Oxford Chelt Wine School: Champagne & Fizz at Wyastone Townhouse

At the end of last month I was invited to a Champagne & Fizz evening hosted by The Oxford Chelt Wine School. I'd seen a fair few things about them on social media - as well as other Local Wine Schools across the UK - but had never got round to attending any of their events... Until now.

Run by Nick and Serena Gay, The Oxford Chelt Wine School does what it says on the tin; it's a wine education company that runs fun and informal wine tastings and courses around both Oxford and Cheltenham. Independent and open to everyone; you don't need to be a wine geek to take part, it's much more about enjoying what you're drinking, learning a bit about it and avoiding all the pretentiousness that often surrounds the subject.

Even if you are a bit clued up about wine, don't think that there won't be enough to stimulate you; everyone seems to discover something new and worthwhile – whether it’s wine they haven’t tasted before or information from the detailed powerpoint presentations. You can even do your WSET's through them if you're keen.

Eight-week World of Wine courses (one night a week over eight weeks); four-week courses (again, a night a week), one-off evening events, and snazzy Saturday extravaganzas (a full day’s wine tasting with a two-course lunch); there are a lot of options!

What's great about the whole thing is that because they're independent, they're not tied to any wine supplier, enabling them to pick the best - as well as best value - wines from local merchants, national online suppliers and your standard supermarkets. This also means no sales push either, if that's something that worries you. You really do just sip, learn and enjoy.

So, the Champagne & Fizz evening, held at Wyastone Townhouse on Parabola Road, Cheltenham, was a perfect start to the festive season; 2 hours, 6 different sparkling wines, nibbles, interesting wine chats, and all for £30.

We kicked off with an intro to the world of fizz, discussing methods of making, and Champagnes vs. the rest of the world. People generally assume that the big price tag that comes with the label 'Champagne' means that it's going to taste the best, but many other countries make some bloomin' good sparklers, and even us Brits are challenging the French to the title of being the best in the business.

Prosecco was obviously going to be first on the list - everyone's still going nuts over the Italian stallion, and sales of the stuff are still going up! I didn't know that the percentage of wine that needs to be Glera (the prosecco grape) has been certified a minimum of 85%, meaning that there's scope for some slightly more interesting grapes being used and different flavours are able to come out; though on the whole I tend to find it's produced more for quantity not quality. It's a drink which is initially enjoyable, but I tire of it easily.

We pour our own glass, smell, taste, discuss, and then guess the price; simple. La Giosa Prosecco Brut 2014 DOCG is a lightly sparkling wine (frizzante), and is full of pear, peach and white flower aromas. I was surprised with its clean acidity, crisp apple flavours and the fact it wasn't overly sweet (which is what usually gets to me with Prosecco), and as such I guessed it as being an over £10 bottle... It's currently available for £13.49 from Waitrose, so I wasn't too far off.

Moving to the new world, we had Graham Beck Brut Rosé NV 'Cap Classique' from South Africa. It's been made in the 'traditional method' - don't call it 'Champagne method' or the Champagne police will be on to you - and is roughly an equal mix of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Pale salmon in colour, we learn that the grapes are picked early in the season to avoid any jammy flavours developing, and to increase the acidity in the wine. It has a bit of oaky toastiness thanks to being aged on its lees, but there's enough strawberries and raspberries to ensure its rosé status. I'm not sure why pink fizz always costs more, but it does, so I guessed £13... I was bang on this time, £13.99 from Majestic.

The third wine was a game changer for me; Heretat El Padruell Brut Cava, Spain. We all seem to have fallen out of favour with Cava, despite being a similar price point (and more exciting in my opinion), Prosecco seems to have taken it's place as the go-to cheap sparkling wine option. Made in Catalonia with the 3 classic Cava grapes (Macabeu, Parallada, Xarel.lo) using the traditional method, the second fermentation takes place in the bottle over 9 months. It seemed very savoury and almost a bit petroly on the nose - some of the things I associate with Rieslings - and lovely lemon and herb notes appear as it opens up. It's drier in style, with grippy minerality and a zing on the finish, and at £8.00 from Marks and Spencer (I guessed a tenner), I think this is excellent value... So much so that I bought a bottle to take to a party last weekend, and plan on getting some in for Christmas. What a find!

The next two wines we tasted blind; Champagne vs. English Sparkling Wine - Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut vs Nyetimber Classic Cuvée 2010. Nyetimber's a personal favourite of mine, so I had to guess it right out of the two - thankfully I did! Both are very similar in colour, both contain the classic Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay), with around half of each being Pinot Noir, but they're very different in taste and aromas.

