Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau

A Voluntary Affair

Organised by volunteers since 1992, this great music festival is loved for its intimate feel created by a real patchwork of events hosted in multiple venues around the town. All within easy walking distance in the centre of town.  2022 has a great line-up, just have a look on https://sesiwnfawr.cymru/lein-yp/

Come and have a Drink

We may not be operating as a café now, but you can still pop in for coffee or a glass of wine. There are plenty of events in the parking area a few steps away from us in front of the Unicorn. Come and rest in one of our lovely upstairs rooms.

A Sesiwn Package

We have created a handy package of some of our favourite snacks and drinks for you to enjoy during the weekend, including our festival-convenient cans of wine! Pop in for one or order online. We look forward to seeing you – iechyd da Sesiwn Fawr and a big thank you to the organisers!

Gŵyl Wirfoddol

Ers 1992, bron iawn pob blwyddyn, mae criw Sesiwn Fawr wedi rhoi gwledd o gerdd i Ddolgellau fwynhau. Er iddo newid dipyn ers y dyddiau cynnar, mae’r nod o gael cerddoriaeth o safon i’r gynulleidfa yn dal i fod.

Dewch am ddiod

Nid oed bwyd ar gael gennym erbyn hyn ond galwch i weld y siop newydd wedd. Gallwch gael diod a gorffwys yn un o’n stafelloedd bach clud neu fwynhau gwydraid wrth wylio’r bandiau.

Pecyn Sesiwn

Mae bocs o ddiodydd a snaciau dwi’n siŵr y byddwch yn mwynhau yn ystod y penwythnos gan gynnwys caniau o win – cyfleus iawn i ŵyl. Galwch mewn neu archebwch ar-lein. Iechyd da Sesiwn Fawr a diolch i’r trefnwyr!

Llinos

An Evening with Hugh Johnson

“Terri we’ve won!!” I squealed…. then rationally thinking this isn’t going to happen it’s tomorrow night. Next thing I know train tickets are booked and me and my morning study pal, Llin are setting off for our adventure.

Vintners’ Hall

A drive down to Rugby and a train into Euston with time for a bite to eat before entering the “spiritual home of the international wine trade” – the Vintners Hall for  ‘An evening with Hugh Johnson’. What an experience and a joy to absorb all the exquisite historic surroundings, beautiful stained glass, enamel and porcelain wine labels with numerous swans along with other wine fanatics happily chatting with each other.

Pol Roger Champagne Reception

“Please make your way upstairs to the drawing room to enjoy a glass of Pol Roger Champagne.” Not only were we going to listen to some of Hugh’s memories, we were also here to taste 6 of his favourite wines. Apparently, this has been his go-to champers for the past 60 years and can be drunk any time, day or night – and I agree it is refreshing and elegant.

He also shared some of his antics with us. In the 1970’s he asked Bollinger if he could have a cutting of the Pinot Noir – these vines, unusually, had not been affected by phylloxera and they still thrive today in Hugh’s old garden as well of some of his friends’ gardens. How remarkable that the same plant that has been producing champagne for years and years is also in English gardens!

‘The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson’

Another thing I didn’t know was that Hugh Johnson started writing about wine in Vogue and then he started travelling and would map where the vineyards were. Hence ‘The World Atlas of Wine’ and the well-loved ‘Pocket Wine book’ (if you have the first edition he hasn’t- so check your library). He has sold over 20 million books worldwide and his memoirs ‘The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson’  I shall be taking for my holiday read in July.

A Wine from Henry VIII’s Time!

Obviously, he has been asked several times what the oldest wine he has drunk is. I must say I was shocked to hear his answer. I will give you a clue: Shakespeare was born in 1564, the wine Hugh tasted was 24 years younger 1540!!! It was over 400 years old. He described it as sweet, distinct and perfumed.  “Only wine can live like that” he said.

Royal Tokaji

An all time fave for myself and I can speak for Llin too is the Royal Tokaji and we enjoyed that very much in the tasting – fresh with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. Hugh did state that these are great wines that have sunk below the radar. Do give them a try.

