Wine freebie - or global impacts: Three

And finally, the gapingvoid and Stormhoek wine freebie has hit the Massif Central too. Mine got delivered yesterday, with my own personally printed label, (can't give you a photo yet, see below). Here's global microbrands, market disruption and all that jazz having a one-way relationship with my little village. I'm looking for ways to add the other dimension - I have a few ideas, and will be working on them over the winter.

Anyway, back to the wine. The delivery man was exceptional. Having spotted it was wine, he professed himself an amateur and proceeded to advise me to allow it at least two days repos before drinking it, and to allow it to take a couple of degrees of temperature from the room before drinking it. He enthused about wine, he loves wine, he wanted to share all that with me. It was a warm and cuddly experience. So warm and cuddly I didn't dare tell him that it wasn't French wine. I'm absolutely sure it would never, ever have occured to him that it wasn't French wine. Absolutely.

So, I will follow his advice, although I would have done both things anyway. But there's more mileage in this bottle. Oh yes! Apart from Bunny and the Oldest Hippie, my nearest French mates, there are one or two others that could be interested. I may well try a blind tasting event of some sort.

And then of course there's Fred. Fred was a motorbike mechanic. he decided he wanted to make wine, and has bought and is renewing a small vignoble in the Puy de Dome. He's passionate about his wine, and the attention to detail and level of care is outstanding. I won't say he know's every grape by name, but you get the picture. What about the wine? Well, I like it. At least last year's two wines were good for me. And the somelier of the Elysee Palace, (where the French President lives), also thought they were good. He called Fred at the end of his second season last year and bought out his remaining stock.

I'd like Fred to try some Stormhoek. Decisions decisions. One bottle may not be enough. And I can't get it in France. Mr Orbital Wines of London suggests that it may never be sold here. So I'll have to try and get hold of some in old Blighty. If it's any good of course. But I'll ask Fred about that.