Gullible's Travels

Gullible's Travels migrated to blog.mmenterprises.co.uk

2010-03-13T15:14:00.007Z

Gullible's Travels has moved to http://blog.mmenterprises.co.uk/. Please update your bookmarks.

My blog was previously hosted on my own website and not with Blogger. They are withdrawing support for FTP publishing and only allowing hosting on their own servers. Hence this enforced migration.

Now I need to make sure links to the old blog are successsfully redirected to the new.

Charlotte's Birthday

2010-02-24T10:48:00.007Z

We had our friends John and Andrea visit for the weekend with their daughter Charlotte (aka Lottie) and my godson Julian. Our livers and stomachs have just about recovered.

Friday evening while John, Mary and I did gym, gym and yoga respectively Andrea fed the children so when we returned we could have a grown-ups' meal. We went Moroccan out of Arabesque by Claudia Roden. I did bastilla for starter and Mary did roast duck with apricot sauce for main. Then we cleaned the freezer out of ice cream for dessert.

Some quantity of wine was drunk and so, possibly, were we. Not that badly but we did not go to bed till 01:30 and so did not leap out of bed early the next day.

Saturday John spent a day of quality time with the children as he is working away from home at the moment. This enabled Andrea to spent some civilized, adult time with us.

Lunch was at the excellent Cinnamon Club on a top table special deal. Then off to the Peacock theatre to see Havana Rakatan. The girls agreed that the males dancers were "fit"; I claim I too have a six-pack it is just hidden under a protective layer :-( By the time we got home it was time to turn round straight away and go out for the evening meal.

As luck would have it China Boulevard were celebrating the Chinese New Year so we got entertainment with our food which the kids greatly enjoyed - couldn't have planned it better.

Sunday was Lottie's birthday so it was off to The Rainforst Cafe in central London. A subterranean themed restaurant and merchandising opportunity with animatronic animals in the foliage. Geared up for children during the day and, I suspect, adult group outings in the evenings if the number of cocktails on the menu was anything to go by. Been there once. Not sure if I would rush back again.

After our guests had left, Sunday evening was quiet recovery with a DVD and Friday leftovers. We have Harry Potter 1-5 but somehow had missed watching HP3. Now we are up to date and some of 4 and 5 make more sense now.

New Cats: Peaches and Blue

2010-02-22T21:53:00.005Z

After Cleo passed (two years ago yesterday) we left it a while before considering getting another cat. Originally we decided we would not because of our plans to downshift and spend more time abroad. However that date has shifted to the right so we re-thought our plans.

We wanted to adopt a pair because they would be company for each other while we are out at work and we have a preference for Persians having had three of them. They are very home loving cats not given to wandering - important in an urban setting with a busy main road.

We went first to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home but they had few cats available for rehoming let alone pairs. They are in the middle of building a new cattery and a recent cat flu outbreak meant they had diverted incoming strays to their outstations.

We also checked out the Cats Protection League who had a pair of six month old kittens available for rehoming. We rushed down the next day to view them and while we were there had a look round and Mary fell in love with an older pair in the next pen.

Peaches and Blue at the Cat Protection League

All the rescue homes have trouble finding new owners for older cats but we were happy to take on a more mature pair they are 14 (Peaches) and 12 (Blue). In some ways they do remind us of a pastel version of Oscar and Oliver. But we still had to have the home visit...

Peaches at home

I must say we were slightly apprehensive based on our friends' experience and I was not allowed to say anything until we had passed the test. One concern is the busy main road but we have high fences and older cats are less likely to go mountaineering over the wall.

Anyhow we passed the visit and if we were being assessed it was done very discreetly - more like a cosy chat on the perils of cat ownership but we are old hands. Having had the OK on the Friday evening we went down Sunday lunchtime to collect the 'monsters'.

Blue at home

They are still settling in but so far it seems to be going smoothly. The first 24 hours they hid in the darkest corners but now - a week later - they are out and about although still easily spooked. I am grooming Blue daily as she had a number of knots that the CPL had to have shaved off and I want to prevent reforming.

Time will, I am sure, see them settle in and become our new companion animals :-)

The Wines of Zind Humbrecht at Planet of the Grapes

2010-02-16T12:02:00.007Z

The Wines of Zind Humbrecht - Thursday 11th February 2010

On arrival - A selection of Dampierre Champagne;
Brut Grand Cuvee @ £30, Cuvee des Ambassadeurs 1er cru @ £36.50,
Cuvee des Ambassadeurs 1er cru Rose @ £41.50

1. "Zind" 2007 @ £19.00
2. Riesling "Heimbourg" 2007 @ £30.00
3. Riesling "Clos Windsbuhl" 2003 @ £37.50
4. Riesling "Herrenweg de Turckheim" 1988 (from magnum) N/A
5. Muscat "Herrenweg de Turckheim" 2007 @ £25.00
6. Pinot Gris "Calcaire" 2007 @ £22.00
7. Pinot Gris "Clos St.Urbain, Rangen de Thann" Grand Cru 2001 @ £68.50
8. Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl" 2007 @ £45.00
9. Gewurztraminer Vendage Tardive "Clos Windsbuhl" 2005 @ £37.50 per 375ml.

