General Chat

I already have a glass of red wine here Tec, with the two you just posted,i shall be falling over.

Edit, spoil sport, you took one away

Thanks Tec, I'll use my imagination!

I like my spirits to taste nice. Sometimes I drink something which tastes nice and is alcoholic I forget to sip it and drink it instead!

That was me deleted, posted twice, bouncy finger,

Linda, That red you drink while computing shows you know - as the evening progresses I often think to myself "That'll be the fourth glass she's had" Just an observation dear, not a criticism.

Tec

I had better go off to check myself over in the mirror to see if the red wine is showing.

I only have two glasses spread over an evening and then only twice a week, I am not an alcoholic you know

I believe you...........I do........really I do..........honestly,

Red is supposed to be good for the circulation, trouble is, I don't like it, prefer a dry white

Tec

I am not keen on white wine, although having said that ,there are some nice ones around nowadays. I think that I was put off white wine because in the seventies when we first started drinking wine in this country white wine was always like sugar water.

Of course the landed classes such as yourself and the duchess have always drunk wine but the servant classes have only taken to it latterly

I'm a white wine person myself!
I've got some bottles in the kitchen waiting too be drunk! I like screwtop bottles as well. I always seem to have an agrument with a corkscrew.

Pat x
I might have some wine tomorrow.

When I was pregnant with my first child I couldn't bear the smell of drink let alone drink one, my now X and his friend and wife and I went out to a club in Liverpool called The Grafton, I asked for a britvic orange, when it was given to me I nearly threw up my X had put a vodca in it and they say you can't smell it, rubbish I could smell it a mile off lol

While I was doing this post I got a phone call so that is why it is a while since my last one, you probably have put load's of post up and I will have to catch up on them lol

Diane

Some of the whites are too flowery, even scented.
A Lot of the Aussie whites have a nice crisp sharp clean taste,
OH likes a good sauterne, but too sweet for me.

I will have to keep an eye on the wine cellar when you all get here.

Tec

Tec,
I like Asti Spurmante!

The butler has the keys to the wine cellar. did you appoint one? if not,as cook, I shall need the keys, as obviuosly I will need some wine to add to my sauces, plus the odd slurp for me of course..

Trouble is Pat, once you open a bottle, you feel compelled to finish it. Such a waste to pour it down the sink......so be careful - hee, hee

Diane,
is The Grafton still there?, and is it in Church St?

Tec

I prefer Champagne Pat.

I once did a tour round the wine caves belonging to Moet & Chandon in Epernay, it was really fascinating

Linda,
Did you get to taste anything?
Tec, I've got some of those things you put in the bottle to seal it. " glasses of wine is my limit!

Linda, I had hoped to appoint Colin as Butler, because I think he is the kind of guy who could keep a firm hand on you all. Also he is big, so could repel undesirables at the front door, like tax men, estate agents, debt collectors, planning officers, council officials, solicitors, terrorists etc.

But, as cook, you will have unfettered access to the wine cellar, in persuance of your culinary expertise of course.

Tec

Pat.....Did Linda get to taste anything.....they carried her out!
Tec

After the tour where they showed you round the caves and showed you how they remove the sediment from the champagne bottles,then re cork it, they opened a bottle and we had some. you could then buy the bottles at a discounted price, but we were on our motor bikes,so couldn't fit any in the panniers. It was a long time ago.

The bottles were all in racks and they turned them a quarter of a turn every day, tipping them slowly up side down as they did so, so the sediment settled on the cork. they then dipped the neck of the bottle into iced water and took the cork with the sediment out, then topped it up with more Champagne and put a new cork in.It is probably all mechanised now. I just googled and they have a web site, so I will have a look in a minute.

In the racks there were empty spaces were some of the bottles had exploded, despite them having the dome in the bottom to make them stronger. apparently they are like a bomb going off, sending glass everywhere

That sounds interesting-quite an involved process, no wonder it's so expensive. As you say, probably automated now.

Tec

That's very interesting Linda.
I should imagine that quit a few bottles were lost because of bottles exploding. A bit precarious!

I just looked at the website and they still do guided tours. The place looks like a large chateau, but underneath it, there are miles of tunnels like caves, carved into the ground