News
Gordon's Wine Bar Fat Bastard annual BBQ - Thursday 2nd September... [posted: 07sep2010]
The Fat Bastard wine BBQ was a huge success, so thank you for everyone that came along! We were very lucky with the weather and everyone enjoyed themselves - I have excluded some photos out of my sensitivity to those involved!!!! [Click here to see photos]
Sherry and tapas tasting/tutorial event - 28th July 10am to 1pm (ish!) [updated: 29jul2010]
Wow!!! We had the most amazing sherry tasting morning on 28th July (which ended up being from 10.00am to 4.30pm before anyone even started moving!). Everyone absolutely loved it and couldn't believe the quality of food, the fabulous sherries and the fascinating interludes while Martin Abell from Barbadillo talked through the sherries (see attached menu). I joined the group for oysters with Manzanilla sherry at 10.30 and it was a brilliant way to start the day - I then had to go and do some work but kept coming back to join them for different courses. We ended with Pedro Ximenez with churros dipped in chocolate sauce and Manchego cheese. We now have a lot of sherry fans who want to do this every Wednesday!!! Click here for pictures. I will definitely be doing more tastings based on the feedback from this one so watch this space..... Simon
Fat Bastard wines win more awards [posted: 11jun2010]
We are very pleased to see that the Fat Bastard wines which are so popular with our customers both in the bar and from the online wine shop have won yet more awards in the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition). The Chardonnay, Shiraz and Viognier all won GOLD medals and the Pinot Noir a bronze. Click here to buy online at great prices for home delivery.
Obituary: Michael Smith [posted: 20may2010]
 | I was very sad to hear recently from his long term partner Veronique that Michael Smith died last year. I worked with Michael when we first opened the bar in 1974 and we had a wonderful time together. He was a sweet, gentle man who was always thoughtful and kind - it was an honour to have known him. Veronique held a memorial at the bar for him in May 2010, and has kindly given me a photograph of him to display here. Simon |
Gordon's staff Christmas party (11jan2010)! [posted: 22jan2010]
VAT [posted: 04jan2010]
We are unfortunately having to increase our prices slightly on most wines due to the VAT increase, like everyone else - groan.
However, I am glad to say that for the Fat Bastard online sales we are absorbing the VAT increase and prices will stay the same. We have also managed to reduce the price of the Fat Bastard Pinot Noir on our bar winelist from £18.80 to £17.95 a bottle. How can we do this I hear you ask? Well, because we are now sole agents and our sales are much higher due to the popularity of it (you will see why if you try it) we have negotiated even better prices from the Fat Bastard himself!!
On a serious note and particularly relevant in the current climate, you will hopefully appreciate that we do try to keep all our prices well below our competitors, both on our fantastic wines, food and online shop items. My aim is to always try to give you the best value around because, although Gordon's is famous, we don't want to be like some places that charge the earth just because they are well known - I hate it when people do that!!
I hope you will continue to support us in 2010 and would just like to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for all your support in 2009.
Look who's back! [posted: 16dec2009]
After a long absence following her burns injury from a very hot bath accident, I am thrilled to say that Joan is back and from 22nd
December will be coming in by taxi to slowly get back into the swing of things - with all our customers where she belongs! We are still not sure how she will get on but she hated sitting in hospital doing nothing and is desperate to come back so of course we welcomed her with open arms. The pictures show her with friends the other day and her son (who has retired!!!).
Simon
NEW YEARS EVE 2009! [posted: 08dec2009]
Next year is 2010 - can you believe it's 10 years since the millennium parties?!
Now we have our lovely outside awnings and heaters we have decided to open pretty much as normal and will not be taking bookings. All you need to do is arrive as early as you can and grab a table as usual - however, this is important...
Please bring along a printout of the attached note (CLICK TO VIEW AND PRINT)
to show you are Gordon's customers and also to get you through the security for the event organisers if they ask where you are going! (we don't want any old Tom Dick or Harry coming in and spoiling the evening with thuggish behaviour!)
