Christmason the webAll you want for Christmas

in one web page

We have created a new area on ourwebsite to help make choosing giftsand wine for your own festivecelebrations as easy as possible.The page groups together all ourspecially packaged Christmas giftcases ordered by price and by type,as well as links to all our latestoffers. There are hints and tips onquantities to buy for parties anddinners, food and wine matchingsuggestions and articles and recipesto inspire and amuse. Visitthewinesociety.com/seasonal

Christmas Key Dates &Opening HoursMember Services8.30am - 9pm, weekdays

9am - 5pm, Saturdays

10am - 5pm, Sundays (until 18thDecember)

Closed from 2pm, Saturday 24thDecember until 8.30am,Wednesday 28th December

Closed from 2pm, Saturday 31stDecember until 8.30am, Tuesday3rd January

The Showroom10am – 6pm, weekdays & until7pm on Thursdays

9.30am – 5.30pm, Saturdays

Opening from 9am, Monday –Saturday from Monday 12thDecember

11am – 4pm, Sunday 4th, 11th,18th December

Closed from 4pm, Saturday 24thDecember until 10am, Wednesday28th December

Closed from 4pm, Saturday 31stDecember until 10am, Tuesday 3rdJanuary

MontreuilClosed from 6pm, Wednesday21st December until 10am, Friday13th January 2012

Last order datesUK delivery: Midnight, Thursday15th December

Wines from Reserves: 9pm,Friday 9th December

Montreuil pre-orders: 10am, Monday 5th December for collection from Tuesday, 13th December until Wednesday,21st December

Republic of Ireland:9pm, Wednesday 30th November

Applications for membership:Midnight, Thursday 15thDecember

If you have any questions or comments about Societynews, or would like to see something included, please e-mail: societynews@thewinesociety.com or write to: Societynews, The Wine Society, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT

December 2011

societynews

NLN

OV11

WINE MERCHANT OF THE YEAR – INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE & DECANTER 2011

Stuff the turkey!Janet Wynne Evans takes a wry look at food and winematching for the 12 days of Christmas.

2

Inside

... 2 Insider tipsMembers of staff from theteam at Stevenage share theirchoice of bottles for the big day. A full version of thisarticle is on our website.

Make time for MadeiraHaving recently published a book on the subject, wine writer and educator Trevor Elliot is well-placed toshare his knowledge of this,one of the world’s mostunderrated fine wines.

3 4 Let us now praisenoble rotSebastian Payne MW’s Last Word column eulogiesthe miracle of nature that is noble rot.

It’s incredible to think that the unsightly, shrivelled noble-rot affected grapes are the secret behindsome of the world’s greatest wines, in the case above, Sauternes. Sebastian Payne MW’s Last Word on the back page looks at the secret power of noble rot.

Gifts with southern flairTwo new gift cases bring south-western France to British hearths this Christmas

Muga Prize DrawWin a case with a difference

from Bodegas Muga

A trio of vintages of one of the very bestgran reserva Riojas on the market ispretty tempting, but even more so whenit comes in a handsome, hand-madewooden case that converts into an old-fashioned writing-box, complete withtraditional slope and drawer space forstamps and stationery.

Thanks to our friends at Muga, we havefive of these stunning cases available,containing a bottle each of the bodega’speerless Prado Enea Gran Reserva2000, 2001 and 2004, chosenspecifically for Society members bywinemaker Jorge Muga. Matured formore than three years in wood and thesame period in bottle before release, the wine alone is worth £100.

To qualify for the draw, all you need dois to order one bottle or more of Rioja,Muga Reserva 2007 (ref N-SP6991,£13.50) by the closing date ofThursday, 15th December. Please visitthewinesociety.com/muga for fulldetails of our terms and conditions.

