Enjoying Happy Holidays
With Some Great World Wines

by Elizma Myburgh

The festive season is upon us and unfortunately it comes with grey, rainy, cold days...and nights, or if we're lucky some snow and sun! Well, not all that bad I would say, because this calls for nice festive wines or winter warmers.

Now think back to the Middle Ages, of peasants having a feast - like in Brueghel's paintings - it always looks very inviting to me, almost like you want to get into the painting and start celebrating with them.

Ever wondered why the wine style and wine laws of Bourgogne and Bordeaux vary so much? It is said that the bordelais were known as the noble men with wine châteaux's and the Burgundians as the humble peasants with village-based vineyards. Therefore I have chosen two Burgundian grapes for this festive season, so we can celebrate like Brueghel's peasants and maybe experience their happiness.

Chardonnay

This white grape will cheer up any Christmas meal, whether you choose turkey, gammon or even something not so traditional. Chardonnay originates from Burgundy, but travels quite well and today you can find a huge variety of styles from all over the world.

The grape adapts in any climate and isn't temperamental in the vineyards, but it reflects the specific terroir (climate + soil + topography) and can produce a variety of styles in the cellar. Cool climate Chardonnays produce leaner wines with higher acidity (for example, Chablis in northern Burgundy) and can have flavours of pears, lemons, grapefruit, biscuits, honey and butter. Warm climate Chardonnays have more tropical fruit flavours such as mango, melon, banana, pineapple, peach and more rounder flavours of butter, butterscotch and honey (for example Chardonnays from California, Australia and South Africa).

Most Chardonnays undergo barrel fermentation, malolactic fermentation (conversion of harsh malic acid into a softer lactic acid) or bâtonnage (stirring of the lees/dead yeast cells) and these techniques bring out buttery, creamy, vanilla flavours, such as found in the top Chardonnays from Burgundy - mostly from Côte de Beaune (Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne, Puligny-Montrachet).

If your budget doesn't allow you to enjoy these great ones, go abit further down in Burgundy to Mâconnais and try some Pouilly-Fuissé or St.-Véran, which is some of the best price-quality Chardonnays in the world. Not all Chardonnays are wood-matured though, so with all the different styles available there is a Chardonnay for every occasion.

Pinot Noir

You definitely can't go wrong having a bottle of Pinot on your festive table, as it is probably one of the worlds most versatile food wines. Unlike Chardonnay, this beloved Burgundian grape does not travel that well, as it is quite fussy about its climate and soil. However, you will find it all over the world, but in small quantities.

Pinot is from a very old grape family and believed to be cultivated in Burgundy as early as the 4th century. It's a quite unpredictable and inconsistent grape, but thanks to modern day technology there are so many new clones to suit different terroirs. Pinot noir is a cool climate grape and prefers lime soils, but you do get great examples in warm areas like California and Australia.

Unfortunately, the wines from the land of the "humble peasants" turn out to be some of the most expensive in the world today. If you want to splash out…be prepared for a big hole in your wallet. Try one of the great reds from Côte de Nuits and go for double-barrelled names like Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny or Vosné-Romanée. This is normally the name of the town and it's most famous surrounding vineyard.

New World examples are quite freely available at reasonable prices…compared to Burgundy. If you have to opt for New World ones, I would go for New Zealand, Oregon or Chile. Or even other European examples such as Pinot Nero from Italy. Why not take a short trip to the Ahr region, not too far from Brussels, just 10km south of Bonn? There you can find some decent Pinot (Spätburgunder as it is called in Germany) mostly made by small producers.

Younger wines can show lots of strawberries and are low in acidity and tannins, whereas matured Pinot normally has a gamey flavour to it. You can also expect flavours of cherries, black berries, raspberries, roses, violets, prunes, plums, chocolate, mushrooms and even some savoury, meaty flavours, all depending on the style of wine and the terroir.

A lighter style wine will go well with salmon or trout and a more full-bodied one should be a great partner to turkey, rabbit, chicken or any other poultry, beef, ham, lamb and pork.

Champagne (Chardonnay/Pinot noir)

...should not be drunk on high days and holidays, but everyday!!!

Why do people think you only drink champagne at wedding ceremonies and special occasions? You should always have a cold bottle ready and if there is nothing to celebrate, think of something!

This wonderful wine is made in the Champagne region of France from the actual Burgundian grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot noir on the traditional method where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle (hence the tiny bubbles).

There are many other methods to make sparkling wines, but if you're looking for the traditional method outside Champagne, try a Cremant from different regions in France, Cava from Spain (made from different Spanish grapes, though) or one of the many New world examples using Chardonnay and Pinot noir.

