WINE TASTING AT CATISFIELD MEMORIAL HALL.
FRIDAY 3 DECEMBER AT 1930.

The Hall is hosting this special event for local residents to explore the delights of French wines.

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Wine Tasting Review

Oh, La La!

The sounds and tastes of the French Loire Valley came to local residents at Catisfield Memorial Hall last week with a spectacular wine-tasting event which drew on 20 years’ experience of organiser and compere, Alan Baxter.

“Only some areas of France have the special combination of climate and terroir to produce excellent wines,” Alan explained, “We tend to know about Champagne and Bordeaux, Burgundy and Beaujolais but the wine styles and quality of Anjou and Alsace are far less familiar and deserve discovery.”

Guests were welcomed to the Hall by a medley of classic French songs and tunes, scenic images of vineyards and metres of the famous tricolore flag bunting. Alan talked with passion about his time hand-picking individual grapes amidst cold wet vines and the exuberant celebrations of the workers as each harvest was completed. Having run wine tours across the Anjou Region for many years, he offered practical insights into the correct temperatures for serving different wines, the art of tasting and the characteristics delivered by the range of growing environments. Most importantly, he emphasised, tasting is an entirely personal experience so different wines suit different palates and no-one’s taste is either right or wrong.