As a precursor to the festive season the Women of Warmington's (WOW) wine and cheese tasting evening was a great success. The village hall was packed with eager tasters who sat around a row of tables heavily ladened with a selection of seven wines, seven chesses and two pork pies.Oundle's finest in the form of Philip Amps of Amps Fine Wines and Alan Smith of Smiths Delicatessen carefully took everyone on an journey through each of the wines and chesses, explaining their origin and the qualities that make them special.Of particular note among the wines was the 2005 Waterkloof Estate Merlot Circumstance. The Waterkloof vineyard is located 2 miles from the sea in one of the South Africa's best known 'cool climate' regions as it benefits from the moderating effects of coastal breezes off the Atlantic. The wine was dark with a heavy fruit and plum nose. Its rich and spicy with some oak notes, very good balance and a long smooth finish.Among the chesses, two are worth a mention. The Bowland with sultanas, cinnamon and apple and the Ribblesdale Blue Goat. The Bowland may not be to the purist's liking but it does combine the northern custom of serving fruit cake with cheese although the cheese was a little overpowered by the spice and the sweetness of the fruit. A bigger problem is it's very moreish and you could end up eating far more than you intended.The Ribblesdale Goat Blue is one of those cheeses hated by the food police because its unpasteurised. Made in Yorkshire, it does not have a 'goaty taste', but is smooth, creamy and stands up well compared to a good stilton. Its also a healthy alternative as goats milk has a lower fat content compared to cows milk.The surprise of the evening for those who were not in the know, were the pork pies. Made a few miles down the road in Glatton by Mrs Willams, the hand raised pies do not rely on added gelatine, just the natural juices of the locally reared pork. The pie with added sage and apple was an interesting and tasty variation.Following the tasting session of the evening concluded with hot refreshments, lively conversation and music from a local Cajun band. Congratulations to the organisers and the two speakers for an enjoyable and informative evening.15 October 2007 |
The Wines and Chesses False Bay Chenin Blanc 2007 - (South Africa) Manchego - sheep's milk cheese (Spain) Nuovo Quadro La Battistina Gavi di Gavi 2006 - (Italy) Ribblesdale Goat Cheese Drouhin Macon Bussieres 2006 (France) Pendle Forest Oak Smoked Lancashire Cheese Domaine Prade Mari Secret de Fontenille Minervois 2005 - (France) Chewton Farmhouse Cheddar Limari Valley Tabali Merlto Reserve 2005 (Chile) Yorkshire Blue Waterkloof Estate Merlot Circumstance 2005 - (South Africa) Mrs Williams, Orchard Pork Pies Seguret Boutinot Les Coteaux Schisteaux 2003 - (France) Bowland with sultanas, cinnamon and apple Ribblesdale Blue Goat All the items tasted are available in
Oundle from;
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