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.
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