2012 Wine List....new wines No.1

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2010

Winemaking is the new rock and roll. Or in Charles Smith’s case it is the new Danish Thrash Metal. Charles spent a decade in Europe managing various bands you’ll never have heard of (unless you misspent your youth in disused warehouses near the Copenhagen ring road) before seeing the light and heading to Washington State to plant vines.

Fast-forward a dozen vintages or so and Charles still has the hair, the t-shirts and the attitude of his music days but has replaced the guitar pick for a corkscrew and the Jack Daniels for some supremely elegant Riesling.

This wine is from the Columbia Valley region of Washington state, two states up from California on the west coast of the USA. The grapes come from a cool site producing fruit with sublime minerality.

The wine is smooth and aromatic with apricot, key lime and nectarine flavours, bursting with delicious stone fruits and citrus notes, with a subtle minerality on the palate

The grapes were picked in Mid-October after a season of long, steady, slow ripening. A very long, cold fermentation. Both fermentation and aging occurred in 100% stainless steel.

£33 (supplied by Bibendum)
The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms www.thecross.co.uk

AA Breakfast Award - it's a Cracker!

Following our recent AA inspection we're delighted to announce that we have won a Breakfast Award - the eggcup symbol indicates a very special breakfast with an emphasis on freshly prepared local ingredients.

We source our ingredients from the farm shop at Rothiemurchus, our butcher in Aberfoyle, soft fruits from Alvie Estate, organic muesli, spelt and porridge oats from Highland Wholefoods, and puddings from Speyside Specialities.

We squeeze our own orange juice - three oranges to each glass - we make our own yoghurt, fruit compotes, breads for toast, tattie scones, oat bannocks and banana loaf.

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an egg-and-bacon breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms www.thecross.co.uk

Gerard Basset at The Cross

March 2012

We were privileged to present to our customers a rare and unique opportunity…an audience with Gerard Basset OBE. Gerard is without doubt the greatest wine professional of a generation. He was born and raised in France and after having qualified as both a chef and sommelier he moved to England in the 80s.  He embarked on a very successful career as a sommelier. Among his many achievements he has been crowned Best Sommelier in the UK and Best Sommelier of Europe. He finished three times as runner-up in the Best Sommelier of the World competition but in 2010 he achieved his long held dream of winning the title.

From this success a string of plaudits followed. A coveted hotel industry “Catey” Special Award in July 2010,  International Wine Challenge Personality of the Year,  Harpers Wine and Spirits Magazine Personality of the Year and he was also awarded ‘Industry Legend 2011’ by Imbibe Magazine. He is currently the only person in the world to be simultaneously a Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and Wine MBA.

Aside from his feats as a sommelier, Gerard has also demonstrated a genuine flair for business.  In 1994 he co-founded the Hotel du Vin brand which was sold in 2004 after having successfully opened six hotels to much acclaim.  And in 2007, with his wife Nina, Gerard opened the award winning Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest.

In June 2011, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Gerard received an OBE which was presented by The Princess Royal Princess Anne - a very proud moment for him and his family.

The evening was well attended by hospitality and wine industry professionals as well as enthusiastic amateurs. We served a seasonal supper featuring smoked eel from the Summer Isles, pork from Tomintoul, ox cheeks from Renfrewshire, and one of Becca's creations...an iced parfait based upon the recipe for ecclefechan tart. These dishes were accompanied by a tasting, tutored by Gerard of course, of matching natural, organic & bio-dynamic wines supplied by the excellent Fife wine merchants L'Art du Vin. Gerard then gave a thoroughly entertaining presentation on his route to success as a sommelier and hotelier and his passion for wine.

The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk