We had the first of our Ladies Nights here on Thursday evening (30th Nov).
A very special thanks to everyone who attended this (Sold Out) Event. It seems there's a demand for this kind of thing in Cambridge, so we're now planning new events for 2018.
And a huge thanks to Rebecca from Odyssey Wines who has a lifetime of learning about wines and I think she actually probably really does love her vines, grapes, and wines. And while she's an expert, and that could be quite intimidating, especially for someone like me who knows next to nothing about wine, she removed any trace of wine snobbery. She made her stories and the science accessible to all whether you're a newbie like me, or a seasoned enthusiast.
We had several groups of women, most of whom didn't know each other at the beginning of the night, and it was pretty quiet at the start. But by the time we got to the 4th taster things were getting noisier. And by the 7th, well... let me just say the room volume had increased somewhat!
The 'spit' bowls were a bit of a curiousity (see the red vase type bowl in the photos below). I know they're standard practice in a tasting where one swirls wine in one's mouth and then spits out, literally, if you don't want to be drinking too much. However, in a room of near strangers (well, at the start we were), spitting into the spit bowl, just seems it might be a step too far! While we all had about 6 glasses each, we still needed more glasses to sip on our favourite wines and so several of our enterprising ladies decided to use the spit bowls to pour unwanted wine from glass straight to bowl, rather than going via the longer route of glass to mouth to bowl.
On the night, many loved the Sauvignon Blanc, and some preferred the Pinot Noir, the Chardonnay, or the Rose. Palates are different, so it's simply about what you like and what you don't. (Continued below).
Rebecca's a self made woman and it was lovely hearing a slice of her story. Starting in the industry 25 odd years ago, she did her qualification, worked in France and fell in love with their wine making approach. She then brought back her passion and knowledge and establishd her own vineyards in Gisborne and Marlborough. Her wines are award winning are also organic certified and that was something that Onyx was particularly interested in. Interestingly enough, the initial drive for organics was completely about the quality of the wine, not about the planet, but as Rebecca says, that was then. Now, she's grateful to know that her system is not only best for winemaking but is also best for our eco-systems. She's tredding as lightly as she can on the planet. We salute you Rebecca!
Odyssey Wines are Wines of the Month at Onyx Dec 2017 and Jan 2018. (You can't buy their wine at the supermarket sorry).
And, do watch this space for details about our ONYX Ladies Nights, and other events, in 2018. Sign up for the ONYX newsletter, or like us on facebook, to be among the first to hear about what's coming up, and our weekly chef specials.
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