Included in this year’s collection ofspecially packaged Christmas gifts aresome real treats for those that relish thebounty of France’s south-west. TheFrench Gourmand Case (ref N-XC1120,£45) provides all that’s needed for athree-course Gallic feast à deux, pairing ahearty Cahors from Clos La Coutale withConfit de Canard from La Truffe Cendréeand Félines-Jourdan’s crisp Picpoul dePinet with a jar of authentic fish souptogether with the traditional garnish ofgarlic croutons and rouille. For dessertthere’s Bonne Maman Lemon Tartelettesand the wonderfully named MontyBojangles Fine French Dusted Truffleswith Toasted Hazelnuts to finish.

Anyone who loves good brandy will beinterested in the Luxury Armagnac GiftCase (ref N-XC1114, £39) which offers arare opportunity to taste six differentArmagnacs from the excellent Château dePellehaut. The selection, which includes a1973 single vintage Armagnac, ispackaged in individual 6cl glass vials in asmart presentation box.

For more Christmas Gift Cases, visitthewinesociety.com/christmas or contactMember Services on 01438 741177.

The SecretPower ofNoble Rot

Societynews December 2011

InsiderTipsMembers of staff from the team atStevenage share their choice of bottlesfor the big day. A full version of thisarticle is on our website.

Isobel Cooper, MemberServices manager

‘I am enthusiasticabout so manyof our wines,but as many ofmy colleaguesknow I have apreference forthe New World.

For whites it has to be The Society’sNew Zealand Sauvignon Blanc(ref N-NZ5111, £9.50). It never fails tobring a smile to my face, even after thedisruption caused by the snow lastwinter and would be my everyday andany day choice. But it’s Christmas so I can trade up to the new Dog PointSauvignon, 2009 (ref N-NZ5551, £17).Over the year I have been lucky enoughto try a few Dog Point wines, but this isthe one for me. Unlike some sauvignonsit has a gentleness about it, so perfectwith the first food of the day; simplecanapés and smoked salmon blinis. It’s round and refreshing and all tooeasy to drink as I wait for my sons toappear, which as they get older becomeslater and later.’

Steve Farrow, The Cellar Showroom

‘We visited the island ofSantorini lastyear and I wastotally blownaway by thequality of theisland’s wines.

Our 2010 Hatzidakis Santorini(ref N-GR481, £10.95) made from ablend of local grapes is right up therewith the best of them in my opinion.It’s zesty and mineral but with lovelyintense ripe fruit flavours. It wouldpartner seafood of all descriptions yetstand up to the Christmas meal withrefreshing aplomb.’

Steve recently passed his two-year WSET Diplomawith merit – well done! His special bottle choice forChristmas would be Gevrey-Chambertin. Readmore on our website.

Shaun Kiernan, Fine Wine manager

‘I’m not a bigfan of Christmaspudding andwould ratherhave good ripecheese. I preferwhites to redswith cheese as

I believe they stand up better to theacidity. I think Cotat’s Sancerre, Les Monts Damnés, Chavignol, 2007(ref N-LO7661, £27) is outstanding. I’d decant it first thing in the morningbut put in the fridge an hour beforedrinking. But if money were no objectand I didn’t have to get up the next day,I’d treat myself to a bottle of Taylor’s1970 (ref N-PT1451, £135). Great Portand good mature Cheddar in front ofthe fire watching The Great Escape...zzzzz.’

Read more online atthewinesociety.com/insidertips

Stuff the turkey!A wry look at festive food and wine matchingWine Without Fuss subscribers were left in no doubt about Janet Wynne Evans’ aversion to the festive season when they

received the following tirade in the wine notes that accompanied their Christmas selections last year. We thought other

members might be amused by Janet’s take on the twelve days of Christmas, seasonally adjusted to push the boat out.

Twelve DrummersDrumming It’s well into January, month oftightened belts in all respects and themoment to embrace the humblechicken drumstick. Bake them Italianstyle with garlicky oil and chopped sage,rosemary and marjoram, free of chargefrom any self-respecting garden(perhaps that of a greener-fingeredneighbour who is away skiing). Whilethey are cooking, take down thedecorations, pour a glass of ourstaggeringly inexpensive Bricco RossoSuagnà, 2007 (ref N-IT15111, £6.50)and raise it to the end of this palaver foranother eleven months.

