World Atlas of Wine 7th edition

Something that recently kept me rather busy was writing a review of the latest edition of The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. This seminal book has been comprehensively updated and is also available as an e-book for the iPad. It was fascinating going through the book, comparing it with earlier issues and seeing how the world of wine has evolved.

Read the piece here on Fiona Beckett's Matching Food and Wine website.

Not so well preserved

Sorting through my cupboards recently, I came across this sorry sight. It's spiced apple chutney from a couple of years ago which we're still enjoying, although after two years I'm keen to use it up. Two jars were stacked together and, trying to remove the uppermost jar, I found it was stuck to the lower one. Chutney had oozed through the lid because the vinegar had corroded the metal. Yikes! Next time, I'll be using waxed paper disks before securing the lids (and probably won't keep it for as long). Lesson learned.

Pousse d'Or Caillerets Clos des 60 Ouvrées 1996 and mallard

Now, this wasn't any old duck and burgundy combination as you might have guessed from the heading, this was complex, gamey mallard and a rather cherished mature Volnay. For a number of years I've been the proud owner of a bottle of Domaine de la Pousse d'Or Caillerets Clos des 60 Ouvrées 1996. We've recently moved house, so this autumn seemed a good time to open it to toast our new home. We had an old friend of mine from the wine trade round for supper, so the timing and company seemed ideal.

I've had several red burgundies from this tight, briskly acidic vintage and some of them (especially village wines) are reaching the end of their lives. However, I expected this wine from such a notable site and skilled winemaker to still be very much on song. To my relief (it always feels like Russian Roulette with mature wines), it was in full voice.

There is something quite moving about this wine. It was made by Gérard Potel, one of Burgundy's greatest recent figures, who ran the domaine until his premature death in 1997. You can read more about Domaine de la Pousse d'Or and Gérard Potel here on Clive Coates's website. It reveals that critical changes were taking place at the domaine and how stress may have contributed to Potel's early demise. So, the bottle of Volnay that had lurked in my cellar for so many years has particular poignance as it was from Potel's final vintage.

Amazingly, after 17 years, the wine was full of vigour, with a rounded silky texture, creamy and fleshy – not what I expected from this angular (even gaunt) vintage. Aromatically there was a lot going on – violets,  morello cherries, plums, exotic spice, even savoury soy notes, all supported by a refreshing chalky mineral backbone. Expressive, pure, defined and entirely harmonious. Ravishingly beautiful.

Allowing the wine to fully articulate itself, the mallard worked brilliantly. The gamey meat was complex enough in its own right, simply served with potatoes roasted in duck fat and one of my favourite vegetables for fine reds, red cabbage. An autumn treat we won't be forgetting in a hurry.

Wine Gang Christmas Fair ticket offer

It really seems as though the year is racing by and Christmas is now very much on the radar. If you need some ideas for the festive season why not pop along to a Wine Gang Christmas Fair in November. The Wine Gang comprises five engaging and entertaining wine experts – Joanna Simon, Anthony Rose, Tom Cannavan, Jane Parkinson and David Williams – who will all be on hand to help guide you through the hundreds of wines available for tasting. There will be free 20 minute wine walks and bookable masterclasses (priced separately) – the Tokaji and chocolate masterclass at the London event sounds particularly tempting. There will also be a pop up shop with wines available at a discount.

The Fairs are taking place at the Guildhall in Bath (November 2nd), Vinopolis in London (November 9th) and the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh (November 30th).

The Wine Gang has generously offered readers of this blog tickets at a reduced rate: £12 instead of £20 and a 10% discount on tickets for masterclasses. Please use the code BLOG40 when you book tickets on the website. I might see you there!

(To get you in the mood, I've included a couple of pics: the one at the top was taken last year in Covent Garden and the shot below is to remind you to start organising your dry ingredients for stir-up Sunday…)

A new home and a taste of the good life

It's been a busy few months. We've bitten the bullet and in early August moved further out of town from Tufnell Park to High (AKA Chipping) Barnet on the outskirts of London. The lure of a bigger garden and spacious green surroundings proved too much, yet we're just as close to the tube and a busy high street.

Almost as soon as we arrived some friendly neighbours from across the road came to introduce themselves bearing produce from their allotment. The first meal I cooked in our new home featured locally grown courgettes. After a three week holiday in France (more of which to come) we returned to our own fruitful harvest – blackberries, followed by apples and more recently grapes. What's more, our next-door neighbours have hens, so we've had eggs in exchange for home-made marmalade. Result!

So, I've had a busy few weeks preserving, juicing and freezing – my Bramley lemon curd is a particular hit and the bramble jelly as good as ever. So far so Good Life...

(Not a common sight in Tufnell Park!)

Salted caramel sauce

There's currently a bit of a vogue for salted caramel and lots of naughty examples are available. For some time I've been a fan of Paul A Young's truffles, but lately these more affordable lovelies by Charbonnel et Walker have been going down a storm in our household as you can see below.   

I've also got a major weakness for salted caramel sauce. I've bought it a couple of times recently, but had no idea what a complete doddle it is to make. Searching online I came across this recipe by Nigella where you just simmer butter, sugar and golden syrup together for a few minutes, stir in cream and salt and cook for a little longer. (You don't even need to check the temperature, so my sugar thermometer unexpectedly stayed in the draw.) Then, voilà, you have the most exquisitely decadent sauce. Nigella uses the word 'rakish' to describe it which is spot on. Some chopped honeycomb (or Crunchy bar) adds a nice bit of texture and only a few more calories – probably not many in the scheme of things.