Our friends Stuart & Brian from City Wine & Beverages on Old Street run laid back wine tastings every Friday night in their shop. You get to try lots of new lines that they’re considering and this Friday it’s ta daaaa – cult red Lebanese Mussar night! Mmm earthy middle eastern joy. Please see tasting notes below – you need to book in adv for this one btw.:
WELL THE LONDON WINE TRADE FAIR IS HERE AGAIN AND SO WE ARE VERY LUCKY WE HAVE GASTON HOCHAR THE PDG (MD) OF CHATEAU MUSAR AND THIRD GENERATION TO RUN THE COMPANY TO LET US INTO THE SECRETS OF THE NEW VINTAGES AND TO TASTE WITH US A GREAT OLDER VINTAGE 1979!
FRIDAY NIGHT TASTING AT CITY BEVERAGE 20th MAY 2011 – 7.00PM GASTON HOCHAR ‘IN PERSON’ INTRODUCES CHATEAU MUSAR & THE NEW VINTAGES IT IS ANNUALLY OUR PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT THE NEW VINTAGE’S OF CHAT MUSAR AT THE 1ST PUBLIC TASTING.
FEATURED SUPPLIER: CHATEAU MUSAR: founded in 1930 by entrepreneur and banker Gaston Hochar Snr, wholly run by his sons Serge and Ronald from 1959 until recently and now Directed by Grandson Gaston Jnr. The winery is still situated in the 18th C. Chateau at Ghazir chosen by Gaston Snr in 1930 and situated 15 miles north east of Beirut, and houses over a million bottles of maturing wine going back to the first vintage of 1933! The grapes are grown in the Bekaa Valley and taken by truck over the mountains to the winery at Ghazir a dangerous business during Lebanon’s civil war, it is a great tribute to the dedication, perseverance and, dare I say, sheer ‘bloody mindedness’ of the family in general and Serge in particular that only two vintages were not completed during that period, 1976 and 1984. Having the vineyards at 3000 feet above sea level offsets the high summer temperatures, although in order to keep the picked grapes in good condition during the arduous journey the precaution of adding some sulphur is taken. This is the only ‘assistance’ the grapes get since the rest of the wine making is totally natural, no chaptalisation, no adding of acid and no filtering or fining takes place it is Organic, but not registered as such….
The City Beverage Company, 303, Old Street, EC1V 9LA
Tel: 020 7729 2111