Eleven Pipers PipingNicely timed to coincide with thedemise of the last of the New Yearresolutions, Burns Night is a splendidoccasion, whether or not you wear thekilt, to put The Society’s Food andWine Matcher to the test. ChateauMusar and pinot grigio (for the lassies,no doubt) are among its nominationsfor the honour of squiring the GreatChieftain o’ the Pudding Race and its sweet, rooty cohorts. (Hochar –HOCH AYE ? – 2005 – ref N-LE511,£10.95)

Ten Lords a-Leaping Symbolic of the Ten Commandments,which I find a great deal easier to keepthan New Year Resolutions. Mine alwaysseem to involve eating and drinking lessso I’ll be sticking to a virtuous bit ofgrilled salmon with steamed broccoliand just one glass of low-fat sauvignonblanc. (Quando Sauvignon Blanc, 2010– ref N-SA6611, £7.75)

Nine Ladies Dancing As if we hadn’t had enough feathersin this feature already, the obviousfestive connection here is the MoulinRouge, and plenty of Champagne.Rather than end up legless, I like tomop mine up with Gruyère cheesestraws, or, if I’m feeling really posh,a plate of gougères. (ChampagneMarguet, Blanc de Noirs, Non-Vintage Brut – ref N-CH1951, £23)

Eight Maids a-Milking More into brawling than milking, the über-maid of Orleans suggests the Loire, and a demi-sec Vouvray toaccompany a palate-purging NewYear’s Day curry. Don’t overdo thechilli, though, or your tastebuds willjoin Joan at the stake. (Vouvray LesCoteaux Tufiers, Demi-Sec, 2009(Boutinot) – ref N-LO9411, £6.95)

Seven Swans a-Swimming Only the sovereign can eat a swan,but for New Year’s Eve, why not stuffa boned quail into a boned pheasant,into a boned goose, into a bonedturkey…. you get the picture. For thisyou need a very understandingbutcher and a serious bottle of Claret,stuffed into a magnum, stuffed into aJeroboam. (The Christmas Fine WineList has several wines in biggerbottles, visit the website or callMember Services for a copy.)

Six Geese a-Laying Well, their laying days are definitelyover, so give them the best send-offimaginable with a heady but dry Alsace gewurztraminer or pinot gris,reserving the livers to fry gently andserve on toast, to sustain the cook.(Pinot Gris Collection, Kuentz Bas,2008 – ref N-AL8931, £13.50)

Three French Hens Interpreters of the lyrics of the oldsong suggest that these are symbolicof faith, hope and love, threeemotions with which worshippersof red Burgundy will be all toofamiliar. We may as well go for brokewith grouse and turn to p41-44 ofthe List to find a bottle we can trust.(Marsannay Clos du Roy, DomaineSylvain Pataille, 2009 – ref N-BU48631, £20)

Two Turtle Doves Wood pigeons (near enough) arequite forgiving birds consideringyou’ve just taken them out with anair-rifle. Braise with lentils, and servewith a fruity Rhône-style red orroast pink, carve artfully and uncorkan elegant antipodean cabernet.(Katnook Estate CabernetSauvignon, 2008, Coonawarra – ref N-AU13571 £18)

A Partridge in a Pear Tree A pear-tree is a pretty unusualgarnish, but fear not – it’s almostcertainly derived from perdrix, theFrench word for partridge. Whatcould be nicer for two on ChristmasDay than a brace of not-too-scarygame birds and a juicy pinot noir?(Seresin Rachel Pinot Noir, 2008,Marlborough – ref N-NZ5201, £20)

Five Gold RingsFor some, these represent thePentateuch, for others the Torah. I dream fondly of the Côte d’Or and a glorious Puligny to uncorkwith proper Coquilles Saint-Jacques,shell and all. (Puligny-Montrachet,Domaine Louis Carillon, 2006 – ref N-BU42531, £37)

Four Colly Birds ‘Colly’ birds, are blackbirds byanother name, but who couldpossibly eat one? Corsicans, that’swho, even selling distressingpostcards with a picture of the poorthing chirping ‘Adieu la liberté, demain onme mange en pâté!’ Shame on anyonewanting a wine recommendation for that, but for the record, it wouldbe a dry, meaty gourmet pink. (Corse-Calvi Clos Culombu Rosé,2010 – ref N-FC21101, £11.95]

Illustrations by John Richards

If you would like to find out more about regular deliveries of wine through Wine WithoutFuss, starting at £75 a case, visit thewinesociety.com/winewithoutfuss or telephoneMember Services on 01438 741177.

