Wine and Cheese Social - 16 August 2018
As Stuart, Chairman, said in his vote of thanks the wine and cheese social is now firmly established as a highlight of the Wine Circle’s calendar. Sally and Kevin 
generously host the event in their home. The event is very informal allowing for plenty of social interaction.
There were those that contended that while cheese goes with wine no way could you drink wine with chocolate. In other corners in was evident that the football season had started. There was of course the truly British discussions about the weather!
Sally’s and Kevin’s selection of cheese and wine made sure that everyone’s palettes were perfectly pleased and fun was had by all. Of course, such an event does not just happen - it takes much planning and organisation. It was clear that they went the extra mile in not just selecting the wine and cheese, but, in ensuring the creature comforts of those attending.
The social kicked off with nibbles (with a glass of wine of course.) Kevin had found that wine bottles come with a readymade décor and introduced us to the range of illustrations to be found on the bottles on offer. The main cheese platter was then sampled. Finally there was the round of Stilton complemented by port, and also, some chocolate fancies accompanied by a chocolate wine.
Terry
Tanlaw Mill Dinner - 19 July 2018
The Buckingham Wine Circle had chosen once again to hold its Annual Dinner at the
University of Buckingham, Old Town Mill. In previous years it had always been a success. This year was no exception.
The Hunter Street campus is in a wonderful setting, with the River Great Ouse running alongside. How wonderful it was for members to be able to sit outside the OTM on a beautiful Summers evening enjoying a pre-dinner drink.
The dining room lends itself to an informal convivial environment, whereby members could chat in a relaxing atmosphere . The food was exemplary, and the applause extended to the chef and catering staff, well deserved.
Julie
Visit to Majestic Wines - 21 June 2018
Twenty six members enjoyed a very enjoyable evening at Majestic Wines, Bicester on a sunny Mid Summer’s Day. We were also joined by Andrew Webster who is doing so much to facilitate the visit to the Serbian wine regions later in the year.
Matt, our knowledgeable and welcoming host presented six wines for tasting. Three from France with the remainder from Italy, New Zealand and Argentina ranging from 13 – 14.5% and from £7.99 to £14.99, they were well received by our members. Our course, all had ones they favoured more as is the norm for any varied wine tasting.
For the record the wines presented and enjoyed were:
- Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2016 from the Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand – from a vineyard between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean. The author liked this one!
- Montagy Vieilles Vignes 2015, Buxy, France. Chardonnay grape and very drinkable.
- Domaine Saint Ferreol Voignier 2016 PGI Pays d’Oc, France. The chateau is based in a medieval priory. Described as a ‘marmite’ wine by one member explains all.
- Kaiken Seleccion Especial Malbec 2016, Mendoza, Argentina. Another hit for me!
- Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso 2015 La Cassetta, Italy from the hilly villages east of Lake Garda. The most expensive at £14.99 but well worth treating yourselves.
- Lirac Vignobles Abeille 2015, Mont Redon, France from close to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, part matured in French oak for 18 months to be enjoyed with rich stews. I would go with that!
We then had time to chat and peruse the fantastic array of wines and spirits on display, spending our discount wisely before returning home enhanced by the sampling and the reception given to us by the Majestic team.
Robert
Wine and Cheese Tasting - 17 May 2018
In his presentation last year Ron paired French wine with French cheese; this year it was Italian wine and cheese. He set out, and achieved is aim, to demonstrate Italian cheese is more than than just mozzarella and Parmesan.
As an aperitif we sampled a white Puglia Fiano wine matched with Taleggio cheese. So while the wine comes from the southern heel of Italy, the cheese has been made for centuries further north in the Lombardy region. This semi-soft cow’s milk cheese has a distinctive tangy flavour. With our second white wine - Vermentino Siciliane - we had Grana Padano cheese which was created by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle in the 12th century. Grana Padano closely
resembles parmesan or, as it should now be called, Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The final four wines were red - Rosso Della Terra with Pecorino Romano cheese, Raggiante Mediterraneo with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and, Barbera d’Asti with Dolcelatte. Finally two classic were paired together; Chianti and Gorgonzola. The former is made in the Tuscany region from at least 80% of Sangiovese grapes while the latter is a blue-vein cow’s milk cheese with a strong, punchy flavour made mainly in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions.
