An Evening of Wine Tasting at Shekelton Wines

In the beautiful town of Stamford, you'll find a gem of wine shop known as Shekelton Wines.

Located in Chapel Yard, this gorgeous wine shop stocks a variety of interesting and unique wines to buy and also try when booking a tasting session. Naturally Chris and I decided to get a group of us together to try our hand at tasting which I thought I'd share it with you!

The lovely owners of Shekelton Wines; Charlotte and John, host both online and in store events to cater for all needs with a variety of tasting packages available. From cheese and wine tasting to Italian wine tasting or English wine tasting; there's a taste for everyone. You can check out the upcoming tasting events in store or alternatively book a private wine session. Each event is guided by a tasting expert with 6 lots of 50ml servings for each person. We opted for a private classic cheese and wine tasting for a group of 10 within the shop which was a wonderful inviting space to be in. The shop is decorated in a beautiful red colour and lined with an array of wonderful wines, selected personally by Charlotte and John. 

We started the evening with welcome drinks of prosecco and an introduction to the shop which we discovered was launched in lock down! At each seat was a had a tasting sheet detailing each wine and cheese we were sampling and an area to write notes and score the selections. The first wine of the evening was a champagne, paired with Charouce cheese.

Having never been to a wine tasting event before, Charlotte guided us through this first glass with how to taste the wine; covering the glass with your hand and swirling the contents to release the flavours before smelling it. It really makes a difference and from there we were able to pick out the key notes. I also then learnt that when tasting the wine it's good practice to inhale a little before taking a sip to again get the aroma of the wine, prior to swilling it around your mouth and savoring the flavour. 

After enjoying a sip of wine, we were then encouraged to try the cheese (which took very little persuasion on my part!), before tasting the wine again. It was amazing how much the cheese enhanced the flavour of the wine and added a new dimension to the palate. This was especially so when sampling the Chianti Superiore with the Pecorino cheese as many of the group found it left a spicy, tingling sensation at the back of their tongue. With this classic cheese and wine tasting we were able to sample both red and white wines from around the world- from , Spain, Italy, Portugal, to South Africa, with each wine tasting different due to the climate, soil and other environmental factors involved. 

The majority of the group found their favourite pairing of cheese and wine to be the Cabernet Sauvignon and Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. I too loved this combination, especially with the cheese being local but the real under dog for me had to be Aged White Port! Firstly, who knew there was such a thing as white port and secondly, Ferreria Dona Antonia White Reserve  Port is just delicious! Teamed with the Colston Basset Stilton cheese it, had a wonderful mix of sweetness whilst being smooth too. Overall my favourite pairing of the evening was the Champagne Georges Lacombe, Grand Cuvee Brut NV and Charouce, so much so that I bought a bottle of the champagne to enjoy at home!

Once the tasting had finished we sat back and enjoyed a top up of our favourite glasses from the session whilst perusing the shop, with many of us picking up our favourite wines from the evening. 

Shekelton Wines is a wonderful place to sample wine as well as buy it, from a couple who have a true passion for wonderful tasting wine. We all felt so welcome and relaxed in their shop and would highly recommend everyone pay a visit when you're next in the Stamford area!

Opening times:

Tuesday 11:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 18:00
Thursday 11:00 - 18:00
Friday 11:00 - 19:00
Saturday 11:00 - 18:00

Holly Lodge Dog Fields & Cafe

Tucked away in a tiny village called Upton Cambridgeshire, there's a hidden gem for dog lovers and cake lovers alike! Holly Lodge Dog Fields and Cafe is a wonderful place that I wish I could take credit for finding but Chris was the one to discover it on one of his cycle rides!

The Holly Lodge Cafe is a cute, rustic, welcoming place as well as a cake lovers dream. It opened in 2021 and is the perfect pit stop for cyclists or a welcome cake break before taking the dogs into the fields. 

With indoor, outdoor and marquee seating, there's plenty of space for everyone to come and enjoy the cafe with doggies too.

The food here is incredible and will certainly take you over your calorie count for the day but trust me- it's so worth it! Chris will also concur...

Not only is the food delicious, it's locally sourced from a 35 mile radius of Holly Lodge, supporting other local businesses. If sweet things don't do it for you, there's some incredible savoury bites like chipotle scotch eggs and pork with pickle pies!

