The zoo, and fake wine

Took a day off, and took younger son to London Zoo, via a 2 hour stop at Hamleys (he *loves* trying everything out). I've not been to London Zoo since I was a kid, so I enjoyed the experience too. The reptile and amphibian bit was probably the most interesting for both of us. You do feel a bit sorry for the larger animals, who have been brought from (usually) warmer climes to London, where for four months each year it's grey and cold. It was a special day, and one I'll remember for a long time.

There have been some developments in the fake wine story that I blogged on some time ago. First of all, a new website, http://www.wineauthentication.com/, has been launched by a serious collector who wants to help stamp out wine fraud. It's worth taking the time registering for this (it's free), because it's an initiative that needs supporting, even if many of us are unlikely to have bottles in our collection that could justify the $249 photoauthentication fee. Decanter's excellent news site has also been following the twists and turns in the story very well (see e.g. this latest news article, which has links to other relevant pieces). In brief, the lawsuit against Hardy Rodenstock filed by William Koch was thrown out, but a few days ago Koch refiled an amended suit, and Russel Frye has settled out of court with retailer The Wine Library.