Despite a long break of articles because of intensive holidays, the tasting didn’t decrease And today, way to the Pharaoh’s country to taste an egyptian wine, making with Sultana…

Obviously, when you go in a muslim country, you don’t expect to consume alcohol, even more so wine. But I forgot the egyptian wine traditions in the Shesmou’s country. The country of who ? Well, Shesmou, the wine’s and press’ god in the egyptian mythology. You didn’t know that ?!? Honestly, it’s a classic that I learnt…3 weeks ago 😉 But more than the belief, the first wine’s vestiges found, come from imports for the Pharaoh, as soon as the… IVth millennium BC ! And not so more to find the first vineyards planted in its ground, around 3000 BC. Then, it isn’t so surprising to find vineyards nearby Alexandria…but more next to Cairo. We owe this oiginality to a Greek, , who, end of XIXth c., decides to create a vineyard, around 50km from the capital. And after some events, his society is one of the most important producer of wine in Egypt. So, nothing could be better to start with a , a Sultana-based wine: Pharaonic wedding !

Debate : This Sultana, from Afghanistan, is really popular in the Middle-East, whose Turkey is the word first producer. But still polemical because according to the ampelography’s pope, , in his “Dictionnaire encyclopédique des cépages”, Sultana would be the most planted cepage. However, in 2013, an australian team of academic researchers finalized  And the result didn’t match with Pierre Galet’s search. If you want to see the ranking…

But back to our first bottle. 2011 and for the price (5€) reveals a good surprise. It must be said that it was majestically escorted by humus, foul, betingan and taboulet ! A medium lemon colour, intense, which heralds a structured wine, little bit fat, but after all still acide with a fantastic resin aroma… The length is not incredible, but the price-quality ratio is really interesting ! Shesmou, I like you, so let’s go with .

No, I am not going to speak about the Persian savant’s oeuvre (I will be unable to do that) but about the vintage which Gianaclis gave to him. Same year, same cepage, but more simple. It’s fresh and fruity, without the fat and resin sides. Young, it’s excellent for appetizer. Nevertheless, Khayyam the erudite would have deserved a wine on a par with his knowledge. Then, let’s him the last word, he is still the best to talk about wine:

Have some wine, friend, drink eternal life! One glass and you’re happy, young again In the season of wine, roses, friends… Be happy a moment, this moment: life.