Jo
FOOD + DRINK
On The Grapevine
There ’ s plenty to celebrate this month , which is great news , because it ’ s always nice to have a legitimate excuse to drink a glass of Kent sparkling .
Reasons to be cheerful :
1 . This month , we start getting more daylight than dark ! Spring Equinox is on 20 March , meaning the daylight is exactly the length of darkness and we ’ re freewheeling into summer from that moment on .
2 . The vines will be waking up from their slumber this month . As the temperature rises above 10 ° C , and the daylight hours are longer , we ’ ll start to see little buds appearing on the vines . Not too early though , or the frost might get them . It ’ s a bit of a dicey time for vineyard owners .
3 . Domaine Evremond opens this month ! We ’ ve been waiting a long time for this moment and it has finally arrived .
If you don ’ t follow the comings and goings of English wine , you may not have heard about Domaine Evremond in Chilham . It ’ s a landmark in the history of Kent wine , and I for one am very excited to witness it . It all started in Champagne a few years ago , when the temperatures were rising and the grapes were ripening a little too quickly . Although the region is still producing top notch sparkling wines , it is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with the occasional searingly hot summers that Champagne is now faced with . Kent was one of the counties that piqued their interest , because we share the same seam of chalk ; the perfect soil for chardonnay grapes , and our growing season temperature is similar to that of Champagne 30 years ago . Also , premium vineyard territory in Kent is currently about 10 times cheaper than that of Champagne !
It took the work of two great friends to make it happen . Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath , a successful importer of Champagne Taittinger , Bollinger , Villa Maria and lots of other wines , decided to buy some prime slopes in Chilham and plant the grapes that grow so well in France . Those grapes have now been harvested for seven years in a row and seven vintages have been blended to make the first non-vintage sparkling wine made by Taittinger on Kentish soil .
The visitor centre at Domaine Evremond has been years in the making to the exacting standards of the Taittinger family . It is built into the hillside , with two thirds of it underground - perfect for storing wine at a constant cool temperature . The views from the tasting room down into the winery are impressive and the outlook over the sweeping countryside , blanketed in perfect rows of vines , is something to behold .
You can read more about their story and book a visit at domaineevremond . com . You ’ ll also be able to taste their new wine at the Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration , along with eight other Kent vineyards . Tickets are available at winegardenofengland . co . uk .
Next month I ’ ll be announcing an exciting new venture , which I hope you might want to be a part of . Until then , let ’ s toast the green shoots of a new season .
Cheers !
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS : NORTH KENT COLLEGE ALUMNI SHINES ON MASTERCHEF
A former North Kent College student has reflected on a life changing experience after narrowly missing out on making the final week of MasterChef : The Professionals . Chloe McCoy , who studied professional cookery at the college , made the last six of the prestigious BBC One show after entering the competition with 32 other up-and-coming chefs from across the country . Along the way , she received plenty of praise from the judges with renowned chef Monica Galetti describing Chloe ’ s cardamom panna cotta as fantastic , while culinary legend Marcus Wareing praised Chloe for her great cookery and brilliant use of flavour .
For Chloe herself the experience was a memorable one . “ Competing on MasterChef : The Professionals , I learned so much about myself and really started to believe in myself as well ,” she said . “ I pushed myself so much and really made myself proud . I also met some amazing people who I know will be friends for life and I can ’ t wait to see what the future holds for all of us .”
Jo
JO GINN , BRAND MANAGER WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
jo @ winegardenofengland . com winegardenofengland www . insidekent . co . uk • 97