Comments on: You’ve got to hand it to the French

By: nick

nick — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 22:00:04 +0000

Stop the madness, Australia! My wife and I toured through McLaren Vale and Barossa and found 1 (One!) Pinot Noir. Ridiculous. Um, the gentleman in question is a Kiwi, and NZ does, indeed, make extremely good Pinot Noir, thanks to its more favourable climate for that grape. Indeed, Pinot Noir is the most widely planted red variety in NZ, though some of it is used for sparklies such as Lindaur Brut. Much of the really good stuff gets exported to people with more money than sense, though. (How much is Cloudy Bay going for these days?) (You do know that New Zealand is a separate country, don't you?)

By: sidereal

sidereal — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 20:55:56 +0000

“the best red wine I’ve ever tasted.” When all you drink is Shiraz, that isn’t saying much. Stop the madness, Australia! My wife and I toured through McLaren Vale and Barossa and found 1 (One!) Pinot Noir. Ridiculous. Quite good, though. Nepenthe winery. Highly recommended.

By: yabonn

yabonn — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 19:06:46 +0000

Private dialogue between Chirac and Bush, in a private meeting during D-Day celebration (found via Phersu, and checked by myself in the Canard Enchainé cause i really couldn’t believe it) : Chirac : – France loves the u.s. Bush : – Thanks, but the u.s. cares little about being loved, rather about being powerful. Which is, i believe, better than being neither one or the other. … Refreshing isn’t it? At least, we know now that chirac does make a difference between bush and the u.s.

By: pepi

pepi — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 11:14:27 +0000

tsk, tsk, publicity stunt, probably funded by French winemakers ;)

By: des

des — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 11:07:10 +0000

Yeah, but yer Chirac’s a beer man, innit? Read it in Point de Vue – there’s nothing he likes better than a beer or several to wash down his calf-offal peasant food, yum yum.

By: schwa

schwa — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 10:53:01 +0000

Given that he was twiddling his thumbs in the company of the President of France’s entourage, who presumably gear their winelist to the Presidential tastebuds, I’d have been much more astonished if the glass of wine he was handed wasn’t the best he’d ever tasted. (And I say that as a Kiwi myself and a great admirer of our local reds.)

By: Anthony

Anthony — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 10:33:24 +0000

Cheap shot Alan.

By: Alan

Alan — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 10:16:19 +0000

The Prime Miniature of Australia, John Howard, was in the USA at the time of the September 11 attacks. His itinerary included business meetings to be attended by some Australian executives. In the air travel confusion in the days after the attacks, Howard got a special flight out of the USA. The plane was half empty. His fellow Australian citizens trying to get home had to wait their turn.

By: nick

nick — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 07:13:52 +0000

But aren’t the French supposed to be eeeeeevil ungrateful bastards? Damn. They’re just doing this to hide their eeevil ungrateful bastardy. (Anyone want to imagine what would have happened if it had been one of the Bush retinue? Off to the brig with the suspected terrorist, I think.)