Some wine shows we didn't write up at the time. # 1. Manchester wine crawl.

 

On the way to lovely Manchester

Reading about Kelly Bishop and her Manchester Wine Tours in Purple Pages we got the idea of visiting a grandson who was at the university there and taking him on one of her crawls. 

In the music business we had undergone numerous trips to the old Free Trade Hall for concerts with the Halle Orchestra but hadn't been back for about 20 years. The city was a black spot on the map for us. Dingy, run down, miserable.  

 

Manchester now. Vaut le voyage.

What a difference. It could have been the Emerald City. It didn't hurt that the weather was glorious.

Manchester Wine Tours owner Kelly is a food and wine writer from Manchester. She has written for Time Out, VICE, Manchester’s Finest and Confidentials. She is also a qualified wine nerd who teaches at the Manchester Wine School at and is a member of the Association of Wine Educators.

 

We were told to meet outside the Halle Orchestra's newly converted St. Peter's rehearsal  facility in the Ancoats district which was also impressive. From there a group of us were going to be walking from venue to venue across the city getting a guided tour from Kelly at the same time. 

 Kelly did the pouring while giving us interesting and sometimes hilarious comments. She is a card, a perfect host.

 

This stop was the old Mackie Mayor covered market with numerous bars and eateries. What a venue!

There we were served what turned out to be quite the star of the show, Harrow and Hope's sparkling Pinot Meunier Rose. Amazing and ironic that we found this in Manchester when it is produced practically next door to us in Buckinghamshire.

 

 There were several different venues with different wines and 'bits.'

The grand finale was at Pep Guardiola's restaurant 'Tast,' now sadly permanently closed.

This Cava was on his list. Although 'entry level, it is one of the best we have tasted.