Fellow Wine Lovers,
So did you watch the ITV debate on Tuesday? I watched the programme, it made for some fairly awful television. The two men in suits evading the questions asked and talking over both each other, and the moderator.
As it later transpired it turned out that Rishi Sunak was telling porkies about Labour’s tax plans being verified independently by the Treasury, the Treasury minister had already written to Labour warning them of this and yet still Ministers were wheeled out doubling down on the lies. The surprise in all this was that ‘Rishi tells lies’ actually made the front page!
It was so successfully received that the BBC are having it large tonight with seven, yes seven party representatives all debating in the studio whilst Mishal Hussein attempts to keep control. With such gripping TV could it be a quiet night in Tooting Market as we all stay home with gammon for tea?
Talking of gammon, a drive to Clacton passes lots of pig farms. Attempting to become an MP for the 8th time, Nigel Farage is standing as Clacton’s Reform candidate despite spending a week or more saying he had no interest. I suppose anyone can change their mind!
Whilst we like to gently poke fun at the state of politics, we are often grateful that we don’t have to write about it for a living. Not only are there people who report it much better than we do, but there luminaries who predict what happens 15 years ahead of time. Armando Iannucci this week tweeted: “Those asking if ‘The Thick of It’ is writing this election may want to note that today’s Tory immigration plan -shunt it off to an independent body to decide, so ministers can avoid talking specifics in interviews- is the main plot of 2009’s special ‘The Rise of the Nutters.’”
Lastly for the UK Election news this week, I feel we should give props to those fundraisers at The Conservative Party for their 2024 General Election Souvenir Mugs. It’s a brave call to use: “Once they’re gone, they’re gone!” as your strapline.
Staying with election news, the world’s largest democracy, India, has returned no majority to Narendi Modi’s BJP party who fell well short of their target of 400 seats with just 240. They’ll now need the support of some of the opposition party to pass any laws. In one constituency in Mumbai 1.7 million voted and the winner had a majority of just one vote! Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter if you go to the polling station!
In South Africa, the ANC is also facing building a coalition having lost its majority with their share of the vote falling from 57.2% in 2019 to 40.2 % now. The current plan is to form a government of national unity.
This weekend also sees voting across 27 countries in Europe for MEPs. Not you Farage.
Elsewhere, most of us have been commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day invasion that started the end of World Wat II. Not you Rishi!
There were still some veterans of that battle sprightly enough to make the journey and tell their stories. In a moving ceremony, there were many speeches, tears and music alongside flypasts and also a firework display. I’m not sure all the explosions of the fireworks whilst the centurions stood on Juno beach was necessarily the best idea, but as the saying goes: “All’s well that ends well!”
According to Pete Brown’s book “Man Walks into a Pub” a West Midlands brewery managed to ship more than 2,000 barrels of beer across the English Channel to Normandy in June 1944, with each labelled with a message to the recipients: “A gift to our fighting forces from Mitchells and Butlers Limited, Birmingham. Best of luck. If this cask is returned we will refill it and send it back to you. Replace cork.”
Further afield, in China a hiker has discovered that China’s tallest waterfall, Yuntai Mountain Waterfall, seems to emerge from a pipe! The Yuntai Mountain Geopark explained that water is pumped during the dry season so that visitors always see the waterfall at its prettiest.
As the French Open races towards the Finals we know that Wimbledon is just over the horizon. Expect to see the cars doing their practice runs over the next week or two.
More pertinently you only have till the 8th June to tell the GLA if you object to the AELTC’s plans to build over Wimbledon Park. You have probably seen their adverts on the tube claiming to be creating a new London park rather than building over most of a historic one.
Full details here: Tell the GLA You Object to AELTC’s Planning Application (savewimbledonpark.org)
The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain started yesterday, Lotte Kopecky won the stage ahead of Leti Paternoster, with Pfeiffer Georgi and Lizzie Deignan coming in 3rd and 4th. Lizzie Deignan will start today in the Queen of the Mountains jersey.
In wine news, a heavy hail storm hit the Penedès region in Spain causing a lot of damage over some 1500 hectares of vines, whilst in the US Dolly Parton has released her first wine. Dolly Wines California Chardonnay 2023 is about to be released to consumers. Ideal for when you’ve finished the ‘9 to 5’.
Tasting This Weekend we’ll start in Costers del Segre with Mas Blanch I Jove Troballa 2022 (£19.49) – a great wine, 100% organic Garnacha Blanca with wild fermentation, aged for four months in concrete eggs. A rich and fruity wine with a lovely mouthfeel that we think would be splendid with a rare tuna steak or perhaps a lightly spiced vegetable and coconut curry.
How about a trip to Piemonte for the red? Cantine Povero Cabanè Langhe Nebbiolo 2019(£14.99) – this is from grapes just outside of the designated zone for Barolo, the wrong side of the tracks if you like. Usually the wines are 100% Nebbiolo but in this instance I am led to believe that there may be a smidge of Barbera in there plus a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon! The nose is sweetly aromatic with an intense bouquet containing hints of roses, tobacco and spice. On the palate we have more roses and red fruits and fresh tobacco leaf on the simply delicious finish.
Cheers!