Once full of cake and caffinated, you're ready for the fields. 

There are two secure dog paddocks to book- the North Field and the South Field. On this occasion we chose the North Field; a 3 acre field with wooded area and gorgeous views of the Cambridgeshire countryside. The South Field is an incredible 6 acre field with plenty of open space for dogs to run wild. 

From tyres and tree logs, hay bales and plenty of dog toys; it's a doggie's dream. I've not come across a place like this in Cambridgeshire before and think it's such a great place to bond with your four legged friends!

From a dog owner's perspective it's wonderful to watch your dogs run free in the knowledge that they're completely safe and secure. With recently getting another puppy, it was also a great place to let her off lead for the first time and socialise her with other dogs.  

The fields are also a great place to take children too. On this visit we brought our friends with their dogs and children who enjoyed the fresh air and play time with the pooches too. Both fields provide dog bins and waste bags, running water for doggy drinks and cleaning. Booking of the paddocks is available here.

Our hour in the field flew by so fast and before we knew it, it was time to leave but we will definitely be back very soon for more exercise and cake at the cafe! If you're interested in visiting for yourself, the opening hours are as follows:

The Farm Cafe

Thursday 9am-4pm,

Friday 9am-4pm

Saturday 9am – 4pm

Sunday 10am – 4pm

Monday 9am – 4pm

Will you be visiting Holly Lodge Dog Fields and Cafe?

Clumber Park National Trust | 12 Trusts of 2020

Nestled in Nottinghamshire, I ventured to Clumber Park- my 4th National Trust to visit as part of my 12 Trusts of 2020 challenge. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, I set myself the challenge of visiting 12 National Trust sites in 2020 and so far I've done Blickling Estate, Belton House, Gunby Hall and now Clumber Park!

Having walked around the last few properties, I thought it would be nice to venture out with our bikes so looked up which trusts had good cycle routes and there was Clumber.

It's also a dog friendly trust so we couldn't resist taking Harry and his trailer on the back of Chris' bike for when he got tired or we wanted to whizz around.

There's some stunning views around the parkland, such as this one from the beautiful ornamental bridge.

We cycled along the river, taking in the gorgeous view before the terrain changed to fields and free space. I couldn't help but stop and dance in the long grass- much to Chris' embarrassment! 

We cycled on further and came across the back of Clumber estate and what a view it is. The trees, the river and the wildlife really frame the scenery of the place and it's a gorgeous view to admire. There were families with picnics the other side of me when we took this photo and it made for a beautiful view to sit and enjoy whilst tucking into food.

We cycled on again and ended up going into the woodland area around the park. You could easily get lost in the woodland and also cycle plenty of miles but after a 9 mile spin, we opted to dismount the bikes and take in the surroundings on foot and let Harry have an explore of new sights and smells.

With lots of big trees and shrubs, Clumber Park makes for an amazing place for kids. We saw plenty enjoy the dens and hideouts that nature provided for their make believe adventures.

Harry loved the water- it was hard to drag him away! The swans and the waters reflection did eventually get the better of him and he went in for a paddle. Whoops!

Naturally Chris took great pleasure in taking the p*ss out of me posing too...!

I call this my stop taking the micky out of me look...

Clumber Park has changed a lot over the years. Originally it was the home to the Dukes of Newcastle and there was a lot more to it such as a grand house which no longer exists.

The Gothic church is a feature in itself with some creepy gargoyles looming over the spires! As with everything at the moment we were unable to go inside so instead marveled at its splendor from the outside.

 

Another area to explore was the walled kitchen garden. This gorgeous 4 acre garden was built back in 1772 and now boasts awards for its culinary rhubarbs and apple trees. The fresh produce is used in the restaurant at Clumber which unfortunately wasn't open due to COVID but if you get the chance to dine in future I definitely would! 

Clumber Park is definitely up there was one of my favourite National Trusts I've ever visited. It has a bit of everything for all ages and you can easily spend an entire day and not get bored. From beautiful plants and woodland walks to, river side picnics, cycling and architecture, this trust is stunning and a real gem to visit.

Have you visited Clumber Park?