United Europe - Dreams or Delusions? (a continuation)

By now you are all bored with my travels, my eating, my drinking habits and all those photographs - often shaken, never stirred! Today I decided to return to a subject close to my heart which contains no photographs, though many images may emerge from my words... ha-ha! This is my second rambling rant on the subject, but not my last, of that you can be certain. Enjoy or suffer, depending on your viewpoint.

One man's terms are another's punishment, it seems, as emotions concerning the, some are convinced shaky, future of the European Union and Britain's place within/out it (Brexit etc.) run riot. Boris Johnson, surely a caricature as a foreign secretary, continues to annoy all and sundry, while at the same time entertaining them with his wit, ridiculous hairstyle and complete lack of scruples. And people everywhere are left wondering what The Donald can achieve as President of the USA (aka the world's most powerful man) if he continues to react to everything like an affronted, annoyed, spoiled 8 year old.

Europe has been, or has considered itself to be, at the centre of our world's events for a very long time. In ancient times this was, of course, understandable, as our knowledge of the rest of the world was limited and many a tiny nation naively considered themselves to be hugely important. In today's world, where we have a clearer image of others geographically, culturally, even racially, can this image of importance sustain itself? Is Old Lady Europe anything other than a has been, living on past glories?

Well, no, it isn't. Europe was, perhaps, never quite the world force it saw itself as, even when powers such as Britain, France or Spain ruled over large portions of the globe, as there was little 'European' consciousness - everyone thought of themselves as part of their nation states/empires. Their influence on life across the globe was relatively short-lived and transient by great empire standards, was largely economic in nature, and revolving around the pursuit of great riches to be discovered and appropriated.

Not content with plundering anything possible around the globe or perhaps as a result of this, Europeans developed an inward-looking mentality of superiority, largely expressed through ideas of racial (white) dominance. There was a sense of cultural supremacy, largely self-promoted and encouraged, yet often based on ignorance and partly promoted by the church. Was it deserved? Force of arms seemed to suggest it were so. Still, from the end of the 18th century Europe played a major role in scientific discoveries, technological progress etc., matched only by the USA in the 20th century and beyond. Yet largely there was little feeling of being European, being one group of people from which all sprang, as witnessed by the countless local and the two great wars eventually known as World Wars I and II.

The 'European Ideal' is a result of the immense, largely needless, bloodshed that occurred from WWI up to and including WWII and its aftermath, though since further developed by the politicians involved; any weaknesses lie not with the idea of a United Europe (not a Unites States of Europe) but with the way this has been executed and run. The fact that there has not been a major war on European soil for a very long time is the most easy to spot result of Europeanism, and one for which we should all be grateful. If we think about it carefully there is much to unite us, a disparate but connected bunch of people.

Our Europe (make no mistake, it is OUR Europe) is a funny, small, densely populated part of the world supporting manufacturing industry, agriculture and services to a very high, if varying, degree, depending on where you choose to look. It boasts fine architecture going back hundreds if not thousands of years, ancient universities, magnificent natural scenery, intertwined civilisations. It is the birthplace of Democracy and where it has developed the most, from its inception in the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece to the complex forms found today, giving all a voice. In many ways a protector of free thought and speech despite a less than democratic history, this Europe is not one thing but many joined together, co-existing, feeding off each other. Civilisation is making better progress in Europe, promoting fairness and humanity, than most anywhere else in the world today.

Travelling to other parts of the world I am always struck by how different and unusual Europe is by comparison: small, individual, independent (and bloody)-minded, full of local prejudice and contradictions. Perhaps bizarrely, my belief is that this makes us richer not poorer, stronger not weaker; unity is to our benefit as a whole, a sum total, inclusive despite our differences. Wherever I am in the world I always feel that, ultimately, culturally I am a European.

I have long believed that the politicians have pushed the European vision further and faster than their remit, further than people were ready, willing or able to accept; this was, to my mind, partly for personal gain (not necessarily monetary, think of history...) and partly because the world changed with the collapse of the Soviet Union, presenting them with new challenges and/or opportunities. This has resulted in a hastily enlarged, unbalanced entity which the attempt at monetary union has further undermined through ignorance and certainty of purpose. This, together with the refugee crisis, has brought the European system's weaknesses  to the fore, to the point that all it took was one world economic blip (Lehman Brothers etc.) to unsettle the whole edifice, bringing bits crashing to the ground (Greece and the Southern countries in general - this will be the subject of a different post).

We are now faced with fundamental questions about the future. Should the EU in its present form be scrapped? Is the Euro a liability? Is the whole European concept out of control and out of place in this modern world? And if it is to change to survive, who will initiate the change and fight for it to be put into effect?

My view is that there is a lot of work to be done to get the 'European Ideal' back on track, and for that we need politicians with determination and a distinct lack of personal hunger, for money or short-term glory. The administration should be better balanced and able to live more modestly and  productively, for the good of the people it purports to represent. It can - and should be - done, for otherwise the future will be far less rosy. We are, after all, talking about economic compromises, financial give and take, the material world; it seems we have forgotten what happens to our material world during wars, the pain, the suffering.

Would you like to leave your children the legacy of a disunited Europe and more World Wars, with millions dying needlessly for grandiose ideas of unworthy leaders? All wars, however noble - and that depends on your point of view, surely - their cause, bring about huge suffering and in my view should, if at all possible, be avoided.

I would like to write further on this, and perhaps try to be more specific about how the EU can best achieve its goals and continue to play a part in this world of ours. This is becoming more important by the minute especially as the US appears to be, courtesy of its President, ready to move away from the unity fostered in the past and willing to abdicate its 'leader of the free world' position.

