Wines to go with Socks

We have been friends with Nick Turner for many years and were delighted when he came to our November tasting to show his amazing quality socks. These were greatly appreciated by our guests.

Making socks since 1928, Turner and Sons, just like Weavers,  is proudly independent and focuses on quality above all else.  A Derbyshire based business, all their socks are made using a blend of natural fibres to give quality, durability and comfort.

So why have we gone for a sudden selection of socks in our Wine Club?  Believe it or not socks have a number of similarities to wine, and it’s not just that they both make great gifts for Christmas!

Choosing Your Ingredients

Nick made these socks especially for our Wine Club Members from Egyptian Cotton. As with wine, it is vital to choose the perfect ingredients if you want the perfect product. Much like how certain grapes only achieve their maximum potential when grown in certain climates or on certain soils the same is true with cotton.

The socks Nick has made for you are hewn from long staple fibre, which is produced from the Gossypium Barbadense species of cotton. This yields cotton with long, silky fibres.

Climate

I have talked at length over the years about which grape works in which environment. As we have discussed in the past, temperature plays an important role in grape cultivation. Cooler climate vineyards produce grapes with fresher fruit aromas whereas hotter vineyards produce richer grapes for full bodied wines. This is just the same for the Gossypium Barbadense cotton. It grows in small bushy trees and is very sensitive to frost. This thrives in full sun and regions of high humidity.  Nick sources his cotton from Egypt where there is a DOC like system to ensure that quality is maintained.  Other regions such as the cotton islands of Barbados and the USA are also renowned for the long staple cotton.

Hand Selection

In order to ensure the maximum quality of grapes are used, small producers hand select each and every bunch. When doing so, the focus is on removing mould and rot on the grapes to guarantee the quality of the fruit. This is either done on the vines or when the grapes come to the winery. Once again, this attention to detail is vital when selecting the best quality cotton to go into creating a top quality pair of Nick’s socks.

Blending

As you know wines are often blended with different grapes to create the style the wine maker is looking for.  These cottons have been blended with around 15% Nylon.

I could easily get carried away with this article, but I will stop.  Needless to say a big thanks to Nick at Turner & Sons and please remember to use the WEAV27 code from their website should you need socks as a ‘stocking filler’ for yourself.