Wine...Its not for me

How many thirty-ahem-cough-cough year old females say that?

I've tried wine drinking and come to the conclusion that I'm more off a beer gal.  But then it's difficult to eat a meal with a stomach full of gas and equally as difficult to hold a conversation without letting rip with a massive belch.

So, real ales, they're good as they're not gassy but they are filling, not widely available and can be a little bit too strong for me.  I'm good if its a couple in a pub, but not for a night out.

Colin Burbidge - The Lancashire Wine School

Now to the housewives favourite, wine. Red or white I'm not a fan.  Neither are sweet enough and I fear the staining of the red on my teeth.  (Tooth tip - don't brush your teeth after drinking red - the acids interfere with tooth enamel and it can be damaged by a vigorous brush-another reason to give out a wide berth - Thanks Col!)

I do actually like the taste of one wine, a sauvingon blanc that I tried at a Lancashire Wine School Wine Tasting.  It was fruity enough to taste nice and was refreshing. I didn't get the icky aftertaste.  I just get to drink on wine.

So what is my drink of choice?

After trying six different types, including white, aged and tawny, my drink of choice is Port.  Get me!  Who'd have thought I'd be tempted away from Dissarono and Tia Maria!! From The unsophisticated drinks of the bar to the posh end in one high heeled glide!!

Thanks to Colin Burbidge for furthering my alcohol education and introducing me to grown up drinks at my ripe old, I mean tender, age!!

You can read more about Colin's Port and Cheese nights here, and if you're in Lancashire and going to a tasting night, let me know!

The Lancashire Wine School are, appropriately, sponsoring My Cava Lifestyle this month.  Unfortunately just the blog, not my actual Cava Lifestyle!!

Extra Curricular Learning - Real Ale Tasting

If you're going to take on an adult learning course, it's always best to do one you enjoy. One where you have an interest and love of the subject. So I chose the Lancashire Wine School.
(It's a school!! And they do courses!! Therefore, adult learning!!)


Now, I've been a regular at the school since  it opened and when Colin announced his Lancashire Day Beer Tastings, I was straight on it. For educational purposes, of course, not for the hotpot and 6 bottles of beer.


I've never been a beer fan due to the gas factor. It tastes fine but I would be mortified if I belched mid conversation and I know I'm not alone.

Colin Burbidge - My Own Personal Booze Expert

We tasted, in generous half pint portions, 7 beers (Yes! One more than expected!) from Lancashire breweries. The selections started off pale and ended up dark with Thwaites Nutty Black.

Most of the girls on the course preferred the lighter beers and were getting squinty and squiffy the darker we went as the tastes soured slightly. The general consensus was India Pale Ales were extremely drinkable.

Additional note to prove I have learnt something on my adult education course:
India Pale Ale is so called because it was originally made to ship to our boys in India in the days of the Raj. It was made at a higher strength so it travelled well in the boats.

The surprise for most was the ability to eat a large plate of hotpot, with potatoes and vegetables, after already having two pints of beer, and then still being able to easily drink the remaining pint and a half!

The Hopstar Lush was my favourite. It had a bonfire toffee taste. If you like Caramel Latte's or Creme Brûlée, this is the real ale for you.

As is usual on these events, all the tasters are sat around one big table and at the start only really talk amongst their own group. About half way through, it's like a pub full of regulars with stories being shared and plenty of laughs.

A great night, and it looks like Port and Cheese will be my next outing to Wine School!

This is a completely independent view of a course I paid full price for. I have not been approached or paid by The Lancashire Wine School for this review, nor have I been encouraged to mention the beers listed.