Talking Wine – June 2016

How sad to hear of the death of Etienne Hugel from the famous Alsace family. He died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of only 49. I remember interviewing him at our Head Office and this can still be found on a YouTube clip. He was a charming modest man who was extraordinarily well travelled having been the export director for the family firm for many years. Hugel is one of the very best names in Alsace and if you are not familiar with Alsatian wines why not use his untimely passing as an excuse to discover the charms of the Gewurztramer grape variety. Neither too German nor French in style the wines have an extraordinary pungency with flavours of spice and lychee and can be drunk on their own or as a great accompaniment to stronger pate or fois gras.

So much for EC harmony as we hear that the French are hi jacking Spanish lorries bringing in cheap wine from across the border and opening the taps to drain them into local fields. A huge incident happened just 10 miles from the border when 70,000 litres of wine were poured over the motorway. Of course we are supposed to allow free movement of goods within the EC but with production in Spain being so cheap France has, ironically, become the largest export market for Spain. Do you think that is has occurred to the French that inexpensive Spanish wine tastes rather better than the French equivalent? But then when you only work a 25 hour week, take 2 hour lunches and disappear in August the cost of production is bound to be higher!!

Some of you will have heard about “The Judgement of Paris” when top Bordeaux Wines were pitched against their Californian equivalents in a blind tasting. The Bordeaux wines were considered inferior by the stellar group of experienced French tasters acting as judges. Well – the same has just happened with Champagne and English Sparkling Wine. Also in Paris and with some 14 of the great French tasters, Ridgeview Bloomsbury (£28) tied with Champagne Jacquesson (£38) at 7-7. In the Rosé section Gusbourne Rose (£38) beat Champagne Ayala (35) by 9-5. In the Blanc de Blancs section Nyetimber (£40) beat Billecart Salmon Champagne (£65) 9-5. In the latter section 13 of the 14 were convinced the English was the Champagne. Need I say more!!