We were given a copy of his new book “The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson” – signed. He recognised us as he is a fan of Dyl’s soups (disappointingly no longer available) and loves the Dolgellau area. He was wanting to catch up on the latest news….more about trees than wine as that is his other passion.

An absolute joy and another cherished memory to add to my memoir if I get the chance to write one myself 😊 I think the best way to end this blog is with a quotation from the great man himself:

“Wines are made to be enjoyed with food or on its own, not with other wines as you big up some and bury the rest. The joy of wine lies in the differences”  Hugh Johnson.

Emma

‘CAN’ YOU TAKE THE CHANGE?

It’s Recycling Awareness Week – try a can of wine!

First it was Screw Caps

People are touchy about their wine vessels! Years ago, when screw tops were first introduced the lament for the cork was, well, a lament. Would it affect the wine? What about that nice pop when you uncork? Would wines in screw top bottles be inferior? Then renowned Cloudy Bay wine maker Kevin Judd stuck one to the establishment and converted to Stelvin closures (that’s the posh name for screwcap) for his top-quality wines.

Recyclable

So now we have a new(ish) kid on the block: canned wines. This isn’t so much about avoiding cork taint, it’s about the fantastic recyclable nature of the can. Bearing in mind that about 90% of wines are consumed within an hour of purchase, worrying about ageing the wine should be largely immaterial.

Save Waste

Worrying about the effect on our planet however is another thing. Bottles are big, bulky and heavy which means that the carbon footprint for transportation is high. In addition to this, there is quite a lot of wastage – UK households pour the equivalent of 624 million bottles of wine a year down the drain. I know! Save it for cooking for goodness’ sake!

Quality in a Can

When you think that 2/3 of wine’s carbon footprint comes from packing and transport it seems sensible to reassess the packaging of our day-to-day drinks. Cans are a big part of that solution. Quality? Well, the can will do its job as long as the stuff you put in it in the first place is decent. Just like screw tops, you can get good wine and we have found that several enterprising companies are pushing the boundaries here.

Canned Wine Companies

The Copper Crew are an English company who source excellent award-winning wines for their jolly cans – I enjoyed some of their delicious Chenin Blanc with a mackerel pate supper last night as it happens. Their growing range includes rosé and red. The Liberator is another brand that cans small batches of superior wine from South Africa – also I love the quirky stories and music/cultural references on the cans.

Perfect Picnic Wine

These are fun drinks that don’t sacrifice quality. Cans pack twice as efficiently and are 100% recyclable. They chill in a fraction of the time a bottle does and are great for picnics – no corkscrew panics and you don’t even need a glass! At 250ml a can will serve two small glasses or one large – many bars we supply are going down this route to save wastage.

Special Offer

To encourage any sceptics and reward converts we are offering a 5 mixed can pack delivered for £25 – just in time for sunny picnics and barbeques. Follow the link below and use the code for free delivery. Enjoy!

Llinos

A Vintage Partnership!

Montgomery Vineyard – Welsh Wines from the highest UK vineyard!

Meeting Woody and his family for the first time is both literally and figuratively a big warm hug! ‘Come ‘ere’ is the non-negotiable command to embrace every time we meet and a hallmark of the warmth and friendliness of this lovely bunch of people at Montgomery Vineyard.

Having bought the land in the 70s his parents used it as a retreat from busy lives until Woody had the vision of producing signature wines of Wales.

As a qualified engineering geologist, he was well placed to assess the land for such a project and they planted the vineyards in 2012, with the first vintage in 2016. They were driven by the desire to produce top quality wines from the start and this is reflected in the stylish labels as well as the excellent quality in the bottle.

Carefully tended to by his father Lenny, they have planted some interesting varieties which do particularly well on this land and in our climate. Rondo, Solaris, Seyval Blanc as well as the more famous Pinot Noir clutch to this sunny south facing slope.

It is especially exciting when they go slightly off piste and have a little experimentation like the ‘Pink’ – a red grape fizz. Mischievous and off dry – I love it either as an aperitif or with barbecues and picnics. I also think this reflects the sense of fun and adventure in this intensively serious wine producer.

The new vintage is now in and it’s as good as ever – you know this when people keep coming back for more. One couple from the U.S. messaged to secure a bottle for their first post Covid visit!

