Soccer's Euro 2004 kicks off tomorrow and the weekend's big game is
undoubtedly England verses France. A clash of the Titans at football
but in the wine stakes it's giants against minnows.
The form book is very much with the French.
As
a London born Irishman I support both Ireland and England at soccer and
hate to admit it but I expect the French to win the football. And, as a
spurs fan, I can only pray that Henry, Pires and Viera all break legs or
at least pull hamstrings so as to even up the contest.
Nothing
though can even up the contest between England and France when it comes to
wine, except maybe 50 years of global warming. I've worked in several
English vineyards and one year even helped judge the English wine of the
year show, so I know it's a tough job to produce anything half decent
there. The odd good wine does pop up from grapes like Bacchus or Seyval
but they have nothing on the classic French wines. This being Ireland they
are all but impossible to find in shops here. I'd try Oddbins if you're
curious.
My
advice is to watch the game with a bottle of something like Dunnes
Chablis 1ere cru, selection Jean-Marc Brocard, €17.99, 88/100
on hand. It's first rate Chablis and a good price for a 1er cru from a
producer that has as far as I can tell never bottled a duff bottle of
wine. He's Mr. Reliable. Look out also for his Bourgogne Cotes d'Auxerre
2002 in Dunnes too at only €10.99. It's petit Chablis in all but name.
Die
hard English fans should probably watch the game with a can or bottle of
English beer in hand. I'll be watching with a G & T in hand made using
Tanquerey no 10, available from the Celtic Whiskey Shop. It's an
exquisite gin and gin is something the English do much better than the
French.
Diageo
probably make Tanqueray in Scotland, so I may stick to Beefeater gin!
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