Denbies Vineyard
Wine Tasting and Social event at Denbies Vineyard, Dorking 14th August 2007
Initially
billed as an event to be savoured on a balmy summer evening, delegates had
to battle against the twin ravages of weather and acute M25 traffic jams
to get to Denbies, Englands largest vineyard.
In the event, just two of the 45 booked delegates failed to make it on the night. What they missed was a spectacular 360 degree cinema introduction to Denbies and the art of wine making. The screening vividly illustrated how the location of Denbies vineyard paralled almost exactly the topography, geology and micro-climate of the champagne region of France thus rendering it suitable for the production of wines of the very highest quality.
Delegates then had the opportunity to taste some product of Denbies labours in a tutored tasting with Wine Master, Clifford Mould (assisted by his knowledgable assistant Mona) as well as undertaking a blind tasting comparison of Denbies' wines against some continental wines. This included comparing a French Champagne and a Denbies sparkling wine which most delegates identified the wrong way around.
Clifford took us through the finer points of wine making from the growing of the vine to the harvest and the blending of a variety of single varietal wines to produce a consistent branded taste year after year. We also learnt that despite its relative size and growing reputation for quality, Denbies struggles to get listings with major supermarkets owing to the minimum quantity they require for a year round listing.
The
tasting closed with a blind tasting of a burgundy versus one of the few
red wines produced by Denbies. Once again the majority were fooled and identified
them wrong way around. As Clifford summarised, it was a testament to the
giant strides made by English wine in recent years. As for Clifford's favourite
wine, it's the one he is drinking when you ask him the question.
By Dan McNamara September 2007