OATLEY VINEBLOG
OATLEY VINEBLOG
Well what a wedding celebration it turned out to be! Weather sunny and 26 degrees, still and beautiful, and the vineyard and barns looking their absolute best. Fred and Nora had used their architect skills, and the internet, to plan meticulously from Hong Kong and it all went like clockwork. But the thing that made it extra special were the guests. Young friends from every continent, Nora's family from Norway and Hong Kong and our family too, all melded together to make a a big, happy, and hugely interesting group, everybody pitching in to make things go with a swing.
We all have special memories, but mine are: working alongside lovely Heidi and Claus, Nora parents, who came over early from Oslo to help get everything ready, the scent and glow of the beautiful flowers as they rested after arriving in the shade in the coolest of our old barns, the happy cod-and-chips-from-the-van supper for twelve under our tasting tent with the newly-arrived rest of the Norse contingent on Thursday night, the scent of the fire for the asado of lamb on Saturday morning when only I, the dogs and the caterers were up and about, Jan and Sim's camper van, complete with bunting, nestling in our nature area at the top of the vineyard, radiant Nora and proud Claus walking up the vineyard to the blessing ceremony by the olive tree and Fred and Nora so happy, the surprise rendition of “What a Day for a Daydream by Ned and Hannah from Denmark, the dramatic and animated long table for 90 in the centre alley of the vineyard in the slanting evening sun and finally the dramatically lit ivy-clad party barn with its simple trestle bar, haybale seating and moon glow lanterns. Hangovers gradually dissipated in the dechchairs of the gentle, lazy Sunday brunch in our picnic area and then it was all over, and now just the lovely memories are left.
Oatley is a special place and it was great to share it for a big family occasion.
The hired things have all gone, marquees and hay bales are stowed and now we are back to normal, catching up with trimming the vines and mowing and strimming the alleys, and looking at a really rather promising and early vintage. The grapes are looking great and the black grapes on the south wall of the house are turning colour already, a full week earlier than 2014 and 2016, both good recent vintages, so we're getting quite optimistic for Vintage 2017.
Thanks to Jeremy for a lot of these photos.
PS. Oh! How could I have forgotten to mention the wine, in a vineblog!
For the toast after the ceremony, when we mingled around the big boxes of crudités in the sun, it was English sparkling Pinot Noir rosé, sporting a gold medal from the International Wine Challenge, from our friends at Camel Valley in Cornwall. Fred and Nora chose it in a taste-off of Waitrose’s finest last summer. We went down to fetch it and pictured below right is winemaker Sam Lindo handing it over to Iain.
We also drank fresh lemonade that Nora had made, served in small milk bottles with a straw (remember those?) and Oatley elderflower cordial with sparkling water, which I made for the occasion to Paula’s recipe. Maybe we’ll make some to sell next year...
For the meal there was Oatley ”Jane’s” - the last of the 2014 that we had kept back for the occasion - and a Saumur Champigny Clos des Cordeliers from the Wine Society. Claus and Heidi met at the university of Tours, hence a Loire red.
In the evening there was Norsk beer in these nifty tins and London lager. But Brecon Botanicals lovely gin ruled supreme. Well, for me it did.
wedding AT OATLEY
Thursday, 27 July 2017