Dormant winter vines – time to get picking!

/in /by

If you take a drive through the Sussex countryside you might stumble upon the odd vineyard, in fact Sussex is the most densely planted county in the country housing 23 vineyards in total.  In 2016, East and West Sussex combined produced over a quarter of the wine produced in the whole of the UK.

It’s winter, everyone and thing associated with the wine industry is taking a well earned break (apart from the farmers!).  The vines look twiggy and dead, they are dormant, hibernating.  There would appear to be little to do in the vineyard at this time of year, however pruning is one of the most labour intensive jobs of the year and perhaps one of the most important.

Hop on a plane to the Southern Hemisphere and it’s a different kettle of fish.  All hands on deck, once those grapes are at optimum ripeness there is a small window to get them picked and in to the winery.

Enter the twitter-sphere and check out #2019Harvest for reports and photos from all over the Southern Hemisphere of harvest time.

 

 

 

Wine and canapé pairing – 6 great combinations

/in , , /by

We are just getting set for today’s tasting which we are holding at Emma’s kitchen in Twyford, Berkshire.

This is the 3rd tasting we have hosted there so we are always careful to show new wines and fresh canapé ideas.

The line up for this wine tasting:

  1. Sacchetto Pinot Brut Spumante (Italy)
  2. Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
  3. Cape Chamonix Unoaked Chardonnay (South Africa)
  4. Arndorfer Gruner Veltliner (Austria)
  5. Santiago Pinot Noir (Chile)
  6. Saint Cirice Grenache (France)
  7. Casas del Bosque Syrah Gran Reserva (Chile)

Yes, a large showing of Chilean wines, but they offer such great value and are so approachable that it’s a joy to show them at our tastings.

Then on to the food pairings, we offer the bubbly as an aperitif and don’t have a canapé for that wine.

  • Sauvignon Blanc – high in acidity and pairs brilliantly with cheese – especially Goat’s Cheese.
  • Chardonnay – it’s soft and rich but doesn’t want massive flavours – meaty fish or white meat with herbs not spices.
  • Gruner Veltliner – a wonderful food wine and all hold up to asian flavours and spice.
  • Pinot Noir – fruity wine needs fruity food, but not too heavy.  Apparently you shouldn’t pair wine with egg but this goes so well with a Spanish style Omelette with smoked Paprika.
  • Grenache – lovely unctuous fruit will pair perfectly with moroccan lamb
  • Syrah – peppery in nature but ours is big and rich and will be our cheeseboard finisher

So there we have it.  Just time to do the shopping, prep and then hit the road!

 

Recipe Collection – Strawberry Salami Canapé

/in , , /by
Possibly the most unusual canapés I have ever invented, but it was tried and tested at our South African wine tasting in June 2018 and it went down a storm!
We called it: ‘Coppetta di Salami with infused Balsamic Strawberry, Cream Cheese’
Ingredients:
  • Salami – make it a nice one
  • Seasonal, fresh British Strawberries
  • Fresh Basil
  • Cream Cheese
  • Fresh Chives
  • Balsamic Vinegar

Method:

As always, if you have time and you are not responsible for anything other than cooking, pour yourself a nice glass of wine – I’m thinking my fridge door favourite Chenin Blanc from the Blockhead Estate.

Now, put your glass down and slice your strawberries – I would say thick slices (4-5mm thick) and allow one slice per canapé.  Pop them in a sterilised jam jar, Kilner jar or plastic tub and pour in enough vinegar to cover.  This is great if you leave it for an hour or so as the strawberries really take on the vinegar and change texture completely.

Pre-heat the oven to around 170 degrees, around 160 if you are fan assisted.

Edgebaston Syrah / Mourvedre / Tannat 'The Pepper Pot'

Edgebaston Pepper Pot

Blockhead Estate Chenin Blanc

This is my favourite bit.  Take a mini muffin tray, the ones with 24 cups, and grease.  Place your Salami piece by piece in each cup, pinching the sides and folding in as uniformly as possible.  You’ll find your rhythm.  Once the tray is full take small pieces of tinfoil and scrunch into a ball.  Place a little ball in each Salami cup.  Place in the oven for 6 minutes.

 

When you remove the cups they should have set in the cup shape and you can take them out and lave to cool on a rack.  Repeat until you have enough cups.

Mix your cream cheese with your chopped chives.  Slice up your basil and assemble once the Salami is cold.  A dollop of cheese, a slice of Strawberry and a piece of basil – however you see fit

For this canapé I would highly recommend a spicy Shiraz base – we showed it with Edgebaston Pepper Pot and it worked a treat!

Next wine and canapé pairing event:

Measure for Measure –  a harmonious pairing of music and wine – 19th October 2018

 

 

Recipe Collection – Gazpacho

/in , , /by

Perfect for warm evenings, straight out of the fridge and fresh as a daisy!

