Wine & Waves
(Friday 6) Saturday 7+Sunday 8 May 2022
It may not be obvious but we believe there is a connection between an antique Jaguar and a good aged wine and that’s why we decided to investigate it at the best winery in the Peloponnese.
Like a very good classic Jaguar, an aged wine needs proper maintenance. A rich aged wine like the ones maturing in the cellar of the Skoura Estate is a lot like an antique Jaguar in its garage: both need the right humidity, temperature and love.
Also, both are waiting for someone who understands their value, to take them out to breathe and for all to enjoy.
Just as the Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate records the date of manufacture, chassis, engine, body and gear box numbers, so the label of serious wines lists the bottling date, grape variety, terroir composition, and bouquet. In the Concourse d’Elegance of classic cars there is the President of the Committee of Judges. Thus and exclusively for the Jaguar Club of Greece, the famous Master of Wine Konstantinos Lazarakis honored us with his presence. Like a great conductor, he has conducted a symphony with a crescendo of bouquets from the finest labels and successful years of “premium wines” of the Skouras Estate.
In this prive’ seminar, we learned many strange secrets such as the aging of “Peplo”: an aromatic rosé with 1/3 Agiorgitiko matured in acacia barrels, 1/3 Syrah “sleeping” on its lees in a stainless tank and 1/ 3 Mavrofilero which gives it the final pink color thanks to the skin wrapped in a fabric “veil”, dipped in the ceramic amphoras we see here behind Mr. Giorgos Skouras.
It was inspired by amphorae from Ancient Greece when ceramic amphorae were invented and then adopted by the Romans as the primary means of transporting and storing wine or oil throughout the Mediterranean and the provinces of the Roman Empire until about the 16th century.
From the idyllic landscape with vines, we drove to the Saronic Gulf and ended up at the seaside “Kalamaki Beach Hotel” where we had been fenced off with special parking spaces just for our own cars.
There we enjoyed the dazzling view of the sea and, after the oenology seminar, in the afternoon we took part in a relaxed “Happy Hour & Technical Seminar” in the garden on the theme of “Spark plugs”: different performances for each type and how they help us to diagnose the right blend in the carburetors. In the evening we dined at the hotel’s rich buffet overlooking a magical sunset.
Sunday was another sunny day perfect for a coast to coast ride from the Saronic Gulf to the Gulf of Corinth to Lake Vouliagmeni in Loutraki. Designated by UNESCO as a place of special natural beauty, this small turquoise lagoon is located very close to the area of the archaeological site of Heraion. Its beach is sandy and its waters communicate with those of the Gulf of Corinth by a narrow channel. Its waters are much saltier than the open sea and are renewed with the phenomenon of tides and ebbs every 6 hours.
The “Caribbean” color of the sea led us to the beautiful “Ypanema”, the best and coolest coffee restaurant of the lagoon. He had also reserved tables for us and of course…VIP seats for our cars!
Although some of us still had their Jaguars at the mechanic for maintenance, they didn’t want to miss out on this special event and came with a conventional car, which is why they don’t appear in our photos. But the important thing for all of us is first of all friendship and honest relationships, and then the common love and admiration for our cars.
