On Monday 8th March, the Club held a virtual social event for members. A ‘bring your own wine’ event by necessity featured some tasty tipples (which we won’t specify to avoid jealousy), some dramatic wine (and ‘not wine’) experiences, a quick round of wine and food matching and lots of social chat in the Breakout Rooms.
The first Breakout session on the theme of ‘my most memorable wine experience’ brought stories of struggling 200 miles on dirt roads through Argentinean mountains (like ‘Utah on steroids’) to reach a glass of chilled Torrontes at Bodega Colomé (worth it!); a dinner commemorating the Battle of Waterloo and an 1815 Madeira and a first ever taste of Vendanges Tardives and rabbit stew after a soaking wet day in the Alsace mountains. The ‘not-wine’ experiences? Mainly great wines not taken and regretted! The £400 Chateau Petrus that could have accompanied lunch near Calais – but didn’t. A bunch of MWs turning down 1982 Lafitte (£1200 a bottle) in favour of beer – much to the chagrin of an OWC member.
And, in the second Breakout session, wine and food matching. Lobster Thermidor brought calls for Montrachet and Chateau Grillet; sushi for Gewurztraminer (and saké). La Tache (a picture only alas) was matched in imagination with pheasant, steack frites or Coq au Vin stuffed with truffles. Yum! The thought of Yquem spurred thoughts of Tarte Tatin and Crème Brulee – or possibly the delights of strictly ethical foie gras (for which one member has a source!).
Unfulfilled food imaginations apart, this was charming and entertaining and highly sociable. No substitute for the real thing but for a Monday night in March it went down exceedingly well.
GH: 15/3/21