Suggested Ingredients:Gazpacho

  • 6 big, plump, ripe tomatoes
  • 1 large white onion
  • 3 spring onions
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 green pepper
  • bunch of flat leaf parsley
  • bunch of basil
  • 1 good glug of olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 splosh of white wine vinegar
  • chilli to taste

Method:

I always like to use the BBQ, so skewer the quartered onion.  Skewer the spring onion heads and stick a peeled garlic clove in between each one.  Plonk them on along with the peppers and tomatoes, turning them so they get a good roasting but don’t turn to mush.  Approx 20 mins.  Take them off, and have a refreshing glass of Pinot Gris whilst cooling.

Once you’ve finished your glass…I mean once the vegetables have cooled, peel them as best you can – don’t get too fussy, it’s all edible!

Wizz the veg along with all other ingredients into a soupy pulp and add a little water if you end up with baby food – it needs to pour.

Celebrate with another glass of Pinot Gris and refrigerate.  The soup that is.

Before serving, add some sliced of spring onion, fresh herbs, even some chunks of cucumber and serve with a chilled glass of Santiago Pinot Noir.

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris

Santiago Pinot Noir

Santiago Pinot Noir

Delicious!

View our Drought Buster mixed case which will keep you refreshed in this warm weather!

South African Wine Tasting – the canapés

/in , , /by

 

South African Summer Tasting title

27th June 2018 @The Polka Theatre, Wimbledon:

50 of you descended on the Polka Theatre for an evening of ‘lekka’ South African wines and delicious canapés.

By all accounts a fun evening was had by all.   We had many recipe requests, so see below for the first, the Mushroom Risotto.

Also a little reminder about our next wine tasting event:

Wine, music and food pairing in conjunction with the Jigsaw Players – Friday 19th October 2018 at the Merton Arts Space, Wimbledon Library.  More info to come soon.

And now, for my first recipe:

Mushroom Risotto – with white truffle oil 

Wine pairing – Olifantsberg Blanc – white blend (Rousanne, Grenache, Chenin, Chardonnay)

First you’ll need to pop to the shops:

  • 50g of dried mushrooms (Waitrose have a pot in the spices section)
  • 1 vege. stock cube
  • A good splash of olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 BIG cloves of garlic, don’t hold back
  • 1 pack of chestnut mushrooms
  • 300g risotto rice
  • 1 glass of white wine – ideally a nice one but don’t waste the good stuff!
  • 1 good sized blob of butter
  • Parsley leaves (which I sadly forgot but I  do think would add to the dish!)
  • 50g ish grated parmesan (fresh)
  • A good splash of white truffle oil

My Method:

Soak the dried mushrooms with 1 litre of boiling water and leave them for 20 mins or so, then squeeze the water out of the mush but keep it for stock.  Chop the newly plumped mushrooms.

mushroom risotto spoonGlug of oil in my biggest frying pan and get the onion and garlic softening – don’t burn the garlic – it tastes nasty.  Then throw the dried and fresh mushrooms into the pan.  Get your salt and pepper out – again, don’t hold back.

Put the rice in the pan once the mush mix is soft and give it a good stir.  After a minute or so pour in your glass of wine (from the ingredients, not the one you are drinking at the moment!).

Get your mushroom juice on the boil with your stock cube in it.

Now, add in the stock about 1/4 at a time, don’t add more until the rice has totally absorbed the previous dose – could be 5 mins in between each addition.  Keep stirring slowly, no sticking or burning allowed.

Once you’ve added all the stock the rice should be cooked.  If it isn’t, mine wasn’t, add some more boiling water – I ended up adding about 200ml more last time.

All of that takes about 45 mins.

Then stir through the parmesan and parsley and save a little cheesiness to sprinkle on top.

Delicious!

Hay Festival 2018

/in , , /by
Hay-on-Wye, Wales.  24th May – 3rd June 2018
“Empathy, ingenuity and resilience – the core of our humanity and hope.  That’s what we’re going to celebrate in Hay in May.” Peter Florence, Director, Hay Festival

We are very proud to be one of the select few chosen to take a trade stand at the fabulous Hay signHay Book Festival.  Last year was fascinating and lots of fun so we are looking forward to hitting the road again and heading up to Hay-on-Wye and meeting lots of lovely people.

We will be showcasing our literary range of wines so as to demonstrate the personalised Hay Wineslabel design arm of Hannibal Brown.  We welcome any new ideas for wine names which are a play on famous books.

Bring your photos to the stand – we are designing and printing labels on the spot so we can send you away with all your gifts for 2018 done and dusted!

If you are coming to Hay Festival then please stop by, taste our delicious organic, vegan, biodynamic and award-winning wines.  Last year the Hannibal Brown stand was buzzing with friendly folk enjoying a glass and chatting about the fascinating topics which are raised every year at the festival.

If you have never been to the festival I urge you to go.  There are comedians such as David Baddiel and Dara O Briain, IMG_7896music from Laura Mvula, Imelda May and many more.  Illustrators, Poets, Politicians, Scientists, Broadcasters – you name it, they’ll be there.

Visit their website and see the full listings: hayfestival.com/home

Fingers crossed for sunshine – see you there!

 

 

Wine and Spice Pairing – Coriander/Cilantro

/in , , /by

It’s mentioned in the Bible and written in Sanskrit, it’s believed to have been used for over 6000 years – perhaps food back then wasn’t as bland as one would expect!Corriander

Coriander, as we know it, is known in North America as Cilantro, well that is used to refer to the leaves and stalk, which makes sense as the seed gives an entirely different flavour.

