A recommendation from someone who attended a tasting a year or so ago in Rutland lead to an invitation to present a selection of Rhone wines to a group of 80 or so people in St Albans last night. On arrival I was tested out with a radio microphone which I did everything I could to avoid using but managed to amuse and offend in equal measure (I suggested that I was rather younger than most of those present which was true but someone who was of a similar age thought I meant that everyone was considerably older than me) but, above all, inform people about the Rhone and its wines. It's often tricky in these situations since I don't know how much they know and don't want to patronise them; equally, it is a waste of their time if they go away without any greater understanding of the region. Three whites to begin with: Chateau Juvenal's 2015 'Ribes de Vallat' , an atypical blend of Clairette and Viognier, the latter grape giving the wine a sumptuous lift, followed by...
Musings on wine and occasional other subjects from The Big Red Wine Company's James Bercovici