Most German Sekt and also Prosecco from Italy are made by the Charmat method where the second fermentation takes place in a tank instead of the bottle.

Champagne - or a sparkling wine made by the traditional method - is always your safest bet with food, as you can have it as an aperitif, with your starter, main course and dessert...so you should drink it everyday.

If you want a great Champagne from one of the big Champagne houses such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Gosset, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Krug, Piper-Heidsieck, Pommery or Taittinger, you will probably find the best deal in your local supermarket. It's not a bad idea to travel down to Champagne yourself (it's only about 3hours drive from Brussels) and go and try out some great examples from smaller producers. Choose the ones off the beaten track - excellent value!

Here are some good wines to try out:

Chardonnay:

• Cucao Chardonnay 2006, Casablanca, Chile. €7.65 (R99 Wine Consulting)
• Brampton Unwooded Chardonnay 2006, Stellenbosch, South Africa. €9.99 (Chateaux Wijnwinkel)
• Pipers Brook Chardonnay 2003, Tasmania, Australia. €16.00 (Crush Wine)
• Pouilly Fuissé 'en Buland' 2005, Burgundy. €24.50 (Maison des Vins)

Pinot Noir:

• Domaine Carneros, "Avant Garde Pinot noir" 2002, Napa, California,USA. €17.80 (Winery)
• Movia Pinot Noir 2002, Slovenia. €20.50 (Mig's World Wines)
• Main Divide Pinot noir "Selection" 2004, Canterbury, New Zealand €24.20 (R99 Wine Consulting))

Traditional method sparkling wines

• Pongrácz Cuvée Brut NV (Méthode Cap Classique), South Africa €12.50 (R99 Wine Consulting)

Elizma Myburgh
R99 Wine Consulting
Wijndaalstraat 8
1560 Hoeilaart
Belgium
+32 477 755 763
elizma.myburgh@r99.be
www.r99.be

On The Other Side Of The World

Jari Kurittu took a trip to Oz. Here's his tale of a brief stop-off in Alice Springs...

G'day mate! It was an early wake-up in Brisbane at 5.45am one Sunday as I prepared to head to the Red Center, leaving behind the Australian east coast, where I'd been for two weeks. An hour later I was at the airport looking forward to an exiting day, flying first to Alice Springs and then to the most famous rock in the world, Ayers Rock or, to be politically correct, Uluru.

As the plane took off and I took in the last views of the Pacific Ocean, we hit major turbulence. The plane shook badly as if to remind me that after six weeks on the road I was finally heading west. I would be back in Brussels in a couple of weeks. Three-and-a-half-hours later I reached the modest Alice Springs airport. Here I was, in the centre of this huge continent, in a place that has always had an exotic appeal. But I had just one-and-a-half hours before my next flight. Nevertheless, I wanted to make the most of it, so I headed to the first taxi in a row of four cars and asked the driver how much it would cost if I hired him for my 90-minute visit. We agreed on 60 dollars (36 euros) and I jumped in…

Larry, the driver, was a friendly 50-something fella with the look of an ex-rocker - a man who has seen the world and experienced life to its fullest. So I was looking forward to driving around Alice with him and hoping for a few good stories.

Here comes the rain

The town is some 15km from the airport, just behind the MacDonnell Ranges and, as we headed towards the Heavitree Gap (the only passage through the mountain range), the first raindrops fell on the windscreen. Even though it had been a cloudy day I was surprised to see rain in this dry, red country. Larry, on the other hand, was pleased to see some much-needed rain. He told me that it is exceptional to get rain in Alice at this time of the year and that normally we should have been enjoying blue skies. Due to the rain and cloud cover it was 'only' 34 degrees, as opposed to above 40.

Larry dropped me off on Todd Street (the main street running through the town) so I could have an hour-long stroll through the pedestrian section. He would then pick me up at the Bojangles Saloon, apparently the best pub in town.

Todd Street

A town like Alice

Alice Springs, originally called 'Stuart', came to life as a simple telegraph station in almost the exact centre of the continent. It was renamed Alice Springs in 1933 after the wife of Sir Charles Todd, the superintendent of telegraphs and government astronomer to South Australia. Alice now has a population of around 27,000, of which some 17% are aboriginals.

So, I was standing in light rain, with the town hall behind me and the pedestrian area in front of me. This is where shops, cafes, bars, two churches, a small cinema and the supermarket are located. The street was quiet (10.45am on a Sunday morning) with a few people having breakfast and a few aboriginals sitting on the lawns. Some were trying to sell artifacts, others just sat around.

