When I was at Q Gardens Farm Shop on Steventon Hill on Sunday (they don't have a web site, so I can't link to it here - a great shame as somewhere to show people what they sell would be useful. They are one of my favourite places to buy high-quality local food. Especially now they have their own butchers with excellent local reared meat. Anyway, I digress...), I saw an advertisement for new season's asparagus on the blackboard behind the counter. A quick inquiry and I found out that the first of their outside grown crop would be available in the shop around lunchtime on Monday.
Now, we LOVE asparagus in this house! It is one of the few green vegetables that son Douglas will consume with vigour and enjoy. So, I couldn't wait to get my hands on some. The intention had been to maximise the flavour of this beautiful new-season asparagus by either steaming and serving with melted butter (very traditional), or grilling and serving with Maldon sea salt and Parmesan (all very Jamie Oliver!)
In the event, things didn't go to plan. Yes, I got my asparagus, but by the time I would have been cooking it for supper I was most assuredly not well. So, it stayed in the fridge. Until Alison took it out tonight and combined it with zingy lemons and Arborio rice, plus some of the home-made stock and leftovers from Sunday's chicken. In fact, it was an adaption of Nigel Slater's lemon and Asparagus risotto.Nigel Slater is THE food guru in our house - we are big fans of his sensible, tasty recipes and food writing - his recipes just make you want to cook! In fact, I have just bought Alison his book 'Appetite'... not so much a cook book as a way of cooking. Definitely worth buying.
Anyway, a beautiful creamy risotto was produced. A lovely tang of fresh lemons, tender but still crisp asparagus; a lovely creamy, sticky risotto. Now, I'm not drinking tonight... but I did have some risotto. If ever a dish cried out of for a particular wine, it was this dish yelling and screaming 'find me some Gruner Veltliner'. This little known grape-variety (little known in a sea of Sauvignon and Chardonnay) is most cultivated in Austria and I first fell in love with it on a trip to Austria many years ago.
Good producers Of Gruner Veltliner make wines with a definite minerally style, integrate the natural acidity of the grape, and produce very food-friendly wines. These are wine without oak. Think Riesling but with a more minerally quality, a sightly greener edge and perhaps a bit more weight. We used to have 3 or 4 on our list, but I've just realised don't have a single one at the moment. That will change very soon!
So, with the Asparagus Season just kicking off, take my advice... go down to your local farm shop (it tastes so much better from there than from the supermarket!), grab yourself some fresh asparagus and buy in some Gruner Veltliner and give yourself a real treat. let me know what you think...
Haven't blogged in a couple of days... managed to over-do it in garden Sunday to extent of aggravating my dodgy back, and compounded it being catching some nasty bug yesterday. Yuk!
However, I was just reading various Blogs that I follow (laptop perched on bed, cup of tea in hand... not the image most people have of a wine merchant!) and came across this posting from Jamie Goode over at his Blog on Wineanorak.
He was highlighting various top Aussie wines. As many of you will know, we are big fans of Australia and New Zealand here at Surf4Wine (but also other wines, in case you think we are overly New World centric... look out for in-depth Spain feature coming soon!) . It was great to see a lot of the wines that we have rated highly in recent years included in the tasting, and tasting good.
When your husband offers you lunch on a Saturday, many women would raise an eyebrow. When he confesses he wants to take you to a brewery in Henley-on-Thames, then the penny starts to drop. But to be fair, Andrew then told me that as well as wonderful Lovibonds beer there's also a lot of chocolate on offer.....well what woman is going to say no?!
I wasn't disappointed. I sampled the Lovibonds Gold (wonderful and smooth with caramel and honey overtones) and the Lovibonds Special which is simply stunning. I can't wait until we can share it with you via Surf4wine. And the chocolate? Well Jeff Rosenmeier was playing host to Petra Barran of chocstar. She's taking chocolate products to people around the country to fit in with her love of a nomadic lifestyle. And there's nothing this woman can't do with chocolate! From ice creams to muffins and tips for Mexican food. Check out her website at www.chocstar.co.uk for more. And the best bit is - she can come to you! Click on the link below to hear my interview with her. Enjoy!
Posted by Andrew Chapman on April 23rd 7:26am. Leave a comment
St. George's Day, a day to be proud to be English... The Scots Welsh and Irish are all proud to celebrate their national Saints Days. Why are the English seemingly less so? I say stand up and be proud to be English today!
There are no Dragons to be slain today ... but to celebrate England's national day we have slashed the prices from two of our favourite British brewers...
