Sauvignon Shows its Mussels

The attraction of Sauvignon Blanc for punters has been confirmed by the “sold out” signs that have gone up for our Ultra Mussels in May taste test match between Darling and Durbanville at Den Anker on Saturday. May being a month devoted to elections, both here, in Europe and in the Ukraine, punters will be asked to vote on their favourite match with mussels. There are 16 wineries to choose from with the only regrettable AWOL Earthbound which would have been our only Fairtrade entry. Still, it looks like being a fun day out at the seaside and punters will be able to decide for themselves which are their favourite wines rather than being handed down a  deus ex machina Top Ten compiled by some dodgy judges.

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At the beginning of the month I was chairing a blind tasting panel at the Concours Mondial in Brussels and one of the activities available for judges was

Presentation of the Sauvignon Steering Committee by David Cobbold: 20 min.
Presentation of the Italian wine regions by Roberto Zironi: 10 min.
Presentation of the Chilean wine regions by Philippo Pszczólkowski: 10 min.
Presentation of the New Zealand wine regions by Paul White: 10 min.
Presentation of the Bordeaux wine region: 10 min.
Presentation of the Loire and Centre-Loire wine region: 10 min
Seminar on ‘Vintage Variation – illustrated by white Sancerre’ by Bertrand Daulny and Benoît Roumet: 35 min.

Notice any country missing? The Hermit on the Pill has a lot to answer for. I was so disgusted at South Africa being loudly ignored, I boycotted the workshop and repaired to Yellow in Brugge with Guido Francque and Christoph Merchiers for some pop-up gourmandise and Veuve Clicquot.

Still at least FNB are giving the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group R450,000 to carry on their controversial FNB Top Ten Tastings again this year. Half a bar is not to be sneezed at, although SBIG had asked for R2 million. Still its equivalent to 3,000 tickets to Ultra Mussels in May or tickets for 15 years of the event.

These banksters are sure generous with their shareholders’ funds and as a long time customer of FNB, I hope some of my bank charges get directed to this account. But I can’t help but wonder which event will do the most for the fortunes of the grassy green one: a kilo of mussles and taste for yourself or the usual controversial tasting by “experts” (with or without inappropriate coaching) and then a slap-up lunch for luvvies, bank big knobs and mediaists afterwards. What about the public, manne? Surely the plan is to shift Sauvignon… Only asking.