Vinexpo:Any Reports?

Salut/Hi Vino,

le/on Tue, 15 Jul 2003 00:49:01 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

Goodness me!. Well, everyone who went there will have a completely different story to tell. Vinexpo (there are three halls, the largest of which is >1km long) is so huge that it is coinceivable that 10 people could taste all day for the whole period and yet none taste the same wine. And this without counting the "off site" events.

Fr me the high points were the Sweet wines of quality tasting in Bommes, the magnificent Sapros meal, where we matched 9 dishes throughout a meal with 9 different sweet wines, the Union des Grands Crus tasting of the 2002 primeurs, a fabulous tasting of top producers (thanks Michael P) from 4 different countries at Ch Pontet-Canet (including a fabulous range of Cognacs) and a tasting of various small producers, at Ch Moulin Pey-Labrie. Then we had the parallel tastings of wines bottled under Cork and Stelvin, which was also fascinating. Apart from that we visited old friends and made new ones in the Tokaj Renaissance stand. Also made some fascinating discoveries in the Bergerac stands. Ate too much, tasted too much, and got too hot!

Salut/Hi Mike Tommasi,

le/on Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:14:31 +0200, tu disais/you said:-

I'm not sure how right you are here, Mike. As we don't have anyone here on afw who was exhibiting there, (afaik) I am going by my impressions, but I think that although there is a very strong element of big business in the show, and that there, at least, a simple (more or less) wine amateur seeking to discover more wine, might be (privately - as you say, they're polite) regarded as a waste of time, I can't say that's true for most of the people I visit. I can only give a few examples.

First of all at Antonin Rodet. I went there to introduce a mutual friend of ours from frbv, Stephane Martin, to Nadine Guibert, who is the highly talented wine maker there. Although he's a great Burgundy lover, he's never been to the trois glorieuses, and I wanted to see if I could put him in touch with someone who might be able to facilitate things for him. Although they were rushed off their feet there, Nadine (who Jacquie and I had met in '96) not only seemed to remember us, (which while probably not true was very flattering) but really pulled out the stops for us, almost as if it was a relief to have to do with people who shared her love of wine and of Burgundy. Wonderful wines and a wonderful tasting.

Then came my friends at Bergerac. OK, maybe I'm in an odd position there, but we were welcomed with open arms, again, I wanted to introduce a friend there, (Michael Pronay who didn't know too much about their wines) and Michael can say more than I, perhaps, about whether he got the impression that we were being regarded as freeloaders. I didn't, anyway.

Then came some visits to some New Zealand growers. I simply said that I was there under slightly false pretences as I wasn't in any position to buy, but wanted to pop in and say how much we'd enjoyed visits to wineries while we were in New Zealand. Again I got a VERY warm welcome, "do taste the new range" "Do try the 2002s" and so on.

I'll not bore you with all of them, but in general, I think people who really love winemaking and live their craft, are truly pleased to meet people who share a passion for the stuff, rather than coming to talk about money, or mark-up or turnover. Sure, they have to live, but for the best, winemaking is more than just "le fric", it's a way of life, and someone who can taste, and whose eyes light up with pleasure, is worth 20 businessmen to them.

True. Especially when trying to get across the river.

True. It doesn't help that the organisers reserve every room so they can allocate them at huge profits. I was staying in a B&B near St Emilion, 2 years ago, and the stories she told made my hair stand on end.

We were even luckier, staying with the sister, of a penfriend of a girl who has a house just up the hill from us here!!!!!! They have a house in Le Bouscat which was 15 mins away by car from the _back_ entrance to "Le Lac", so we hardly had a bouchon at all, except when we left on the Thursday evening, at around 6pm! Yeuch - an hour just to cross the Pont d'Aquitaine.

Funnily enough, we had NO trouble getting there, though I hadn't known there was a buffet lunch. We arrived around 2pm having had sandwiches beforehand.

Joly. I believe Ian went to

Not to the Hanger 14 event. I missed out on that for some reason - like I didn't know about it.

Err, why didn't I know about this? Were my eyes shut at the wrong moment?

