A demanding day at Vinitaly in Verona, the world's second biggest wine fair. It started at 10.15am with a refreshing glass of unoaked Chardonnay with this lot. An acquaintance, the owner is a disgustingly young and wealthy Anglo-South African, who makes some serious kit and is an all-round decent chap. Then we carried on throughout the day working our way around the different Italian regions and ending up in the Slow Food reception room, drinking excellent Italian fizz from Franciacorte. All free. I am such a pig sometimes. The fair lasts for five days and is huge. Even if your liver could take five days of relentless slurping, you still couldn't visit all the regions present. It wasn't all plain sailing however. I went over to the fair with Mauri, a friend who knows his onions when it comes to wine. Leaving Verona we hit a two hour traffic jam during which we covered just eight kilometres. When we finally got past it, I was wondering why Mauri was only doing 60 kph. I looked across and saw that he was fast asleep, but keeping a good line nonetheless. I woke him up, suggested we stop for a bite to eat and a nice cold beer* and that I carry on with the driving. Got home at midnight, a broken man.
*The joy of Italy: they serve booze in motorway service stations.
6 comments:
Love those labels. Such simplicity. May as well say "Drink Me" like in Alice's Wonderland, where it appears you were in fact.
It's a constant wonder you are still with us.
Sounds like a lot of fun.
God - a week of gargling and spitting, swilling and saying "Mmmm - coffee, liquorice, apricots, new-mown grass.....". At least at Beer Festivals one is allowed a good big swig!
Affer...sounds like you'd fit right in!
God, it looks fab. I have been on Export Strength Tanqueray since 1800 hrs. Someone has to.
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