DRINK Spirit, Spice & Christmas hampers!

A VINTNER’S TALE (ACT 2, SCENE V)

Peter Law, Chairman and MD at Wine Wizzard in Castle Cary, continues with his fascinating tales of life in the wine trade….

I started learning French aged four at Miss Primroses’ kindergarten. I must have been a Francophile from a very young age. I still have some French toy cars from the early 1950s when Liverpool-based Dinky had a Paris factory; Citroën’s 2CV, Tube and Traction Avant. Aged about 13, I took Le Figaro on Saturdays (precocious brat!). It was much too difficult. Aged about 14 or 15, my parents sent me to Paris to improve my French – I learned a lot, but not much French! It was about this time that I discovered Brigitte Bardot and thought that if that’s French girls, I am going to learn French and that is part of the reason I became a wine merchant!

I have lived in France on and off over the years. It is a very varied and mostly beautiful country. One of its problems is that it has never come to terms with the very darkest problems of WWII. My father, a war-time naval commander, would have been very disappointed if he had known that I had lived there. Sadly, he never met any of the Resistance fighters who befriended me and so admired the Brits. As with many close neighbours, there are always spats and sometime even wars; politics, religion, empires, vanity. Let us hope that common sense prevails – though it is a rather rare and precious commodity these days.

Back in the 1970s at The Malmesbury Vintner, in the middle of a ‘lamb war’ with France, I stopped off for a pint in Castle Coombe in Wiltshire. Someone had added graffiti on the contraceptive machine in the gents ‘if the French won’t buy our lamb, don’t buy their letters’! When I lived in France, there was lots of equally goodnatured banter.

The summer of 1976 was very hot and an artist friend designed a huge sign outside the shop depicting a tap under which it read ‘save water – drink wine’. That summer I had to send three emergency lorries to France to collect an additional 36,000 bottles of wine! Every night was party night.

On a skiing trip to Italy one winter, there was little or no snow so I decided (flash Harry) – when in Rome – la dolce vita – to hire a Ferrari. I ended up with a very old Fiat 500 and went wine tasting. I bought lots of delightful wines which I imported for a few years, before the supplier sold the business (unbeknown to me) to an industrialist and the prices went through the roof and the quality through the floor. I sold it all to the Italian restaurant trade in London.

Later that year I was in Ajaccio, Corsica – very bad timing as the French president was also there and it was swarming with heavily armed soldiers, gendarmes and Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS), so once again I went wine tasting and found some charming wines.

On my buying travels, I like to meet the real indigenous people of the area. I was in a dive bar in the port area of Ajaccio, very crowded, low-ceilinged and full of smoke. There was only one seat left and I asked the white-haired and Zapatamoustached man if I could join him. There were and probably still are bandits in Corsica and this one really looked like the boss. He almost immediately took a flickknife from his pocket and as it opened he put his hand into another pocket. Oh no! Not a Beretta! It was a tin of sardines which he promptly stabbed and offered me. I returned a couple of evenings later and wished I hadn’t. Once again it was crowded and a man came in with a shovel and wheelbarrow and promptly emptied the lavatory at the far end of the bar! First and last time, I hope.

On a more savoury note, Christmas is fast approaching and celebration needed. Whilst writing (mid-November), we are awaiting customs clearance of £30,000 worth of clarets at the bonded warehouse in Essex. We don’t have the storage space in Castle Cary and apart from this, the lorries wouldn’t be able to get in or out. Burgundy is due any day. In addition to our usual selection of fine wines, there is a 20-year-old Bas Armagnac, a Christmas spiced gin, port, sherry, very fine champagne, as you should expect from a vintner with nearly sixty years’ experience. (Problem – getting older!)

The Mint is running out of accolades for Linda who has not only made the shop look splendid but is running it splendidly. Chapeau! As they say in France. (Hats off!)

We wish everyone a happy, merry Christmas – keep safe, keep well, drink well!

A TIME FOR A MIX OF TRADITIONS!