With 3 years bottle maturation, Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée has a rich buttery scent with baked apple and lemon acidity. It's incredibly rounded, with a crisp persistent finish; there's a reason it often beats the French fizz in blind tastings! At under £30 depending on where you get it from, I think it's a good price for an exceptional English Sparkling Wine, and it's one that never disappoints. (Their Blanc de Blanc is just deeeelicious!)

Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Brut is a name that you'll recognise; it's one of the oldest Champagne houses in the region. A classic, easy going style with plenty of fresh fruit and faint toast aromas; it's not as punchy on the nose as the Nyetimber. It has a good fruity complexity and comes across as nicely balanced - just what you'd expect from a non vintage brut. It's probably not one that I'd go for in the shops, but Id consider it at its current price - £20 from Asda (full price £30).

The last fizz of the night was another Champagne, but this time Blanc de Blancs. Champagne Jacquart, Blanc de Blancs 2006 is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown only in Grand Cru vineyards. Straw gold in colour, it has a much deeper doughy aroma of buttered brioche, blossom and honey. It's a greedy wine; bright, fresh and full of juicy peaches at the start, mellowing out giving you an unctuous nutty richness and a creamy finish. A great Blanc de Blancs at a great price; £37.50 from Great Western Wine.

Overall, my experience with Oxford Chelt Wine School was a sparkly dream. There were a lovely bunch of people there - some like us who were just attending as a one-off, and others which come regularly - and with everyone keen to learn and talk about the wines, there were no awkward silences. Passing round nuts, smoked salmon and goats cheese helped us ease into it too - haha!

If you fancy getting involved yourself, then check out their website and book yourself onto one of their events (the Fine Port & Cheese Evening on 22nd January sounds like a winner to me). 

Alternatively, why not give the gift of wine to someone for Christmas? Oxford Chelt Wine Tasting Gift Vouchers start from £25, can be used for any of the listed events, and they NEVER expire! How good is that?! What are you waiting for?...

Thanks to Nick, I shall be having a fabulously fizzy festive season, and will be smugly sipping my £8.00 bottle of Cava on Christmas morning. Cheers!

Here's to 2015...

2014 has been quite the year.

Firstly, I joined the magnificent Vinspire team, writing about all things drinks related. I also went on a Hobbs House bread making course, which changed my life forever; I'm still nurturing my beloved sourdough starter and churning out loaves every weekend - yesssss. I've made numerous trips to London for foodie fun times, and I finally made the trek up to Scotland, where I discovered a love for whisky and ate in some Glasgow greats.

2014 has also been the year where I managed to get a table at Tom Kerridge's Hand & Flowers - phwoar - and I visited a firm favourite, Le Champignon Sauvage, not once but twice! (we'll get to that second trip in a bit..)

The biggest news of this year has to be down to Beards Jewellers. Back in September The Great Diamond Rush descended on Cheltenham; ten diamonds - each worth £1000 - were hidden around the town, and keen hunters had to purchase special treasure maps in order to locate the gems. Celebrating 200 years in business, Beards organised the event, and all the money raised went straight to Maggie's Cancer charity. The Chap and I fancied our chances, and after hours of raiding various venues, and almost admitting defeat, it seemed our luck was in. Nestled in a leafy trellis outside Crazy Eight's at 131 The Prom, there it was, and my lovely man found it!

As exciting as that was in itself, it got better... When we returned to Beards to have a look at our sparkly diamond, The Chap only bloody proposed! Eek! Obviously I said yes, it would've been pretty awkward otherwise. Cotswolds TV have a wonderful video of the event and the moment it happened, which you can view here. We celebrated over a late lunch and an AMAZING bottle of fizz; a 1998 Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs. I still dream of those biscuity bubbles.

Two months later, after numerous design ideas, it was time to pick up our diamond rush ring, which had generously been paid for by Beards themselves. The date was set for a Saturday, and The Chap had booked a surprise dinner for the night before to mark the occasion. That surprise turned out to be Le Champignon Sauvage, where we ate the Chef's Tasting Menu; dear Lord it was good, and I'll fill you in on the details in the next couple of days.

The surprise didn't stop there though did it; I really should have seen it coming. The sneak had only gone and got the ring early, and when I came home - thanks to the help of his mum - there it was with a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champers.

