Invitation to a simple dinner

My good friend J. T. invited a small group of us (all part of the same wine appreciation group - the Friends of Dionysus - mentioned before, as you well know, observant reader) to dinner recently at his home to catch up, eat simple, beautifully prepared food and drink wonderful, inspiring wines. He is not only an extremely knowledgable food and wine enthusiast but an accomplished cook (chef?), whose invitations have always been milestones in my eating and drinking in Greece. Put simply, the best meals I have had in Athens have been prepared by JT and his wife, Michelin-starred restaurants notwithstanding; the quality of the wines at their home is always special, even outstanding and occasionally mind-blowing.

This particular meal was very simple but, as always, properly executed and hugely satisfying. We started with little tidbits of bottarga (in Greek avgotaracho, made in a modern style from the top producer in Greece Trikalinos, softer, with more delicate taste and less salty than the traditional style) on toast; they were beautifully accompanied by a malt whisky from Islay, an Ardbeg, delicately smokey and pungent, complex and long. Our chat was extremely happy, I can tell you!

Our starter was just a simple salad, crisp and crunchy, delicately oiled. This was partnered with an extraordinary wine - a Jurancon called 'Les Jardins de Babylone' produced by the family of the late
and much-missed Didier Dagueneau to his exacting and uncompromising standards. Most wines of

the appellation are slightly sweeter and a touch less complex though still individual. This is not only beautifully presented - it's the bottle on the far right of the photograph - but hugely enjoyable in the glass and with the salad, a combination that I would not have thought of. The wine combines light sweetness with acidity superbly, showing great complexity and subtleness - a splendid achievement and a poke in the eye for all the idiots who 'don't like sweet wines'! The golden rule for any true wine lover is that you taste first then make up your mind, otherwise you are a probably a fool and certainly not a wine lover.

Our main course was a most unusual dish based on a recipe from the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, combining spices in a rich sauce with sausages and basmati rice, a play on tastes and textures. To stand up to the strong flavours we needed big red wine and, indeed, had two: a heady, explosive Rhone red from that super property Chateau de Fonsalette and a big, harder Lebanese red (Comte de M) from Chateau Kefraya. Not only did they manage to accompany the spices admirably but they were also both, in their different ways, gorgeous and rare experiences.

My exposure to the wines of Lebanon is limited to a few tastings of Chateau Musar and one or two other bottles of, I think, Chateau Ksara, so it is not what you would call extensive by any stretch of the imagination. The wines I have tried have been mainly made from French grape varieties and generally in a Bordeaux style adjusted for the local 'terroir', with one or two exceptions; overall my recollection is of good wines made under sometimes impossible conditions by passionate men and women of exceptional commitment. This particular wine was a 1998 vintage, nearly 20 years old and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah with the Cab Sauv having the upper hand in the expression.  Overall I found it restrained and a bit hard, the Syrah only peeking out after it had opened up in the glass and then hesitantly. This is a big wine possibly going through a dumb phase or maybe from a vintage a bit short of ripeness - I cannot be sure.

The Chateau de Fonsalette 2001 was the opposite, bursting with ripe fruit (strawberry and yellow peach?) on the nose and palate, a far more outgoing proposition and easier in appeal. But this is not a simple, fruity number, far from it - this is a luscious, complex southern Rhone wine and its beauty is far more than skin-deep. The people who make this wine are the real thing, eccentric wine lovers who pay no attention to frills, luxuries, glory; all they care about is making outstanding wines full of heart and warmth (I apologise if this sounds pretentious). NEVER pass up an opportunity to taste wines from Chateau de Fonsalette or Chateau Rayas as they are both extremely rare and wonderful wines made by special people. Or, if you are a poncy Louis Vuitton or Gucci kind of person seeking curiosities for your 'collection' or to impress your 'nou-nou' friends, bugger off and leave them to people who will drink them with the respect and love that they deserve. Incidentally Chateau de Fonsalette is but a lowly (ha-ha) Cotes du Rhone so won't look good on a 'posh' table, so leave it alone - there are plenty of flashy and pricier Bordeaux wines to show off with and amaze your 'friends'.

But to round everything off we had a Macvin (no, it doesn't come from the golden arches crew but is a luscious sweet vin de liqueur) from Chateau d'Arlay, a superb property making amazing Jura wines. The Jura region of France is home to several such curiosities and was for years ignored by the wine experts and the 'general' public as a thank you; alas it has now been discovered and prices of its delicious products have climbed enormously, and that is IF you can find them. Almost all the Jura wines etc. deserve respect and Macvin certainly does - why this was so good that I couldn't even remember the chocolate ganache that we had for dessert! And whilst I understand and, indeed, support the notion that taste is a very personal thing, if you don't like Macvin you are a ...,  or to be polite, very unfortunate to have defective tastebuds...!

Well, as usual JT and his wife made good food look easy and simplicity so rewarding; I will tell you once again how lucky I am to have good friends who are always willing to share their love of food and wine with their friends (me, Me, ME)! And you are lucky that I am ready, willing and able to tell you all (most?) about it.