A visit to the House of Townend made a very good outing for April. Crossing the Humber Bridge is now so easy with number‑plate recognition. We were treated to an excellent selection of South American wines by the HOT team, starting with a Mendoza Criolla Blanca 2022 from La Cayetana, which was clean, bright and easy‑drinking.

A Torrontés 2023 from Bodegas Gouguenheim followed — light and easy with surprisingly good length, and a real bargain at £11.99. The final white was the Casa Silva Gran Terroir Chardonnay 2023: light in colour, with tropical fruits on the nose, and very well received by most of us.

The reds began with Ver Sacrum Garnacha 2022, showing clear, good colour and red berries on the nose — another easy wine to drink. Next came Los Coches Carménère 2023 from a winery rated the best in Chile for four years running. Dark red with a black‑fruit nose, it was very well received at £8.99.

We finished with the Mendel Cabernet Franc 2023: deep ruby red, with a red‑berry nose, good length, and certainly a wine that would improve with age.

At the end of the tasting we were invited into the wine store, where HOT hold a huge selection including “In Bond”. What is on show in the shop is impressive, but only a fraction of the whole stock.

A great visit once again — we look forward to next time!