And it looks like one of our local Oxfordshire pubs (Fox and Hounds in Uffington) is getting in on the act - see this story I just saw in our local paper The Oxford Mail. It's only a hop over White Horse Hill from our home in Wantage to get there, so perhaps I'll pop in later and see what they're up to - apparently there is going to be a feast, and Morris Dancing too. Uffington is supposed to be where St. George slayed the Dragon (the bare patch on the hill opposite is supposed to be where the dragon's blood ensured that no grass would grow, according to local folklore).
I had to fill up a supplier order last week with a few cases of something and I've always wanted to try this wine since we started stocking its stable-mate Juan Gil Monastrell Monastrell over the last couple of vintages. So I took a gamble...
I had snatched a bottle out of the first crate in the consignment earlier today when I was in the warehouse, ostensibly to bring home to photograph (trying to get to grips with my new camera: Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR).
Alison made a great fish pie ( even topped the one I made for her family when they came for Easter. Damn, I have a kitchen battle on my hands as well as trying to sell wine now!), so we finished off a bottle of the new 2007 vintage of Malvasia 'Marques de la Villa'. Lovely and fresh, with plenty of zesty, modern fruit. Perfect Monday to Thursday wine.
Actually, I hadn't really intended to go past finishing the white off. But got all excited by the new podcast system coming online, nice chat online with a friend or two... what the heck. It looked so good in the photo, I wanted to try a glass!
Juan Gil Petit Verdot 2006: Intense cherry red colour. Looks deep and brooding. Ripe, juicy berry fruits on nose. Touch of spice (cinnamon?). Some licorice even. Ripe, full-bodied palate. Nicely balanced fruit and tannins - ripe tannins, but a fair squish of acidity too. Plummy, deep, rich. All in all, a big wine in every sense of the word, but not over-done and even worked with cheese.... and I'm not a big red wine and cheese fan. But that's another blog post!
OK, enough blogging for today... time to find that bottle again before Alison gets to it....
NB I'll be updating Juan Gil's Producer Profile in next few days. Find out more about this producer there soon.
Just a quick Blog post as I'm feeling immensely proud...
Kelvin, our in-house resident web-guru and all-round web/IT genius has just put the finishing touches to our new podcast system. Thanks Kelv!
Not only have we developed a first class and very cool podcasting system for SurfWine, but my interview with Jeff Rosenmeier from Lovibonds neatly demonstrates the flexibility of this new system too. We really are very lucky to have someone has talented as Kelvin on our team here... and we have more great stuff to come in weeks/months ahead.
But the main thing is not to pat ourselves on the back, or to let technology take over, but to make sure you have a great time whenever you visit surf4wine. Hope you like...
PS Look out for our next podcast... we have the beer-bug at the minute and this next post will be a great follow-on to my interview with Jeff...
So, I thought I was being very clever yesterday by trotting off to local Gym with son Douglas and while he and his mate lifted weights and worked out (they both play national league Basketball and are of an age where they can eat what they like and still not put on the pounds - unlike us 40+ wine merchants!). I ran 2K moderately easily, stopped for some much needed water and ran another 1K. Felt great, had a Sauna. Fantastic!
Woke up this morning, fully intending to hit the road and carry on the good work by doing some running. Ouch my poor knee! I think it is trying to tell me that a life of eating and drinking is taking it's toll and not to be so stupid. But I managed .5K uphill, and then a bit of a walk to try and at least maintain momentum.
Something tells me this is going to be a long-haul to the start line in London on 6th July!
Anyway, being a glutton for punishment, and as if my poor aching knee wasn't warning enough, to get me in the mood for 10K on 6th July I'm also planning on running in the first ever Oxford Run for Moore. This in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund, which raises money for research into bowel cancer. The event is on Sunday 8th June, and as soon as I have registered I will post information for anyone that feels like sponsoring me.
Given Alison's illness with breast cancer I badly wanted to run for that charity, but the Race for Life is women only event. This years Oxford Race for Life is being held in University Park on Saturday 7th June, the day before the Run for Moore.
So, having overdone it and started like a Greyhound out of the Blocks, I think it's time to pace myself... a night off training tonight I think, and rest the knee. Which really only leaves the question of what to drink...?
Saturday was a busy one for me. Not only because there's the usual family stuff to do (well, I say family - more being a children's taxi service, really!), but because I had a trip out to Henley-on-Thames. It's now the home of a very interesting young micro-brewery called Lovibonds. Here at Surf4Wine we stocked their beers as soon as we tasted them! On Saturday I was the guest of the head brewer and founder of Lovibonds, Jeff Rosenmeier. His enthusiasm and hard graft has seen brewing and a very old name reborn in Henley. Here's the first part of my interview with him, where we chatted about where the name Lovibonds came from. Click on the play button below to listen.
