The pub has invited Mike Lury of 240-year old Corney and Barrow to talk on four classic grape varieties from the Old and New World: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot.  Customers can listen and discuss wines with Mike and compare and contrast the wines for themselves.

Mill Race manager, Hayley Coombs, said: “Corney and Barrow supply the majority of our wines and we enjoy Mike’s regular visits when we choose new wines for our wine list.   He has an incredible knowledge that we want to share with our customers.”

During the evening the pub will launch The Mill Race Wine Club.   “Enjoying wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures,” said Hayley.  “The Mill Race Wine Club will share expert wine knowledge, offer discounts on wine purchases and once a year we hope to organise a trip to a vineyard – we’ve already got some ideas for this year’s visit but will discuss it with customers at the wine tasting.”

The Mill Race wine tasting will take place from 6.30pm after which dinner will be available for customers wishing to make an evening of it.

“Some people feel intimidated when tasting wine, but it’s more straightforward than it might appear,” said Hayley.

Three tips for tasting wine:

The Look: Colour and clarity.

An older red wine will often have more orange tinges on the edges of color than younger red wines. Older white wines are darker, than younger white wines when comparing the same variety at different ages.

Smell: Swirling the wine in the glass before smelling helps release its natural aromas.   A quick whiff then stick your nose in the glass and inhale deeply.   A wine’s aroma is a good indicator of quality and unique characteristics.

Taste: Start with a small sip and roll it around the mouth. There are three stages of taste: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish.

i)      Attack – initial impression of the wine.

ii)    Evolution – what the wine actually tastes like on the palette.

iii)   Finish – how long the flavour lasts after it’s swallowed.

Notes to editors:  About The Mill Race

The Mill Race is located on the border of South Herefordshire and the beautiful Forest of Dean.   It is a multi award-winning pub (PubChef, The Publican, Flavours of Herefordshire), serving very good quality local food, ales and ciders at sensible prices and has one of the most extensive and well-researched wine lists in the area.  Inside, the pub has recently been refurbished and there is a pretty sun terrace at the rear.   The pub is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday from 12pm-2pm and 6pm-9.30pm, Saturday for food from 10am-2.30pm and 6pm-9.30pm; Sunday from 12pm-9pm. The Mill Race has a Pizza Kitchen open Tuesdays & Thursday from 6pm.

www.millrace.info, www.facebook.com/mill-race

The Mill Race pub, Walford on the Herefordshire and Forest of Dean border, has taken the unusual step of building a pizza kitchen in the garden complete with a proper wood-fired oven. The pizza kitchen will provide food for the pub as well as operating as a take-away.

Mill Race chef Richard Kaye, said: “We live in a rural area where villagers can’t just jump in their car and get a take-away – the nearest pizza restaurant is at Monmouth, seven miles away, so we thought we’d bring the 21^st century take-away to them.”

The pizza kitchen has recently opened and is a hit with customers, even in the cold winter weather.

“During the winter we are opening the pizza kitchen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm – unless the weather gets unbearably cold, otherwise our poor chefs might freeze,” said Richard.

Hayley Coombs, manager at The Mill Race, said: “For me, a village pub should provide what the local community want.   Sometimes that’s difficult to identify because even if you ask everyone, they don’t really know.   So we think what’s most likely to attract custom is not just good beer, wine and food – that’s obvious, but the chance to take it home if they want, and entertainment at the pub while they see it being made.”   Customers have been known to order a pizza instead of crisps or nuts and eat it at the bar, she adds.

Richard and his team are looking forward to the summer, when they can really get cooking.   “Cooking a pizza can be a theatrical performance,” he said. “Kids especially love getting involved and suggesting different toppings, and for us it’s an opportunity to chat with customers which we don’t get when we’re slaving away over a hot cooker in the kitchens.”

About The Mill Race

The Mill Race is located on the border of South Herefordshire and the beautiful Forest of Dean.   It is a multi award-winning pub (PubChef, The Publican, Flavours of Herefordshire), serving very good quality local food, ales and ciders at sensible prices and has one of the most extensive and well-researched wine lists in the area.  Inside, the pub has recently been refurbished and there is a pretty sun terrace at the rear.   The pub is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday from 12pm-2pm and 6pm-9.30pm, Saturday for food from 10am-2.30pm and 6pm-9.30pm; Sunday from 12pm-9pm.

The Mill Race Pizza Kitchen open Tuesdays & Thursday from 6pm.

www.millrace.info, www.facebook.com/mill-race

Mill Race chef Richard Kaye and his team will be creating sausages to the pub’s own recipes, including pork & chive and venison, but alongside the sausages Richard says don’t forget the mash.

“Eating sausages without mash is like having eggs without bacon – much better together. Along with traditional mashed potato we also make creamy mash and bubble and squeak mash,” he said.   “After all, there are so many different sausages that one mashed potato recipe can’t possible bring out the flavour of them all.”

According to figures from the British Sausage Appreciation Society (yes, there really is such a society), nearly 6 million Brits tuck into pork sausages every day, and The Mill Race confirms that it’s certainly one of the pub’s more popular lunchtime dishes, especially in autumn and winter.  In an age of austerity they can also be one of the most versatile meals (wartime butchers and housewives upped the water content in the pork meat and they’ve been called ‘bangers’ ever since because when the water turned to steam in the oven, the sausages exploded).

Sausages first came to Britain thanks to the Romans some time before 400 AD, but it was only in the reign of Charles 1 that sausages were divided into links for the first time (not the authentic Cumberland sausage, though, which is never split into links). Apparently legendary highwayman, Dick Turpin moonlighted as a butcher, making sausages from the meat of animals hunted in Epping Forest.

Mill Race chef, Richard, added: “There are many stories about the sausage, but the proof of a good sausage is the taste. It’s all about the quality. No-one will find a banger at The Mill Race, they’re all stuffed full of delicious H J Edwards meat with minimum water content and lots and lots of flavour.  The only thing going with a bang during British Sausage Week is the event itself.”

Notes to editors:  About The Mill Race

The Mill Race is located on the border of South Herefordshire and the beautiful Forest of Dean.   It is a multi award-winning pub (PubChef, The Publican, Flavours of Herefordshire), serving very good quality local food, ales and ciders at sensible prices and has one of the most extensive and well-researched wine lists in the area.  Inside, the pub has recently been refurbished and there is a pretty sun terrace at the rear.   The pub is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Friday from 12pm-2pm and 6pm-9.30pm, Saturday for food from 10am-2.30pm and 6pm-9.30pm; Sunday from 12pm-9pm.

New for 2011:The Mill Race Pizza Kitchen open Tuesdays & Thursday from 6pm.

www.millrace.info, www.facebook.com/mill-race