Grape Expectations by Max Crus Yarrh Wines Canberra District Mr Natural 2021

Pet Nat (Sangiovese/Shiraz, Wild fermentation Preservative Free) 2021, $25. The Cooper’s Ale of the wine world. Cloudy but fne and about as interesting as natural wines get without falling into the vast vat of weirdness that many such creatures do. 9.2/10.

Bowen Estate Coonawarra Shiraz

2020, $28. One of the few remaining wines in Australia with a cork, it’s almost a nuisance, specially if you forgot the corkscrew on a picnic. But you will fnd a way, for the wine is worth the inventiveness. 9.2/10.

Patrick of Coonawarra ‘Home Block’ Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, $50. From one hectare of 60-year-old vines and with a gold label, no wonder it’s expensive. Makes a great gift but make sure you get a glass if you do give it away. 9.5/10.

$25

Patrick Of Wrattonbully ‘Joanna’

Single Vineyard Shiraz 2017, $50. I wonder if there is a pecking order in the Patrick clan, sort of where they stand in line to the throne. Coonawarra or Wrattonbully. Mt Gambier? Whatever, you’re drinking royalty here. 9.5/10.

Taylors Clare Valley St Andrews Chardonnay 2019, $45 (Bottle No.1913). Probably a new vintage out soon, but meanwhile beautiful citrus and stone-fruit in a gentle but over-arching, woody surround, sounds just like our back yard. All it needs is a dog and a ball. Thank you St Andrew, the patron saint of chardonnay. 9.5/10.

Taylors Estate Label Clare Valley

Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2021, $22. Pinot gris is Ms L’s frst picks from the fridge and my last, but this time even she baulked. However we soldiered on and suffered for the cause, but probably should have waited until we were in a more agris-able mood. 8.9/10.

$45 $50

$22

You know what really gets on my goat? This notion of having, being or needing a GOAT, Greatest Of All Time, and speaking of goat, what really fries my bacon is when fsh and chip shops don’t cut the rind off your burger with the lot, and a lot of it ends up in your lap on the frst bite.

Ditto when they don’t cut your sandwich all the way through.

It’s so hard to stay in your lane when you’re eating lunch out of the footwell. Just touching the brake lightly turns off the cruise control and then you smear barbecue sauce all over the ‘Set’ button as well as the brake pedal just as you’ve fnally overtaken that other idiot that’s been giving you the ‘irits’ for the last 25 kms by speeding up when you try to overtake them, then slowing down as they pull in front of you to overtake someone else before suddenly waking up and realising they’re doing 60kmh on a motorway not realising the bloke behind them is already cranky because the egg on his burger has dribbled onto his crotch.

And don’t get me started on people who can’t get started at roundabouts, whom, for those waiting behind, the car on the right can’t come soon enough, just like autonomous driving.

Meanwhile, it’s a wonder computers haven’t taken over from kettles since Bill Gates and Steve Jobs took over our lives, given how many aspects of our computers make our blood boil.

How about getting an email to say you have unsubscribed from an email list? Or worse, asking which email address you want unsubscribed. How about the one you just sent that garbage to?

How about each computer upgrade adding three more clicks to whatever you want to do?

Almost as bad is getting an email to say you have sent a parcel. Wouldn’t you know that already?

Then another three to say it’s on its way.

You’d think the last in this chain would be one to say it had arrived, but wait, there’s more, asking how happy was the experience and would recommend the service!

Similarly, when you buy something online, or even in a shop, emails will be waiting for you when you get home unless you’ve got them already because your phone went ping

by Max Crus

a microsecond after your purchase and you can’t leave it alone for 30 seconds...which they know.

Hey, want to know if I enjoyed the experience? Look at my face.

Naturally, the only realm of modern life which doesn’t get under your skin is purchasing wine, although having to say you are 18 if you do so online, is a bit silly. No, everyone loves buying wine and the only thing that may test your patience is whether you should go Barossa or McLaren Vale…or Clare…or ACT. Tassie anyone? Margaret?

Quick Crossword

ACROSS

1 Hand-held curved blade for reaping (6)

4 Inverted (8)

10 Dilapidation (9)

11 Seize (5)

12 Cupid for the ancient Greeks (4)

13 Dinner (4)

14 Money-bag (5)

16 Bag (4)

17 Example (8)

20 Mechanisms (8)

22 Indigent (4)

25 Beautiful woman in Muslim paradise (5)

26 Corrosion (4)

28 French abbot (4)

30 Japanese dish (5)

31 Sewing (9)

32 Merchant (8)

33 Dragnet (6)

DOWN

1 2000 Olympic city (6)

2 Traditions (7)

3 Falsehoods (4)

5 Having impaired vision (arch.) (8)

Sudoku

1 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are characters in which Shakespeare play?

2 In what year did Thailand change its name from Siam?

4 What is the secondlargest rainforest on Earth?

5 Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis (pictured) both star in which 2020 rom-com?

6 Which language has the most native speakers: French, English, Spanish or Hindi?

7 Bad Behavior is a podcast hosted by Nikila Cranage and which other person?

8 Finger Lime is a citrus fruit native to which country?

9 A tetradecagon is a polygon shape with how many sides?

3 How many Australian prime ministers have served since Federation?

1 Boat (4)

5 Pottery (4)

6 Actor – Rickman (4)

7 Fictional spy, James – (4)

DOWN

1 Absorbent pad for cleaning wounds (4)

2 Corona (4)

3 Persia (4)

4 Remain undecided (4)

10 The O ce for the Arts is part of which federal government department? Using

Safety Corp RTO 91694

Tweed Heads

Each number corresponds to a letter. Can you crack the code?

CROSS MATH

Insert each number from 1 to 9 in the shaded squares to solve all the horizontal and vertical equations. Multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

5x5

M M

S

M G

T M D

Z N

No. 107

Hidden Word

Solve all the clues and an eight-letter word will be spelled out.

1 Belly button

2 Another word for animals

3 Small edible crustacean

4 Sticky-footed lizard

R S S

No. 106

Insert the missing letters to make 10 words –ve reading across the grid and ve reading down.

NOTE: more than one solution may be possible

5 Organ of the body

6 Noise people make when sleeping

7 Precious stones

8 Language of ancient Rome

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW...

1. Bobby Brown played Enola Holmes in the 2020 Netflix film, who played her brother Sherlock?

A. Sam Cla in

B. Liam Hemsworth

C. Henry Cavill

D. Timothée Chalamet

2. Her character in Stranger Things has what special ability?

A. Shapeshifting

B. Telekinesis

C. Levitation

D. Invisibility

3. She shot to fame for her role in Stranger Things. Who created the television series?

A. M. Night Shyamalan

B. Joss Whedon

C. The Du er Brothers

D. J.J. Abrams

4. She made her feature-film debut in 2019 in which flick?

A. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

B. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

C. Captain Marvel

D. X-Men: Dark Phoenix