Fellow Wine Lovers,
It’s the World Economic Forum at Davos again and the airport is, as usual, awash with private jets whilst the great and good gather to discuss “Cooperation in a Fragmented World”. According to PwC’s annual CEO report, a majority of global CEO’s expect some degree of impact from climate change in the next 12 months—primarily in their cost profiles (where approximately 50% expect a moderate, large or very large impact) and their supply chains (42%).
Not enough of them to fly on a scheduled flight though, eh? Similarly, Rishi Sunak has taken three internal jet flights in 10 days. We wonder, if they were all made to travel by train, might we get a better service?
January 18th 2022: On Newsnight, Nadhim Zahawi made a statement that his tax affairs “were and are fully up to date”.
January 15th 2023: The Sun on Sunday leads with a story that Nadhim Zahawi has agreed to pay several million in tax to settle a dispute with HMRC.
January 18th 2023: A spokesperson for Zahawi said on Wednesday: “Mr Zahawi’s tax affairs were and are fully up to date and paid in the UK.”
Take them at their word; they are elected to serve us!
Jacinda Ardern has resigned as Prime Minister in New Zealand saying: “with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not”. There are grown-ups somewhere at least!
At the other end of self-awareness, and indeed the world, a woman in Canada is suing a bar for serving her drinks. The woman was at a Marilyn Manson gig at Budweiser Gardens in 2019 before choosing to drive home intoxicated. She went the wrong way up a street before crashing into a house, severing its gas line and causing an explosion that damaged four houses, injured seven people inflicting damage valued at somewhere in the region of C$15 million. Of course it was the bars fault…
On the sports front the transfer window is in full effect, it seems West Ham, Wolves and Nottingham Forest have all got the check books out, and many others are still on the zoom calls negotiating. Bizarrely Adam Clayton has moved from Doncaster to Bradford on a free transfer and we didn’t even realise he’d left U2!
Tasting This Weekend
With Burns Night appearing on the calendar next Wednesday we thought we’d taste a couple of wines that might be suitable.
Now, clearly you’ll have to use your imagination a little as we won’t have an army of Gordon Ramsay’s downstairs at the microwave knocking out portions but…
We’ll start with the Cock-a-leekie soup and our suggestion for partnering that will be Martin and Anna Arndorfer’s Handcrafted Grüner Veltliner 2021 (£16.99). We think it’s gently spiced pear and apple fruit character will be spot on.
To go with the wee beastie itself we might go as far as suggesting Domaine La Font de Notre Dame Gigondas 2019 (£22.99). Silky dark fruits, herby garrigue notes and a fresh long finish should set of the wee beastie’s peppery character rather splendidly.
Finally, it seems that the Heavenly Supergroup is swelling in numbers at a quite alarming rate as we nod farewell to David Crosby – Long Time Gone seems like an appropriate listen, on many levels….
Travel well.