Granthams Grapes

It's no longer naff to try New World wines, says Leslie!

It's no longer naff to try New World wines, says Leslie I think it's fair to say the west European domination of the wine trade was originally broken by the arrival of the Australians and the other countries of the New World. When we realised that great wines could be had for a fraction of the cost, it was a very exciting time and we weren't afraid to experiment.

To try a new wine that wasn't French was no longer a naff thing to do - quite the contrary. So we'd broken through the snobbish attitudes that prevailed and had become increasingly aware of wines on offer from other countries such as the eastern Mediterranean and the Eastern Bloc.

But having discovered the wines of Romania and Hungary, for example, it is now the turn of Chile - which really is very good news. Chilean wines are fantastic and haven't to my knowledge recieved the recognition and interest they deserve in this country.

The wines of Chile possibly owe their new-found recognition to a curious little story, which I found quite fascinating. About a hundred years ago the Chilean government imported vine cuttings and wine-makers from France to estblish vineyards of French traditions in a place where terrain and climate are similar to California. Sounds like paradise on earth, doesn't it?

Anyway, this resulted in fabulous wine that was unbelievably good and consistent. Meanwhile, back in France, the vineyards were being destroyed by a disease of the roots - which makes Chilean vineyards possibly the oldset French vines in existence! Even now most European vineyards have to graft on American root stock which is resistant to this same disease that can still be a problem for winemakers today.

Leslie pictured in the Sunday Mirror Magazine for the 1993 christmas wine olympics.

Rhapsody in Red

Like most of you, I imagine, my first experience of Hungarian wine was Bulls Blood. Do you remember the TV ads extolling its virtue? I tried it at a drama school students party - in the days when no get-together was complete without someone turning up with a bottle of this quirkily-named red under their arms - and vowed never again. Bulls Blood packed the kick of a mule.

Now I was in Hungary's capital city to try the other wines they send round the world. Even without a few glasses inside you, Budapest is the perfect backdrop for the imagination to run riot in black and white - with memories of those spy films full of big hairy men in greatcoats hugging each other.

The Hungarians certainly make a tremendous effort to ensure visitors have a great time. Simple entertaining is something the Eastern European countries excel at- family and friends crowded round the table, with robust food in plentiful supply and wonderful red wines to wash them down. They have a saying there that wine left in the bottle is no good, so they tend to fill your glass to the top, and as often as they can.

Tokay is possibly the nation's number one drink and is something my hosts, Hungarovin - oneof the biggest wine producers of Hungary, if not the biggest - are extremely proud of. It ranges from a dry, sherry-like drink to a deep, rich pudding wine.Once uopn a war in 1650, grapes were left on the vine and turned to raisins with intensely concentrated juice. The Czars of Russia were said to go bananas for it, although I found it too much of an acquired taste.

Wine Expert!

Leslie loves his wine and has a great knowledge of the stuff , which led to him having his own show 'Grantham's Grapes'. Leslie knows the difference between cheap Sainsbury's plonk and a half decent glass of red!

If you look carefully Leslie can be spotted amongst the green vineyard!!