There will be extra special food (probably a whole hog roast as well) and lots of champagne, all at our usual prices - it should be a great evening and you will get a wonderful view of the fireworks from our terrace without having to fight your way through crowds of onlookers (except our other customers hopefully!!). Inside we will be playing some music and you can dance to your heart's content.
So please do come along anytime from 6pm onwards until 2am(ish) and have a fabulous evening!
Click here for more detailed information from the organisers about road closures etc.
CLICK TO SEE PHOTOS OF PREVIOUS NEW YEAR PARTY
Enhanced wine list [posted: 20nov2009]
We have now improved our wine list further by adding a "Special" list which consists of some really super wines at very good prices. This includes such wines as Puligny Montrachet, Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Chateau Kirwan Margaux.
We have also added a 3rd wine (Chardonnay) from the very popular Fat Bastard range because demand for this lovely French range of wines made by Thierry and Guy seems to be increasing all the time. They can also be purchased online for home delivery on our wineshop page because we are the only agent in the UK for direct sales.
In what we also see as a major change in emphasis we have stopped calling our cheapest wines "house" because we have a number of fantastic wines at around the same price and we are trying to encourage customers to choose based on their own preferences rather than rely on choosing the good old house wine! The actual wine is the same, the price is the same but it is just a change of emphasis.
A few wines have been replaced where we feel we can provide better wines at better prices - the new entrants are:
Granfort Chardonnay changed to El Coto white Rioja
Description: Delicously fresh green fruit flavours with a zing when it hits your tongue.
Grapes: Viura
Country: Spain
Bottle £16.85 Glass £4.60
Indian Sauvignon blanc changed to Andes Peak Chardonnay
Description: Lovely oaked chardonnay but well balanced so retains it's freshness.
Country: Chile
Grape: Chardonnay
Bottle £15.95 Glass:£4.30
Stella red changed to Vista TR Tinto
Description: Rich, ripe dark and chewy fruit, good structure with no hard edges and good length.
Country: Portugal
Grape: Touriga
Bottle: £14.75 Glass: £4.00
We have also now changed the list so you can buy wine by the glass for nearly all our wines which are under £20 per bottle so you can get the chance to try out some different wines without having to buy a whole bottle.
Lastly, we have further split our wines into Old World and New World just to give you another way of selecting the broad preference you have. This is an experiment and if you think it is a rubbish idea please let me know! I have already been told by two wine experts that because Old World are now trying to copy New World techniques it would probably be better to split it into different major styles but we will keep this under review for next year because it's too late to change it now!
I hope you approve!
Christmas closing times [posted: 14nov2009]
Closed from 3pm on Christmas Eve, re-open Sunday 27th.
New Year's Eve open from 6pm to 2am; New Year's Day closed (with hangovers!)
BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU DAY - 19TH NOVEMBER 2009 [posted: 25sep2009]
In keeping with tradition we are going to have our Beaujolais Nouveau all day breakfast on the third Thursday of November again this year (19th). We will start serving breakfast from 8am and it will continue from there. The menu will include pork sausages from Robinsons of Stockbridge, eggs, bacon, kedgeree etc.
This year our suppliers say they expect the wine is the best vintage since 1949! We will be serving Le Chat as we have previously, which we have always found to be very good despite its youth.
The cost will be around £6 for breakfast and £17 for a bottle.
PLEASE NOTE: We are not taking bookings this year - just arrive early and grab a table!
24th August Fat bastard hogroast [posted: 31aug2009]
We celebrated the fact that we are now the sole UK agents for the Fat b... range of wines in the UK (other than for trade sales).
This is great news for us and we think great news for our customers because it is a very popular and well priced wine from the South of France. The Pinot Noir and Rosé are on our wine list but the whole range is available from our online wineshop if you want any for home.
The hogroast was a really great success, and, being a bit of a pig myself, I polished off quite a lot of the crackling single handedly! Perhaps we will start doing them more regularly in the future. Thanks to Oli (my boy!) and his friend Hugo for all their hard work in organising it. Click here for pictures
 |
|  |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |