At this time of year everything seems to spring into life, everthing from the fish in the sea to the new born Lamb and what ever you might be growing in your rasied beds/allotments.

I felt inspired yesterday in the mid May sun to create a seasonal snack for my lunch. Two of the most famous for the time year are asparagus and Jersey royal potatoes, both of which are simply delicious as they are. So after simply poaching my asparagus and gently boiling my Jersey royals I whipped up a quick Hollandaise and poached an egg to enjoy in the sun.

I felt I needed to pair this small but delightfull dish with a glass of wine but didnt fancy opening a bottle so my half bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne was calling. I really wasn't expecting such a good match, but the earthy potatoes, the sweet aspagus and the buttery hollandaise just seemed to be accentuated by this little rich yet retrained champagne I would highly recommmend it.

Origin Founded in 1971, the cooperative who make this wine are today the largest producer of Verdicchio in Matelica, a small commune in Italy's Marche region. Located inland of Jesi, its more famous neighbour, Matelica lies at higher altitudes yet experiences a warmer climate.
Taste A pale lemon colour, suggesting lightness and youth. The nose offers hints of acacia honey against a backdrop of citrus fruit. Dry and crisp, with a persistent finish.
Enjoy Try this with the lightly spiced fish and seafood of the Adriatic coast.

I finally built up the courage to open my first fine wine purchase. The Stag’s Leap Chardonnay Karia, Napa Valley 2010. I decided to open it on the sunniest day we’ve had this year, thinking that the summer had arrived and it was plain sailing toward the BBQ and sunglasses. Having spent the last few days in the rain, its safe to say that didn’t come to fruition, however the Stag’s Leap didn’t disappoint. On that promising sunny May day, the Chardonnay provided the perfect partner.

It also proved to be the great stepping stone into the Fine wines I had hoped. It had complexity that I had never experienced in a Chardonnay, and it seemed inconceivable that this wine was of the same grape as some of the Australia Chardonnays or even some other Californian Chardonnays that I've enjoyed, which goes to show the level of variety in the grape.

There is an instant freshness of pear and juicy red apples, followed by a caramel smoothness. There is a slight biscuity vanilla background and it truly lives up to its Greek name ‘Karia’ meaning graceful. It is by far the easiest drinking wine I’ve had and will most likely be for a long time.

For the best results with this wine, enjoy by itself or with a sunny day if mother nature can provide.

At this time of year everything seems to spring into life, everthing from the fish in the sea to the new born Lamb and what ever you might be growing in your rasied beds/allotments.

I felt inspired yesterday in the mid May sun to create a seasonal snack for my lunch. Two of the most famous for the time year are asparagus and Jersey royal potatoes, both of which are simply delicious as they are. So after simply poaching my asparagus and gently boiling my Jersey royals I whipped up a quick Hollandaise and poached an egg to enjoy in the sun.

I felt I needed to pair this small but delightfull dish with a glass of wine but didnt fancy opening a bottle so my half bottle of Lanson Black Label Champagne was calling. I really wasn't expecting such a good match, but the earthy potatoes, the sweet aspagus and the buttery hollandaise just seemed to be accentuated by this little rich yet retrained champagne I would highly recommmend it.

Origin Founded in 1971, the cooperative who make this wine are today the largest producer of Verdicchio in Matelica, a small commune in Italy's Marche region. Located inland of Jesi, its more famous neighbour, Matelica lies at higher altitudes yet experiences a warmer climate.
Taste A pale lemon colour, suggesting lightness and youth. The nose offers hints of acacia honey against a backdrop of citrus fruit. Dry and crisp, with a persistent finish.
Enjoy Try this with the lightly spiced fish and seafood of the Adriatic coast.

I finally built up the courage to open my first fine wine purchase. The Stag’s Leap Chardonnay Karia, Napa Valley 2010. I decided to open it on the sunniest day we’ve had this year, thinking that the summer had arrived and it was plain sailing toward the BBQ and sunglasses. Having spent the last few days in the rain, its safe to say that didn’t come to fruition, however the Stag’s Leap didn’t disappoint. On that promising sunny May day, the Chardonnay provided the perfect partner.

It also proved to be the great stepping stone into the Fine wines I had hoped. It had complexity that I had never experienced in a Chardonnay, and it seemed inconceivable that this wine was of the same grape as some of the Australia Chardonnays or even some other Californian Chardonnays that I've enjoyed, which goes to show the level of variety in the grape.

There is an instant freshness of pear and juicy red apples, followed by a caramel smoothness. There is a slight biscuity vanilla background and it truly lives up to its Greek name ‘Karia’ meaning graceful. It is by far the easiest drinking wine I’ve had and will most likely be for a long time.

For the best results with this wine, enjoy by itself or with a sunny day if mother nature can provide.

Top Tips From Our Summer Tasting

A week has flown by since the evening of our Summer tasting. Now, we are
sure you all had your own favourites from the wines that we tried, but we
though we would let you know which ones proved overall to be the hits of
the night. So below we've listed the top three wines of the night.

Campofiorin Masi £9.99 when you buy any 2 or more Italian wines*.
This red really hit the spot for many of you. Soft and velvety with
cherries and a hint of vanilla, this great producer has once again
created a classic.

Greywacke, Sauvignon Blanc £15.99 when you buy any 2 or more New Zealand
wines*.
With a small amount of this wine fermented in oak it has a slightly
richer feel in the mouth, compared to many other New Zealand Sauvignons.
Hints of melon and citrus with creamy papaya, this is well worth a try,
especially if you are already a fan of wines like the Cloudy Bay Te Koko.

Falabella Bianco £7.99 when you buy any 2 or more Italian wines*.
One of the many new wines into our Italian range this really impressed.
With citrus and stone fruit flavours it is a lovely alternative to the
better known Pinot Grigio's.

If you weren't able to make our Summer wine evening this year, then
don't despair we have a full tasting calender for you to get involved
with. We have FREE Saturday tutorials running at 12:00 and 15:00 on
selected weeks. These are 30 minutes long and a great opportunity to try
wines from our chosen themes. We also have a FREE 90 minute wine course
available. Please see the detail on our website or contact staff in
store to find out more or to book your place.

We look forward to seeing you.

Picture Quiz.

Let us know if you can spot the wine on our facebook page or tweet us @majesticcardiff. Here are a few clues to get you started. We're looking forward to your guesses.

Classic Sauvignon with a twist.

Named after a rock.

From the former wine maker at Cloudy Bay