Who's Got The Best Stand?

IT IS ANOTHER ROUND of the anual 'Who's Got The Best Stand?' competition, held at the London International Wine and Spirit Fair.

In truth, I haven't had much opportunity to taste outside my immediate surroundings (I am installed on the E&J Gallo stand). I did however thoroughly enjoy two wines from McWilliams who they are in partnership with.

The '00 Mount Pleasant Semillon from the famous Lovedale vineyard in the heart of New South Wales was quite powerful. Zingy, with sherbet, haliborange, galia melon, lemongrass, some passion fruit and a pronounced mineral sensation with a discreet underlay of functional acidity.

The '02 Stentiford's Old Vine Shiraz from Coonawarra Terra Rossa was ruby red with pencil shavings, Vicks Vaporub and a slight medicinal injection on the nose. The soft, developing palate provided blackberry underneath cinammon. A blueberry aftertaste with a hint of match box strike-strip. Epic.

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Also encountered during showbusiness, a Mendocino producer who mentioned that their ecologically friendly, paper-free wine labels make very good roll-ups for Marijuana cigarettes!

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Pictured, Bacchus, God of Wine, seen here smiling because he has the '...whole world ...[of wine]... in his hands...'

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I will be honest - I will never care for distilled beer without the hops in the same way I do about wine. I was impressed, however, with Dr. Whisky, the admirable quest of one young Canadian, Sam Simmons, to sample a different whisky or whiskey per day (but only during the working week!)