Dear Members,
114 members and guests attended the September tasting held at the Parador in Jávea. President Tim Fawle opened the meeting by explaining that he was honoured to have secured the attendance of Jose Peñín at this tasting and that this was a major event in the history of the Wine Society. This year is the 25th Anniversary of the Guía Peñín and for José Peñín to take time out of his busy schedule travelling both nationally and internationally was very much appreciated.
The Wine Society heard José explain how the 10,000 Spanish wines which appear in the guide are organised and rated. He propounded that in today’s wine environment with any wine costing over 3€ the quality was a given, what one needed to look for was originality and that came at a price. He also gave a very sound piece of advice, when drinking wine make your palate work not your stomach!
As his talk was delivered in Spanish, translation was undertaken by Matthew Kane of Casa del Vino Jávea who had also obtained the selection of wines requested by Sr. Peñín. Matthew was supported by the full team of Casa del Vino. A full report on the wines presented by José is contained on the society web page http://www.cbws.eu/archive/17th-september-2015-parador-javea/
The wines were scored by members as follows:
| Wines tasted September 2015 | Prices | Average | |
| 1 | Edetaria 2011, DO Terra Alta | 23.90 | 85.9 |
| 2 | Albanto Rosado 2014, DO Tierra de Leon | 9.35 | 83.9 |
| 3 | LZ 2013, DO Ca Rioja | 8.75 | 83.7 |
| 4 | Abadia San Quirce 2013, DO Ribeira del Duero | 10.15 | 88.1 |
| 5 | Domaines Lupier el Terroir 2011, DO Navarra | 21.85 | 89.7 |
Unfortunately some tables experienced poor service from the Parador, food cold and some wines were served incorrectly. In fact the wine scores were influenced by this confusion which I had to explain to Jose Peñin in a follow up mail.
Our Venues and Menus Team together with myself called a meeting with the General Manager and our usual contact to explain our dissatisfaction. It was strongly pointed out to them that for such a prestigious event the standard of professionalism was unacceptable. This is a good venue and it is critical for The Parador to deliver quality food and service. They were very apologetic and categorically committed to improve upon this. We are planning our AGM at the Parador in February so rest assured the management will have to deliver well on this evening. Interestingly, several people have commented that they enjoyed the venue and the food, so not everyone had a poor experience.
October Wine Trip
The October wine Trip to Manchuela will take place on 6/7th October and is now fully booked. The trip will depart from Jávea Bus station/car park at 08.30 on the 6th and will return to Jávea at about 20.00 hours on the 7th.
October Tasting
The October Tasting will take place on the 15th October at Restaurant Abiss in Calpe. Numbers are limited to 64 as this is a members only tasting, no guests allowed. The tasting will be presented by four past Presidents of the Society: Gaby Ferenczy, Andrew Johnson, Keith Pacey and Gordon Sellars.
This will be a horizontal tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from 2010 which was classified as an excellent year. There will also be two white wines presented.
The menu is:
Starters to share:
Tomato salad with slices of Tuna in olive oil and spring onion.
Dogfish “a la Cadiz”.
Main Course to choose:
Braised Veal with mashed potatoes in Olive Oil.
Or
White fish with grilled vegetables
Dessert
Saffron Pineapple Carpaccio with coconut ice cream.
NB: Once you have advised Penny of your choice of main course this cannot be changed on the evening
The cost is 30€ for members. For those who wish to stay overnight in the Hotel Sol-y-mar a reduced room rate has been negotiated for members attending the tasting. The following prices will be subject to a 20% reduction: Standard Room €91; Exterior €114.30; Sea View €147.20. Please contact the hotel direct if you wish to book. Parking in the car-park is free for the dinner, but not for those staying overnight.
We would recommend that reservations are made in good time, as numbers are limited. Please note the earlier deadline for booking of October 9
Dress Code. Members are reminded that the dress code for tastings in the autumn is jacket and or tie or smart casual but no shorts.
Reservations and Choice of Main Course, please to: PENNY FLOODGATE Tel. 96 579 4996 or email pennyfloodgate@gmail.com. Reservations no later than the deadline 12.00 noon on Friday October 9.
Cancellations and no shows after the deadline are liable for payment. Penny will always confirm your booking. If you do not receive confirmation from Penny then you are not booked in.
For this month only LATE CANCELLATIONS AFTER DEADLINE TO Sandy Fawle Tel: 96 646 1088 or Sandy’s email address sandyfawle@gmail.com ONLY AND NOT DIRECTLY TO THE RESTAURANT. Places will be allocated by a draw from the bag. Therefore there is no need for early arrival to secure your places.
THE DOORS WILL OPEN AT 19.30. This will allow the committee to arrange seating and tables.
I look forward to seeing you at this great setting, and for sure enjoying some interesting wines.
Best regards,
Tim Fawle, President