Ursula Ferrigno: 2009 lunches

We now have details of the dishes that Ursula will be cooking for her first two lunches of 2009. First off is Glorious Sicily. This is followed by Italian springtime favourites.

25th January - Glorious Sicily £30
Hugely important, both historically and gastronomically, this sunshine island's most famous dish is swordfish.

Involtini di Spada
Swordfish with chilli, pinenuts,olives,capers & cherry tomatoes

Dama di Bianca
'Woman in White' fennel, celery & mozzarella salad

Pasta al Norma
Luxurious freshly made pasta using Italian eggs famous for their colour and flavour. The hand made pasta is accompanied with a rich aubergine sauce flavoured with wine and Oregano.

Insalata Mista
A great combination of richly coloured & textured leaves designed to cleanse the palate.

Dolce Casata Sicilia
The classical dessert - layers of homemade ice cream encased in a liqeuer soaked light sponge.

Formaggi
Special selection of Cheese from our artisan supplier to compliment the menu.


15th March - Italian springtime favourites £30
Three generations of family favourites - light fragrant dishes using seasonal produce and the finest ingredients.

Cannelloni with broad beans and ricotta
A wonderful flavour of broad beans and mint combines magically with the freshly made pasta.

Foccacia farcita
Freshly made bread using six year old starter dough - a real joy!

Pappa con pomodoro e porri
Leek & tomato soup with a hint of chilli oil make this a light and fragrant soup with a slice of bread at the bottom of each bowl to thicken the soup

Insalata Mezzogiorno
Prawn & artichoke salad - In Italy 'mezzogiorno' has two meanings: noon and the Southern regions. This salad celebrates the South using capers, prawns and of course, new season artichokes.

Dolci – Zuppa Inglese
Cream & marsala trifle - there are many variations of this popular dessert which loosely translate means 'English soup' but is a creamy trifle flavoured with Marsala.

Formaggi
Special selection of cheese to complement the menu.

We are still awaiting details of the April event from Ursula but I will post them as soon as I have them.

If you would like to assist Ursula during the morning – making bread, pasta soup and the sauces associated with these lunches- there are a limited number of places available. The cookery tuition will cost an extra £30 per person. You are advised to book early.

For bookings please contact: tel: 020-7928 4554, fax: 020-7928 9768, email: tom.king@rsj.uk.com

Happy Christmas

Part of the Château of Chinon, the old town and the Vienne


Our best wishes for a very

Happy Christmas

and for 2009

2009 tasting programme and dates to 30th March

We delighted that we are now able to give you the dates and subjects for the first three tastings of 2009.

The church of Souzay-Champigny and Château de Villeneuve

19th January red and white Saumur with dinner 7.30pm start £45 per person
Around Saumur is a real treasure-trove for both reds and whites – some many good produces and fine wines. It will be a tough choice for us deciding what to leave out. However to kick off the 2009 season, there will a glass of Régis Neau’s very popular Crémant de Loire (Domaine de Nerleux) and definitely at least one wine from Jean-Pierre Chevallier (Château de Villeneuve) and certainly one from Antoine Foucault, the very talented son of Charly and Françoise Foucault. Charly is the elder of the wonderful and celebrated Foucault brothers.

The vineyards above Chavignol with Sancerre town in distance

2nd March 2009 Sancerre red and white with dinner 7.30pm start £45 per person
Sancerre is not just white – a quarter of the production is red and there has been a real upsurge in interest and quality of the reds over the past 15 years. We’ll be tasting a range of some of the best of both colours to include wines from Henri Bourgeois, Roger Champault, Cotat and Alphonse Mellot.

Frédéric Mabileau

30th March Frédéric Mabileau, Saint-Nicolas-de- Bourgueil and Bourgueil, tasting with dinner, 7.30pm start £45 per person
We are delighted that Frédéric Mabileau, one of the best of the younger generation of wine producers in the region, will be presenting his wines, which in addition to his very popular reds the new Saumur Blanc will be shown. This will surely be a popular evening, so early booking is advised.

Bookings and any queries to Tom King on tom.king@rsj.uk.com or telephone 020-7928 4554.

Tim Atkin MW: Grape variety of the year: Chenin Blanc

Just to show that we are not alone in thinking that Chenin Blanc is a fantastic grape variety, Tim Atkin MW has just selected it as his grape variety of the year in today's Observer magazine.

'Still ludicrously undervalued, Chenin Blanc is responsible for some of the best white wines on the market, especially from South Africa and its native Loire Valley.

2007 Taste the Difference Chenin Blanc, Western Cape (£6.99, 12.5%, Sainsbury's). Tropical fruity Chenin from Ken Forrester, with a touch of oak for added complexity.

2005 Savennières L'Enclos, Eric Morgat (£13.95, 14.5%, The Wine Society, www.thewinesociety.com). Concentrated, barrel-fermented Loire Chenin with honey, apple and vanilla notes.'

A treat in store: The Observer magazine 7th December 2008

Ripening Chenin in the Coteaux du Layon: October 2005

Recent additions to the restaurant wine list

Jacky Blot: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Triple Zero, Montlouis Pétillant
2007 Rémus, Montlouis

Frantz Saumon
2006 Clos du Chêne, Montlouis

This week we have added three very good wines from Montlouis to the list – two from Jacky Blot, already an established favourite of ours, and one from Frantz Saumon, one of a number of new and impressive Montlouis producers. Frantz's first full vintage was 2002. All three are made from 100% Chenin Blanc.

Jacky sorting grapes during the 2008 harvest

Jacky Blot: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups
Triple Zero, Montlouis Pétillant
Pétillant is a local speciality in this part of Touraine – a sparkling wine with only 2.5 atmospheres of pressure compared to five for other sparkling wines including Crémant de Loire and Champagne.

Why Triple Zero? Because this has no added sugar at any stage – unlike most Champagne. No added sugar to the grape juice before the first fermentation, no added sugar when it is bottled for the second fermentation that makes the bubbles, and no added sugar when it is dégorged. Because the grapes are picked ripe Triple Zero has a richness with an attractive lemony finish.

2007 Rémus, Montlouis
This is Jacky’s top dry wine from Montlouis. The 2007 is beautifully clean and minerally.


Frantz Saumon
2006 Clos du Chêne, Montlouis
This comes from a vineyard close to the small town of Montlouis which includes some vines that are around 90 to 100 years old. The 2006 is rich, complex with a fine mineral finish.