BAGMA WINE CLUB Learn about Malbec

John Deere opens new apprentice facility

JOHN DEERE AND training provider ProVQ opened the doors of their new training centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire. Candidates and guests were offered guided tours, practical demonstrations and driving experiences.

BAGMA’s Kari Hearn (training administrator) and Richard Jenkins (business development manager) attended the open day. Both were impressed by the new facility and the commitment to the apprentice programme by John Deere and ProVQ.

John Deere’s apprenticeship programme sees technicians work within the company’s dealership network while completing either a two- or three-year course comprising on-the-job practical learning and classroom studies.

Three courses make up the programme: Ag Tech – focusing on agricultural machinery; Turf Tech – focusing on professional turf equipment; and Parts Tech – focusing on parts service and support.

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries – they are evolving and becoming more technologically advanced than ever before,” John Deere branch training manager Allan Cochran said.

“The job is so much more than just servicing and fixing things. The machines and parts our apprentices work on and with are some of the most advanced in the world, many capable of levels of automation or operating at capacities we could only dream of a few years ago.”

South West Regional Meeting

Members of the BAGMA South West Regional group enjoy a well-deserved lunch after the recent meeting at the Eagle House hotel in Launceston, Cornwall. The meetings are a great way for members to meet and discuss shared interests such as recruitment, warranty work and rising costs. Many thanks to Jackie Russell and Elliot Prior at Mason Kings for organising the gathering and excellent meal.

CLIMMAR transitions into legal entity

THE TRADE ASSOCIATION umbrella group for European and UK agricultural machinery dealers, CLIMMAR, held its first annual conference for several years in the stunning setting of Budapest in October.

CLIMMAR has undergone a somewhat long-winded transition into a legal entity that is now based in Brussels, has a part-time secretary and comes under Belgium law. Having been established in 1954 it was felt that modern times required the association to become a legal entity in order to be better recognised internationally and within the EU as a legal entity. Members had to formally ratify the change at the conference in Budapest after two years of negotiation and arrangements.

A busy few days included a packed conference with speakers from the Hungarian Government and the regular round of reports from each country as well as much discussion on many matters that commonly affect dealers around Europe – not least of which is training, education and recruitment. A common recruitment platform is being looked at that can be rolled out to every country in their own languages. The ever-present vertical Block Exemption regulations were presented by Dr Stefan Zipse via a video link due to travel issues.

It was very clear at the conference that every country is facing the same difficulties, with energy issues, supply issues, raging inflation and a lack of qualified staff and new recruits. Yet most dealers have had an exceptional business year.

MEGFOSZ, the Hungarian dealer association, hosted the conference.

Record numbers at APF show

A record number of visitors and exhibitors turned out for this year’s APF, which has been hailed as a massive success.

Organisers have confirmed 23,000 people headed to the Ragley Estate in Warwickshire over the three days of the show to take in the very best of forestry and arboriculture from more than 300 exhibitors.

Around £80m of machinery was on show during the event, including harvester heads, splitters, and, of course, lots of chippers.

Visitors also included 850 local schoolchildren and their teachers, as well as groups of university students, who were given guided tours to learn all about working woodlands and forests and the possible exciting career opportunities that exist.

New features, such as the UK open tree climbing and British Open Fencing Championships, attracted big crowds. The World Poleclimbing and European Chainsaw Carving Championships continued to be big crowd-pleasers, with one carving attracting a show record of £5,500 at auction.

Keith Christian (director of BAGMA) and Richard Jenkins (business development manager) spent day one at the show and were impressed with the new layout and the great feel to the event. They also caught up with a number of BAGMA members who were exhibiting. The layout for 2022 was compressed, easier to get around and still allowed for of any equipment demos.

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A taste of Malbec country

WHAT BETTER WAY to spend a night in than grabbing a glass of red wine and imagining you were somewhere like this.

This is Malbec country. Our editor and wine club leader, Chris Boiling, recently returned from this region – Mendoza, in the west of Argentina. He says the scenery – with the Andes as the backdrop to most vineyards and tastings – is stunning and many of the wineries are architectural wonders.

