It had taken a while for Arthur van Hoogstraten, who ‘won’ me at the last Independent charity auction, and I, to sync diaries. After scanning the options, Arthur plumped for the tasting of Clark Foyster (www.clarkfoysterwines.co.uk) followed by a seminar on terroir with the Plaimont Co-operative. I was delighted because Clark Foyster is member of the bright new Dirty Dozen group I recently mentioned and only sells wines that its affable MD, Lance Foyster MW, believes in. I’m also an admirer of the Plaimont Co-operative for its pioneering stance on Gascon dry whites and its enlightened re-introduction of South-West France’s indigenous grape varieties.

We met at the Trafalgar Square Prêt-a-Manger (we do things in style at the Indy) on a sunny late September day. Arthur told me he loved French wines. His friend Anil Patel said he really enjoyed New World wines and he felt that they were more likely to surprise than France. He’d visited Casa Lapostolle in Chile and loved Clare Valley Riesling. A good start and a challenge because here were two friends who both liked their wines but with very different opinions and tastes.

On that note, Prêt paper cup in hand for spitting into, we ambled over to the Institute of Minerals and Mining and kicked off with the Austrians. Arthur and Anil both enjoyed the grüner veltiners, in particular an exotic 2010 Schloss Gobelsburg Lamm Erste Lage Grüner Veltliner from Kamptal with its tension between tropical grapefruit and zesty intensity.

If the grüners were an eye-opener, they loved the reds, never having encountered the blaufränkish, st.laurent or zweigelt grapes before. We all loved the bright, peppery fruit of the 2008 Prieler Blaufränkish Leithaberg, and from Neusiedlersee, an intensely perfumed, almost pinot noir-like 2009 Pittnauer St.Laurent Alte Reben and the super-succulent zweigelt in the 2006 Umathum Ried Hallebuhl.

A creamy, remarkable value Champagne Jacques Picard led us to Portugal where the two As were enthused by Filipa Pato’s superb fresh, stonefruity 2010 FP Branco made from arinto and bical and the toffee appley, almost burgundian 2010 Nossa Bairrada, a pure bical. A diversion to the New World had Arthur’s mouth watering at the magnificent Kiwi pinot noirs of Felton Road and Terravin.

They were impressed too by Mac Forbes’ scented, elegantly-styled Yarra Valley pinot noirs. ‘Interesting’, they observed ‘how the New World is now focusing on terroir, while the French are putting the grape variety on the label’. We finished with the superb 2010 Folio Blanc from Collioure and two outstanding reds, the 2010 Schistes Collioure and 2009 Quadratur Collioure.

A hop, skip and jump across town to Home House where we were greeted by the bereted André Dubosc, the charming pioneer of the Plaimont Co-op’s revival, before attending a fascinating masterclass given by technical director Olivier Bourdet-Pees. Celebrating St.Mont’s 30th anniversary, we learnt how the Plaimont Co-op had countered the loss of biodiversity by planting a vineyard of 39 local grape varieties and how it used the most up-to-date digital technology for the blending of its flagship white and red, L’Empreinte.

We tasted the zesty fresh 2010 Duc de Vendôme white, £6.99, Waitrose, the deliciously zingy and citrus-zesty 2010 St.Mont, £7.49, Marks & Spencer, and the richly concentrated apricoty flagship white, the 2009 Le Faîte, £14.99, Adnams (www.adnams.co.uk). After a long and not entirely arduous day’s tasting and spitting, Arthur and Anil’s open-minded approach had led them to discover, and appreciate, an exciting new range of flavour and character.

Something for the weekend

Something For the Weekend

Under £6

2010 Tesco Finest* Muscadet Sur Lie, Chateau Palatic

Clean and sea-breezy on the nose, this is a typical Atlantic dry white whose refreshing, lees-induced spritz adds a mouthwateringly crisp, appley tang to the fruit, making it the perfect affordable dry white for shellfish. £5.99, Tesco.

Under a Tenner

2006 Rioja Reserva Dos Maderas, Beronia

Beronia uses French and American oak to bring trademark spicy undertones of vanilla to the dark berry fruit concentration of this fine reserva rioja with its infusion of gamey notes and savoury finish. £12.49, buy 2 = £9.99, Majestic

Splash Out

2008 Kumeu River Coddington Chardonnay, Auckland

Michael Brajkovich MW has a knack of coaxing not just wonderful flavours from Auckland chardonnay but a burgundian-style complexity thanks to the stylish leese and oak-derived nuttiness of character enhanced by a lively freshness. £19.92, Tanners (www.tanners-wines.co.uk; 01743 234500).

Ends