Osteria Al Carro Armato, Verona

As I've said before, Verona is full of places to eat and drink, for all tastes and wallets. There are superb places at all cost levels, simple pizzerias, gastronomic temples, tourist traps, everything really that your little hungry heart desires. The food is generally decent, the wine selection good and most places won't break the bank; this is essential for me, because, as regular readers of my nonsense know, my bank is already on its knees, if not already broken!

So these days I shun the expensive places, no matter how good they are, and am, alas, unable to pose in the more pretentious ones. My tastes, therefore, are concentrated on the simple but good, the individual, independent, inexpensive, interesting and human. And the place you are imminently to read about combines these qualities admirably, but is so much more.

In your wanderings around Verona's 'Centro Storico' (old town) you will doubtless want to see important things like Juliette's balcony and other interesting (ha-ha) sights. Around the corner from that, the beautiful Piazza delle Erbe is a busy place with smart caffes (italian spelling...), wine bars, a rather tacky market and loads of tourists, but two blocks up the tourist flow dwindles and the little lanes are relatively quiet. In one of these, and if you know where it is, can be found a little osteria well worth discovering, dispensing hospitality to all and sundry.

The Osteria Al Carro Armato, to give it its full name, is just a gorgeous place to have a nice glass (bottle? bottles???) of wine and/or a bite to eat. You don't go there for the designer surroundings or trendy environment - it has changed hardly at all in the 20+ years that I have known it - nor to people-watch (although there are regularly notable local personages to be seen if you are that way inclined) for it is not that kind of place; rather, you go for the warm welcome, the civilised, congenial atmosphere, to eat, drink and relax.

There are many places to go to in Verona, as befits a tourist town, and many surpass the C.A. in luxury/variety/views/trendiness; not one surpasses it for respect and affection to the customer. If I were fortunate enough to live in Verona I would be in there as often as possible, a regular, for it is that kind of rare, loving place. It belongs to no chain, conforms to no stereotype, is nothing but itself - a temple (very simple, plain almost) to hospitality.

Don't go there for elaborate cooking or outrageously rare (and expensive!) bottles of wine, as Verona has other places for that. Go there for the genuine hospitality that the wonderful proprietor Anna-Lisa (she is the small lady in the glasses and the warm, shy smile) and her staff show to everyone who crosses the threshold, whether the place is busy or relaxed.

The menu is relatively simple and the food mainly regional in style. Everything is freshly prepared and presented in the same style as the C.A. itself, without pretension and fuss. The surroundings are minimalist and not for those seeking comfortable armchairs and starched tablecloths - this is an osteria and for those you go to a ristorante and pay accordingly! To explain this, I had a plate of mushrooms and polenta with Asiago cheese, warm, local, tasty and satisfying; there are also cold plates small and large, pasta and meat dishes, as well as selections of cheese and charcuterie. Do not expect 101 choices, though, keep it simple and be assured that whatever you choose will have been checked out thoroughly and approved by the proprietor herself.

The wine list is also relatively simple and is not hugely long, but contains many interesting bottles worth trying, local or otherwise; it is compiled with knowledge, affection for the product and a desire to offer the customer choice and value for money. We had some nice - and interestingly different - bottles, as you will see from the photographs, the first of which (Durello by Sandro de Bruno) is apparently now a curiosity; the grower has either stopped or is about to stop making it, an individual aged white with too much personality for today's more stereotyped consumer and, therefore, difficult to sell. Its golden colour hints at the age, the nose and full taste confirm its age, quality and attitude - I found it delicious.
The reds were both local, made by a producer called Fondo Prognoi (of Tinazzi Laura), with a heavy emphasis on responsible agriculture, respect for the environment and so merit the certification of 'Biodiversity Friend'. One of the wines, Quedius, is a simple Valpolicella DOC in the lighter, more authentic style that I love and that is, of course, less fashionable today when the emphasis is on heft and rampant fruit. Instead, good plain  Valpol is fresh red fruit in a glass, winningly subtle and complex, at first glance simple but not really, look again. Not a great wine, no, but at its best a very enjoyable, characterful glass indeed. The second red wine, Lichene (Lichen!), a mixture of merlot and croatina (a red grape variety I had not come across before), was indeed heftier (thankfully not in alcohol terms) but to my mind less interesting than the Valpolicella, though perfectly competent and tasty; perhaps it needs a bit of time to settle in the bottle?

Did I have a tiny bit of Grappa at the end of the evening? Well, I believe I did, as both the setting and the company seemed to require it. The tiramisu I had with it was just to keep a bit of a balance of tastes and flavours, and to be able to report on its quality, which was pretty good... I know, I know, any excuse to enjoy myself, but believe me I need to in these sad, straightened, times.

Will I go back to the Caro Armato? So long as Anna-Lisa is there, with her kind smile and her warm welcome I will keep going back whenever possible. As Michael, Patricia and Stanley are regulars there I will always try to go with them, for their presence makes it even more special.

If you are going to Verona, I would urge you to visit them, otherwise look them up on the web to get a better feel for the place. And write in and tell me of your experience, maybe?

Go on, you know you want to...

Verona, Northern Italy

This impoverished little traveller had to travel to one of his favourite places the other day, after a long time, to support a friend (Jen, widow of my late friend Nick - see earlier post, but then you know them by heart by now, do you not) and to see other friends who live there and at whose wedding celebrations many years ago Nick, Jen and I met and bonded in lifelong friendship. The place is Verona in the Veneto region of northern Italy, a lovely city with a gorgeous historical centre, beautiful buildings and pleasant pizzerias, restaurants and wine bars; anyone who's read my scribblings would realise it's the perfect place for someone like me!