Another enjoyable wine tasting at Planet of the Grapes - indeed is there any other sort of wine tasting? I have been remiss on not blogging some previous tastings at POTG so let this be the start of a new leaf.

I am a great fan of ZH especially his Gewurtztramimer Herrenweg which I first met back in 1987-88. Later I worked in Basel, Switzerland, just over the border from Alsace and had a couple of very enjoyable visits with usual suspects John & Andrea.

In summary the stars of the evening were the Riesling "Clos Windsbuhl" and the Pinot Gris "Calcaire":

No 1 the Zind is made from Auxerrois, not one of the four noble grapes of Alsace (Gewurtztramimer, Reisling, Muscat, Pinot Gris), and so is only entitled to a Vin de Table appellation. Pleasant enough but not worth the money.

The three reislings were an interesting comparison.
No 2 was lovely - full of melon and tropical fruits on the nose and sweet with a restrained hint of petrol on the palette.
No 3 however was what 2 may mature into it - according to my notes "yummy" - and well worth the extra money for more flavour and bottle age.
No 4 had the classic petrol nose but IMHO had faded.

No 5 was enjoyable but annoyed me just because I could not put a name to the smell. Mary had "mushroom" and I had "gooseberry & Midori".

Nos 6 and 7 made an interesting contrast with the Calcaire being the one I preferred of the pair and at one third the price! According to the presenters there was 37gm of residual sugar but you never would have guessed it.

No 8 had a whopping 74gm of residual sugar and, fortunately like the others, had the complexity to prevent it from being syrup.

No 9 was a proper dessert wine with a real caramel / butterscotch finish. Gorgeous.

Culture vultures - three plays in three weeks

2010-02-14T18:44:00.007Z

Last year we went to a lot of music gigs but, as far as I can recall, to the theatre only four times** - and some of those I did not even blog - tut! This year we have already nearly equalled that over the previous three weekends:

The Caretaker by Pinter at Trafalgar Studios (Sat 23-Jan-10). Jonathan Pryce was brilliant - like Ian McKellen in Waiting for Godot - he vanished inside the character so the character is all you saw. It made me marvel at the actors' art. Although I am not sure what is was about.
The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane at the Garrick (Sat 30-Jan-10). Not so this play which was explicitly about "why are there no openly gay leading men in Hollywood?". A question asked both movingly and entertainingly.
The Habit of Art by Alan Bennett at The Lyttleton (Mon 09-Feb-10). Another play that I was not sure what it was about - the Grauniad describes it as "a multi-levelled work that deals with sex, death, creativity, biography and much else besides". Full of Alan Bennett's laconic humour and dry wit. Disconcertingly the man next to me seemed to find it thigh-slappingly, guffaw-out-loud hilarious.

The joys of living in one of the great cities of the world :-)

**
Hamlet by William Shakespeare at the Novello Theatre (Thu 08-Jan-09)
October by Fiona Looney at the Olympia Theatre (Sat 14-Feb-09)
Where There's a Will by Georges Feydeau at The Rose Theatre (Sat 07-Feb-09)
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett at the Theatre Royal Haymarket (??)

Helen Galashan get a gold medal

2010-02-10T20:47:00.003Z

Mary's nieces switched from gymnastics to synchronised diving a couple of years ago and continue to do well in their new discipline.

Helen and Carol Galashan - Helen is the one on the... erm...

Galashan takes individual 10m title in Sheffield
Posted: Saturday 6th February 2010 | 21:05

EUROPEAN bronze medallist Helen Galashan took gold in the individual 10m on the second day of diving at the British Gas National Cup in Sheffield.

Her final dive secured 59.2 points to give her a total of 337.9 to top the podium ahead of Sarah Barrow in second and Brooke Graddon who finished third.

The 25-year-old, who specialises in the 10m synchro with her twin sister, went into the final ranked in fourth place and with little medal expectation.

"I am so shocked right now," said Galashan. "I came into this competition with no expectations or aims and it is so good to have won that gold. That is my best ever score and my Inward was a great way to start the competition. I have never scored nines on that dive before. I do prefer the synchro because it is with my sister so anything I do with my individual is a bonus for me."

Full story: http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/diving/068736-galashan-takes-individual-10m-title-sheffield

Thanks and apologies to the sites I borrowed the photos from.

Visiting May - February 2010

2010-02-08T16:27:00.003Z

The usual monthly visit to the MIL in Scotland. Fly up Friday evening, get picked up from Glasgow airport by the BIL, borrow the SIL's car and drive down to May's. Then spend the weekend doing chauffeur duty and assorted DIY tasks.

This time it was replace a broken loo seat, install three sliding baskets on runners in the kitchen cabinets and glaze part of the shower cubicle with a sheet of Perspex (clear acrylic sheet).

Sunday we went out to celebrate the birthday of an old family friend, Duncan. We went to Maccullum's of Troon right down by the harbour side and had an excellent meal with efficient and friendly staff. Googling the restaurant reveals lots of 5-star reviews and deservedly so; one to re-visit.

Then back late Sunday with a multi-part meal of snacks and wine, in the airport, on the plane and on the train. And so to bed.