It’s also the region where the French grape Malbec thrives. It likes the warm days, cool nights and dry soils. One of the six grape varieties permitted in top Bordeaux wines (which are usually blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and one or two others), Malbec fell out of favour in its homeland in the 20th century and is only being revived now thanks to the phenomenal success of Argentinian Malbec.

The first thing you notice about the wine is its deep purplish colour, often with a magenta rim if you tilt your glass. Typical aromas are ripe blackberries, plums and black cherries, perhaps with subtle notes of chocolate. The basic taste is the same ripe fruits plus a velvety texture without too much in the way of aggressive acidity or tannins.

The other thing we like about Argentinian Malbecs is that they offer good value for money. Even the cheapest Malbecs from Argentina taste good. But as you move up the price range, they become more exquisite. While in Mendoza, Chris was able to taste wines from Zuccadi, Catena Zapata, El Enemigo, and Bodegas Salentein. They are all worth searching out if you want to try a premium version of Argentina’s flagship grape variety. For this edition’s offer, we have a lovely wine from a woman winemaker, who makes the wine for Finca Sophenia at the foot of the Andes. To show the different faces of this marvellous grape, we also have a Malbec from France and another from one of several countries that are testing alternative red grape varieties in their region in the face of heatwaves, drought and climate change. You can also find the grape in Australia, Chile, South Africa and our choice to show off its versatility – California.

The typical food pairing for Malbec is steak or rack of lamb. But it also pairs well with barbecued meats, poultry and spicy dishes, without either overpowering the food or being overpowered by it.

Here is the BAGMA Wine Club’s introduction to Malbec – with different styles of Malbec in a mixed case from our friends at Wickhams. ● Two bottles of Finca Sophenia ‘Altosur’ Malbec 2019 – a lovely Argentinian Malbec from Mendoza’s high-altitude Tupungato Valley. This wine has an attractive red colour with violet hues and aromas of intense ripe fruit, cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh plums, combined with spicy and floral hints. In the mouth the sweet and round tannins increase its fruit sensation and balance. A wine of good intensity, concentration and long after taste. ● Two bottles of La Perdrix Solitaire Malbec 2018, Pays d’Oc. From France’s Languedoc region, where Malbec was originally known as Côt. Most of the grapes come from old vines grown near the Pyrenees, but some come from the lower hills of Minervois. The mediumbodied wine has a vibrant garnet colour with notes of mulberry and underlying redcurrant and blackcurrant aromas. This is a complex and satisfying wine, with fine raspberry and red-fruit flavours backed by a touch of chocolate truffle richness. ● Two bottles of Showdown ‘The Bird’ Malbec 2019, California. Behind the pretty label is a juicy and full-bodied Malbec, with plenty of blackcurrant and blueberry fruit, velvety tannins and great freshness. The Malbec grapes from California’s central valley, which benefits from the cooling influence of San Francisco bay, are blended with 10% Syrah from the northern end of the long central valley. After fermentation, 70% of the Malbec is aged in oak barrels for four months, giving good integration and subtle oak characteristics. The small percentage of Syrah is added to give some extra structure to this plush red wine.

The price to BAGMA members for the mixed case (SIX bottles) is £60 – a £10 saving. The offer includes free delivery and is valid until the end of December.

How to join the club

Firstly, you don’t need to join the BAGMA Wine Club to take advantage of this exclusive offer from Wickhams.

Secondly, joining is simple and free. All you need to do is send an email to membership@bagma.com saying you’re interested in joining. This is mainly so we can contact you with news of special events and offers if they don’t coincide with the publication of the BAGMA Bulletin.

If you missed the last couple of issues and are wondering why BAGMA has launched a wine club, it’s because our part-time editor Chris Boiling also works in the wine world and we are taking advantage of his great access to wine

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BAGMA Tractor-Trailer Inspection and Brake Testing Course

This new two-day course is for those with several years’ experience of agricultural, horticultural or plant machinery. It provides technicians with practical guidance in the Brake Performance Testing of Mobile Work Equipment such as tractors and agricultural trailers and trailed appliances (air and hydraulic braking systems), as well as vehicle physical condition inspections, the relevant legislation, areas of responsibility, brake performance testing procedures, methods, recording, and reports.