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petrol fumes

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:12:00 GMT

It looks like I will soon have a good excuse to drink more. When I first saw the headline scrap units system, I thought it sounded like the ultimate vote winner, so imagine my disappointment when I found it was just another fine example of confusion-over-policy.

Opened a bottle of Willy Giselbrecht’s 2005 Riesling this evening. It’s a single vineyard wine from the Alsace – quite unusual from that region. Very nice wine with that petrol aroma which I love in a riesling. I’m not normally a petrolhead, in fact I hardly know a saloon from a sedan, but when it comes to riesling petrol is king.

on the cheap

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:06:00 GMT

For a long time I was buying more wine than I drank, with a consequent wine lake and very poor storage facilities to look after it. A few months back this reached a head and I agreed to a wine embargo. So apart from the odd bottle that has slipped into the shopping trolley, I have been living off these fat reserves. Not too arduous in the main but tonight I tried something that had been in the garage for at least 4 years – a 2003 Minervois of dubious pedigree – and it certainly tasted of wet dog and not in a pleasant way! One glass and then down the sink.

My mistake was to then open a cheap bottle of rather cheap South African Shiraz. I don’t think South Africa is renowned for its Shiraz and now I know why. Two glasses this time and then frozen in portions for use in cooking. Plenty of pepper and salt and it may just about be passable.

About 5 units and no pleasure at all. A bad day’s drinking.

on the wagon

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:41:00 GMT

A unit-free today.

glass half empty

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:36:00 GMT

The reality of being back at work after the festive break and the inclement weather is starting to bite already – early starts, late nights, over 3 hours travelling every day. And only time for a quick glass of wine when I get home. I finished off the riesling this evening – and am still celebrating that at 7.5% abv I can have a full glass and only 1 unit. Bliss.

The end of that bottle is the end of my German wine stock, but as I said, I will be back for more. Look out for a disturbance in the matrix of Mosel Riesling sales!

pure pear

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:44:00 GMT

In the heat of yesterday’s political appeal, I forgot to tell you anything about the fine German riesling that I was drinking. So I had another couple of small glasses today so I could justifiably tell you about it now.

It’s a 2008 riesling spätlese from Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben. It’s just 7.5% abv (a genuine health drink!) and sweeter than most wines that I drink. But still fairly acidic and extremely pleasant. There is a an amazing aroma and taste of pear. And I don’t mean the hint of pear you get from many a pinot grigio – if you blindfolded me and fed me a sip of this stuff, I would swear that it actually is pear juice!! Quite remarkable.

It has definitely inspired me to drink more German wine, so make sure you save the Mosel so that my pleasure is not diminished.

noble rot

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:27:00 GMT

There’s still a lot of snow around today but we managed to get the car on the road to get out shopping. Bought a few bottles and then relaxed at home.

I finished the Pinot Grigio and then cracked open a German riesling spätlese from the Mosel. It’s a long time since I’ve had any German wine. But the current man-made threat to the Mosel valley has brought me back, in the hope that a surge in consumption will affect German politics!

If there’s one thing you do today, click the link on the Decanter page and register your protest with Angela Merkel. Europe has enough roads, and Germany more than most. No-one goes to a country to see its roads. Who wants infrastructure when you can have noble rot. There is no comparison, and I really mean it.

28 units this week. That’s a bit more respectable.

busy day

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:04:00 GMT

I had a very busy day today and a late night. But no drink involved as I needed a clear head. Well, I did manage a couple of small glasses of Sicilian Pinot Grigio when I stopped briefly this evening to eat.

friday feeling

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:50:00 GMT

Any man who can maintain a detox on a Friday night is a man indeed. But I’m afraid I’m not one. There’s something about Friday that means from about 4pm it starts to feel like party time.

It was a wine evening tonight. The remnants of last night’s Italian red, followed by an archetypal Chenin Blanc – South African of course. Chenin was a wine I never went for until some education from Godfrey Spence. Now I have learned to appreciate it, the downside of which was quite a few units tonight.

Perhaps I need to seriously consider the suggested New Year’s resolution from BBR – Drink Better… But Less! It has a certain appeal but the creative amongst you will soon release that with a little adaptation there is an even better resolution – I’m sure you will be able to work it out.

fall from grace

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:23:00 GMT

Pride always comes before a fall. And after yesterday’s holy heights, today the detox ended. Just 2 small glasses of red wine.

Wait a minute – 2 small glasses! I’m sure that qualifies as a health supplement. Do you think I could get away with claiming it is part of my detox? It certainly sounds better that failure after just 3 days.

righteous

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:13:00 GMT

I’m feeling kind of righteous today. Snowed in by at least 12 feet of snow, on the phone all day as I couldn’t get to the office, still miserable at being back down south – and yet I managed to stick to my detox. Yes, I stuffed my face with Quality Street. Yes, I drank several gallons of coffee. Yes, I ate a chili prepared by my son. But still I feel righteous – what an achievement!