Silver Lining

IN A TWIST of surrealist homour, I spent the first part of today modelling for Oliver Goldsmith glasses, design icons immortalised in the 60's by wearers Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and Michael Caine. The photographer wanted a distinctive, black-eyed individual to help inform the shoot's "narrative". With my various facial injuries, I was a felicitous, street-found fit. Playing the part of intrusive, jilted lover at a wedding reception, dressed in skinny tie and drainpipes with wax-swept hair and whisky, my former par amour issued me much mock-abuse. Pictures will appear in the London store and online campaign.

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In a sadly non-miscreant manner, I managed to break my bed. The replacement was erected ad-lib late last night, with forced freedom from printed instructions. This was fuelled by deep glasses of Avila Pinot Noir '05 from plump-tasting fruit plucked from the seismically active, San Andreas Fault proximate, San Obispo.

With vivid cherry, strawberry and plum aromas, and leniently smoky oak, this pretty number was a markedly moreish find, and certainly the best Cali-red I have uncovered under £10 [£9.99, Noel Young].

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Another objet trouvé: a dark red velvet coloured, sapele mahogany scented Claret. Château Reynier (in actuality a 'fortified farmhouse') has been in the Lurton family's hands for over four decades. Aside from smart wood, their '04 Cuvée Héritage evoked rich, home-baked Polish chocolate cheesecake. Not what I would imagine the Goldsmith set to rate as choice tipple, but rather fetching nonetheless.

All these winey polyphenol antioxidants are doing me a power of good.