Fellow Wine Lovers,
So we have all survived another splendid week with no news and nothing much to talk about. As we mosey on out of dry January it seems we’re having a rather wet February with four days out of five involving the wet weather gear, today still to be decided!
So it turns out that Peter Mandelson is a bit of a wrong ‘un then. Who could have known? There were no clues from his 1998 resignation for dodgy house funding, or from his 2001 resignation for talking to the Home Office about a British Passport for an Indian billionaire. Let alone champagne fuelled trips from Davos to Russian Ice Hockey games with aluminium magnate Oleg Deripaska. If any of these previous indiscretions had been public knowledge we might have had to question the judgement of the Prime Minister and the governments vetting process. Could Mandelson be off to FIFA next?
The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as “New START” and signed in 2010, expired at midnight on Wednesday. It was the last nuclear weapons control treaty between the US and Russia, but luckily both countries are led by very level headed gentleman so we’re absolutely sure there is nothing to worry about. Pope Leo sounded a little more nervous saying the situation “calls for doing everything possible to avert a new arms race”. Good point well-made perhaps.
On a more cheerful note we had the Grammy’s this week. As usual there was much discussion of the hits, or otherwise, as to the sartorial choices of those on the red carpet. What caught my eye though was the Lifetime Achievement Award, given posthumously to Fela Kuti almost 30 years after his death. He becomes the first African to win the award. Congratulations also to The Cure who won Best Alternative Music Album for “Songs Of A Lost World” and Best Alternative Performance for “Alone” their single from the album. Finally, kudos to the Dalai Lama who won with his audiobook: “Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama”. Beijing was unimpressed, describing the award as “anti-China political manipulation”.
The Winter Olympics have started; time to reacquaint yourselves with curling, skeleton and speed skating. Also, it’ll be worth having a look out for ski mountaineering appearing for the first time. No I don’t know either, but will look out for it later in the month. Apparently its SkiMo to the cool kids and will be happening on the Stelvio! Elsewhere, most of the chatter in ski jumping is about ‘enhancements’ that may or maybe not being used to increase the size of their suits.
The Six Nations started last night – which is unusual for a Thursday (apologies to Tommy Cooper fans). France certainly showed how much work Ireland has left to do with Les Bleus cruising to a convincing win in Paris.
On Saturday, a much more sensible day, Italy host Scotland for the early game at a weird 14.10, and England will host Wales at the funny old time of 16.40.
Cheese and Wine Tasting 12 February 7.30pm – £30 Just a couple of places left, you already know what’s in the work diary so what are you waiting for?
Cheese and Wine are known to be life enhancing….
Tasting this Weekend
We’ll give Martin and Anna Arndorfer’s Handcrafted Grüner Veltliner 2024 (£19.99) a spin around in the glass, it’s gently spiced pear and apple fruit character deserves a share. Made unfiltered and unsulphured from grapes that are farmed organically, this is a cracker.
A farm run by the same family since 1870 gives us our red: Alceñ0 Sierra de Enmedio Monastrell (£11.99) hailing from old vines frown in Jumilla Spain this is a medium bodied red, soft and elegant and just the ticket with those sausages you picked up at the farmers market!