Tastings & Events

Our Barbecue event has become one of the annual highlights of the summer programme and we are delighted to fire up the monster barbecue once again to indulge in an evening of fine food and wine. Indeed nothing quite beats the delicious taste of char-grilled food on a warm summer's evening with wines to match.

Those lovely smoked and caramelised flavours can present challenges for wine, however we believe that there are a number of wines that positively sing when matched to food of this type.

Wines selected for each course will be introduced by barbecue fanatic George Unwin who will ask the audience for their personal preferences, both before and with their respective dishes. Those judged best will be crowned supreme barbeque white and red wines for the summer of 2010.

Our Executive Chef Craig Formoy is as skilled in front of a barbecue as he is in our kitchens, and we promise a varied and exciting array of food. All meats will be supplied by A Willsher & Son Butchers of Marks Tey. Barbecuing meats are a speciality of Willshers which has recently been awarded the regional Which? Business Award for product quality. Please do join us for what promises to be an entertaining evening spiced with delicious summer flavours.

Dinner prepared by Executive Chef, Craig Formoy

Menu:
Chilli and lime marinated tiger prawn kebab with herbed couscous
Moroccan lamb kebab with tzatziki
Sticky maple chicken
Haloumi and vegetable kebab
Cajun spiced swordfish steak
BBQ roasted exotic fruit salad with champagne sabayon
Coffee and truffles

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Following the success of our previous two "Wine Challenges" and with the score one apiece between Buying Manager Ben Godfrey and Private Sales Manager George Unwin, a third skirmish was much needed. So far France has competed with Italy and Chile with Argentina, both producing very tight contests. After debating the subject for the next challenge the answer was provided during a recent conversation with an animated young French vigneron. "No one in the New World makes wine with the character of French wines" he claimed, an opinion we just had to put to the test.

It is the grape varieties of France more than any other country that have been adopted by new world producers, and indeed the French model of wine production has formed the template for so many new world wines. Could they possibly be beating the French at their own game? When Californian wines beat the famous names of Bordeaux and Burgundy in the now legendary Judgement of Paris blind tasting of 1976 it became apparent that the French needed to take the New World rather more seriously. In our own Judgement of Colchester we will see who now holds bragging rights.

George will be presenting wines from the famous French regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire, Rhône and Alsace and Ben their New World competitors from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and South America. As this is the decider an entertaining evening is guaranteed, votes will be counted and a champion will be crowned.

Dinner prepared by Executive Chef, Craig Formoy

Menu:
Smoked salmon terrine with pickled cucumber and granary bread
Pan roasted Guinea fowl with butternut squash purée and buttered fine beans
Summer berry pudding with crème Chantilly
Coffee and truffles

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Why do the wines of vineyards bordering the Mediterranean evoke such a strong sense of origin? Is it because they inspire warm memories of relaxed holidays, sunshine and the coast? Or is it because of their intimate association with the tastes and flavours of the regional cuisines of southern Europe and the Middle East?

In this fascinating wine and food pairing evening no less than four members of the Sales Team will unravel the connections between the evocative wines of southern France, eastern Spain, Italy and Lebanon and dishes from their locales. The evening will comprise four 'flights' of wines, each from a single region. Each flight will be introduced and tasted; the wines will then be re-tasted alongside platters of food samples from the same origin. We will discuss the basic principles of food and wine matching and explain how they apply to the evening's gastronomic delights.

This is an evening of enjoyment and discovery, and guests will be invited to comment on the wines, the dishes and the pairings.

Wines and dishes likely to include:
Southern France
2008 Cuvée Centenaire Blanc,
Cô tes du Roussillon, Domaine Lafage
2008 Picpoul de Pinet, Domaine Roquemolière, Languedoc 2009 Gris de Gris Petit Chaumont Rosé,
Vin de Pays des Sables du Golfe du Lion
Served with: Wild mushroom tartlet, Pâté de Foie gras crostini with fig chutney, Baked goats cheese infused with herbs

Eastern Spain
2008 Mar d'Avall, Garnaxta Blanco,
Emporda, Domaine Lafage
2009 Pagos de Araiz Rosato, Navarra
2008 Monastrell Organic, Jumilla,
Casa de la Ermita
Served with: Mediterranean vegetable and couscous stuffed vine tomatoes, Calamari fritos with chilli and tomato, Chorizo and shrimp stack

Italy
2009 Verdicchio di Matelica, Terre di Valbona, Marche
2008 Greco/Fiano, A Mano, Puglia
2007 MandraRossa Chardonnay, Sicily
Served with: Italian mezze plate

Lebanon
2008 Musar Jeune Rouge, Bekaa Valley
2008 Musar Jeune Rosé, Bekaa Valley
2004 Chateau Musar Blanc, Bekaa Valley
Served with: Lamb kefta balls, Crisp fried whitebait, Chickpea croquettes

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It will be of no surprise if this turns out to be one of the most interesting tastings ever held at The Colchester Wine Company. The passion and enthusiasm with which producers talk about their own wines is hard to replicate, so this tasting promises to hugely informative and entertaining.