Meanwhile, we can look forward to years of hugs and great wines. Iechyd da Woody & family!

What are you drinking NYE?

Our Christmas

We had a pretty good Christmas after a hectic run up to the big day thanks to you, our lovely customers. Dylan nearly set the dining room on fire with a blazing Christmas pudding. My son’s branding of it a ‘skin graft dessert’ best creates the image of Dyl’s entrance, with a pan and pudding inferno that stunned our normally chatty 3-year-old granddaughter. No-one was hurt in the process but I admit to feeling rising panic at the time. Sandie, who was filming the event, reeled backwards when the second slosh of burning brandy shot up towards the ceiling in her camera lens. Never again will I tell him that last year’s flaming was ‘a bit lame’.

I hope you like our sparkling window? It was created by the talented Gwernan John who runs a small business locally called Cwtsh Clyd. It cheers me up every time I look at it.

Try a New Party Game!

We shall be at home NYE for the second time. However, we are planning a bit of an early doors sparkling tasting with the family before retiring to a cosy dinner. It’s a chance to have a bit of fun if there is a group of you. Buy 3 or 4 bottles depending on the numbers and open them all to have a comparative tasting – blind is even more fun! That means covering the bottles not everyone’s eyes – that could be messy.

I would suggest a popular and reliable brand for one of your bottles. I love our Palmer Champagne or a Piper-Heidsieck. Then throw in a curve ball with a Welsh or English sparkler – I think your guests may be surprised. Welsh vineyards, Montgomery, White Castle or Ancre Hill produce good sparkling wine that will provide interesting comparisons.

What About a Cremant?

I would then go for a really good quality Cremant. We have some delicious examples: Louis de Grenelle from the Loire or Jean Claude Raspail who has organic fizz from Die. If you’re ever heading south for the sun in France, take a quick left when you reach the Rhone. As you head for the Alps you’ll find this intriguing little area. Another surprisingly southerly region for quality fizz is Limoux, supposedly where the first sparkling wine was created (even before Champagne). This is home to our very popular and reasonably priced Salasar. These are all very good value and made using the traditional method. Finally, grab the cheapest Champagne deal you can find at a supermarket. See what conclusions you arrive at and let me know!

What Will I Be Drinking?

So, the fun of the tasting is over and dinner has been enjoyed with a good bottle of wine. I am inclined to agree with David Williams from the Observer that something a little richer is in order. And to be honest, there is probably no chance on earth that we will last until midnight.

So, a glass of something fortified with some cheese will be our final drink of 2021. Port would be the obvious choice, Dylan tends to go for a Tawny with its dried fruits and nuttiness but over the years, he has fallen for the wines of the Portuguese island of Madeira. For complexity and length, they’re hard to beat – wines that can almost last forever or at least a lifetime. I’m pretty sure he’ll be reaching for a bottle of one of the fine wines from Barbeito. Whatever it is, as we ponder on what this next year will bring, may it be a happy and healthy 2022 for all of you. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Llinos, Dylan & Team

December in Dolgellau Mis Rhagfyr

Dolgellau is beginning to buzz in the run up to Christmas. The shops have worked together to produce this little December calendar to give you a taster of events but keep an eye on social media for more that are added.

On the 3rd of December the Christmas lights will be switched on at 5:30 pm creating a really pretty atmosphere to wander around the shops, cafes and pubs. The shops are open for you until 7.30pm so relax, browse and socialise. Finish off the night with a snack and a drink.

Mae dipyn o symud yn Nolgellau Mis Rhagfyr yma. Trwy gydweithio, mae’r siopau wedi cynhyrchu’r calendr bach yma i chi gael blas o’r digwyddiadau ond cofiwch gadw llygaid ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol i weld y datblygiadau.

Am 5.30yh ar y 3ydd o Ragfyr cewch wylio’r Sgwar yn goleuo cyn mynd ymlaen am dro hamddenol o amgylch y siopau, caffis a thafarndai. Gyda digon o amser cyn cau gobeithio fydd hyn yn brofiad hamddenol a chymdeithasol.