Cold

Praise be to the supreme being of your choice! Kirsty and I are now the proud owners to six bottles of Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie La Landonne 2006. This is probably our version of getting an I-Phone. I hold up our purchases as if they show something deep and meaningful about my life's achievements.

In some kind of wine/exercise trading type-thing, I've renewed my membership at the glorious Tooting Lido (South London Swimming Club). The biggest outdoor pool in Britain and, some think, Europe. It's an Art Deco masterpiece anyway.

Hooray! I'm off to France next week with my brother. It will be mightily strange, going back to the house in Roussillon we associate so much with John, my dad.

John died almost a year ago. It's strange, but with such a warm February in the UK, I haven't thought about it so much. The recent chill brought me straight back to last year though. Chilled to the bones, we were, in many many more ways than one.

Most London wine merchants have launched their 2006 Burgundy offerings by now. Somehow, reading through all the blerb, I found myself reading the varied musings of Napoleon. The story goes that Chambertin was his favourite wine. He drank it before every major battle except one: Waterloo. The message is obvious. Start drinking Chambertin and whatever you do, don't stop!