A learning process….

One of the wine-fairs I have often visited was the ‘Vinexpo’ in the area around and in the city of Bordeaux. Nowadays this exhibition takes place in Paris. The Vinexpo merged with ‘WineParis’ and it’s called now ‘WineParis and Vinexpo Paris’. For a lot of exhibitioners and professional visitors Paris is better accesible. The fair always takes place in February (every year) in Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. This year it was the 4th fair.
For me a wine-fair is always a learning process because you discover new flavours, new wines, wines with new vintages, special spirits and odd products. There are also a lot of masterclasses, conferences and special tastings you can visit. The most interesting conferences this year were with Philippe Faure-Brac, best sommelier of the world in1992 and with Guy Savoy, best chef of the world. Philippe Faure-Brac also has a nice restaurant in Paris, ‘Le Bistrot du Sommelier‘ https://bistrotdusommelier.eu. It’s always a pleasure to meet him.
Because I am a fan of champagne, Bordeaux wines and Turkish wines I like to taste some of them. I also like to taste some spirits and perhaps something exiting new.

One of my favourite champagne houses is ‘Nicolas Feuillatte‘. Nicolas Feuillatte was an exceptional good businessman.

He became the biggest coffee-importer of Western-African coffee beans in the USA. He returned to France to buy vinyards in the champagne-area and to produce a very fine champagne. Two years later he decided to commercialize his brand in New York and in California.
Succes was guarenteed. In 1986 his brand merged with the big cooperation ‘Centre de Viticole de la Champagne’. This champagne cooperation was founded by Henri Macquart. They kept it under the name ‘Nicolas Feuillatte’. It’s an unique and very modern company, https://www.nicolas-feuillatte.com.
I love Bordeaux wines. Also when they are still young. On the fair I was so lucky to be invited for a big Bordeaux wine-tasting (from the year 2020) of

a hundred great Bordeaux wineries. From the area around Margaux, Pauillac, Saint Estèphe, Saint Emilion, Saint Julien, Moulis en Médoc, Pomerol and from Sautenes and Barsac (sweet wines). With the highest classification ‘Grand Cru Classé’ (Médoc and Pessac-Léognan), Premier Grand Cru Classé en Grand cru Classé (from Saint Emilion) and 1er Cru Classé from Sauternes/Barsac. The classification of the wines from the Médoc and Sauternes/Barsac was créated in 1855.
The white and red wines from Turkey are surprisingly good. 7000 years ago people found traces in Atalya (Turkey) of vineyards and wine-making. In the oldest written documents called the ‘Nippur’ clay tablets (3.800 B.C.), people wrote about wine-making in the region. Nippur is a city in the old Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia is now the region that we call Iraq. The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. During the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923) wine-making was carried out by the Greeks, the Armenians and the Syrians. The Ottoman Empire was a Turkish empire.

These are six main grape-varieties in Turkey:
Boğazkere, Produces dark ruby red, well structured, full-bodied wines with strong tannins and high acidity. Can be matured on oak. Has ability to age for years.
Öküzgözü, Suitable for aging in oak barrels, produces elegant and balanced wines that are dark ruby red in color, with generous acidity, medium to full body, soft tannins and and long lenght. Has potential to develop and age in bottle.
Kalecik Karasi, Produces Fruity, easy drinking wine, light ruby, medium bodied with low tannins and high acidity, similar to young Pinot Noir, grown in cooler continental climats, these grapes produce fruity and elegants wines.
Narince, It produces, rich, creamy and elegant wines. Due to their balanced acidity, these wines are suitable for aging and acquire a rich and complex bouquet over time.
Emir, it produces vigourous dry wine with high acidity and mineral aromas which reflectes the charateristics of volcanic soil.
Bornova Misketi, Produces quite aromatic. lively, light, easy-drinking and dry to lusciously sweet wines that are in light gold color.
The information of the grapes comes from a small booklet I got a the Turkish booth.

This only is a small selection I tasted on the fair. I also went to the oldest wine-shop in Paris, the museum of wine of Paris and to the restaurant of Philippe Faure-Brac, best sommelier of the world in 1992.
To be continued…..