Dear SPWC Members
I’ve put that picture of a sunset above to remind you all of what the sun looks like because you’ve probably forgotten. It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen a lovely summer sunset and you begin to despair of ever seeing one this summer particularly as some weather forecasters are predicting a wetter than usual June. We can only hope they’ve got it wrong.
Last Month’s Meeting
A big thank you to Tony Cavey for last month’s very interesting and intriguing presentation. It certainly gave us food for thought regarding how individual wines can taste so different at different times. The wines Tony brought with him were all really tasty too.
This Month’s Meeting
This month sees a welcome return by Matthew Iles of Quercus Wines of Westerham. Matthew will be bringing eight wines to tickle our taste buds so we are sure to be in for a really good evening. Don’t forget that the meeting takes place on Thursday, June 13th at 8pm. We hope to see you all there.
Wine of the Month – Pino Nero Rosato, Italy, 12%
Top wine producers are nowadays taking rose wines far more seriously and the quality has risen dramatically as a result. Setting out to make rose through direct pressing is a big step forward and the maceration method, where crushed grapes are left in contact with the skins for hours up to a few days is also a popular way of making rose wine. This particular wine, which comes from the Veneto region of Italy is made solely from the pino nero, or pinot noir, grape. It has a brilliant darkish pink colour and an elegant floral flavour with a tangy lemon taste. It goes nicely with summer salads or can be drunk on its own. It’s currently available from Aldi for £8.69 per bottle.
Restaurant of The Month – The Sail Loft, 11 Victoria Parade, London, SE10 9FR
We’ve gone a bit further afield for this month’s chosen restaurant which is The Sail Loft at Greenwich. This restaurant/pub has a prime location overlooking The Thames and can be found just along the riverside, heading towards London, from the Cutty Sark. A modern building on two floors, the restaurant has fabulous view over the river. The menu is contemporary European featuring burgers, steaks, fish and chips and hearty toasted sandwiches as well as excellent Sunday roasts. A lunchtime chunky sandwich with a portion of chips and either a pint or a glass of wine represents excellent value at just £15. The restaurant is owned by Fuller’s brewery so if you fancy a pint of Pride, what better location is there to enjoy a beer? There’s also a comprehensive wine list at affordable prices and overall, it’s the perfect place to break for lunch during a stroll along the Thames path.
Social Calendar
A small but perfectly formed group, led by Mike, had a most enjoyable day at Chartwell at the beginning of May. A big thank you to Mike for sharing his knowledge of Chartwell and for organising the visit.
This Saturday a slightly larger group of 20 or so will be off to Lingfield for an evening of horseracing followed by entertainment in the form of summer soul music featuring the band, Heatwave (somewhat inappropriately named given the current weather). Hopefully we can pick a few winners between us.
We already have a large number of people who have signed up for our annual walk which takes place on Saturday, July 20th but please let Tracy know if you would like to add your name to that list. Just as a reminder, the walk will be from Camden Lock to Paddington Basin alongside the Regent’s Canal.
Finally, our garden party will be on Sunday, August 4th and this year our hosts will once again be Sue and Dennis Gigney so thanks to them for opening up their lovely garden for us all to enjoy. More details of how the day will run, including the cost, will be circulated nearer the time.
Did You Know?
Wine production last year, 2023, was the lowest worldwide that it has been for around 60 years. This is partly due to unfavourable weather conditions that led to downy mildew and droughts, significantly in Spain and Italy whilst those adverse weather conditions led to a decrease in output right across the major wine producing nations of the southern hemisphere.
Regards to all,