Need an excuse to visit the stunning horticultural The Lindley Hall with magnificent views across the quintessentially English cricket pitch in Vincent Square tucked away at the edge of Victoria? How about the prospect of sampling over 100 wines from around the world?
So it probably wasn’t the best idea to idle the afternoon away, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying excellent company and a rather fine glass of wine or two at the nearby Barley Mow pub before we joined the crowd. Many of whom wore their “Naked Wines” tee shirts. Not a formal event where you’re likely to be intimidated then.
It’s quite a neat idea. Members of this wine club are called angels. And for investing £20 a month you receive invitations to visit the twice annual UK tours to sample the wines and talk to the winemakers before ordering your discounted wine. I learned that the invested money is used to help winegrowers (I heard about one whose vineyard was destroyed by vandals and another who received help in growing a new variety of grape).
The catalogue was helpfully organised into region – and whilst the French stalls seemed to attract the biggest crowds, the most interesting wines were from the Argentinian, Australian and African counters. I was a little disappointed that there were so few wines from Italy – which is my favourite. I liked the profiles and photos of the wine growers which provided some insight into the people behind the flavours.
I’m not a wine expert, but was surprised to see that the prices seemed quite reasonable – from £8 a bottle. And with the angel discounts ranging from 25% to 50% you can bag yourself some bargains. And there’s little risk as you’ve tasted before you bought.
So my companion and I took the proffered glasses and strolled around the sunshine filled hall, sipping away to our hearts content. Yes, there were spittoons. We didn’t use them. There were some great mugs (“wine o clock”) amongst the merchandise – those will make fun presents. And we stopped to admire some suitable nibbles – smoked garlic and cooking oils, artisan eats, cheeses and Spanish tapas.
www.nakedwines.com #NakedTour2014
