Today, I am flying down to Provence for the inaugural Grenache Symposium, where I have been invited as a speaker. Grenache is an “away” grape variety for me, unlike say Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. But there is a stellar cast of speakers the calibre of Michel Bettane, Claude Bourguignon, Randall Grahm, Chester Osbourne, Vincent Avril, Telmo Rodriguez, Zelma Long etc…etc…is unmissable. I just hope I have something to contribute.
I drive down to Gatwick and discover that my flight is delayed 50 minutes…not too bad. I meet Charles Metcalfe and Nancy Gilchrist MW at the boarding gate whereupon Randall Grahm, in his round glasses and tousled pony-tail, flies in from Hogwarts. Surely the original Rhone Ranger was born to play a professor at H. Potter’s comprehensive school?
I snooze on the plane and we are picked up at Marseille Airport and driven to our respective hotels, during which Charles Metcalfe tells a wonderful anecdote about the time he interviewed his hero, Pavarotti. The delay means there is only time to drop off our bags before heading to a local pizzeria where the speakers are convening. The funny thing is that there has probably never been such disequilibrium between the epicurean gravitas of clientele and the cuisine itself. Looking down a long table, I can see some of the greatest winemakers and wine writers in the world chewing away on overcooked steak and pizzas so bland they represent an insult to dough bases.
But nobody cares. This is all about exchanging views, meeting like-minds from afar and celebrating wine, Grenache in particular. There is one amusing moment when Steven Spurrier makes an impromptu tirade against wine that is over 15% alcohol, which might make his chairing of a symposium devoted to Grenache a little awkward. The Australian winemakers uphold their nocturnal reputations by opting out of the mini-bus back to the hotel, but I need a good night’s kip. Having said that, upon arriving back at the “Hotel de Montmirail”, Robert Joseph, Tim Atkin, Chester “D’Arenberg” Osbourne’s girlfriend and I, end up sharing a bottle of Cote du Rhone ’07 as a nightcap, for the night is too sultry to retire to bed.
Filed under: grenache symposium Tagged: | charles metcalfe, grenache symposium, randall grahm, robert joseph, steven spurrier, tim atkin