The friends there, Michael, Patricia and their dog Stanley, used to put me up on their sofa bed when I used to visit Verona in the past, and a most pleasant time was had by all. Alas Jen was occupying the sofa bed at MPS Mansions this time, so I was shunted off to a lovely - and thankfully inexpensive - guest house about 15 minutes walk away where, being the only resident at the time, I had lots of peace and quiet and a very civilised, relaxed base. I spent four nights there, catching up with both the friends and Verona, and enjoyed myself immensely. It would be fair to say that the excellent wine consumed during the stay, either at MPS (you work it out...!) Mansions or at restaurants, helped in that respect.

Verona city centre is an astoundingly beautiful old town full of glorious buildings, narrow cobbled lanes and, of course, visitors; it is fully equipped to handle tourists in their droves, which is just as well, but it is not all tourist tat and rip-off places. In fact, unless you are looking for sophisticated Michelin guide grub, most restaurants are surprisingly reasonable in both quality and price of both food and wine. Should you be lucky enough to visit you are advised to either stay in a decent hotel in the centre (if your budget can stand it) and be right in the heart of things, or do as I did and stay in a good B&B a short bus ride or a slightly longer walk from the centre. This is a place where walking is they key to unlocking the beauty nestling at every street corner, and finding all the little cafes and bars hidden away where you least expect them.

The beauty here is abundant but not over-ostentatious, often more to do with symmetry and proportion, and is everywhere in the old town with few exceptions. Stepping away from the centre is another matter, however, with plenty of dull, indifferent - and sometimes downright ugly - post-war apartment buildings dominating. There was even an outrageously horrid concrete bunker-type building that I initially felt must be a military installation but which turned out to be a school, and I photographed it for your delectation. It sits there, drab and menacing, next to a beautifully decorated old villa which is elegant as can be... go figure!

The countryside near Verona is also worth a mention, with many interesting places worth seeing such as wine estates, lovely lakes, castles; it is an area to explore and savour, taking your time. As a car in Verona old town is about as useful as a pedalo I would recommend hiring one for a day or two to wander and sightsee, or, if you have arrived in your own car, securing a safe parking spot and limiting car use for your out of town escapades. Unfortunately during this visit we were short of time and unable to venture further out, even to re-visit the Serego Alighieri estate where Michael used to work a long time ago. This is a working estate producing things like olive oil, wine, rice etc., all of good or excellent quality, and belongs to the descendants of Dante; they also run a small luxury B&B called Foresteria, which will give any guest a feel for life in the Valpolicella countryside.

Walking everywhere is to me the defining activity in Verona, and it gives me the greatest pleasure whether strolling or going quickly from a to b. It will allow you too to soak in the atmosphere of the old town, to see hidden buildings with lovely interior courtyards, to discover enticing cafes and wine bars, to feel part of this magical city and be carried away in its feel of longevity, of living history. Wherever you turn you are reminded of the past, yet this is not some mausoleum but a vibrant, living city with lots of modern amenities.

Verona may be beautiful but it is not perfect - it is both sophisticated and provincial, relaxed and strangely uptight. The river Adige surrounds the old town and protects it from the mediocrity of the suburbs, giving it character but also plentiful humidity, which in the height of summer can be unpleasant. And the hordes of marauding tourists - yes, they include me and you... - can at times be unpleasant, even overwhelming. The Veronese too can sometimes be a bit snooty and annoying (especially if they are fed up of bumping into tourists everywhere), though thankfully this is either relatively rare or I have been extremely fortunate. But do avoid coming here when there is a fair (like VinItaly) on, as the city becomes overstretched and overcrowded to the nth degree.

All in all though, this is a place worth visiting time and again, to relax and sink gently into an illusion of the past mixed with modern comfort, to eat and drink and stroll and saunter and feel at home, at least temporarily, in this beautiful, beautiful place. It is a short train ride away from Venice, and a slightly longer one from Milan, so there's no excuse, none.

Greek Wine Tasting - more detail

I tasted quite a few wines, though obviously not everything on show as time and stamina imposed certain limitations. I omitted wines that I knew well, irrespective of quality, and wines that did not inspire me with their presentation, or whose basic proposition I felt held no interest for international buyers. And then I omitted some more as I ran out of steam...

Santorini white wines are now stars on the international stage, as mentioned in my last piece, so I was keen to try as many as possible. The growers showing 2016 were proven correct, despite its youth and recent bottling, as it is shaping up to be a stunning vintage with near perfect balance. 2015 by comparison is a bit clumsier, but still very fine indeed. By and large Santorini whites are far better unoaked, letting the terroir and raw material do the talking; oak seems to diminish the local taste while at the same time making them bigger, chunkier. I tasted the following:

a. Sigalas 2015 Santorini - Understated white peach nose, same and floral on palate, long but somehow hollow.
b. Thalassitis 2016 Santorini - Slightly burnt rubber, white fruit and alcohol on nose, bit closed on palate, finishes sharp and green, needs to settle.
c. Hatzidakis 2016 Santorini - Very understated and elegant nose, slightly bitter palate, bone dry and long.
d. Argyros 2016 Assyrtiko - Despite youth exuberant nose and palate, long and clean, good.
e. Argyros 2015 Assyrtiko - Exuberant floral nose, spicy and complex, creamy white fruit on palate, very long, superb stuff to drink now or keep, drink with or without food.
f. Gavalas 2015 Santorini - Pear and alcohol nose (almost like Poire Williams...), pear on palate, dry with a hint of sweetness, long but something missing...?
g. Hatzidakis Cuvee 15 Santorini 2015 - Very subtle mirabelle nose and palate, multi-layered, complex, dry and very very long, excellent now but I feel will improve with a bit of age.

h. Hatzidakis Louros 2013 barrel-fermented Assyrtiko - Lots of oak and white fruit on nose, round woody palate with fruit, long and complex, good.
i. Hatzidakis Nykteri 2014 - First impression=overoaked, wrong. In fact oaked but balanced, needs time and food, oak dominates currently, long, keep, observe changes and drink in a year or more?

