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Newsletter summer 2025 from CBWS President
Dear members Be careful what you wish for! Earlier in the year when we were experiencing cool and wet weather in the Costa Blanca, we couldn’t wait for summer to start. Today in Moraira we have an extreme weather warning of up to 39 degrees! So, as a wine society we know that means serving your white and rosado wines well chilled, and putting your red wine in the fridge for an hour or so, so that it can be served at the correct temperature of 16 to 18 degrees. Any higher temperature than this and red wine will (according to Jancis Robinson) taste ‘hot and thin’. It also starts…
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Wine Trip Booking Request
Thank you for your request for places on our next Wine Trip This is NOT YET a confirmed booking. We will be back in touch within 2 weeks to confirm your places on the trip. Best wishes Tim, Sandy, John and Shirley Wine trip team winetrip@cbws.eu
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Wine Trip October 2025 DO Valencia
Our Autumn Wine Trip this year is to an area within the DO Valencia – Terres dels Alforins – which has not previously been visited on a CBWS Wine Trip.We will leave Javea on the morning of Tuesday 7th October returning early evening the following day (Wednesday 8th October) The Area Otherwise known as the Valencian Tuscany, the area of Terres dels Alforins is situated to the south and west of the city of Valencia. Although the area is physically not far from the Costa Blanca the coastal mountain ranges have ensured that this hidden valley is hard to reach and therefore relatively unknown, even to wine enthusiasts. Bounded by…
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Our Next Wine Trip – October 2025
Our October Wine Trip will be held on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th October. Details are almost finalised and we will be posting full details and an invitation to request places within the next two weeks. Tim, Sandy, John and Shirley The wine trip team
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Tasting Report June 2025
CBWS Tasting held on 19/06/25 at Puerto Blanco, Calpe and attended by 60 members and guests. The theme of this month’s wine tasting was food and wine pairing. It was designed to highlight the harmony between small plates and wines selected by David Reece, the sommelier at the historic favourite venue Restaurante Puerto Blanco in Calpe. Wine 1 Name and Vintage Bender Paulessen Trocken Riesling (Mosel, Germany)2023 Price per bottle €19.20 Wine 1 Description Colour: a clear, pale straw with faint green tinges. Nose: clean, medium intense with aromas of citrus fruits, green apples, peach and subtle hints of white blossom. There is a slight hint of petrol and an underlaying slate/mineral…
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Newsletter June 2025
Dear Members I am writing this newsletter in sunny Moraira, with temperatures around the mid 20s. It’s getting to the time of year to decide which wines go best with barbecued food, there is no wrong answer, it’s whichever you prefer. A couple of matters to update you on – I am delighted to announce that Sylvie Vande Pitte and Stewart Cusden have accepted our invitation to join the CBWS Committee. I am sure that they will be tremendous additions to your committee. – We now have 150 members. As this is the maximum number approved at our AGM, we have now commenced a waiting list for future applicants. In early…
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Trip Report May 2025
Our adventure took a group of new and seasoned CBWS members to the famous wine region of La Rioja. La Rioja is in the north of Spain, in the Ebro River Valley. It is sheltered to the north by the Sierra de Cantabria Mountains and there are 3 distinct wine zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alavesa. Our visit was concentrated in the smallest zone of Rioja Alavesa, just north of the town of Logroño. Here vineyards are often found on small terraced plots of chalky/lime soils reaching into the foothills of the mountains. These mountains shield the vineyards from the north and help to create the drier climatic conditions for the grapes…
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Tasting report May 2025
Thursday 15th May 2025 at Maxims, Moraira, attended by 63 members and guests. A tasting, hosted by Patrick Harrild, of 5 of the sherry styles explaining history, the unusual production, fortification and maturation. Also, how producers contrive to create such a range of wines and styles within styles. Wine 1 Name and Vintage Manzanilla ‘Pipiola’ Bodega Barrera. D.O. Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda. Abv 15%. 100% Palomino Price per bottle € 5.07 Wine 1 Description Colour: light yellow with clear rim. Nose: gentle citrus with some salinity. Palate: revealed again some gentle saline and a surprising subtle soft fruit. Finish: a moderate length, residual salinity which people increasingly began to notice when they sought it.…
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Newsletter May 2025
Dear members I hope that you had an enjoyable Easter and are now looking forward to the improved weather which those of us based on the Costa Blanca expect in late Spring and early Summer. We currently have 141 members. As usual, a small number of members were unable to renew their membership, mainly due to relocation and health reasons. This means that we are able to admit another 9 members to take us up to our capacity. So, if you have any friends or family who would like to benefit from being members of CBWS, please encourage them to fill in the application form soon. On 24 April, Tony…
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Tasting Report April 2025
CBWS Tasting held on 24/04/2025 at Club Nautico, Denia and attended by 61 members and guests An open tasting of five wines presented in a “Pour my Bluff” format where each TRUE wine was presented with two alternative BLUFF wines by a team of three presenters (Tony Salter, Gro Salter and Fergus Fitzpatrick) and the members needed to decide who was presenting the real wine. text Wine 1 Name and Vintage Can Sumoi – Serra de l’Home 2023 Price per bottle € 11.34 Wine 1 Description Very enjoyable still white from Penedes – Cava country.100% Garnaxa – 12.7% made from indigenous yeasts, organic & natural. No oak. Very low touch.With the white fruit…