Spring has sprung?

As I write this the weather in Greece is absolutely glorious, warm and gentle, with the sun shining throughout the day and a gentle breeze. This is very appropriate given that today is a Greek National Holiday - 25th of March, celebrated as the anniversary of the 1821 uprising against the Ottoman Empire, which culminated in the modern state of Greece (Hellas) - and a big religious celebration (the Feast of the Annunciation) to boot.

Nature is a bit confused at the moment, to be honest: bits are flowering, celebrating the good weather, while others are reluctant to follow suit, as it may be too early. Could it be that freezing weather is just around the corner again, waiting to punish the foolish buds that have erupted prematurely?

Luckily nobody really knows what's around the corner, despite all the pronouncements. Even all the people eager to sell you a view of your future have no idea what will really happen with our future/weather/plants/whatever. So plants may flower today and, despite all their experience over the years and all they may have suffered in the past, they may pay for it shortly thereafter. In the immortal style of the orange person - SAD!

Still, colour is appearing everywhere, optimistic and happy - shades of green, red, pink, orange (!!!), purple - lifting our spirits and making us smile a bit more. We are anticipating warmer, longer days, lighter, brighter clothing, indolence; why we can practically feel it all.

For my part I am really looking forward to the summer, when the colours will start fading in the heat and the sea will simmer invitingly; alas it is still some way off. The weather will still play cat and mouse with us for some time to come, I fear.

P.S. : When I started writing this it was the 25th of March and the weather was, indeed, glorious, warm and gentle. However, as of this morning (28th March) it has decided to show its teeth a little bit, being dark, moody, rainy, cool and certainly not magnificent. And it will change again and again, for sure, hopefully without disrupting nature too much. As city dwellers our main preoccupations with these fluctuations concern what we are to wear and whether an umbrella might be necessary, but spare a thought for all those involved in agriculture of any kind, where one unexpected change in the weather may result in even the whole of the year's crop being lost. THAT is a hard life, not getting one's shoes a bit wet, dear reader, even if they are an expensive brand...

Thank you very much for leading me astray,,,!

There I am trying to stay on the path of righteousness, minding my own business and pretending to be careful with what I eat and, especially, my intake of drink, and YT decides out of the blue to have a birthday. In all honesty he has one every year, much like anyone else, but I am not going to allow that simple fact to detract from his role in my downfall. You see, as the sinister person that YT is, he doesn't stop there, but invites me and a small group of close friends to a celebratory dinner for his birthday not at home, as per usual (regular reader, you know all about that, don't you?), but at a favourite superb restaurant (a post on that to follow soon...). The bonus there is, of course, that YT is allowed to bring his own wines so that we are not only in for a rare treat of drinking stuff ordinary mortals can only dream about, but doomed to overconsumption. And before you start lecturing me, clever clogs, let me see YOU being abstemious when jewels of the wine world are set in from of you; if you are, you are fools and not worth talking to in any case!

We kicked off with a 2007 Sancerre from Cottat. Now many wine guides (and some 'experts'...) will tell you how Sancerre should be young and fresh to  best portray the vibrant aromas typical of the area and Sauvignon Blanc - when you are talking about serious growers in my not so humble opinion this is nonsense, I'm afraid, as their wine is complete and able to age with panache. Our wine was young-looking and not only subtly full of the typical aromas of cat's pee and gooseberries, it was also fresh as anything, stylish and elegant. On the palate this was a vibrant Sancerre, complex and very long, showing the European style that makes New World Sauvignon Blanc seem far too brash and obvious - this was class in a glass.

I'm being quiet about the food that we enjoyed, as there will be a separate post on the restaurant to follow, but YT is a fiend for matching wine to food, far more meticulous and exacting than I could or would ever be, but supremely good at it as well. All you need to know for now, dear reader, is that the wines perfectly complemented and augmented the food presented to us; everything was consumed with gusto!

