Whisky, Words and Wine

WCF!!

World Cup Fever is afflicting both Jack and Graham - great starts by both Australia and Scotland buoying the spirits – hope lives eternal and already they are looking forward to the knockout rounds. So many great individual and team performances and it is only the first week of the greatest show on Earth. And the antics of the fans always entertain. Lots of TV and podcasts fill in the small gaps between games – it is going to be a big few weeks for Football, - and Jack gets a mention on one particularly entertaining nightly TV analysis. And Graham names the winner!! ….of Australian Rieslings while Jack names the third place getter ….of Arran Distillery whiskies. And who knew razor blades and tape could get Graham so excited?! In the absence of a word of the week Graham tries to engage Jack in a “mine is bigger than yours” contest but Jack won't play so instead a discussion on early experimental electronica music ensues which hinged on the use of spliced together reel to reel tape. More on music, Jack has been getting a cultural fix at the Sydney Opera House courtesy of a trumpeter and friends (although  they seemed to have left their tech crew behind in Beijing)  and has been listening to a Kiwi soul singer #teeks Jack loved the film Disclosure Day in the cinema, and Revenge Club on TV, while Graham enjoys a raunchy 1980’s-themed series based on TV rivalry, but is disappointed in Gary Oldman in The Woman in the Window film.   Now, back to the football…….. Email us at:  whiskywordswine@gmail.com [%20whiskywordswine@gmail.com] Whisky:  Arran Distillery Single Malt Barley 10YO http://www.arranwhisky.com/ [http://www.arranwhisky.com/] Wine: John Gehrig “The Growler” Cabernet/Durif/Shiraz – King Valley, Victoria https://johngehrigwines.com.au/ [https://johngehrigwines.com.au/] * Pauletts “Antonina” Reisling, 2024, Clare Valley, Australia. http://www.paulettwines.com.au/ [http://www.paulettwines.com.au/] Reading:  Any Ordinary Day – Leigh Sales, Penguin Books @leigh sales  Watching: -Cup Fever, SBS TV -Disclosure Day – Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Steven Spielberg http://disclosuredaymovie.com/ [http://disclosuredaymovie.com/] * Rivals, - Disney TV, David Tennant #rivalstvseries * The Revenge Club – Netflix #therevengeclubtvseries * The Woman in the Window, Amy Adams and (briefly) Gary Oldman, Netflix Listening: -The Book Club – Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett  @TheBookClubPodHQ -Teeks (Spotify) #teeks #fifaworldcup #football #worldcupfootball #australiaworldcup2026 #scotlandworldcup2026

When is a falcon not a falcon?

Graham likes bubbles – who knew? (actually several wineries in the King Valley now know). Two words of the week – Galloway (relating to the height of horses), and Aptronym – a name which accords with the profession or other attribute of the named person. Both are getting through their respective books but are not fast readers. Jack recommends a movie that teaches you  the difference  between a falcon and a goshawk (and which strangely doesn't involve Sir David Attenborough narrating) and  a couple of TV series about pianos, and (an English) House of Cards. For Graham it has been a long time between series 1 and series 2 of one of his favourite shows (23 years in fact!)  – even if it is a show which would not have taken Graham as a contestant….. Graham listens to a  podcast about the CIA nobbling Engalnds 1970 World Cup campaign  while Jack sees through it as an excuse for the perennial failure of the English football team. Jack is on the “50-years-since….”  train and has been listening to "Frampton Comes Alive" . He also recommends a new (to us) artist - Sienna Spiro and boasts of an upcoming night at the Sydney Opera House attending a Chris Botti concert. Going forward both will be spending hours in front of the TV watching the Football World Cup, and Graham will be cataloguing all his recent wine purchases. Email us at:  mailto:whiskywordswine@gmail.com [whiskywordswine@gmail.com] Whisky: Arran 10yo Machriemoor Single Malt whisky Wine: King Valley Estate Prosecco  (Methode Champenoise). King Valley, Victoria Reading: Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami -Dracula – Bram Stoker Watching:  H is for Hawk (film) – Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson -Race Around the World – ABC TV Australia -Legends – BBC TV – Steve Coogan -The Piano (UK) – Season 3 Heard – The Rest Is Classified – Episode on spying and sports (podcast) -Frampton Comes Alive – Peter Frampton -Sienna Spiro “Material Lover”   #hisforhawkfilm #racearoundtheworld2026 #thepiano #siennaspiro #therestisclassified

When is a walk a waste of time?

