Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Showing posts with label Joe Wadsack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Wadsack. Show all posts

Thursday, 19 March 2015

Skin Côntact: 5th set of photos from 9th March gig inc Lucy Britner


Richard Hemming and Alex Hunt MW

 Tim Atkin MW (above and below)




 Matt James (above and below)




 David Williams (above and below)



 Ben Smith


 Alex Hunt MW

 Richard Hemming

 Nick Bielak (above and below)



Joe Wadsack

 Lucy Britner (above and below) 





Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Skin Côntact Live! – first set of pics


A few scenes from last evening's fantastic Skin Côntact Live – more pics in later posts:



 Côtes du Rhône

 Bassist Ben Smith tasting before the event

Wot is Ewan Murray singing tonite....!?

Neal Martin on the decks 
apparently assisted by a bottle of Pichon



Chris Scott waiting for the gig to start

Mimi Avery getting into Wine Relief

Last minute rehearsal for Joe Wadsack
 (above and below)




Richard Hemming starting Skin Côntact

MW. Jagger from SW London...

 Alex Hunt on lead guitar

The Red Sisters – Anne McHale and Helen Chesshire

More to follow 

Saturday, 17 January 2015

Skin Côntact – super group on 9th March



The wine trade's super group Skin Côntact will play a one-off gig on Monday 9th March @Vinopolis.



Latest news: two new components added to Skin Contact blend: 

Charles on tour in Germany  

Joe: hits include 'I was only 23 minutes from Skeggie' 
and 'Stranger in the Wolds'



The newly hip Charles Metcalfe and Joe Wadsack – reputed to be Skegness's answer to Tom Jones – will be make special guest appearances. 

Details:
'Prepare to have your corks rocked off! Skin Côntact, the UK wine trade’s greatest (and only) charity covers band is delighted to announce its first two very special guest singers: Joe Wadsack and Charles Metcalfe.

Joe’s notoriety as a singer in the wine trade is widespread, and he can often be found serenading the patrons of the Groucho Club in the wee small hours of the morning. He’s also the new face of wine on the BBC’s Food & Drink programme, which came on air this month to a very positive reception. Previously, Joe has been an RAF pilot, winemaker in Bordeaux, supermarket buyer, founder of Cube communications, writer, consultant and judge. Not to mention his phenomenal reputation as a chef.

Charles’ musical heritage is formidable: he is a fully fledged opera singer! For many years, however, the wine trade has been the fortunate beneficiary of his talents: he has written many wine books, co-founded Wine International magazine, and is one of the brains behind the hugely successful International Wine Challenge competition.

Skin Côntact’s ringleader Richard Hemming says: ‘It’s going to be awesome having Joe and Charles fronting the band for a few songs – they’re charismatic, lovely people with superb singing voices. Charles’ mellifluous tones will charm the Vinopolis audience into a smitten trance, then Joe’s enthusiasm will blow the roof off.’



Earlier released details @Skin Côntact:
9th March 2015: Skin Côntact Live!
Sponsored by Côtes du Rhône Wines, Skin Côntact is a wine trade supergroup who are playing a barnstorming one-off charity gig in 2015 in aid of Wine Relief, the wine trade’s fund-raising initiative for Comic Relief.
 

The band will be fronted by a succession of wine trade celebrities performing lead vocals. Several top personalities are already on board, with the full line-up to be unveiled over the coming months.

The supergroup Skin Côntact are Richard Hemming (writer on JancisRobinson.com and other places) on keyboards, Alex Hunt (purchasing director for Berkmann Cellars) on lead guitar, Ben Smith (head of communications at Concha Y Toro and formerly of hitmakers Curiosity Killed the Cat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_Killed_the_Cat) on bass guitar, Matt Jones (founder of The Bordeaux Cellar and formerly of ’90s indie sensation Gene) on drums, Anne McHale MW (wine education specialist at Berry Bros & Rudd) and Helen Chesshire (founder of the Chesshire Set PR) on backing vocals.

Richard says: “We’ll be playing cover versions of classic, well-loved floor-fillers, then there’s a very special guest DJ spinning the wheels of stainless steel and an exclusive pre-gig tasting of Côtes du Rhône wines.

We’re going to give the UK wine trade the best party of the year! 100% of the ticket price is going to Wine Relief, the trade’s fundraising initiative for Comic Relief, to tie in with Red Nose Day 2015.”

“We’re so pleased to have the opportunity to take part in this amazing charity event bringing the inimitable Skin Côntact to the UK wine trade for one amazing night!” said Agnes Heller from Inter- Rhône. “And. of course, we will be holding the annual Côtes du Rhône tasting on this occasion: Think Red Nose Day, Think Côtes du Rhône!”

Skin Côntact Live! will take place on Monday 9th March 2015 at Vinopolis. Tickets will go on sale in January.

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Yapp tasting: 14th May 2012




The tasting: Dutch Masters' style?

Popped along to the Yapp Brothers' spring tasting yesterday at Medcalf in Exmouth Market, where Jason Yapp and Tom Ashworth were showing a range of wines from the Loire, Rhône, South West France, Provence, Midi, Savoie and Corsica.

2011 Menetou-Salon (blanc) Domaine Jean Teiller  

Amongst a few 2011 Loire whites in the line up, the 2011 Menetou-Salon (£13.50) from Domaine Jean Teiller showed best with attractive minerality and good length. Also present was the Angeli's La Lune from the 2010 vintage.

2010 La Lune, Vin de France, Mark and Martial Angeli in Thouarcé

Jason clearly felt that it had been a real coup to winkle some wine out of the Angelis. "This time we phoned on the right day," Jason explained. The Angelis' 2010 La Lune (£19.50) is rich, concentrated and long-lasting with some residual sugar. Best cellared for a few years as their wines tend to gain increased complexity with age and can be magnificent. 

Amongst the whites from other regions the 2011 Collioure (£15.50) from the Domaine la Tour Vieille – a blend of Vermentino, Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Maccabeu and Roussanne was the most impressive. From a range of Rosés I picked out the 2011 Cassis (£18.25) from Clos Sainte Magdeleine. 

On to the reds where the softly textured, easy drinking 2011 Saumur Rouge (£11.75), Château Fouquet from Domaine Filliatreau impressed.

 2011 Saumur, Château Fouquet 

2010 L'expression, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, Joël Taluau

The 2010 L'expression, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (£11.75) from Joël Taluau is also softly textured but a little more structured than the Saumur. Can be drunk with food now but may well benefit from a little more bottle age.  

Away from the Loire I was impressed by the 2011 Côtes de Thongue, Domaine les Filles de Septembre (Merlot, Grenache Noir and Carignan) (£8.95); 2010 Tradition, Côtes de Provence, Domaine Richeaume (Grenache Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon) (£16.95); 2007 Gigondas, Domaine Saint Gayan (Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre) (£15.95), 2009 Saint-Joseph, Domaine J-L Chave (£33); 2009 Côte Rôtie, Domaine Patrick Jasmin (£33); and the 2001 Coteaux des Baux, Domaine de Trévallon (Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon) (£49).     


Matthew Jukes 

Tasting watched by blackbird

Skegness's favourite son and greatest export

Jason Yapp and Tom Ashworth