Previous Meetings

This September, we started our new season with the usual AGM, which led quickly into a delightful journey through the vineyards of Portugal. Known for its rich wine-making heritage, Portugal has surged in popularity thanks to its diverse grape varieties, exceptional value, and unique regional styles. From crisp whites to bold reds and even a refreshing port, Portuguese wines offer something for every palate, making them a perfect choice for our tasting this month.

Here is a summary of the wines we tasted!

Cintila Extra Dry NV

A sparkling wine from the Setúbal Peninsula, Cintila is light, dry, and refreshing — ideal as an aperitif. Its citrus notes and fine bubbles pair beautifully with salty snacks like olives or almonds.

Cockburn’s Fine White Port

This lesser-known style of port is a revelation! Served chilled, it offers honeyed fruit and nutty aromas. Try it with roasted cashews or as we did, with tonic water and a sprig of mint for a refreshing twist and a great alternative to your G&T!

Casal de Ventozela

From the Vinho Verde region, this white wine is crisp and aromatic, with hints of green apple and lime. It’s a perfect match for grilled fish or seafood risotto.

Invincible Número Dois Branco

A blend from the Douro Valley, this white is elegant and layered, with stone fruit and mineral notes. It pairs well with creamy cheeses or chicken in lemon sauce.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Portuguese Lisboa

A supermarket gem! This red from the Lisboa region is smooth and fruity, with hints of spice. Great with pasta dishes or a hearty stew.

Herdade do Rocim, Alentejano Mariana Red

From the warm Alentejo region, this red is bold and full-bodied, with dark berry flavours and a touch of oak. Ideal with grilled meats or mushroom dishes.

Prunus Private Selection Dão Tinto

A standout from the Dão region, this red is silky and complex, with cherry and earthy undertones. Try it with roast lamb or a rich tomato-based dish.

Saturday 14th June was a special day in the Upton Wine Club calendar because it marked the 20th Anniversary of our club. For the past 20 years we have averaged an overall annual membership of 50+ residents from our village and have sampled over 1,600 wines! Although many members keep coming because they have an interest in wine, either just enjoying it or looking to try something different or even wanting to learn a little more into what makes a quality wine, I believe that a key factor in the club’s success is its social side.

During each monthly meeting, we always allow time between tasting wine for our members to catch up for a social and this Saturday we took that to the next level. Upon arrival, members enjoyed a cocktail, a Bellini made from mixing peach juice and prosecco. This is a great welcome drink for small or large parties. After some celebrations, where we thanked past chairmen Mike Collins and Will Betts and secretary, Fiona Betts for their support in setting up and its continual running over the years, we settled in to a wonderful BBQ.

We enjoyed the food with two whites, a Coral do Mar Albarino from the Rias Baixas region, which had characteristics of stone fruit and a wonderful citrus flavour and a Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc, a crisp, medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa. For the red we had a Codici Masserie Primitivo from Italy, a beautifully red berry/dark fruity, jammy wine which is great on its own but amazing with some food! We finished the evening with some amazing chocolate brownies and a dessert wine called Elysium black Muscat Quady. If you have not tried this and enjoy sweet wine, do try it: it’s simply wonderful with any sweet dessert!

And what better way to finish the evening than a line dance! A first for the wine club but so popular it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t become a candidate for another Upton club! A massive thank you to all that came along and enjoyed the evening and to all those who made it such a fantastic celebration.

May’s Wine Club meeting looked at wines suitable for summer, whether for a celebration with friends, lunch al fresco or a barbecue. We opened the evening with a Cava, an underrated sparkling wine made in the same way as champagne but at a fraction of the price. The Contevedo Cava Brut from Aldi was a good example of the value for money it can offer – at just £5.79 (£3.60 of which is tax!) it was included in The Times list of ‘Best Cava to Buy Now’. Sure, not the finesse of champagne but a dry, light, fruity fizz.  The only white wine of the evening was also from Aldi, highly rated by Decanter, The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph; a Gemischter Satz (literally a mixed bag) from Austria made from up to 20 different grape varieties grown together in the vineyard. £8.99.

Rosé is a favourite choice for summer drinking, and we tasted two. The first was a well-known one from Majestic, Roseblood produced by Château d’Estoublon, a typical Provence version, bone dry and salmon-pink in colour (£18), a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah and Vermentino. This was contrasted with the next, a Puglian rosé made with the Primitivo grape. Although Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel, the Tramari from San Marzano (£12.50 from Strictly Wine) was far superior to a zinfandel blush, offering a juicy, fruity wine with aromas of sliced peaches, cherries and ripe strawberries.