Incidentally, a lot of fuss is made over some reds from the Cyclades, including Santorini, using the Mavrotragano (black & crisp) variety. I tasted none this time, as to my mind they fall into the 'interesting' category of things that you enjoy trying but would not regularly select for pleasure, and they are quite expensive, though their cost is fully justified by the difficult conditions and low yields of these vineyards. I did not taste any this year but hereby promise to do a Mavrotragano report in the not too distant future, and all will be revealed, so be patient.

Savatiano, as previously mentioned - you were paying attention, were you not? - is my tip for future stardom in Greek white wine, and I tasted (all from the Attica region, near Athens):
a. Perihelion-Domaine Evinos 2016 - Understated herby nose, green mirabelle on palate, long, a decent glug.
They also showed an Assyrtiko 2015 - Typical Assyrtiko nose, good dry palate, long-ish and clean.
b. Aoton Winery 2015 - Aromatic, slightly toasted nuts/burnt rubber on nose and palate, exuberant and long, from a new, potentially exciting producer.
Aoton's Roditis 2015 (another grape variety, more flowery) - Low-key perfumed nose, unripe white peach on palate, long and clean.
c. Papagiannakos Savatiano 2016 - Understated typical nose, dry white peaches on palate, long and typical, young. Papagiannakos have an excellent biodynamic winery not far from Athens airport and a good selection of wines, including a Retsina; a place well worth visiting for any wine enthusiast spending time at or near Athens.

Part of the problem is that everyone is trying to find interesting, different grape varieties for their new

wine, trying to appeal to the local individuality factor. This is positive in that it rescues grape varieties from extinction and makes for some very characterful wines indeed; the whole Portuguese tasting a couple of weeks ago was based on how different the wines are. Unfortunately on occasion the result may be individual and unusual but not wonderfully appealing to drink, so the whole thing can be counterproductive, especially as tastes have changed since the distant past and wines that our ancestors would have loved may now be considered practically undrinkable! So beware, winemaker: me too is commercial but boring, too peculiar and your product may be extremely difficult to sell. Your skill lies in finding the balance that's right for your product/area/grape variety/market, and with that comes success. Remember that ultimately if your wine does not sell you will eventually go out of business, even if you make 'authentic ancient wine' just like Pericles (or whoever...) used to sup.

There are two main traditional red wine areas in Greece are far apart from each other and use different local grape varieties: Nemea is situated quite a way south in the Northern Peloponnese near the ancient town of that name, using the variety Agiorgitiko (St. George's), whereas Naoussa is in northern Greece, in the central part of the Macedonia area, province of Imathia, and uses the Xinomavro (Sour and Black) grape. Nemea at its best is robust, long-lived with complex stewed red fruit, juicy and long on the palate, and responds well to subtle oaking; cheap Nemea is all crude jammy fruit, easy to drink, which is why a lot of it ends up as house wine (jug wine, really) in many restaurants. Naoussa on the other hand can make ethereal, complex, subtly acidic and tannic wines, lighter in colour but full of taste and ideal with roast meats. There is little, if any, cheap Naoussa on the market.

As Xinomavro is a personal favourite - in a strange way it often reminds me of Pinot Noir - I tasted several wines (but many more remained untasted, sorry!), including some from the Boutari company, once the leading light in the area, then over-commercialised, trying to change and making a comeback, as well as some independent growers: 1. Boutari Naoussa 2014 is the basic red wine of the lineout, with a lively colour, a round untypical nose, well-made if untypical and in a modern style not to my personal taste. 2. Grande Reserve 2010 is rather fuller and also  untypical these days, dark colour (for Naoussa), with a big, rich Xynomavro nose, lots of fruit on the palate, young and vibrant, a far cry from the over-sold beast it had become in the distant past, when this supposed family reserve cuvee was produced in quantities of over 400,000 bottles. At under £10 pounds retail this is a relative bargain. 3. Boutari Legacy 1879 of the 2007 vintage is a beast of a Xynomavro, with a deep, almost black colour, oaky creamy damson fruit nose, BIG red fruit on palate, luscious/juicy/untypical, still tannic and long - I would like to taste this again in say 5 and 10 years time to see how it develops, as at present I find it overproduced and overpowering. 4. Diamantakos 2012 Naoussa was light in colour with a strawberry nose, delicate, light, long on palate. 5. Diamantakos 2013 Naoussa had better colour, typical subtle nose and was more complex but still delicate. 6. Domaine Karydas 2013 had a bricky red colour, raspberry nose, delicately complex on the palate. 7. Domaine Foundi Naoussa 2011 had very light, bricky Xynomavro colour, restrained strawberry nose and palate. 8. Estate Foundi 2008 was bricky red, slightly cloudy, slightly oxidised sweet nose, livelier palate desperate for food to show its true worth. 9. Thymiopoulos Naoussa 2014 had a light, typical colour, gorgeous clean strawberry nose and palate, no obvious tannin, very drinkable. 10. Earth & Sky by Thymiopoulos is the undisputed star of the area, and the 2015 had a light, typical colour, complex strawberry nose, amazing multi-layered palate of strawberries, roses, prunes... Impressive but very gluggable stuff!

Avgoustiatis is another Greek variety from the Western Peloponnese which has started to appear more and more, making big, richly coloured red wines with good fruit. I have only ever tasted them young, so have no view on how they age, but they certainly provide good juicy current drinking stuff. Mercouri, near Olympia, make a good example, but others (either local to Olympia like Ktima Brintziki or far away - in Samos, Domaine Vakakis) are making Avgoustiatis wines, so we should expect to see better quality and a variety of styles soon. 

