When you get the chance to go wine tasting on a Saturday lunchtime to celebrate English Wine Week, its impossible not to get excited.
English wine is getting better year on year and English wine week SHOUTS about the best wines Great Britain has to offer.
We love going to Restaurant 1539 so this was a real treat. On arrival, we were handed a glass of The Gusbourne Estate Brut Reserve 2013 and took our seats ready for the afternoon ahead in a private dining area.
Laid on the table were 2 glasses of wine ready to be tasted, and a small goody bag filled with our tasting notes, vouchers for Molton Brown a sample of body wash and a Wine School of Cheshire branded wine pourer to take home.
Whilst we may have been a little eager to taste the wine, there were a few steps to take first which our gracious host Richard Smith happily taught us.
Some of the first steps to take on tasting wine were to check the clarity of the wine as cloudy wine may mean the wine is off and to release the aromas of the wine by swishing the wine around the glass. Once we had released the aromas, it was time to taste by swirling the wine around your mouth and then letting air into your mouth to taste the acidity of the wine. Once we have tasted the wine, it was time to pair it with the great food prepared by Restaurant 1539.
The first course was herb crusted goats cheese with chutney and walnuts, which was paired beautifully with Sharpham Estate Dart Valley Reserve 2016 and when you pair certain wines with food the taste of the wine transforms the meal completely.
The second course was a delightful confit duck shepherd’s pie with red cabbage which went hand in hand with Brightwell Vineyard Oxford Regatta 2014 which then lead on perfectly to our creamy and rich dessert of Rhubarb Panna Cotta which was paired with Ambriel Rose Sparkling Brut NV.
After an enjoyable few hours tasting wines and discussing notes about them and indulging in our 3-course meal, we had a coffee break whilst the private dining room was transformed ready for our cheese and last 5 wines to taste.
Once our group was seated, we moved onto tasting the last 5 wines which were a selection of reds and one rose and included Ridgeview Bloomsbury Sparkling Brut NV at the end. Each wine we tasted went perfectly with the selection of British cheeses we were given, alongside the chutney and crackers.
If you are looking at hosting your own Wine Tasting event or attending one of the many events they have available throughout the year by the Wine School of Cheshire, we highly recommend it as it is lots of fun, with a great host and there is always something new and exciting to try.
To book your place at one of their many events, visit the Wine School of Cheshire website now. Keep an eye out for next year’s celebration of English Wine Week.
Whether you’re a wine aficionado or a complete novice Richard’s style of teaching is informative and fun. Highly recommended by chestertweets.com