Food and Wine from the Puglia Region

2010-01-30T16:15:00.006Z

Puglia Wine Tasting Dinner on Tuesday 26th January at 7.00 pm

So felicitous of Enoteca Turi to organise a Puglian wine dinner on Mary's birthday; made the choice of venue for the celebratory meal a no-brainer :-)

This time we were seated on the top table either side of Guiseppi and so were able to have a long chat with him. It was fascinating to hear the story of the restaurant and how it has prospered over its 20 years.

We met not one but three sets of Puglian neighours! One couple even knew Anne and Henry who introduced us to the region and in whose trulli we often stayed while the building works were being done. That said it should not really be surprising that London-based holiday home owners would favour a Puglian restaurant and especially this dinner.

Guiseppi Turi in front of a vineyard

The wines:

Falanghina del Salento - Good but have had better Falanghina.
Primitivo del Salento - would not have guessed it as Primitivo, light.
Five Roses Rosato del Salento - passable pairing with the food but a more unctious white might have been better
Il Falcone Castel del Monte - cooler climate wine compared to the Negroamaro.
Negroamaro del Salento - preferred this of the pair, richer,fruitier warmer climate style.
Nero di Troia - very strong Morello cherry palate.
Primitivo di Manduria - as Parker would say "gobs of fruit" velvey, chocolate palate. Yummy - a "vino di meditazione".
Moscato di Trani - went well with a most delicious dessert.

The meal:

Stuzzichini
Grilled oyster mushroom, bread dumplings with garlic, pecorino and parsley
deep-fried mussels, capocollo di Martina
Burrata with toasted Altamura bread
Le Fossette Falanghina del Salento 2007 Alberto Longo
*
Selection of antipasti
Grilled squid
Catalogna chicory with fava bean puree
Toasted bread with cima di rape suffocate
Baked artichoke with egg, pecorino and mint
Primitivo del Salento IGT 2006 Cantele
*
Lagane, ceci, cozze e tria
Mussels, chick pea and tria
Five Roses IGT Rosato del Salento 2007 Leone de Castris
*
Orecchiette con brasciole
Parcels of beef filled with celery, onion, parmesan and parsley slow-cooked
in a red wine and tomato sauce, served with orecchiette
Il Falcone Castel del Monte DOC 2005 Rivera
Maime Negroamaro del Salento 2005 Tormaresca
*
Costatine d'agnello alla brace con bieta
Grilled lamb cutlet with swiss chard and olive oil
Le Cruste nero di Troia IGT 2006 Alberto longo
Primitivo di Manduria DOC Sessantanni 2006 Feudi di S. Marzano
*
Zuppa Inglese
Rum-soaked sponge with vanilla pastry cream and candied fruits
Kaloro Moscato di Trani DOC 2005 Tormaresca
*
Coffee with almond nougatine sticks

Excellent Exeter

2010-01-20T20:45:00.006Z

A weekend of fine dining and much walking in delightful, historic Exeter and environs.

Mary had a work trip to Exeter last Friday so, as the client had paid her train fare, she suggested I might like to come down to join her and make a weekend of it - and so we did.

Friday I left work early, did some work on the train, and checked in to the ABode Hotel, Exeter for a special weekend package. The deal included a free glass of decent champagne and a meal in their fine restaurant.

Exeter cathedral - the view from our hotel room

Saturday we tromped 12 miles along the Exe Estuary Trail. Devon Council are still working on what will be, I am sure, a very popular leisure resource.

River Exe view

After the first 8 miles it was time for a pub lunch at The Puffing Billy in Exton. Good food and beer with a convivial landlord. We tried a couple of local ales: Gun Dog for me and Otter for Mary. The last 4 miles took us to Exmouth and the train back to Exeter.

Boats on the River Exe

That evening we caught the train back down to Topsham for supper at Oliva, recommended by a colleague of Mary's. The food was excellent and the service friendly but very slow. An earlier table was late arriving and the kitchen could not cope. Not like it was packed solid or anything. Even a basket of bread would have helped, as it was we were drinking on an empty stomach for an hour. I would go back but...

Walking tour of Exeter - Catherdral to Quay

Sunday we did a guided tour of the city "Cathedral to Quay" which left us an easy walk to the Double Locks pub for lunch. Then a walk back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and spend the afternoon trundling home on the train.

An very tourist friendly city with lots of history and atmosphere - recommended.

Mark McLellan - My Year in Status

2010-01-10T17:14:00.007Z

When I did my Facebook year in status it neatly precised the last twelve months: music, food & drink, cycling, travel.

Music was a rich year with some most entertaining evenings out:

Tina Turner at the O2 (brilliant!)
Rick Wakeman at Hampton Court Palace
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans (too many artists to list)
New Orleans festival at the O2 (John Mooney, Dr John)
Neil Young in Hyde Park (also Seasick Steve)
James Taylor at the O2
Sapphire Bullets in a pub in Kingston on Thames
U2 at Wembley
Bolan Bop in Golders Green
T.Rextasy at Epsom
Bill Bailey's Extraordinary Guide to the Orchestra
Bill Posters Will be Band plus Three Bonzos and a Piano at The Bull's Head, Barnes

http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/labels/music.htm

Food and drink to many to mention, see:

Travel is not good for our carbon footprint. The most frequent destination was Scotland to visit Mary's mum and help her with the down-sizing and move to the sheltered accommodation. Of course the Trulli gets a number of hits.

