BoozeMonkey BlogSpot Rant... Is It Me?!

Is it me?! I'm hoping that won't become my catchphrase for the year, but if the past two weeks have been anything to go by, it could well be that 2010 is the Year of the Rant.

We're only half way through January and already I've seen a flood of HOT CROSS BUNS in the supermarkets. Did they move Easter and forget to tell the rest of us? What's the betting we start to see a tidal wave of chocolate eggs in the stores before the end of the month? Send me a photograph if you spot any and we'll publish them here on the site.

Seriously though guys, the commercial buildup to things like Xmas, Easter, Valentine's Day (and all the other profitable holidays) seems to get earlier and earlier each year. Why not go the whole hog and start promoting Xmas 2010 right now? Give Santa and his elves a full-time job, set up a permanent Santa's Grotto in Coles (or better still, franchise the idea like Gloria Jean's in shopping malls across the country... ka-ching!) and don't bother taking the decorations down from one year to the next. It'll cost a fortune in fairy lights, but think of all the pavlova you'd sell!

:: ALCOHOL FREE AUSTALIA DAY?! OH PULEEEZ!
Reported in the Daily Telegraph today, the police are trying to make Australia Day an alcohol-free affair. That's right, I said alcohol-free -- NOT free alcohol -- they want to ban booze on Australia Day!

"The tradition of a few beers or wine at Australia Day barbecues is under threat, with police trying to stop the sale of full-strength alcohol. Hundreds of bottle shops in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong have been sent an email asking them not to sell most of their products, including full-strength beer, wine and spirits."

WHAT?! First they ban booze in Sydney on New Year's Eve and now this?!
Shouldn't we be out in the streets demonstrating like they did with the miner's strike & the poll tax in England? It's not just un-Australian, it's practically a violation of human rights. You know I'm not one to complain (really?) but when the Nanny State starts to take control like this -- particularly if it's unopposed -- it's just a short train-ride to night-time curfews, stop-and-search in the streets and a full-blown dictatorship.

It'll be lamb next. I can't wait to see what Sam Kekovich will have to say about that.

:: CAUGHT REDHANDED LAUNCHES ONLINE SHOP
Thankfully, amid all of this ranting, there is a reason to celebrate. Caught RedHanded's long-awaited website has finally been launched! Winemaker Phil Rogers was hoping it would go live late last year, but there were a couple of delays and then the holidays got in the way. But the great news is that all those people who have been asking about Phil's limited edition fortified and his 2007 Shiraz (which will be coming with us on board the Booze Cruise next week) can now purchase them online.

Take a squizz at the site here and drop him a line to let him know what you think :: Caught RedHanded Wines

:: THE BOOZE CRUISE WINE LIST 
Along with Caught RedHanded's Shiraz, we also have a superb list of wines for the Booze Cruise on next Friday (22nd January). The journalists are in for a real treat because every single bottle is a stunner.

The competition was hard-fought and we tasted our way through over 150 entries to decide the winners. And it was tough. Because the standard of the wines submitted was exceptionally high. And tempers were frayed because we couldn't take all the wines we wanted to -- there would have just been far too many of them.

We will publish reviews of all the wines submitted for the cruise over the next few weeks, but for now here is the cruise winelist:

• 2 Mates, 2007 Shiraz
• Belgravia, 2009 Gewurztraminer
  
• Belgravia, 2009 Riesling
  
• Bunnamagoo, 2006 Autumn Semillon
  
• Capercaillie, 2006 "The Ghillie" Shiraz
  
• Cappa Stone, 2009 Moscato
  
• Caught RedHanded, 2007 Shiraz
  
• Fox Creek, 2006 Reserve Shiraz
  
• Fox Creek, "Vixen" Sparkling Shiraz, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc
  
• Good Catholic Girl, 2008 "Teresa" Riesling
  
• Jamabro, "Spiraz" Sparkling Shiraz
  
• Jamabro, 2009 "Rough Cut Diamond" Viognier Moscato
  
• Judge Rock, 2006 Pinot Noir
  
• Kirrihill, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
  
• Moorooroo Park, 2005 Samuel Nitschke Cabernet
  
• Moorooroo Park, 2009 Earthsong Moscato
  
• Mr Riggs, 2008 Riesling
  
• Neagles Rock, 2008 Shiraz
  
• Oak Valley Estate, "Pink Contessa" Moscato
  
• Penny's Hill, 2006 "Footprint" Shiraz
  
• Penny's Hill, "The Veteran" Very Old Fortified
  
• Penny's Hill, Almond Liqueur
  
• Robinvale, 2002 Kerner Reserve
  
• Sabella, 2004 Reserve Shiraz
  
• Shaw, 2008 Murrumbateman Semi-Sweet Riesling
  
• Singlefile, 2008 Reserve Chardonnay
  
• Sylvan Springs, 2006 Cyril's Reserve Shiraz
  
• Sylvan Springs, 2009 Dirty Girls Bubbles
  
  

Okay, I'll leave it here on a positive note today. I won't talk about the heatwave which has been causing so much trouble for our winemakers, particularly down south. And I won't talk about the way the economy is driving so many of them to the edge of financial ruin... I'll save that for another day.

But I will leave you with a sincere wish that you spare a thought for the poor bastards in Haiti who have lost everything in the recent quake: families and entire communities destroyed. Brothers, sisters, fathers, daughters, mothers and sons... some died instantly, others more slowly. And some are still dying. In great pain. They just don't have the medical supplies or the facilities to deal with the extent of the disaster. And what about food and water? Forget it. All they have right now is enough air to breath. And it won't be long before disease starts to spread, killing many more.

The problems won't be cleared up quickly -- even the immediate problems of emergency food and water may take weeks to sort out -- but by this time next week Haiti won't be headline news any longer, and by the end of the month it will be a distant memory for most of us. Not for those trying to re-build their lives of course...

I'm not a religious person so I won't suggest we hold hands and pray -- but donations to aid agencies like The Red Cross will certainly help.

It needn't be cash. They need volunteers too. And they need blood. Lots of blood. No doubt there will be local initiatives where you are too, collecting tinned food, clothes, blankets and the like.

Be generous. I know you will.  And be grateful it wasn't you.

Cheers!

Matt
BoozeMonkey :: The Wine Community