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Finos in Mount Street |
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Organisers “in crime” Andrew Panter and John Price (top right) |
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A new venue, Fino’s in Mayfair, was the setting for a very enjoyable lunch for the Paviors’ Luncheon Club on 29th March. Twenty-eight Members attended the event, which was held in a private panelled dining room at the restaurant. The venue had been arranged by John Price and was a familiar location for some Members, who had allegedly found it a convenient place to conduct business transactions in the past. John had made arrangements for Members to indicate their choice of menu in advance and the system seemed to work relatively smoothly despite, or perhaps because of, the generous quantity of wine available. Fortunately several Members selflessly volunteered to stay on after the lunch to finish any undrunk bottles of wine. The relatively cosy room helped to create an excellent ambience during the lunch and Members were pleased to be able to welcome back past Chairman of the Luncheon Club and past Master Keith White, who has unfortunately been unable to attend some recent events. As is normal at these lunches business was kept to a minimum. The Chair was able to report that, following a session with Louise Penston working on the draft financial accounts, he believed that the Club remained solvent and had made a small surplus in 2005. Finally, on behalf of the Liverymen’s Committee, Peter King conducted a 200 Club Draw, with prizes going to four needy Paviors. The lunch once again demonstrated that the Luncheon Club continues to provide an excellent forum to meet with other Paviors in an informal setting and give Members a very enjoyable time. Andrew Panter |
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Burgundy Wines |
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With a plethora of village and vineyard names let alone the distinctions between premier and grand crus, the wines from Burgundy are complicated to understand and choose. It was therefore a real pleasure, and an education, to listen to a burgundian grower talking clearly and succinctly about her wines. Nathalie Tollot is one of three cousins who own and work their 24 hectare Tollot-Beaut vineyards just outside Beaune and she made a special trip to come and present her wines to 28 thirsty Paviors, on a warm evening in June. From a total of 8 red wines and 1 white wine, we discovered that the mysterious concept of “terroir” is a definite reality. Whilst their viticulture and vinification techniques are common to all 30 parcels of land they own, the variation in taste and style of each wine was clear. We learnt how to distinguish between wines from Savigny, Chorey, Aloxe and Corton and how to pronounce the name of the village of Aloxe (Alōsse) or at least we did that night! John Cruse |
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Key note speech |
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Nathalie Tollot and John Cruse |