Dear SPWC Members
Was anyone brave, or foolish, enough to try going dry in January? No, I thought not. I managed a few days just after the New Year but that’s as far as it went. January, unless you have a birthday to celebrate as I know many of you do during the month, can be a bit anti-climactic after all the celebrations over Christmas and the New Year so I welcome the fact that the evenings are getting lighter and that spring is hopefully not too far distant. The snowdrops are peeping through already so all we need now is a bit of warmth.
Last Month’s Meeting
January’s presentation was a bit of a bitter, sweet event as it saw the swansong of one of our favourite presenters, Marien Overbeeke, who once again gave us a thoroughly entertaining evening with some super wines. I think he did pretty well on sales after his talk. Marein sent Mike a very complimentary message about SPWC which I have copied onto the website and it is clear from that message that Marein enjoyed coming to us just as much as we enjoyed having him. He will be missed.
This Month’s Meeting
As is usual for our February gathering, the first (hopefully brief) part of the evening on the 13th will be given over to our Annual General Meeting. This will be followed by a presentation by Martyn and Catrine Paddon – “Drinking with the Stars”. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun and we’re very grateful to Martyn and Catrine for all the hard work I know they have put into this.
Wine of the Month – Primitivo Terre di Chieti, Italy, 14% ABV
In these cold winter evenings, what better than to hunker down with a full-bodied red wine to warm you up? This primitivo comes from the vineyards of the Abruzzo region of eastern Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. More specifically the vineyards are to be found around the city of Chieti, six miles inland from the better-known city of Pescara. This bold, inky red is complex, with juicy black berries and ripe plum flavours, savoury spices and a long rich finish. It pairs with rich stews, grilled vegetables or juicy burgers. It’s available from Tesco for just £8.50 and is part of their “Finest” range.
Wine of the Month - Primitivo Terre di Chieti, Italy
Pub of the Month – The Chancery, 90 Bromley Road, Beckenham, BR3 5NP
If you’re looking for a Gastropub in the vicinity, you could do worse that The Chancery in Beckenham. Opened in 2014, The Chancery is the sister pub of The Jolly Woodman in Chancery Lane and is open for lunch every day, breakfast on Wednesday to Saturday and dinner from Monday to Saturday. The restaurant has an extensive menu as well as a separate roast menu on Sunday between 12 and 5. The wine list is comprehensive with some decent bottles of white, red and rose available from just £22.50. when the weather improves there’s a nice garden in which to sit and enjoy the sun with a glass or two.
Programme 2025
We’re still putting the finishing touches to our full programme for the New Year so please keep an eye on the website for full details. What I can say is that our speaker for March will be Lits Philipou, a familiar face to most of us and he will be talking about wines from Roussillon.
Future Events 2025
Our first social event of the year will take place on Sunday, March 23rd when we will be arranging Sunday lunch at The British Queen pub and restaurant at Locks Bottom. They have a really good-looking Sunday menu including roast lamb, beef and chicken, together with vegetarian options and other non-roast dishes. The cost is likely to be around £25 to £30 per person for two courses and we will be taking names as soon as possible so if you would like to come on March 23rd (kick off at 2.45 pm) please e-mail me on goffhicks@sky.com or add your name to the list which will be available at the meeting on the 13th. The pub is easy to reach on public transport from Croydon and Bromley. The 353 bus from Forestdale, Coney Hall and Hayes drops you right opposite the pub.
The committee will be meeting on the 10th and we then hope to have a few more events for the year ahead.
In the meantime, keep safe and well and we look forward to seeing you on the 13th.
Very best wishes,
Goff
1st February 2025