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Slideshow
The week in pictures
Thursday saw East Anglian brewer, distiller and drinks retailer Adnams join forces with garden centre business Notcutts to create a garden at the Sandringham Flower Show inspired by The Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations, which won a gold medal.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall at the Notcutts & Adnams garden in association with the EDP. Picture: Ian Burt
Andy Wood, chief executive at Adnams, said the garden, which was toured by HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, was also a celebration of British traditions. “For this project, we have reinvented the conventional “pub garden” to create a beautiful space in which to enjoy a pint of British Ale, something I know HRH the Prince of Wales is partial to,” he said.
This year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition spirits winners were presented at the IWSC annual spirits tasting on Thursday, hosted in the opulent surroundings of London’s Vintners Hall. More than 200 spirits awarded a medal or trophy in this year’s competition were available to taste, as the competition gears up toward its annual awards banquet at the Guildhall in London in November.
A series of masterclasses were hosted throughout the event covering whisky, gin and Armagnac. db attended the whisky masterclass hosted by Glenfiddich brand ambassador Mark Thomson. While Glenfiddich accounted for one of the whiskies to be presented, Thomson took attendees through a diverse range of whiskies from other distilleries across Scotland, including the Orkney-based NAS Scapa Skiren, newly released Hazelwood 25 and the heavily peated Bowmore 18.
Shrinking violet Chester Osborn brightened up the db office no end when he came to visit us this week armed with his box of props that he uses to illustrate a number of the 72 different wines he makes. Keen to keep things fun and interesting, Osborn recently made a Mencía and a Sagrantino and soon to experiment with Spanish grape Bobal and Etna jewel Nerello Mascalese.
During the interview, he showed off some of the illustrations that will line the bar at his ambitious new “Cube” project in the McLaren Vale, which will boast what he hopes will be “Australia’s best restaurant” and egg-shaped sleeping pods dotted among the vines.
db finally made it to wine mecca Noble Rot on Lamb’s Conduit Street this week to slurp our way through the list. We began with an appetite-whetting glass of English fizz from Hambledon, moving on to a JJ Prum Riesling in celebration of the 30 Days of Riesling campaign. The wine of the night however, was Silwervis Smiley Chenin Blanc from the Swartland in South Africa – named after the leftover meat on local delicacy, sheep’s head, which was rich with ripe apples and candied lemon.
But man can’t survive on wine alone, so we got stuck into some of the small plates on offer at the bar, from ham hock terrine and a divine raspberry and almond tart to this decadent salt cod dish.
In honour of the Rio Olympics, Brazilian fusion restaurant Sushisamba in the Heron Tower has created a bespoke menu of dishes that encapsulate the Brazilian spirit. Among the brightly coloured plates on offer are yellowtail nigiri with coconut and lime; cod with lime and ahi amarillo; and cheese bread with chorizo.
Kings of the night Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling popped on overalls and adorned Italian berets, turning painters for the day as their Battersea pizzeria Bunga Bunga had to be painted back to its original white after the façade was painted in the colours of the Italian flag in for the Euros.
The Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards judging panel met in London to determine the shortlists for the twelfth Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards this week. Two of the drinks business’ writers have made the cut, with Lauren Eads shortlisted for Emerging Wine Writer of the Year and Lucy Shaw in the running to collect the Food and Wine Writer of the Year award. On the panel this year was chairman Charles Metcalfe, Tim Atkin MW, Fiona Beckett, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Bill Knott.
To see the full shortlist of writers shortlisted click here.
Tuesday this week saw some of the UK’s most sparkling palates gather together to judge this year’s entries for The Drinks Business Champagne Masters. Left to right: Anthony Foster MW, Rebecca Palmer, Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW, Michael Edwards, Roberto Della Pietra, Patrick Schmitt MW, Simon Field MW, Clement Robert MS
Every major marque was represented in the blind tasting, which was held at The Dorchester Hotel. Pictured above is Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW and below is Patrick Schmitt MW.
Other judges included Champagne specialist Anthony Foster MW (above) and Moët Sommelier of the Year Clement Robert MS (below).
As well as Champagne commentator and db contributor Michael Edwards (above) and Berry Bros. & Rudd Champagne buyer Simon Field MW (below).
UK wine merchant Flint Wines continued their 10th year celebrations with a rousing game of Pétanque. Three teams battled it out, however as darkness fell the gang had only just made it to the semi-final stages when they called it a day, with a winner never crowned. As they say, it’s the taking part that counts!