Fellow Wine Lovers,
So, what do we talk about this week?
We started the week with the much anticipated opening of the gates of hell as the devils hairdryer was pointed directly at us for 48 hours. First red weather warning and, my goodness, didn’t it do well as it pretty much brought the country to a standstill. Our representatives in Petworth tell us that all of the shops decided to shut on Monday and Tuesday, with the exception of the Co-op; other reporters tell of melting roads and runways in the Midlands whilst, more locally, the District line decided that terminating all trains at Wimbledon Park was the most helpful thing to do – this did little for our sales but did allow us to become an impromptu Information Desk, directing people to the nearest bus stops, a role we usually only fulfil during the tennis fortnight.
And then it was done. A drop of 10 degrees on Wednesday, some rain in the evening and it was all over. I fear the heat might have got to us though, as we have been having some disturbing hallucinations, one involving Boris Johnson getting a standing ovation in parliament yesterday and the other suggesting there is a 50/50 chance of Liz Truss becoming the next PM! Pass me the cold poultice, I think I’ve got high fever….
Elsewhere, from across the pond we are told by the director of the CIA that there is no evidence that Vladimir Putin is unstable or in bad health – clearly we don’t know about Vlad’s health but I think we’ve been able to see for some time now many signs of being unstable. Staying in the US, a Lancet study, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, has stated that anyone under the age of 40 should limit themselves to no more than two teaspoons of wine or two and a half tablespoons of beer per day if they want to avoid risking their health. Having done the maths, that equates to a pint roughly every two weeks – hmmmmm….
Over here, we saw cricket hero Ben Stokes retire from the One Day format – Test cricket is more fun and T20 is more lucrative – but also he has highlighted that the pressure on top sportsmen, in all sports, is getting out of hand. “We’re not cars where you can just fill us up with petrol or diesel and then let us go. It does have this effect on you, the amount of playing and travelling we do – it all adds up.” Wise words.
Meanwhile, Wayne has been glued to the Tour De France of course, the one sport that possibly would argue with Mr Stokes’ assertions above. The fact that these cyclists can pedal, in the equivalent temperatures to the ones that we were advised to stay inside with the curtains shut, day after day with a few gel bars and some water just makes you sit back in awe – quite extraordinary!
And finally the summer holidays are upon us, proper ones this time, with hopes of air travel and destinations more exotic than those we have been visiting for the last couple of years. Portugal seems to be a hot favourite this year. So, with this in mind we thought we’d give you a bit of preparation for your upcoming trip by opening some Portugeezers tonight and tomorrow.
For the white it has to be the ever popular Vilacetinho Vinho Verde 2021 – £9.99. Casa de Vilacetinho was founded in 1790 and is one of the oldest producers of Vinho Verde. This wine is crisp and dry from south facing, granite slopes. Lively, zingy, zesty with a light spritz and, at only 10% alcohol, unlikely to give you a headache in the morning.
For the red, we’ll be visiting Port country, with a still wine from the Douro. Quinta do Espinho Colheita 2017 – £13.99 which is a classic Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca. The wine is bright and elegant despite the heat of the vintage, lots of red berry and cherry on the nose. The oak is light and well integrated bringing some extra length to the juicy finish, a touch of spice and green herb too – dangerously delicious…
So that’s it from us for now, happy holidays, send us a postcard!
Hasta la vista!