Mercouri are an enterprising estate whose wines I first tasted over 20 years ago, and they seem incapable of making duff wine. Not only do they have an excellent standard lineup of whites and reds, but they also release experimental wines that are always worth tasting. Their red Domaine Mercouri 2014 (unusually from 85% Refosco, 15% Mavrodaphne) is more ordinary since they launched a top cuvee (Domaine Mercouri Cava) but still good with deep colour, sweet red fruit on nose, tannic and with somewhat less fruit on palate. The star, undoubtedly, is Domaine Mercouri Cava 2012 - dark, almost black colour with a slight lighter edge, sweet red berry fruit and stewed prune on the nose, same on the palate, long, balanced and satisfying, very good indeed.

Chateau Porto Carras is no longer the star it was when the late John Carras established his magnificent estate in the north of Greece and hired Emile Peynaud as a consultant. There are now many plantings of foreign varieties all over Greece, more adventurous wine-making and a clearer vision with other producers. Since the estate was taken over by the banks and auctioned off to a large construction company they have become producers of wines that are competently made but rather ordinary, perhaps lacking passion. The 2006 Ch. Porto Carras on show had a ripe red fruit and oak nose, a clunky one-dimensional palate and finished bitter; I had hoped and expected for better.

The Economic wines from Crete are firmly in the 'interesting' category, with all the wines representing a bit of a challenge to thoughts and palate, but the whites especially: his Assyrtiko 2012 had a big, old-fashioned nose and spicy fruit on palate, untypical; his Sitia 2013 was golden-yellow, spicy on the palate but kind of weird. There was also an ethereal 2014 rose, but...

The sweet wines I tasted were:

a. Economou Sitia doux, a bit cloudy, complex burnt sugar on nose, less sweet but layered and complex on the palate, long.

b. Domaine Vakakis Samos Epogdon 2015 had a light golden colour, very sweet muscat nose, luscious, sweet rosewater/honey palate, long if not overly complex.

c. Argyros Vinsanto, of which I tasted several vintages, preferring (obviously...!) the older wines, though the 2014, with its subtle nose and complex dry palate of white peaches, was unusual and tickled my fancy. Vinsanto wines are jewels to be cherishes and sipped, not glugged.

Here I must stop, despite there being more notes to write up, perhaps another time and/or combined with something else.

Finally I would like to dedicate this post to my friend Lefteris Kouris, who passed away a few days ago rather unexpectedly. Well-known in the Greek wine world, his smiling face, sense of humour and underlying kindness will be missed by all who knew him - may he rest in peace.

2017 Greek Wine Tasting, London

Still fresh from the Grand Portuguese tasting I had the Greek equivalent to deal with earlier this week, which took place at Vintners Hall. The event was reasonably well supported by importers and
producers and appeared to be busy, though it was difficult to know how many of the visitors were buyers, and the wines on show were a good, representative mixture of what is happening on the Greek wine scene at the moment. The organisation was fine and the event ran smoothly, if you exclude the nibbles section; this was meant to be a bit of Greek cheese with bread and/or biscuits, but these ran out very early on, so staff were reduced to rushing around to the local supermarket for edam, crackers and basic baguette. The current impecunious condition of the Greek State explains some of this, the lack of planning ahead typical of modern Greece the rest. Still, overall I feel that the tasting was a success, which may or may not be reflected in the UK marketplace with a sale surge, thanks to the efforts of the small group of specialist importers promoting Greek wine. And against all the efforts of the Greek government, who are making wine exporters life more difficult instead of easier, by introducing petty short-sighted regulations rather than blessing and supporting any decent export activity.

I cannot understand the thinking behind Greek politicians and bureaucrats, small-minded, short-termist and petty, and against the very people (exporters) who can help the cash-strapped country earn some valuable foreign currency. But no, why bother with creative economic activity when we can reduce pensions further and tax property owners until the pips squeak, despite the fact that these tactics have not worked and are
destructive, driving what's left of the productive economy into the ground. This is sad and unnecessary, stupid even, but producers at the tasting put on a brave face and did their best for their products, and their country.

Greek wine has never had a huge market in the UK, despite their being quite a few greek restaurants all over the place. In the past this was certainly, at least partly, down to the mediocre quality of the mainstream wines available, but in the last 30 years there has been a huge change in the picture, with the old, once dominant, large companies playing second fiddle to adventurous independent estates with young winemakers bursting with new ideas. The leap in quality, mirrored in other traditional wine-making countries (Portugal, for example...), has been impressive, with Greek varieties being rediscovered or reworked in more modern or better ways, and international varieties also growing and glowing. The wines are good enough in quality terms to compete now, their standards of presentation also; some are even stars by international standards. Why are they not taking the market by storm?

There are several current reasons for this, such as:
1. Past impressions/past reputation.
2. Retsina (real or imagined experience of poor examples thereof).
3. Little proper support from the Greek state, ever - compare to Spain (for example) and others.
4. Relatively high prices.
5. Most tourists tend to drink 'house' wines, which are poor or indifferent, but cheap.
6. Lack of focus/understanding of the international market by producers.

Still, with things much better in quality terms, I chose a selection of wines to taste, some familiar, others new to me. Overall I was impressed by the standards on show, but let me be a bit more specific about the main points.

The now established stars in international terms are the white wines of Santorini, the small volcanic island at the southern end of the Cyclades, with the stunning scenery and sunset. Produced in the most inhospitable landscape and threatened by property development, they are now acknowledged to be individual and generally of exceptional quality, with a unique taste. Having tasted most of the wines on show I found them all to be impressive, but my personal choice on the day would be the Argyros range, which to me showed more freshness, and were perfectly balanced. Not one of the wines I tasted was disappointing or poor, but they are now with prices to match - no more bargains from Santorini, I'm afraid! Most everyone said that the 2016 vintage is near perfect for the Santorini white wines, so it will soon be time to try and buy...