By Khrishma Preston, The Alternative Indian

Growing up in a traditional Hindu family in a small flat in London with my parents working seven days a week, Christmas was never a big event for us. It was enough that my folks would let us keep up the fairy lights we had put up for Diwali. A sock would get Blu-tacked or (to my parents’ dismay) sellotaped to the wall above our beds. Even for Diwali, we never had the culture of exchanging of gifts. We didn’t have a tree or a special meal. Christmas for my parents meant closing at 2pm on Christmas Day, having a meal of curry, rice and chapatis (the standard) and an early night. Boxing Day meant hitting the sales, visiting the likes of British Home Store and Debenhams. New Year’s Day was the only other day of the year my folks closed the business.

In 2009 I got to experience my first traditional British Christmas with my to-be husband, Will, and his family. I distinctly remember the build up to it and the excitement that was felt by everyone in their house, discussing presents, creating menus, putting up the decorations and having a log burning fire in the room. On Christmas Day morning I recall waking up, slightly embarrassed, to my own stuffed stocking that had been snuck in and placed at the end of the bed next to Will’s. From opening all the little presents in bed with a cup of coffee, we made our way downstairs to the tree. They had presents from ‘Santa’ as well as family members. We then sat down to a breakfast of mimosas and scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon. I wasn’t a fish person, never having really eaten any of it growing up, thus smoked salmon was off the cards for me at the time. From there, we took a walk down to the local pub in Barkingside, East London, to have Christmas morning drinks with all the other locals and friends. It wasn’t ever something I had done. It was a traditional local pub where everyone knew everyone. That first Christmas with Will and his family is one I will never forget. And now we have expanded our own family, where we can showcase our mixed cultural traditions. This year is I am hosting Christmas and we have had the exciting news that my brother and girlfriend will be visiting from Dubai. It will be the first time our joint family has been together for just over three years. Covid has meant this Christmas is going to be one of the biggest for many families, and reunions are already planned. I hope the Christmas season is full of cheer to all our readers.

With that in mind, here’s a quick easy way to mix up your Christmas morning, with a twist on what is traditional for Will’s family.

The Sun Rose Mimosa

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS Mumbai Scrambled Eggs

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp rose syrup • 1 tsp grenadine • 3 fl oz orange juice • 3 fl oz champagne (or a dry sparkling wine) • Dried rose petals

METHOD

Pour orange juice into a champagne flute, filling it almost half full. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne. Pour a spoonful of grenadine into the glass by drizzling it down the side of the glass. Do the same with the rose syrup. This way you will get that nice, graduated shading. Garnish with a couple of dried rose petals. • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 4 large eggs • 1 red onion, finely chopped • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped • 1 tsp cumin seeds • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 cm ginger, minced • 2 green or red chillies, sliced lengthwise, deseeded, and finely chopped, or for more of a punch leave the seeds in • 1 tsp chili powder or paprika • ½ tsp turmeric • ¼ tsp garam masala • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 tsp unsalted butter, divided • Handful chopped coriander leaves, or methi and dill make a good substitute

METHOD

Over a medium-high heat, place a large non-stick frying pan or skillet, and get oil to temperature. In the meantime, crack eggs into a measuring jug, ready to pour into the pan later. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, stir and cook for a minute to soften. Introduce the tomatoes and stir. Cook until the moisture from the tomatoes has evaporated. Add cumin, garlic, ginger and fresh chillies, and fry off until fragrant. Turn the heat down to low, add chilli powder, turmeric, and garam masala. Stir to make sure it doesn’t start to burn. Add eggs to the pan, use a flat fork to break apart the yolks and lightly scramble. Add salt and a grind of fresh pepper. Increase heat, add butter and further scramble until it’s the consistency you are happy with – everyone like their eggs their own way. Garnish with coriander and serve. Here we serve toasted sourdough with the eggs topped with Scottish wild caught salmon. If you make this for your breakfast, please do share your pictures by tagging us @TheAlternativeindian. To advertise – 01935 424724 • email: info@theconduitmagazine.co.uk • www.theconduitmagazine.co.uk 33

A PASSION FOR GIN!

