Rioja at the White Horse

16-Jan-09 - To the annual 'Rioja pre-tasting' at the Sloaney Pony in Parson's Green, hosted by Natalie Potts and Lucy Richardson of Phipps PR, who have the generic Rioja account. Each year in January they bring together half a dozen Rioja enthusiasts to taste a range of wines - 167 this year - completely blind. This year's panel included Olly Smith, Patricia Langton, Susy Atkins and James Griswood, and we tasted half the wines each, even and odd numbers. It's always useful to get a broad overview of what's on the market and the range was tremendous, including a couple of excellent whites and quite a few blockbusting reservas. It should be a good year for Rioja if this tasting is anything to go by. When I have more details I'll post them here.

We then adjourned to the restaurant for a pub lunch (excellent bangers and mash, but then they always are at the Pony). I look forward to taking up residence there in April for the week of the DECANTER World Wine Awards, which are held just across the green at The Worx.