The other star from Santorini is, of course, its sweet wine (Vinsanto); at its best it is a match for any sweet wine from anywhere in the world. Whilst I liked the examples on show I was not entirely bowled over, or not as impressed as I had expected to be - was I expecting too much?

One of the wines that in my opinion is deservedly on its way to the top is the humble Savatiano, which is traditionally grown in Attica, near Athens, long pooh-poohed and used in the past mainly to make Retsina. The variety, properly utilised, produces a subtle wine that can be complex and beguiling, with a slightly aromatic nose. In the past it was thought to lack character but that is wrong, though badly made examples are boring, and was mixed with more flowery varieties to mutual detriment. These days are nearly at an end, so be prepared for some impressive single variety Savatiano wines to be the new stars from Greece. Unfortunately there is a downside, as this most reasonably priced of wines is becoming more expensive by the minute.

In theory Greece, with its mainly hot climate, should be great for big red wines, and there is a bit of a tendency to make these. What a lot of people ignore, though, is that bits of northern Greece get very cold winters and fairly mild summers, producing more complex, delicate reds like in the Naoussa region with its Xynomavro (sour black) grape variety, somewhat reminiscent of Burgundy Pinot Noir styles. Winemakers in other areas with individual microclimates are also making more complex, less aggressively big red wines, to the benefit of those of us who favour subtlety over obviousness.

So in conclusion, Greek wine put on a good show in these difficult times as far as this tasting is concerned. As far as the marketplace goes, there is a lot more work to be done, at least in the U.K., though things are moving in the right direction. If only this effort by the long-suffering importers, the producers, even the potential buyers was somewhat supported by Greece itself.

I have lots of individual opinions and detailed notes which will follow in the next week or so as a separate piece to make life easier for my myriads of readers.

Lunch, Dinner, Lunch

Thirty years is an awfully long time to have known somebody, yet I have known my friend James for that long; we met through the wine trade and became friends along the way. We've kept in touch over the years, done a little bit of business and had the occasional super lunch (with plenty of lubrication, thank you!). It's always a pleasure to see him, whatever the circumstances, and we seem to manage to get together every few months for a catch-up.

This is precisely what we did when I visited him at his home/office in south London for a chat, a spot of lunch and a glass or two of wine to lubricate the throat and aid the digestion. The lunch was tasty and simple - bit of salad and prawns as a starter, a nicely grilled piece of meat, veg and potatoes as a main course - but the wine was not. We kicked off with a superb Sancerre 2015 (Terre de Maimbray, Pascal et Nicolas Reverdy), subtle, rich and complex Sauvignon Blanc at its best, a far cry from the screaming obviousness of New Zealand examples, so enjoyable! This we made short work of, so James was forced to bring out reinforcements in the shape of a lovely Roero Arneis 2015 just to get us through the prawny bits, and very nice it was too, as difficult as it was to follow that Sancerre. Then we had some claret from a difficult vintage (Grand Puy Lacoste 2007), and I was amazed and impressed - it was a textbook example of fine red Bordeaux wine, modern with everything in the right place and balanced, juicy and luscious, not over the top, a very classy wine.

This, together with our catching up, was the high point of this simple, excellent lunch, and of an afternoon memorable for its subtle quality and real amity. Unfortunately I had to rush off to a meeting late in the afternoon miles away in Kilburn and so bring this extremely pleasant visit to a premature end. Ah, to leave such a relaxed, convivial meeting in order for me to scurry across London, on and off trains like a madman, terribly sad but pre-arranged and necessary - no sudden illness for me there!  And, in case you're wondering, I did get some funny looks when I arrived for my meeting, red-faced and smelling like a winery, though nothing much was said at the time; raised eyebrows said it all.

Every two or three months I meet up with a couple of friends (A and D, to preserve their anonymity) for dinner at selected restaurants. The restaurants are selected only if they allow BYO (bring your own wine), are reasonably priced and serve interesting food; so far we have eaten in various mainly small, independent places, and on a Friday evening late in March we did just that. Both A and D have decent wine cellars, so bring interesting bottles, while impecunious little I bring whatever I can scrounge or the odd half-bottle of sweet wine, something inexpensive but good, if possible.

This time we arranged to meet at a Persian restaurant in Olympia called Mohsen, a few blocks north of Earls Court tube station, a simple place with tasty food but no pretensions or at least none that were apparent to me. There is a tandoor oven by the entrance and their bread, like most similar establishments, are freshly made and delicious. The Persian restaurants that I have tried also have another strength, and that is their ability to have their grilled meat remain succulent and juicy, though this is slightly negated in my eyes by their insistence on serving lots of rice with everything. Their rice is fragrant and nicely cooked, but a bit boring; let's face it, its real use is when you have dishes

with nice rich sauces, as in Indian cuisine, and rice is their to collect and solidify... What can I say, I'm a potato man, especially with grilled meat, and lots of vegetables thrown in for good measure...
The food on the night was pleasant and tasty, if unremarkable, the bread yummy! My friends having raided their cellars came up with several red wines, one of which was a rare Moldovan red of considerable age, alas not in good shape; we ended up with a perfectly decent, balanced Chateau Haut-Marbuzet 1995 from St. Estephe, Bordeaux, past its best but drinking nicely though fading, and a voluptuous, spicy Saint Joseph Offerus 2008 from Chave, perhaps more suited to the style of food than the claret. We ordered a tiny bit of dessert to cleanse the palate, with the little syrupy pastries being pleasant but the ice cream indifferent, and had my wine (1/2 bottle of Waitrose finest Sauternes 2010) which was delightful, fine Sauternes from a good vintage at a very reasonable price! And fine Sauternes is great stuff, luscious and complex, full of ripe white fruit, honeyed and complex, long and compelling, a lovely mouthful always worth tasting. Needless to say that we wandered off down to the tube station in fine spirits, replete with good wine, decent food, good conversation and looking forward to the next time.