Scotland (10) - visiting May
Italy (5) - open up, holidays, close down
New Orleans (1) - Jazz Fest
South Africa (1) - Whale watching in Hermanus
Bowness (1) - walking in the lake district
France (1) - weekend visiting John and Andrea in Bordeaux
Dublin (1) - Valentine's Day weekend

Cycling
One charity ride (London Bikeathon in Aid of Leukaemia Research) and load of miles commuting to work by bike.

Health
I had a cataract operation in March in the left eye which went well. As only the one eye was done that left me with mismatched eyes. I cannot now use glasses as the prescriptions are two disparate - I miss the varifocal lenses. Instead I use a long distance contact lens in the left and reading power in the right - leaving the brain to auto-flip flop between the images; odd but mostly works ok.

Work should get a mention. At the tail end of 2008 I was budget cut out of BT after four years of contract renewals. I then got a contract as "poacher turned gamekeeper" at Wexham Park Hospital. After only two months there the financial axe fell again and, as freelancers are easy meat for the cull, I was out again.

Luckily I obtained a new contract on a really interesting project, with excellent colleagues in a good location (London Bridge) that I cycle to most days that I can. The rate wasn't top of the range but who's complaining with the other plus points.

What is a pain is that the agency through whom I was contracting went into voluntary liquidation owing me three months money. I am unlikely to ever see that but the plus side is that I am now working directly for the client and get the old agency's cut so will gradually claw back the loss. And the work looks set fair to continue for some time.

Christmas: The previous two Christmases were spent in South Africa so this year it was our turn to host Mary's Mum and stay in the UK. We spent a relaxing time as home in Wandsworth with May mostly knitting in the corner. We were joined by my Mum and Dad for Christmas Day goose and on New Year's Eve our friends Bob and Lynne joined us for a meal at a local restaurant.

No New Year resolutions but if I were to make one it would be "to become older and wiser". That way I am guaranteed at least a 50 percent success :-)

PS [14-Jan-10]
Molly the Morris Minor: How could I have missed that other milestone of the year? After 13 years with us Molly the Morris Minor went off to a new home. http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/labels/cars.htm

Preparing for Christmas 2009

2009-12-21T20:25:00.004Z

This past week has been getting ready for Christmas. Up into the loft to bring down the tree, the decorations (the gold collection and the red and green collection) and the Christmas tea pot.

Yesterday we went down to Farnham to visit the Ageds for a cuppa, drop off a bag of presents and collect one in return. Then off to Heathrow to collect May, the MIL, and bring her back to stay with us for a couple of weeks.

The tree has already been assembled; tonight we put up the decorations and lights.

Jeeves, mull me some wine!

Bill Bailey at the O2

2009-12-17T22:04:00.006Z

Mary Galashan wrote "when a friend of a friend of a friend invites to you at the last minute to see Bill Bailey in a hospitality box at the O2, don't even think about it, say YES!!! It was great fun and so clever."

Peter Blake guitar at The O2

An old friend of my brother rang me up last Friday lunch time and asked if I was free that evening to go see Bill Bailey at the O2. He had done someone a favour and they reciprocated by giving him the exclusive use of a corporate box on that very day. So he spent the entire day frantically phoning round to find short-notice guests. Mary and I were available so off we went for what turned out to be a most excellent evening.

We saw Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide To The Orchestra which was hugely entertaining. I had not realised that he was a musician before he was a comic and was pleasantly surprised when he sat down at the piano to rattle off a few classical numbers. Google for more reviews.

There was catering, as much drink as we wanted all for free, plus the entertainment. Afterwards, as it was still early, we went down to the VIP lounge bar and had a glass of champagne to round off the evening.

Bill Bailey at The O2. Slumming it in the corporate hospitality box. Free booze. Free food. Peter Blake original on the wall. Party on dudes!!

Sassicaia and Ornellaia Wine Tasting Dinner

2009-12-15T08:51:00.005Z

Thursday was our works' Christmas party. Since we are the directors and work force combined we, as in previous years, splashed out the company's money in accordance with the taxman's tax free allowance for staff entertaining [1]. Namely we went out for a very nice meal. And they do not get much better than a Sassicaia and Ornellaia Wine Tasting Dinner at Enoteca Turi.

We sampled parallel vintages of 2003. 2001 and 1999 presented by Tim Atkin MW http://timatkin.com/. It was a rare opportunity not afforded to many to taste such Super Tuscans in such a combination.