It was a fun and informative evening. All who attended agreed that Ron had demonstrated that Italy creates some fine wines and cheeses, and one of the best ways to enjoy them is together.
Terry
Call My Bluff - 19 April 2018
Call My Bluff was a long-running game show between two teams. The goal of the game was for one team to give three definitions of an obscure word, only one of which is correct. The other team then has to guess which is the correct definition, the other two being "bluffs". Buckingham Wine Circle has adapted the idea to provide an evening of fun that everyone can join in.
So let us take a wine as an example - Fog Head Reserve Chardonnay 2013. So each member of a ‘panel’ of three gives the audience a description of a selected wine, but, only one description is correct. The panel members may describe the example wine as-
1. Chardonnay takes its name from the village in the Burgundy region of eastern France. This wine from French winemaker Jean-Claude Mas is produced in the Limoux wine region of the Aude. Imbued with flavours of ripe apricot and peach with notes of oak and vanilla, it is a great accompaniment to moules marinière or white rind cheeses.
2. A Californian wine from a Monterey County vineyard fronting the Pacific. It has a complex but balanced array of fruit and citrus flavours enhanced by the early morning and evening ocean fogs (after which it is named) together with sunny days. It has notes of butter and vanilla, enjoyable with poultry, pork or pasta.
3. The wine is named after a forebear of the Marisco family who was, apparently, one of the 35 illegitimate children sired by Henry I, this New Zealand Chardonnay from the Marlborough region has a suitably regal flavour that’s won it awards and recommendations. Think lemon, apple and nectarines and a bright flavour.
In parallel the audience (in teams of 4 or 5) sample the wine and come to their own conclusion about it. Finally, the tem select what they think is the correct definition - often the most unlikely. In this case the second description is correct!
There is a cup for the tean guessing the most correctly. [There is a slight downside to winning the cup - it needs to be cleaned before returning it for next year’s event!] The winning team was headed by Sue supported by Ruth, Myra, Mike and Sally.
Terry
Sparkling Wine Evening - 15 March 2018
Often, like ‘biro’ means any ballpoint pen, “champers” is used to refer to any sparkling wine. Strictly Champagne is a sparkling wine produced from a relatively small area of France by the 
méthode champenoise. Other areas of France (and in the world) produce sparkling wines using the same method, but, it cannot be called Champagne. In most instances these offer better value for money - equal quality at a cheaper price. Probably, when thinking of sparkling wines, prosecco or cava come next in the list. In fact there are award winning sparklers from English vineyards, great examples from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Last year Ruth presented a selection of sparkling wines, and, this year she extended the range with a further six examples. The grape varieties sampled included Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Then some more localised varieties from Italy Glera, Xarello, Macabeo and Parellado. She presented a couple of Cremants (Loire and Jura), a Cava, a Prosecco, and finally, a Champagne.
The evening demonstrated the extensive selection of good quality sparkling wines available for under £12.50, made from a wide range of grapes and all available from local stockists.
Terry
Buckingham Wine Circle
BUCKINGHAM WINE CIRCLE
As Stuart, Chairman, said in his vote of thanks the wine and cheese social is now firmly established as a highlight of the Wine Circle’s calendar. Sally and Kevin
generously host the event in their home. The event is very informal allowing for plenty of social interaction.
There were those that contended that while cheese goes with wine no way could you drink wine with chocolate. In other corners in was evident that the football season had started. There was of course the truly British discussions about the weather!
Sally’s and Kevin’s selection of cheese and wine made sure that everyone’s palettes were perfectly pleased and fun was had by all. Of course, such an event does not just happen - it takes much planning and organisation. It was clear that they went the extra mile in not just selecting the wine and cheese, but, in ensuring the creature comforts of those attending.
Terry
The Buckingham Wine Circle had chosen once again to hold its Annual Dinner at the
University of Buckingham, Old Town Mill. In previous years it had always been a success. This year was no exception.
The Hunter Street campus is in a wonderful setting, with the River Great Ouse running alongside. How wonderful it was for members to be able to sit outside the OTM on a beautiful Summers evening enjoying a pre-dinner drink.