The last interesting meal I had was a few days ago, when I met my friend Lance for a quiet lunch - and a long overdue catch-up - at a restaurant he supplies in Soho called Vinoteca, part of a small chain with simple, tasty food and interesting wines. We both had sherry as an aperitif, and mine was a delicious Amontillado, nutty brown in colour, nose and palate (toasted hazelnut?), bone dry with a whiff of richness, complex and long. We then shared a young Chorey-les-Beaune red Burgundy from the 2015 vintage, which was all you would expect: vibrant red fruit, soft and juicy, clean and relatively simple to drink, but satisfying. Burgundy is my favourite wine producing region and at its best produces incomparably majestic red and white wines, complex masterpieces to be savoured when you come across them. It is not an easy area to buy wine from, and fine examples often come with eye-watering price tags, but good advice (trust your wine merchant!) will eventually pay dividends, as will buying relatively early. Of course I cannot afford to buy any fine Burgundy at present, nor any other fine wine, but hopefully this may change in the near future - until then I will continue to rely on my friends and their kindness and generosity.

 All good things come to an end, and both Lance and I had to hurry off to do other things after an invigorating cup of coffee; Lance to a meeting, hopefully to sell more wine, I to write up my adventures, in wine and otherwise, for my discerning if currently limited public!

More Grand Portuguese Tasting

If you've read the first bit, you'll know that I was doing a bit of name-dropping at the same time as talking about the wines concerned - if you haven't, what were you thinking of, dear me, go back and ingest. Those who know me well will realise that the name dropping was only necessary because the people mentioned are important to wine in one way or another and not because of my ego. So there's more of it to come... read on!

Walking around and looking at some of the wines on show, I was transported back to the days when we first started working with Portuguese wines and were the new kids on the block, with unusual offerings, naivety and enthusiasm. Some of the properties we used to represent or had discussed representing were at this Grand Tasting, including one of the estates we had had a bit of success with, now in the hands of new owners after falling from grace and into the clutches of the banks. Before you ask, of course it's tempting to go back into this world, with its good people and wonderful products; were I not impecunious I would seriously consider it, for the sheer pleasure of the wine business. But I am without serious funds and it is not an easy market to be profitable in, so for now it must remain a favourite subject for discussion, appreciation, criticism but, above all, enjoyment.

One thing I was able to do at the tasting, at least partly, was to rectify the injustice that I inflicted on Domingos Alves de Sousa when tasting his wine as mentioned in my February 11, 2017 post (I have yet to write properly about them, despite promising to do so... apologies, will rectify soon); the wines were being shown here by his daughter and I was able to finally taste their ports and re-taste a couple of their big reds - and to tell her how much I'd appreciated meeting her father earlier in the year.

Richard Mayson wrote probably the definitive book on Portuguese Wine in the 1990s (Portugal's Wines and Winemakers), a carefully researched labour of love, helped partly by his good command of the portuguese language and partly by his sheer enthusiasm for his subject. I have known Richard since he used to work at the Wine Society as a buyer many moons ago when I was trying to interest them in buying my wines, alas unsuccessfully. Richard has now, despite finding the time to write several other books and articles on wine, expanded his activities to owning a Quinta in the Alto Alentejo area and, together with winemaker Rui Reguinga, producing and marketing wine and he was here, charming as ever and proudly showing his babies to the world. Their new white wine Pedra Basta white was full and round on nose and palate, the Duas Pedras 2013 red was all soft roses on nose and palate, gluggable, the Pedra Basta 2013 more serious, deep purple colour, ripe red fruit on nose, creamy, juicy red berry fruit on palate, bit of tannin. More serious still are the Pedra Basta Parcela Granito 2014 (95% Syrah, 5% Viognier), purple, young, raspberry & cream on nose, woody fruit on palate (overoaked or just needs time?) and the Pedra e Alma 2011 with its deep colour, damson nose, slightly hot, spicy, tannic palate and a long

but hard finish, needing perhaps a bit more time.

Vinho Verde is one of Portugal's great glories at the top end of the scale, complex and alluring, at times flowery and approachable, at times steely and austere, always bone dry. Proper Vinho Verde has never been particularly easy to sell because of the easy drinking cheap stuff marketed under the same appellation by the big companies, sweet and spritzy, and very cheap; this is a great pity, as the real stuff is delightful, serious and hugely enjoyable. I tasted a few but was not massively impressed by much, other than the prices asked, which in some cases suggested a retail price level of over £20 on the shelf in the UK, at which level there is an immense amount of choice. Perhaps their market in Portugal will accept these prices, but elsewhere they surely cannot compete. Am I missing something here, I wonder.

Julio Bastos is the owner of a spectacularly beautiful Quinta in the Alentejo, and he makes some excellent wines there. We worked together briefly when he used the trademark 'Quinta do Carmo' for his wines, long since sold (to the Lafitte Rothschilds, I believe), but in the year 2000 he started Dona Maria wines and he was showing these, varying from straightforward everyday white/rose/red to serious big reds that the estate is most famous for. The everyday Dona Maria White 2015/Rose 2016/Red 2014 were all well-made, easy-drinking in style, surely commercially successful, at least in Portugal. A step up were the Dona Maria Amantis Reserva 2014 white, a powerful yet delicate white from Viognier, and 2012 red with a good, deep colour, sweet red berry nose, balanced palate with a long-ish finish. The Dona Maria 2013 varietals (Touriga Nacional & Petit Verdot) were awkward, with the TN a bit  bland and the PV chunky and woody on the palate, after a delicate creamy nose promised more. The Dona Maria Grande Reserva 2011 was a biggy, deep and purple with hardly any edges, a creamy plum nose and palate, long but a bit hard, perhaps lacking the sheer balance and elegance of the Quinta do Carmo 1985 as I remember it. Or perhaps it is still in its infancy?