Stuzzichini
Tuscan Tastes:
Chicken liver crostini, polenta cheese gnocchi, salame toscano
Cauliflower and olive bruschetta
Prosecco
*
Ravioli di fagiano e verza, salsa al tartufo nero
Ravioli filled with pheasant and Savoy cabbage, black truffle sauce
Sassicaia DOC 2003 Tenuta San Guido
Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2003 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
*
Carre d'agnello, con carciofi e patate, spinaci alla fiorentina
Roast rack of lamb with sauteed artichoke and potato,
spinach fiorentina, thyme sauce
Sassicaia DOC 2001 Tenuta San Guido
Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore 2001 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
*
Formaggi Toscani
Selection of cheeses from Tuscany
Sassicaia DOC 1999 Tenuta San Guido
Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore 1999 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
*
Vin Santo con cantuccini
Vin Santo with cantuccini biscuits
Vin Santo Bianco del Empolese DOC 2004 Leonardo
*
Coffee

For more about the wines see:
http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/2009/12/sassicaia.htm
http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/2009/12/ornellaia.htm

[1] http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/480.pdf page 10
The following expenses payments and benefits are not normally taxable under the provisions described in this booklet.
Annual parties or similar functions
Sections 264 and 266(3)
Annual parties at Christmas or alternative functions of a similar nature, such as an annual dinner dance, which are open to staff generally and which cost no more than £150 per head to provide. Where there is more than one annual function and their total cost per head exceeds £150, only the functions that total £150 or less will not be taxed.

Sassicaia

2009-12-15T08:48:00.001Z

The producer of Sassicaia today, the Incisa della Rocchetta family, was a key player in the Medieval and Renaissance history of northern Italy. The family descend from Aleramo, one of the largest landowners of the Holy Roman Empire, with 250 square kilometers of estate.

Leopoldo Incisa, a high-ranking official of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1840, retired due to a severe illness, and went back to the ancestral home of Rocchetta Tanaro, in Piedmont. Here he published two catalogues of precious Italian and foreign grape varieties that he had collected, which today are a bibliographic rarity and a point of reference to anybody involved in viticulture.

Almost a century later, his great-grand child, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, as a young student in agriculture, was inspired by those books to plant cabernet vines first in Rocchetta, and then in Bolgheri, the estate he inherited by marriage. As a student in Pisa during the 1920's, the Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta dreamed of creating a "noble" wine. Like most of Italian aristocracy at the time, his taste in wine ran strongly to fine Bordeaux.

In 1930 Mario married Clarice della Gherardesca, heiress to the Tuscan estate of Tenuta San Guido in Bolgheri, on the Tyrrenean Coast, where the young couple moved at the end of the Second World War.

There, just below the castle of Castiglioncello in San Guido (about 400 meters a.s.l.), he found the "terroir" that he was searching for. In 1940, he planted the first vineyard of Sassicaia and then in 1965, he planted two more vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Eventually, all of the wine produced on the estate came to be known by the name of Sassicaia.

The 1968 vintage of Sassicaia was the first to be offered on the open market, and it was as well received as the Premier Crus from Bordeaux. In subsequent years the cellars were moved to temperature-controlled quarters, wood fermentation vats were replaced with stainless steel ones, and French oak barriques were used for the ageing process. The marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta passed away in 1983. His son, Marquis Nicolo Incisa della Rocchetta, now oversees all estate operations.

Ornellaia

2009-12-15T08:37:00.001Z

Tenuta dell Ornellaia, a 97 hectare estate, was founded in 1981 by Marchese Lodovico Antinori, in the hills near Bolgheri, adjoining Tenuta San Guido, the property of Sassicaia. Lodovico is brother to Piero Antinori of the Antinori Estate, and also nephew to Clarice Gherardesca of Tenuta San Guido.

Having inherited this estate, Ludovico planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot in 1982, with advice from his mentor Andre Tchelistchev, the late Californian wine guru.

The estate's signature wine, Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, was first released in 1985 after ageing in French oak barriques for 18 months. Other wines produced on the estate include Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, Masseto and Le Volte. Ornellaia and Masseto comfortably rank amongst the world's greatest wines.

Lodovico Antinori is no longer involved with the winery he founded; after the very successful joint ownership by Marchesi de Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi in 2002, the property is today owned by Tenuta di Toscana, a company controlled by Marchesi de Frescobaldi, its young and enthusiastic team benefiting from the resources of a large company whilst having autonomy when developing the estate's wines.

Ornellaia is not one of Tuscany's most historic wineries, but it has become one of its most respected with a formidable reputation.

Ornellaia DOC Superiore is the estate's flagship wine; each grape variety and each vineyard is vinified separately, and then assembled to produce wines that reflect the nuances of each vintage. The final blend for each vintage decided 6 months before the completion of its barrel ageing and the wine remains in the bottle for a further 12 months before it is released. Ornellaia 2001 was considered "2001 World's Number 1 Wine" by The Wine Spectator.

One of the great Super-Tuscan estates, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Winery was founded in 1981 in what has proved to be one of Italy's most interesting and expressive wine-making areas, the maritime hills of Bolgheri within the greater wine region of Maremma. Maremma is an extremely interesting sub region of Tuscany for food and wine lovers to visit. Although for centuries it was considered unfit for vineyards, in the past few decades this coastal area has become one of the most ultra exclusive wine producing regions of Italy. Its success is due both to its staunch commitment to the philosophy of "quality without compromise" and to the unique climate and terrain here. While in some ways similar to Bordeaux's, the estate's terroir is truly something special; ever-changing and composite, it includes marine, alluvial and volcanic soils, allowing each grape variety to be planted in its ideal type of soil. Ornellaia enjoys some famous neighbors such as Sassicaia, one of the most legendary Tuscan estates. Sassicaia is owned (not coincidentally) by Antinori's uncle, who made the first Super Tuscan and began the trend that continues today.