Which? Readers’ ‘best wine club’ 2011

Our selection of Madeiras can be found on page 145 of the Christmas List. From time to time we are able to make available on our website small parcels of rare aged single-vintageMadeiras which would make wonderful gifts for special anniversaries and birthdays. These wines not only show just how the tremendous keeping qualities of fine Madeira but arealso a wonderful taste of history. The How to Buy Madeira page in the Explore section of ourwebsite provides more detail on the production of this unique wine and can be viewed atthewinesociety.com/howtobuy

Societynews December 2011

If you have any questions or comments about Societynews, or would like to see something included, please e-mail: societynews@thewinesociety.com or write to: Societynews, The Wine Society, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT

Book offerTrevor Elliott’s The Wines of Madeira is aclearly written, highly informativebook on Madeira providing a well-needed up-to-date picture ofMadeira’s wine industry. Memberscan buy the book at the specialprice of £12.50 incl p&p in the UK(usually £13.99 + p&p). ContactTrevor Elliott directly, please senda cheque made payable to: Trevor Elliott, 17 Beechcroft Road,Gosport, PO12 2EP. Please includeyour name and address details.

Make time for Madeira

eXploreMadeiraIf you only buy one bottle offortified wine for the festive periodyou could do a lot worse thanmaking it Madeira. This curiosity ofthe wine world can of course beenjoyed at any time of the year butit comes into its own at Christmaswith its characteristic aromas ofnuts, marmalade and toffee. It isvirtually indestructible too and onceopened will keep well for months.

Henriques & Henriques Malmsey,10 years old, 50cl

A Christmas essential which goes aswell with the cheeseboard as it doeswith Christmas cake, mince piesand chocolate truffles. This sweetMadeira is intense and deeplycoloured. The cask ageing bringsout nuances of figgy walnuts withmore than a hint of caramel andcoffee. Try a bottle at the specialprice of £13.95 instead of £17until Sunday, 1st January 2012.Quote ref N-MA181, one bottleonly per member at this price

Wine Society member, writer and educator Trevor Elliott

has had a long love affair with the wines of Madeira.

Here he explains why one of the world’s most unusual fine

wines deserves better recognition.

Picking, especially from high latadas, is extremely hard work

Cliffs at Cabo Girão and behind them the steep terraces constructed by the first colonisers for planting vines

Vineyards at Quinta Grande, owned by H&H

The cask store at H&H. Once used, casks are shippedback to an Irish Whiskey company

© Ricky Foyle

Madeira & foodMadeira wines are extremely versatile and can be drunk on their own or with food:

Wine style Try with Suggested wine

Dry (Sercial) olives, roastedalmonds, smokedsalmon, cream cheeses

Henriques & Henriques Sercial, 10years old 50cl (ref N-MA241, £17)

Medium dry(Verdelho)

consommé, ham, pâtés Blandy's Verdelho, 10 years old 50cl(ref N-MA231, £18)

Medium sweet(Bual)

dried fruits, cakes, fruittarts, milk chocolate

Henriques & Henriques Bual, 15 years old 50cl (ref N-MA221, £22)

Sweet (Malmsey) rich fruit cakes,chocolate or coffeedesserts, darkchocolate

Henriques & Henriques Malmsey,10 years old 50cl (ref N-MA181,£13.95 instead of £17)

In the Canteiro process, the wines areaged in wooden casks of varying sizes.They are kept in lofts and lodges heatedby the sun, for a period of two years. A visit to the lofts is an interestingexperience, as they can become quitehot (30oC+) and very humid. Theprocess was developed following adiscovery in the 17th century. Winesexported from Madeira to the Indies,but returned unsold, were found to haveimproved in quality, despite havingencountered very high temperaturesduring the journey passing through thetropics. This method is used for mostwines aged five years or more.