Graham may (or may not) have been wrong about where Aran knitwear comes from, but Jack is certain that the whisky he is drinking this week is from Lochranza on The Isle of Arran. Jack has stopped taking his phone on walks - not because he forgets where he has put it but it is actually a life choice (Mennonites rejoice!).  As usual, each go down a couple of rabbit holes – Graham’s involves railway maps, Jack’s is curling…. Lots of music listening this week including a new (to us) Neo-Soul singer/songwriter from Melbourne - Felivand -  and some rock classics from wayyyyy too long ago.  Jack’s Dad joke involving The Vapors’ #1 hit from 1980 goes straight over Graham’s head, but both wet themselves laughing over a particular scene in BBC's music dramedy Riot Women. And in other-worldly news, both the Devil and Dracula get an airing, albeit in different media.  Email us: whiskywordswine@gmail.com [whiskywordswine@gmail.com]  send us your comments, requests and recommendations Whisky: Arran 10YO Single Malt   Wine: Zema Estate Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot, 2018 Reading: Dracula – Bram Stoker -The Meaning of Your Life – Albert Brooks -Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami -Any Ordinary Day – Leigh Sales Watching: Legends – Steve Coogan, Netflix Riot Women – BBC (SBS TV in Australia) The Devil Wears Prada 2 – Meryl Streep Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci Lance Armstrong Doco – ESPN Sports “How Melbourne Solved a Problem Britain STILL has”; YouTube – Gareth Dennis and Railway Maps Listening:  Felivand "Ties" (Album - 2022) Raye – “This may contain hope “ (album - 2026) Steve Miller Band – Book of Dreams (Album - 1976) Hotel California – The Eagles (Album - 1976) I Think I’m Turning Japanese – The Vapors (single - 1980) #felivand  #raye #whisky #isleofarrandistillery #zemaestate #leigh_ sales #legendsnetflix #riot_women @zemaestate #thedevilwearsprada2

🎼What a way to make a living….🎶

Graham and Jack are  in the same country again, and we cut through the whisky haze to round off Jack’s travels, while plutons and googlewhacking make an appearance. Graham is recovering for the devasting spygate scandal (only a true football fan will understand the depths of despair this creates). Jack is reading about London Falling, while for Graham it is Moscow. Graham has found a new favourite TV show – and its a riot - while also on a musical note Jack watches a  song sung blue. And the Isles of Arran/Aran are in dispute (a woolly issue). ------------- Wine: Henry Frost Sangiovese 202 Whisky: Bunnahabhain  (really!)   Reading: -Moscow X – David McKlosky * London Falling * Any Ordinary Day – Leigh Sales Watching:  -Riot Women (BBC/SBS) -Kylie (Netflix) -Jamie Vardy (Netflix) -Song Sung Blue Listening:  - Raye “And this may contain hope” Album -Adrift – Apple podcast

Bungarunga Sumo and a cautionary wine tale

Tonight is the second of this week’s podcasts featuring a cautionary tale about not drinking wine soon enough, childhood clothing trauma, and large sweaty men grappling with each other. Please listen to the Sumomainichi podcast – it is a blast - hosted by Dave and Amy, (and one episode this week by Graham), and go onto Youtube and watch some bouts – it is an awesome sport.     Send us feedback and recommendations to WhiskyWordsWine@gmail.com [WhiskyWordsWine@gmail.com]