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia actually occupies two separate estates in Tuscany's low, hilly coastal region. The original property, which Antinori inherited, is home to a stylish, clean-lined winery and 30 hectares of vineyards. Nearby is the second estate, Bellaria, with 46 hectares.

Olive harvest 2009

2009-11-30T22:13:00.004Z

The last visit of the year to Trullo Azzurro to close the place down for the winter and a very productive visit it was too.

Usual routine when we are flying RuinAir: straight from work Thursday evening to the SAS Radisson Stansted. A relaxing meal and an early night for the dawn flight to Brindisi and a sprint down the SS16 to Trullo Azzurro (tafka Hovel-in-the-Hills).

After a quick lunch at Trullo Azzurro we went to the bank to pay some gas bills and reinstate our Internet banking. That evening we went with Chris & John for a meal in Martina Franca.

Harvesting olives 2009 - Mark and John

The next morning C&J came round to help us with our olive harvest and a spot of lunch. Mary insisted on buying rather than borrowing the kit so we are now the proud owners of three crates, four nets (4m x 8m) and four olive rakes.

Harvesting olives 2009 - Nets, crates and haul

A couple of hours was enough to denude all our trees of their olives. We took them round to C&J's neighbours to add in to their harvest for pressing. Hopefully next spring we will get back a couple of litres of extra-virgin olive oil.

New patio paving

The other main reason for the visit was to admire, and pay for, our new patio (see "Trullo Azzurro works"). After lunch Donato came round to tell us about what he had done and receive his well deserved money. He has done a fine job and we are very happy with the enlarged sun-bathing area :-)

The rest of the time was bagging up all the linens into vacu-sacs, plugging in the dehumidifier and preparing the place for over-wintering. Job done it was home on Sunday. I travelled light: hand luggage only and that was a Waitrose bag-for-life!

Molly the Morris Minor leaves with her new owner

2009-11-29T17:53:00.003Z

As previously written we put Molly up for sale after owning her for 14 years (1963 Morris Minor 1000 2 Door Saloon For Sale). Interest was sporadic and we were sad to see her go but I am happy to report we have found her a good home :-)

Molly the Morris Minor leaves with her new owner

We had spent a load of money having her refurbished (Molly Goes to Bristol, Molly returns from Bristol) so we may have sold her at a loss but we have helped preserve a bit of motoring heritage.

As the new owner said, it may only be a lump of metal and glass but you do get very attached to them.

South Africa 2009: Wendy House

2009-11-24T17:37:00.003Z

In South Africa sheds are known as Wendy houses and we decided we needed one on our terrace.

We have a couple of lovely shell-back chairs that have needed re-varnishing every visit and a barbeque which had rusted in the salty air. So a storage box to contain these and the sun loungers (and possible future bicycles) over winter seemed like a good idea.

We consulted the beach club regulations which prohibit extending your property without permission but did a free standing Wendy house really constitute a structure under the meaning of the rules? Anyway, it's not a Wendy house it's a "storage box", honest.

We decided to apply the adage "it is better to ask forgiveness that seek permission" and went ahead and ordered one from Tops Timbers at Bot River.

Being on the third floor presented some challenges. The floor and roof panels were too large to go up the stairs so had to go up the outside of the building! Then all the wall and door panels had to be carried up the stair well - no lifts.

We had specified a low roof to keep the sight-line close to that of the parapet wall but the Hennie of Tops Timbers had kindly made it taller so we would not have to bend as much to get the chairs in. When the thing was installed it was huge and at least a foot (30 cm) taller than we intended.

When we explained to Hennie he was the epitome of excellent customer service. He arranged for the lads to come the next afternoon, dismantle and remove the offending side panels. They took them back to the workshop, chopped them down and returned the day after to reassemble the now shorter Wendy house (sorry storage box).

It still looks massive but at least it is, mostly, out of sight.

And of course like my previous shed, Jabba [1], and current sheds, Arthur and Jackson [2], this too should have a name. And what better name than Wendy :-)

[1] http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/2005/10/jabba-shed.htm
[2] http://www.mmenterprises.co.uk/blog/2006/04/arthur-two-sheds-jackson.htm

South Africa 2009: Paarl

2009-11-18T19:11:00.006Z

On this trip to South Africa we flew out on our wedding anniversary. Normally we go away for the weekend to celebrate, and so this trip we decided to do the same. Instead of going straight to the apartment in Hermanus we went to Paarl for the weekend, a winegrowing district that we had not previously been to.

Cascade Manor Hotel

The price of very ordinary B&Bs in Paarl itself decided us, or I should say Mary as my personal travel organiser, to go out-of-town and for the same price, have a much more luxurious accommodation. The Cascade Manor hotel was a delight. Parts of the building are over 200 years old, and it has recently been renovated and refurbished. It looks more like an Italian villa than anything else.

