Tag: wine tasting

Gaucho Tower Bridge x Journey’s End Wine Dinner

Published on 21st July 2020

Gaucho Tower Bridge have partnered with Journey’s End to bring you an exclusive evening of wine paired with a three -course menu on July 30th. Journey’s End hails from the Stellenbosch winelands of South Africa only produces a handful of premium, hand-crafted wines each vintage with their focus being very much on quality. Whether you consider yourself a true wine connoisseur or looking for a great post work event where you can learn more about wine whilst overlooking the River Thames. The tickets are £50 includes a three-course dinner paired with six wines from Journey’s End as well as a glass of bubbles on arrival as we settle into the evening. Also included a chance win a couple of bottles on the night as well as an exclusive offer on Journey’s End wines from our online wine shop. With limited spaces available book your spot now at www.gauchorestaurants.com

Toast St George’s Day with an English Wine

Published on 19th April 2018

  Written by Mike Best, WSET Certified Educator English wine is moving into a new era. It is now widely available in retailers and restaurants and rising on the international stage. It is not without considerable effort that wine is produced here, as there are many challenges when growing grapes in a cool climate. Why do people persist making wine here? Because England is capable of making great quality wine! Having won several trophies in top blind wine tasting competitions, there is now no doubt that we can make home grown world class wine. Five million bottles of wine were produced in the UK last year and considerable investment into new plantings as well as high profile partnerships between UK vineyards and Champagne houses show the future is bright. England’s strength is sparkling wine, made using the same traditional method as is used to make Champagne. In the majority of cases, the wines are made from one or all three of the main Champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. These are internationally revered for production of top-quality sparkling wine because they have natural high acidity, ripen in cool climates and take on rich, toasty flavours from ageing. How is it different to Champagne? Though a lot of technology and know-how has been based on Champagne, wineries are starting to understand what is best for them. What I love about English wine is its precise, complex fruit flavour. A long growing season allows for a slow maturity of flavour, which means you have a complex array of fruits from granny smith apples, to fresh raspberry to ripe strawberry. English still wines are also increasing in quality. The white Bacchus grape is steadily becoming England’s own; it looks likely to have a good future with its crisp style and flavours of citrus fruits and nettle. Some red wines are made too. There are some terrific wines made using Pinot Noir in a light, fresh style with red fruit flavours of cherry and berry. When it comes to food pairing, seafood is unsurprisingly a good match, whether that’s an expensive Dover sole or simple fish and chips. The high acidity works well with the oily fish and can cut through the fatty nature of the batter. The rise of English wineries has also gone hand in hand with tourism. Winery tours, visits and educational activities are becoming increasingly popular. Some wineries are also offering WSET wine courses! The best way to experience these wines is to taste, taste, taste! Or, if you’re interested in learning more about how climate and production methods influence the flavours of wines, or how to pair them with foods, why not take a WSET course? WSET School London on Bermondsey Street offers beginner to expert courses for enthusiasts and professionals. Visit wsetschool.com to learn more.