Fellow Wine Lovers,
We saw that they found a spare seat on a flight to Rwanda for the PM- the bad news is it wasn’t one of the Home Office’s special tickets, he will be coming back. Perhaps Rwanda is the new fridge, as it appears he went there to announce he wouldn’t resign after the dreadful showing at the by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton. Honiton has returned Conservatives since 1841. Save the man, destroy the party!
The sharp eyed amongst you will notice that we’ve adorned the window with tennis paraphernalia as The Championship starts at the All England Club just across the park. We’ve seen a few of the cars around and are expecting a nice buzz about the area for the next week or two. No world ranking points on offer but who cares, right, it’s Wimbledon!
As an aside, Wednesday in 2003 a 17 year old Rafa Nadal made his Grand Slam debut. Wednesday in 2022, he beat Stan Wawrinka at Hurlingham.
This weekend also bears witness to Diana Ross making her Glastonbury debut. Sunday @ 16.00 on the Pyramid Stage, since you ask. There are some of the lesser known names worth checking out like the Ishmael Ensemble from Bristol, as well as the better known names like Paul McCartney from Liverpool, who’s on the Pyramid stage Saturday @ 21.30.
One that really surprised us was Gong (tonight @23.00 on the Glade stage). Much as a return to the 1970’s is very much in vogue, we had no idea they were still going. For the uninitiated they are a bit jazz, a bit psychedelic and a bit space rock but quite a lot prog. They were one of the first bands signed to Virgin records, and very much what you’d expect to catch a sighting of on an Old Grey Whistle Test repeat on BBC4.
Anyway, there’s something at Glastonbury for everyone so turn the Sonos up and pull up the armchair.
In wine news, just when you think the government couldn’t say, or do, anything more surprisingly stupid Jacob Rees-Mogg has parked up his horse and cart, doffed his titfer and suggested that a rule that requires sparkling wine to be sold in glass bottles could be ditched, allowing plastic bottles instead. That’ll be the glass bottles invented in England in the 17th century. Described by Christopher Merrett and produced by Sir Robert Mansell’s factories in Newcastle. You’d think he’d be up to speed on the subject given the era!
I guess we could just roll up with an empty R. Whites bottle? Then we could sneak down to the fridge in the middle of the night – I’m a secret Sussex wine drinker….
Something else going back to the 1970’s is the film business. In July, watch out for The Railway Children Return with a rather more grown up Jenny Agutter the only member of the original cast. Let’s hope it’s not derailed by any strikes.
Tasting This Weekend
We thought we’d pop over to Piemonte in Northern Italy this week and open up a pair of Poveros. Arriving in the white Cinquecento will be Tenuta Fratelli Povero Roero Arneis 2020 (£14.99) the first vines were planted in 1948 and the family are producing a fabulous medium bodied white with mineral and stone fruit character.
Rolling up on the red Colnago Super Saronni will be Cantine Povero Langhe 2017 (£13.99) an impressively velvety red that’s a blend of Nebbiolo, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon and a real versatile drop on the food matching front.
Cheers!