By Carl Hankey

I developed a passion for all things gin whilst working as a chef in London and completing my MSc in Public Health Nutrition. With a keen interest in flavours and science l embarked on a journey learning about gin and how it’s made. A few years later after moving back to Dorset I decided to set up the Avalon Distillery Company to produce quality premium craft spirits. The name Viper was born after preparing our allotment to grow botanicals. After clearing the plot, we discovered a rare sight, an adder (Vipera berus). As a result Viper stuck and Viper Gin began. Recognising that our company is named Avalon which historically means the Isle of Apples and the name of our gin is Viper, we knew we had to use apples in our first gin as one of the botanicals. Like the legendary Avalon, we wanted the apple to be in the gin, not as a dominant botanical but one to seek out and discover. A search for the magical land of Avalon in a way! All of our handcrafted gins are distilled using copper stills. Currently we have a range of eight gins: Viper London Dry Gin, Viper Mulled Gin, Viper Barrel Aged Gin, Viper Szechuan Peppercorn Gin, Viper Yuzu Gin, Viper Blood Orange and Sage Gin, Viper Cherry Gin, Viper Venom Gin. Our Viper London Dry Gin uses English wheat grain spirit and ten botanicals to produce a beautifully balanced and intriguing gin. This gin is a bright and refreshing take on a London Dry with a clever mix of pine fresh juniper and citrus, a slight hint of crab apple with underlying peppery spice and an enjoyable long and fresh finish: a great cocktail gin and spectacular as a gin and tonic. Viper Gin is a delight with elderflower tonic, a slice or two of crisp green Granny Smith apple and a segment of star anise. As Christmas is fast approaching and with the weather getting colder, be sure to look out for our Christmas gin - Viper Mulled Gin.

GIN

@viper_gin @viperlondondrygin

info@viperspirit.co.uk www.viperspirit.co.uk

Created from our Viper London Dry Gin which is infused with fruits and seasonal spices that evoke autumnal spirit and taste of festive delights, it is delicious served ice cold with a mince pie or your favourite cheese. On a cold winter’s day warm some apple juice and add to your serving of mulled gin for a cosy winter tipple. My partner Agnieszka and I will be at Sherborne Festive Shopping Day on 5 December with our gin, products and samples. Pop by to say hello and try some local gin.

TALES FROM THE TRADING POST

By Kate Forbes

It’s been a hive of activity here since the middle of September when our first Christmas deliveries started arriving. Pallets, sometimes taller than me (although at 5’3’’ that’s not difficult) brimming over with panettone, stollen, boxes of amazing truffles, nougat, chutney, jam, biscuits – the list is endless. Normally each delivery is met with a sharp intake of breath as we firstly try to work out where it needs to go to be checked off – and then the fun begins with finding a home within the shop. However, for the first year ever we were totally on it! Back in February Andy built our new ‘goods in’ warehouse and then by the time we placed our enthusiastically sizeable Christmas orders in June we knew there was absolutely no way we were ever going to fit all the Christmas stock into the main shop. We invested in two custom-built marquees to house our Christmas produce and have created the most beautiful welcoming festive space for our customers to peruse. We couldn’t have imagined a better reaction to our new ‘shop’ and we have already welcomed thousands of customers through the doors – who have all exclaimed with delight as they walk through the shop into the sparkly new marquee. We have designated an area to our new build-your-own-hamper display. With years of experience, we have found that people love to choose their own hamper produce rather than buying a pre-packed one off the shelf. This year we have the option for all customers just to grab a hamper basket; small, medium or large, stuff it with shredded hamper filling and then set off around the marquee and the shop - choosing from our massive range of over 6000 tempting products. However, if you find this all too much or you don’t have time to pop in to fill your own, we are always more than happy to offer a personalised hamper service; let us know your budget, your theme if you have one or just few general ideas about the recipient and we will do the rest for you – I cannot lie it is genuinely one of my favourite things to do! From Christmas-themed hampers full of candy canes, Turkish delight, marzipan and puddings to hampers based entirely on that favourite of all Christmas vegetables - the humble Brussel sprout! We have sprout kimchi, sprout ketchup, pickled sprouts, sproutcoloured socks and a whole array of chocolate sprouts – we really can do anything and everything to put a smile on someone’s face this Christmas! Order now for collection Christmas week or before by emailing hello@ tradingpostfarmshop.co.uk. And on that note – from all of us at The Trading Post Farm Shop –We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas!