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While enjoying our meal at Edinburgh wine bar, The Green Room, we spot an upcoming Australian wine tasting presented by Paddy Gilhooly of Thistledown Wines. Duly rocking up the next evening, we’re treated to six generous tasters from highly-awarded Thistledown, run in Australia by Giles Cooke who, along with fellow MW Fergal Tynan, founded the winery in 2010. Recent times have seen their hard work up to and through all manner of crises (not least last year being the worst drought for 30 years) come to well-deserved prominence, with bottles on our list earning reviews and high points from globally respected critics.
We do love fully informative wine profiles and, as you would expect given the standards in this venue, are given just that, along with plenty of time to discuss our thoughts with other tasters at our table. My neighbour Mark, a regular, tells me how he’d recently enjoyed a Californian evening where some otherwise unattainable and memorable ‘big guns’ had been offered for tasting. Both food from the menu if required, and takeaway bottles, are offered at a good discount on the night, with our 6.30-9+ tasting event priced at just £35 for a great presentation by Paddy along with the usual charming hospitality of co-owner Ghislain.
While Grenache is a speciality (and close to my heart too), other varieties are employed to great effect over their vineyards in McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley & Adelaide Hills. Accomplished winemaking and experience, along with convivial company, ensures a thoroughly enjoyable evening that makes choices hard but sees us depart with two interesting but very accessible bottles; Cloud Cuckoo Land, a blend of Fiano (80%), Zibibbo (Muscat, 20%) & Greco. Its ‘Wild & Wilder’ tag hints at skins left some time in the ferment, lending texture and complexity yet fresh and with a pleasing bitterness on the finish that has us coming back for more. Also earning a trip home is their Sands of Time single vineyard old vine Grenache Noir from Blewitt Springs, McLaren Vale, naturally vinified in a concrete pyramid then matured in old oak puncheons and bottled unfiltered, leaving pleasingly gentle tannins.
We’re definitely on the food AND wine list now with this venue. Being tucked away in the quiet & pretty west end William St belies that this is very much a city centre location with the perfect cosy ambience.
The Green Room: 19-25 William St, EH3 7NG - 0131 225 1358
