www.hotelterravina.co.uk/blog

At the moment it will look a little different than usual, however this is only a temporary measure so please bear with us as we complete the transition!

Thank you for visiting the blog!

This year, inadvertently, I have caused enormous controversy amongst the team. Following two years of Christmas tree disasters…. One year all the needles fell off the tree after only a week of being in situ and the replacement tree (which should have been at least 6ft) arrived at just over 3ft nothing… we had to build a leaning tower of wine boxes to elevate it to a respectable height and then last year, I “adopted” a tree (again it was supposed to be tall, bushy and lovely, but was instead no taller than me- 5ft, and not very impressive if I’m being completely honest- the tree not me!) which arrived rooted in a pot, with feeding and watering instructions. I delegated the watering to Pearl, our fantastic “breakfast gem” and she did a brilliant job of covering herself in pine needles every morning until the tree was completely bald by New Year’s Eve. Thus the tree was sent back to be replanted in the forest but it looked very sad and sorrowful- unsurprisingly the company I adopted it from have not contacted me this year to ask if I would like to borrow it again.

So…… and this is where the rift has been caused, I bravely decided to go against tradition and have unreal trees this year, but thinking it would be better to be upfront and proud of the fact- in fact make a statement about them, I have ordered white ones (but I actually wanted bright orange or lime green but wasn’t able to source either colour)… however the teams’ reaction has been mixed. Some people (Pearl) are relieved as she has been let off watering duties, but others, (Laura, our head sommelier) are very unimpressed and instead of feeling like Mummy Christmas I have been cast as Ebenezer Scrooge instead!

However, I am up for the challenge and I am determined to convince all those in the team who are unhappy with white Christmas trees that they can look just as beautiful if decorated well… in fact my new mantra is that it is much better that the real trees stay in the forest and that the ones we have will last for years and are as eco friendly as a fake tree can be…. The jury’s out on if I will win this particular contretemps, but either way the hotel will be decorated by the 2nd week of December and will twinkle and shine in all its usual TerraVina Christmas glory…… thankfully the Secret Santa draw is being organized by the team, what a relief as that’s some controversy I can avoid!

Quick update, since writing this particular blog and it being posted 2 days later, the white trees have arrived and they are lovely….. in fact even Laura is warming to the theme- Result!

Enjoy the Christmas countdown as much as we do. Till next week

Nx

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

As a fellow hotelier recently pointed out, 2010 has certainly been a fantastic year for us. Gerard has won many accolades and recognition for all of his achievements and we are so proud of Laura and Laurent who both recently became Master Sommeliers… another first for TerraVina with us being the only hotel in the UK to have three Master Sommeliers in situ. I have blogged in the past about Gerard’s triumph as a mentor and these further exam successes for two more of his protégées just goes to prove what a fantastic mentor he is…. I have always thought he was special, but this re-affirms the fact that he is indeed very talented at bringing out the best in people and motivating them to personal success.

As a female hotelier and one who has loved working in the hospitality business for the many years that I have, (dare I say over 22 years!!), it is always great to read of other hoteliers success and so it was with tremendous pleasure that Gerard and I read of Andrew Stembridge’s super award of Hotelier of the Year. Andrew is the MD of Chewton Glen Hotel. Chewton Glen is where I started my “proper” hotel career, where I met Gerard, our ex business partner and friend Robin Hutson and where we met two inspiring people Martin and Brigitte Skan who have both been tremendous mentors to Gerard and I throughout our careers. Chewton Glen is a very special place and has the accolade of having nurtured no less than FOUR Hoteliers of the Year…… Martin Skan himself, Robin Hutson, Peter Crome and now Andrew Stembridge… what a roll call of success and I personally am very proud to have been associated with not only the hotel but the people who make it so special- I am the hotelier that I am today because of all that I learned at Chetwon Glen, from the Skans and from Robin all those years ago, it was the most amazing tutorage which I have always greatly appreciated.

Thus well done Laura, Laurent, Andrew and Gerard for being so inspired, inspiring and Bravo on your greatly deserved successes.

