Wine of the Week:
Magpie Estate 'The Sack' Barossa Valley 2004 Shiraz - The label says "The wine stays long in the mouth...Enjoy this big Barossa red..." It is a very big Barossa red and does require a decanting and some breathing. After that, the peppery nature of the Shiraz comes out and the depth of the wine comes through. We enjoyed this with some cheese and quince paste but I can also see that this wine going well with a nice BBQ'ed steak, salad and a pleasant summer's night.
We bought a few bottles of this drop from The Oak Barrel, which is one of the best bottle shops in Sydney. Simon and 'The Wine Doctor' are more than willing to give you advice on what wine to buy and they have a fine range on offer. They also hold a great number of events and wine tastings so get on the mailing list if you can.
http://www.oakbarrel.com.au
One of the joys that come from playing park cricket is that some of the funniest and memorable things get said when being together with a bunch of like minded blokes for hours on end on a Saturday afternoon. I learnt one of my favourite sayings while playing cricket which is " today we're playing for Sheep Stations". Now if you don't know what this means, it essentially refers to the fact that whatever you may be doing, there is a fair bit riding on it. Come Thursday, that is exactly what Ricky Ponting and the Australians will be playing for when the first Ashes Test starts in Brisbane.
See, not only is it cricket season but it is an Ashes summer which means dear friends, I am like a the proverbial kid on christmas morning who can not sleep the night before and wakes up early on Christmas morning ready to cause havoc on the bounty under the tree. This translates to poring over every article in the build up to the First Test, pondering over what eleven I would have running on to the field as well as keeping my replica Ashes urn next to the TV for the duration of the series; much to my Trish's amusement.
However, I know that some of the ever increasing numbers that read this blog (now in the high single figures) may not want to waste their time reading an in-depth analysis of how the Ashes of 2010/11 will pan out. In fact, some of you may think that the game of cricket is a downright bore but make no mistake, this will be the talking point for many in bars, at the office watercooler and at the many Christmas festivities that you may be invited to.
Thus, as a public service to you and to cater for my excitement, let me give you a few facts and comments that you can drop in conversations so that you can stay in the loop and at the very least, allow you to feign interest quite competently and convincingly.
1. "Did you know that Australia haven't lost a Ashes Series at home since 1986/87?" There is literally a whole generation of Australians who have not lived through losing an Ashes series on home soil. This also means that there is a whole generation that have no idea how painful it is to walk down the street and have sunburnt, drunk Englishmen stop you and gloat how wonderful their team is and how "fooking hopeless you Aussies are" (if you grew up in the 80's you know what I mean...as you would if you were walking around the Sydney CBD after the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final)
2. "Are you following Kevin Pietersen on Twitter?"
I don't like Kevin Pietersen. He is an attention seeking, ego driven fool who I don't think has delivered enough to warrant all the hype that he gets about being one of the lynchpins for England. My biggest fear is that he gets his act together this series...and that we get to hear about it via the Twitter battle he has with Shane Warne during the summer (the fact that they both live on Twitter says it all)
3. "Australia's middle order needs to fire otherwise we're cooked!"
Australia are no longer the dominant side that they once were; which means the whole team has to perform otherwise they will lose. It happened in 2009 and it will happen this summer if the likes of Hussey, North and Clarke do not score runs. If you also mention that it is about time that Callum Ferguson should get a run, you will gain street cred immediately.
4. "Graeme Swann may be a good bowler but he is an utter tool!"
Graeme Swann is England's number one spin bowler and is considered by some to be the best in the world at the moment. He is also a complete idiot - wait and see his press conferences this summer for proof.
5. "Of course I know who Ricky Ponting is...this series is make or break for him!"
While Ricky Ponting will go down in the history as being one of the greatest batsmen Australia has produced, his place in the game will largely be determined by the result of this series. Australia wins, he will be able to leave on his own terms. Australia loses and he will go down in history as one of the least successful Ashes captains and more than likely will mean the end of his tenure as Australian Captain. Harsh and completely unfair but that is the way it is.
6. "My tip is Australia to regain the Ashes 2-1"
It will be close - very close but home ground advantage will see Australia get home. Remember, you heard it here first!
Footnote: In the spirit of complete self-indulgence that epitomises this blog, one of my favourite and more memorable Ashes moments is getting to meet the legend that is Allan Robert Border at the Gabba in 2002. This was after he walked from Sydney to Brisbane and reached the Gabba by tea on the first day of the Ashes test match that year. I joined in on the final 42kms of the walk and while I was struggling to complete it, all it took was a few words from the former Australian Captain - so much so that if he told me to keep going to Cairns I would have.
