At the end of another week of lockdown this was a great way to wind down for the weekend.  Excellent and knowledgeable wine expert, interesting wines to try, with crackers and cheese supplied too.  A sell out event and for good reason - a worthy charity and great wines.  We'll definitely be joining the next one.

 

The evening was run by Gerhard Perold of Perold Wine Cellar. Gerhard has excellent credentials in the wine trade and is a specialist in South African wines.

Three different wines were sent out and although we faced a few problems with deliveries, most people received their wine, cheese and biscuits in time.

After a brief introduction by CLEFT Chairman Brian Sommerlad, Gerhard took over and talked us all through the wine one by one: a white wine called Den Chenin Blanc from the Swartland, KWV Classic Pinotage from the Western Cape and finally a Benguela Cove Collage from Walkerbay.

        

Some thought that they could smell Galia melon in the Chenin Blanc and fruit cake in the Pinotage; others thought that the Benguela Cove wine smelt of tobacco, liquorice, leather and oak bonfires.

The atmosphere of the night was great and the technical hitch was treated with good humour and acceptance. Liz is pictured in the photo on the left with Gerhard on screen. The enjoyment continued right to the end and we would like to thank all those who bought a ticket and supported us with such generosity of spirit. We also raised £536 which is amazing!

What a fabulous way to raise funds, meet new people, learn about the history of wine and of course taste a glass or two (or three).  The evening was exactly what we needed and a fabulous distraction from current events and work - thank you CLEFT for organising.  I was particularly impressed with the historical knowledge of Gerhard's presentation and it was so heartwarming to see just how enthusiastic he was continuing as a wine merchant in his grandfather's footsteps.  It was thrilling to taste the wine alongside the selected cheeses and to learn how they complimented each other. When is the next one?

We are hoping to run another wine tasting in February 2021 and we hope that you will join us for this. If you would like to register your interest and be on the early-bird list to buy a ticket, please send your details here.