Postcard: Chinatown
Somewhere in the midst of the jumble of lanes and streets that makes up Singapore's Chinatown is an Austrian sausage stall peddling guilty pleasures for a few gold coins. It's totally incongruous but an essential stop for all lovers of pork.http://feed...
Write a sentence
It's a standard component to any Folstein mini mental state exam. Today was my first day back at work. I spoke to a lovely and lively old man who after much prompting thought it was the 1st of March 2003.Despite, or perhaps because of this, he was able...
Durian
For something so iconic, it's curious that they are not more widely available. In the foreground a pile of unopened D24 durian, while in the red plastic baskets an extraordinary number of freshly discarded shells and husks.A quote from Harold McGee - T...
Matteo Correggia Roero 2008
Canale, Roero, Piedmont, Italy. Nebbilo. 14.5%. Cork. Approx $A30.It's not easy to find an Italian Nebbiolo from the Piedmont region for $A30, so if you spot this, go long. . .Bright and clean, dried herbs and notable alcohol on the nose - an inauspici...
In search of Buah Keluak
I think I found it, on my penultimate day in Singapore. All the previous iterations I had tasted, which were nominally Ayam buah keluak had tasted insipid and thin. A nondescript, forgettable chicken curry. Nothing like opium or ambrosia - though I mi...
Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1998
Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. 12.5%. Cork.I should travel to South East Asia more often. It seems each visit is accompanied by the opening of a bottle of Pichon Lalande. . . Though not an esteemed vintage, I still found the wine superb. This of course mi...
Chocolate and wine
Chocolate and wine have many similarities and though I frequently enjoy both together, I'm yet to be convinced that the pairing is synergistic. I thought this was a clever take on the often suggested pairing of fortified wine and chocolate. Each slab o...
Rambutan
It's been many years since I've found the appearance of a rambutan strange, but I still find the sight unfailingly beautiful. The examples that reach Australia seem bedraggled and suffering from bad hair, no such aesthetic issues for this partly naked ...
Postcard: Friday
I've written before about drinking at altitude, the cabin pressure is lower and the air drier. Both factors having a possible effect on olfactory thresholds. Wine tastes and smells different at altitude compared to sea level, even taking into account t...
Dombeya Boulder Road Shiraz 2006
Stellenbosch, South Africa. Shiraz. 14.5%. Diam. Approx $A35.Quite delicious. Savoury, spiced and earthy. There's also a clean leather saddle, smallgoods, plum and eventually a hint of resin. Bright acidity (I'd assume added), pleasing texture and a co...
Postcard: Wednesday
Apparently Perth is about to be enveloped in a cloud of volcanic ash from a Chilean volcano. Domestic airspace is to be shut down and schedules and plans will be disrupted. It seems so unlikely - outside I can hear the trickle of water and the light fl...
Jauma Wood Vineyard Grenache 2010
McLaren Vale, South Australia. Grenache. 15.5%. Diam. Approx $A70A formidable, but not completely enjoyable wine. Even though the sky is dark and the air cold and moist, the weight and heft stand out and dominate the mouth feel and balance. It's a curi...
