It’s all Greek to us…
The United Kingdom is not famed for its positive outlook. In 2012’s Happy Planet Index we finished below Israel, Palestine and Iraq, this seems surprising what with our being relatively wealthy and peaceful all things considered. If you hadn’t heard about our standing in the Happy Planet Index, that’s probably because it wasn’t very widely reported. But why wasn’t it? We love a spot of bad news. Something meaty to moan about. Surely we could’ve gone to town on that one? Well the truth is that it wasn’t really bad news at all. In 2006 we languished in 108th place; by 2009 we’d made a giant leap to 74th; now we’re in 41st; if we carry on at this rate we’ll be in the top 10 for the next one. Watch out Costa Rica, you may be the greenest and happiest country in the world, but we’re coming for you. Unfortunately good news rarely makes the news.
One exception occurred a couple of weeks ago when the Institute for Economics and Peace published the UK Peace Index, which revealed that violent crime is falling faster in the UK than in any other country in Western Europe. We may never be able to compete with the Germans when it comes to penalties, economic prudence or Riesling, but when it comes to happiness or peace we can. But the most interesting thing about the UK Peace Index was that our perception of violent crime is up. We’re becoming increasingly convinced that we’ll fall prey to an atrocity, despite the fact that the probability of this is reducing. Is this because violent crime and fewer bobbies on the beat are far more likely to make the news than the positive statistics that show we are safer? Why is good news not news? Reports saying “young people are much worse off than their parents” don’t mention that luxuries like mobile phones, the internet, foreign travel and a choice between green or red jalapeños in supermarkets are often a given now, but weren’t for previous generations. Our poor ol’ grandparents’ nachos must have been a woefully drab affair.
Before you get worried, we’re not going all Harold Macmillan on you, and you know we love the press, but we do wonder whether it would have a positive impact on our current economic situation if we heard less about how dire things are economically and instead focussed on the successes and positives. Wouldn’t this help build consumer and business confidence where the politicians have failed? We’re not calling for feel-good American-style cute news story features like the water skiing squirrel in Anchorman, but a little positive perspective wouldn’t go amiss. Imagine how refreshing it would be if every bad news feature was balanced by something good like how well English wine producers like Gusbourne Estate did at Prowein, Europe’s largest wine fair, last month?
You may be asking where on Earth we’re going with all this. Well the answer is Greece. We’re bored of hearing so much negative news about our favourite wine producing archipelago (oops, did we just offend New Zealand?). If you turn on the news you could easily get the impression that Greece has had its day and has been condemned to the past. But when it comes to wine we actually think that Greece is the future.
This may seem like an unusual thing to say about a country with 6,500 years of winemaking history and if you weigh up the evidence, the odds may appear heavily stacked against our claim. Most Greek wine is made from obscure grape varieties, like Agiorgitiko, Moschofilero, Xynomavro and Assyrtiko, which are near impossible to pronounce, especially after a glass of wine. Winemaking is on a comparatively small scale, which means that there are few brands large enough to do the ambassadorial legwork needed to crack the UK market. Modernisation has been rather slow, there’s the love-hate relationship with Retsina, oh and you may have heard about a spot of economic trouble over there.
But don’t forget, the Greeks introduced winemaking to Italy and the Romans then took it to France, so the two largest wine producing countries in the world effectively have Hellenic heritage (they may not appreciate being told that though). Those perceived weaknesses described above are, in our opinion, Greece’s hidden strengths. One of our bestselling wines is Quinta de Bons Ventos, a Portuguese red made from weird grape varieties, so maybe this isn’t a hindrance. In fact it makes a nice change from the usual suspects like Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc, and who cares if the names are difficult to say if they are easy to drink, right? Small scale production means these wines are desirably unique and boutique, their lack of fame means that they represent great value for money and their survival through the economic tumult is proof of their quality. And finally we aren’t the only ones who think that Greek wines are the future, we have it on good authority that Hellenic vines are being planted in Australia, as winemakers there think that with climates warming they are going to need just this kind of hardy grape variety.
So we took it upon ourselves to invest in the future. We’ve brought in a raft of new Greek wines, which you can pick up in our shops or online here. If you aren’t sure what to expect from Greek wines, we say imagine the food friendliness of Italian wines crossed with the rustic charm of the Portuguese. We also have two brand new Greek beers from Fix, which are available in our shops. Fix was the number one brewery in Greece, it unfortunately went into decline, but was resurrected and has risen like a phoenix from the flames and its beers are perfect with souvlaki, pork from the flames. Beyond that, we say, go forth and explore…
Greek philosopher Aristotle said that “happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” We’re no philosophers, but we think he is saying “happy is good” and we also think he’d have told us that there is more to Greece than the financial crisis. Our philosophy is positive thinking and positive drinking.
