Opinions

I smell a rat!

Something is a bit ‘pongy’ under our deck. It smells like a dead rat. I’m going to have to unscrew a few boards and investigate. The interesting thing is how quickly we get used to it while visitors are instantly aware of an unpleasant smell, and then they get used to it.

How to make a perfect cup of tea

This may seem like an odd topic for a wine blog but most wine drinkers enjoy a cup of tea and, thanks to expert advice, I have revolutionised the quality of my daily cuppa.

No Thumbnail

A question of wine tampering

Excuse me if I haven’t road-tested the Coravin gadget yet. I haven’t felt the need to shell out US$299 for a piece of kit that may or may not work, which is probably only of interest to mega-wealthy collectors with cellars full of fancy ‘collectable’

No Thumbnail

Lessons in fishing

Fishing is a good lesson in life, I reckon, because nothing worthwhile is ever achieved easily. You simply don’t go fishing unless you’re prepared to be skunked. Chances are, you’ll come home empty-handed quite often.  My favourite form of fishing is fly-fishing for trout –