We just went in the evening, intending to stay for a couple of hours or more - had supper, and scuttled away just as the HUGE thunderstorm struck. But I wasn't over impressed with the space available in the café terrace for the event. We'd had more space the previous time and it was a real hubbub. Also I think we were a bit "tasted out".

Fabulous wines. I've now finished the dozen I bought about 10 years ago. Theey're on my list to replace.

Yum.

The man's a complete nut. I love him. Fancy phoning up his mate 60 miles way "Hey Luc, you got any aspirin?" Yes, why", "I've got a splitting headache".

Grin!!! Luc offered to fax him a couple, but it didn't work.

Nope, not quite everyone. But you're right of course that those who DO make eccentric real wines deserve respect, support and recognition.

Sigh...

Would that we had been, but nice of you to say so!

Excellent news. What's more she's a real dish. She doesn't have Anne-Sophie Gilpin's violet eyes, into which I would gladly drown any day of the week, but really nice too.

Right, Mike. I even bought some! Actually, what I felt was interesting, was that at the Grand Cru tasting, fellow Sapros member Ch Guiraud was IMO about the most successful of the 2002 sweet wines.

Mustn't forget the inimitable J-P Héaumé, virtual caviste and flying Dutchman of the wine trade.

Humph, sulk.

Sulk sulk.

Most impressive growers & wines Ian showed to me!

Of course not, but members of the press are always pampered except by the most stubborn. Otoh, I have no tdea what *they* think of us (or talk about us) when we're gone. ;-)

As an experience, I might add the tour of the Austrian stand I did with Ian&J, F6B and a few others (Ian knows who they were), and I guess Ian had very funny experience: After his first tour 2 years ago (which apparently did not leave *too* impressed) he now admitted: "I guess I am beginning to understand Austrian wines", dry whites, that is, especially Grüner Veltliner. (Not to mention the noble sweets, but then it's for Ian to comment.)

Which leads me to another event outside the playground on Thursday: The tasting of Austrian, German, Italian and Bordeaux wines (not to forget yumyumyum Tesseron Cognac!) at Pontet-Canet: Beautiful setting, beautiful wines, enough room to taste, not too hot - I guess everyone really enjoyed.

Oh - and, yes, I have been at La Gaffelière for the Association des Premiers Grands Crus Classés de St-Emilion "Dîner Millésimes de Collection" when the thunderstorm ruined the tent construction just before we were asked to take our seat. We finished the evening after the tempest in the underground chai- with bread, cheese, and the wines, all that was left.

M.

Salut/Hi Mike Tommasi,

le/on Tue, 15 Jul 2003 21:42:34 +0200, tu disais/you said:-

Ah well, you know that we don't HAVE holidays in summer, running a B&B here! The problem is more to juggle the time to write along with looking after our guests properly.

GRIN!!!! (Cheering up instantly). Thanks very much. And of course I understand, and no I _don't_ expect us to be invités d'office. But I love the chance to see/taste what _real_ experts do about food/wine marriages.

Yes, Michael, great thanks for this very interesting tour of the Austrian wines : first white and dry, and then the sweeties, to finish at Aloïs Kracher stand. We had again a good tasting there, after Michael gaves his business card ... :o)

The few others were : were my friends :

- Didier Michaud - Château Planquette - Médoc

- Stéphane Martin - Domaine Freyburger - Alsace. and

- Dominique Hutin - A.O.C. - Agitations Oenologiques et Culinaires ( very difficult to translate - Sorry, my usual work is growing grapes and making wines and then when we bottle I put few bubbles around the wine...) So, Perhaps Mike or Ian can explain ( translate) his work ( ? ) " Il établit des repas à thèmes autour des vins. Le plus souvent autour de vins issus de raisins bio." Many Thanks. And also Ian and J. Of course.

Again, Michael, many thanks for this Austrian tour and great tasting.

Cheers, All the best,

Francis / alias F6 B

PS. Attn. Michael, I let you few bubbles at the Austrian stand...

"Oenological and Culinary Shakings" ;-)

M.

Salut/Hi francis boulard,

le/on Wed, 16 Jul 2003 16:07:03 +0200, tu disais/you said:-

He sets up meals with themes related to wines, mainly those made using organic methods.

Of course - we're almost omni-present.