Whisky, Words and Wine

Fish!...for Playlunch?

Graham makes the most of being stood up by having a “readaway” (word of the week).
A mention of Seattle prompt musings about how flying fish in the Pike Place Market  took over management theory.
Graham has been out and about at different music events and found himself standing when everyone in the venue was crouching (story of his life!), which led to a discussion on the economics of live music events.
We talk Oscars, (noting Jack’s withholding of vital information on one of the winning films), and What Went Wrong on various films.
In sport we watch the Matilda’s win their way to the final of the Women’s Asian Football Cup competition (and what about THAT goal by Sam Kerr – delivreed with the same precision as good as her shoulder charge of a pitch invader at Chelsea), and the March Grand Sumo tournament reaches fever pitch (for Graham anyway).
Jack reads  a real page-turner for all those interested in Scottish WW2 history, while Graham savours (ie reads slowly) a Damascan spy thriller.
And both look forward to a bit of a walk in the coming week.
 
Whisky : Lagavulin (Islay)
Wine:  Tait Basket Press Shiraz, 2021 (Barossa Valley, Sth Australia)
Films/TV:
- Marty Supreme
-Sinners
-Patience (TV)
-Out there (TV – Martin Clunes)
Books:
Podcasts:
-The Book Club (Goalhanger pods)
-“What Went Wrong” – Forrest Gump episode
                                    - “Casablanca” episode
-“Sumomainichi” – Amy and Dave
Music:
-Anna Lapwood, Organist
-Playlunch (Rock/Funk – Australia)
-Electric Avenue (Rock – Australia)

Why is your upper lip twitching?

“Sgriob”  - say no more (Bill Bryson knows though). 
We welcome new listeners from around the globe, - and wonder how  WW&W is topping the pod charts in Hong Kong.
What is “value for money” in a wine/whisky? And are you drinking too much if your name is on the cellar door of a local winery? Discuss.
Jack channels Lulu (doesn't look so good in that miniskirt though) but balks at shaving his wonderful head of hair to sing Midnight Oil songs.
While watching “Trespasses” Jack reminisces over his first car. Graham is confused as to who owned his first car, but more confused by the opening scene in Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” – his review of the film reflects on what they left out, (most of the book), what was introduced into the story (the spirit of the Marquis de Sade), and the inventive use of farmyard implements. Overall it is well-acted with very high-production values which is worth seeing. But if you have read the book try and overlook the fact that the film  relates to it only in its location and the uniformly horrific personalities of its characters.
Following on from previously mentioned films about arcane pursuits (refer “Marty Supreme” and pong pong) Graham nerds out on an excellent doco on Netfix called “Queen of Chess” about the characters in the life of the world’s first female (and youngest ever) Grand Master (Mistress?) Chess player. Spoiler: Garry Kasparov is not such a nice person….
Meanwhile, we return to the gentler pursuit of reading and learn about “parallel reading”, and a new spy thriller. Jack is into “Mother Tongue” an excellent Bill Bryson book on the derivation of the English Language (noting that it contains some Gaelic…).
On the listening front Jack continues to unearth local artists worth supporting, while Graham regresses to artists who are closer to being buried than unearthed (but who produced the  greatest guitar solo of all time).
Whisky: Black Douglas (sans Coke)
Wine: 6ft 6  Shiraz, 2023
Reading: Damascus Station” David McCloskey (who isn’t Scottish)
                  “Mother Tongue” Bill Bryson
Watching: Trespasses (SBS TV)
                  “Wuthering Heights” – Emerald Fennell, Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi
                  Grand Sumo Tournament (NHK World stream)
                  “Queen of Chess” – about Judit Polgar - Netflix
Email us: whiskywordswine@gmail.com

