Bubbles&Wines&Vergelegen

Wine tastings do not always minimize carbon footprints – last night’s, at the Bubbles&Wines wine bar (below) in Nes Street, just off the Dam in Amsterdam, being a case in point.

Among the 55 wines available by the glass, there is but a single South African. A Cogmans Kloof Cape Muscat 2011 from Robertson. “They’re not worth the money” says manager Coen. And in Holland, where Euros are turned over several times before they are spent, this matters. “70% of our clientele are Dutch. Why would they pay €25 for a bottle of Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc (below) when Sancerre is available at €10?”

Bubbles&Wines has been voted best wine bar in the Netherlands for two years in a row so the poor performance of SA in the heart of Holland is a worry. What did WOSA do with the R1.9 million they spent in the Benelux countries this year? I promised to send Coen (below) my list of ♥♥♥♥♥ wines from our upcoming Neil Pendock’s Winelands Guide 2013 to improve the situation. A good place to start would be for Fons Aaldering to send some bottles of his spicy 2012 Aaldering white Pinotage to Coen and the bill to WOSA, who clearly need all the help they can get.