| Status: | Active, full but can join waiting list |
| When: | Monthly |
| Venue: | Member's home |
Some of our groups allow visitors to have one taster session. If you wish to know more, contact our Groups Coordinator using the “groups” link on the contact us page. Please do not attend a group meeting without prior permission from the group leader. Group leaders are not required to justify their decision.
Forthcoming events
Early October
We were unable to agree on a meeting date in September, so we are having two meetings in October. The next meeting will be at the end of the month.
This month we were drinking the final 3 wines which we purchased from our friend, Janet.
The first wine was Pato Torrente Sauvignon Blanc 2025 from the Central Valley, Chile. This was a vegan wine, which seem to be getting better than they used to be. The aroma was fruity and the flavours were of grapefruit, gooseberry and apple. It was also very dry and acidic, but pleasantly so. It would pair well with shellfish, goat's cheese and vegetarian food. The ABV was 12.5% and would normally retail for about £8.95. The wine was very popular with the group, especially as most of us prefer a red wine.
The second wine was Amanti Del Vino Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2025 from NE Italy. The name suggested to us that it was from somewhere near Venice. Although labelled as a dry wine, it lacked the crispness and acidity of the first wine. it was supposed to have flavours of peach, stone, and cream, but none of us could really taste that. Also, there was virtually no aroma. We were rather disappointed with this wine. It's ABV was 11% and normally retails for about £9.75.
The final wine was Pleno Tempranillo 2024 from Navarra, Spain. It was another vegan wine. We were all getting flavours of cherries, blackberries and vanilla. Several of us also noted tobacco. It was quite a complex wine and proved popular with the group. It's ABV was 13% and it would pair well with beef, veal and poultry. It normally costs about £10.00.
August
Our August meeting was held at Pauline's house with the wines provided by a friend of the group. Another member of Moor's edge u3a is the pastor of the local Methodist Church. She had been offered 6 bottles of wine by some members of her church. They had been given the wines whilst on a cruise, but were teetotal so didn't want them. The wines were offered to us and we paid £50 for the 6 bottles with the money going towards the church's new roof. They were worth more than that, but everyone was happy with the arrangement. We drank 3 of the wines this month and will have the other 3 at our next meeting. It made a change to have wines which hadn't been bought from a local supermarket.
Our first wine was Sumaridge Klip Kop 2020 from Walker Bay, South Africa. It is a blend of 79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Semillon and normally retails for about £12.95. The wine was slightly dry with flavours of gooseberries and citrus. It pairs well with lighter foods such as goat's cheese, fish, shellfish, poultry and pork. It's ABV was 13.5%, really quite high for a white wine. It was the most popular wine of the evening.
Our second wine was Higham Pink Single Estate English Rosé 2024 from Suffolk. The Higham Vineyard sits on the north side of the Stour valley in Suffolk. The village of Higham was painted by Constable in 1804 and the south facing view of the vineyard remains largely unchanged from then.
This rosé is made from Pinot Noir grapes and is described as bold, acidic and fizzy. The flavours are supposed to be cherries and strawberries, but all I was getting was sour cherries. It most definitely was n't fizzy. It would pair well with fish, shellfish and appetizers. It retails for approximately £24.95 and it's ABV was 12%.
England's best sparkling wines come from Kent, Sussex and the surrounding areas, but this wasn't one of them. I had high hopes for this wine, but it was the least popular wine of the evening.
Our final wine was Le Petit Balthazar Merlot 2024 from France. It's made from Merlot grapes in the Languedoc style. It was smooth, dry and slightly acidic. It retails for about £9.95. The flavours were of cherries, blackberries and black currants. It would pair well with beef, veal and pasta. It's ABV was 11%, pleasant but unremarkable.
July
Our July meeting was held at Penny's house with Marilyn providing the wines. All three wines were purchased from Aldi.
Our first wine was Assyrtiko 2025 from NW Greece. This is a dry white wine, unique to the region. It had notes of lemon zest, pear and stone fruits. The grape is often blended with 10% Chardonnay, which probably explains its tropical fruit flavours. It pairs well with salads, sushi and chicken. It cost £7.49 and had the surprisingly high ABV of 12.5%.
The second wine was Toro Loco 2024. It's from Spain and the name means crazy bull. This wine is a blend of Tempranillo and Bobal. It was a little dry, but easy drinking. It would pair well with tapas or grilled meats. It cost £5.79 and had an ABV of 12%.
Our final wine was Zinfandel Limited Barrel 2022 from Lodi, California. This wine was rich and full-bodied cherry and plum flavours, as well as spices and vanilla. This wine was very popular with the group with many saying that it reminded them of port. It cost £8.99 and had an ABV of 14.5%.
June
Our June meeting was postponed due to very hot weather and we meet on Thursday 2nd July instead. Jennie was the hostess for the evening and Ginny provided the wines.
Our first wine was Aiosa Lucido Terre 2025 from Sicily, Italy.
It was described as having subtle citrus notes and white flowers aromas, although most of us just noticed a mild citrusy flavour. It was soft and easy drinking, well suited to a warm summer evening. It would pair well with grilled fish, pasta or light seafood dishes, and creamy risottos.
Lucido is a clone of Catarratto, the most widely planted grape variety in Sicily. The name comes from the lack of bloom on the grapes.
It cost £7.00 (marked down from £8.00) from Tesco and had an ABV 12%.
Our second wine was Cambalala Jammy Red 2025 from Western Cape, South Africa. It’s grape variety was Appassimento Pinotage. Pinotage is a grape variety created in 1925. Appassimento refers to the drying of the grapes before fermentation, which intensifies the flavours.
It had flavours of damson jam, blackberry compote and stewed currants. There was also a strong smoky aftertaste. It would pair well with beef, poultry and game (venison). It’s ABV was 13% and it cost £6.79 from Aldi. Cambalala is Aldi’s own brand.
Our final wine of the evening was Costières de Nimes 2024 from Rhone Valley, France.
It is a blend of 73% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre and 2% Marselan. (Marselan is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.)
It was described as having aromas of black fruits & spices and flavours of intense fruits, spices, chocolate and liquorice. I could get everything except the chocolate. It would pair well with lamb, beef stew, and ratatouille. The ABV was 13.5% and the wine cost £6.39 from Aldi.
May
Our May meeting was held at Marilyn's house with Kate providing the wines. All three wines were purchased from Aldi.
Thee first wine was Moon Bay Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region, New Zealand. The aromas were of tropical fruits and the flavours were of passion fruit, gooseberries and lime. It's ABV was 12.5% and it would pair well with fish, salads and Asian food. It normally retails for £9.00, but Kate only paid £4.99. Quite a bargain.
Our second wine was Le Petit Poulet Rosé 2025 from France. This wine is a passable copy of the more well known La Vielle Ferme Rosé. It is the palest rosé I have ever seen, crisp and a little dry. There were flavours of raspberries and pink grapefruit. It's ABV was 12.5% and it pairs well with salads, fish and chicken. It cost £6.29.
Our final wine was Costellore Rosso d'Italia. The name is an exclusive to Aldi and this is a blended red wine made using Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes from the Tuscany region of Italy and is a suitably robust wine to go with typical Tuscan foods. It's ABV was 13% and cost £5.99.
All three wines were excellent and well received by the group.
