I don’t think Riesling will ever be fashionable, but I do enjoy it. Tonight I’m sipping a nice one from Leitz in Germany’s Rheingau, who I visited last May. It’s not one of their top wines, but it is very drinkable – the Rudesheimer Kabinett 2008, showing honeyed, limey fruit and crisp grapefruit notes on the finish. At £13.50 from Booths it’s probably (if I’m being honest) a little over-priced, but it is bringing me considerable pleasure after a difficult day. And it’s only 8.5% alcohol (with 36 g/l residual sugar).
Yesterday older son came home from school in Devon with a friend to stay. Younger son also had a friend for a sleep-over, which meant our house was full. Today they were planning to spend the day at Thorpe Park (a theme park near here, which they absolutely adore, but which for me is almost as close as it gets on earth to hell).
So we got up early, and after walking the dog and having breakfast it was time to set off. But the off-side front tyre had a big bulge in the sidewall, known as a bleb. Considering Fiona obtained this on her way home by hitting a kerb at speed, and then spent a considerable time driving on motorways afterwards, she was lucky not to have had a serious blow-out.
But it meant I had to change the tyre. So I started to work on the nuts, only to find them particularly tight. When I tried to release the locking nut, it sheared. This meant that without a new locking nut (and Mazda were closed for the holiday) I couldn’t get the tyre replaced, or use the car. You can imagine the response on the part of the kids.
In the end, they got to Thorpe Park fairly easily by means of two bus journeys. And in picking them up, I got to go behind the scenes, as one of Fiona’s clients (she now works for Surrey CC supporting people with disabilities in employment) is working there, and Fiona used the chance to check on her progress.
The kids were very happy: younger son has a letter from his psychiatrist which means he doesn’t have to queue for rides at theme parks, and his three buddies with him were able to share this concession. Now they are all asleep, exhausted. The first two days of the holidays have been successfully navigated. Just 14 more to go!
13 Comments on A difficult day finishes well with Riesling
Please stick to wine.
People really aren’t bothered about people’s domestic minutiae.
I’m sure you had a really difficult day, but we all go through days like this, and this isnt why we log-on to your site.
Chris, thanks for your honesty. It’s difficult to judge how much non-wine-related content to include on a blog like this. My feeling has always been that a little personal information brings people closer to the writer in terms of understanding the writer’s motivations and the context of the wine reviews, but I realize that this isn’t very post-modern and I’m willing to be told when I’ve been a bit too open and have overstepped the mark.
Well, I’m of the opposite view finding it quite nice to read occasionally. I say keep up adding a personal touch from time to time. This is the blog and therefore not as strict as the main site.
So, what I wanted to say is simply; you will always have people like both me and Chris. One not wishing to read about the personal touch to the postings, the other finding it amusing. You choose your own way of writing and we choose to read it or not!
Happy easter!
Best,
Niklas Jorgensen
I agree with Niklas, it’s your blog Jamie so content is entirely your choice. There is more to life than wine, after all.
I come to this site to read about wine, and I am surrounded by wine here so a little diversion is welcome.
Jamie – I would recommend that you acquire a torque wrench and some copper grease (use sparingly) for doing up your wheel nuts. If fitted correctly your wheels should never trouble you in this way again. Sadly not all of the motor trade seems to knows this…
May I also applaud your phrase regarding Riesling. The word “difficult” is, perhaps, superfluous.
Have a lovely Easter.
Interesting comment from Chris but I’m not sure that I agree with him; I don’t think there is anything wrong with getting to know people better – look at how Gary Vaynerchuk has created a wine community in America by adding a personal touch to his shows. This is the beauty of social media, it allows you to interact and communicate with people that previously would have never been impossible. This surely, can only be a good thing.
By the way they have the 2009 Rudesheimer Rosengarten Kabinett by Leitz in Waitrose for below a tenner (just) at a heafty 10.5%abv! Does that mean that 09 in the Rheingau was a hot year I wonder?
By the way I don’t work for Waitrose, I just live in Lewes where we have Waitrose and a rubbish Tesco and thats it! As a consequence, I am becoming a bit of a wine expert in Waitrose as its the only place locally where I can get decent wine!
Thank you for your reply, Jamie.
I don’t think you’ve overstepped the mark – it’s your blog, and you can put what you like on it!
But entries about the difficulty in changing a car tyre do not an interesting blog make!!!
Well I’m just back from spending 3 h getting a replacement tyre – first of all a trip to Mazda in Twickenham to get the locking wheel nuts removed and replaced by standard nuts, and then 2 h getting the tyre replaced (long story, the tyre place was busy and they initially changed the wrong tyre).
‘At £13.50 from Booths it’s probably (if I’m being honest) a little over-priced’
Awwww and there’s me thinking you were always ‘being honest’.
Are damaged car tyres really so boring? If you read about that servicewoman up in Scotland who died having a tyre explode on her, you might beg to differ. Like yours, it had a bulge. These things can be extremely dangerous it would appear, even if not actually on the car.
Having said that, I found the doctor’s letter the most interesting part of that blog entry…
Every sommelier I know working in the States works everyday at making Riesling fashionable – please hold out hope Mr. Jaime!
There were some pretty decent Rieslings around in the Hunter Valley last time I went tasting down under, not nearly as good as some of the local Semillons, but excellent for the price!
So I started to work on the nuts, only to find them particularly tight.
Do you know Jamie for a second I thought you had turned into Buster Gonad !!
Simon T, as Finbarr Saunders would say, “Fnarr fnarr.” Which, apparently, is now in the OED.