So Close for the Three Lions
On Sunday night, millions of us watched the ecstasy and then the agony as the Three Lions couldn’t quite deliver the trophy and bring to an end 55 years of hurt. Flags and bunting were on display up and down the land, special dinners were prepared, friends and families mingled, some of us even dusted off our best bottles of wine and bubbly in anticipation of pandemonium at 10pm.
But it wasn’t to be. Our boys fought bravely against an experienced Italian side, but inevitably it came down to the dreaded penalty shoot-out, our nemesis, our Achilles heel.
Despite the painful defeat on Sunday, this was a wonderful tournament and we should be rightly proud of the performance of a young squad and a bold, intelligent and charismatic manager.
I was born the year we won the World Cup and I am starting to wonder if I will ever witness England lift a trophy in my lifetime. And I’m not alone, the comedian Bob Mortimer put it poignantly when he said “I don't feel scared about death, I just feel so frustrated and sad to think I won't see how stories end. My children's story. My wife's. The football. All the stories going on in the world that you're going to miss the end of.”
Let’s hope that we can go one step further next year when the World Cup gets underway in Qatar.
So, as our wait for a trophy goes on, so does the wait for our exit from lockdown, postponed last month until the 19th July. With Boris having now given the green light, how should we approach this new era of freedom and recovery?
We are well ahead of Europe in the steps we are taking, mainly due to the success of our vaccination programme. Such is the belief in this programme that the Government are comfortable going ahead in the knowledge that Covid cases will rise sharply. That’s the plan, get a high volume of cases out of the way during the Summer months when hospitals are best positioned to deal with a rise in patients.
It comes with a small risk, but let’s hope, as I do, that the Government have judged this right and we can cope with the impact of lifting lockdown. Personally, I will still be carrying my facemask and I will continue to be cautious, despite having had Covid and both vaccinations. After all, it’s not just ourselves we should be looking after, but all of us.
That said, we did host four wonderful In-Person events during late May and June, adhering to the social distancing rules at all times.
It was my privilege to host, amongst others, two Wine Dinners at Dukes Hotel in Mayfair. For both dinners myself and five guests had the tough task of working our way through six courses and wines to match, not to mention some wonderful vintage champagne to start.
Both were wonderful evenings full of great conversation, much laughter, fun and good old fashioned story-telling. I would like to thank the two companies that attended and added so much to the evenings.
On the theme of events, Wild Boar will very soon be announcing the first of many events that we have planned for the second half of 2021. This includes Wine Dinners with some of the incredible winemakers we represent, as well as our very own Wine-Tasting Evenings and End of Year Dinner. Keep a look out as these events are announced.
Other recent developments….
We are now in the ‘hamper and corporate gift business’, having recently fulfilled three sizeable customer orders. Many thanks to those customers, if you are on the look-out for presents for friends or corporate gifts/awards, please do get in touch.
And finally, congratulations to two Wild Boar customers, Susan Brogan and Jules Atherton who are the winners of our April and May Survey prizes, each will soon be receiving a lovely half bottle of Robert Oatley Cabernet Sauvignon.
Here’s to a safe and participatory exit from lockdown!!
Cheers!
David Alexander
Wines of the Month
Every month we will bring you as many as four fantastic wine deals – wines we have selected for their quality and variety.
These wines are discounted for our Wine Club members – we guarantee that you will not be able to buy these wines anywhere else without having to go deeper in your pocket. (Any price comparisons are correct at time of writing).
Here are four beauties for your consideration….
White Wines
Curly Flat Chardonnay 2015
Subtle notes of cinnamon with lovely fresh acidity. Elegant and long. 94 points.
£204/case of six vs. Atlas Fine Wines: £234
Chateau Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc 2005
Still delivering great Bordeaux quality, one of Pessac Leognan’s finest.
£180/case of six vs. Latimer Vintners: £194.40
Red Wines
Chateau Simard 2016
A great value St Emilion drinking well. 90 points.
£96/case of six vs. Crump Richmond Shaw: £109.05
Michel Chapoutier Le Meal Ermitage Rouge 2013
Robert Parker gave this off the charts Rhone beauty 97 points. Enough said!
A classic expression of the gorgeous, sunbaked vineyard, the 2013 Ermitage le Méal is as ripe, sexy and voluptuous as they come in the vintage. Black raspberries, jammy blackberries, licorice, toasted spice and crushed flowers are just some of the nuances in the bouquet. Full-bodied, mouth-filling with ripe tannin, plenty of mid-palate density and with a great finish, it has the balance and texture to dish out pleasure today, but will have 25 or more years of overall longevity. Drink: 2015 – 2040
£720/case of six vs. Lay & Wheeler: £900
Monthly Member Offers
Bring on that Summer Sipping!
With the rain hopefully soon behind us, it's that time of the year when delicious rosé wine and outdoor garden dining is a must.
For our Wild Boar customers only, we are delighted to offer three rosé wines that you absolutely cannot get anywhere else for these prices.
Louis Jadot Coteaux Bourguignons Rosé 2020
Wild Boar price: £11.75 vs. best High Street price: £13.10
Joseph Mellot Sancerre Le Rabault Rosé 2019
Wild Boar price: £12.50 vs. best High Street price: £14.60
Michel Chapoutier Marius Rosé 2019
Wild Boar price: £7.40 vs. best High Street price: £8.95
All three are drinking beautifully now and are available in cases of 6.
Please let us know if you would like a case or two – david@wildboarwineevents.com.
Wines Around the World
The Drinks Business reports on the AI wine tasting tech 'Tastry' set to hit Europe this year.
Currently only available in the US, the technology uses artificial intelligence to "analyse tens of thousands of wines a year, generating vast reams of data to help winemakers and retailers produce and target their products more effectively." Now, the tech is moving across the pond.
Read more at The Drinks Business
Wild Boar Events - Update
As mentioned in my opening letter, we held four In-Person events recently that all hit the mark and were enjoyable evenings, albeit limited in numbers.
We also completed our third ‘Virtual Public Tasting’ on the 20th May during which 23 guests enjoyed red and white wines from South America. The Malbec’s were the most appreciated wines, especially those from our much liked Argentinian winery, Zuccardi.
With the end of lockdown now official, we are excited to be finalising a number of dates for Winemaker Dinners, Wild Boar Wine Tastings and one or two other surprises for later this year.
We will announce these very soon.
“Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the gods to man" – Plato.
Wild Boar & Friends
Introducing The Fine Cheese Co. - Our Partner in Fine Cheese
Founded 30 years ago by Ann-Marie Dyas, a judge at the British and World Cheese Awards and recipient of the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement Award, The Fine Cheese Co. is based in historic Bath and matures, retails, and exports some of the finest artisan cheeses from the most unique producers.
We could not be more excited to be working with The Fine Cheese Co. It is hard to think of a more perfect accompaniment to our selection of fine wines than cheese, and The Fine Cheese Co. really do supply the best. From mature and powerful Cheddars, to creamy Bries, from British to French and Italian, from Cows' cheese to Goats' cheese, they have it all and we guarantee it will be some of the Finest cheese you have ever eaten.
Take a look around their website to see the incredible selection they offer, and follow them at @thefinecheeseco for updates!
July Members Survey
Every month we conduct a survey to help us better understand our Members’ likes and dislikes, so we can better serve you.
It takes less than 60 seconds to complete and there’s a prize draw every month, take part and you’re in the draw to win a delicious half-bottle of Robert Oatley Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.
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