The Wine Cellar

Come and explore with me the amazing world of wines

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Adding to the Family...

For those of you who have been following my blog you should know that I had been greatly anticipating my return to my village and my re-union with my wine cellar. So, you may think it is strange that I have hardly talked about it. You can be assured that it is not because of lack of interest on my part--I visited the cellar first thing in the morning after my late night arrival to Distomo. It has been a bit hectic with lots and lots of chores with the house and the garden. It's spring and the planting calendar imposed ny mother nature is rather strict.
Finally I was able to devote some time to the cellar and begin the important task of adding to the wine stock. Since I don't have a vineyard, the wines come mostly from local producers. I buy bulk wine and bottle it myself--with the assistance of Alexandra, my life and wine cellar partner. Last night it was the first such bottling operation of the 2010 season and I am very happy to report that it went very smoothly--although very tiring. The whole process is manual, of course, and not very well streamlined yet. Fifty bottles--30 red and 20 white--were corked and placed on their ageing racks.
Bottling wine is the culmination of the wine making process and one which is almost a spiritual experience--at least to me--and marks the beginning of the wine maturation. It's also a sensual experience as it gives us the opportunity to taste the new vintages--a rich reward for all the hard work. We bottled red and white wines from the Βερβά vineyards. Although a wine review of these will the subject of another posting in the near future, my initial reaction was one of mixed findings. While the red was an excellent one--perhaps the best yet of these varietals--the white fell a bit short of our expectations. It will be interesting to watch these as they age in the next several years...

Monday, May 3, 2010

Something Beautiful...

Spring is without a doubt my favorite season. It is flowers, Easter, green, freshness, planting gardens, and, best of all, the re-emergence of life in a vine. It's one of these stark contrasts of nature. In the heart of the winter, there a few things that look as withered and lifeless as a vine. And then, with the first warmth of March sun, there is a metamorphosis as few others. In a matter of days, buds emerge that quickly become leaves and branches. They are green and very tender--the spring winds are my worst nightmare--and very much alive and moving. Yes, moving. You can literally watch them grow in a single day, as they reach, climb and hook themselves on anything that is around them. In about three weeks, the first small clusters of grapes begin to form. There are a few spring sights that evoke more happiness and tranquility to me than these gorgeous green sprouts.

A couple of days ago, we celebrated the first of May, Protomaya, in my village in Greece. After a week of gusty northern winds, Spring finally rewarded us for our patience and fortitude. It was as beautiful a spring day as the muses could recite. And the vines, strong and full of life had weathered another spring storm. They continued their silent march to maturation. Another miracle to observe yet...