Bookham Wine Club A virtual journey through the Rhone Valley with wine expert Heather Dougherty
Zoom played its part again in April when club members joined Heather Dougherty on a virtual tour of the delightful Rhone Valley and its vineyards. Heather, a leading wine expert, journalist and educator is always happiest exploring the classic wines of France, and as one of only three Certified Rhone Educators in the UK, she was the perfect host to lead us. Our journey was rich in detail, as Heather described the Valley’s demanding terrain, and how the vineyards (probably the oldest in France) produce a range of grape varieties that are planted and carefully managed across the Northern and Southern areas of the Rhone Valley. The diversity of the wine-growing areas, due to the complex soils and variations of the Mediterranean climate,Inglebourne_88x128mm_Press_Ad_LLB_2.pdf give the Rhone Valley wines their unique character. Mostly reds, the wines of the Rhone are
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divided into three colours. In the north, robust but fine reds and aromatic whites. In the south, more fullbodied reds, expressive whites and round and fruity rosés. Sweet wines complete this large range. Before our meeting, members were provided with a ‘shopping list’ of wines to purchase and taste during the presentation - and this worked well for members with an extensive range of wines at prices to suit all pockets! As we progress towards the summer, and in line with Government regulations, the Wine Club are planning a series of small outdoor meetings with interesting wines to taste; so if you would like details of these, or info on any aspect of Wine Club activities, please email membership@bookhamwineclub.org.uk or our website: 14:17 1 visit 04/02/2021 www.bookhamwineclub.org.uk.