Wine of the Week:
Tatachilla Partners Cabernet Shiraz 2008 - So, we walked into Woolworths Liquor looking for a cheap but cheerful bottle of red and we found this one. It says on the label that it is "a great match with wood fired pizza or spaghetti bolognese" but it is equally a great match with Hoisin Chicken kebabs on the BBQ. Has the peppery taste of the Shiraz while still having some of the depth that Cabernet provides. It is a great Monday night bottle of red and great value at $15. They also do some great whites as well so worth seeking out in your local bottle-o.
http://www.tatachillawines.com.au
It takes a lot for me to go underneath the house and drag out the soapbox but the time has come to crawl under the patio yet again. As I start to mark the run up for my latest spray, I have but two words for you my friends...Medical Specialists.
Now, I am not about to cast aspersions on the work that this body of professionals do or the fact that they conduct themselves in anything less than a professional manner. But seriously...do they have to rub it in our face as to how much 'hand' that they have (eg; as in "talk to the hand")?
Firstly, why does it take nearly a month before I can get an appointment? You get the letter of introduction from your GP to hand in to the specialist but you may as well ask them to send it via Australia Post - it will get in front of the specialist before you do!
Anyway, when you ring to make the appointment, you quickly realise that the specialist has an accomplice...the receptionist. They are the gatekeepers to the magical land of healing but in all honesty, they enjoy toying with you and your affliction.
Example in point - I called up prior to heading to the specialist and they gave me the courtesy of saying that the doctor was running half an hour late. All well and good and thanks for the heads up. But, then you make me wait another hour before letting me to see the Doctor? Seriously, I know that these specialists are intelligent and capable people but surely their time management isn't that bad? I mean, they had to get their uni assignments in on time like everyone else.
And, I am sorry but the sight of two elderly ladies flipping through the latest issue of FHM Magazine wondering aloud as to whether the top ten pick up lines actually work or not, does not provide that much amusement to make up for the fact that you have taken an hour of my life.
Eventually, you are given approval to walk into the inner sanctum that is the Doctor's office. And you are charged up, wanting to give the Doctor a piece of my mind. Who Sir, gives YOU the right to keep me waiting all this time? I mean really, who do you think YOU are???
And as you are about to launch into one of the greatest sprays known to all of mankind, the Doctor humbly apologises for keeping you waiting with a sincerity that is real and reduces you to muttering quietly "oh, that's alright" - with a smile no less.
But, that smile soon disappears as your consultation lasts for all of fifteen minutes. You then hear the voice of the Emperor Palapatine in Return of the Jedi as he says "the hate is swelling in you now".
Then, to top it all off, you are charged close to $200 for the privilege!!! What the hell is that????
No wonder I have to seek solace in a bottle of red!
Wine of the Week:
Glenguin Estate 'Aristea' 2007 Hunter Valley Shiraz - this is one of the hidden bottles that was on the wine rack. Trish and I were having some blue cheese, I decided to do the blog and as custom, a red needed to be opened.
This is a very peppery Shiraz and one that is true to the Hunter's reputation of fine Shiraz. It goes fine with the blue cheese but I as I take each sip, I am thinking that a nice, juicy cattleman's cutlet would go down fine with this one. Either way, the decanter will be empty tonight.
http://glenguinestate.com.au/
I am trying to ensure that this blog isn't too sports oriented but hey, following sport is a big part of my life. That and I like to think that I have a fair grasp of many sports that are followed in this country and the heroes that are put up in different codes. Don Bradman, Clive Churchill, Rod Laver, Ted Whitten etc.
One name that I was not aware of was Peter Norman.
I had seen Peter Norman before...just didn't know who he was. That is until I watched a movie called 'Salute'.
See, Peter Norman is the guy in the Australian tracksuit who is there with the two American athletes - John Carlos and Tommie Smith- during the famous 'Black Power' salute at the 1968 Olympics Games in Mexico City.
I remember seeing this image at the beginning of all things, the TV show 'The Wonder Years' and seeing the kangaroo on the tracksuit of the third guy on the podium. I didn't investigate further but that was to my detriment. I never gave it a second thought - that is until I saw the movie 'Salute'.
