Guess what? It's been a year!

Wine of the Week:

Arrogant Frog Ribet Red 2010 - I am a fan of an omen bet or in other words a bet purely on the name of the horse. I approached today's visit to the bottle shop in a similar vein, seeing I only had twenty minutes to browse and buy. Also in the back of my mind, I had the other silent challenge that I have carried with me since starting this blog; that is find the odd diamond in the rough - a special wine that delivers plenty without costing too much.

Which led me to pick up the Arrogant Frog. It was priced at $8.99 and the fact that it was French also led me to try it as I have this view that I need to branch out from just the ANZ region. While the label didn't have the detail, the website told me that it is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend and opening it released some fruity and chocolatey smells. To taste, it had some of the Cab Sav characteristics rounded a little by the Merlot but it was very dry on the palate...probably an indication that (in this case) you get what you pay for. Suffice to say, the search for the diamond continues. Cool label and website though. http://www.arrogantfrog.fr

So in a moment of quiet reflection this weekend, I realised that I had been working on this blog for a year now. Time flies when you are having fun! I actually started this because I wanted to use it as a way of practising my writing on a consistent basis as well as put my toe in the virtual world. And hey, if anyone read it then that would be a bonus. 

I have to say that I am both surprised and quite encouraged that there are a great number of you that take the time to read what I have to say on this virtual lectern that I stand behind. I thought I knew who was reading it as there are a small number that I would always get the occasional comment as well as feedback. However, every so often I would come across one of you who would surprise me and mention that you read my blog or tried one of the wines I mentioned. 

To all of you I say thank you. Thank you for taking the time to read and thank you for the comments and feedback; virtual, face to face or otherwise. It has not only kept me writing this blog but also inspired me to think of ways to make it better. 

I would also like to thank my wife who also encourages me to ensure that I make the time every week to do this as well putting up with my little nuances when i write...such as not telling her what I am writing about until I am done. I take comfort in the fact that the enjoyment she has while drinking the wines I write about makes up for my, at times pedantic attitude.

So what now? Well, thanks to your encouragement and feedback I am going to continue this little side project of mine and I also have a few ideas of how I can adapt it, grow it and above all keep it interesting, informative and entertaining to all who read. Take it to the next level if you will...still working out what that level is but trust me, when I find out what it is, you will definitely be one of the first to find out! 

To do this though, I need your active help. In short, I need followers and while I know there are many of you who do read the blog, apparently having actual followers is important. Thanks to those who have already signed up and if you haven't yet, if you could please sign up and add to the number that would be great. 

Also, if you have comments (and I welcome any comments, suggestions, brickbats etc) then please post them on this site. That way, everyone can join in on the discussion and I won't be the only one to benefit from your wisdom.

In return, I will promise that:

• I will do my very best to ensure that I bring you something on a weekly or worst case, fortnightly basis. Has been a challenge over the last twelve months for various reasons but I will continue to stand at the plate and keep on swinging!
• I will continue to give my opinion on various bottles of rouge...and who knows, we could stray into whites come summer time.
• I will also do my best to try to be creative and keep it interesting...and at the very least, have you click away with a smile on your face.

So thanks for joining me on the first twelve months of this little project and I hope you can join me over the next twelve...seeing I have no idea where this will lead, it should be an interesting ride!

A random selection...

Wine of the Week:

Chrismont King Valley Merlot 2009 - while I was in Melbourne this week I joined some of my work colleagues for a well overdue catch up. Lisa, who turns out to be a wine tragic like myself ordered a bottle of the Chrismont for the table so thanks go to her for the bottle of choice this week.

I think Merlot gets a bad rap as people are either after the peppery nature of Shiraz or the depth and body of a Cab Sav. As for me, I quite like Merlot as it is often both easy and very good drinking. The Chrismont is no exception but it has subtle differences to a Merlot coming from the Hunter or the Barossa. It had a little more spice than I would usually associate with Merlot but not too much. So much so, that it would be one of those wines that you could see joining you for a long session during a winter's afternoon. I am currently planning for such an afternoon. http://www.chrismont.com.au/ 

It has been a interesting time over the last week. So much so, when sitting down to work out what to write about today there were a number of topics or issues that I felt required some comment from my neck of the swamp. Some are serious...some not so much and I am sure you will be able to tellthe difference between the two...

1. This week saw Rupert and James Murdoch face the parliamentary inquiry in the UK over the phone hacking and corruption allegations that effectively ended the 'News of the World' newspaper. The Murdoch's appearance at the inquiry was televised live internationally - fairly apt for the most (in)famous media owner on the planet. 

While the inquiry raised more questions than were answered there was one that became rather clear; that is why Rupert Murdoch married Wendi Deng. It wasn't the old chestnut of an older man leaving his wife for a younger woman. No, it was obviously the fact that he could get a wife and bodyguard in one!

2. Saturday morning, we woke up to the news of the grave terror attacks in Norway. A car bomb in Oslo followed by a round of shootings by a lone gunman on a nearby island has led to 92 needless deaths. 

