2011 Decanter World Wine Awards inc Last Supper recreation + retail awards

Last supper table above the crowds

Decanter disciples@their table 

Although a Chinese wine winning one of the International trophies grabbed the headlines, the centrepiece of the Decanter World Wine Awards Dinner last night was the daring recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece – The Last Supper – with the Messiah and disciples' places taken by Decanter's staff. 

 Disciples illuminated

2011 Decanter UK Retailer Awards

Anthony Rose presents award to the Waitrose team

Supermarket of the Year: Waitrose
(Where's the competition? A distant third. Why not call this the Waitrose Award and be done with it!)

National Wine Merchant of the Year: The Wine Society

London Wine Merchant of the Year: The Sampler

Regional Wine Merchant of the Year: Tanners

Specialist Merchant of the Year: Les Caves des Pyrène

Innovative Merchant of the Year Award: Hanging Ditch

2011 Decanter World Wine Awards: studying the form and picking the winners

King Roan (John Livingstone-Learmonth) getting down to the serious business (above and below)

 

Other photos from Studio 2@The Worx:

Andrew Jefford and Elizabeth Gabay MW

Christian Honorez (H2Vin)

Douglas Wregg (Les Caves de Pyrène) and Marcel Orford-Williams (The Wine Society)

Gérard Basset MW

Neil Irvine (No2 Pound Street) on Loire panel

 

Chris Kissack (Loire panel) reflecting

Photographer checking his pics

Unfortunately I forgot to change the white balance on some of these photos.

2011 Decanter World Wine Awards: effects of 2009 Anjou Villages Brissac

Tasting young 2009 Anjou Villages Brissac can have serious, although fortunately temporary effects, on the tongue. In this case it was three pure Cabernet Sauvignons that did the staining.

2011 Decanter World Wine Awards

The roof at Earls Court tube station above the District line on my commute in

Some of the judges, including Stephen Brook, relaxing in the warm sunshine during lunch

Pouilly-sur-Loire

The Loire panel today awarded the first Gold medal for two years. We gonged an excellent 2009 Pouilly-Fumé.

2011 DWWA and springtime London

Monday saw the first day of judging at The Worx (Parsons' Green) for the 2011 edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards, which has seen another record entry with well over 12,000 wines entered. Also a record entry for the Loire with some 270 wines this year. The highlight of today's tasting was giving a medal to a Romorantin. 

 

We have fancy new barcoded badges this year. All very flashy but they seem of limited use as it wouldn't work on the tube barriers nor would it pay for my groceries in my local Sainsbury's.  

 

Then after DWWA a few photos of springtime London:

 Towards the centre

 Light on the Shard

 Canary Wharf

 Turrning green

 Downland view

 The Médoc by night...