Lulu, Leogate, and Lark

What were you listening to in 1976? (for our younger listeners ask your parents …..or grandparents).  Although it was a golden time for great music, the top 10 for that year was, well, mixed.  No Deep Purple or Billly Thorpe, but it did give us Bohemian Rhapsody, and Rumours.  Jack tells an improbable story about it being warm enough in Glasgow to warp a vinyl record in the sun (more likely he left it on a heater), has a disappointing whisky tasting, and laments the 50 wasted years since someone told him he was a good singer.  Meanwhile Graham finished the bleakest book ever written (Wuthering Heights), pontificates about drinking leather, conspires to delay an aircraft so a friend has no choice but to listen to the pod, and is let loose on the mean streets of Melbourne at ridiculous-o’clock.
Drinking:
Lark Muscat Barrel Single Malt (Tasmania, Australia))
Leogate Estate Tempranillo 2021 (Hunter Valley, Australia)
Heard:
lots of 1976 songs
Sovirez (Glaswegian Funk Band) 
Seen:
Sinners – Michael B Jordan (film)
When Something is Wrong with my Baby – Jimmy Barnes and John Farnham (live) - Youtube
Read:
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Lulu (Autobiography)
1976 music charts

A whisky drinker’s guide to coffee….

The unusual tilt in the Earth’s axis is corrected this week when Jack gets back to whisky and Graham to wine. And like a latter day Joe Cocker,  Jack goes full Rock God by imbibing whisky before, during and after his gig (although where Joe measured it in bottles per performance, Jack takes delicate sips from a hip flask). The morning after, he is reading “How to make a good coffee”.
Graham goes deep into nouns for rooms, and ends up in a sluttery having first visited a boudoir and a growlery (its not what you think…..), and then wheelie gets into a new crime podcast.
Jack has outsourced his book reading to Carole who is getting into an Australian classic from the Nobel-prize winning author Patrick White. Interesting but annoying fact:  his Nobel citation noted that he introduced a “new continent” into literature  - which is such a Northern Hemisphere view - Australia is in fact the oldest continent on Earth, with the longest continuous living culture – nothing new about it.
Tropfest is back (a wonderful short-film festival returning after a few years sojourn), but Tehran gets more improbable, and Boris does over England.  Meanwhile – satisfy your tennis cravings with a three part series “Goolagong” which provides some surprising information about the struggles and determination of a brilliant athlete.
And Shetland is running a new immigration program as series 10 of the murder mystery runs out of victims.
Books:
How to make great coffee
Voss – Patrick White
McCartney Vol 1- Paul McCartney
Movies:
Tropfest winners (Stan)
Streaming/TV:
Goolagong (ABC iView)
This is England (ABC iView, BBC)
Tehran, Series 3
Shetland series 10
Podcasts:
The Case of… The Wheelie Bin Murders (ABC Listen app)
Whisky: Talisker Single Malt (Skye)
Wine: Somerled Mclaren Vale Shiraz, 2021

Drookit in Milano

Jack gently steers Graham through this episode as he finishes  his Aussie Whisky odyssey - it's a big one – 64% proof.
Word of the week is from Jack (or more specifically his Mum) – after rattling through a few Scottish descriptions for a no-hoper, he finally settled on the “drookit”…….
What is white, spectacular, and completely nuts? Discuss.
And something else that is white is a ping pong ball  (well they were in the 1950’s) - Marty Supreme is….well….hectic. But a great watch. Others on the watchlist include “Kangaroo Island” (film)  - brooding family drama set on the gorgeous eponymous island, as well as “The Island”, and the New Zealand “cosy crime” dramedy “The Brokenwood Mysteries”.
Lots more Indy music listened to and Electric Avenue get ready for their next gig (no truth in the rumour that the band cornered the market in tickets to the gig).
Oh, and apparently Paul McCartney is a good singer….
Books: Wuthering Heights and McCartney (ongoing) (we are slow readers!)
Film:
Marty Supreme (3.8/5)
Kangaroo Island (3.5/5)
TV/Streaming:
Milano Winter Olympics
Tehran
The Brokenwood Mysteries (NZ)
Listening:  Ruth Picker “Song Tailors”
Magma  (band)
The History of Rock in 500 Songs: Pinball Wizard (Pt 1) (podcast)
Empire (Podcast) – 1857 Delhi rebellion (not recommended), and Yalta Conference (recommended)

Has Wuthering Heights been Slade?