The dining room lends itself to an informal convivial environment, whereby members could chat in a relaxing atmosphere . The food was exemplary, and the applause extended to the chef and catering staff, well deserved.
Julie
Visit to Majestic Wines - 21 June 2018
Twenty six members enjoyed a very enjoyable evening at Majestic Wines, Bicester on a sunny Mid Summer’s Day. We were also joined by Andrew Webster who is doing so much to facilitate the visit to the Serbian wine regions later in the year.
Matt, our knowledgeable and welcoming host presented six wines for tasting. Three from France with the remainder from Italy, New Zealand and Argentina ranging from 13 – 14.5% and from £7.99 to £14.99, they were well received by our members. Our course, all had ones they favoured more as is the norm for any varied wine tasting.
We then had time to chat and peruse the fantastic array of wines and spirits on display, spending our discount wisely before returning home enhanced by the sampling and the reception given to us by the Majestic team.
Robert
Wine and Cheese Tasting - 17 May 2018
As an aperitif we sampled a white Puglia Fiano wine matched with Taleggio cheese. So while the wine comes from the southern heel of Italy, the cheese has been made for centuries further north in the Lombardy region. This semi-soft cow’s milk cheese has a distinctive tangy flavour. With our second white wine - Vermentino Siciliane - we had Grana Padano cheese which was created by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle in the 12th century. Grana Padano closely
resembles parmesan or, as it should now be called, Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The final four wines were red - Rosso Della Terra with Pecorino Romano cheese, Raggiante Mediterraneo with Parmigiano-Reggiano, and, Barbera d’Asti with Dolcelatte. Finally two classic were paired together; Chianti and Gorgonzola. The former is made in the Tuscany region from at least 80% of Sangiovese grapes while the latter is a blue-vein cow’s milk cheese with a strong, punchy flavour made mainly in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions.
It was a fun and informative evening. All who attended agreed that Ron had demonstrated that Italy creates some fine wines and cheeses, and one of the best ways to enjoy them is together.
Terry
Call My Bluff - 19 April 2018
So let us take a wine as an example - Fog Head Reserve Chardonnay 2013. So each member of a ‘panel’ of three gives the audience a description of a selected wine, but, only one description is correct. The panel members may describe the example wine as-
1. Chardonnay takes its name from the village in the Burgundy region of eastern France. This wine from French winemaker Jean-Claude Mas is produced in the Limoux wine region of the Aude. Imbued with flavours of ripe apricot and peach with notes of oak and vanilla, it is a great accompaniment to moules marinière or white rind cheeses.
2. A Californian wine from a Monterey County vineyard fronting the Pacific. It has a complex but balanced array of fruit and citrus flavours enhanced by the early morning and evening ocean fogs (after which it is named) together with sunny days. It has notes of butter and vanilla, enjoyable with poultry, pork or pasta.
In parallel the audience (in teams of 4 or 5) sample the wine and come to their own conclusion about it. Finally, the tem select what they think is the correct definition - often the most unlikely. In this case the second description is correct!
There is a cup for the tean guessing the most correctly. [There is a slight downside to winning the cup - it needs to be cleaned before returning it for next year’s event!] The winning team was headed by Sue supported by Ruth, Myra, Mike and Sally.
Terry
Sparkling Wine Evening - 15 March 2018
Often, like ‘biro’ means any ballpoint pen, “champers” is used to refer to any sparkling wine. Strictly Champagne is a sparkling wine produced from a relatively small area of France by the
méthode champenoise. Other areas of France (and in the world) produce sparkling wines using the same method, but, it cannot be called Champagne. In most instances these offer better value for money - equal quality at a cheaper price. Probably, when thinking of sparkling wines, prosecco or cava come next in the list. In fact there are award winning sparklers from English vineyards, great examples from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Last year Ruth presented a selection of sparkling wines, and, this year she extended the range with a further six examples. The grape varieties sampled included Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Then some more localised varieties from Italy Glera, Xarello, Macabeo and Parellado. She presented a couple of Cremants (Loire and Jura), a Cava, a Prosecco, and finally, a Champagne.
The evening demonstrated the extensive selection of good quality sparkling wines available for under £12.50, made from a wide range of grapes and all available from local stockists.
Terry