Mulling over global wine

Part of the Royal Docks in the redeveloped Docklands area, the ExCel Centre played host to this year's annual London International Wine Fair (LIWF), which took place May 12-14.  

LIWF is among the most important events on the international wine calendar, featuring more than 1,300 wineries, 25,000 wines and almost 14,000 visitors, including many returning guests. Producers from around the world are eager to exhibit their wares to this gathering of wine and spirits importers, merchants, restaurateurs, hoteliers and scores of international journalists in one of the largest and most influential wine and spirit markets on earth. The show went on as scheduled, despite swine flu and the global credit crunch.  

In sharp contrast to the Prague Wine and Spirits Fair - which sells tickets to the general public, attracting overindulgent youngsters and seasoned topers who tend to become rowdy with the approach of closing time as they go all-out to drink their money's worth - the LIWF is confined to professional visitors.  

France was the most frequented section, closely followed by those from the New World. Relatively quiet were the numerous Italian and Spanish offerings, while Germany had a vast stand in the middle of the main hall. This featured a "self-service" tasting zone of wines from all of its 13 regions, which proved a great favorite with visitors, with many of the truly great wines of the Mosel, Rhein and Franconia regions available to sample daily.  

Meanwhile, a whole range of seminars and tastings were held in the Master Class Theatre. On the first day alone, events included The 12 Great Wine Estates of Western Australia and The Magic of the Chilean Maule Region, a tasting of Italian Trentino wines, New Zealand's best-ever red vintage, and a 10-year retrospective tasting of Eroica Riesling with its joint makers, Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen in Germany's Mosel Valley and Bob Berteau of Washington-State winery Chateau Sainte Michelle. Also worth investigating was a meeting with the legendary Serge Hochar, who, over a period of 50 years, has guided Chateau Musar in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley through war and other strife to become recognized as one of the world's great wineries.    

Other briefings ranged from How to Survive the Economic Downturn: Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to the Wine Faults Workshop and a closing debate that pitted legitimate cork against such newcomers as plastic substitutes, glass stoppers and screwcaps.

For the first time in the history of LIWF, wines from the Czech Republic had a stand, sponsored by the National Wine Fund as part of its "Vína z Čech a Vína z Moravy" advertising campaign. Four wineries were represented: Bohemia Sekt a.s., Mikrosvín, Templářské sklepy and Petr Skoupil. All reported good ratings for the wines on offer.  

Winery of the month: Habánské sklepy

This winery was founded in 1614 by the Habáni or Anabaptists, a breakaway Christian sect that arrived in the traditional south Moravian winemaking community of Velké Bílovice from Switzerland. They soon earned great respect for the quality of their handicrafts and their innovative farming practices, particularly in the field of viticulture. They planted many vineyards and constructed a host of cellars, including the largest complex at the top end of the village, where wine is produced to this day. Due to local climatic and soil conditions, the cellar has long been known for the quality of its award-winning red wines, which are deeply colored, full in the mouth and with a refreshing acidity. Since 1997, the company has come under the aegis of the Bohemia Sekt group, part of the multinational Henkell Söhnlein empire. Currently, the winery is receiving a full facelift, along with considerable investment in state-of-the-art technology. It is said that, in the oldest cellars, some of the atmosphere created by the Habáni four centuries back can still be sensed. For more information, check Habanskesklepy.cz.   

Wines of the month

White: Maidenburg Pinot Blanc 2007

Producer: Reisten, Pavlov, Moravia

This wine, with its light straw hue and lush fruity nose of orange peel, yellow garden flowers and strong overtures of oriental spice, has a consummate palate packed with ripe white peaches and dried apricots. It holds its own with the best from anywhere in the world. The name comes from the nearby ruin of the castle called Dívčí hrady, or Maidenburg in German. Well worth the price of 250 Kč.       

Red: Cote-Rotie Brune et Blonde 2001

Producer: Marcel Guigal, Ampuis, France  

This superb example comes from Syrah grapes planted on two prime positions in the Cote- Rotie in the northern Rhone, from a producer once dubbed "the best winemaker on the planet." Local legend has it that the original owner divided his vineyards between his two daughters - one brunette, the other blonde. The Brune's clay soil gives robustness and structure to the wine, while the chalky Blonde vineyards add finesse. It's a deep red wine with a plummy nose hinting at forest fruit and violets, which follow through onto a palate that is intensely concentrated and spicy, with plenty of silky tannins balanced by a beautiful acidity. Available for 1,500 Kč from Bacchus Vins et Champagne.

Events  

A festival that includes open wine cellars in six villages takes place June 19-20 in Podluží, part of the picturesque Slovácko subregion of south Moravia, not far from the town of Břeclav, accessible by Pendolino from Prague and then on to Moravská Nová Ves via the Hodonín line. More than 50 individual cellars will be offering their wines for you and your friends to taste at will in an authentic traditional environment. Free bus or train service between the villages is provided for ticket-holders. For details regarding tickets and accommodations, check Otevrenesklepy.cz.    

Helena Baker can be reached at
features@praguepost.com