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Flash news
05 August 2010
The first video is online
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This was a little bit of a fun experiment
even if I usually don't enjoy being filmed. A customer had previously
ordered his wines in order for me to prepare them as well as I should.
We can also see a Vosne-Romanée 1996 from Jadot which I will
not open before the guests are ready to drink it. No decanting for
this Pinot Noir! The table was booked at 8pm but I forecasted the
Ducru to be served at 8.30 to 9pm. I didn't want it open for much
more than one hour before being enjoyed so I am now decanting at
7.30pm. It is starting to be very busy around me but this is almost
perfect... The video
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04 June 2010
Wine list shortlisted for the final round of the best U.K wine list of the year competition
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Just randomly browsing the internet this morning, I found a nice article. What a good surprise....yes, my wine list has been selected to be in the last 25 wine lists for the competition. The final result to be announced this autumn in the Imbibe magazine. The article is worth reading: here |
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CATCH UP!
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I know, I know, it has been a long time since I last wrote on this blog... No excuses, here is a catch up from mid-April with the annual Dynamic Vines tasting. The company is very young but is surely very clever in finding wines that are a little bit different with most of them made from a Biodynamic agriculture. A great tasting of "natural" wines hosted in a small white theatre in London near Notting Hill. There was a little too many wines to taste in one afternoon so I decided to concentrate on the whites, the summer being close to our doorsteps. The cheese stand was great too but I had to wait until the end before I could try some! Read the full article in "To the test" here. In the meantime, I have been busy writing on my hotel's blog |
21 May 2010
Katnook Estate brings sunshine from Australia
09 February 2010
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London
- River Café Restaurant - Bruno Giacosa from Piemonte to
the test
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07 February 2010
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Angers
-The Loire Valley Wine Fair 2010
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My report is live! Read it in
"The Trips"
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21 January 2010
An Italian producer from Chianti on a "tour"
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At long last, the snow has cleared the way and we can now start a new exciting year at my hotel. The restaurant at Lords of the Manor has officially been awarded a michelin star for the second year running and this is good news! My first serious tasting this year will be with a selection of fine italian wines from the Fontodi estate which is based in Tuscany. The owner, Giovanni Manetti came to visit with his two bodyguards from Liberty Wines. There is nothing better than having the producer beside you while you taste his wines! We were able to taste almost all of his wide collection in some of the best recent vintages: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008. We invited him to come back for a wine dinner next year and I hope to see him with some bottles of his flagship wine: Flaccianello. I also learned a few more news about their recently built winery and their move to become an organic estate. Read the tasting notes in the "To the Test" section. |
January 2010
Upper Slaughter: "the bottom" of the world!
Like everybody else this month, we had a lot of snow in Upper Slaughter and, once again, the customers could't drive to the hotel...
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07 November 2009 : Highest turnout at the Marble Table |
15
October 2009 : Trip
in Bordeaux
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28 September 2009 : An art object or simply a new wine list cover?
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The answer is both! We have just received the new wine list covers at Lords of the Manor Hotel!
Looking at the Livio Felluga's wooden cases in the cellar, an idea came to my mind: Why not bind two of these beautiful lids together and make it a wine list cover? I decided to leave the hard work to a professional carpenter and, after exchanging 3 or 4 emails, the project went ahead at Golborne in Lancashire. Moran's Wood Components Ltd did make a wonderful job and I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the parcel: They didn't make what I wanted, they made so much better! Not to forget, the precious help from Karen Taylor, Liberty Wines, in providing the carpenter with the useful lids!
04 September 2009 : Good Food Guide 2010 is out for sale
With a cooking score of 6 and a few good comments about our chef's "cuisine", Matt Weedon seemed quite satisfied with the inside of the book. I didn't get a score for the wine list but a few praising words "which" make me think that they did come to have a look at it!
The good food guide 2010: "[...]. A mighty wine list running to more than 600 bins gives plenty of space to the French and Italian regional classics, and the sommelier's food-matching selections by the glass are also worth taking on board. Bottles start at £19.50."
09 August 2009 : Romain Herbelot & Joanne Gibb get married at LOM
Romain is the South of England Regional Account Manager for LVMH Moet Hennessy and I was very happy about the choice he made for hosting his wedding at my place of work.
There was a lot of music from start to finish (Different bands, Joanne being Scottish... ), good wines and digestifs, fun guests and the party could have not been more "perfect" with the sunny weather.
Although he did comment during his speech that we were not having Moët & Chandon as our main pouring Champagne, I do list quite a few wines from LVMH: Moët & Chandon N.V, Krug Grande Cuvée, Dom Pérignon in different vintages, Cloudy Bay from New Zealand in white and red and the Terrazas Malbec Reserva from Argentina. We also list the "TOP" Glenmorangie Malt whiskies (18Yo and 25Yo).
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Ingo Wiangke in action - General Manager - Lords of the Manor Hotel
I wish them all the best in their life together!
10 March 2009 : Wine list selected for the final in "The Best Wine List Competition AA"
It took me some time to realise the meaning of the letter I found in the tray on my first day back at work after a trip to the Loire Valley in France. We sent a copy of the wine list a few weeks ago to the well known guide AA for their wine list competition and the judges have selected it for the final. This also means the mention "notable wine list" being written on the AA guide 2010. Obviously, this news already means a lot to me because I am always trying to make the wine list clear, helpful, educational and interesting. I have now to fill a very small questionnaire but I don't expect to win the competition.
Begining of February: Snowed in!!!
We had a very quiet week at the Lords of the Manor...Not because the guests didn't want to come but because they couldn't come.... Nice to see snow on this beautiful Cotswold scenery.
18 January 2009 : One-Michelin-star!!!
HOURA!!!!
The restaurant at Lords of the Manor is awarded with one michelin star! The news came to me as I was having a few days of relaxation in Cornwall but I celebrated with a glass (or two) of Champagne on my way back to the Hotel with the Chef Matt Weedon!!! If you don't know what the Michelin guide is and you like food then BUY IT!
NEXT TARGET: 4 Rosettes AA....