Southwold has just been voted the finest seaside resort in Britain, and it’s easy to see why.
Southwold has just been voted the finest seaside resort in Britain, and it’s easy to see why. Even in the rain last month people looked cheerful, and in the bustling dining-room of the Crown you’d imagine that the drizzle outside was a splendid excuse for more hearty trenchering. I was on my annual visit to Adnams, best known as a brewer but also one of our most adventurous wine merchants. If you find yourself in Southwold, you should drop in to their wine cellar and kitchen store; the kitchen gadgets actually work, and the wine is beguilingly displayed. For instance, they have pick ’n’ mix shelves, where you can make an assortment of any dozen bottles for, say, £69, £79 and so forth.
Still, I know my stern duty and my first stop was at the tasting rooms, making the selection for this month’s offer. All of the wines have been discounted, some very generously. I greatly enjoyed the Le Jade Viognier from the Pays d’Oc 2006 (1) which is fresh, crisp, beautifully balanced and has a lovely floral nose. Viogniers just get better and better, and this is excellent value at £5.42.
Adnams’ own-label white Burgundy, Cuvée Paul Tamard (2) from Mâcon, sold extremely well to Spectator readers last year, so here it is again. The 2006 is light and refreshing, but also has those peach, vanilla and butterscotch undertones we associate with all good Burgundies. Unlike some, I won’t mention Nivea cream. Splendidly priced at £6.58.
A year or so ago I spoke at a wine lunch in Southwold, and we offered the Peak Riesling from Clare Valley, Australia (3) as the aperitif.
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