LYMM WINE AND BEER CIRCLE NEWSLETTER

March 2025

LAST CLUB NIGHT – English (and Welsh) Wines

Mark and Vanessa gave us a very polished presentation of 4 English wines and 1 Welsh wine. They said they had enjoyed doing the research and had some good days out while tasting the wines. The Baccus wine is served at Groobarbs Field Kitchen, Lymm.

Location	Vineyard	Wine	ABV	Price
Rye, East Sussex	Oxney Organic	Non-Vintage Brut; white sparkling; GRAPE: Various	12.5%	£30
Pentreheyling, Shropshire	Kerry Vale	Shropshire Lady 2019; White; GRAPE: Solaris	11.5%	£16
Bobbington, Stourbridge	Halfpenny Green	Bacchus 2023; White; GRAPE: Bacchus	10.5%	£15.25
Abergavenny	Sugarloaf	Deri Coch 2022; Red; GRAPE: Regent and Rondo (Pinot Noir family)	11.5%	£15.95
Nun Monkton, Nr York	Yorkshire Heart	Winemaker’s Choice; Red; GRAPE: Various	12%	£17.50

After the last meeting there was a complaint that the tables had been removed too quickly so the committee have decided: –

Only to collect the wine circle glasses (red spot)
Only to return their own pub glasses to the bar.
Only to stack away the tables and chairs which they have been using.

All other members should return their own pub classes to the bar and stack away their own tables and chairs when they are ready to leave.

Hopefully this will please everyone, including the Spread who want the room left tidy.

NEXT CLUB NIGHT –16^th April 2025 at 8pm – AGM

Next month is our Annual General Meeting.

At this meeting 3 members will be standing down from the committee, so the club is looking for some volunteers to join the committee from April. If you are interested, please talk to Kath, or any member of the committee.

There will be a beer and a bread competition. Members who wish to enter can bring 1 beer sample and/or 1 bread. Members wishing to enter should describe their entry on a small card, so that the judges know what type of bread and beer they have made. For bread, this card should also include a brief description of the ingredients and please bring your bread entry on a bread board.

Any queries please see Judy or Jenny.

After the judging and announcement of winners, we will be able to taste the beer and bread entries. Cheese will be provided to go with the bread and there will also be a glass of wine for each member.

CRAFTY WINOS

Our last meeting was at Julie’s house in Lymm.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 2nd April at 7:30pm at Jean’s house.

Annual Dinner – Friday 21^st March 2025 at Lymm Golf Club

There were 48 attendees to our Annual Dinner at Lymm Golf Club. Feedback from members confirmed that it was an enjoyable evening with a good venue, good food and service. Many thanks to Mark and Kath to sorting out the venue and to Vanessa for the lovely flowers on the tables. Here are some photos.

2025 CARAVAN SEASON

The Caravanners are planning their usual bank holiday outings for this year. Any other Wine Circle member who would like to join them, either for the day or a longer break, will be very welcome. For those without a caravan, there are always local pubs and B & Bs in the area.

So far two weekends have been planned :-

Thurs April 24^th – Tues April 29^th – Farditch Farm, The Ditch, Chelmorton, Buxton. See their website for cottages on the farm. Organiser Jill .

Thurs May 15^th – Tues May 20^th – Beaconsfield Holiday Park, Upper Battlefield, Shrewsbury, SY4 4AA

There is the Travelodge Shrewsbury Battlefield, on the A49, 2 miles from the campsite.

Organisers Rob and Perpetua.

March WALK – Sunday 23^rd March

The March walk was from Hale Park, near Liverpool Airport, through the woods and down to the north bank of the River Mersey. We followed the path past Hale Head lighthouse and circled back to Hale village to the Childe of Hale pub, where 10 of us had lunch, passing the life-sized statue of the Childe on the way. He is reputed to have been 9’ 3” tall. 14 wine circle members enjoyed the 5km walk on a dry, if slightly misty, day. which unfortunately obscured the view of the Welsh mountains, which can usually be glimpsed over the hills on the Wirral.

The walk was led by Keith and Judy.

Julie has discovered that according to The Guinness Book of Records, John Middleton (1578-1623), the famous Childe of Hale was claimed to be 9 feet 3 inches, but the best modern evidence suggest that he was not more than 7 feet 5 inches. Hat pegs were accurately but inconclusively measured in October 1969 to be 12 feet 9 inches above the present floor of his cottage.

April WALK – cancelled

The April Walk was to take place on Sunday 27^th April and not on the usual date (20^th April ) which is Easter Sunday. However, nobody is available to lead a walk that day so there will be no walk in April.

May WALK – Woolston Eyes

Woolston Eyes speaker Dave has said that he is happy to take a group of us for a tour of the Eyes. Anna has arranged with him to lead a walk on Sunday 1^st June – this will be our May walk, avoiding the May Bank holiday weekend. Anna will be asking you at the May meeting if you intend to come on this walk, so that Dave has some idea of numbers.

February NEWSLETTER – QUICK WINE QUIZ 67 – Session Beer

There seem to be more and more beers appearing on supermarket shelves described as Session Beers or Session Ales.

What are Session Beers or Ales?

They are very often drunk at stag or hen do’s
They are more hoppy than other beers
They have a lower alcohol content than other beers

The Answer is 3

A session ale is a type of beer characterised by its lower alcohol content, typically ranging from 3% to 5% alcohol by volume (ABV). The term ‘session’ in this context refers to a drinking session, indicating that these beers are designed for extended periods of consumption, without overwhelming the drinker with high alcohol levels. Unlike some heavyweight counterparts that boast high ABV, session ales prioritise balance, flavour, and drinkability. In general, they are characterized by a Moderate Alcohol Content, a Balanced Flavour Profile, Approachable Bitterness, are available in Variety of Styles and are Refreshing.

March Newsletter – RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE WINES

The highest price paid for a bottle of wine at auction was not unexpectedly for a Burgundy from a well-known vineyard. This cost $558,000 in 2018. What wine is the second most expensive bottle?

a Cabernet Sauvignon from Californian’s Napa Valley
a Shiraz from Australia’s Barossa Valley
a classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc blend from Bordeaux

Answers in next month’s Newsletter.

The Return of Babycham

For those of you who have never tried Babycham, it is a sparkling perry, similar to cider, but made from pears instead of apples. It was launched in the 1950’s and fell out of favour in the 1970’s but was revived in 2021.

You can drink it straight, in a cocktail/coupe glass of course, or you can use it instead of a sparkling wine in a cocktail. Try Babycham in place of Prosecco in a bellini or a pornstar martini. You will reduce the alcohol content (it’s only 6% ABV) and it costs £3.50 for 4x200ml bottles from Tesco.

Judy.

JULIE’S TIPPLES

Julie has some suggestions for Riesling wines and wine related products this month.