Fellow Wine Lovers,
I can’t help but feel that if the country’s media was as keen to hold the Government to account as quickly as they have been Philip Schofield we might not be in such a mess. Sadly, it looks like Schofield is just another useful idiot keeping the real issues of the day away from the public’s attention.
Talking of idiots, The Cabinet Office had all of Johnson’s WhatsApp messages, notebooks and other sundry communications and were “reviewing” them before handing them over to Baroness Hallett who is conducting the Covid Inquiry. Then, as if by magic, they didn’t have them at all!
Mr Johnson says he is sure he’s handed everything over to the Cabinet Office (well anything before May 2021 doesn’t count, right?), and, now they do have them again, they are sifting through so that they don’t hand over anything relevant. No sorry, irrelevant. No sorry, my bad, perhaps the word is prosecutable? Do you find that some days you just have trouble finding the right words?
I do think that if you appoint a senior judge to run an inquiry it is surely up to the judge to decide what is relevant. Not Mr. Sunak though. Mr Professionalism, Integrity and Accountability has decided to take the Covid Inquiry to court to avoid handing over those pesky WhatsApps. Far be it for us to suggest anything as crass as the possibility of a cover up, but to paraphrase a famous line from one of Mr. Johnson’s favourite movies, “You’re gonna need a bigger blanket!”
Joking aside, you and I are paying for the enquiry, and both sides legal costs here. I don’t suppose anyone has thought to negotiate a bulk discount? Perhaps we can pay on the Government’s Amex so that Rishi’s helicopter flights can be purchased with Airmiles?
On the subject of Amex, in 2004 they ran an advertising campaign featuring none other than Robert de Niro (79) who has just become a father again. Always seemingly tied together one way or another, his old chum Al Pacino (83) is also about to become a father again. Not sure how either of them will fare on the littl’uns first trip to the skatepark. Closer to home, Alex is just about coming to the end of a round of 50th birthday parties just as Wayne starts on a round of 60th parties. The eating and drinking is good, yet the dancing bad at both. Just the tunes are a bit different! No plans for imminent fatherhood expansion or skateboard lessons on either front.
We’d like to raise a glass and say ‘Chapeau’ to Adam Diver, who, this week, became the first person to swim from the UK mainland to the Isle of Man. He emerged from the sea smiling but shattered and declared the 46 mile swim a bit of a ‘suffer fest.’ The good news, Adam, is you’ve arrived in time to see the TT racing! And before you all start telling me the distance is just 32 miles, because of the tidal movement he had to ‘tack’ in a zig-zag fashion every six hours.
On the subject of swimming, those of you hoping for a summer return to Tooting Bec Lido in August will be frustrated to learn that the refurbishment works have been delayed due to the discovery of asbestos. This means that the scheduled summer re-opening won’t be happening.
As we head towards summer can I just ask a little request? Could we dial down the chilly breeze a little and up the heat of the sun? Quite happy for overnight rain if that’s your fancy, but I really would like some 22˚c days that don’t feel like 17˚c.
I find myself reaching for a glass, so what shall we taste this weekend?
I think we’ll populate the white corner with Paulett’s Polish Hill River Aged Release Riesling 2018 (£21.99). Polish Hill River is a sub-region of the Clare Valley and about a 90 minute drive from Adelaide. We always love the Aged Release that the Paulett’s keep back for a few years in their cellar. Crisp and dry with bags of citrus and minerals and a fab finish.
Over in the red corner we’ll visit North West Spain for a newish one that we listed in April. Las Tres Filas Mencia 2020, Bierzo, Spain (£15.99). We’ve been looking for one of these since our last one went missing in action, unable to survive the combined problems of Brexit and Covid. As you’d expect from this north western part of Spain, silky in the mouth, medium bodied with dark fruits and just the ticket with some lamb chops, grilled tuna or some aged hard sheep cheese!
Lastly, we’d like to thank Mike Kerr from Royal Blood for proving the spirit of Spinal Tap was still well and truly alive.
The BBC Weekend audience in Dundee were treated to: “Well, I guess I should introduce ourselves seeing as no one actually knows who we are. We’re called Royal Blood and this is rock music. Who likes rock music?”
“Nine people, brilliant,”
I’m sure they were turned up to 11!