The Estufagem process, dating from the18th century, is quicker and moreintense and involves heating the wines,usually in stainless-steel tanks, between45oC and 50oC for a period of threemonths. It is normally used for wines tobe sold young and made from the morewidely planted tinta negra grape.

Although many years ago, I can stillremember how much I enjoyed my first Madeira wine. The intensity, thewonderful flavours and the length oftime the taste lasted really impressedme. The wine was a 3-year-old sweetMadeira, deep amber-tawny in colour,with aromas of honey and raisins. Rich and full-bodied, it had flavours of caramel, honey, nuts and spices.Although sweet, it was not cloying andhad a long and surprisingly clean finish,due to the fresh acidity.

This fired my interest, enthusiasm andfascination for Madeira and its wines.During the past 20 years, I’ve been aregular visitor to the island and itswineries. Having been impressed by the3-year-old wine, I was amazed to findhow much more complex and intensewere wines that had been aged for 10 or15 years. Even more remarkable hasbeen the privilege of tasting winesdating back to the 1800s.

How can a wine last that long? What isso special about these wines?

The unique character is due to theheating and prolonged exposure tooxygen in the air (oxidation) duringproduction, especially the ageingprocess. As the wines age, many changestake place, including the caramelisationof the sugars, giving rise to a wonderfulrange of aromas and flavours: fruits,nuts, spices, dried fruits, caramel, honey, toffee and chocolate. But theextraordinary thing is they retain theirincredible freshness.

The Portuguese island of Madeira,which lies in the Atlantic 600 milessouthwest of Lisbon may be betterknown these days as a touristdestination. Land here is at a premiumand the humid, volcanic difficult-to-farm vertiginous slopes don’t help. There are just eight producers whereonce there were many and only 4mlitres of these wonderful wines are now produced each year. With theexception of Henriques & Henriques,the producers do not own vineyards.Grapes are grown by more than 1,600registered growers with an averageholding of 0.3 hectares. For most,growing vines is not their mainoccupation. Traditionally grapes aregrown on latadas (pergolas) and tending,weeding and harvesting the vines isextremely hard work.

Grapes, winemaking &ageingThere are five main grape varieties used.The four classic white varieties are eachused to make one sweetness ‘style’: sercial(dry), verdelho (medium dry), bual(medium sweet) and malvasia (sweet). A red variety, tinta negra, is the mostwidely planted and is used to make allfour sweetness styles. During fermentationthe wines are fortified, by adding grapespirit. The sweeter the wine required, theearlier the fortification will take place.After fortification, the wines begin theirageing process. The first stage involvesheating the wine – a process alien to allthat I had previously understood aboutwinemaking. It can be carried out in two ways.

Serving MadeiraOnce opened, the wines can, if thetemptation is resisted, be enjoyed over a very long period of time, as they willnot deteriorate. Unlike table wines,bottles should be stored upright toprevent seepage. The wines can beserved at room temperature, althoughsome producers recommend slightlycooling dry wines, particularly if theyare going to be served as aperitifs.

If, as a wine lover, you have not yetexperienced the delights of Madeirawines, don’t delay: try some now.

After the initial stage, wines are testedfor quality and potential for furtherageing in cask. Three and 5-year-oldwines, particularly the sweeter styles,can provide a most enjoyableintroduction to Madeiras. However, Ibelieve it is the 10 and 15-year-oldwines that show what a huge differenceextra ageing can make. They bring thewhole taste experience to a new leveland the ultimate pleasure for me is totaste really old vintage wines. Howmany other wines can last for decadesor even centuries?

