The week in pictures

Anyone who is anyone in the wine trade descended on Bordeaux this week for Vinexpo, run for the first time by new CEO Guillaume Deglise. Provence Wines was among the hundreds of producers to take a stand, showcasing more than 70 rosés from the region.

Father Gerasime of the Alaverdi Monastery in Georgia, shows off his range of Bardinet Vins, produced at his monastery which grows more than 100 different grape varieties.

Check our more pictures from Vinexpo here.

Sarah Hart, florist puts the finishing touches to a 12ft installation created by Rekorderlig Cider on Broadgate outside Liverpool St Station. Credit: David Parry

A 12 foot Rekorderlig bottle adorned with hundreds of wild flowers has been erected near London’s Liverpool Street station in homage to the city’s singletons. The Swedish cider brand’s latest marketing campaign taps into an ancient Scandi verse that says if you pick seven types of flowers and place them under your pillow on Midsummers Eve (19 June) you will dream of your future spouse. Singletons are being invited to pick flowers from the sculpture.

(L-R) Aurelie Vabre (Exports Executive UK) Michel Roux Jr, Jean Bourjade (Inter Beaujolais MD) and Bettina Lemm (Westbury).

Team Beaujolais Wines exhibited at the Taste of Dublin for a third year this month, where it reunited with Michelin-starred restaurant owner and chef Michel Roux Jr. This snap was snatched prior to one of Roux’s masterclasses.

Joe Wadsack entertaining guests with his ‘Challenge Joe’s Nose’

Milton Sanford Wines celebrated its 25th anniversary last week at its fourth Cork, Chalk and Cheese tasting, appropriately held in the merchant’s chalk mine cellar – an ex-government bunker located 200 feet underground in Berkshire. Joe Wadsack was one of those in attendance, treating guests to a round of “Joe’s nose”. 

Passing through Chile? Grab a glass of vino before take off from Santiago at “VINUM Chile Wine Experience” – AMB International Airport’s very first wine bar.

Ali Reynolds, of Hawksmoor Spitalfields, was crowned the Diageo Reserve World Class UK Bartender of the Year in the UK final held this week at Drummuir Castle in Scotland. Ali will go onto represent the UK in the competition’s global final in September in South Africa. He will also become a World Class judge and mentor, and be included in a promotion feature in GQ magazine.

Mark Main of MOJO in Manchester was named the winner in this year’s Coco Lopez & El Dorado Cocktail Challenge. The Glaswegian mixologist took home £1,000 thanks to his El Coco Bru and Peanut Butter Jelly Time cocktails. Mains’s nostalgic and unique Peanut Butter Jelly Time serve was comprised of two cocktails (peanut butter and jelly) prepared separately and served in a lunchbox alongside chocolate bars, crisps and an orange.

Bartenders taking part in the final of Belvedere Vodka’s “The Challenge” cocktail competition used motorbikes to race to four iconic London locations to collect cocktail ingredients as part of the competition’s “Operation Martini” challenge yesterday. The finalists then crafted a unique martini cocktail using their selection of ingredients at Hotel Café Royal.

Sabrine Dhaliwal, a bartender from Vancouver, was unveiled as the eventual winner, impressing judges with her Pink Skies martini.

db caught up with Aurelio Montes Jr. of Kaiken in Argentina this week at Peruvian restaurant Coya in Piccadilly. During an animated lunch meeting Montes spoke in defence of using biodynamic preps like virgin deer stomach in his vineyards, explaining that a biodynamic approach makes what you do “more human”.

He also spoke passionately about the potential of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in Argentina, and the fact that there is a chance for the country’s sparkling wine output to grow.

Coya proved a colourful setting for the lunch

Among the dishes we tried were salmon ceviche (above), ox heart anticuchos, rib eye and yellowfin tuna (below).

It’s Taste of London this week and never one to miss a chance to scoff ourself silly, db headed to Regent’s Park with brio, where we encountered these colourful ladies flying the flag (or fan) for Thai cuisine.

It looks there might be a global Prosecco shortage if sales at this funky van take off…

Taking time out from our busy scoffing schedule, we headed to the Pilsner Urquell stand to try its latest brew – an unfiltered and unpasturised expression.

Then it was on to the Hush Heath bar for a cup of Jake’s Cider, named after owner Richard Balfour-Lynn’s son.

Soon it was time for some serious food action – spoilt for choice we spent our crowns wisely, beginning with this pretty ceviche at the Lima London stand.

The highlight of the night was this buttermilk fried chicken and pine salt by Michelin-starred Shoreditch restaurant The Clove Club. You need it in your life.

Our final crowns were spent on the Tredwell’s stand, manned by none other than Marcus Wareing himself. We can highly recommend both the chicken liver parfait with bacon jam and the salted caramel soft serve with honeycomb.

Over on The Balvenie stand we spied this rather handsome motor – a vintage cream Morgan

Lucy Shaw was delighted by the rose-hued Pinkster gin stand and had to resist making off with the apothecary jar.

Meanwhile, at Nyetimber in West Sussex this week chefs and wine folk gathered for The Chef’s Forum to get the lowdown on the English sparkling wine.

The event began with a glass of Nyetimber served with canapés by Steven Edwards, winner of MasterChef: The Professionals2013 and co-owner of Etch.