We just got back from a couple of hours spent at the Muba 2007. We had a stroll around the wine section intending to try a few wines and buy a few cases.

In the end we gave up as the level of smoke was just intolerable, with people smoking at or close to the wine stands. How anyone can be expected to taste and fully appreciate the wines in such an atmosphere is completely beyond me.

In one case, a stallholder - of an Austrian wine merchant from whom we have pruchased in the past - was smoking behind the counter of her stall. On seeing that we breezed on by so they lost any chance to sell to us.

The last autumn Weinmesse was a little different in that the smoking area is off to one side and reasonably away from the stalls.

In future I will be giving the Muba a miss and would rather buy wine from Denner or some other cheap outlet than breathe another mouthful of secondary smoke.

Cheers,
Nick

Hey Nick, want some cheese with your wine?

(Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Don't take it personally )

Who knows by the time the next Muba shuffles round smoking in public places could be banned. We live in hope...

When visiting the wine ships in Zurich I don't seem to recall smoking being an issue, so I can only assume it was banned. Either that or hardly anyone wanted to smoke inside (i.e. very unlikely!)

I tend to agree with Nick - how there can be a wine tasting event under the heavy cloud of smoke defies belief.

My only complaint at the Zurich wine ships is that I spent ages trying different kinds of port. When I decided what I liked I told the guy "Right I'd like to buy this one and this one".

His response: "you have to go and buy them Globus".

Talk about blowing a great sale opportunity - none of the vendors can make sales there and there. I never did buy that port.

I don't know who changed the subject in my original post presumably someone who thinks the world finishes at Dietikon; but I should point out that the Muba is not just a wine show, but a sort of ideal homes exhibition. And by the way the smoke in the other sections was equally a PITA

Rgds,
Nick

That was me. Figured it was a wine show, and many people (whose worlds end at Dietikon) wouldn't know what "Muba" was, so added that clarification. I've now removed it and replaced it with the word "Exhibition".

For the record, I shall be travelling beyond Dietikon tomorrow morning to fair town of Basel.

At which point I will be immediately getting on a plane and leaving at Basel airport

And who might that be?