It is an attack that has rocked all of Norway but also the world and I must admit I asked the question "Why Norway?"; acting under the assumption that it was an Al-qaeda related attack of course. Aren't they always these days? It soon became clear that this was a domestic attack and a reminder that the threat of a domestic related attack is always real and always there. The result is tragically still the same no matter who the perpetrator; the needless loss of life. 

3. Late Saturday night, there was a commotion in the street outside. The Cadel Evans bandwagon had stopped in front of the house and I of course jumped on with great gusto. I watched the time trial that made up the penultimate stage of le Tour de France and saw Cadel Evans start 57 seconds behind and end up 1 minute, 37 seconds ahead and with that, the yellow jersey for the final stage. 

Many have said that this could be the greatest individual achievement in Australian sports history. That's a big call but...3,450 kilometres over 21 stages is an incredible feat in itself. To do that and become not only the first Australian but the first rider from the Southern Hemisphere to win the World's most famous cycling race just makes it an even greater achievement. Not sure about the call for a public holiday though but if it does happen, he may just beat Mary McKillop to Australia's first sainthood as well!

4. There seems to be a growing trend in Australia to automatically call for the Government to ban anything that may be slighty contentious or controversal. The latest being the call from one shopkeeper on Sunrise this week to ban the sale of sports drinks for kids. Now, the actual ban isn't what concerns me but rather the fact that it seems that we always go down the path of thinking that placing a ban is the best way to go when at best, it is a knee jerk reaction.

If there isn't someone in a young person's life to tell them that 15 Gatorades per day is probably not a good idea - that's where we have a problem. Protection isn't about taking out the risks - it is about education, communication and guidance. 

5. Finally, if you have read my blog previously you would be aware that I am addicted to Masterchef to the point of having had the whole week's episodes iQ'ed for watching this weekend. You can then imagine my utter dismay to see that Dani has yet again an immunity pin. And not from beating an internationally renowned chef...or their apprentice. No, good old 'Lego Head' (not my nickname but I like it) won it by beating a swimmer. 

Now, I know that in the end it is about a high rating TV show but...one of the base premises of the show is that in the end the two best amateur chefs should be left standing at the end. She is not even one of the best five but it seems that the producers have some liking for 'Lego Head' and are giving her every chance to stay. 

It isn't right and it isn't fair...but if nothing else, it gives me an excuse to keep using the nickname 'Lego Head'!

The sound of no one talking...

Wine of the Week:
Wynns Coonawarra Estate 'The Siding' Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - I know I have reviewed Wynns Coonawarra before but this one is different. Firstly, I had never seen this one before; which after reading their website makes sense as this is the inaugural release. Second, it has a green label which is very different to the standard black labels that Wynns have delivered through the standard retail channels.

On their website, winemaker Sue Hodder said that "the aim of this wine is to deliver a leading affordable Cabernet Sauvignon" which I believe she has. It is less than $20 and definitely a young Cab Sav so there isn't the huge body to it but is more than suitable for everyday drinking - put it this way, the bottle was finished in the one sitting!
http://www.wynns.com.au/?siding 

Friends, I must admit that what I am writing about has bothered me on and off for some time now. However, it wasn't until I was on the train home one night last week that I was convinced that I needed to say something and get it off my chest. 

Whilst standing on said train, I noticed that there was hardly anyone who didn't have headphones in their ears which in turn was connected to a device of some sort. That and if anyone was actually talking, it was to someone on their phone. It wasn't the first time that I noticed this either; in fact it happens every day of the week.

Which started me thinking...what happened to the random conversations between strangers? What happened to the days when you had "train friends" or "bus friends"? You know, those that you never see except for the times when you travel to or from work. Those that you shared your weekend's experiences or the day's events at the office; then bid a fond adieu until the same time tomorrow. The same ones that would always try to keep the bus or train from leaving because they could see you running to the get there on time.

Now, it just seems that people are quite content to stay in a world of their own; unwilling to engage in the base level of friendly greetings and conversation. We just seem to be more concerned about what we are listening to, answering that sms or checking in on Facebook.

And before you say it, I am as guilty as the next man or woman of having my nose in my Blackberry. That and I am fully aware of the irony of working in the ICT industry and here I am complaining that we are using it too much.

The thing is, I have always had this view that our use of technology would be reigned in by what I call 'the human handbreak'; in other words we would always have the ability to set the limits of what we would allow technology do for us; even if it is well below what it actually can do. 

For example, I saw this video during the week which painted a vision for a glass company and showed how the mirror in your bathroom would be transformed into a touch screen where you could access your email, calendar and the web. I don't know about you but I don't need to respond to emails while brushing my teeth or any other part of my anatomy.

Similarly, I don't think we need to be always checking what we and others are doing on Facebook or shutting ourselves off with our favourite tunes or TV show at the expense of human interaction or building a sense of non-virtual (ie; real) community. 

So I put this challenge to everyone (myself included). Turn the iphone off for a moment, keep the blackberry in the pocket for that little while longer and say hello to someone when you sit next to them on the train or stand with them at the bus stop. You may not become best mates, they may even be too shocked to say anything back and think you're a freak but you never know; you may make someone's day or even cause a smile (thinking that you are a freak).

