Dear SPWC Members
Well, that’s a third of the year gone already – how quickly have those months passed? And we can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of rain- free days we’ve had since the turn of the year. Surely that means we’re in for a really lovely summer or have I tempted fate by saying that? Still, the bluebells in our local woods have been magnificent so it looks as if the rain has been good for something, at least!
Last Month’s Meeting
Wow! What can we say about Tracy’s magnificent presentation last month. She obviously has that “Je ne sais quoi” and, considering that she only had a handful of days in which to prepare, she did superbly well to come up with such a (French) polished performance with some really lovely single grape variety wines. In the words of that great raconteur, Delboy Trotter, “Mange tout, Rodney, mange tout”. Incidentally, Maltby and Greek, who let us down last month, have now promised to turn up in August so let’s hope they’re as good as their word.
This Month’s Meeting
Next Thursday, we see a welcome return from one of club members in Tony Cavey. Tony’s presentation is rather intriguingly entitled “Wines with a difference” which is thought provoking
in itself. If you want to find out more, which I hope you do, then please be there next week when all will be revealed.
Wine of the Month – Codorniu Gran Crémant Eco Vintage Brut Spain
This month’s chosen wine comes from the land of cava – Catalonia in Spain. The Codorniu (which translates as “quail” in English) family winery dates back as far as 1551 and some of their cellars were declared a national monument by the king in 1976. It is the second oldest producer of cava in Spain and one of the oldest wineries in the world. Located not far from Barcelona, it produces in excess of 100,000 bottles of cava each year. This particular gran crémant is a mixture of the traditional cava grapes of Macabeo, Xarello and Parellada and produces a wine which is refreshing with a creamy, rounded palette. At 11.5% ABV, it’s available from the Co-Op for just £10 per bottle. Ideal for those summer barbecues if it ever stops raining.
Restaurant of The Month – The Spaghetti Tree, 136-138 Wickham Road, Shirley
Cast your mind back to April 1st 1957. Alright, I know some of you weren’t born then (grrr) but on April Fool’s Day that year, BBC Panorama broadcast a hoax concerning spaghetti growing on trees in Switzerland. Turns out it wasn’t a hoax after all, because spaghetti trees are sprouting up all over the place. This particular branch (!) is located just across the road from where we meet on the site of what used to be Lorenzo’s. You have probably guessed by now that the food is Italian and there is a great selection of pasta, pizza, chicken and fish dishes available as well as traditional roasts on a Sunday. As an added attraction, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, there is live entertainment on show, ranging from pop, to soul and jazz.
Social Calendar
The trip to Chartwell takes place this Saturday so for those who are going, I hope the weather is kind for you and May the Fourth be with you.
We now have 20 of us lined up for Lingfield races on Saturday 1st June which is great news because it has brought the entry price down from £20 to £16. I will be sending a separate e-mail to all those who have committed to attend this event. Please don’t forget that you are not allowed to take into the venue any food, drink or chairs.
As you know, Tracy has sent a message already concerning our annual walk which will take place in London on Saturday 20th July so please reply to her separately, if you haven’t already done so, if you are intending to join the group on the day.
Finally, our garden party will be on Sunday, August 4th and this year our hosts will once again be Sue and Dennis Gigney so a big thank you to them for opening up their lovely garden for us all to enjoy. More details of how the day will run will be circulated nearer the time.
I look forward to seeing you next week on Thursday 9th.