Lagrein at Lords

‘…eleven homicidal, bat-wielding robots proceed to blow up Lords Cricket Ground…’

[Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]

I AM walking with a slight limp. I have never been an exercise fanatic. Sweat is awful. Whilst walking is all very well (especially to the car) I cannot admit to elation from excess physical activity. Organised sport equates to homoeroticism in my book. And gyms are beastly pens filled with badly dressed, vicious executives who sigh a lot and turn mauve en-route to having heart attacks.

How then, was I drawn into a game of tennis, Sunday? To be more specific: hitting a luminous globe in view of training toddlers, better at it then me. A twisted leg was the result. Watch out, Wimbledon!

I suppose I fear fatness. Life is fine so long as I am thin. The trouble is my appetite is ambitious.

Anyway, I found myself in view of Lords for the second time this year. A smart green oval where people in white throw, run, catch and supposedly have fun. I went to taste Italian wine there rather then take part in straightening stumps. In many ways wine tasting is a sport: it can be very competitive and requires real stamina.

The highlight in the sticky pavilion: Elena Walch’s ‘05 Lagrein Riserva (Alto Adige), an intense, plush, handsome wine with flavours of clay, blueberries, dark cherry liqueur, chocolate and spiced plums. Lagrein is allegedly a relative of Syrah, although I saw little resemblance. I also liked San Calisto’s Testarossa (also ’05), a slightly gaseous but interesting, Sottobosco berry ice cream flavoured organic, oak matured Montepulciano.

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A post from this blog received nearly 100 visitors an hour after Giles Coren's and Sue Purkiss' latest programme. Such traffic tempts me to scribe something salacious to secure more stats. Mm, 'Naked Anna Kournikova' - that should get Sitemeter excited...