Fellow Wine Lovers,
Well here we are again, Friday rearing its head to welcome the weekend and we need to begin with an apology.
One of our cricket experts pointed out to us, quite correctly, that last week we’d used the words “willow” and “leather” without also including the word “thwack” – for this we bow our heads in apology and will now trudge back to the pavilion on a duck.
Back to the weekend, it’s a warm one and the horses running the Grand National may be a little confused; it can’t be that often they run on heavy ground in 20˚c.
We’ve had a week of chit chat about whether Angela Rayner should be paying tax of £1500 on a house she sold over 10 years ago before she became an MP. We have had not so much chit chat about Michelle Donelan’s libel case costing the taxpayer an extra £19,000 on top of the already declared £15,000 settlement. The extra money is for legal advice, £7,785 of it to government lawyers and a further £11,600 on private counsel. One wonders why we have government lawyers if we’re then going to spend money on private counsel as well – almost feels like people are lining their pockets, again!
Whilst we’re on the subject of folks named Michelle, I would just point out that Monbeg Genius has been withdrawn from the Grand National. The horse is owned by Michelle Mone and Doug Barrowman and I have to say I’m a little disappointed, given the heavy going, having something on fast track could have been a winning strategy.
Lettuce Liz has been on the airwaves again, anybody would have thought she had a book out. Well she does, it is called “Ten Years to Save the West” and costs £20 if you pre-order it. Given her track record I suspect a donation of £20 to the Trussell Trust so that somebody could have some lettuce would be more use.
It’s Record Store Day on Saturday. Lots’ of limited vinyl releases abound, some actually really limited! My picks might be X-Ray Spex ‘Germfree Adolescents’ album on a 1000 copy picture disc for a pitch perfect pop punk album from 1978, or perhaps 1000 copy first time on vinyl for Horace Andy with Sly and Robbie ‘Livin’ It Up’ from 2006. Whilst we’re on the subject of tunes, Robert Miles’ anthemic ‘Children’ is now 29 years old and is just the song for a sunny day like today!
So, over to the Grand National. As we mentioned it looks like the going will be heavy and a warm day for all involved. We’ve had a perusal and come up with Minella Indo, Noble Yeats and Latenightpass. As usual, caveat emptor, we’re normally fairly rubbish at this sort of thing.
For the stick swingers amongst you, it’s the US Masters in Augusta this weekend. The usual wander around a beautiful course that nobody else is allowed to play on and at the end win one of the coveted green jackets. We’re looking at Jake Knapp as an outsider, Ricky Fowler who’s always good on a Par 3 and frankly owes us and Akshay Bhatia after his cracking form last weekend.
In real sports, both the men’s and women’s Paris Roubaix last weekend were great spectacles of bicycle racing, De Brabantse Pijl midweek started the transition from Flanders to the Ardennes but first, we’ll look forward the Amstel Gold Race this weekend. I’ve no idea who’ll win however I’m hoping for Pfeiffer Georgi in the women’s and Joseph Blackmore in the men’s but think there is a risk of disappointment…
Given how cheap and easy it is to ensure your 18 year old on the family car, it seems odd that the government has decided to lower to 18 the age at which one can drive a bus or coach. It would appear recruitment has been challenging and the transition from Polo to Routemaster is considered child’s play.
After that, I need a drink. If you’ll join me we’ll be opening Percheron Chenin Blanc/Viognier 2023 (£9.99). We have chosen it mostly because there’s a horse on the label if I’m honest. Wine wise it’s a lovely drop from old bush vines in the Western Cape.
Wearing the red cap we’ll zip off to Chile for a slurp or two of Sierra Grande Pinot Noir 2021 (£10.49) a wine with strawberry and raspberry fruit and soft tannins that’s almost indecently easy drinking.
As we say goodbye to OJ, we’d just offer up this thought. If OJ hadn’t done what he did, we may not have had the Kardashians…