Hoping for Spring

I took this before it snowed (again). They are my Welsh tulips.

Bottle count

This was the count from a dinner last night. From left to right, a serious fizz from one of Italy's best makers, a smasher from McLaren Vale, probably the best Monferrato Rosso (a blend of Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon) from hereabouts and with the chocolate pudding to finish off a simply wonderful Moscato d'Asti. The latter is so pleasant and light (5º) that it's the sort of stuff you could have a good crack at for breakfast (but only at the weekend of course). The Aussie was a gift brought by hand from Oz. Impossible to find on the shelves around here. Apologies for the quality of the photograph, it was quite late.

A Grappa Frenzy

The arrival of The Intrepid One meant that vaulting off the wagon two days early was forgiveable I think. Saturday evening came and went in a wonderful haze of decent local wines of both colours and some serious nosh (rabbit since you ask preceded by Combo own label mushrooms and stuffed chilli peppers). On Sunday TIO tootled off but there was no stopping Ronnie and lunch at a local restaurant seemed in order. To mark the occasion and to help the digestion (of course), the owner pulled this one off the special shelf, age unknown but at least 40 years old as the company stopped making grappa in 1960.
It was surprisingly mellow with a pleasant aviation fuel afterburn.

Then it was on to Bruno's where he pulled these two babies out, from profoundly different ends of the grappa spectrum.
The Tagliatella is from my favourite grappa house, Nardini, and is a terribly moreish grappa - amaro cross. The other bottle needs to be drunk wearing the sort of kit bomb-disposal experts don before they approach some roadside device in Afghanistan. Not for the faint-hearted.

Faithful Friend

I know I bang on but this car is just remarkable. The winter here, like last year, is proving pretty long and hard but whilst the rest of Piedmont is slithering around, the climb up to Combo Towers is a doddle thanks to the Panda. She's will be 21 next month so as a special birthday treat she's going to get serviced. Lucky girl.

A long, hard month

Obviously I have not written anything for three weeks because I have nothing to say because I am on the wagon and life is too fearful to even contemplate something like putting a few words together.
My January misery was anticipated and compounded perfectly by this bottle of 1967 Chambertin which I had been keeping for a special occasion and New Year's Eve 2009 seemed as good a time as any. It was 100% sodding oxidised.
A faint light is glimmering however, as The Intrepid One is pitching up next Saturday on his way back from The Dark Continent so a few bottles will be on the table and January can go whistle.

Drink More Wine!

Car dealer Bruno has this (original) sign up on the wall of his dining room. I cannot think of a more appropriate place for it. Console was an organisation set up to "defend and increase sales of wine in Italy". Unfortunately your correspondent is having the standard dry January for which many apologies.

A Popular Singer

I understand that the local dance halls are invariably sold out when this lady tops the bill.