Yet again, Janet Wynne

Evans feels at odds with

Christmas

If marketing is, as somebody oncewrote, the art of arresting the humanimagination long enough to extractmoney from it, words are a key weaponin the professional attention-seeker’sarsenal. Any e-mail not containingcertain mots du jour will fall flat on its face,we’re told, but I doubt that. The mostpotent word combination I know is thatof ‘cheap’ and ‘Claret’. The trouble isfinding some worth drinking, andmeanwhile, the professionalcommunicator’s mind must not beclosed to a bit of cutting-edge coinage tostop readers in their tracks.

A rare Eighties example which, thanks toa succession of economic freezes andsqueezes, has stood the test of time iscocooning. If recessions are to keep usindoors when we might otherwise have

explored exotic locations from Pacificislands to new-wave restaurants, thenhome must be worth staying in. If youhave upgraded your television, soundsystem, bathroom shower or any kitchenappliance this year, you have,consciously or not, been cocooning,and, perhaps, even hoping that when theeconomy returns to the black, the RedAdmiral in you will come out.

Many of us have, sadly, lost, or simplynever learned the art of staying at home,but even domestic goddesses would havebeen caught unawares in 2010, when itwas a lucky person indeed whose planswere not somehow derailed by theweather. From the inconvenience anddisappointment caused by a delivery vanthat couldn’t get through with essentialprovisions and gifts to the utter miseryof several nights on a hard airport floorand in many cases many worseprivations, our British grit – and ourgritters – were certainly tested.

On a personal level, I discovered thatChristmas is absolutely no time for anold bird. I refer here not only to myselfbut to a couple of mallard that we had inthe freezer, for, with foreign travelarrangements scotched, and no time tocommission exotic centrepieces or toremove wine from The Society’s cellars,we stayed at home and improvised.

This should not have been a hardship. If you put good stuff in your freezer,wine-rack and cupboards, you’ll getgood stuff out of them, non?

Unfortunately, our mallards had been incryonic suspension for just a little bit toolong, just enough for the minimal fatthey carry to turn unpleasantly rancidwhen subjected to intense heat. Theaccompanying glass was a pukka, butforgotten Clos Vougeot which had spenttoo long in the rack, bound for betterstorage facilities had my memory beenwhat it once was. Whether it wasmonths of neglect or the fragrance ofpoorly husbanded chip-shop which hadfilled the house, it, too, went into a sulk.Our standby starter, a couple ofdefrosted smoked eel fillets, broughtback to life in a frying pan with somebacon, was let down by theaccompanying glass of elderly rieslingthat had been lying alongside the ClosVougeot, doubtless plotting revenge.

Old isn’t always bad, of course. The lastof 1990 Bollinger (drink up!) closed offone year and kicked off another in ablaze of mature, biscuity splendour, andin its warm glow, I confronted reality,and made a resolution. The festive seasonalways makes me feel like a failure,however I try to approach it, and I havetried everything now, apart from leavingthe country, which may not be righteither. But I certainly don’t propose tospend the next one in a cocoon, unlessit’s attached to a coconut palm in theCaribbean, and I can emerge from it inglorious technicolour.

Embrace your inner cocoon by buying nice wines to snuggle up with. Order before midnight, Thursday 15th December to ensure delivery intime for Christmas. If you’re looking for inspiration,look at the Fine Wine section on the Christmaspage on our website atthewinesociety.com/seasonal

The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited. Registered Office: Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2BT Register Number: 1824R (IP)

Website thewinesociety.comEnquiries 01438 741177Orders 01438 740222

Societynews December 2011

SebastianPayne MWChief wine buyer

Last Word

Let us now praisenoble rotMy colleague Toby Morrhall, currentlydoing a brilliant job securing ourBurgundies and the cream of SouthAmerican wine for The Society, oncetold me that the greatest wine of allwas Sauternes. He has a point.

What an achievement to makeglorious nectar, capable of living 50 to 100 years, from grapes that look rotten on the vine. Though manyclaim the discovery from SchlossJohannisberg to Tokay to Yquem,nobody knows who first discoveredthe secret power of noble rot. The story usually involves an absentlandlord returning late to authorise his vineyard workers to pick. When all looked lost, they were told to pickanyway and found they made fabuloussweet wine.

