A cold Tuesday evening in October brought together, a wide range of individuals, in the small Northumberland village of Hedley on the Hill, keen to learn about Italian wine. The evening was held at The Feathers Inn, recently selected as Northumbrian Dining Pub of the Year 2008, by the Good Pub Guide. Organised by hosts Rhian Craddock and Helen Greer, in conjunction with Stuart Colmer of Hopscotch Enterprises (Fasol Menin UK), the event aimed to offer participants the chance to taste a range of Italian wines, each matched to excellent Italian fayre, produced by chef Rhian.

Stuart had invited Massimo DeNardo, proprietor and founder of the Fasol Menin winery to join the event, ensuring that the keen students of Italian wine were able to hear first hand about the winery in the foot of the Valdobbiadene hills. Massimo was in the UK, as the day before Stuart and Massimo had represented Fasol Menin at the “Vino in Villa” event at the

Institute of Directors, Pall Mall London. The event had been organised by the Producers consortium for DOC Prosecco in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region of Veneto, Italy, to meet the growing demand for Prosecco in the UK, and knowledge of its production. Thirty-two of the consortiums most important producers were represented and a Master Class was held by Peter McCombie MW. Following a long-trip back to the North of England, Stuart and Massimo were ready to pour and talk for their Northumbrian students.

The evening started with Prosecco Brut DOC Fasol Menin matched to a Polenta, which brought out the mineral flavours of this low sugar content Brut. This was then followed by the light apply Prosecco Extra Dry Fasol Menin married to a risotto. As the diners enjoyed their food and experimented with identifying the different flavours of these two great Proseccos Massimo talked about the grape life-cyle, the main production process and the secondary fermentation which gives Prosecco its final flavours and important bubbles!.

Following the Prosecco courses, the menu moved to a fantastic tagliatelli with hare, well matched with a Merlot DOC from the Introvigne winery, before offering a course of local cheeses fabulously matched with the rich and full Raboso DOC Piave from Giorgio Cecchetto.

For those with sufficient stamina, the evening closed with a Passito and long and lively chats between the diners, Massimo, Stuart and Rhian as votes were cast on the favourite wines and dished of the evening.

The night was a sell out and requests have already been made for Massimo to make a return trip to Northumberland; a task which he is looking forward to!