Eastlife Autumn 2020

FOOD & DRINK
Autumn
wines to fall
in love with
Written by Matt Dicks
Twitter @vinopatrol
As a former pupil at the village primary school, I have vivid
memories of school assemblies. I used to sit at the back, out of
sight from the teachers so I could chat to my fellow classmates.
We used to sing hymns from a small paperback book consisting
of missing pages, ripped pages or a cover and no pages. One
of those hymns was called ‘Autumn Days’. Remember it? I won’t
attempt to attach a voice recording to this article of me singing
it because cracks in windows can cause an unwanted draught
during this time of year. ‘Silk inside a chestnut shell’, ‘the grass
is jewelled’ and ‘scent of gardens when the rain’s been falling’
were just some of the delightful lyrics used to describe the year’s
most colourful season.
However, it’s not all about verses of hymns, as autumn is all
about action in the world of wine. In the northern hemisphere,
it’s harvest season. Grapes are being plucked from the vines in
the vineyard by dozens of skilled workers, ready to be taken to
the winery, where the magic of fermentation takes place.
Having previously spent a year with a producer in
Gloucestershire, harvest time was certainly the highlight. A
constant stream of grapes arriving, ready to be de-stalked,
crushed and pressed. An all action week followed by misty
weekends wearing that favourite cosy jumper whilst walking
leafy lanes, was the perfect combination.
A colourful season requires some colourful wines, so here’s a
selection to ‘fall’ in love with:
Matt Dicks is a WSET qualified Beers, Wines and Spirits Specialist
for Waitrose & eastlife’s wine contributor.
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