Lovibonds part 1
And with local Michelin-starred restaurants and award-winning pubs catching on to what we knew years ago, it can't be long before the fame of this wonderful stuff spreads far and wide. It's all the more amazing when you think that Jeff doesn't come from Henley - heck, he's not even from the UK! Click on the play button below to listen to what brought him thousand of miles to rural Oxfordshire to make English beers with a European twist:
Lovibonds part 2
We fell in love with Lovibonds from the first sip, and now stock as much of the stuff as we can get our hands on. There are more details at www.lovibonds.com . The best way to find out why we're raving about this micro-brewery is to taste some. Click on the play button below to hear Jeff talk Surf4Wine through the range of beer he makes, and what they taste like.
Lovibonds part 3
On the dresser in my kitchen is a keg of beer. It's not a Watney's Party 7 (although many a student party in the 70s was oiled by that particular stuff, let's face it) but Lovibonds Henley Dark. It's a wonderful, traditional-tasting porter-style beer. But never mind the past - what about the future? Click on the play button below to listen to Andrew and Jeff talking about the problems with real ale, beards and sandals, and keg beers:
Posted by Andrew Chapman in News and Comments - April 14th 11:46pm. Leave a comment Only this morning I managed to astonish my wife. This doesn't happen very often, as Mrs C is a graduate with an honours degree, her father was on Mastermind and Brain of Britain, and she's an all-round smart cookie. (Well, she married me.)
She honestly had no idea how champagne is made. After a lot of teasing, she eventually confessed that she'd assumed that the wine was made bubbly by some kind of industrial Sodastream.
The French are notoriously protective of the name "champagne" - even forcing a famous perfume maker to stop marketing a fragrance bearing the name. It's a name protected by EU law, so they're not going to be happy when I tell you that champagne was invented by (whisper it) an Englishman in the 17th century.
It was the scientist and physician Christopher Merret who first wrote down the Méthode Champenoise - the idea of making the wine ferment a second time in the bottle by adding sugar. Legend says the venerable Dom Pérignon invented sparkling wine, but Christopher Merret got there a good thirty years before him.
So, next time you see a Frenchman looking smug and extolling the virtues of Champagne and how they created the world's best sparkling wine (most probably true, although they are getting a run for their money from some New World areas - and who knows what effect enlarging the demarcated Champagne region will have on quality), don't forget to tell them it was an Englishman that invented it first!
In times of credit crunches and soaring prices, Surf4Wine's very own house champagne Gremillet Brut Sélection offers excellent value @ £19.99. It recently beat all of the top houses and famous names of Champagne to win the International Wine & Spirit Competition Trophy for best NV Brut Champagne. If you feel like pushing the boat out with something a little richer and more intense then why not try 'D de Devaux' from Champagne Devaux @ £29.99. Utterly gorgeous, utterly irresistible - perfect with strawberries this Summer.
** This is an excerpt from a piece we recently wrote for a local magazine. And yes, we are most definitely available for writing articles and any kind of copy for wine related publications, be they web sites, magazines, newspapers or anything else. Mrs C. (Alison) is a trained journalist and Mr. C. (Andrew) knows his wine! We also have access to an incredible video production team as well as still photographers
Posted by Andrew Chapman on April 13th 10:44am. Leave a comment
With today being the London Marathon, it seems like a good time to mention that on July the 6th this year I, along with a group of other local business people from Oxygen, the Oxford Business Forum will be running in the Asics British 10K London run.
Once again this year we will all be running to raise money for local Hospice Helen & Douglas House. Last year we raised several thousand pounds for this incredible local charity who provide care for terminally ill children and young adults, and this year we aim to do even better. We will be fielding a bigger contingent and hoping to raise even more sponsorship.
Last year my son Douglas ran with me, beating most of the adults in our group (he was only 15 then!), and this year he's signed up again - in fact, he is trying to persuade some of his friends to do the same. In a world where we only ever tend to hear bad news concerning what teenagers get up to in their spare time there is something very positive and inspiring about fit and healthy teenagers wanting to run behalf of others less fortunate.
More info to follow in coming weeks - rumour has it there will be group training sessions (I know I need all the training I can get), and so sure to be some great photo's of very unfit Oxfordshire business people to be posted here - me amongst them!
In the meantime, if you would like to sponsor me and Douglas to run on behalf of Helen & Douglas House, please email me and I will let you know the best way to do this.
Our techy team, AKA Kelvin our in-house resident web genius, has been busily putting the finishing touches to our new podcasting system over the last couple of weeks.
I'm pleased to say that this has now gone live - please do take a look - we think it's pretty neat!
It is place where we can take you to let you see and listen to all our audio and video, whether they are me on the radio or interviews with winemakers, or virtual wine tastings by video.
