Fashion Whine

There's an old saying that goes 'the more fashionable the party the more unspeakable the drinks'. Well there isn't, but there should be.


In fairness, fashion shows are about clothes so the drinks are probably an afterthought.

The white wine at the L F Markey Show was so utterly, totally inoffensive and completely forgettable I've forgotten what it's called. Imagine if it was the same for their clothes? Then I had a fashion moment...

Of course, the wine's perfect!
Later on I met some very nice people at Digitaria's end of London Fashion Week party.



One of them suggested visiting the basement for a spot of graffiti and a snifter.... of a strange Thai drink they'd got their hands on. How old school Soho is that!

Mine came with lime and the warning, "That's lethal". It had the weirdest taste. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... then I remembered....

Years ago I was staying at a friends house in the wilds beyond Brecon. We were off to a 16th birthday party and, as we headed out the door, his mother, a hippy type, said, "Now boys, will you have a glass of something to get you in the mood, I've just brewed it". It tasted utterly odd but I managed to drink it without gagging. As we left I asked her what she'd made it from,"Mushrooms my love" she replied...

Thankfully, weird taste aside, Mekhong did exactly what it said on the bottle, nothing more. Wonderful party, super, gorgeous, fabulous, talented people.... mmm, maybe it did do a little something after all.

Click here for Digitaria

Click here for some Mekhong cocktail recipes

Funky wine

A few years ago I was watching an interview with a big French 'nose' from a big French perfume maker. It was all very interesting in an "oh, that's interesting" sort of way, when, out of the blue he announced that the most erotic smell known to mankind is that of rotting human flesh. Monsieur 'Le Nez' went on to say that another very erotic smell, albeit not quite as arousing as those not for rousing, was that of babies faeces. As a result, in small doses, both became important perfume ingredients. Somewhat unconvincingly he insisted that nowadays they were artificially simulated.

Nuits Saint Georges, Premier Cru, Domaine des Pedrix 1999

I've been eyeing this wine across the Costco isles for some time now. Those alluring, 'come hither' eyes from the Partridge on the label. But it always seemed a bit out of my league. Then last week something came over me, what the hell, I was seized by desire.... I just had to have it, oh, and it was the last bottle! I secreted it away ready for the right moment.... which turned out to be last night, just 3 nights later. Note to self, must improve self control.

Delectable stuff. A smokey bouquet reminiscent of good lapsang tea with more than a hint of strawberries. Noticeable browning at the rim. Perfectly balanced palate with hints of powdered ginger, glucose and an unmistakable wallop of funk. A real sense of decay, but in a very sexy life affirming way. Then, when it's almost over, a post swallow hit of classy tobacco. Nice. (approx. £22 if there's any left)

Bread Alert !

Ok, it's not wine. But it goes brilliantly. Especially with a nice hard cheese.

It looks like an artisanal bread from a farmer's market. One of those loaves claiming lineage... baked from an ancient Etruscan grain, in a Moroccan mud oven, probably organic and costing £5! The stalls are always surrounded by lifestyle couples with more money than sense and more children than an old lady living in a shoe.

Well, it's not. I made it. What's more it's dead easy, tastes delicious and requires NO kneading!! Hate to sound evangelical but everyone should try this. It uses about 20 pence worth of flour. Credit Crunch Tastic!

The recipe comes from the New York Times, click on those words for a link to the article. There's a link to the recipe half way down the page. The genius who invented this method uses a lidded pot, like a Le Creuset, to recreate the fierce heat associated with wood fired and industrial ovens. I used a cast iron pot and it worked a treat. One word of advice, don't be tempted to oil it first, my kitchen still whiffs. There are probably endless things you could add to it, I tried a few black cumin seeds and some olive oil yesterday, mmm.

Red Wine Bargain

Top glugger!  It was recommended by someone called 'wine expert' on those tags they attach to most supermarket wines now. No matter how lowly the wine, someone, somewhere, will have recommended it.... and the supermarkets love recommendations.

Anyhow Mr Expert is on the money.  The label says cherries and wild berries.....I'd say blackberries and cherries squished in the dusty pockets of an old boiler suit, mixed with a bit of fag ash and a soupcon of phlegm. In a good way.  Think you might notice drinking too much of this one..... in the interests of research I'll experiment asap and post the results.  Anyway, at £3.99 from Sainsbury's you can't complain.

Wine Society Price Hike

Just received my latest Wine Society catalogue. Now, I'm a really big fan of the WS - a mutual organisation set up in Victorian times to make sure it's members got good wine at a fair price. BUT, there has been a walloping price increase across the range and what really annoyed me was that it's barely mentioned.

There's a lot of guff in the newsletter from the Chairman about the 'mutual benefit' and how the crisis in the financial industry highlights just that..... well, thanks but I know all that.  It's why I joined the WS in the first place.  Then the Chief Exec talks about rising costs and how spending just a little a bit more on wine massively increases the quality of the wine you get. (Because packaging, shipping, duty are fixed costs, the same for all wine).

But at no point does it say.... "Oh, and by the way, you'll probably notice prices have gone up". Which you will!  Do they imagine by ignoring it members won't notice?  Let's take a couple of wines, some of which I've really enjoyed in the past.  Two prices, the first before January 31st; the second is the price now.

WS Cotes du Rhone: £5.50 / £6.75

Lirac 2006: £7.50 / £ 8.95

Gorrebusto Rioja 2004: £7.95 / £9.50

WS Exhibition Gigondas 2005: £10.95 / £13.95

Sadly I'm not often in the market for Chave's wines, but even if I was, this price hike would make my eyes water:

Chave Hermitage 2002: £65.00 / £85.00 !!!!! 

 

That's a whopping £240 a case more.

Latest bargain!

Marks and Spencer are dumping their Christmas Claret just now. Down from £7.99 to £3.99 in my local branch. Guess it's hard to shift something associated with Xmas in bleak cold February. Anyway, it's a lovely claret for the money.....and, if you buy 6 you'll get another 10% off too.  It's pretty fruity but still has that lovely Bordeaux dryness that suits food so well.  That said,we  managed to polish off a couple of bottles last night while just nibbling some cheese.  On the cork it says this wine is actually from Chateau D'Argadens, Bordeaux Superieur 2004.