Mary wine tasting at Laborie

As soon as we had checked in the first thing we did was get out and go for a wine tasting; we drove into Paarl for a tasting at Laborie. http://www.laborierestaurant.co.za/

Goat tower at Fairview

On the Sunday we did a wine tour with André of Four Seasons Travel (http://www.4csonstravelling.co.za/, email: 4csonstravelling@vodamail.co.za, Tel: +27 837 607 408) for a few more tastings:

http://www.solms-delta.co.za/ - interesting ethical winery
http://www.fairview.co.za/ - home of "Goats do Roam" and "Goat Roti" *groan*
http://www.seidelberg.co.za/
http://www.vnl.co.za/ - Vrede en Lust for lunch

Vergelegen wine estate

Monday it was a leisurely drive down to Hermanus taking in a couple more tastings and lunch at Vergelegen.

We went via Tops Timbers to arrange for a man to visit to quote for a shed then on to Hermanus. We arrived in time to buy some electricity and supper for a quiet evening in. And so the holiday began :-)

A Weekend in Lacanau, France

2009-10-26T19:57:00.003Z

Our friends John and Andrea have had a holiday home in Bordeaux for nine years. We had a standing invitation to go and visit them. And of course, we never did until they sold the place and we had one last chance to visit, which we did this weekend. Our friends Bob and Lynn took the overnight ferry from Portsmouth and drove down, picking us up from the airport en route.

Friday night was a meal in; some wine was drunk. Saturday the weather forecast was pleasantly inaccurate and it was sunnier than predicted in the morning.

Walking round Lacanau
Saturday morning, we went for a walk en famille.

View of Lac du Lacanau
It was a lovely morning walking through pine woods, with views of the lake.

Fly Agaric
It being autumn and both warm and damp, the mushrooms were in full sprout. This one was simply missing the gnome.

Charlotte posing
Mary, Andrea and the children went home and then shopping while John, Bob, Lynn and I did a nine kilometre walk to Lacanau-Ocean. We all met up at the coast for a lunch of crepe. Charlotte was posing the camera.

After lunch we drove the route du vin from Margaux to Loudon-Medoc going "Ooh, aah!" at the picture-book chateaux and bought some wine to go with the evening meal. Another meal in and even more wine was drunk, and possibly the guests as well - hic!

Mary buying Sauterne Jelly
Sunday we went to the market at Castlenau where Mary bought some Sauterne Jelly. Excellent with fois gras and brie (French of course) so the stall holder informed us.

Chateau Petrus - a bargain at € 2650 a bottle (USD 2518)!
Later we went to check out one of the local wine stores to peruse their shelves and marvel at some of the prices. Then lunch, back to the airport, back to the UK and home for a very early night.

More pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157622661084630/detail/

New Zealand wine makers dinner with CJ Pask

2009-10-21T20:43:00.002+01:00

Steam Bar, the latest addition to the Wandsworth restaurant scene, is excelling itself. We had a superb wine tasting meal there last night. Arrived 7:30pm and left 11:00pm - the proper way to spend a relaxed evening meal.

Kate did a fine job of presenting the wines and giving us some background to the winery. North island, East coast; middle tier family owned estate (not giant corporate, not garagiste), disused river bed with mix of gravel and alluvium giving a variety of terroir.

The wines were fine but the chef surpassed himself and got a well deserved round of applause.

New Zealand wine makers dinner with CJ Pask

Gimblett Road Hawkes Bay New Zealand

Tuesday 20th October 2009 7.30pm

Steam Wandsworth is hosting a wine makers dinner with the award winning CJ Pask winery in Hawke's Bay. guest and wine maker Kate Radburnd will be hosting a dinner featuring her wines. Kate's wines will be matched to a fantastic four course dinner, created by head chef William Leigh.

Salsify & Parmesan rolls
CJ Pask Sauvignon 2008

Crab & apple remoulade with Melba toast
CJ Pask Unoaked Chardonnay 2007

Sauteed chicken livers, artichoke & rocket salad
CJ Pask Syrah 2005

Pot roast Scottish partridge, lentils, black cabbage & squash
Declaration Merlot 2005

Walnut souflee cake with crab apple jelly
CJ Pask Cab Sauv/Merlot/Malbec

Can't be ~~arsed~~ bothered to type up my notes. If you want to know about the wines I suggest you go to Steam Bar and drink them yourself - Cheers!

George III Mahogany dining table

2009-10-12T20:36:00.004+01:00

with drop leaves on cabriole legs with pad feet.

As previously blogged the house has been rearranged ("A Weekend with World-Class Wines") leaving us with no dining table.

We looked at fine George III Mahogany dining table in Peter Jones where we bought the TV. A bargain at GBP 2,700 - not!! Instead we put in a bid at the local auction house (Criterion Riverside) for a table answering to exactly the same description. Maybe not in quite as superb condition but still a solid mahogany antique.

We put in a absentee bid for Monday's auction and won the item. And the price tag - a whopping GBP 420, including buyers premium. So 2,700 or 420? Hmmm, <strokes chin> let me think now...

Well pleased with that. So we christened it on Sunday with a fine Sunday evening meal of roast pheasant and a bottle of 1999 Baron de Boutisse Saint-Emilion Grande Cru.

