The judgement of Lourmarin 2008

In 1976 wine merchant and writer Steven Spurrier organised a blind tasting of the very best wines that France and America could produce. Unfortunately for the French their wines were resoundingly beaten, with one of the blindfolded judges rather embarrassingly commenting that a Napa cabernet “bespoke the magnificence of France”

In honour of this event I have organised my very own blind tasting. This time there will be no Mouton Rothschild or Haut-Brion, just the new season rosé from Lourmarin matched against the very best that England can produce - a’becketts Estate rose from Devizes in Wiltshire.

Now the theory is that English wines are getting better and better. Global warming means that quality wines can now be produced in England - the soil is the same, the weather is similar so why shouldn’t the wine be just as good, if not better, particularly because the English vigneron does not have to fight against the excessive heat that now sends alcohol levels rocketing in southern French wines.

Next Friday morning - 11 April - we will find out whether the theory has translated into reality. Throughout the market outside the cave co-operative in Lourmarin we will be blindfolding shoppers and seeing whether they prefer the English or the French wine.

You never know there might be a surprise result…..