Archives

January 2009

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Happy New Year!

We send our greetings and best wishes to all Vino and Pebblebed friends and hope that 2009 will be a healthy, happy and prosperous year for you. We look forward to seeing you in the Vino Cellar one Saturday or perhaps at one of our Vino events this year.

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Vino events

We are just now in the process of putting together our programme of events, tastings and wine dinners for 2009.

Our first event will be a Barolo and Nebbiolo Masterclass in the Pebblebed Tasting Cellar, sometime towards the end of January. Please email marc@vino.co.uk if you would like to attend or receive further details.

end-January -- Barolo and Nebbiolo Masterclass - banish the winter blues by enjoying these great warming wines in the Pebblebed Tasting Cellar. A rare opportunity to enjoy a vertical tasting (different vintages) of Mario Fontana's special flagship wines: Cascina Fontana Nebbiolo delle Langhe, Barolo and Barbaresco.

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Vino @ The Globe

Our warm collaboration with Liz at The Globe is set to develop further in 2009. We have shared some great Vino evenings at The Globe this past year, finishing around Liz's wood-fired oven for the Vino Christmas Party in December. And of course there was the Topsham Food Festival which was an amazing success. We look forward to more wine dinners, events and fun in 2009.

One regular feature is that each month we will share a Vino recipe with Club Vino members to match a Vino wine, and this same dish and wine will also be available in the Restaurant of The Globe. For January, we start off with Risotto al Barbera and Cascina Fontana Barbera d'Alba.

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Spotlight on Prosecco di Valdobbiadene-Conegliano DOC — the real thing
Prosecco is a grape variety that has its traditional home in the steep balcony of wine hills above Venice, just north of the Piave River. Between the wine towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, the Prosecco grapes here reach a high degree of ripeness combined with a fresh, appley acidity that results in one of the most attractive and easy-to-drink sparkling wines made anywhere in the world: Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC. In recent years, however, there has been an immense expansion of the cultivation of Prosecco grapes far from this traditionally hilly homeland, mainly over flat, higher yielding vineyards throughout the Veneto. This has resulted in an ocean of cheap, bland and indifferent Prosecco that has devalued the name as such wines bear little resemblance to the real thing.

So this is just a reminder that the best and genuine Prosecco comes only from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. We are proud to be able to offer wines from one of the very best producers in the region, Prosecco Bisol. Our good friend Gianluca Bisol makes wines entirely from the family's own grapes grown on vineyards throughout the delimited and historic wine zone. Prosecco Bisol Jeio is fresh, creamy, appley and a delightful drink to enjoy throughout your New Year's Eve festivities. Prosecco Bisol Crede is richer in flavour, a little more complex, and very classy indeed.

Prosecco Bisol Jeio Club Vino £9.50 per bottle or buy 3 bottles or more at special price of £8.90 per bottle

Prosecco Bisol Crede Club Vino £13 or magnum £26

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Slow Food Market Sunday January 18th

Just a reminder that the first Slow Food Devon Topsham Market for 2009 takes place Sunday January 18th in Matthews Hall with the slightly earlier time of 10.30am to 1.30pm. As usual, there will be a great line-up of producers who are bringing some wonderful produce to share with you. Our market, I feel, has now established itself as a most enjoyable monthly activity in our community. Please continue to support this great market to ensure that it continues.

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Our very best wishes to all,

Marc and Kim