Joan read in The Sunday Telegraph an article about how the 1% are spending their time in Lockdown. This caught her eye
Martin Reith, chairman of luxury PR firm Luchford, who is locked down at Essenden, his country estate has been steadily working his way through the wine list from Hedonism, a fine wine boutique. “What an amazing way to travel the world in lockdown,” he says.
This enthused Joan who wanted to know how many countries are represented in my cellar. I reckon 20 including 5 US States, or 21 if you count Madeira as a separate country.
She wants to go a step further with matching dishes and national flags on the table. She wanted me to make a Bobotie for South Africa. I replied that it was a stupid idea, which did not amuse her at all, so – not wishing to go to all the hard work involved with making Bobotie – I countered with Nando’s, and I think I’ve got away with it.
Tonight, already planned, is roast beef. Well, that’s English, so I have had to ‘un-drink’ the Cava I’d already selected to replace it with an SEW* as aperitif. I don’t have an English red wine, and the last one we had was so execrable we poured it down the sink, so we’ll have claret since Aquitaine was ruled by the English kings for over 300 years until the perfidious French king expanded his kingdom. And I have an English flag somewhere…
We’ll carry on 'till she has forgotten the idea.
In the meantime, I need an Indian wine for an upcoming curry.
*Sparkling English Wine
N.V. Chapel Down Brut (England, Kent)
and with Ye Roaste Beef of Olde England
we had Ye Olde Claret
2012 Château Batailley (Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)
Many thanks to Toby who gave me the Chapel Down for my 2019 birthday.