Rot on grapes comes in several guises.We shun grey mould that spoils thefruit and sick rot that turns wine intovinegar. Noble rot, however, botrytiscinerea/pourriture noble/Edelfaule/ muffa nobileconcentrates all the good elements ofthe grape like sugar and fruit aciditywhile removing over half the grape’swater content.

The skin of the grapes must beundamaged and ideal conditionsoccur in a temperate climate in which humidity associated with early morning mists followed bywarm, sunny afternoons favoursdevelopment of the fungus. The different temperature of rivers,Garonne and Ciron in Sauternes andthe Tisza and Bodrog in Tokayencourage these mists. Dry hotconditions may ‘raisin’ the grapes butdo not allow the fungus to develop.

Botrytis cinerea spreads unpredicatablyand sometimes rapidly, so you need tosend your skilled pickers into thevineyard several times, sometimes overan extended period to harvest. Becauseof the water loss and caprices of theweather, yields can be ridiculouslysmall, often less than a fifth or evenless of normal production. One vinemay produce only one glass of wine. It is precious and worth savouring.

Janet WynneEvansSpecialist winemanager

Food for thought

NO TIME FORAN OLD BIRD

Special ticket price for Wine Society members

A must for all francophiles, The France Show returns to Earls Court from Friday13th to Sunday 15th January 2012. There will be tutored wine tastings, fooddemos and a French market, tips on buying property in France, learning the lingoand ideas for holidays and short breaks. We have negotiated a special ticket pricefor Wine Society members of two tickets for £10 (instead of £10 each). Orderonline at thefranceshow.com/pre-register.aspx or by phone on 01242 264777.Please quote WS524. Offer valid until Saturday, 31st December 2011.

MEMBERS’LETTERS

£20 worth of wine for new membersA share in The Society makes an ideal Christmas

present for wine-loving friends or family.

In the run-up to Christmas, all members proposed between Monday, 17thOctober and Saturday,31st December will havetheir account creditedwith £20 to spend ontheir first order. To guarantee deliverybefore Christmas,applications need toreach The Society bymidnight, Thursday15th December.

Early morning mists in Sauternes are key to thedevelopment of noble rot

Bottled upLosing One’s Bottle, Janet Wynne Evans’spiece in the October edition ofSocietynews on the perils of taking abottle to dinner (or being on thereceiving end of one) drew aparticularly lively postbag frommembers. Having collated theirfeedback we can now share someinvaluable tips with other members:

Before you forget, write the name of the bringer of a bottle you don’tintend to open right away on a stickylabel and attach it to the bottle. This practical suggestion, submitted by a number of members, ensures that there will be no futureembarrassments.

Don’t absent-mindedly take a bottlethat was thoughtfully chosen for youback to its original donor. JWE learnt her lesson when a trendy kipper tie(she’s showing her age) bought for a boyfriend at a jumble sale, turned out to have been his father’s,chucked out by his mother!

However much you may want to, do not, under any circumstances, ask for a bottle back just because ithasn’t been opened. Unbelieveably, it seems some people have no shamein this regard!

After accepting, but not opening abottle brought by a guest, rememberto report back at a future date on howyou have enjoyed drinking it.This is, of course, the minimum of courtesy, especiallyto a wine enthusiast.

If you find the wine in your glassdeeply unpleasant, do try not tocriticise it loudly or ask who couldpossibly have brought it, just in case it was, in fact, you!Highly unlikely if your offering came from The Society, but we all stray from the paths ofrighteousness now and again.

A ‘non-aggression bottle pact’ is a fineidea between friends.It saves all kinds of embarrassment and stops a bottle becoming worryingly well travelled as you seek, but fail to find occasions upon which to share it.

By all means forget your mannerswhen your offering of cru classé istrousered by a well-heeled host who then charges your glass withutter plonk.We don’t hold with wine snobbery, but this kind of thing is just not on, is it?

If you suspect the host to be a bitmean, why not take along six bottlesand feel free to help yourself.What an enterprising idea, and good for business, too!

Illustration by John Richards