#425 Six Questions with... Pascal Roblet-Monnot

Pascal Roblet makes his wines in the hamlet of Bligny-les-Beaune, after taking over his family's domaine in the early 1990s.  He transformed it into one of the leading producers of Volnay, converting the vineyards to biodynamic viticulture and adopting a hands off policy in the cellar, letting the grapes make the wine.

But what does the man like drinking and who would he like around his dinner table?  I asked him six questions...

By Peter Wood with No comments

#424 Not even a safety pin through their nose - Some Young Punks

punk |pəNGk|noun1 informal a worthless person (often used as a general term of abuse).• a criminal or hoodlum.2 (also punk rock )a loud, fast-moving, and aggressive form of rock music, popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s.• (also punk rocker )an admirer or player of such music, typically characterized by colored spiked hair and clothing decorated with safety pins or zippers.

When something says that it is made by "Some Young Punks", based on the definition of the word, you would assume that it had something a bit extreme about it.  If it was a chocolate bar, you would expect it to have chilli flakes and popping candy in it.  If it was a burger, you would think it would be made out of Kobe beef and garnished with garlic sauce and if it was a beer, you would expect it to be served from the mouth of a dead rodent.  
Presented with a range of wines from an Australian producer called "Some Young Punks", I hoped these wines would embrace the hoodlum within and beat you up a bit, being massive, dark overly extracted thugs or offering wines made from interesting grape varieties to a quality level that eclipses their price.  I expected them to be a two fingered salute to traditional wine drinking and the vinous equivalent of The Sex Pistols.  Sadly, it was not to be... 

By Peter Wood with No comments

#423 Crap or Christmas List - Duff Beer

There is simply no question about this, it is going on the Christmas List.  Normally I give you an option as to whether you will put this on your Christmas wish list or if it is a load of crap, but need I remind you that The Simpsons is the best cartoon ever and Homer drinks this.

You can buy Duff Beer here for £24.99 per crate of 24 cans.

By Peter Wood with 2 comments

#422 Gin, part 3: Scottish Gin & G&T blind

Scotland - land of haggis, men in skirts and Scotch Whisky.  The problem with the latter of these three things is it takes a long time to make it.  Not the actual production, but to make a ten year old whisky, it takes ten years of maturation, and if you are a distiller, you don't have any income from these barrels for a decade.  As a result, distilleries are looking at ways of making money whilst they wait for their whisky to mature, and there have been a lot of new Scottish gin brands appearing on the shelves.  

By Peter Wood with No comments

#421 Gin, part 2: English Gins

Gin is, by many, considered the 'English' spirit, and as with most things that are considered 'British' or 'English', it came from overseas and we bettered it, or embraced it open armed and made it ours.  As a result, London became the place that Gin is most associated with.  London Dry Gin has a heavily dominant Juniper presence and, aside from the botanicals and water, no additives are allowed to be mixed in, and that includes sugar, hence the word 'Dry'.

By Peter Wood with 2 comments

#420 Gin, part 1: American Gins

Depending who you listen to, there is about half a millennium of difference in when, and where, Gin originated.  Some folk believe it started in Italy in the 11th century, albeit in a crude form, and others think it started in the 16th century in Holland.  What isn't debated is that it was made from juniper, and it was used for medical purposes, claiming credit for fixing ailments as diverse as stomach aches and the Black Death!

By Peter Wood with No comments

#419 Port's Viagra - Graham's port & food lunch

Imagine the scene.  It is the 10th February, four days before Valentines day and every single florist throughout the land knocks their prices down to their cost price.  Roses are on a buy one, get one free deal and if you spend more than £20 on a bunch of posies, you get a third off.  It wouldn't happen would it?  Florists know that Valentines day is their boom period and they can make pots of cash, so indeed, they may even increase their prices at the beginning of February to make up for a lousy January.

Similarly, chocolate pricing doesn't go down just before Easter, and sunglasses don't go on promotion when the sun starts shining.  But in December, at the exact moment when people start drinking port, port pricing hits the floor.

By Peter Wood with 5 comments