As I reached the end of Todd Street, I was contemplating the remoteness of Alice. Not only was I some 17,000km from home but also 1,200km from the nearest ocean and 1,500km from the nearest major cities, Darwin and Adelaide. At the end of the street I turned back hoping that, despite the early time of day, I could find a pub open. Having come this far, I couldn't imagine leaving Alice without having a beer. Halfway back on Todd Street the Town & Country Tavern had just opened - so I walked in to join several locals already enjoying morning beers.

Bojangles Saloon

Ice, ice baby

I asked for a pint of Tooheys but the tap didn't work so I settled for a bottle of ice-cold Crown Lager. The bar was like any average bar and I guess it wasn't the liveliest place in town even at best of times. Anyway, I had to finish my drink quickly as I still wanted to see the Bojangles Saloon. Fortunately, Alice isn't a very big town, so I quickly got there.

Once through the revolving saloon doors I swiftly got a bottle of Pure Blond, as I was the only customer. I told the barman I was doing an Alice-in-90-minutes tour and he told me they have snakes in the side room. Did I want to take a look? In the room is a shrine to Meat Loaf and Bat Out of Hell. A skeleton leans on an old, rusty motorbike alongside a couple of live pythons. Other than that, the pub had a strong Wild West & Outback feel and I wished I could have seen it in full swing the previous evening. All to soon, Larry's taxi pulled up, so I finished my beer and hopped in. We drove to the town's lookout, the ANZAC hill, for a panoramic view. From there, we could clearly see the MacDonnell Ranges and the Gap. Time was running out (boarding for my next flight was in 10 minutes) so I reluctantly bid farewell to Alice.

Uluru calling

Heavitree Gap

As we passed through the Gap, we drove along the Todd River, which was totally dry, as usual. It normally flows once a year and, when there's water in the Todd, it's the talk of the town. On the approach to the airport, Larry told me he has never been to Uluru (my destination, some 500km further west) but he'll 'probably go there this year'. I smiled, as Northern Territory (NT) is also known as Not Today, Not Tomorrow, Not This Year...We reached the airport just in time and shared best wishes and a strong handshake. Seeing Alice has always been a dream and I'm glad I saw it, even for only 90 minutes.

So I happily boarded my short flight to Uluru for new adventures…but that's another story.

Rotterdammit!

Rotterdam has been Architecture Capital throughout 2007. Suki Jenkins visited the world's largest port to see what all the fuss is about...

When first confronted by Rotterdam many tourists turn up their noses and head off to Delft, there to experience something a little more doll-housey and buy a clog for their pansies. They should take a closer look.

On one of the main drags near the Leeuwe Haven stands a statue by Zadkini, a figure of a tormented soul with his heart and innards torn out - a worthy symbol of this city's sorrow. Rotterdam was architecturally ripped apart and, as rebuilding came quickly after its destruction, someone forgot to give the once-grand city a new heart.

Without a real centre, the shopping streets took over and just a few cosy old cafes and bars remained. The Delfshaven, the only traditional Dutch part of the city, became a notorious junkie area. Fortunately, the art-deco neighbourhood of museums managed to survive and now glues the city together.

Experiments cubed

The cube house, or pole house - designer Piet Blom

Then, bit-by-bit, experimental structures such as the Cubic Houses, the public library, and the Pencil House - with their primary colours and odd forms - appeared. For this was suddenly the place for experimentation. Nobody cared, nobody noticed, so architects felt free to take a chance or two.

These designers certainly had spiritual precedents. Think Bijenkorf department store, the beautiful art-deco Unie Café and - Rotterdam being the home of the 'grand café' ideal - some of the best examples of industrial-style mid-century glory. All done with the esprit of 'harbour life' in the biggest harbour city in the world.

Now, the main square has been revamped with a huge modern theatre and moving red crane-like structures that dance spotted light across it's concrete. The Kunsthal, built by Rem 'Fuck art, fuck architecture' Koolhaas, stands proudly near the red brick Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum. Enjoy the art-deco homes, the Architectural Institute and the famous Erasmus University. In between stands a sculpture-bejewelled park.

Bridge of Cries

Erasmus Bridge

The Kop van Zuid, across the Maas River, has been splendidly redeveloped. The Japanese arrived, but the Dutch kept up too, and this former mud pit and once-uncrossable division of north and south is now a thriving neighbourhood boasting modern structures, shopping, entertainment and a metro-stop experience of light and form. Kop van Zuid is linked to the centre via the new Erasmus bridge - called the 'singing bridge' by locals. When the winds blow, you can hear her cry.

