My “grand design” – what do I know?

I’ve just been watching one of my favourite TV programmes, Grand Designs.  Every episode is a tale of hope and of human triumph in the face of considerable adversity.  Best of all it shows that if you have a big plan it is always ten times more difficult to deliver than your worst possible estimate.

Kevin McCloud looks on and commentates in his laconic and smug, but laid back and highly entertaining style.  The thing about “reality” TV is that we can all sit back and smile with the expert, at how dumb the subjects are for not realising that they needed building regs approval for the step they are replacing with one that is 1.5 inches lower than the incumbent broken one.  Meanwhile we are led to believe that the whole project is in jeopardy as a result.

Why doesn’t somebody do a reality TV show on Italian winemakers?  Robert Parker or Christian Moueix could fly in and laugh at the irrigation techniques and tell them to pick the grapes a little earlier or change the terroir by moving to France.

My latest Italian wine experiment came from a mixed case of bin ends from one of the wine clubs.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the bottle of Domaine de Terrazza 2004 and it tasted lovely.  Peachy, with a little pear and some (but not too much) zing.  Chardonnay and Muscat combine well here.

Terrazza on the Piazza..or a chopping board to be precise (for some reason)

Hang on a minute!  This wine comes from France!  L’Ile de Beauté to be precise and a Vin de Pays of some quality.  A proper Summer wine for drinking on its own or with food and preferably in large quantities.  But don’t such Summer wines come from hotter climates than France?

Oh dear.  A quick Google search reveals that Ile de Beauté is Corsica.  France officially but geographically closer to Italy.

I am exposing my ignorance here which is why I am perfect fodder for reality TV like Grand Designs.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be writing this weblog, perhaps I should be doing more listening?  No.  On reflection I should be doing more drinking – goodbye….

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