An Occasional Tipple: Raising a glass or four to our local Olympians
The Olympics have begun with a magnificent opening ceremony featuring multiple beheadings of Marie-Antoinette - hurrah! How very French!
Now, let's crack open a bottle or four to celebrate the achievements of our local athletes - but which bottles to open? Before opening anything, however, we need to work out how to cheer on our athletes.
You see, I turned on my TV last Sunday morning to watch Belfast boxer, Aidan Walsh, in his opening fight only to find that BBC weren’t showing it- they preferred to talk about Team GB prospects later in the day rather than show any live sport at that point - and RTE were geo-blocked from broadcasting it here. The ludicrous upshot of this was that people in Galway, Dublin, Limerick, Cork etc could cheer on the Belfast boy but we couldn’t.
NI sent about 40 athletes to Paris, six of whom are competing for Team GB/NI while the rest compete for Ireland. In most cases, this has little to do with personal choice on the part of the athletes - it depends on how the governing bodies are organised i.e. rugby, cricket, hockey, boxing, athletics, gymnastics etc (I could go on) and you’re Team Ireland. Soccer or rowing (I can’t go on), you’re Team GB.
I celebrated success for Team Ireland's Daniel Wiffen from Armagh in the pool with a glass or three of today’s WINE OF THE WEEK, the fresh, fragrant and gloriously refreshing 2023 Fattori Pinot Grigio (£11.99, Naked Wines). This unoaked Italian white is brimful of juicy peach and sharper lime flavours alongside grassy and herbaceous aromatics. One for a smoked chicken and salad.
As it happens, Aidan Walsh lost his opening fight against a French opponent, reportedly due to a combination of poor refereeing and questionable judging, but he won a bronze medal in Tokyo and battled back from retirement following mental health issues so he deserves a hearty toast for even qualifying and for going down so bravely and with tremendous personal dignity. Let’s raise a glass of today’s second recommendation, the full-bodied, powerfully flavoured yet very approachable 2022 Catoria Cabernet Sauvignon (£13.99, Naked Wines) to young Aidan. An impressive bouquet with lots of red fruit and delicate spicing leads to an opulent palate with cherry and blueberry flavours alongside gentle tannins before a lingering finish with hints of oak and vanilla. One to wash down a juicy fillet steak.
And finally, we should get to cheer on Portaferry girl, Ciara Mageean, in the athletics because if she reaches the final, she will almost certainly be up against runners from Team GB meaning that BBC will show it live. I’m praying for a champagne moment and should it come, the impressively vivacious, ferociously crisp and refreshingly light Bissinger & Co Champagne (£17.99, Lidl) fits the bill.
Fabulously fruity and impressively bubbly, this effervescent sparkler is packed with intoxicating citrus and green apple flavours.
Gold, silver, bronze or just gallant loser, let’s cheer all our local Olympians. And please BBC/RTE, bang your heads together and work out a way for us Nordies to cheer them all on.