Fellow Wine Lovers,
How has your week been? I feel I have been wearing waterproof jackets a bit more than I would like but at least we’ve not suffered from airborne alligators that we need to round up once the power comes back on.
Closer to home, we would have said that something the Conservative Party excels at is leadership contests. Until this week. Somehow, according to some commentators, they have managed to end up with the wrong two candidates as the final two candidates. Or as one wag put it “Only the Conservatives could lose an election that was only contested by the Conservatives.” Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are duelling it out to become leader of the Conservative party and Mr Jenrick is very keen that everybody knows he wasn’t an accident pick by MPs, despite what you may have read. The One Nation Conservative group has said they are unable to endorse either candidate. Will this be the time when right thinking Tories finally split from right leaning ones?
On the other side of the pond, their leadership race is still neck and neck with both candidates criss-crossing the country trying to magic up votes. New polling also seems to suggest that the Democrat majority in the Senate might be disappearing. Only a month to go!
On the sport front, it looks likely that the Tour de France Critérium in Singapore on 9th and 10th November will be the last for Sir Mark Cavendish. Also retiring in November is the ‘King of Clay’, Rafa Nadal, who will hang up his wristbands after the Davis Cup in Malaga on 19th -24th November.
On this day in 1956, Karachi hosted probably the slowest day in test cricket history with a match between Australia and Pakistan managing only 95 runs. Australia were all out for 80 and Pakistan finished the day at 15 for 2.
In more recent history, we think any team that has a first innings total of 556 in their first inning might reasonably expect to get at least a draw out of the match. Alas for Pakistan, they have just snatched Ireland’s record for the largest first innings score of a losing team. England now lead the series 1-0 having broken all sorts of records along the way. Chapeau to Joe Root and Harry Brook for their work with the bat, and Jack Leach for some fine bowling.
Meanwhile, England has had its second worst harvest on record. Wheat is down 21%, winter barley is down 26% and oilseed rape down about 32%. There was bad news too for grape growers. Their harvest is down anywhere between 25-70%, depending on location. All the rain we’ve had is not conducive to growing grapes, causing problems with flowering and mould and mildew.
Given how much of current affairs are, how shall we say, a little on the downside I thought I’d go and look for some good news. Starting with Uncle Google, I was cheered to find websites offering positive news, good news and uplifting news. Further investigation revealed that none of them seemed to have anything more recent than April which I will confess to finding a little disappointing.
In other news, a blue plaque was put up at a Tesco this week commemorating the iceberg lettuce that outlived Liz Truss’ stint as PM.
Whilst we were wondering what on earth we should put on tasting this week our chum Dave strolled in. Just the man we thought. “Dave, where should we choose this week’s open wines from?” “Italy!” he replied, and with that he gets yet another mention in our email!
Tasting This Weekend
We’ll start way down in Marsala, Sicily with Sensale Bio Orange Wine 2023 (£14.49). This is made from 100% organic Catarratto grapes fermented and aged on the skins in amphora.
On the other side of the coin we’ll be a bit further north for a sample of Tenute Marsiliana Birillo 2020 (£23.49). This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the Principe Corsini family’s vineyards on the coast of Tuscany. Polished and delicious!
So, thanks to Dave for the inspiration and do come in for a taste.
Cheers!