Road Restored

On 1 December our road re-opened, 14 months to the day since 1 October 2015 when the huge sinkhole blocked entrance to our road.

However two houses are still inaccessible and a third unocuppied, their families living in rented accommodation for the past 14 months

Vuelio Blog Awards 2016

Peter F May with Jane Parker of www.JanesLondon.com

The Vuelio Blog Awards 2016

Bringing together the most influential UK bloggers and vloggers for an evening of immense celebration

On 25th November 2016 we held our second annual Vuelio Blog Awards and boy did we celebrate and party well into the early hours.

More than 500 bloggers and PR professionals joined us to raise a glass (or a few) at The Brewery in London, to recognise and reward the achievements of the very bloggers we pride ourselves in working with.

http://www.vuelio.com/uk/blog-award

Cite du Vin, Bordeaux

To Bordeaux for a long weekend  to visit La Cite di Vin and surprise Beyers Truter who'd come to present a Pinotage master class.

La Cité du Vin, Bordeaux

 

Beyers Truter at La Cite du Vin

Pear Tarte Tatin and a glass of Sauternes at Les Noailles

International Wine and Spirit Competition 2016

On the evening of 16th November 2016, London’s Guildhall played host to the 47th annual International Wine and Spirit Competition’s (IWSC) Awards Banquet. The evening marks the culmination of a 365 day campaign establishing the world’s finest wines and spirits and reward true excellence in the industry. Last night’s winners included the likes of Aldi UK, McGuigan Wines and Marks and Spencer, to name a few.

Celebrating the excellence of its entrants and winners, the IWSC’s annual banquet is an evening to be reckoned with, comprised of a five-course banquet where the winning wines taking centre stage at each course, speeches from key IWSC personalities and the official presentation of its 2016 winners. It was also the conclusion of Matteo Lunelli’s year as President and marked the appointment of 2017’s President Christopher Blandy, CEO of Madeira Wine Company.

De Wet Viljoen won the Abraham Perold Pinotage Trophy for his Neethlingshof ‘Owl Post’ Pinotage  2014, and Neethlingshof was also a finalist for the South African Wine Producer of the Year.

I was there representing The Pinotage Association,sponsors of the Trophy, to awrd the  Trophy to De Wet. 

De Wet Viljoen (right) accepts Pinotage Trophy from Peter May  representing The Pinotage Association in the presence of IWSC President Matteo Lunelli (left)

 

We banqueted in The Guildhall

We're sitting in the front row two aisle seats

AWS National Conference, California

California 2016

I came to talk at the American Wine Society National Conference in Costa Mesa at the beginning of November. First we took the opportunity to spend 4 nights in Las Vegas, Nevada, 2 nights at Grand Canyon and then visited Jerome, Arizona and the Temecula Valley Wine region on the way back to San Francisco and the Conference.

Peter at Callaway Vineyards, Temecula Valley California in 2016. I was looking for the sign I stood in front of in 2002 but that was no more . Below is my 2002 picture at Callaway

Peter May at Callaway in 2002

\presenting South African Red Blends at AWS Conference

Prsenting South African White Blends at AWS National Conference 2016

Pouring

View from Cosmopolitan Hotel Balcony - Daytime

View from hotel balcony, over Bellagio's  Dancing Fountains at night

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jerome Arizona, State's oldest restaurant

Crystal Cove Beach, we came here before the start of the conference for a walk in the sun, and I paddled in the sea.

Oslo Court - Caroline's Birthday

To Oslo Court in St John's Wood tocelebrate Caroline's Birthday.

Peter, Caroline, Brionnie, Joan

Budapest to Amsterdam on Viking River Tours

Two weeks river cruising with Viking from Budapest to Amsterdam

Viking Skadi moored at Budapest at start of cruise

Constantly updating counter in Vienna railway station showing number of Wiener Schnitzels consumed

 

On battlements of Burg Wurtheim

German night on board with special dinner and local band. Three of us wore our German jackets. Peter Fegan (right) and I bought them during the trip,.Gentleman on left, whose name escapes me, hademigrated from Germany to Ontario where he grows onions.