With the new developments occurring at warp speed, it's little wonder that Rotterdam is Architectural Capital 2007 - and it's making the most of it.

Look out for the audio walking tour, 'Sites and Stories'. With a century-plus of modern architecture in just a few square-kilometres, 40 buildings are featured. Hear the thoughts of the oft-criticised architects or the window cleaner who dreams of cleaning the Delfse Poort.

Going Dutch

If you want to really 'go Dutch', there's the Mozaik Rotterdam bicycle tour but, if you feel like winging it on your own, all the vital buildings are clearly marked and the audio-tour is free to download in English.

Expositions at the architectural institute (NAI) are themed by level. Learn about the Indonesian influence on Dutch architecture, see active-light-decked buildings (there is a noted one at Place Rogier in Brussels), or view photos by talented young artists. Rotterdam has called in key artists to add their edge to an already highly creative experience. And, if you are a real architecture fan, there's a rare chance to look back and see the complete works of Le Corbuiser - not only one of the most noteworthy architects of the 20th century, but also a painter, sculptor, photographer and designer. Check out the interdisciplinary exposition 'The Art of Architecture' in the NAI (until September).

NAI - en.nai.nl/

There's plenty more going on and the city has some charming cafés, bars and restaurants, not to mention the world- famous Hotel New York. And, as a bonus, there's fresh salt air, and you get to hear seagulls arguing.

www.rotterdam.nl

Made in Rotterdam (click) - A map, part of the theme year Rotterdam 2007 City of Architecture, that unites architecture, art and design. 'Made in Rotterdam' shows key areas in the centre of the city worth a visit. Discover the architecture of the city and its public art, or visit one of the many design shops and restaurants in unique landmarks.

An African Odyssey

Africa's hunger and violent power struggles are all-too-well known to even the least world-savvy among us, writes Lee Ober.

But what gets much less press coverage is Africa as a tourist destination, which is a real shame, as my wife and I discovered during a recent holiday. While the continent's large national parks and the abundant wildlife of its east coast have long been a destination (and rightly so) for safari goers, we also found Ghana to be a west-coast gem that seems to be often overlooked.

Ghana has had a prosperous but turbulent history in its relations with Europe. The Portuguese who first began major trading with Ghana in the 15th century - a trade which consisted of mostly gold and ivory for European luxury goods and weapons. But, as the slave trade gained momentum, Ghana became a major hub of all European trade to Africa.

And, therefore, its strategic importance grew during the height of the colonial age, when parts or all of the country (mostly its coastline) changed colonial hands many times before the whole coastline became a permanent British Crown Colony in 1847.

Independently minded

The British would keep possession until Ghana gained independence in 1957. This long-standing rule from London had lasting affects on the culture, not least the fact that Ghana's official language remains English to this day. This, along with its relative financial stability, makes it more accessible to tourists than many other African nations.

The numerous slave and trading forts along the coast of Ghana are another lasting and impressive landmark on the landscape, both physically and culturally. Many of them are remarkably well preserved and contain museums explaining the impact of the often unbelievably devastating slave trade on the collective conciseness of the Ghanaian population.

We had only a few days to spend in the country before heading west to Tanzania on safari, so we stuck to the coast, making our way south from Accra to Cape Coast. After looking at the two best-preserved and most famous forts in Cape Coast and nearby Elmina, we quickly discovered Ghana's most impressive feature, its people.

British-built slave fort at Cape Coast

The tourist trade here is not all that well established (although there are plenty of hotels and restaurants), which means less trinket vendors and more contact with the general population. Ghanaians on the whole seem less interested in your money - and more interested in you - than in many places in similar economic situations. Which is a bonus when our pasty white skin tended to get noticed as being non-local.

Life's a beach

Axim Beach

From Cape Coast, we headed further south to Axim for some time on the beach. Here, we found place to stay that is among the most picturesque you'll find anywhere. Axim Beach Hotel consists of individual, comfortable cottage- style huts perched on a ridge that juts out between a massive private swimming beach, on the left, and a surf-scattering rock coast coastline on the right. Here we spent five lovely days the way a holiday should be spent - eating, drinking, drinking, laying on the beach, drinking, and sleeping. And the hotel cost only $50 a night. You can find full details and booking on their website at www.aximbeach.com.

A beastly time

Ok, so now we were relaxed and ready to tackle the beasts of the Serengeti. Off to Tanzania we went. This was a childhood dream, a safari in Africa. And I was not disappointed. The National Parks of Tanzania are among the most famous in the world, and you need only to go there to understand why. In total, on our eight-day safari, we took in five national parks, of which two in particular stood out.

