2 November 2004
Another Fridjhon
There are those who
will react with deepest gloom to the prospect of another Fridjhon. Janice
and Michael were already enough, according to this theory – and if doubters
could see the precocious tastes in (diluted) champagne of the first-born,
they would be filled with trepidation. It is rumoured that this young Leo is
being trained (on bloodhound principles) to sniff out the slightest trace of
brettanomyces through the thickest layers of alcoholic, fruity
over-ripeness.
But we at Grape are
full of pleasure and congratulations at the birth (on 1 November) of Matthew
Noah. Noah? Clearly an apposite allusion to the Biblical planter of the first
vineyards. And the sort of name, perhaps, that you don’t let on to your
friends about when you get to school.... but certainly preferable to Brett
these days (as Michael points out, a name that is forever expunged from the
list of possibilities when wine people go forth and multiply, and then have
to think of names).
An old wine show
Takes
one’s mind off such things as wine show results, anyway. Especially after
Veritas, we hacks get deluged by wineries as proud as new parents. But
showing a bit less imagination than some of those, and declining into
drivel. Take KWV, for example, who really couldn’t think of much to say in
their press release: ‘This is a great achievement for the 2004 KWV Steen,
which is a wine from the current vintage. It is a blend of Steen
grapes....' They forgot to point out it was produced by KWV.
