WINE & DINE WITH ANGELA LANSBURY

  After the Real Italian Wine & Food  Experience at Excel, I have been looking back at their website and catalogue and what I discovered and enjoyed at this new style trade show.  Why Sunday and Monday? Firstly, the date of the show was a Sunday and a Monday. The day of the week chosen was not an accident, nor simply due to the availability or price of the exhibition hall. The organizers, wineexperience.com, chose a Sunday and Monday because that is when many restaurants and food and wine businesses are closed or have fewer customers, consumers, and can afford the time to go to an exhibition for business to business meetings. They even had a children's area. So families could come along. But children were kept out of the way, whilst adults were tasting wine.  Looking Back At What I Learned and Missed I missed out on the blind tasting area. I like an attractive bottle and label. If I had more time, next time I would do the taste test without the distraction of the...

  Lady oenologist, in charge of production in France. She came to  London for a day of three tastings. All at  In the basement. Very elegant. Rose wine is the popular choice for Inian weddings. For weddings you might choose two Chsmpagnes, one white and one rose. 100% pinot noir, black grape.

 At the Welwyn Wine Society Thursday evening Feb 26th, members and guests met the ambassador to the UK for Inter Rhône  wines from south east France. Trevor Sharot, Linda Field, Angela Lansbury. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Linda was born and brought up in Britain, so she speaks English, but has lived in the  Rhô ne area for many years. She gave a clear slide show about  Rhône   wines, with maps and charts.  As a child I was taught the song Sur Le Pont d'Avignon. For years as a child and adult in England I had no idea where was Avignon. Now I know it in the Rhone region, South east France. Of course one of the landmarks is the bridge. Most wine lovers and French speakers as well as researchers will know that Château is a Château, or castle. Neuf is new. And du Pape is of the Pope. So the Pope's new Château or new castle. It was built way back in the 1300s. It is usually described as his home. Others say it was his summer home. Some say he was lured in from Ita...

 Spanish is one of the easiest languages, as well as requiring the least number of hours to learn. But you find more Italian restaurants and food. Pizza, Prosecco, spagetti, Ferrero Rocher. I learned Italian for a year on Duolingo. Then I switched to Spanish. But I had started to forget the Italian. Should I go back to learning Italian? Duolingo offered me Italian for Spanish speakers and Spanish for Italian speakers. Since I am learning Spanish now, I chose Italian for Spanish speakers. Here are some handy words in both languages. Spanish - Italian - English adios - arrivederci - goodbye amigos - amici - friends buenas noches - buonasera - good evening de nada - prego - you're welcome  donde esta el bano - dove il bagno - where is the toilet gracias - grazie - thank you uno does tres - uno due tre - one two three Perfecto -  perfetto - perfect por favor - per favore - please Yo soy de - io sono di - I am from English - Spanish - Italian friends - amigos - amici goodbye -...

 I noticed the huge two handled cup used by the person next to me in Costa under Sainsbury's in Hendon, NW London. The cup is for a large drink. Massimo. Favoured by people who want to occupy a table for an hour or two or more. Whether for meeting friends, or, more usually, working at a laptop.  Why sit working in Costa, or any  Café ? Some people may be working from home, but to get away from distractions of family, noisy children, crying babies.  Or out of the office. Or between meetings in the area. We were waiting for deliveries. Or for appointments with tenants and letting agents. Or to wait for cleaners to finish cleaning a flat. Buying Cups With Two Handles You can buy these cups on line. The one from Costa was on ebay, used, at about twelve pounds in February 2026. Several more were at that price, in heavier porcelain. Lots of cheaper ones were in light weight plastic. For invalids, or the elderly.  More were on Amazon. Useful Websites for two handled c...

 A Fine Wine Lunch at Conus restaurant Cornus is a fruit. Look it up on the internet. Cornus is new but got its Michelin star fast.  BYO The Champagne Charlie song was about the man who started this wine Okay. Doubly okay. Mushroom canape, or gougere, which means in pastry. Compliments of the redtaurant. Extra. Amuse bouche. I have had five amuse bouche.  Useful Website on Cornus Restaurant https://cornusrestaurant.co.uk/