First up, Serengeti National Park. Serengeti means 'endless plain' in the Maasai language, and they ain't joking. The Serengeti plains cover more than 60,000 square kilometres and have come to epitomise the African savanna. We visited in the dry season, after the famous migration had moved on to Kenya. This meant less wildlife, of course, but also less people. But, trust me, there was no shortage of beasts to look at.

The only downside was the dust, which, by the end of the day, made you look and feel like Pigpen of the Peanut comic strip. Serengeti National Park is what I imagined when I thought of a safari - driving on dirt roads all day, getting hot and dirty, all in the hopes of spotting this animal or that. And as I suspected, it was well worth it.

What I didn't expect was Ngorongoro Crater, a park just a short distance from the pains of the Serengeti. The crater measures between 16 and 19 km across, and has a rim rising 610 metres from the crater floor. It is without doubt a natural wonder of this world. Its formation created an intact ecosystem completely apart from everything around it.

Ngorongoro Crate - Tanzania

Africa in miniature

Having water all-year-round, its wildlife does not migrate in search of greener pastures, making it a constant mini-Africa with all its wild beauty. Everything is here from wildebeests, zebras, elephants and hippos to the whole gamut of predators. Even the nearly extinct Black Rhino is more likely to be seen here than in any other place in Africa.

If you have time for just one park on your visit, you'd be silly to choose anything else. Quite simply, it's a must-see.

Carrying On In Carcassonne

Mary Nicklin (and her 'trailing spouse') took a trip to the historic city, located in a triangle between Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan in deepest, southernmost France.

We all know we should go to Carcassonne - a perfect medieval cité, the largest fortress in Europe and ten years a UNESCO Heritage Site.

But it was more recent British works which finally prompted our visit; wanting to cross Lord Rogers' Millau Bridge (stunning) and reading Kate Mosse's 'Labyrinth' (less so). There was also the eccentric 'Narrow Dog to Carcassonne' by Terry Darlington - more fun than both put together - but he arrived in the Ville Basse, which UNESCO doesn't rate quite as highly.

Millau Bridge - highest bridge structure in the world

Carcassonne's old cité really is everyone's dream historical destination - a stunning citadel-cum-chateau set high above the surrounding and equally superb countryside. In fact it's so perfect, it's almost disturbing - cobbled streets that York and Bruges would die for and smugly traffic free, the most dangerous encounter being the lone minibus serving an interior hotel.

Carcassonne Cite

Best foot forward

The only way to arrive is just to head up the hill - via the main car park - and follow the crowds on foot. On a hot Saturday, La Cité de Carcassonne within walls is packed. Tourist shops sell the same warlike souvenirs, although we spotted one unlikely establishment selling, well, just salt, beautifully packaged produce from the nearby Camargue.

Café tables perch on cobbles, everywhere is steep, manicured and hot. By now I was already planning the closing words of this review: "Go to Albi instead." But this is Cathar country and there is serious history to be had. Prosperity ended with the 13th century Albigensian Crusade. A tolerant, multi-faith community was wiped out by siege, fire, persecution…and political intrigues that make modern-day Brussels look positively languorous.

Sackable offences

The 24-year-old Viscount of Carcassonne, who had offered his protection to those being hounded for their beliefs, was imprisoned and soon died; surrounding cities and citadels were sacked. Hundreds died for their supposedly 'heretic' faith, while towns and villages that harboured them were destroyed.

While visiting the restored buildings and towers, taking Le Petit Train on its tour of the defences and ramparts, visitors can learn as little or as much as they wish.

Le Petit Train

And finally...

We headed back to the trusty Mercure Hotel and swam in brilliant sunshine.

A quick visit to the Maison Joe-Bousquet followed - the poet was paralysed in the 1914-18 war, never left his room until 1950 but wrote and entertained fellow writers there.

Then it was supper in a hidden restaurant, La Fontaine du Soleil, in a courtyard gazeboed with an ancient tree; the best cassoulet we've ever had. Finally, it was Sunday morning, earlyish, bliss. Tranquil, no crowds, with a chance to look out across the ramparts. Be sure to walk through the archways, the buildings, the history. But beware, at Carcassone, it's the visitors that get in the way!

Ryanair flies to Carcassonne from Charleroi from €24.99 each way. Go to www.ryanair.com. The writer and family stayed at the Hotel Mercure Carcassonne Porte de La Cité. Book via Accor Hotels