An evening with wine writer and presenter Oz Clarke

Oz Clarke, the nation’s best known, and favourite wine presenter and writer, braved the rain and the storms to visit Bath recently, popping in to Great Western Wine to see the new shop and sign a few books, before hosting a tasting at Toppings book store, for over 100 enthusiastic guests.

Oz was in the South West to promote his new books, ‘Bordeaux – a new look at the world’s most famous wine region’, and his highly popular, annual paperback ‘My top wines for 2013’, which includes his top 100 red and white wines from wine merchants all around the country. Guests at the Toppings tasting were treated to an entertaining evening, with Oz at his eloquent, and engaging best, talking them through his love affair with Bordeaux, with the team from Great Western Wine on hand to provide the accompanying wines.

Oz fell in love with wine at Oxford University, but his early career was on the stage, starring in big West End shows such as Sweeney Todd and taking on the role of General Peron in Evita. However his fascination with wine, and his incredible palate soon led him to become known as ‘the actor who knows about wine’; he leapt to fame on the BBC Food and Drink Programme in the 80s and never looked back! As he told me ‘the best bit of my job is talking; I love talking to a live audience, communicating with them, being passionate about what I’m talking about and getting them involved’.

In choosing the wines for his top 100, Oz tastes through the year and selects with the reader in mind. As the front cover states, these are all ‘delicious, good value wines to try tonight’, a mix of what the readers can already relate to and some which push the boundaries, but that he thinks his audience will love.

Oz’s natural enthusiasm is infectious and he has a simple message to encourage more timid wine drinkers to experiment ‘ Work out what wines you enjoy, be that by country or grape variety, and then start to experiment within that. You don’t have to be too brave too quickly, but exploring wines slowly will start to increase your confidence.’ He stressed the importance of talking and sharing views on wine: ‘wine is a pleasure, it’s sociable and it’s for sharing. So make friends with your local wine merchant, learn from them, taste the wines, and trust their suggestions – they know their wines!’.

Oz Clarke’s favourite wines from Great Western Wine ( tasting notes from ‘My top wines for 2013)

Anselmi San Vincenzo 2011, Italy £11.95
‘Anselmi wines have never been better. This is wonderfully original wine, smelling of ripe russet apples, baked pears and savoury custard and tasting of pear and pineapple syrup that rich but doesn't cloy, and is cut by a spritzy tingle and the acid of boiled lemons and russet apple peel.’

Iona Sauvignon Blanc 2011, South Africa £12.50
“Iona is one of the most southerly Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in South Africa, its vines getting the full blast of the cold, drizzly winds that swirl about the bottom of the continent. These growing conditions produce good tangy whites, with even a slight spritzy prickle on the tongue, yet the wine is full and ripe, but its ripe green fruit, not tropical ripe: ripe green apples and greengages and the soft citrus chewiness of boiled lemons.”

Heartland Shiraz 2009, Langhorne Creek, Australia £13.50
“...the remarkable Limestone Coast flavours are still there: eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon verbena acidity, intense blackcurrant - and these are mixed with a black purple scent, black treale and licorice bittersweet depth from Langhorne Creek. Well worth a try.”

Yealands Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2011, NZ £10.75
“Yealand's vineyards are in the Awatere Valley district of Marlborough. It's cooler and windier down there, and the grapes always retain a really snappy, tangy, green quality but they are not raw. This is an appetizingly ripe wine, but it's a green ripeness, with green apples, green pepper, gooseberries and green-skinned pears, along with scrunched up blackcurrant leaves and a couple of fresh-roasted coffee beans.”

Quinta do Crasto Douro Red 2010 ,Portugal £10.95
“Quinta do Crasto... has mastered the art of making red Douro table wine a thing of beauty, while many of its neighbours continue to overcomplicate and over-oak the stuff. This is an utter delight: scented with jasmine, bulging with ripe black plums, mulberry and blueberry fruit with the merest tug of chewy tannin...”

Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV £25.00
“They call this Mosaique because its made up of different wines from a whole mosaic of vineyards in the two best champagne zones - the Montagne de Reims and the Cotes des Blancs - and most of them are grand cru or premier cru, the top sites. But that's not all. This is a non-vintage wine, and 20 per cent of the blend is of old reserve wines kept back to add richness. Add to that a period of three to four years when the wine lies on its yeast lees, soaking up the creamy softness they exude, and ... well you'll be getting thirsty. But it really works. There are so many mellow flavours flickering in and out of the wine..”

Angela Mount