Our first red was a Lambrusco … not the sickly sweet version popular in the 70’s and 80’s when it was the most imported wine into the USA, but a dry, slightly sparkling red wine served chilled. With balsamic notes and a blackcurrant finish it would be perfect at an Italian lunch to accompany pizza or pasta with a rich meat sauce – £11.35 from Strictly Wine. We followed with a wine from Crete, again slightly chilled. Liatiko is Crete’s very own red-wine variety, and as an easy-drinking wine it would be a good accompaniment to moussaka. The Lyrarakis Liatiko (£13 from Majestic) was highly rated by Julia Harding MW, writing for Jancis Robinson. Its production is a logistical challenge, as the grapes are sourced from 138 vineyards owned by 66 farmers, some of whom are in their 80’s. As the grapes ripen, Lyrarakis have to organise their collection in their refrigerated truck with up to 35 farmers on the phone asking when it’s their turn…

We finished the evening with a dessert wine to accompany strawberries. Some dessert wines can be sticky and cloying, but a Prunotto Moscato d’Asti (£16.25 from Strictly Wine) is sweet but light, slightly sparkling, and low in alcohol (5%) – perfect with strawberries or just as an aperitif.

South America has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic wine-producing region, captivating wine enthusiasts with its diverse and high-quality offerings. The continent’s innovative winemaking techniques, unique terroir and a commitment to quality have positioned countries like Chile, Argentina and Uruguay as top choices for wine lovers around the globe. At our monthly wine club in April, we explored some of these regions and their wines. We tried many wines during the evening but here are a few examples you may want to look at yourself as something a little different.

Chile’s wine industry is renowned for its exceptional diversity and consistency. One of Chile’s standout varietals is Carmenère, a grape originally from Bordeaux that has found its true home in Chilean soil. Known for its deep colour, smooth tannins, and distinctive flavours of red fruits and spices, Carmenère has become a symbol of Chilean winemaking excellence. We tried a De Martino Legardo, which was lovely and smooth, showing typical Carmenère characteristics. If you have never tried this grape variety before then it is definitely something to explore.

Argentina is synonymous with Malbec, a grape that has flourished in the high-altitude vineyards of the Andes. The Mendoza region, in particular, is celebrated for producing Malbecs. However, Argentia is much more than just Malbec and we tried Buenas Vidas, specially selected Cabernet Franc for our first red of the evening. A nice change to a Malbec and one that is perfect for drinking now: try it with your pizza this Summer!

While smaller in scale compared to its neighbours, Uruguay’s wine industry is making waves with its distinctive and high-quality offerings. The country’s flagship grape, Tannat, is celebrated for its bold tannins, deep colour, and complex flavours of dark berries and spices. We tried the Pisano Family Selection Grand Reserva Tannat. If you are looking for a bold wine and want to try something a little different then please give this one a go!

Interestingly, all the wines we tried promoted the “sustainable” nature of how their wines were made. This made us question what this actually meant. Broadly, this looks at wine producing methods that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable, ensuring vineyards can thrive for generations to come. Farmers embrace techniques such as water conservation, using renewable energy and ethical labour practices to produce their wine.

If you have never tried wines from South America, then please do give them a try as an emerging continent that has plenty to explore.

During March, we explored a topic that is one reason why many of us have an interest in wine. We looked at how food and wine can work together. Having dinner with our partners, or simply going out with friends, often will involve opening a bottle of wine. If you like your wine and food, they can work very well together, complementing each other to help enhance your experience. The challenge, of course, is choosing a wine that makes it a pleasant experience rather than a less pleasant one. When sitting at the restaurant table and looking through the wine list, how many of us focus more on the price than the wine itself to decide which one to buy? As a side note, the restaurant owners know this and often put the most margin on the second wine on the list (which is a commonly selected wine on the list)!

We tried to unpick this dilemma and followed some general rules of food and wine pairing to see if the principles worked. The first thing to say is the “rules” are only a guideline, whatever works for you is right! During the evening we looked at some wine “enemies”…food that is very sweet or rich in taste will make most wines taste a little dull, so you need to find a wine that is sweeter than the food to bring out the best in both. We tasted a Sauternes with a wonderfully rich chicken liver pate and this enhanced both wine and food. We also tried chocolate with Port (which also went really well with some blue cheese). Another wine “enemy” is the umami taste, which you find in foods such as olives, tomatoes and mushrooms. You can either try to complement the food, and enhance that strong flavour by choosing a heavier wine such as a Barolo, or as we did, try a contrast and choose a light, fruity wine. We served a mushroom risotto and selected a pinot noir from Germany, which cut through the deeper taste of the mushrooms.

