Party @ Palugyayov Palác

Esporão winemaker David Baverstock was trying to conscript me into the Hava Nagila conga line being belted out by Bratislava superstar CC Slonska last night at the Palugyayov Palác when the music stopped, mid-lunge.  CC was a vision in a long green dress slit from ankles to waist.  She had impressed queuing for the Slav Corner buffet of suckling pig and gammon steaks (but alas, no potatoes as spud-addict Liam Campbell noted sadly) and the daggers glared at her by every other female in the room added a medieval menace to the banquet to round off the Concours Mondial.

She was so good (sort of a cross between Nana Mouskouri and Nina Hagen) and her choice of song so camp (I Will Survive) many thought she was a Slovakian ladyboy although Timo Jokinen, who lived for many years in Thailand, denies it on the evidence of her hands.  What is it with this crazy idea if a woman does well, she must be a man in drag? That many UK lady wine writers look like men is no argument at all.

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All that was missing from CC’s repertoire was It’s Raining Men (there was a light drizzle outside) and it was clear this was no Veritas Awards dinner but rather a knees up for the Concours Mondial. Which I thought was the 20th – and visitors to VinExpo in Bordeaux in June will be invited to taste the 20th presentation of this competition’s winning wines – yet when Bruxelles was announced as venue for Concours Mondial 2014, it was explained the competition was returning home for its 20th birthday.  With SA entries on the skids in comparison to other wine exporting countries, let’s hope there will still be SA judges at the competition next year!