So long 2009

So, farewell 2009. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It began with the dramatic collapse of the pound against other currencies and ended with a period of reasonable stability. It started with doom, gloom and talk of recession, it ended with restaurants packed with customers over the Christmas period and a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a year about cutting corners and cheap deals, but about daring to be different and maintaining high quality both if you happened to be a wine merchant or a restaurant.

It was the year when the government hammered the drinks industry with their one-size fits all taxation policy.

Despite the currency uncertainties and the necessity to bring out an additional list early in the year it was a successful year for us with lots of new business and some exciting new partnerships. Outside the UK La Cava Espana and Cave Italia began to take shape. Back home Terroirs received almost universal critical acclaim and became one of the hottest dining destinations in town. In September we received several awards from the International Wine Challenge and the shop was runner-up in the Decanter Retailer awards.

We continued to champion the real wine agenda; our largest-ever trade testified to that, and Terroirs meanwhile became a brilliant showcase for natural wines. We were both praised and criticised for our espousal of certain extreme wines, but we are pleased to have generated a debate which made people think that there might be exciting alternatives to bland, samey, mass-produced wines. The greatest pleasure in our job is sourcing hidden gems from small growers and the greatest reward is then seeing them on the tables of some of London’s best (not necessarily most expensive) restaurants.

There is plenty to look forward to in the coming months for all of us. I know everyone at Les Caves de Pyrene wishes all our customers and friends a happy, healthy and prosperous year in 2010.

Just a final thought from Eric Zorn: “Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle.”

Santat!