Charles Melton - Proprietor/Winemaker, Charles Melton Wines, Barossa Valley.

Charlie Melton has produced premium Barossa red wines, always at his own winery on Krondorf Road since 1984. Charlie created a small range of classic dry reds including the now-celebrated Nine Popes, a Grenache/Shiraz /Mourvèdre blend. These wines were styled on those from the Rhône but are now considered leading examples of the varieties in their own right.

Steve Flamsteed - Head Winemaker, Innocent Bystander, Yarra Valley.

The Innocent Bystander range is a mix of the tried and tested (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and the new and quirky (Pinot Gris and Pink Moscato) that highlights the cool climate of Victoria's Yarra Valley. Head winemaker Steve Flamsteed works closely with founder Phil Sexton to select fruit from the best sites for each variety. The result is one of consistent excitement from one vintage to the next.

Stephanie Toole - Proprietor/Winemaker, Mount Horrocks, Clare Valley.

Mount Horrocks is as 'boutique' as wineries come. Owner Stephanie restricts production to around 4,500 cases per annum to achieve her aims of quality and single vineyard expression, describing her wines as "essentially hand-made food wines with emphasis on structure as well as generous fruit flavours". All grapes come from three separate vineyard sites totalling 10 hectares in the Clare Valley and all are hand picked.

Wines likely to include:

Charles Melton Wines
2009 Rosé of Virginia, Barossa Valley
2006 Barossa Valley Shiraz
2006 Nine Popes, Barossa Valley

Innocent Bystander
2007 Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
2008 Pinot Gris, Yarra Valley
2008 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley

Mount Horrocks
2008 Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley
2008 Watervale Semillon, Clare Valley
2006 Clare Valley Cabernet/Merlot, Clare Valley

Dinner prepared by Executive Chef, Craig Formoy

Menu:
Yabbie chowder
Grilled kangaroo fillet with red wine glaze, sweet potato chips and garden salad
Lemon curd and raspberry pavlova
Coffee and truffles

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Tuscany is a land of beautiful rolling hills and swelling vineyards interspersed with swaying cypresses and ancient olive trees. For many, this picturesque scenery represents Italy itself - an idyllic region which enchants and captivates as almost no other - the epitome of 'wine country'. Tuscany is also home to many of Italy's greatest wines, including the classic Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico and the newer 'Super-Tuscans' from Bolgheri and Florence.

The quality of wine from this superb region has never been higher. Winemakers have a renewed pride in the best of their indigenous varieties, whilst others follow a different path - continuously innovating, and producing wines of breathtaking quality. Sangiovese is Tuscany's signature red grape, but Cabernet Sauvignon is also producing some of the region's greatest wines, with Merlot and Syrah also now flourishing.

Fresh from a recent visit to the vineyards, Ben Godfrey will present a range of stunning wines which reflect all that is so exciting and inspiring in Tuscany's wines. This evening's tasting will compare classic wines - Carmignano, Brunello and of course Chianti, as well as a rare white wine, with examples of different Super-Tuscans. The sumptuous tasting list includes several of the region's - indeed the country's - top names.

Ben's enthusiasm for this wonderful region will be apparent to all and a fascinating and highly enjoyable tasting is in store. Early booking is advised.

Wines likely to include:

2007 Chardonnay 'I Sistri', Felsina Berardenga
2007 Tignanello, Antinori (- the original 'Super-Tuscan')
2006 Promis, Angelo Gaja, Bolgheri
2007 Rosso di Montalcino, Conti Costanti
2004 Brunello di Montalcino, Cantine di Montalcino
2006 Chianti Classico, Tenuta di Fontodi
2007 Barco Reale di Carmignano, Capezzana
2007 Cabernet/Syrah, Fortediga, Maremma
2008 Morellino di Scansano, Le Pupile, Geppetti

Dinner prepared by Executive Chef, Craig Formoy

Menu:
Chicken, Parma ham, pecorino and roquette risotto
Cotolette alla Bolognese (veal, ham, cheese and tomato )
Honey and pine nut tart
Coffee and truffles

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