Of course, I tried this the other night but no one heard me as they all had their headphones on...but tomorrow is another day!

My top 5 sports movies - sans lizards

Wine of the Week:
The Black Chook McLaren Vale Langhorne Creek 2009 Shiraz - As there are more and more spaces appearing in our wine racks I decided to go to Liquorland and see what "cheap and cheerful" selections I could find. The Black Chook stood out obviously because of the name and we were heading out that night to catch up with our friends Janet & Chris so we thought, why not?.

The Black Chook certainly had some legs. While different to a Hunter Shiraz in that it doesn't have the strong pepper characteristics, it holds up both drinking on it's own or with beautiful, slow cooked casserole like we had last night. That and it is a bargain at less than $20 a bottle so we will look at have more of the Black Chook in our wine coop sooner rather than later. Woop Woop Wines

For the flight back from NYC, I bought the latest issue of Sports Illustrated and there was an article that was a retrospective of the movie 'Major League'; which was made 22 years ago and is a classic when it comes to sports movies. 

Anyhoo, that article and the fact that we had to sit through 'Rango' three times during our trip made me think of the top five sports movies that I have seen. I mean really, a animated western where the main character is a lizard??? My mind had to wander...

1. Major League: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097815/

This is a classic particularly with the guys at AKA Cricket Club who can recite many quotes from the film (eg; "Hats for Bats..keep bats warm..gracias" and "Welcome to another summer of Indians Baseball"). 

It also featured Charlie Sheen who claimed in the SI article that he took steroids to strengthen his pitching arm and stick to the shooting schedule. He also told how he had a screening of the film recently at his mansion where he watched it with the director, some friends and "my two girlfriends and everyone cheered in the right spots"!

2. Field of Dreams: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/

The first of my Kevin Costner double which includes the famous quote "If you build it...he will come". And yes, I did consider bulldozing the family backyard and creating a mini cricket ground after seeing this movie...but keeping it to real people as opposed to ghosts that came to drop in. 

Turns out, if you have some spare cash and wish to make that long desired US property investment, the farm that was transformed into that famous baseball field is up for sale! http://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com/aerial/FieldOfDreams.html

3. For Love of the Game: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126916/

This is the perfect sports movie if you are in a relationship. The men can follow the story of whether pitcher Billy Chapel can throw the perfect game and the ladies can follow the love triangle between Chapel, Jane Aubrey and the game of baseball - in short, something for everyone.

This is the second Kevin Costner movie in this list which to me means he did his best work while playing baseball...lucky I am not into water sports that much as I could have referenced 'Waterworld'.

4. We are Marshall: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758794/

This movie is a true story of the rebuilding of not only a football team but a community after the 1970 airplane crash that killed 75 people including the Marshall University football team, coaching staff, fans and community members. It's a great story, an inspirational story and for the ladies...Matthew McConaughey.

And once you have seen it, I dare you not to shout out "We are....Marshall!"

5. Rocky III: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084602/

You can not have a top five without Rocky Balboa...and for me it is Rocky III. Please...Hulk Hogan, Clubber Lang (aka Mr T) beating Rocky for the title, teaming up with Apollo Creed for the return bout and of course...'Eye of the Tiger' by SurvivorI 

If this movie doesn't sum up the 1980's, what other movie does?

"A big week in the Big Apple!"

Wine of the Week:
Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - so if you have seen the movie Bottle Shock you would know that it is about the story of the first time an American wine beat the French in a blind wine tasting - known as "The Paris Tasting". The vineyard who produced the wine was Chateau Montelena and the wine in question was the 1973 Chardonnay. While the Chardonnay made them internationally famous, they also produce reds with a fine reputation. 

Last week while we were in New York we had dinner at a great steak place called Del Frisco's and we had to have a suitable red for the occasion. When we saw the Chateau Montelena Cab Sav on the list and having known about the winery through the movie, we had to have it. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. 

It was different to an Australian Cab Sav in that it didn't have the same level of depth and body but it was smooth, full of fruit and like a true Cab, went perfectly with a beautiful steak. The challenge now is to find somewhere locally to purchase it...or just have to go back to the US again soon. 
http://www.montelena.com

Yes dear friends as mentioned above we have just come back from a week in New York; the first time that  either of us had been there. The primary reason for us to head over was a pre-school dance conference that Trish was attending but there was still some room for sightseeing and exploring what one of the world's famous cities has to offer. Here's just a snapshot of what we did...

This was the view of the city and the East River from the Empire State Building

Times Square with the famous countdown clock in the background

A twilight cruise which included going past the Statue of Liberty

Some cultural pursuits such as visiting the Guggenheim...

...and other cultural pursuits such as a game at Yankee Stadium!

Not to mention partaking in the local cuisine!

Yep, we had a great time and was a great way to kickoff the second half of the year (yes, we are in the last six months of 2011). While it was only a week, it gave us a taste of NYC and left us wanting more. Needless to say, I have already started thinking of when our return trip will be.

And yes, I am now a Yankees fan too!!!