To be both a photographer and a wine fan is no easy task. It seems the two interests are always in opposition. During a winery visit for example, you can either take a lot of pictures, or taste a lot of wine. It’s really quite difficult to do both (well) simultaneously, and usually one takes precedence over the over. And if you start the visit tasting the wine, rather than taking photos, well then all hope can be quickly lost.
There are also a host of other factors that make winery photography challenging. For example, who will be at the meeting, the winemaker or another staff member? Is the weather favorable for a visit into the vineyards, and if so, will there be fruit on the vine? Ripe or unripe? Is anything going on in the cellar today, pressing, pumping, bottling?
And so it is that each winery visit is, indeed, just a ‘snapshot’ of the winery, of its people, and of course, of its wines.
My visits seem to fit this model perfectly. I do the best I can, but the more engaging the company and the more fascinating the wines, the fewer great photos I seem to walk away with. It’s best perhaps to stay out of the tasting room as long as possible and hope there is enough time to taste the wines. Or alternatively, just leave the camera in the trunk of the car!
Coming up next: winery visits in Austria’s Kamptal region – Weingut Birgit Eichinger and Weingut Bründlmayer.
I forgot to post the complete list of wines, but I’ve included it here. This PDF file also contains descriptions of the wines as supplied by the winery (German/Deutsch). Catalog 2012
Eight hours, forty minutes flying at 580 mph in an aluminum spaceship.
Normally this would not be anyone’s idea of a good time. But once in a while, everything seems to work out and the universe smiles on us. In this case, it was hard work and not good fortune that was to thank.
Years of accumulating frequent flyer miles, and the need to escape the everyday, led us to splurge on a business class trip to Austria (more on that later). For those of you who have yet to fly in Business Class, let me tell you it truly is another world, and when you get there you will certainly feel as if you have earned it!
From Vancouver to Amsterdam we flew on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. We were greeted with a glass of Billecart-Salmon Brut Champagne (real Champagne, the stuff with a cork ;-).
KLM is understandably proud of their onboard culinary program. We were given a 60 page book, “From Holland – Delights of the Dutch” that describes some of their providers, producers of wine, cheese, beef, vegetables, fish and more. All items that are used in their business class service.
Then we came to the menu of the day, twelve pages printed specifically for this flight and this cabin.
Here is the wine list, all produced by Dutchmen:
whites
Villebois, Sauvignon Blanc Prestige 2011 (Loire, France). Joost van der Does de Willebois. Tasted.
De Kleine Schorre, Pinot Blanc/Auxerrois 2011 (Zeeland, Netherlands). Johan van de Velde. Tasted.
Breedeweelde, Chardonnay Private Collection 2012 (Slanghoek, South Africa). Rob van Weelde, Pieter Carstens.
dessert
Breedeweelde, Special Late Harvest (Muscat of Alexandria) 2012 (Slanghoek, South Africa). Tasted
reds
Pagos del Mancayo 2010 (Campo de Borja, Spain). Louis Geirnaerdt. Tasted
Château Beaulieu 2010 (Côtes de Bourg, Bordeaux, France). Jodocus Boomsma. Tasted
ports
Niepoort DEE Tawny (Portugal). Dirk Niepoort. Tasted
Croft Pink Port (Portugal). Adrian Bridge.
If only every plane ride could be like this!
