The continuing thirst for knowledge

Thursday 4 June and another event already. Members of the Company together with colleagues and friends from the Constructors' Company and the Master of the Guild of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Professionals joined a number of representatives of the Swiss banking community at the Swiss Embassy for a tasting of Swiss wines and Gruyere cheeses. It is possible that more attended the event than visited my local polling station during the day for the elections to the European parliament. The attendance levels were driven by a genuine interest in getting to know a group of wines little known or appreciated in the UK. There was the additional lure of the the cheese puffs cooked for us by Armin Loetscher - the Executive Chef at the San Moritz Restaurant in Wardour Street.

This was an interesting collection of wines ranging from a very quaffable white Merlot from Ticino through a couple of unusual, classy (and pricey) varietals a Humagne Rouge 2003 and a Cornalin 2003) both from the Valais region to a blended red of some considerable character from the same region.

The tasting was finished off (along, possibly with some of those present) by a curious strawberry dessert wine of impressive strength which was liked by some and regarded by others as a 'waste of good strawberries'! Not one for the feint hearted.

The wines, a cheese platter and the cheese puffs made for an enjoyable evening. The Master Constructor - Roger Adcock ruled his table with considerable authority. Jackets were kept on and decorum observed. This was, he noted, in comparison to the occupants of the neighbouring table (the occupants of which contained the current and four Past Master Chartered Architects) who got quickly down to shirt sleeves for the serious work at hand.
It seems that the Master Constructor's cause for comment was that the riotous shirt and bow tie worn by his opposite number was of a colour (or selection of colours) which was affecting his judgement of the subtle hues of the wines. His comment to this effect was not appreciated by the Master Architect's lady whose Christmas present the shirt had been!

Thanks are due to the Swiss Ambassador for the use of the premises, to Douglas Harrison of Harrison Vintners for providing the wines,to Maurice Johnson of Interprofession du Gruyere for the cheeses and to Armin Loetscher for doing interesting things with some of them.

pictured below - a group of Past Masters adding thier valued opinions to the debate in company with the Master's Lady and Paul Weston