You know the old saying: if it talks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it's a duck? Well, our second wine was like a Vin Jaune, made exactly in the Vin Jaune style and adhering to all the rules but, alas, made just outside the Vin Jaune Appellation area so not entitled to the name... Well, screw that, this was a wonderful wine, sort of dried apricot essence, no sweetness, long, complex, delightful and full of character, needing no-one's official approval to be wonderful. Not a Vin Jaune, but as good as any V.J., so, so gluggable and old world quaint. This 2002 gem was a last bottle, but I'm keeping the grower's name a secret so you eager beavers don't all rush out and buy his wine, pushing prices up; as a diligent sort of chap, though, I reserve the right to reveal all at a later, more confusing date.

Mas de Daumas Gassac is an amazing property in the south of France, in an area (the Languedoc) that not that long ago was not considered capable of making great wines but was thought of as a bulk wine source and little else. This domaine was created out of nothing by its owners in the 1970's and with vision, good judgement, lots of luck and great advice, has become one of the leading estates of this part of France, if not the world. This is family-owned, passion-driven wine, not your market-led nonsense, and its quality is quite staggering. It may lack the sheer finesse of great Burgundies or Bordeaux but the red 2001we had is a grand wine indeed, primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (around 80% give or take) but with a special Languedoc character. Jammier, riper than Bordeaux reds, this is full of sour cherry and strawberry fruit, ripe and complex on nose and palate, explosively expressive yet classy, long and impressive. A great wine created from nothing in a decent but previously 'second rate' area through love, application and patience - wow!

Marc de Bourgogne is rarely anything but special, and in the hands of passionate people it's entrancing. While Fine de Bourgogne has the edge on finesse and, ultimately, can be a class above, the marc can be great, especially when coming from the right 'home' and aged for a while. That tempter YT would, of course, only serve superb aged Marc de Bourgogne 2012 from the hands of Sophie Guillemot-Michel - the daughter of a small, biodynamic domaine in the Maconnais, she has made the distillate side her own and, if this one was anything to go by, she should keep on doing this. Her clean, stylish marc had no hard edges, its hints of caramel and alcohol well balanced, giving us not only a lot of pleasure but allowing us to rap up the meal and enjoy the closing espresso in superb style.

I overindulged by official standards (units of alcohol etc.), of course I did, but I blame YT for putting all that temptation in front of me - how could I resist? Whilst I can feel your sympathy for my ordeal growing by the minute - you are kind, dear reader - please focus on this : I have just had another memorable evening spent with good food, great wines, splendid company - there exists for me no better combination to add texture (he-he!) to my life.

I drink, you're a drunk, they are alcoholics

Recently I mentioned that I cannot imagine my life without wine, as it provides me with variations of taste and texture to every meal, giving colour to food and, thus, to life. It is easy to go on about the smells and tastes of different wines, from the humble 'jug' examples to the exalted bottles of fine wine; a living thing, wine DOES provide all that if we just stop to look. And then there's the alcohol...

Many of us like drinking wine for the taste, with the 'buzz' an added - and not always welcome - factor. Others find the taste indifferent, but the 'buzz' is their motivation and wine, despite being slower to provide it than spirits, can be consumed in some quantity with limited immediate consequences and, as importantly, less social condemnation. Are they all alcoholics?

Yes and no is my honest response. Anyone whose first thought (more or less) on waking is to rediscover last night's 'buzz' probably is. Certainly anyone who is unable to get through a day without a glass (or six) of something, has no alcohol-free days (and is unable to so do) and needs the alcohol as a crutch to face other people/life is a good candidate for being a typical alcoholic.

But I feel we sometimes allow ourselves to slip into the constant drinking mode without having the underlying need, simply because it makes for a pleasant lifestyle full of 'happy' days. We may start from a position of strength, feeling like masters, on top, in control; if we allow ourselves to relax too much and for too long, however, we may well end up servants, under the cosh, even out of control. Then the problems start, though we may not recognise them as such immediately and fail to react. It is possible to step back, but it is not easy. And the looming abyss has a way of appearing ever so seductive...

