The Wine Appreciation Group

Leader:  Annie Scotney - wine@ashbyu3a.co.uk -

WINE APPRECIATION GROUP

The objective of the group is to widen the members’ experience of wines and all matters pertaining to wines. Annie Scotney has agreed to be the initial leader of the group and to coordinate meetings. The group began by simply gathering together to discuss personal favourite wines, bringing a bottle with them to provide a small taste. We are currently tasting a choice of wines bought by a different member each month. Those present at the tasting share the cost.

If you are interested in joining us please contact Annie at wine@ashbyu3a.co.uk.

We currently meet on the third Wednesday of the month at 7pm but this will be changing to the third Tuesday from September.

16th April

This month Kurt had brought along some East European wines to taste. He had difficulty finding many wines from ‘proper’ eastern Europe in the usual stores but eventually found five including a couple from Austria which is not technically in the east but is historically connected to that region.

Because it is often difficult to score the first wine of the evening, not knowing what is to follow, we tried a new system of giving the first wine 5pts and then marking the others higher or lower than the first. This worked quite well but doesn’t give an overall score relative to all other wines so I've converted the scores back to the usual x/10 after the event.

We started with the first of the Austrians, a white Gemischter Satz from Lower Austria around Vienna. This was available in Aldi at £8.99, 12.5% 2024 vintage but seems to be out of stock now.

Gemischter Satz means a mixed set of grapes and can contain up to 20 different varieties.

This was fresh and just off-dry with tropical fruits similar to a NZ Sauvignon Blanc and very easy to drink both by itself as an aperitif or with food. Seafood, chicken or roast pork would go nicely. We all liked it very much which is what prompted the new scoring method. Overall it scored 8/10.

Next was Feteasca Reagala, a Romanian white from M&S at £7.60 11% 2023. This was claimed to be slightly sweeter than the first but we all disagreed and felt that it was much drier. It was strongly scented with rose petals and peach and whilst interesting was not as complex or friendly as the first. We thought it would likely clash with many foods. We scored it 7/10

Third was another Austrian, a classic Grüner Veltliner Vom Löss from M&S costing £10. 2024 12.5%. Grüner Veltliner is the national grape of Austria and usually very pleasant, this unfortunately was very dry, and with little flavour. Following the strongly flavoured Romanian it suffered but even tasting it later it wasn’t any better. A great shame. We scored it 6/10

Fourth was our only red wine of the night. Saperavi from Georgia via M&S at £11, 13% and 2023 vintage. Saperavi is Georgia’s signature grape, and as Georgia is reckoned to be the original home of wine making much was expected of it. It was extremely dark red and tasted strongly of cherries and blackberries or even black currants. Quite dry, heavy and tannic it would need the heartiest of game or beef stews to soften it down. Not unpleasant but disappointing. Difficult to score as the only red of the evening. Another 6/10

Last but certainly not least was a sweet Tokaji Aszu from Hungary. 12% 2019 vintage and a pricey £14.34 after a 25% discount (£19 full price) for a 50cl bottle. However it was worth every penny! For those that like sweet wines (and that was all of us) it is the king of wines. In fact Louis XIV called it ‘Wine of kings, king of wines’. Made with carefully selected grapes, shrivelled by noble rot (botrytis) which concentrates the sugar and flavour, and aged in small oak barrels it produces a luscious, unctuous, honeyed wine. Only the best Bordeaux Sauternes can match it. The sweetness is balanced by a drier, cleaner aftertaste which stops it becoming cloying. We loved it and scored it 10/10. A fitting end to an interesting wander around eastern Europe’s wine fields.

There could only be one recommendation this month. The glorious Tokaji from Tesco. To be savoured after a special meal with special friends.