You can play them right there, or down load them in whatever is your preferred format - even into iTunes and onto your favourite mobile device or iPod.
Look out for more videos and audio to come very soon...
Posted by Andrew Chapman on April 8th 10:23am. Leave a comment
A wine school? That sounds like going back to school, but with wine!
Well, school was never like this - at least not mine! The idea of our very own wine course has been one that we have had for a while now; finally we have got it off the drawing board and ready to fly. We hope you like the idea, and can join us over six weeks to taste some great wines, learn some interesting stuff about the wines and the people who make them... and above all, have fun.
The idea is that, each week we will taste at least six wines, and as we taste them we will talk about the wines, how they are made, who makes them and where they come from. The people behind the labels.
The whole idea is to do this in a relaxed and friendly way so that everyone learns a bit more about what goes into their favourite wines - whether they are a white wine fan or a red wine lover, this course will give you an insight into what makes wine taste the way it does, and hopefully to explore new wines and tastes.
If you don't like New World Chardonnay but do like Chablis, find out why. If red wine is not your thing, well, maybe you haven't tried the right ones. This course will give you chance to taste a whole barrel- load of different reds. If the mere thought of Sherry at Christmas makes you think of Great Aunt Maude asleep in the chair, then you are missing a trick - Sherry CAN be fun and taste great!
How much does Our wine course cost?
£135 per person, or £210 for two - this can be a couple, or just two friends or work colleagues.
What do I get for my money?
At least six wines every week, so a total of 36 wines. Plus 2 hours of talk and information from Surf4Wine's very own Mr. Wine, Andrew Chapman. Course fees include tasting sheets for each session and a copy of 'Wine four Dummies', an excellent introduction to wine and where it comes from and how it is made (pls. not, book title may change as we are still finalising) book. All other equipment/things necessary for a good wine tasting will be provided by us: glasses, spittoons, water etc.
Where is it being held?
very generously our friends at Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons have agreed that we can hold our wine school at their superb high-rise offices on the edge of oxford. Great views over the City! Blake Lapthorn Tarlo Lyons Seacourt Tower Botley Oxford OX2 0JJ Click here for where to find opur venue, including a map.
What day and time does it take place?
Course starts on Thursday 1st May at 7.30pm until 9.30pm, and every Thursday at same times for six weeks in total
What will be covered each week?
Week one: Sauvignon Blanc - there is more to this than meets the eye Taste Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Australia and France -plus other aromatic grape varieties like Riesling, Viognier and Gewürztraminer
Week two: Chardonnay - So, you think you know your Chardonnay? Like Chablis, but don't like Australian Chardonnay? Find out why! Taste Chardonnay's from around the world, plus a bit of Semillon and Chenin Blanc too.
Week three: Cabernet Sauvignon - All by itself, plus with friends Taste Cabernet Sauvignon, plus see how it changes when blended with it's old friend Merlot. Includes Bordeaux, and New world Bordeaux-inspired blends.
Week four: Pinot Noir, Syrah and a little bit of spice... Pinot Noir, the Holy Grail of winemaking, plus Shiraz and Syrah - one and the same? Perhaps a bit of Rioja too...
Week five: Port, Sherry and Madeira - not just for Christmas! What's the difference between Ruby Port and Tawny - why is vintage Port so much more expensive? Sherry can be a great food wine and not just for trifle. Maderia has hidden depths.
Week six: Champagne and sparkling wine How do you like your bubbles? The perfect way to end our wine course with a bang!
If you would like more information about our wine school, please do not hesiate to contact Andrew on 01235 821539, or by email: andrew (at) surf4wine (dot) co (dot) uk.
Red Earth Multimedia Ltd - Registered office: 264 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DY Registered in England. Company no. 6650902.You must be aged 18 or over to order.
+44 (0)7720 587073
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When I was at 
St. George's Day
... well, I decided what to drink tonight in the end: 
Just a quick Blog post as I'm feeling immensely proud...
Started my training for the 
Anyway, being a glutton for punishment, and as if my poor aching knee wasn't warning enough, to get me in the mood for 10K on 6th July I'm also planning on running in the first ever Oxford 
Given Alison's illness with breast cancer I badly wanted to run for that charity, but the 
Only this morning I managed to astonish my wife. This doesn't happen very often, as Mrs C is a graduate with an honours degree, her father was on Mastermind and Brain of Britain, and she's an all-round smart cookie. (Well, she married me.)
With today being the London Marathon, it seems like a good time to mention that on July the 6th this year I, along with a group of other local business people from 
Our techy team, AKA Kelvin our in-house resident web genius, has been busily putting the finishing touches to our new podcasting system over the last couple of weeks.
A wine school? That sounds like going back to school, but with wine! 
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