Nx

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

We are especially proud of them as it is a very hard exam to pass and out of a total of 14 candidates only three were successful. Not only that, but Laurent gained all three parts of the exam, at the very first attempt, which is not the “norm”, as often candidates take one or two attempts to gain all parts of the exam. Thus he has been awarded the Grand Siecle Cup for his results. Laura is only the second ever British, female sommelier since the Court’s creation way back in 1969. Along with all of this, TerraVina is also unique as being the only establishment in the country to have three Master Sommeliers in situ.

Here at TerraVina we are thrilled with both Laura and Laurent’s fantastic achievements but it must be said that this is yet further success to Gerard also, as have both been trained and nurtured by him and this proves yet again that he is a mentor “extraordinaire”.

More details later on as usual but we wanted to share the news with you!

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

It has happened only rarely that we have had cause to suspect such fraudulent behaviour, but with the years of experience we have as hoteliers, we can usually smell a rat. On a recent Sunday evening, the team were subjected to scenes of the most obnoxious, rude and appalling behaviour. Unfortunately Gerard and I were not at the hotel as Gerard was in China attending as a guest speaker at the Asian Sommelier summit and I was at home revising for exams…. No not me, (I don’t do study, as I hate exams!) but I was helping Romané revise for his exams and so was not here on Sunday evening, to manage the situation or “protect” the team. However, Sophie, Laura, Ken and the team did handle it as well as they could and Suzi and I dealt with the rest the next morning.

Apparently, as the Sunday evening wore on and the person in question drank more and more, it became very obvious that she was not a journalist as her behaviour was so dreadful. I personally don’t know any journalists who proposition staff, (be they male or female) in exchange for their bill to be “wiped clean” and nor have I met any journalists who question the staff on their salaries, rant and rave at them, state they hate everything about the place and then ask them to be their friend and go out for a drink and at the same time continue to drink themselves silly whilst on an assignment- but the most breathtaking bit of all was that even when I challenged her the next morning, she was still trying to convince everyone that she was working for a very prestigious, very well known and popular up market magazine, even though I told her that I had been in contact with the editor and the NUJ (National Union of Journalists) and he/they knew nothing of her. Now if you are going to try such a scam at least do so cleverly; behave in a professional manner, know the name of the magazine’s editor and check out after your stay. In some places you might well get to have the bill comp’d off, or a discount or what ever it is you are trying to gain. This badly attempted scam was well and truly blown when the credit card was declined, she had no business card, didn’t know who the magazine’s editor was and so of course was unable to do anything more than beat a hasty retreat, once we had insisted on payment by another means.

The whole incident left the team bruised and dazed (it was much more unpleasant than I have written as it’s too distasteful to write about frankly) and I was left spitting feathers at their behaviour in our hotel, the stupidity of her and the cheek to try to pull off such a scam…… There is no excuse for abusive, aggressive behaviour and as such the team would have been quite in their rights to have thrown the imposters out, but inexperience and being too polite to challenge guests meant that they allowed them to stay – if Gerard and I had been here they would have been given short shift and been told to leave, but as it was they got to enjoy a night of Egyptian linen and a great bed. Of course I let the magazine know and the National Union of Journalists and the local Hoteliers Association, so hopefully they won’t be trying that particular scam again in a hurry! My blood pressure was raised skywards for the rest of the day and everyone kept clear of me as I was liable to explode at any moment- I’m still furious even as I write this at the audacity and sheer cheek of them- not to try the scam, but to pull it off so badly- I would have hoped for a more professional caliber of scammer frankly!

Nx

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

The promo filming is now “in the can” as they say in film circles and has been edited and polished ready for its red carpet debut…… it would be great to receive some feedback, so please do feel free to leave a comment and any thoughts- we are not aiming to break box office viewing figures, but it will be fun for all the team to be involved in the filming of future episodes which is taking place in mid November, ready for airing straight after Christmas in the dim and distant month of January.

Sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy!

Don’t forget to leave us your comments about the clip and tell us what you think and what you would like to see in the series that would really be of interest to you… we have planned such snippets as Laurent making cocktails, Laura and Gerard chatting about being sommeliers, Alan and Neil in a cooking demo and a meet the team piece….. with a few more surprises besides- we think it will be an interesting and fun glimpse behind the scenes and we hope you enjoy watching as much as we are enjoying filming.