T.Rextasy at Epsom Playhouse Monday 05 October 2009

2009-10-08T20:56:00.008+01:00

Monday night I went down to visit my long-time friend Ros in Epsom for a meal at the local Cafe Rouge followed by a concert at the Epsom Playhouse: T.Rextasy The Electric Boogie Tour! And a fine concert it was too; Danielz had them dancing in the aisles.

This is the third time I have seen T.Rextasy. The first was back in 1997 at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, 30th September 1997 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Mark's death. The second was Marc Bolan a Celebration at the shepherds Bush Empire to commemorate the 30th anniversary.

This was the most enjoyable of the three for me. I think this is because of The London Bop 2009 where I realised that a tribute band is not simply trying to slavishly recreate the sound but give it their own interpretation as well. A fine evening, thank you Danielz.

Play list:
Raw Ramp
Boogie on
Metal Guru
One Inch Rock
Rapids
Solid Gold Easy Action
Life's a Gas
Buick MacKane
Ride a White Swan
Token of My Love
Born to Boogie
Summertime Blues
Jeepster

= Interval =
Groover
Baby Boomerang
20th Century Boy
Sensation Boulevard
Deborah
Lean Woman Blues
New York City
Baby Strange
Children of the Revolution
Telegram Sam
Just about
Get it on
= Encore =
Hot Love

A Weekend with World-Class Wines

2009-10-07T19:24:00.005+01:00

Sometimes I feel like Alice with the Red Queen running faster and faster merely to stand still. I normally quip on a Monday that I go to work to recover from the weekend unfortunately work is very busy too at the moment.

This weekend was another hectic weekend. It started on Friday with meeting Mary straight from work at her hairdressers for a pre-theatre meal at Sofra followed by Bounce performing Insane in the Brain. A hip-hop dance performance based on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Saturday was spent rearranging the house. Mary decided to turn the dining room into a cosy sitting room. It started with moving the sofa bed from the front room into the new sitting-room. That meant moving the bicycles from the dining room into the hall and the dining table into the study. That meant moving the computer desks into the back guest bedroom. It will take a few days for everything to be restored to order.

Saturday evening, to relax, we went round the dinner to our friends Bron and Maggie. Bron, like Mary, is a wine aficionado and very generously produced some extremely fine wines from his cellar, two of which rated 100 out of 100 by Robert Parker.

Gisselbrecht Vendage Tardive Reisling 2001
Chateau Montrose 1990 St Estephe
Leoville Las Cases 1990 Saint Julien
Banyuls 1983 Castell des Hospices

A rare treat and a very enjoyable evening.

A beneficial side effect of the room rearrangement was that we had to go shopping for a second TV which meant a trip on Sunday to Peter Jones. We now have 37 inch LCD screen (Philips 37PFL5604H) which will be excellent for watching DVD's while Mary is watching rubbish on the other TV. We gave it a trial run Sunday evening with Moulin Rouge and very fine the new setup is especially with the sound played through Mary's hi-fi.

Barolo and Barbaresco Wine Tasting Dinner

2009-09-30T19:18:00.003+01:00

Another fine wine dinner at Enoteca Turi. This time it was more like raiding Giuseppe's private cellar. These were some serious wines and not available in the shops. The prices quoted are for current vintages. Goodness know what these vintages would cost even if you could find them. So it was a privilege to get to taste these. As usual Giuseppe talked about the region and the food plus Tom Harrow from The Wine Guy as guest speaker gave us more insight into the wines and the growers.

It will spare you my detailed tasting notes as these wines are out of my palate's league. What I will say is:

of the first pair of Barbarescos, the second was twice as good as the first as reflected in the price
the pairing of the first Barolo with the ravioli was a match made in heaven. all around the table agreed.
of the two wines with the veal, I prefered the Barbaresco and Mary preferred the Barolo
I very much enjoyed the Langhe

Assaggi Piemontesi
Piedmontese antipasti
Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Col Vetoraz
*
Millefoglie di funghi porcini con fonduta di robiola
Layers of porcini mushroom with filo pastry, robiola cheese sauce
Barbaresco Rabaja Riserva DOCG 2001 Produttori del Barbaresco (current vintage GBP 39)
Barbaresco Asili DOCG 2001 Bruno Giacosa (current vintage GBP 98.00)
*
Agnolotti del plin
Traditional roasted meat and spinach ravioli with butter and sage
Barolo Gran Bussia Riserva DOCG 1996 Aldo Conterno (current vintage GBP 127)
*
Filetto di vitello con gnocchetti piemontese, spinaci e salsa al tartufo
Fillet of veal with potato gnocchi, spinach and truffle sauce
Barbaresco Starderi DOCG 1996 La Spinetta (current vintage GBP 85)
Baralo Cascina Francia DOCG 1996 Giacomo Conterno (current vintage GBP 105)
*
Formaggi regionali
Regional cheeses: castelmagno, brunette and tom a piemontese
Gaja Sperss 1998 Langhe DOC (current vintage GBP 131)
*
Caffe con torta Gianduia
Tea or Coffee with Piedmont hazelnut and chocolate tart

Excellent food, wine and company as always.