This post was written while drinking: Rising star of the Greek wine world, Apostolos Thymiopoulos’ Atma White. This wine is vegan, organic and made using biodynamic principles; we think that means it makes the world a better place, just by its very being. But it’s the peach, pear and lemon laced taste of this Oddbins exclusive that puts everything refreshingly in perspective. It might even bring out your inner philosopher. It could be Heraclitus, Socrates, Pythagoras or Plato; we’re not sure which though, because like Pyrrho we believe it’s impossible to know anything for certain.
What do you think of our Chancellor?
I move to Hackney because there are plenty mezcal bars near here and of course for los Juegos Olímpicos. Did you ever see anything so good as El Tricolor winning the gold medal? It was lucky we win the football because almost all our other medals come from the ladies. Hombres perezosos Mexicanos. Anyway, maybe you miss this because you were busy with Jessica, Mo and Wiggo. There are no jobs for penguins in Hackney so I find one in Iceland on Kentish Town Road in the North London. It is very nice because it is always cold and there is plenty frozen fish. I take the shiny overground train to Gospel Oak every day because there are too many steps at Kentish Town. Steps are no a friend of the penguin. Lo siento, maybe this is boring if you no live in London. On the way to work I read my favourite book, Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov. Mi madre, she tell me “this novel is post-Soviet literary masterpiece.” Maybe she right, but me, I just like it because there is a penguin in it. In the UK there are so many penguins on books, but not so many in books. Anyway, one day I look up from my book and see this nice-looking shop called the Oddbins, so I go to have a look.
Oddbins go barking mad…
Next to be collared was Tribal Wines’ Virat, hailing from Mallorca and made mainly from indigenous grape varieties Manto Negro and Callet (a small parcel, only available in 
Cats are also warm, cuddly and loveable, but for some reason they don’t seem quite as trustworthy. They roam around ‘til all hours and look down their doggone noses at you. Our shop on Allerton Road in Liverpool was frequently frequented by a feline fella. Called Oddcat by some and Trevor by others, this furball had built up quite the Facebook following. Then one day he upped sticks and moved away without so much as a goodbye, leaving our guys, Andrew, Mike and Ste, forlorn and friendless (they weren’t really, but we got carried away with the alliteration). Dogs wouldn’t do that, they’re pack animals that forge strong emotional bonds. Unlike cats they’re friendly and respond to names, as do we. If you need proof just pop into one of our shops in Edinburgh and you can have a chat with Caitlin, Mike or Graeme, you can meet Dave, Simon, Gosia, Woodrow and Kate in London, Glasgow is home to Jamie, Lorna and Ross or why not head to Bristol to shoot the breeze with Owen or Oxford to chew the fat with Tom? Our banter is free, the quality may vary.
All this trustworthiness aside, dogs are also mischievous. From time to time they’ll chew your mobile, run away with a string of sausages or leave a little present on the lawn. We also have a mischievous side; every so often we’ll invite stormtroopers into our shops, have nudity on our posters or wade into a political debate. But we’re not just a scrappy little Terrier, causing mischief and picking fights with dogs that are much bigger and scarier than us. No no no. If we were a cross-breed, we’d have a bit of Lassie-esque Collie in us too: we’re team players and we happily go the distance when Timmy falls down the well (did you know that interestingly Timmy never actually once fell down a well?). For example, we have em-barked (geddit?) on a relationship with two brilliant charities, Comic Relief and War Child. Until 15 March 2013, we will be donating 10% from the takings of eight lovely wines to the former, which fights poverty at home and abroad; and we’ll continue to give £1 from each sale of the cracking 
Pride, Prejudice and Wine
For the last two months we’ve been spreading love almost willy-nilly. As Edgar Allan Poe put it “We loved with a love that was more than love.” But now we have decided to give our love focus. So during this, the first month of 2013, we are going to turn our attention to four groups of people who, in 2012, did not always receive the love that they probably deserved. Each weekend in January we will be offering a different select group a 10% discount off full price wines (including sparkling and fortified wines) in any Oddbins shop. The first weekend will put Mums in the spotlight, followed by the journalists and bankers in the second, the much maligned Germans in the third and, bringing up the rear for that final weekend in January, those flame-haired marvels: the gingers. If anybody manages to pick up the discount every weekend and can prove it by way of receipts, they may be in line for some bonus extra loving…
Before you get angry, we’re not talking about Yo Momma, we’re talking about all Mommas. Mums generally have it rough. We aren’t saying that Dads don’t pull their weight, but we think it’s fair to say that Mums shoulder an uneven proportion of the burden during the year and particularly over the festive period. They’ve been run ragged by the family; shopping, cooking, wrapping, cleaning, transporting and planning. Now the sales have started (how quickly those presents have been forgotten) and the kids aren’t back to school yet; things haven’t let up in the slightest.
