Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

After more than a year of lockdowns and social restrictions it was good to get back into the swing of things and our first Solent event in 2021 was a “Bubbles and Seafood” lunch at the Tinwood Vineyard in Halnaker, West Sussex. The Vineyard is owned and run by Art and Jody Tukker and has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2007. After a refreshing glass of sparkling Blanc de Blanc we were treated to a short, informative and amusing presentation of the Vineyard by our enthusiastic hostess Jody – the work involved in running an enterprise such as this cannot be over estimated and at the end of the day the success or failure of the harvest is weather dependent. This year is looking good so far but is about a month behind schedule and an early frost in November could prove problematic. Lunch consisted of shared platters of delicious seafood – Lobster, Crab, Oysters and Prawns with generous side dishes of new potatoes, salad and a variety of fresh breads. Tinwood wines accompanied throughout with also a white burgundy from France and a Sauvignon from New Zealand and most of us probably had the opportunity of sampling all the wines on offer. A thoroughly enjoyable occasion and a good kick start to the Solent calendar.