Useless Standards

by Martin Field

Headlines over recent months have featured horror stories about alcohol abuse, binge drinking, and general overindulgence in our favourite legal drug.

Some stories have ludicrously blamed the size of wine glasses for excessive boozing. For example, "MP calls for smaller wine glasses" and, "Wine glasses blamed for women drinking large alcohol amounts."

I’m totally unconvinced that standardising the size of wine glasses is going to stop boozing and I don’t believe that proposals to change the official guidelines for the recommended number of standard drinks per day will have any effect whatsoever.

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Posted by Martin Field at 11:55 PM
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Noosa Vine

by Martin Field

Spirit House
A group of us dined at the Spirit House in Yandina, a short drive south of Noosa. A spectacular setting, just like walking into a tropical restaurant in Bali or Thailand; complete with exotic flowers, bamboo, palms, and a central lake dotted with lotus leaves.

Standout entrée ($19.50) was the ‘Buddha’s Delight’ a trio of beautifully presented savoury dishes, described accurately on the menu as ‘Potato, pea and spinach samosa with coriander yoghurt; eggplant and banana chili salad with cassava chips; and Son-in-law Egg with sweet, salt and sour sauce.

Address: 20 Ninderry Rd, Yandina, Queensland. Phone (07) 5446 8994.

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Posted by Martin Field at 11:50 PM
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Noshtalgic cheatin’ in the kitchen

by Martin Field

Pickled eggs ‘n Scrumpy
I was telling Beery Mag about getting legless on scrumpy (a strongly alcoholic rustic cider) on the morning of a mate’s wedding many years ago.

We rode borrowed motor bikes down narrow hedgerowed lanes near Rockwell Green in Taunton, Somerset, and stopped for morning tea at a quaint little tavern that sold cider.

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Posted by Martin Field at 11:47 PM
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Star Drinking

by Martin Field

Shanghai Lager - up to $16 the six-pack of 330ml bottles *
Unusual this. Brewed from rice, according to the media release. A pale looking lager style with a good foamy head. Slightly sweet and light on the palate with faint bitterness at the back of the tongue. Would suit people who generally don’t drink beer ‘Because it’s too bitter!’ Would go well (obviously) with Chinese tucker.

Tyrrell’s Old Winery Hunter Valley Semillon 2007 - $11 * * *$
Lemons and straw on the nose. Light (10.5% alcohol) fresh style with attractive ripe citrus flavours. An ideal lunch and entrée white.

Shingle Peak Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - up to $26 * * *
This one exhibits the typically grassy pungency we expect from quality NZ sauvignon blanc. The palate is crisp with upfront tangy acid and stacks of lychee fruit.

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Posted by Martin Field at 11:42 PM
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Barcelona, food value heaven

This past week I was in Barcelona, attending the Mobile World Congress exhibition. I looked up fellow blogger Joan Gómez Pallarès, who invited me for tremendous Galician tapas at a Braserìa right beside the fairgrounds, on the Carrer Lleida. Joan is a polyglot professor of greek and latin who travels frequently to the best wine regions of Europe and reports on his findings on his excellent blog DE VINIS CIBISQUE. Joan abides by his own variation of what in Spain is referred to as the three Bs, only he adds a fourth one: Bueno, Bonito, Bastante Barato. I would have added a fifth one: Barcelona! This city truly lends itself to finding places that are nice, good and reasonably cheap. Joan’s writing is an invaluable guide to what is truly exciting in wine in Europe, wines that are not yet on Robert Parker’s radar screen.

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Posted by Mike Tommasi at 08:01 PM
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