A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You’re welcome, we can spare it – yellow socks
Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty
Going on 40 – no electric shocks
The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot
A little drop of claret – anything that rocks
Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain’t spotty,
Sitting on the potty – curing smallpox
A bit of natural wine, from the organic vine
More than good, it’s fine – it’s out of the box
Drink till you’re dotty, till you’re knocked onto your botty
But not until you’re grotty – just rocked out of your socks
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
– with apologies to Ian Dury
Cracking reasons to spend a day sipping and supping
Galloping great growers
Something for everyone: organic wines, biodynamic wines, natural wines – from nearly 120 artisan producers. A roll call of the celebrated (Plageoles, Luc de Conti, Mas des Dames, Clos du Gravillas, Gramenon, Cousin, Breton, Mosse, Frick, Boulard, Zarate, COS, Princic, Bressan, Afros, Testalonga) and those who deserve to be better known (Les Vignes Herbels, Barraco, Rafa Bernabe, Ar Pe Pe, Cantina Giardino, Si Vintners…). Check out the current list of exhibitors on the Real Wine Fair web-site. http://therealwinefair.com/
Georgia on our mind
There will be a part of Wapping that is forever Georgia (well, for a couple of days at any rate). 12 of that country’s finest growers will be present and correct to show wines from the cradle of (wine) civilisation. Everything you wanted to know about qvevri but were afraid to ask will be revealed. By the time you leave you will definitely be able to distinguish your Rkatsiteli from your Chinuri. These highly original wines are not like anything you have ever tasted – unless you’ve already been to Georgia and tasted them!
On Tuesday 19th March there will be a full-fledged “Georgian Supra” or banquet at Terroirs. £55 will buy an evening of endless small Georgian delicacies, flowing wine and uplifting song. Details of Tickets can be bought in advance for £55 per person by phoning 0207 030 0660 or contacting enquiries@terroirswinebar.com
Food, glorious food
Like Damon Runyan’s Nicely Nicely I am known as a character far and wide “who likes to commit eating”. So where do I begin? With the various offerings from Duck Soup, Zucca and Donostia I can flit between and mix and match Spanish, Italian and rustic French-influenced small dishes. Ham and Cheese will deliver some delicious street food snacks that I can devour on the hoof. I’ll also grab some oysters bar to deck on the fly from Wright’s seafood. For a more leisurely bite I’ll park myself at the counter of celebrated Blackheath deli and caterer, Handmade Food, and sample their freshly-prepared goodies.
I am going to want to try some Androuet’s brilliant array of artisan cheeses and purchase a sourdough loaf or two from E5 Bakehouse who will also be serving a hot dish. P.A.F.F. will refresh my palate with their delicious fruit ices. Original Beans produce superb chocolate bars from eco-friendly sources. I’ll buy a bar of their Wild Bean Chocolate and spend some time at their table matching different wines to different types of chocolate in order to answer that age-old question – which wine goes best with chocolate? Answers on a postcard.
For further details on the foodies: http://therealwinefair.com/
Liquid refreshment, please
Even seasoned tasters suffer from acid attack and tannin on their tusks. So – take an alternative liquid break. I’m a huge fan of Caravan roasters and will need to refuel frequently with their high-class caffeine over the two days. I will also treat myself to a beer or two, care of Camden Town brewery, their crisp Hells Lager being the ideal palate-cleanser for vino-fatigue. For the perfect pre-prandial/post tasting-freshen-up I’m going to soak up a long cool g & t from Sacred Microdistillery and/or Sipsmith.
The Unfiltered Dog @ The Real Wine Fair
At the end of the hard day’s tasting why not pop in to our felicitously-named pop-up restaurant run by Ed Wilson, executive chef of Terroirs and associated restaurants. A delicious menu of comfort food accompanied by a cracking value wine list selected from growers at the fair. Please reserve your places now by calling Terroirs restaurant on 0207 030 0660.
The Real Wine Shop
Buy a broad selection of organic, biodynamic and natural wines from the fair at the pop-up Real Wine Shop run by Roberson Wine Merchant. Any bottle of wine purchased on the day will receive a special 15% discount.
Roberson will also be running The Real Wine Shop for a further month fromwww.robersonwine.com. Discounts will apply to orders for 6 bottles (10%) and 12 bottles and over (15%).
Seminal seminars
No verbal punch-ups, but rather stimulating and edifying masterclasses from charismatic growers and articulate ambassadors for their craft. John Wurdeman from Pheasant’s Tears will be explaining why tradition is the cutting edge in Georgia, whilst Mike Weersing from Pyramid Valley will conducting a masterclass on skin-contact wines.
The Real Wine Month
If you like these wines you can seek them out in restaurants, pubs, bistros, wine merchants, online retailers and wholesalers throughout the UK. The promotion will last until the end of the March; restaurants will feature wines by the glass. There are loads of tastings, growers’ dinners and associated events. Please check the Real Wine website for details