For those about to ski...we salute you

I've been a little slack on the blog front of late. Like Russell Brand, I have issues, but mine aren't to do with having a dodgy barnet. Mine are technology related. Anyhow, I post this little number and say: "Mr Urban Skier, we salute you!"

Wayne Bridge's the Gap Between Premiership Footballers and Toddlers

Wayne Bridge petulantly knocks the ball out of Eboue's hand, gets a little slap round the back of the neck, has a bit of a knee trembler, spots that he's been spotted and like a small child throws himself to the ground a la my good self when I was about two. Class.

Terroir.....my arse

In my lost blog I endeavoured to keep an online record of the wines that I have been consuming. I immediately failed after last weeks post to record my opinions of the wines consumed then. Well so to this week.... Friday Hegarty No. 3 from the Minervois. I didn't like this one iota. In fact I didn't drink it aside from an initial taste. I would rather have consumed some neat blackcurrant cordial. Lesson Learned = stick to Ozzie wines Two Hands Gnarly Dude Shiraz. Brilliant. Everything I want in a Shiraz. Big, with a bit of spice, silken finish with light tannins. One to commit to memory for future consumption and a producer to keep an eye out for. Saturday 2005 Henschke Henry's Seven. An interesting Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viogner from the Barossa Valley. I was expecting big things from this wine, and whilst on the nose it was very appealing, on the pallet it offered less and didn't really open up. This is one of Henschke's lower end wines and so I shall be keeping an eye out for other stable mates. St Hallet Gamekeeper's Reserve. For a sub tenner wine this is rather enjoyable. Another interesting Barossa blend, along with the ubiquitous Shiraz and Grenache an element of Touriga is thrown in for good measure. That's enough for now, I'm sounding like a poncy wine cnut.

Is he carrying a watermelon?

I sincerely hope this fellows efforts were rewarded!

Last of the NZ Reds

I am trying to resist the temptation to post for postings sake, but at the same time I am mindful that I want to maintain some kind of momentum, conscious of that fact that there have been other initiatives in the past that I have undertaken, that have fallen by the way-side somewhat. So given this quandary, I have decided to post anyway. The reason: I was thinking that my blog could serve as some kind of permanent reminder of the wines that I have consumed. Why was I thinking this? Well when my wife and I went to New Zealand on our honeymoon last year we managed to return with a number of fine wines, the quantity of which has slowly dwindled 'til we find ourselves in the position that today we have decanted the last of the NZ reds, a Nautilus 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Reserve. Sounds fancy....well wait until you smell it. At first I thought it was corked (it was that rare thing amongst NZ wines - it actually had a cork rather than the more frequently encountered Stelvin enclosure - screwcap to thee and me) but I think that was just a slight mustiness around the bottle neck, and once decanted (not as pretentious an act as it may seem, it gives the wine a chance to breathe and relax a little more) all seemed well. At this stage I cannot say what it is like, it is still sitting in the Decanter in the Kitchen. As my wife and I plan to enjoy an evening in its company, I thought it only correct to purchase another bottle of wine - this one a 2003 d'Arenberg Galvo Garage - an interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. I like the way that d'Arenberg - and so many other Australian winemakers have a story behind the production of their wines, or at least the initial inspiration for them. Hopefully with my work-in-progress relocation to Brisbane, I should be in a position to get to try more Australian varietals than I currently have access to in the UK market. I should get to see if they do indeed keep some of the best wines to themselves. Although much of the viticultural action is in South Australia and Victoria, I am certainly keen to sample the output of the boutique wineries of Queensland - particularly Robinson family vineyards. Maybe I'll post tomorrow to serve as a reminder of how the Nautilus and 'Galvo' went.