We next tried a creamy dish – spinach and ricotta pasta – and paired the creamy sauce with a “creamy” wine: a lovely Chardonnay that had strong buttery flavours. The combination was exactly what we were looking for! We also tried a wonderful champagne that was paired with some exquisite salmon blinis; a pork pie with a lovely fruity Cote du Rhone and a beautiful acidic dry white that was balanced with some salty almonds. All the pairings were excellent and well received and made for a very special night, made even better with contributions from some of our members!

We all know wine can be an expensive business. The quality (or perceived quality) of a wine, it’s rarity and brand have all contributed to some wines demanding an exceptionally high price. However, a lucrative industry such as this one does attract attention from less scrupulous characters and encourages business and even countries to try some interesting things to protect their investments!

We obviously couldn’t try any illegal wines on the night but we did take some inspiration from some of the wines we tried! Take, for example, our first wine: a Masottina Contrada Prosecco Superiore from Veneto, just NW of Venice. This was a great Prosecco with a creamy, intense feeling in your mouth yet is a really crisp wine that was a little like tasting liquid Golden Delicious apples! We heard how Italy, in an attempt to protect their highly profitable cargo, tried to rename the Prosecco grape to Glera and make it only possible to produce wine from this grape in Italy, much like the Champagne region. Unfortunately they soon found out that several other countries had already been growing Prosecco vines for some time and were promptly told that wouldn’t be acceptable.

If you have ever tried wine from Austria, then you may have seen a red- and white-striped cap on the top, indicating that the wine has been tested for quality, This is a necessity given that, several years ago, New York Times reported that the Austrians had added “antifreeze” to their bottles in an attempt to sweeten wine during a poor harvest: they hadn’t (but had been up to no good adding some compounds that would allow them to sell their wine)! The result was they had to throw away several million litres of wine and the fallout was sufficient to cause sales of Austrian Riesling to plummet overnight and it took them over 15 years to recover!

We heard many other stories about people who drilled through concrete walls to get to cellars containing precious bottles of wine (just like a bank robbery), and a lady who ordered room service in a high end French hotel late at night, so her boyfriend could steal the wine cellar keys and get away with over £1.5m of wine!! Perhaps the scariest was when Romanée-Conti, a vineyard in the French Burgundy region producing Pinot Noir that starts at around £18,000 per bottle, was sent a detailed map of their vineyard, with a note saying that unless they paid €1 million each vine would be poisoned! The blackmailer was caught but it begs a question as to how you protect your land!

 

This month we were delighted to invite Martin from local wine retailer, Grape Minds to talk to our members about the effects of age on wine. With a Diploma in wine, he was able to provide some great background into the economics of aged wine and the influence it has on the taste. Over the course of the evening, we tried wine that was over 30 years old and some as young as just two, which was fantastic and allowed us all to sample wine that we probably wouldn’t go out and buy without trying first!

The ageing process significantly influences the flavour profile of wine. As wine matures, its flavours become more complex and nuanced. Young wines often exhibit vibrant, fruity, and floral notes, while aged wines develop deeper, more integrated flavours. Over time, tannins in red wines soften, leading to a smoother mouthfeel and a more balanced taste. Additionally, secondary and tertiary aromas, such as earthy, nutty, or spicy notes, emerge, adding layers of complexity. The acidity in white wines may mellow, resulting in a richer, rounder palate. However, not all wines benefit from long-term ageing; some are best enjoyed young to appreciate their fresh, lively characteristics. Some wines, for example Rioja, have quality restrictions that mean it must have a minimum number of years in oak barrels before it can be released. We tried a Gran Reserva Rioja this month, which means it must have had a minimum of 5 years in an oak barrel before being released for sale.