It was EVERYTHING I could have hoped for and more. Sophie at Beards has done such a wonderful job in designing it. Both Scott and I couldn't be happier with the result; it's PERFECT. Yey!

To round these series of events off, we organised an engagement party/unveiling of the ring back at the scene of the crime, Crazy Eights. We had a gorgeous dinner with family and close friends, then celebrated with many more chums and more wine that I care to mention! It was spectacular.

I'm not sure how 2015 will top all of this, but I'll most certainly try. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Tom Kerridge & The Hand & Flowers

Early October saw Cheltenham Literature Festival return to our home turf. As usual, the brochure was jam packed full of exciting events and big names, which inevitably makes our jobs harder in trying to choose who to go and see. With a limited budget, The Chap and I could only really get tickets for a handful of things, but the No.1 priority was to snag Tom Kerridge's 'Best Ever Dishes' promo talk.

The nation fell in love with him from the start; a big burly chap with a cheeky grin, an infectious laugh, a thick West Country accent, and the ability to produce mouth-watering gutsy pub food that pleases everyone, including those ruthless Michelin inspectors! In 2011, The Hand and Flowers became the first pub to receive two stars in The Michelin Guide. It also proudly holds four AA rosettes and is currently voted number one UK restaurant by Restaurant Magazine - blimey!

Even though Tom's literally half the man he used to be, his charm was exactly the same at the event; we creased up laughing at some of his childhood tales, swooned over stories about him and his wife (the talented Beth Cullen Kerridge), and drooled at the descriptions of his recipes. We needn't have been too envious of all the delicious sounding food though, The Chap and I had a reservation at his pub, The Hand & Flowers, the following month!

It had been a LONG time coming; we booked it in January and could only get in in November! It was pencilled in as a belated anniversary trip, but thanks to a crazy turn of events, it turned out to be more of an extended engagement celebration. We stayed nearby at Danesfield House - George Clooney had a second wedding party here don't you know - and they were SUPER generous in helping us celebrate such a momentous event... Frankly, it was perfect.

I won't go into all the details of what we ate, you really only need to see how utterly awesome each course was. The food at Hand & Flowers makes no apologies for it's rich indulgence, and as a result, we could only manage one dessert between two. Whilst I'd normally stew in my own disappointment after situations like this, I'm in the fortunate position of having another reservation at the pub for my Dad's birthday next year. I'll make it my mission to make up for it.

We arrived early so we could have a couple of drinks at the bar; The Chap tried out the H&F beer, whilst I had the house G&T. In Tom's previous TV series, he went to The Ginstitute in London to create his own gin to serve at the pub, and this is it; I honestly consider it to be one of the best G&Ts I've ever had. With herbs and celery nestled in the glass, it was fresh and distinctly savoury. I also had a Monkey 47 with lingonberries, which was nice, but the first was so unusual it couldn't be beaten. 

Appetizers of sourdough and whitebait cured our munchies whilst we made tough choices on the menu (and scowled at neighbouring tables already tucking into their dinner). 

Not often choosing the soup option, I went against the grain and plumped for Lovage Soup with Bramley Apple, Smoked Eel, and Ham and Cheese Tortellini (£9.50).

The chap had Crispy Pig’s Head with Spiced Date Puree, Apple, Plum and Pancetta (£10.50), and I had a little piggy jealousy.

My main course was Barrow Farm Partridge with Black Pudding Purée, Morello Cherry Ketchup, Frosted Almond and Game Pie (£35.00) - perfect for this time of year.

The Chap had Essex Lamb “Bun” with Sweetbreads and Salsa Verde (£27.00) with a side of Hand & Flowers Chips (£4.50). This lamb bun was something else (at the back of the photo), and it needs explaining. A sphere of brioche/pastry with a cutlet bone proudly sticking out of the top; inside is a layer of cabbage encasing slow cooked lamb and sweetbreads and a final joyous nugget of lamb in the centre. Sat lonely on a giant plate, it didn't look like much, but boy was it deceptive; those cylindrical chips were never destined to be polished off!

For dessert we shared Blueberry Soufflé with Parma Violet Ice Cream and Lemon Verbena Syrup (£9.50). It was light, sweet, floral and a little sharp; and although we were forcing ourselves to fit it in, it was much needed after all the rich, salty food. YUM.

