Crediton & District

Wine events 2023

December 2023
Last Thursday we had our Christmas meeting at Bruce’s new wine bar …..Amapola in Crediton .

We had an excellent turn out of 22 members , which has not been surpassed since the very first meeting at Moose Hall……remember that Venue.

Everybody looked and said they had a lovely time , seeing the new Wine Bar , and wishing it every success.

We sampled a number of different reds out of Carafe’s ranging from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Merlot and dare I say Beaujolais. There was a little confusion, as the wines were not marked on the Carafe !…but that may have been Bruce , just testing us out on our wine knowledge. As ever , people have their own favourites ….and surprisingly Beaujolais came out top😬…..……..no it didn't ! , just kidding 😳…….although it did remind me of those heady days when there use to be ‘a race’ to bring back Beaujolais Nouveau !🥴….still we had to start somewhere , and it did taste different from Mateus Rose and Blue Nun.

The Cabernet Sauvignon , in fact did seem to me the most popular with a good body and plenty of blackberrries.

The wines were probably too ‘chilled’ so we probably didn’t get the fuller taste notes as normal
( Amapola , had only been opened for a couple of weeks), so I a little light on the details of each wine.

The lovely decor , ambience and the friendship of the group , made it a very enjoyable evening, and recommend making a visit, there is nothing else in Crediton like it.

(PS I did get back some very useful feedback on how the wine bar can be further improved, which I will pass on to Bruce)

The next meeting is due for February , where we hope to return to the Elephant on the Green …details communicated in the New Year .

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year .

August 2023
Before I say anymore, I would just like to thank Glenn and Val, for the excellent hosting of the ‘special ‘ summer Cocktail evening. The range of cocktails was breathtaking and some very unusual and very pleasant options…including the ‘Aviator’ ( think, the colour of paraffin) …and probably a similar kick! ( do not try at home😬) …There where also some excellent fruity and liquor cocktails .

The setting was spectacular in the garden and the second time we where able to have drinks out on the terrace (Jo and Brian) previously.

April 2023
Last Thursday , we had our first event at the 'Elephant on the Green ',and I think I can safely say,it was a very successful evening,in a much more convivial and comfortable room. Paul Vincent the owner/manager, could not have been more helpful and certainly would encourage anybody who has not been to visit the cafe.

For the first time we had the format,of members bringing a bottle of one of their favourite wines,so everybody could sample. They range from a Semillion from South Africa,Sauvignon Blands from New Zealand, to Pinot Noir from France and a quirky 'Ram Jam' branded wine from a Jam shed (that is what the label says). A very wide variety, appealing and proving what we know.....the taste is in the 'senses' of the beholder.

Personally,the Rapura Sauvignon Blanc was a revelation,reminiscent of Couldy Bay of the nineties. The South African Semillion a more complex white also received very good plaudits.

All the wine were presented with a little story, of why that particular wine was 'special' to the self appointed sommelier. Once again how the evocative and sensual nature of wine can conjure up very joyous and wonderful memories of the past.....and of course want us all to explore and experience new 'memories' for the future.

I would like to thank again, Val, Colin, Gabi, Pauline and Sandra for their contribution .

Feb 2023
Hello, well! if you think you know Cider ….think again!

Last Friday, we took a little diversion from our Wine Tasting and had the experience of a ‘Pommelier‘ introducing us to a whole new way of appreciating Cider.

Once again we were at Moose Hall, where twenty of us had the privilege to listen and be educated by the ‘Rull’ pommelier Mike , fresh from his orchards near Bickleigh Castle.
Mike began by talking about the different apple varieties and how the different apples including ‘cookers’ all gave their own distinctive tastes, even when mixed.

We started off by sampling two Ciders ‘Rack and Orchard Starlight’, fermented using the Champagne method. Both of which, really were excellent, and certainly challenged any preconceived ideas of what Cider was or wasn’t. My personal preference was the first one ‘Rack’ which was lighter and crispier.

We then went on to taste a couple more, fermented in old sherry barrels, the first of which would make a very good ‘digestif’. Both had very distinctive flavours and we all felt we were certainly tasting Cider at the leading edge of Innovation in enabling us to enjoy the vast range of apple based drinks.

Finally we finished off tasting two Perry’s, not wanting to ignore the special characteristics of pears ! ……one still to be named…..any suggestions? . The Perry’s again drew comparisons with descriptive words, borrowing heavily from Wine Terminology ……beyond the obvious Pear and straw notes. The latter one, fermented in old Tequila barrels, making it ideal for an ‘aperitif’ and giving it a very distinctive taste.

A big thank you to Mike from ‘Rull’ orchards at the suggestion of Liz and Nick.
Mike’s orchard is near Bickleigh Castle ,…but he also travels to local orchards where unbelievably he ‘hand picks’ apples from the great variety of Devon orchard and the unrivalled variety of apples ! A great deal of interest was shown in visiting his orchard, on one of the ‘Orchard Days’ arranged …..and even an event to enjoy the Summer solstice, in the Devon hills. More information can be found on Facebook and Instagram at ‘Rull Orchards’ ( they are not available in shops).

We all left after a very informative and entertaining evening…..making that promise to ourselves, to continue to enjoy new and exciting drinks from the natural fruits of the land.

First Event
We had an excellent turn out on Friday at Moose Hall! ….24 in total tasted a real variety of White and Red wines from as far afield as Uruguay! ..

Bruce the owner of Grape and Grain acted as our ‘sommelier ‘ and did an excellent job, talking about the different regions and vineyards the wines came from. Particularly of interest was the way types of grape have travelled and have been grown in different countries and regions and took on local characteristics.

To say there were any ‘favourites’ in the wines selected , belies the fact that experiencing wine is a very individualistic experience , with different people getting a different taste sensation. We went from some ‘quaffable ‘ wines to wines of more serious character ( Please contact Bruce, if you want to really the detail of the individual wine)

I did a hear many different words used as adjectives , of ‘chocolate, straw , citrus , cherries, charcoal, toasty, cassis ‘ etc . I think we have all come a long way from Blue Nun, Mateus Rose, Lambrusco and French ‘Vin de table’ ……….but I am sure in our younger exploration years we all had great memorable experiences

Back to the evening, the feedback has been first class, with everybody thinking it was excellent venue and great value for money.
I would also like to thank everybody , for helping out with the chairs and tables and Yvonne for a bit of dishwashing. A very good team spirit.