Nx

On Monday, despite French blockades, petrol shortages and strikes, (ohhhhh the French!!! I can safely say that as I’m married to a Frenchman) we finally received the trophies here at TerraVina – the Moet et Chandon team had bravely and doggedly battled their way through all of the transport problems to bring them to us and in just reward, to enjoy a long awaited celebratory dinner with the most sublime Champagnes, courtesy of Moet et Chandon, delicious food, a charming photographer and a sprinkling of journalists to add to the ambience.

Thank you Jean, Benoit, Stanislas and Martyn- from both the French and UK Moet Team, for organizing such an enjoyable celebration. Thank you too to the journalists who shared the evening with us- a good time was had by all.

Alan, our head chef proposed an exceptional menu of dishes which matched and flattered the Champagnes to perfection and Laura, our head sommelier extraordinaire served the Champagnes with great flair and aplomb – thank you both for helping to make the evening such a memorable one… For Gerard and I, it felt as if we were reliving the excitement of the competition win all over again and I know that Gerard is thrilled to have the trophies here at TerraVina, proudly on display in the open cellar, within the restaurant, for all to see and admire.

Bravo Gerard, you certainly deserve to enjoy your success and we are all thrilled, very proud and have great admiration for all that you have achieved.

Nx

p.s  Here is the menu and the wines that we enjoyed…. Delicious!

The Grand Moet & Chandon Dinner

To Celebrate Gerard Basset Winning ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2010

Monday 18^th of October 2010

At Hotel TerraVina

Aperitif

Champagne Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut NV (Served in Magnum)

*****

Ceviche of Scallops and Langoustine, Peach and Earl Grey Jelly, Pink Grape Fruit Emulsion

Champagne Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002

*****

Hot Smoked Wild Salmon, Fennel Cream and Tempura of Young Fennel, Pernod and Black Pepper Foam

Champagne Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Collection 1992

*****

Seared Fillet of Beef, Tortllini of Pumpkin, Parmesan Crusted Cep, Crispy Sage and Truffle Jus

Champagne Moet & Chandon  Grand Vintage Collection 1975

(Served in Magnum)

*****

Orange Scented of Black Figs, Honey and Rosemary Ice Cream

Champagne Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé 2002

*****

Coffee and Petits Fours

Many of you will know we hold regular Sunday evening wine dinners and events and so we thought that it would be a great way of raising the profile and much needed funds for Rose Road to organise an exceptional wine event, here at TerraVina, with the proceeds going to Rose Road’s fund raising appeal.

Thus on Sunday 17th October with forty people attending the dinner we welcomed the equivalent of Bordeaux’s wine making royalty to the hotel…… we were thrilled that Florence and Daniel Cathiard, owners of the very prestigious, Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte and Les Sources de Caudalie, a luxury five star Hotel and Spa, joined by Christian Seely, MD of AXA Millésimes were our guest speakers at an extravaganza of some finest Bordeaux wines, delicious food and great company.

Florence, Daniel and Christian generously contributed to the event, not only with their time, but also by partly funding the prices of their wines (respectively Chacteau Cantelys Blanc 2008 and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge 2002 from Florence and Daniel Cathiard, S de Suduiraut 2007, Chateau Pichon Baron 2004 and Chateau Suduiraut 1999 from Christian Seely). In addition, Georges Barbier, a friend and wine merchant also contributed towards some of the cost of the Aperitif (Champagne Chateau de Boursault) and Dimitri Mesnard, a personal friend from Jackson Family Wineries, contributed too with some of the cost of the first red wine (Chateau Lassègue 2004); Thank you all; it is enormously appreciated. Such events can only succeed with much planning behind the scenes and so other people we want to thank for their help are Corinne Michot and Ruth Santry both of AXA Millésimes, David Ornon of Chateau Smith Haut

Lafitte and finally Bernard Fassone of UK wine merchant Bibendum. Thank you very much to you all.

