calls so have to go now ...stay tuned, and don't forget to look at my updated Youtube (Vote for Vijeh 2) entry, and also facebook of course.