New For Members
LATEST MONOGRAPH – PINOT NOIR AROUND THE WORLD
This year we are travelling the globe with Anne Krebiehl MW to discover the regions where Pinot Noir, and possibly future Grand Crus, will thrive. Anne is recognised amongst the Pinot Noir experts for her passion for Pinot Noir and she refers to it herself as one of her ‘abiding passions’; she is a Master of Wine too. Follow Anne on her journey, beginning in Burgundy, visiting her native Germany and to no less than 15 countries. She also finishes with some ‘clonal talk’ for the real Pinot geeks but we hope it has been made easy to follow too! Due for release in May.
Vintage Card & App
For those of you who have this on your phone or tablet you will now be able to view the new vintages which now feature on your membership card – 2021 for northern hemisphere and 2022 for the southern hemisphere. Look out also for the older vintages for some of the classic regions which have now been added including Vintage Port, Bordeaux and Italy.
Member App
A reminder that we are regularly updating the information available on our App for members. Make sure you have it to hand to find – download now!
Wine articles
have you read our latest commissioned article “Oregon Wine Matures” written by Katherine Cole? Katherine provides a gentle introduction into how it all began and then features some of the main players who have forged Oregon’s global reputation for Pinot Noir today and introduces exciting wines to watch out for in the future.
‘IN THE NEWS’ ON SID’S BLOG
On February 6 Sid reported the winner of the Canadian Culinary Championship submitted a ‘plant based venture’! This coincided with the Europe Africa Zone announcing the Northern branch Catering Colleges Competition sponsored by The Vegetarian Society Cookery School. As a response Sid writes: "Vegetarian and Vegan options are trendy and a growing emphasis around the world. Many countries like Japan have had a prominent plant-based vegetable focus for a long time such as their traditional Agebitashi. As a judge for Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards we recognize Best Vegetarian with Acorn (celebrating 10 years of operation) the latest 2022 winner. Their menu changes seasonally taking local ingredients both farmed and foraged to a very high level. Many chefs led by Yotam Ottolenghi have helped promote interest in this development. The Canadian Culinary Championship was won by Chef Briana Kim of Alice in Ottawa with a "plant-based adventure". Even the New Canadian Food Guide now recommends choosing "plant-based protein foods more often". Enthused here by the IWFS Europe Africa Northern Catering Colleges Competition with The Vegetarian Society Cookery School sponsorship featuring beetroot, potato, rhubarb and tofu. The Chefs' Table Society of British Columbia is considering a similar one using bell peppers, cauliflower, eggplant, kale, and especially many varieties of winter squash. Your scribe encourages all regions to try and follow suit featuring their own special local ingredients."
REGIONAL COMPETITION – A VEGETARIAN FOCUS
As mentioned in Sid’s column, the ‘In the North’ branches of the Europe Africa Zone have just launched their vegetarian food competition. This is in response to the UK having an increasing number of people enjoying vegetarian meals, the popularity of which can be clearly seen in the burgeoning range appearing in many restaurants and supermarkets. Recent reports have suggested that as much as half of the UK population could be vegetarian or vegan in less than 20 years. The next generation of chefs are starting to seize the trend and developing new and exciting vegetarian options.
Following the success of their competition last year, focussing on a regional dish, BlackPudding, these branches are organising this competition for the highly-talented young chefs now making their way through the Northern Catering Colleges, in England, to find the best plate of food made exclusively with vegetarian ingredients. Sponsorship for the competition is being generously provided by The Vegetarian Society, which has more than 50,000 members, and recently celebrated its 175th anniversary. The competition will showcase:
- Fabulous vegetarian ingredients, demonstrating their quality and versatility in modern cuisine
- Our regional catering colleges and the extraordinary talents of their staff and students
- The opportunities that hospitality offers for a worthwhile career
- The outstanding range of wines available from independent wine retailers in the UK, together with a demonstration of the benefit of pairing the correct wine with the correct food for a truly synergistic tasting experience!
Wishing the branches ‘In the North’ every success in spreading the word about the IWFS while providing valuable support for the catering colleges with this competition.