Quinta do Casal Monteiro is another property we used to represent, when it was under the ownership of the Margaride's family and at the forefront of Ribatejo (now Tejo) winemaking. The estate was at the time beautifully laid out and organised, with no point more than 10 minutes drive from the winery, important to protect the quality of the fruit in such a hot area. Sometime after we ceased our activity - and so lost touch - the family hit hard times; the current owners bought the estate from the bank and are busy reinvigorating it. I tasted two of their white wines, both 2016s, one a blend of Arinto and Fernao Pires which I found fresh, slightly medicinal, herby and longish, the other a blend of Arinto and Chardonnay which had a delicate nose, a rather chunky mouth redolent of pears and with a long aftertaste. Neither were spectacular, but both were decent, well priced and have potential. Arinto, incidentally, is a grape variety that in my opinion can make excellent wines of unique character, but needs to be handled with care.

Clark Foyster wines import an assortment of interesting wines from different places, including Portugal, and it is run by my friend Lance Foyster MW, whose love and understanding of wine is second to none. Lance seeks out good,

individual producers who love what they do, go the extra mile but also have commercial potential - wine merchant cannot live on love alone! I tasted some of his wines, well, quite a few actually, starting with a Vinho Verde 2015 Deu La Deu Alvarinho (a grape variety much in fashion, especially the Spanish version - Albarino - and considered by many, but not necessarily by me, the best for Vinho Verde), which had a delicate, distinguished Alvarinho nose, but was a bit hard on the palate, long if slightly bitter finish, a food wine from the cooperative at Moncao. Next was another Vinho Verde from Anselmo Mendes, a Muros Antigos Loureiro 2016, restrained on the nose but exuberant on the palate, big, beautiful and long. The Muros Antigos Alvarinho 2016 had the typical Alvarinho nose , harder on palate with a long finish; much better, to my mind, was the Contacto 2016 Vinho Verde Alvarinho which was softer, finer, more distinguished and complex, in every way a star. I was also quite take by a Dao white - Ribeiro Santo Automatico 2016 - with delicate fruit on nose and palate, clean and fresh, very dry but delicately complex and long. Red Douro wines from Quinta das Tecedeiras came next, Flor das Tecedeiras 2014 having a deep colour and being floral, light and clean, while the Quinta das Tecedeiras 2014 Reserva showed a very deep ruby colour, a refined raisiny nose, ripe strawberry on palate, spicy, tannic, long. Even better was the Boa Vista Douro 2013 Reserva with a deep colour, ripe red fruit and oak on the nose (it spent 12 months in new french oak barrels) and palate, and a long and elegant finish.

Part of the Clark Foyster portfolio is a Tejo property that I briefly represented in the early 1990s, Quinta da Lagoalva de Cima, famed for their big red wines. Their rose I found good, but commercial and unexciting. Their Barrel Selection red 2015, full of tannic red fruit, strawberry and rosewater was good, but the Dona Isabel Juliana 2013, made with Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional and Tanat grapes, was big & dark, with a refined restrained nose of ripe red fruit & oak, full, round & tannic on palate, long and good.

Lance has recently taken on a Madeira producer (H.M. Borges) whose wines (Boal Colheita 1995, Malmsey Colheita 1998. Tinta Negra Sweet Colheita 2005, Sercial 1990, Verdelho 15 year) were all excellent, showing amazing complexity and concentration with varying degrees of sweetness - quite stunning! If you have never tried good wines from Madeira I urge you to seek some out, as they are something special and represent excellent value, but may not survive for long in these short-termist times...

There were plenty of other wines on show, of course, and I tried :

1. Quinta da Soalheiro wines, of which the clear star was the excellent Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas 2015 Alvarinho from the Minho region - a big mouthfull, complex & long, good stuff.
2. Vinho Verde Via Latina Escolha 2016 from a union of 7 cooperatives of the V.V. region, well-made commercial stuff.
3. Covela white wines (Vinho Verde and Minho regional) of which the Reserva White 2013 (Avesso, Chardonnay, Arinto) stood out with its slightly golden yellow colour, chardonnay and oak on nose, rich on palate, long and clean.
4. Quinta do Regueiro Vinho Verde Reserva 2016 Alvarinho, subtle and typical, long if unexciting, and 2016 Trajadura & Alvarinho, softer, more approachable, flowery, long hollow finish.
5. Quinta de Curvos Vinho Verde, Superior 2016 (Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura) had a flowery nose & palate, the Loureiro 2016 had a creamy grape fruit character, dry and long, the Curvos Alvarinho 2016 had a burst of green (mirabelle?) fruit on the nose, long with a soft & complex palate. Finally the Curvos Colheita Selecionada 2016 (Avesso, Loureiro) had a very subtle perfumed nose, subtle and complex palate, finishing long.
6. Pocas Colheita 1996 Port, lovely tawny colour, raisiny sweet nose, toasty walnuts/complex/sweet palate, good.
7. Dalva Porto Colheita 1995, attack of burnt sugar on nose, powerful but a bit simple, lacking that extra dimension I expect from a good Colheita port.

At some point, unfortunately, my stamina, legendary as it is, failed me (along with the enamel on my teeth!) and I had to retreat from the tasting tables. My next big tasting is of Greek wines on the 25th of April, and I hope to report on that shortly thereafter. Be patient, my readers, all three of you...