Finance became the UK’s most important sector after successive governments decimated the industrial base of our country. We rely on it every day and our economy is literally “banking” on all those who work in it not upping sticks and moving to Switzerland. A “banker” is an individual who is engaged in the business of banking. Last year the word has become a derogatory term used to refer to only a select group of rogue investment bankers. However, every time we chastise “bankers” for the financial crisis, how must this make tellers, analysts, loan officers et al feel? They have done nothing to deserve this derision, but it must affect the morale of the whole group. And why do we revel in bad news and ignore good things that banks do, like HSBC’s ground-breaking programme to educate primary schools students on personal finance, RBS offering charity donation services through their ATMs, Barclays’ Community Sports Awards, Mr Banks of Dawes Tomes Mousley Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s U-turn on votes for women in Mary Poppins, etc.
Similarly, not all journalists are listening in on our telephone conversations or stalking the celebrities that sell their newspapers. Should we actually be looking more closely at ourselves? Why do we care what Sienna Miller and Hugh Grant are up to? And do we really want our politicians to control the only people who are able to hold them to account? What will be next in line to face regulation? Twitter? Blogs? Democracy? Besides, wasn’t it the free press that eventually dragged the phone hacking scandal into the light, where politicians and the law had failed to? On that note can we please leave Auntie alone? Yes the BBC has made some mistakes; most organisations of their magnitude probably have, but they are still a great institution, a credit to our nation, and no other broadcaster holds a candle to them. When politicians make mistakes, heads at the top rarely roll as they have at the Beeb; it is more often than not a civil servant further down the line that catches the brunt of the flak. How many ministers resigned over the West Coast Mainline franchise debacle?
Germans. Why is everyone so mean to them? Studiously keeping their flat-pack-homed, forest-clad, industrious country immaculately clean, with their finances neatly in order, in accordance with the Micawber principle, “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.” And what do they get for all this careful, cautious behaviour, which has seen their economy blossom into Europe’s largest? They have to dole out money to other countries left, right and centre and they still somehow come out looking like the bad guys, for insisting that indebted countries adopt more prudent behaviour.
Gender. Race. Religion. Sexuality. Weight. OK, we’re not perfect in this county when it comes to persecution, but things are improving slowly. All except the final taboo: ginger hair. Last year was shaping up to be a good year for redheads, with sterling performances from Greg Rutherford, Damien Lewis, Christina Hendricks and Prince Harry. Tesco didn’t print an anti-ginger Christmas card. The University of California reported that ginger felines are preferred over their white, black and tabby counterparts because they are stereotypically more “friendly and loveable”. However, all the good work was cancelled out by Lindsay Lohan’s downward spiral, customer Laura Payton’s abuse from a Halifax employee, Dundee man Max MacAskill being jailed for having red hair and Rebekah Brooks, who continued the work she started in 2011: Operation Convince the World Gingers are Not to be Trusted, which culminated in her £10.8m payoff. Oh yeah, and South Park-inspired Kick a Ginger Day enjoyed yet another outing.
But we’ve been learning too: you told us you’d love more local beer on our shelves and, loving you deeply as we do, we took this very seriously and now have nearly 150 local ales in total. From southwest London we have, for example, the very popular Rocky Head Pale Ale, made by Steve Daniels, a former Head Buyer with Oddbins, while in Oxford we have the festive brew Tannenbaum, from the Compass Brewery. Also from London we have a range of exceptional ales from microbreweries like Moncada and London Fields. In Bristol we have the spiced Bristoltoe from the Bristol Beer Factory, which won the 2011 BBC Food and Farming Awards, while in Scotland we have Jarl from Fyne Ales, which scooped gold at last year’s International Beer Challenge.
“Life is for living and wine is for drinking. It’s easy to stick with what we know – we all have our favourites. But it’s good to try new things; it keeps things vibrant. With a bit of guidance from Dave and the team at Oddbins Crouch End, I have taken some small steps outside of my usual style, and I haven’t looked back.” – Fran Evans, Winner of The Palate 2012
Or, take 
You may have seen in our stores one of our small parcels, the Conceito Contraste wines. Produced by a very talented lady, who also makes wine in South Africa and New Zealand, as well as some daringly labelled Ports, the white in particular is an unusual wine. Here in the UK when we think of most Portuguese whites we think of crisp and spritzy Vinho Verde, but the Conceito Contraste Branco is an oaky white that really packs a punch. Their red wine bottles inspired Drew from our Liverpool store to take the photo below, which made us think that he and Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth might have been separated at birth (Drew is the one on the right with the bottles, in case you were wondering). These wines are limited parcels, so we’ll try and get them listed on the website soon, but at the rate they’re selling we’ll need to limit the number of bottles to one per customer. Both wines are however available in the majority of our stores, so get yourself down to one soon. Concurring with the guys at Quinta dos Roques, Conceito tell us that things are shaping up nicely this year and if you are as juvenile as we are, you might enjoy the turn-of-phrase in the last harvest report they sent us, in which they told us that: “Bastardo has just reached 13% alcohol.” Although this may sound like the description of Premier League footballer during a night on the beers, they are in fact referring to another of Portugal’s wonderfully named grape varieties.
