Jesus and the Apostles at the Marriage Feast at Cana. Jesus announces ‘I’ll turn this water into wine.’ Peter pipes up: ‘No, you won’t. You’ll buy your round like the rest of us.’
Just a wee joke as old as the Bible to illustrate that wine dates back to The Chosen People themselves.
And to ask where is the Israeli wine on our supermarket shelves?
Glass act: Israeli wine
Thankfully my Israeli friends sent me a bottle of the golden nectar to celebrate Shavuot with them.
Cheese and wine party
Shavuot marks the wheat festival in the Land of Israel.
And the commemoration of the anniversary of God’s giving of the Torah to the Children of Israel on Mount Sinai in 1312 BCE.
So how do Jews celebrate this, the Feast of Weeks?
Kibbutz in Israel
Well with dairy and the fermented juice of the grape, making it one of the oldest cheese and wine parties in history.
This, and more, we learned from our Israel hosts who warmed us all up on a cold mid-May morning.
Israeli delicious
Land of Milk and Honey they say.
Well each varietal of this elegant First Page 2017 wine from Givat Yeshayahu in the Judean Hills is separately fermented for seven months before blending.
Then 50% is aged in French oak and 50% in stainless steel producing a perfectly balanced and aromatic wine with hints of citrus and green apple.
The blend is 50% Pinot Gris, 40% Riesling and 10% Semillion.
And that bit about the Land of Milk and Honey… well, Israel is also the soil of Terra Rossa, clay and limestone.
No wonder the wedding guests turned to Jesus when they ran ou of this.
Kibbutz for hippies
Israeli trad music
The winemakers at Sphera focus solely on white wines.
Now for many an old hippy, like me, Israel and its communal kibbutzes truly represented a Promised Land.
And an Israeli tour guide from Kibbutz Ein-Carmel on our conference call and tour gave us an insight into the best of Israel.
And showed us how to dance a Hora.
Israel is Promised Land I have still to set foot on although I have viewed it from 100ft away on the other side of the River Jordan.
And this’ll have you bopping on land or sea… Sweet Caroline, oh, oh, oh, good times never felt so good (so good, so good, so good).
Reaching out: Neil Diamond
You always know you’re onto a rousing stadium song and party favourite when the crowd know their cues.
And so randomly here are some of the places where those good times with Neil Diamond have never felt so good.
The duel in the crown
I don’t know what you’re having
Pat O’Brien’s duelling pianos, Universal Orlando: And you’ll need to bring a fistful of dollars with you (no, not the film though I dare say they’d play that soundtrack too).
Somebody will almost certainly ask for Sweet Caroline, and Piano Man, so that leaves the field open for your other faves.
Randomly I asked for (and got) Barry Manilow’s Mandy… ‘And I came and I gave without taking, and you sent me away, I’m Murty.’
The Beast, The Hudson River, New York: And on the hottest day of the summer with no space on the sidewalk (remember that) then the best place to go is the Hudson.
You’ll want to take the 70ft powerboat The Beast building up to 45mph around the Statue of Liberty.
And as you pass by New Jersey on the other side there’s a nod to that state’s favourite sons Bon Jovi and Livin’ On A Prayer.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa and the US.
With the last two turning my clown into a frown.
Having set in train all my trips this year around these countries I’m having to make do with North Berwick beach these past couple of months.
Barbados hotpots
You see I don’t fancy much being one of half a million on Bournemouth beach.
Give me one of Barbados’s beaches, and I’m reminded now of a tub of chicken stew and bottles of Banks beers in Bathsheba, St Joseph East… Let’s rumba in Barbados and My kiss with Rihanna.
Of course the beach is a Bajan’s dining room where the locals put up bars like we do brollies.
And where the flying fish jump out of the sea and onto your plate.
Fish of the day
There are many different varieties of cutters including liver, cheese, ham, egg and more.
Clubbing together: Club Barbados on the Platinum Coast
Or even easier are their fish cakes… do like a local and order a ‘bread and two’. On a bun.
The Bajans will be only too happy to show you how to cook up a treat…
All of which came back to me today with the fifth anniversary of Ireland becoming the first country in the world to pass a referendum to legalise gay marriage.
So to celebrate the glorious day, here are five great destinations, Ireland included, to tie the knot.
A plush ballroom where celebs including Chris De Burgh’s daughter, the former Miss World Rosanna Davison, got married to slot machine heir Wesley Quirke.
The gardens and estate are a favourite location for movie producers but the biggest star of all is Powerscourt’s redoubtable matriarch Sarah Slazenger.
They’ll put flowers in your bedroom, tulips of course and more on this king of flower in Pictures of Amsterdam.
And you’ll have a concierge to look after your every need and plan itineraries for you while there is also the invaluable city card http://www.iamsterdam.com.
As well, as of course, caviar in the Vinkeles restaurant. Well, it is your honeymoon.
Greek gods
And the bride wore white: In Kythera
Where all the men look like Zeus and I could easily have been turned.
If you want the Athens experience then you’ll want to take in the Athens Riviera http://www.athensattica.com where all the Beautiful People hang out.
While the Greek islands have always drawn us there.
With some even forgetting to go back like Dutch walking tour leader Frank and his partner who have settled down in Kythera.