Yet wine, when approached with care and respect, is a wonderful thing! The complex aromas, the many different tastes, the way it can express or complement a mood, accompany food, complete a meal, make wine a truly unique and wonderful thing. Furthermore, most people involved in the production of wine are committed, passionate people who love their product, respect the earth that nurtures it and want their customers to appreciate their 'love-child' - but not excessively. Wine is more often than not their life, and they put their heart and soul into making it to enrich yours, not to dominate or annihilate you.

Respect is a word often bandied about far too casually these days, but respect wine, get to love it and it will love you back, giving you lots and lots of pleasure. My personal experience is that it keeps on giving to me in so many ways, for which I am hugely grateful, but allows me to keep my distance when I want to; long may this wonderful relationship continue!

Great little wines, great little evening

As far as I'm concerned, wine is the answer; the question hardly concerns me. I cannot conceive of my life without the enrichment that wine brings to every meal, adding colour, smell, taste and texture (pace, Yanni!). Nothing else comes close to allowing a meal to reach its full potential, and that is not to factor in the alcoholic effects, welcome or not as they may be. My loyal reader will know that my current circumstances limit me from too many independent wine explorations aside from the occasional trade tasting, so that invitations by friends to dinner with interesting wine are welcome and always gratefully received.

The YT/MT duo are also well known to my loyal reader, as they - most generous of hosts - regularly invite small groups of friends to their flat for a glass (or three...) and a bite, many of these occasions reported to you faithfully by yours truly. The food is invariably excellent, be it simple or elaborate, and the wine is always ultra-gluggable but also often challenging, rare and interesting to any oenophile (and yes, if there was a sexual angle to our love of wine we would be called oenerasts NOT oenophiles). So they, two other friends and I were at their place yesterday evening to taste, eat, discuss, remember, enjoy.

We kicked off the evening with a splendid old white wine from the Jura region of France - a 2002 Cotes du Jura Chardonnay from top producer Ganevat. The normal cuvee - Ganevat has an old vine version as well - this was as fresh as anything, its golden colour the only hint of its great age.

Our next wine was an even bigger surprise, a 2003 red from ET (no, not that one, Austrian grower Ernst Triebaumer) single vineyard (Mariental) and a single grape variety (Blaufrankisch - blue- Frankish) popular in Central Europe but of rather obscure lineage. Very old vines, a very specific microclimate and poor limestone soil combine with expert winemaking and passion to make an amazing wine - at 15 years of age it showed little signs of ageing either in the colour or the substance. What a wine: concentrated red fruit aromas, mainly of strawberry and sour cherry, chunky yet complex, bursting with fruit but maybe just a touch short. If I'd encountered this in a blind tasting I would have been totally lost!

The next wine was a 2004 Barolo Bussia from Parusso, traditionally a big, big wine. Our bottle, however, was evolved and lighter in colour, which to my mind made it far more sensual and complex than some Barolos, perhaps younger, I have tasted in the past. This was full of juicy red fruit, delicate tannins and good balance, warmth, and more a charm than a power wine.

And for dessert an amazing 2007 Riesling eiswein (ice wine) from Dr. Deinhard, deliciously luscious, sort of liquid lychees, juicy and complex. Eiswein is something rare - the grapes are picked late and frosty - and the wines are always concentrated, sweet and never cheap to produce, a product of passion, not balance sheet. I've never come across one I didn't like!

The food was an accompaniment, simple and scrumptious. We started with a few slices of Bresaola and lightly smoked venison (from the Czech Republic) with a red cabbage salad, simplicity and yet perfection on a plate. The main course was vegetable lasagne with fresh pasta and an amazing homemade tomato sauce - were I not already overweight and pretty full I could happily have eaten all of it.

The conversation? Great, fuelled by great food, lovely wine and friendship! Is there anything better?

What was that question?