Natural wine events at Artisan & Vine

At the risk of becoming a natural wine noticeboard rather than a blog here's news of a couple more events you might want to go to as part of a new 'Natural Heroes: meet the winemaker" series of dinners being put on by the south London natural wine bar artisan & vine

The first, on May 11th is with one of the natural wine world's most iconic figures Frank Cornelissen who makes wine in the Etna region of Sicily. (I've already signed up for this one!)

And the second, on the 18th May, is with Monty Waldin, star of Channel 4′s TV Series “Chateau Monty” and author of the Biodynamic Wine Guide which I keep meaning to review. I'd have probably gone to that one too if I wasn't off to find out all about Comté cheese that day. And cheese sometimes takes priority over even natural wine . . .

(Tickets for the dinners are available from the artisan & vine website, price £39 for four courses and five wines which is a really good deal.) Readmore »»

A natural wine dinner at Bar Battu

A busy, busy week - not much time for drinking wine - natural or otherwise. However I did finally get to go to Bar Battu, one of London's new natural wine bars. Oddly it's in the heart of the City which makes it more like a conventional wine bar than a hip hangout like Terroirs or Brawn, despite the Parisian-looking window.

The Caves de Pyrène crowd were out in force (I wish there were more natural wine importers so that I didn't have to keep writing about them all the time. Much as I love them.)

And we drank:

* a sparkling dark pink and very delicious Malvasia Rosa 2009 from Camillo Donati

* a 2009 Cuvée Marine Côtes de Gascogne from Domaine de Menard (not mad on this. Tasted like it was made with conventional yeasts)

* a 2008 Rosso di Montalcino, Pian dell'Orino. An attractively supple Tuscan red, well matched with duck, stuffed cabbage confit and a cherry and sage jus

* and a Braeburn apple tatin with calvados crème fraîche with an Eric Bordelet, poire granit which stole the show I thought.

I was dining with my son - a restaurateur - who isn't particularly into natural wine and can't see the point of it. Which is where I was roughly eighteen months ago. It'll be interesting to see if he comes round . . . Readmore »»