Glug, Glug...

Friday, another trip to the City. This time to stay in the Islington/Kings Cross area for a consumer show. The London Wine Show. Held at the Islington Business Design Centre, it's where wine merchants and producers can flog their wares to the public, either by mail order, or internet.

Once inside the hall, you pass by offices for various companies like the Dyson Airblade dryer, and wander round tasting the vino. It was quite busy, and reasonably smartly dressed. On the Friday, quite a few looked dressed to go out for dinner later, especially the girls.

Oz Clarke was set to do a tutored tasting, sponsored by Sainsburys, but had to be replaced due to ill health, by another TV wine Expert, Olly Smith. It turns out that Oz had food poisoning, or so he said on the Saturday, when he made it it.

The exhibitors were mainly from New Zealand, Australia, and the Iberian Peninsula. Quite an impressive showing by the non-Port Portugese producers. Price points from a fiver up to 20 quid.

Discovered a wine producer from New Zealand, who is imported by a guy from Peterborough, who plays golf at a nearby Golf Club. I asked for a case to be delivered, and the guy said he'd deliver it personally, because he plays nearby! Also a South African producer with a quite extraordinary Pinot Noir wine. What appeared to e the entry-level wine was more memorable than the signature cuvee.

On the Saturday afternoon, after a repast of McDonalds the previous evening, and a quick breakfast at the b&b, I made a quick visit to Leicester Square to pick up a programme for the Film Festival. Quite a few details of screenings etc had changed since going to press, but it was a nice reminder and guide to what's hitting the big and small screens in the next few months.

Back up to Islington, and I got a cheap ticket off a woman who had bought a set of 5tickets to get a discount, and had an extra one for her group, which included the Oz Clarke tasting. He was there in body, if not spirit. Quite often you could see him gulp as if trying to get past feeling nauseous. Despite him sitting all the time, and not bouncing around like on TV, it was quite interesting. During this sitting, I tasted more wines, including Portugal, New Zealand and Australia, including a fizzy Shiraz. In all the tastings, apart from the Sainsburys (OZ Clarke) one, the measures barely covered the bowl of the glass.