Episode 100 - Drink with a Merry Heart

"Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used; exclaim no more against it." - Shakespeare, Othello


This is the 100th post. It seems to be an appropriate occasion to write something on wine.

I love Australian red wines. Apart from shirazs, I found that the sauvignons produced in the Connawarra District are particular attractive. My personal feeling is that Australian wines are strong. Their qualities are steady and, with an acceptable level of acidity, they are drinkable in early years.

Apart from Australian red wines, I also like Chilean reds. The wines produced in the Colchagua Valley are good - French wine quality but at a much reasonable price. What else can you ask for?

Both French reds and Italian reds are great but I found that I will have to pay a high price to get some good drinks.

I tried whisky and cognac when I was young but I did not know how to appreciate them. Rum coke and gin tonic were better choices for me at that time.

I revisited whisky recently. With the maturity of my wine tasting ability, I finally know how to appreciate the freshness of the malt. I like to have Scotch on the rocks in the evening - it's really cool!

Regarding cognac, I still find it difficult to understand - too bad.

Japanese sakes are good and had been one of my favourites for many years. However, after trying the reserved Shao Hsing Chew, my heart has turned to the traditional Chinese wines.

I had a not so good experience with the Mou Tai some 20 years ago. I nearly fell unconscious after emptying a small glass of it - this wine was too strong for me. I am tempting to have a second try.