Our wine choice was Saumur-Champigny, Domaine des Roches Neuves - Loire, France 2013 (£40.50). Predominantly Cabernet Franc, it had layers of red and black fruits, elevated acidity, young tannins, and a seductive savoury earthiness. It felt like a very food friendly wine; its depth and intriguing quality complimented each of our courses wonderfully.

For me, The Hand & Flowers was a game changer; it's a completely different experience to any other Michelin starred restaurant I've ever been to. A meat-eater's heaven, the food is big - in flavour and richness - yet it still has the finesse that you expect from somewhere carrying two stars. 

It's not cheap, but after waiting 9 months to get a table, you really don't care; it totally lived up to all my expectations. And the finishing touch? Our doggy bag of leftover chips, which we scoffed the next day.

Cheers H&F, see you again in March! 

Rock The Cotswolds: The Big Launch

June's been quite the month, and before I forget - though I really won't forget - I thought I'd tell you about a super special party I was invited to a few weeks ago.

On Friday 6th June (coincidentally my birthday!) approximately 275 rockers, movers, shakers, media, influencers and VIPs descended upon Blackfriars Priory in Gloucester City Centre to celebrate the launch of Rock The Cotswolds.

Founded by Oli Christie, of Neon Play, Cirencester, Rock The Cotswolds champions everything cool about this lovely area. Sure, we have some fine scenery, idyllic countryside and chocolate box villages, but we're not all tweed clad horse racing fanatics or the stereotypical red trousered snobs*. We have some truly innovative, creative, proactive people working within the Cotswolds, and its time to open everyone's eyes to this fact.

*I've no problem with either of these - embrace it, don't hate it.

There are fantastic companies designing and selling in some of the hottest global industries. There are hotels and restaurants galore. There are fashion labels that are recognised worldwide, and many a superstar who call the Cotswolds 'home'. This proves that not everything is centered around London, and you certainly don't need to escape to the big smoke in order to 'make it'. What Oli's determined to do with Rock The Cotswolds is to challenge those preconceptions, and make everyone realise that this is one of the best places to live and work in the UK.

The launch party toasted to the first selection of 'Rockers'; a hotlist of 75 people, businesses and events, which were picked from over 300 nominated in the previous months. You can see the full list on the website, along with all the trusty supporters - or 'fans' - that they've gathered along the way, but a few to mention are; 2000 Trees, Giffords Circus, Cheltenham Festivals, Superdry and Missy Malone. Oh and Cherry Press were responsible for the gorgeous invitations too.

The venue was not one I'd been to before - Blackfriars Priory - built in the 13th century on the site of Gloucester’s Norman Castle, it is the most well preserved medieval Dominican Priory in Britain. Only having recently reopened in 2012, it's now available for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, weddings and other private hires and events, like Rock The Cotswolds.

Drummers and circus performers entertained the guests as they arrived, and a quick red-carpet-style snap was taken as soon as you entered. (Tactical.. it's always good to get some nice 'before' photos. Everyone looks progressively worse as the night goes on, especially when there's a free bar!)

Cocktails and canapes were doing the rounds as people mingled, and explored the venue. There was a bit of celebrity spotting with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Phil Vickery and Adam Henson, and there was a lady with a very large, but very friendly snake round her neck.

Relish Events sourced all the fabulous food; I had an amazing pizza courtesy of Baz & Fred, whilst the chap scoffed a burger from a local butchers. Later in the evening ice creams from Dolcetti made an appearance, along with cheese from Simon Weaver and tasty Hobbs House Bread. Erm, I may have eaten a lot of cheese.. one hell of a lot of cheese. I had to soak up the alcohol somehow right? As a result, I'm laying off the Brie for a while. Please don't judge me.

Drinks consisted of Black Moth Vodka, Brennen & Brown Gin, Heritage Wine, Arkell's Beer and Cotswold Cider, cheerfully served by the folks from Cirencester's Somewhere Else.

We had live music from Duke, who are MASTERS of beatboxing. They use only their three voices and one guitar - no backing tracks, looping or sampling - which is mega impressive when you hear the sounds they come out with. If you've not seen them locally, you might recognise them from X-Factor a couple of years ago, where they made it to judges' houses.

Glowsticks and dodgy shades were dished out as the DJ, Luke Delaney, played some cracking tunes. We even bumped into the Hobbs House gang - it seems to have become a bit of a thing now, hasn't it? - and we all busted our best moves well into the night.

The bus home is a little hazy, but I think the launch of Rock The Cotswolds made for one of the most exciting birthdays yet.. 'Til next year?