'Salute' is a documentary that was made about Peter Norman's life and it is important to point out that it was made by his nephew so naturally, his uncle would be painted in a very good light. That said, the good light is warranted.
The movie shows the quiet but important role that Peter Norman played in what has been deemed one of the most powerful images of the 20th Century. Peter Norman suggested to Carlos and Smith have a glove eachafter they realised that they only had one pair of gloves. He also decided that he would wear one of the badges that supported the human rights movement that was happening at the time.
Why? He was sympathetic to the human rights cause and believed that was happening to the African-Americans in the United States at the time was wrong. Simple as that.
The result of such a belief? He was officially reprimanded by Australian Olympic officials at the time and was not selected in the team to represent Australia in the 1972 Munich Olympics. This, despite the fact that he made the qualifying time for the 200m sprint thirteen times.
Fact is, Peter Norman's time in the final of the 1968 Olympics is still an Australian record and would have medalled at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. And despite all of this, the first time I have heard about him was via this movie. He has since been names as one of the top hundred Australian Olympians but his story still remains unknown.
I have to admit, I felt some sense of shame after watching 'Salute'. Being a sports lover and one who thinks that he has a handle on most of the important sports and sportpeople in this country, the fact that I didn't know the role that Peter Norman played in this critical moment in history, the fact that I did not know the record that he has in Australian Athletics and the fact that he is held in a higher regard in the United States than he does in Australia...made me feel ashamed and embarassed.
Embarassed that he is not held in as high esteem as Don Bradman.
Embarassed that his story is not common place in the Australian story.
Embarassed that his death was not acknowledged with the same reverence as Bradman, Ted Whitten, Clive Churchill and others.
Peter Norman's is a story that every single Australian should be made aware of. It is a story that should be celebrated and it is a story that epitomises everything that is good about this country. If you haven't seen 'Salute', I implore you to see it. Once you do, I am sure that you will agree - it is necessary viewing...for all of us.
Wine of the Week:
Balgownie Estate Bendigo Shiraz 2006 - A very nice Shiraz one has to say; which dispels the view that a lot of New South Welshmen have that a good shiraz can only be found in the Hunter Valley. It is good to start and gets even better with every sip or gulp - whatever your drinking style may be.
Balgownie Estate has it's cellar doors at the Yarra Valley and Bendigo - we stayed in the Yarra Valley where we tasted the full range of wines; the reds being the pick of the bunch (surprise, surprise). If you can stay there as well, it is both comfortable and relaxing with some bargains during the week.
http://www.balgownieestate.com.au/
Tomorrow is Tuesday November 2nd - the first Tuesday in November.
Melbourne Cup Day.
The Spring Racing Carnival and in particular Cup Day is a particularly dangerous time for me and many others. See, give me an ounce of knowledge and I think I can rival Ken Callendar or Max Presnell in the punting stakes. I start pouring over the form every Saturday from Caulfield Cup day onwards, supplementing my limited knowledge with the tips from the papers and those far more knowledgeable in the racing caper than I. It doesn't help when I picked Shocking to win last year - just added to my delusions of grandeur.
But I digress...whether you follow racing or not, Melbourne Cup day is a very unique day. One state gets a public holiday while the rest of the country looks at ways of trying not to work...while drinking and punting at the same time.
The tagline for the Melbourne Cup is that it is "The Race that stops the Nation" and I have learnt over my thirty eight year existence that it does indeed, stop this nation. I have watched the Cup in many different ways - on a TV in a classroom as a kid, in various bars and pubs, at corporate lunches to last year where Trish and I were at Flemington to see the Cup for the first time. It is definitely one of those things that should be on one's sporting 'bucket list'.
One thing is common - time stands still as all eyes and ears are focused on the three and a bit minutes it takes for the field of twenty four to complete the 3200m. Hope rises and falls with every gallop until the winner reaches the post and we either celebrate or utter that most comforting of words..."there's always next year".
PS: Thanks to those who are far more knowledgeable than I and are very willing to share their racing expertise with me. You know who you are and I (and the NSW TAB) thank you.
One more thing...
Wine goes well with a number of things; one of those is music. Last night, we saw Holly Throsby at the Brass Monkey in Cronulla. She always puts on a great gig and last night was no exception. Holly Throsby plays the type of music that is perfect to listen to on a Sunday afternoon with a glass of vino or watching and listening the rain tumble outside. She has a number of CD's out including her just recently released first children's CD. Check her out on http://www.hollythrosby.com/
