Petes Pix 2022

At the National Space Centre on a Probus trip that I organised

To London on a bitterly cold evening and the Vuelio Blog Awards 2017 , held this year in the Bloomsbury Big Top, a circus tent in Coram’s Field, Guilford Street near St Pancras railway station. The tent was warm, well appointed and the function smoothly organised. Guests were greeted with ample Prosecco and we moved into dinner promptly at 19:45.    Entering the dining area Three people were missing from our table of ten – perhaps because of a security scare at Oxford Circus – but we still managed to empty the table’s two bottles of Chilean Merlot, so I managed to swap our untouched bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for another table’s Merlot. Entertainment was great with fire eaters and acrobats suspended on ribbons high above us, a real ‘big-top’ show. Vuelio CEO Joanna Arnold gave a witty amusing and topical speech before handing over to comedian Ellie Taylor to compère. I couldn’t make out most of what she said as she gabbled so fast.   Natalie Keeler I was lucky to be sitti

Bottom right to left Sir George & Lady Gail Fistonich, Peter & Joan May To Mosimann ’s dining club in Mayfair for the IWSC sponsors and judge lunch as representative of The Pinotage Association, sponsors of The Abraham Perold Pinotage Trophy. The celebration began with a sparkling wine reception,with silver medal-winning Ferrari Perlé 2010, provided by former IWSC president Matteo Lunelli. For lunch, guests were treated to Anton Mosimann’s signature dish of roast guinea fowl, accompanied by two award-winning wines: Stellenrust Chenin Blanc 2016 and Takapoto Estate Central Orago Pinot Noir 2012, winners of the Chenin Blanc Trophy and New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year respectively, while outgoing president Chris Blandy provided the trophy-winning 1980 Blandy’s Vintage Madeira Terrantez for the dessert. Richard Stoppard, IWSC chief operating officer, added, “It was a real pleasure to be able to celebrate another successful year with our IWSC sponsors at Mosimann’s.

My 6th successive AWS National Conference. Biggest ever, with 750 attendees, presumably because of combination of  the Poconos Mountain, PA location's  proximity to membership core and the 50th anniversary. Again, so many excellent sessions, so much excellent wine to taste and to drink, and so many sessions one wanted to go to but ran alongside the one attended. Four standouts for me were - Pessac-Leognan - red wines of this Bordeaux appellation presented by the superb Paul Wagner with wines courtesy Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux - A Sideways Trip through Santa Barbara - this was so much fun, and so well done, presented by three members of East Las Vegas Valley AWS Chapter, 8 wines tasted along with matching clips from the Sideways movie and videos of the winemakers. - Lodi Native - presented by Stuart Spencer of Lodi Wine Commission and winemaker at St Amant Winery. Showing Zinfandels from six wineries made from old vineyards with natural fermentation and no additi