Corriander is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean, although we associate it with Asian and Mexican cuisine.  In Chinese cooking it is referred to as ‘Chinese Parsley’.

With an aromatic sometimes soapy flavour it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love it!   Due to its pungency a wine pairing that we would suggest is a fragrant Gewürztraminer or Chenin Blanc – at our wine and spice pairing event (Pinot & Paprika) we made a Snapper Cerviche with Coriander Chutney and paired it with our Sauvignon de Touraine by Guy Alion.

For the Cerviche:

Take a fresh Red Snapper filet and cut into 2cm pieces.  In a pyrex dish add finely diced red onion (1/2 an Onion), a cup of chopped, seeded tomatoes, a finely chopped red chilli, 2 teaspoons of salt.  Cover with lemon and lime juice – about a cup in all, and add some ground oregano and a splash of Tobasco.  Give it a jiggle every hour to be sure all the fish is exposed to the acids.  After several hours the fish will turn white as it cooks in the acid – it’s amazing!

For the Coriander Chutney:

Basically blitz the lot together and eat it nice and fresh – a brilliant dip or accompaniment to Indan food too – adds a lovely breath of freshness.

  • 1 cup chopped Coriander
  • 1/2 inch Ginger – chopped
  • 1 green chilli chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • Pinch os sea salt
  • a few mint leaves
A Great Collaboration

War of the Wine Worlds – Charity Wine Tasting

/in , /by

Thanks to all who attended our classic ‘v’ contemporary wine tasting event on 4th October 2017.

Another great event held in the Wandsworth Oasis Amen Corner charity superstore.  What a great venue, 4 wine tasting stations dotted amongst the used furniture, records, books and clothes.  A great opportunity to contemplate a delicious wine whilst deliberating over a ‘new’ wardrobe.

As always we held a competition to win a Personalised bottle of Wine, which was held in the form of a business card raffle and was won by a friendly Financial Advisor – Congrats David!

Please take a look at a few photographs from the event and do book in for our next one, another charity event with Christmas on the horizon and also Hannibal’s 5th Birthday celebration!

‘Sleigh bells and Sancere‘ is the name of our Christmas wine tasting event, it will be on the 30th November at the Wimbledon Sports Club (opposite the All England Club).  Stay tuned for information here >  Or book your tickets now here >

 

Hannibal’s Helper

Hickstead – Longines Royal International Horse Show

/in , , /by

Team Hannibal Brown packed up our travelling wine stand and headed to Hickstead, Sussex, for the Royal International Horse Show.  Needless to say, it was very, very wet!  We still have some great Personalised Wine orders for winners which we designed on the spot.  A great gift or prize for any event.

We took a great range of wines, which varied from a classic Ribero del Duero through to a Biodynamic Gruner Veltliner from Austria.  The latter being our best seller!

We do love our hardy outdoor customers.  Adorned with sensible boots, good solid waterproof hats and a willingness to enjoy their day whatever the whether, the crowds came to enjoy the show and get stuck into the shopping and food offerings.

 

Our favourite food stand was undoubtedly The Curry Squad – fantastic Indian Street Food to go!  www.currysquad.com  Their Gluten Free Onion Bhajis went brilliantly with our Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé from Germany – try the combination to believe it!

We’ve included some pictures of our personalised label designs and general scenes from the event.

It’s not just at our outside events that we design fabulous labels, you can order online by clicking here, or you could visit our wine shop hannibalbrown.com to view our full range of wines – it’s free delivery on 12 bottles and no minimum order!  Enjoy!

Cheers!

BNI Kingston – Summer Wine and Food Pairing

/in , , /by

Wednesday 19th July 2017 in sunny Raynes Park BNI Kingston and some plus 1s put their palates on the line and enjoyed a delicious wine and food pairing hosted by Hannibal Brown team Pamela Gregory and Jude King and the very talented chef, Elliot Johnson Paul of JP Dining.

Elliot produced a selection of canapés and bowl food to make your mouth water.  Each accompanied and complemented a different wine.  The list of the wines and canapés can be seen below along with some photos of the evening.

Wine Food
Sacchetto Spumante Blush NA
Ciu Ciu Croque Monsieur
Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Goats Cheese Cream, Beetroot chutney on Chilli Crostini
Sula Viognier Authentic Anglo Indian Samosas
Casas del Bosque Pinot Noir Duck Spring Rolls with Coriander and Tamrind Chuntney
Rioja Reserva Gavanza Charred Lamb Cannon, Smoked Aubergine and Roasted Piquillo Peppers
Casas del Bosque Carmenere Sausage and Chorizo Cassoulet

You can find out more about what Elliot has to offer on his website jpdining.co.uk.

If you fancy holding a wine tasting event in your own home, at work or with your sports club then please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0203 876 8008.  Wine tastings are a great way of getting people together, you don’t need a fancy location or to be a connoisseur, you just need to enjoy great wine, company, food and having a bit of fun!