We tasted some exceptional wines, were greatly entertained by all three of our charming speakers and a great evening was had by all. The ultimate aim of raising much needed funds for Rose Road was our goal. We are thrilled that in a few days we will be able to hand over a cheque for a sum of £4,500 towards their fund raising efforts.

Gerard and I were proud as punch of our TerraVina team, headed by our General Manager Suzi, who ensured that the whole event ran smoothly- in fact so much so that we were completely unnecessary to proceedings and Gerard and I were able to sit as guests and enjoy the evening. We had a great time catching up with our ex HDV business partner, and great friends, Robin Hutson and wife Judy and the charming Sarah and David Nicholson, owners of the Black Rat and Black Boy eateries in Winchester…. Thank you too, to our Head Chef Alan and his team for the delicious menu to our Assistant Managers Sophie and Chris, Nanda and the restaurant team for the outstanding service and huge thanks to both Head Sommelier Laura and her Assistant Laurent for such faultless wine service – you all did a brilliant job!

All in all, an enormously successful event for all the right reasons. Bravo Rose Road, you are an exceptional place, full of exceptional children and young adults and you all do the most fantastic job and we are very proud to be able to help in some small way.

Nx

www.hotelterravina.co.uk

Gerard and I met in 1989, when we both worked at Chewton Glen Hotel, a beautiful Relais Chateau hotel located on the South Coast. We have very happy and special memories of Chewton Glen as it is not only where we met, where we worked with Robin Hutson, who went on to become Gerard’s co-founding business partner of Hotel du Vin, the best man at our wedding (a whole 8 years later as Gerard needed time to be sure!) and our son’s godfather, but where we also met two people who have remained special to us both throughout our hotelkeeping careers, Martin and Brigitte Skan, the then owners of Chewton Glen. In fact we have such fond memories of the place that we have remained living only a stones throw from it- we can’t cut the apron strings.

The story goes that having known Gerard only a week, we were living together, much to my grandmothers’ horror- it was indeed nearly love at first sight, but actually the real reason for such a speedy love affair was that he had a larger flat and a washing machine! However, the love affair has lasted and nearly 22 years later we are still very much together and whilst washing machines have come and gone, we have remained very much the constants in each others lives and I can’t imagine being without him (hopefully he would say the same about me, if I really twisted his arm, although there are some fiery moments when I wonder!)- that said it certainly can be tricky working and living with someone and being with each other so much of the time, but I think part of the secret to success is that actually we enjoy each other’s company and relish being with each other (most of the time!) Besides from which we aren’t actually constantly together as Gerard is very busy travelling here, there and everywhere, so in reality our time together is often no more or less than couples that work in separate careers. We have a very “fair” arrangement- Gerard visits wineries and goes to tastings and I stay home, work at TerraVina and buy shoes!

Thus whilst reminiscing, it got me to thinking of all the other workplace romances that we have witnessed over the years and there have been many. There were plenty during our years at Hotel du Vin and I am delighted to say that most have stood the test of time, with lots of gorgeous children as a result of such matchmaking. I suppose it is not such a surprise that people who work in such a close knit team, who share unsociable and long hours are “thrown together”…. Actors and musicians often end up together too, (think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, to name but a few) and office romances are very commonplace.  Here at TerraVina, we are currently watching a couple of romances unfold with baited breath, but have seen others sadly flounder along the way. Recently there have been a couple of workplace romances, which whilst not starting here at TerraVina have resulted in marriages and live in partnerships. The romantic in me thinks it’s lovely, but the realist that I am always makes me worry that with such romances will come headaches- chefs who fall in love and then out of love, only to decide they can’t work together in the same kitchen and so you lose two of them from a small team of only eight, which has an enormous impact on the hotel, or kitchen and restaurant staff who declare undying love one week and then can’t stand the sight of each other the next and it’s knives across the kitchen pass ……. It all adds to the excitement and drama and the on going headaches of being a hotelier and I won’t even go there when it comes to guests falling in love with staff members- now there really is a novel worth writing and a film worth making!

Till next week

Nx

www.hotelterravina.co.uk