Our December Wine Club meeting was held a week earlier this month, giving us all a head start on the Christmas festivities! Celebrating our 20th season, it was wonderful to see so many villagers enjoying the evening. We are fortunate to have a diverse selection of wines to sample, ensuring there’s always something new for our members to experience. Each wine comes with its own story, and a big part of our club is not just discussing the wine, but also its connection to people, places, and its role in creating a bit of history! Wine has made people wealthy, landed some behind bars, kept families together for generations, and sparked a few feuds! Whatever the case, it has always generated interest, and our village would be a little poorer without a Wine Club! So, I’d like to extend my gratitude to everyone who makes it happen each month – from the committee who come up with fantastic topics and make it all possible, to those who help tidy up at the end of each meeting, and of course, all the members who join us to enjoy a glass or two and create more memorable moments!

November is often a time when we often turn our thoughts to Christmas and look for something to help celebrate the occasion. It has become a bit of a tradition that we look at a few special wines to try at this time of year and this month was no exception.

We started the evening, tasting two Cremants: one from the Loire and the other from Bourgogne. There are a number of Cremants available from across France now and they have grown in popularity, with approximately 100 million bottles being produced each year. These wines give you a sparkling wine that is made in the same way as your typical Champagne, but at a fraction of the price and with the ability to use many different grape varieties. This gives a them wider range of flavours to suit different tastes and they are a refreshing alternative to Prosecco or Cava: if you have not tried Cremant yet it is definitely worth the a sip or two!

We next tried two Champagnes. It’s very easy to head to the “safety” of a Grand Marque bottle such as Moet & Chandon, Veuve Cliquot or Bollinger. These offer great Champagnes with the consistency of knowing what you are getting but do have a price tag associated with them which can be a little eye watering! If you are looking for something a little different then look out for a bottle with the initials “RM” (Recoltant Manipulant) on it. These are wineries that are independent and produce Champagne made from grapes from their own vineyards rather than being bought in, which is the norm for the well known brands. They do not have the marketing funds to promote the wine heavily but all effort is put in to making some exceptional, smaller volumes of wine that can be much better value than some of the well known brands.

Port is an absolute classic at Christmas. We tried 2-, 10- and then 20-year old Tawny Port. The first was served cold and the others at room temperature. Chilled port enhances its crispness and highlights its fruity notes, whilst serving it at room temperature brings out its rich, nutty and caramel flavours. Why not start off with a cold port and see how it changes over the course of the evening?

Sherry is another Christmas special but as at least one of our members will advocate, it’s not just for Christmas! The amount of effort that is put in to making sherry is not always appreciated: it often takes 5-20 years to produce an Oloroso or Ximenez and the price point doesn’t really reflect this. Some sherries therefore provide exceptional value for money. We tried a Romate Maribel medium dry Amontillado. Try it, and you might find yourself drinking it well beyond Christmas!

Finally, we tried a dessert wine from a lesser known grape called Tannat. If you are not a fan of Christmas pud, then look out for this grape, get yourself some dark chocolate, sit back and enjoy!

Brazil’s wine regions, particularly Serra Gaúcha, Campanha, and Vale dos Vinhedos, have been gaining international recognition for their excellent wines. The unique terroir, characterised by high altitudes, diverse soil types, and a favourable climate, contributes to the distinct flavours and quality of Brazilian wines. Winemakers in these regions have embraced modern techniques while respecting traditional methods, resulting in a variety of wines that are both innovative and rooted in heritage. Whether you’re a fan of reds, whites, or sparkling wines, Brazilian vineyards offer a delightful and diverse tasting experience. And this month members of the Upton Wine Club had the opportunity to sample some of the best with Michael Corfe presenting some of his most popular wines from his company, Go Brazil!

Michael has been visiting Brazil for over 15 years and bringing wine back to the UK for us to try. If you are looking for something a little different, that you will not find in most places you commonly buy wine, then look no further!

We had over 30 members at the Upton Village Hall this month, tasting sparkling wines, whites and reds. One of the things, members found most interesting was the suggested food pairing of some of the wines. For example, if you are looking for something to pair with a some spicy Asian food, then it would be worth trying the Don Guerino “vintage” Torreontes. Light in alcohol, so the spices don’t burn your mouth but high in floral notes and unoaked, which compliments the intense food flavours. On another note, if you like wines from northern Italy, then you might want to try the Don Guerino “Origine 1880” Teroldego, where the grapes originated from NE Italy, giving some new world influence to an old world grape variety!

The Upton Wine Club is all about trying something a little different with friends from the village and having a nice social evening. There is no need to have any knowledge of wine but the hope is that after a while, you will become a little more confident when sitting at a restaurant table and offered the wine list or when you walk into an aisle of wine and are wondering what you should select!