The 2010 FIFA World Cup opens in South Africa in just a few short months!!!!
We love the World Cup possibly even more than we love red wine…and if you really believe that, I have a bridge for sale real cheap… Seriously, though, the World Cup is so amazing that I’m at a loss to describe how I truly feel about it. I had to choke back tears while reading about the line up on the FIFA official web site. I can’t wait!
World Cup! World Cup! World Cup!!!
South Africa faces Mexico in the first match of the Cup on June 6th in Johannesburg. That’s nearly here! Yeah!
World Cup! World Cup! World Cup!!!
We’re big believers in fair play, openmindedness, and giving everyone their chance in the Game. Italy is the world champion team, so they’re the ones to beat this year, anyway. That will probably be hard and fun to try if the Italians look anything like they did in 2006.
Italy plays Paraguay in their first match on June 14th in Cape Town.
Brazil is no slouch in the Game, having played in every World Cup and having won the most Cups of any other nation, with five victories so far: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002. Italy trails Brazil with only four championships. Brazil plays Korea DPR on June 15th in their first match, to be held in Johannesburg.
World Cup! World Cup! World Cup!!!
To prepare ourselves and really get into the spirit of the Game, the host country and everything, we at weirdcombinations have decided to do a series of home tastings of South African wines. Actually, I got the idea from the March K and L newsletter. They have a half page feature on today’s wine: 2008 Diemersfontein Pinotage, $19.99.
I know, I know, pinotage sucks! Yet John Majeski from K and L claims that that has been changing. He gets that pinotage has a bad reputation. Here’s what he says about it:
For many years, not enough attention was paid to where Pinotage was grown and under what conditions, with warmer, less-than-ideal sites allowing wines to show the flamboyantly funky, banana peel and nail-polish persona that made some question its potential for ultimate acceptance.
You got that right, buddy! Hegui and I have tried a few pinotage bottles that were simply repulsive. I didn’t even know that banana was a description for red wine!? Ugh!
World Cup! World Cup! World Cup!!!
Mr. Majeski claims that this Diemersfontein is different, with notes of coffee, smoke, opulent fruit and other wonderful sounding things. So in the spirit of fair play, openmindedness and giving everyone a chance; we tried it.
Diemersfontein pinotage
2008 Diemersfontein Pinotage, Wellington, South Africa: It was an opaque dark purple. On the nose we detected tobacco, black pepper, cola or root beer, and coffee. It tasted like leather and cholocate, with hints of black pepper and coca-cola and spices, like cinnamon, clove and mace. The wine had medium body. Hegui thought that it went pretty well with the tomato pasta dish we were eating. “I’d have it again. This is a good wine.”
By the way, Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup.
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Cool! You know in Lebanon people are nuts about the world cup too, playing it in the streets for everyone to cheer and put in their two cent, anyway, it is a big deal.
I never heard of pinotage before! Great i am learning something!