The week in pictures

This week saw the first day of picking at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey. Viticulturist Duncan McNeill (centre frame) and his team prepare to harvest the first Solaris grapes.The 2016 harvest is anticipated to be exceptional thanks to near perfect growing conditions throughout the summer months and a warm September.

Simon Bladon of Jenkyn Place explains they are anticipating a stellar 2016 harvest. The current crop is now in the middle of ‘veraison’, the period which sees the onset of ripening when the berries change colour. The Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier all look particularly good this year, and all are ripening well.

Irish Distillers Jameson closed the doors on the beloved Old Jameson Distillery this week for renovation work that will elevate this internationally-known venue and build a more interactive experience for visitors. This week guests joined a countdown at a party to mark the closure of the old distillery.

Kygo, one of the world’s leading dance music artists, and guests of Malibu at the Ultra Japan festival this week – boosting the brand’s Because Summer campaign. Malibu has teamed up with Kygo to support live music events and venues around the world and will also create a special video edit for his new single ‘Carry Me’ featuring Malibu.

Kelsey Ramage, from Dandelyan, London, claimed victory at the 6^th Tahona Society Cocktail Competition – hosted by Altos Tequila – this week with her winning cocktail, Never Die. The serve impressed the Tahona Society’s expert panel of judges due to its exceptional taste and Ramage’s ingenious use of local ingredients.

The Tahona Society Cocktail Competition finalists, (L-R) Simon Kistenfeger from Norway, Bethany Ham from the U.S. and overall winner Kelsey Ramage from the U.K.

Festival-goers to Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire were able to quench their thirst with an Orchard Pig cider, with the brand having signed a three-year deal with the festival. As well as having a presence on all bars across the site, Orchard Pig put its own stamp on the festival by hosting its own bar, the ‘Cider Barn’. The bar became a hub after dark, as the team worked with Live Nation to bring a line-up of ten bands to the bar’s stage, including the acclaimed The Buffalo Skinners each night, offering a rousing mix of 60s rock n’ roll and bluesy-folk music.

Armelle Cruse (pictured above), vice-president of the Alliance des Crus Bourgeois du Médoc, was in London on Thursday to unveil the 2014 Official Selection of wines which have attained Cru Bourgeois status.

This year, 278 wines made the grade this year and 182 of them were available for UK Trade and Press to sample at yesterday’s tasting at The British Academy which drew a strong crowd from across all sectors of the UK wine trade. This was the first international tasting of the new Official Selection which was unveiled in France on Tuesday.

Hatch Mansfield held its portfolio tasting this week at BAFTA. After a successful tasting, attendees were invited to a Champagne Taittinger reception, hosted by Vitalie Taittinger before watching a screening of Sing Street.

On Wednesday Bibendum won the Compass Group Supplier Award for Implementation at a Gala Dinner hosted by Dara O’Briain.

Australia’s wine artisans descended on London this week for Wine Australia’s Artisans of Australian Wine tasting. Held in London’s Cargo Restaurant, it was a chance for visitors to get a taste of Australia’s new wave, boutique, alternative scene, with 40 wineries and more then 25 winemakers in attendance, including Adam Castagna, of Castagna….

….and Taras Ochota of boutique producer Ochota Barrels, who showcased, among other wines, his Gewurztraminer.

Oz Clarke at the Wine Australia’s Artisans of Australian Wine tasting.

(L-R) Bartenders Michele Reina, Harrison Knox, Georgia Billing, Andrei Marian, Jack Wareing, Sam Mathieson and Ernest Reid.

This week saw the culmination of Auchentoshan’s New Malt Order bartender competition, which each year challenges bartenders around the world to “do things differently” with its malt, this year for the chance to help create its 2017 limited edition single malt whisky. The winners were Georgia Billing and Jack Wareing were awarded joing first place.

This week saw db’s managing editor Lucy Shaw whisked to Rías Baixas in Spain’s northwestern tip. Known for being even rainier than the UK, db lucked was treated to blazing blue skies. The trip began at the DO’s HQ, where we tried a selection of Albariños to give us a feel for the grape.

Some estates were better at translating tasting notes than others – this gem suggests “the entrance is slightly doomed”, though we rather liked it.

Proving the region isn’t a one-trick pony, at Adega Dos Eidos we were treated to the 2011 and 2009 vintages of an Albariño with extended time on its lees, which gives the grape a Chardonnay and Chenin-like character with honey notes and cooking apple aromas.

No visit to Rías Baixas would be complete without sampling the region’s signature dish – polpo a la feria: octopus with potatoes and paprika.

The Albariño harvest was in full swing during our visit, giving us ample opportunity to nibble on the deliciously sweet grapes.

Joining Lucy were wine writers Peter Dean and Christine Austin, Alison Dillon from Wines of Spain and two competition winners from Camino.

Our final visit took us to revered estate Pazo de Señoras, which has blazed a trail with its long-aged Albariños. The estate is so pretty it has become a popular wedding venue.

Among the wines we tried during our visit were the 2004 vintage of top wine Selección de Añanda and the 2012 re-release of its flagship Albariño, under the “Coleccíon” label. Both were wonderful, and proved that Albariño has tremendous ageing potential in the right hands.

Back in London, we hoofed it to prestigious cookery school Le Cordon Bleu in Bloomsbury for a dinner cooked by Cordon Bleu alumni that featured langoustine ceviche, nut-custed venison with figs and a trio of puds including a divine sticky date pudding with a mushroom caramel sauce.