As I have regaled you before, Moldova's big export is wine.
As a reminder, it is very different from whatever you think wine is. As is the attitude toward it.
I announced in one of my twelfth grade classes that I went to the national wine festival in Chisinau this weekend, and i was immediately asked what wines I drank, from where and what chemical differences there were in the making of each -- obviously the reason for there being no age where drinking is illeagal here is simply that everyone makes the stuff as well as drinks it, taking it from simple enjoyment to geniuine snobbish artisanship.
phew.
The festival itself was in a big park. Super frumos stands looking alot like parade floats were shouldering each other outta the way to toss dixie cups of whites and reds at us easy drunks. Also, there were bottles for sale. 5 of us went in on a 4 litre of nameless red, made two weeks ago. It was sweet and potent. It came in the biggest plastic bottle I've ever seen. It was worth every drop.
The other two parts of the festival were Arts and Crafts (almost bought some sheep skins, but am saving for a trip to Majorca in January) and Food. The food was fantastic. so many tasty kebabs... i bought a chunk of the most gorgeously seasoned pork bigger than my fist. Marinade consisted of a plastic 4 litre bottle of beer--the cap wasnt twisted off, just had a tiny hole stabbed in the cap for squirting. Rednecks, beware, Moldovans got youse beat for ingenuity.
As I was licking bbq sauce off my plate (bbq sauce was a total surprise, and a gladly taken one at that!) a Russian man began hitting on me (how do they find me? do I have a sign on my back: "speak russian? I don't! please, i wish to be picked up") and was saved by Matt and super fabulous Jon.
phew.
Slept on a balcony in some borrowed sleeping bags with the older experienced volunteers.... So fun.
I invited those knowledgable students to come with me next year.
5 comments:
Hey, sounds like the wine festival was a real hoot! I'm glad to hear you had a good time. And I like your account of the family winemaking business--do they sell the wine, or is just for personal consumption?
Goot times!
Oh, and just as a quess, are there a lot of blondes around? Many northern Russians are blond, as the Vikings (your wild and crazy Sandahoovian ancestors!) made it pretty deep into Russia back in the old days. I think they burned Moscow at one point.
Soooo...I could see how someone might think you're Russian, particularly if you're one of the few blondes around!
What do you think of this theory?
I want to go to a Moldovian Wine Festival! It's sounds like barely contained madness/site of a Duran Duran video. Also camping when you get back sounds like a splendid idea. I'm going to hold you to it.
Your father told me to send this to you. I didn't know how better to get it to you.
http://www.thispeanutlookslikeaduck.com/
Good deal Steph!
BTW, did The Dead play at this festival?
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