Travels in English wine and music
As I reconnect with friends and family on the other side of the world, I’ve also been catching up with English music and wine, which has offered some surprises, alone and in combination
It’s been three years since I’ve made a long haul trip, but I’m currently in the UK enjoying both exciting local music and wines. Around the dinner table at my friends’ this week in South London, we enjoyed the Blackbook NV The Mix Up Vol 3 with vintage album This Nation’s Saving Grace from post-punk band, The Fall. The match of this rather post-punk still white blend of Champagne varieties from two vintages shared more resonances in attitude and visuals with The Fall album. Sonically, this album was sometimes a little too bass heavy for this crisp wine. However, its underlying savoury dimension was drawn out by the rougher guitar sound and the lighter timbres of the track Paintwork was a decent match.
Other audio and vinous highlights of my travels so far include the first English orange wine I’ve tasted, the Litmus Orange Bacchus. Sampled with the gentle sound of familial conversation, I enjoyed its fresh apple skin characters, hints of green herb and rich savoury core. A musical highlight was last night’s world premiere of Voci del Vento, by Chris Watson and Claire M Singer at London’s Union Chapel (pictured above). Singer’s experimental approach to the organ with sustained chord drones, interweaving with Watson’s pristine field recordings of nature, was a balm for my travel weary soul.
Stay tuned for my next main travel-themed article coming soon exploring how to enjoy wine in a noisy aircraft cabin...