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Writer's pictureTassos Pikounis

"Open Doors": It takes two to Tango...

On Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29, from 11 in the morning until 7 in the afternoon, the Wineries throughout Greece will "Open their Doors" for you -the wine friends- to visit their wineries. Organizers and visitors, as in any event, are the two parts that should both contribute to its success.



A wine lover may meet a winemaker at many wine-related events: wine exhibitions, tastings and wine presentations, as well as visits to wineries. Of all these events and opportunities or others that I cannot recall at this moment, the one that in my opinion gives the best image of the winemaker, is a visit to the winery. There, in his "natural environment", in his workplace, one can better understand the winemaker and his relationship with his wines.



This is one of the reasons why I so strongly support "Open Doors", this pan-Hellenic event in which many winemakers participate - we would like to say most, but we would probably lie - in which wine lovers are invited - for two days - to visit the estates and taste the wines of the wineries free of charge, or to participate in events organized by most of them.


If you love wine as an "accompaniment" to your celebrations or entertainment in restaurants, etc., as you love other drinks, food, etc., you are entitled to have requirements from events like the "Open Doors" - and you are welcome you have! In fact, you are the vast majority of those who visit Open Doors, but also the large "reservoir" where they come from those of the next category ...


But there are those of you who love wine a little… more: Let's say that some of you have started flirting with it, some of you have entered the phase of the beginning of a love affair, some of you have already been in love badly, and some - fortunately a few! - tend to become "experts", to say goodbye to the pleasures of wine and good morning to the aromas of lychee, to the tastes of wet stone of Krakatoa etc etc.


It does not matter what category you belong to, but my dear friends, you all have obligations to your "love", the same as towards any of your other "loves" or lover: You must pay attention to her, take care of her, express your love often, and give her some gifts on holidays, anniversaries, etc. So you should visit the wineries, especially at events like the "Open Doors". You have a duty to become the "leader", the driver and the mentor of the others. Go to the wineries with your friends who want to be introduced to the wonders of the wine world. You need and must encourage good winemakers to keep going.


Finally, it is your duty to discover what bad there is about these events, and bring it to the attention of the wine lovers. You are the ones who either by phone, or by email, or by messages on Facebook or Twitter, or whenever we meet at such wine events, you may inform us about the ups and downs you encounter. Well done, this is a very positive thing to do, for both wine lovers and winemakers, too ...


Let us now come to the "leading person" of this dance, to you, the winemakers ...


"Open Doors" is not an obligation, it is not a process that is done "out of nowhere". I appreciate more the winemakers who keep their doors closed these two days than some who leave them half open. Wine lovers come to have fun, to have a good day, usually with their family and children. They are not "tasters". They do not want to find naughty winemakers, cheap tastings, wines served with the ... thimble, trays with cookies and those miserable square buns and cheeses. Let some winemakers understand this well, and let them take as examples wineries such as the Gerovasiliou Estate, the Avantis, the Palyvos, the Kyr-Gianni, the ALPHA estate and many more throughout Greece. The people who visit them can say a lot about it...


It takes two to Tango... Both dancers must know the "steps", the rules of the dance, the obligations towards each other. Then the dance will be enjoyable, for both of them of them and for those who watch them.



Cheers!

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