
Archives
March 2008
Wines for Easter Sunday lunch
We're
not usually ones for big Sunday lunches, I must confess. The meal,
the occasion most certainly has its appeal, but to be honest, we
usually prefer to be out and about, doing things. An exception
is Easter Sunday lunch, a day, it seems, just made for lingering
over a big roast lamb lunch, the meat still slightly pink and redolent
of garlic and rosemary, served with Kim's magnificent roast potatoes,
and lashings of gravy made with good red wine. Such a meal, of
course, cries out for a really good - or event great - bottle of
red wine. What a good excuse to dip in to the cellar to enjoy one
of Mario's Nebbiolos, either the slightly lighter Cascina Fontana
Nebbiolo delle Langhe 2005, or the more robust, richly flavoured
Cascina Fontana Barolo 2003. To be honest, I can't decide which
will be better, so on this Saturday in the cellar, I'll be opening
both - do drop in for the rare opportunity to taste these two great
- but very different - wines alongside each other.
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Slow Food Devon Topsham Market - Sunday March 30th
Just a reminder that Sunday week, March 30th,
will be our third Slow Food Devon Topsham Market in Matthews
Hall from 11am-3pm. So far the market has proved to be an immense
success, the numbers of interested people coming along far exceeding
everyone's expectations. However, we are very keen to ensure
that it continues to thrive, so may I ask you, please, to come
along and support it if you are free. As usual, there will be
some brilliant food producers with truly outstanding produce
and food and drink products. The market is also a place to come
for a bite to eat, a glass of wine, beer or cider. In the Café Slow
this month, Dave Kerley will be offering a first taste of Exe
River clams (they have been growing - slowly - in the river bed
for the past 3 years), while Liz will have some of her famous
Topsham smokies and Antonia will be dishing out cups of oven-roasted
tomato and basil soup.
Slow Food Taste Workshops are at the heart of what this market
is about, not just a place to buy food that is 'good, clean and
fair' but also an opportunity to learn, taste and enjoy. This month
there will be workshops on 'Slow Bread' with Emma Parkin of Emma's
Breads, and on 'Flower Jellies - capturing and tasting the scent'
with Victoria Cranfield of Cranfields Foods.
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An an informal and fun Italian wine and pasta evening
at the Devon Wine School Wed April 2
I'm delighted to promote what
will I'm certain be an excellent evening of food and wine at the
Devon Wine School in Cheriton Fitzpaine. Alastair, who is a MW,
is hugely knowledgeable about wine, though he wears this lightly
and has an easy manner that really makes learning about wine enjoyable
and fun. His wife Carol is simply a brilliant chef. This combination
works very well for their popular evenings of wine and food. For
this Italian wine and pasta evening, there will be four wines to
taste (including Mario's Cascina Fontana wines) accompanied by
a 2-course supper, all for the very reasonable price of £29.
To find out more or to book, call Alastair on 01363 866742 or email
alastair@devonwineschool.co.uk. Take a look, too, at the Devon
Wine School website www.devonwineschool.co.uk
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I am pleased to announce below some exciting
events coming soon that we hope all Club Vino friends will enjoy.
The first is a major initiative to twin the South West region with
Tuscany as food regions. The second is an exciting and full program
of events for the Topsham Food Festival which will take place on
the weekend of June 13-15.
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Twinning the South West with Tuscany as food regions
Michael Caines has gone on the record many
times as stating, 'The South West has the finest larder in Europe".
It makes perfect sense, therefore, to forge positive links with
one of Italy's - and the world's - greatest gastronomic destinations:
Tuscany. We have been working closely with Michael, together
with John Sheaves of Taste of the West, and Freddie Dudbridge,
leader of Slow Food Devon, to establish meaningful links, relationships
and exchanges between the two regions. We are launching this
important initiative at this year's Exeter Festival of South
West England Food and Drink Conference on Thursday 10th April
(the Festival opens the following day April 11th).
To mark the occasion, there will be a special Tuscany - South
West Celebration Wine Dinner on the evening of the 10th in the
Cathedral and Clarence Rooms of ABode Exeter. Michael himself will
be in the kitchens alongside his talented Executive Chef Ross Melling.
We have now discussed the foods in detail and Ross has come up
with a brilliant menu inspired by Tuscan foods and flavours and
utilising the magnificent produce and ingredients of the West Country.
Foods will be accompanied by a selection of wines from South West
England alongside some of the great wines of Tuscany.
Places will be limited but I'm delighted that
Club Vino and Friends of Pebblebed members, as well as Slow Food
Devon friends are all very welcome. However, to ensure a space,
you should confirm your booking as soon as possible. The cost
of the evening is £60
inclusive. To reserve your place, please contact Helen at ABode
Exeter on 01392 223648 (and mention Club Vino).
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The Topsham Food Festival June 13, 14, 15, 2008
It seems, what with the twinning, the monthly Slow Food Markets
in Topsham, and now the Topsham Food Festival, we've never been
busier. But these are all fun and worthwhile projects and we're
glad to be involved.
The Topsham Food Festival is going to be great fun, and I'm just
flagging it now so that you both put the dates in your diaries,
and also contact me to get involved as we need your help.
The Festival is being organised and run entirely on a voluntary
basis. Any surplus funds raised will go to the main beneficiary,
the Matthews Hall Modernisation Appeal (to refurbish Matthews Hall
- see www.topsham.org). We will also make a contribution to FORCE.
The aims of the Topsham Food Festival are:
· to celebrate the outstanding food
and drink available in our community
· to put on an exciting program
of food and drink workshops and activities
· to highlight the excellence of food and drink businesses
in Topsham – food shops, pubs, restaurants, cafés
· to bring the community together
through the sharing of foods around the longest table ever
· to further international ties
and friendship.
· to have fun, eat, drink and be
merry!
The main program will be as follows:
· Throughout the Topsham Food Festival, all Topsham
pubs, restaurants, teashops and cafés will be encouraged
to create special Festival menus utilising local and locally sourced
foods.
· On Friday evening, the Topsham Food
Film Festival, in association with the Topsham Film Society, will
present a showing of a food films.
· On Saturday there will be workshops
and food related activities centred on The Courtyard of The Globe
Hotel.
· Slow Food Devon and Slow Food
Valdera (Tuscany) will be involved in workshops such as making
pasta by hand.
· We hope to get Topsham School
involved and to have a range of food events and activities for
children.
· Saturday evening there will be
musical entertainment and a variety of outdoor food stalls, centred
on The Green of Matthews Hall
· Sunday there will be an extended
Slow Food Devon Topsham Market with stalls outdoors as well as
indoors.
· Sunday from early afternoon Topsham Fore Street is
to be closed to traffic in order to set up ‘Nello’s
Longest Table’
· Sunday evening ‘Nello’s Longest Table’ – individuals
and businesses to reserve a table along Fore Street and to invite
friends, family and new friends to join in a communal meal. Meals
to be prepared by each table using local and locally sourced foods.
We want and need your ideas, your help and your active participation
to make the Topsham Food Festival a success! For further information,
to take part, help and assist, contact me, Kim, Geoff, or Liz at
The Globe Hotel 01392 873471 email sales@globehotel.com
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Happy Easter and hope to see you soon.
Marc and Kim |