Posts by Adrian
Next Treasure Hunt – 1st October 2022
THE KEMP TOWN BEER MILE TREASURE HUNT ________________________________________________________ SEEK OUT THE CLUES AS YOU CROSS BRIGHTON KEMP TOWN AT YOUR OWN PACE AND ENJOY A FEW DRINKS ON THE WAY – FREE TO ENTER ________________________________________________________ SATURDAY 1ST OCTOBER 2022 START Brighton Bierhaus, 161 Edward Street, Brighton BN2 0JB BETWEEN 1 PM AND 2.30 PM ________________________________________________________…
Read MoreIs it worth paying more? Tasting September 2022
We served two wines each of four different styles, one at around £10-12 and one at over £30. The wines were served blind and attendees asked which they preferred. Group A – Chenin Blanc Ken Forrester Reserve Collection Chenin Blanc 2020 An elegant, zesty, oaked white wine with flavours of tropical fruit, caramel and honeycomb.Ken…
Read MoreChile – overcrowding, water and rabbits!
WSET students may need to update their notes as the Drinks Business has reported a mass exit of one of Chile’s most prominent wine regions is underway due to overplanting, a lack of water, and a pervasive rabbit problem. As a result of the lack of water, producers are packing their bags and taking off…
Read MoreGreat British Beer Festival 2022
It was great to see the GBBF, organised by CAMRA, return to Olympia. There were hundreds of beers available plus gins, wines and many food stands. The stand out beers for me were: Blackedge Dark Mild (3.9%) – from a brewery based in Greater Manchester, a rich dark mild with loads of flavour from a…
Read MoreWines of the Eastern Mediterranean
We organised this tasting recently and it proved very popular. The wines provided were Chateau Musar Jeune White – Lebanon Musar Jeune White is an unoaked blend of Viognier, Vermentino, Chardonnay from youthful Bekaa Valley vines. Crisp and aromatic, this eclectic blend of French and Italian varieties has its own distinct personality – passionfruit, apples,…
Read MoreLondon Wine Fair 2022
I was fortunate enough to attend LWF in June this year – it was great to see it back as a live event. Unfortunately there seemed to be fewer country stands than in previous years; however there were plenty of interesting people to speak to, and a lot of great presentations including Valpolicella, vermouth, Central…
Read MorePDO for Sussex Sparkling Wine (and Kent’s sour grapes)
Sussex Sparkling Wine has been granted official Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which is the equivalent of Appellation Controlee in France or DOC in Italy. A PDO, once granted, identifies products that are produced, processed and prepared in a specific geographical area, using the recognised expertise of local producers and ingredients from the region…
Read MoreWSET Level 3 Exam Tips
Tasting If you believe a wine is simple make sure you write the word “simple” in both the nose and palate sections, it’s worth a mark Ensure you comment on all aspects of palate – sweetness, acidity, alcohol, body, finish and flavour characteristics; create a mnemonic to ensure you remember them all SAABFF so you…
Read Morede Bortoli VAT 5 Botrytis Semillon 2017 – Wine of the Month January 2022
It’s amazing how often people say they are not keen on sweet wines yet whenever I include one in a tasting it generally gets well received. This wine was a favourite at a recent tasting and shows you don’t have to pay Sauternes prices to get a good one. A tasting note with aromas of…
Read MoreRussian Vodka
Ok so we don’t normally do politics, nor do we do spirits; however these are exceptional times. The Drinks Business recently posted an article on this subject, some of which is worth reproducing here. Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a movement to boycott Russian vodka in bars and shops has risen. The issues many…
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