Lots of music listening this week, although Graham doesn't Shut Up and Listen.
Jack finally finishes Traitors but has a different response to the finale to Graham  (who has largely forgotten it given how long Jack has taken to catch up). Meanwhile Jack tries to inveigle Graham into watching yet another Scottish crime drama, this time on a remote Scottish island (there’s a surprise!) . This is on a recommendation from “Sue from Next Door “(Thanks Sue!). Despite the scepticism it does actually sound interesting, despite Jack’s attempts at Gaelic.  While on the subject of Scotland, we note that the Scots sold their country to England - which created Great Britain - (well England was never going to defeat them in battle).
Music includes Slade (oxymoron anyone?), David Byrne/Talking Heads, Electric Avenue, and local Indie music scene – including Shane Pacey. And we listened to a break down of the Beatles “A Day in the Life”.
Graham is reading Wuthering Heights ahead of going to see it (hope there are no spoilers….), Jack continues with Paul McCartney’s Bio.
Watched: -Tehran  (Apple) (rating: 4/5)
                  -Steal (Apple)  Rating: 4/5)
Music: - Shane Pacey – Cross of the Heart
Slade
David Byrne/Talking Heads
Books:   -Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
               -McCartney – Paul McCartney
Podcasts – The Secret Life of Books -Sophie Gee and Jonty Claypole
                  -Nobody Saw it coming – Marc Fennell, ABC
                  -Empire – William Dalrymple and Anita Anand
                  -Rockonteurs – featuring Don Powell, ex-Slade – Gary Kemp and        Guy Pratt
YouTube: “The song that broke every songwriting rule” (A Day in The lIfe ) - David Hartley
Whisky – Overeem Sherry Cask Single Malt (Tasmania)
Wine -   Gerard Bertrand Cote de Rose,  Shiraz/Cinsault Rose

We're not Vibecoding here......

Graham can't tell his Freds from his Keiths but still loves his Playlunch. Jack is gasping for a Scotch, but enjoyed a great Einaudi gig at the Opera House. Graham has been spending too much time watching various things including Marty Supreme, (at the cinema) and a lot of streaming such as the return of Shrinking (had to press pause before he wet himself) and a new thriller starring Sophie Turner - “Steal”. Jack braves the Sydney Harbour sharks and dives into Desert Island discs, and also Strangers on a Bench (tissues required). And both recall various random facts (and fiction) involving Paul McCartney and his music. For a change of pace Graham questions his own biases after listening to “No-one Dies Here” an amazing podcast about the North Richmond Injecting Room, and ponders the Venn diagram of life that introduced this to him.  But after that sobering interlude, we can all relish Suzie Dent's “most enjoyable” words of 2025 - Binfluencers unite! 
 
Music:
Paul McCartney – “Ram”
Playlunch – “Keith ” from “Sex Ed” album
Ludovici Einaudi
Movies:  Marty Supreme  (4.5/5)
Streaming:  Steal (Prime) thriller
Shrinking – Apple  (comedy – cry-laughing)
Tehran – Season 2 and 3
Podcasts:
Strangers on a Bench – Episode 47 – Tom Rosenthal
No-One Dies Here  - Michelle Ransom-Hughes
Instagram:  Suzie Dent   - most enjoyable words post

You've gotta be ballkidding me.......

……… Jack still hasn't finished Traitors UK and Graham can barely contain himself. Retreating to less emotional ground Graham and Jack discuss the various dictionaries’ “Word of the Year” – some land well, but “Vibe Coding” (which is two words) is ridiculous (….Collins Dictionary I am looking at you!), and not being 15years old, both are baffled by  Dictionary.com’s  choice of “Six/Seven”.
Meanwhile Jack is reading McCartney (post Beatles) (a gentler time when none of the 2025 words of the year had been invented). Jack dives into The Bay – another crime drama (in which no Scotsman are harmed), but not much else because he has been glued to the Australian Open Tennis (but cannot resist mentioning an obscure Scotsman – a perennial non-winner of the event). Graham hasn't watched the tennis but has watched the Netflix Doco “Ballkids” about the 12-16 year olds who are the true heroes of the AO tennis courts.
Finally, radio (yes, it does still exist) and Triple J’s annual “Top 100” list – 2million people from around the world voted this year, - the number 1 was Olivia Dean (who Jack has spoken of in a previous pod) while Graham mentions the memorable “Keith” from the Aussie group “Playlunch” (I know I said “Fred” but it is actually “Keith” - senior moment).  we discussion  episode of the “What Went Wrong” podcast on the near disaster of a pilot for the Game of Thrones series - it almost didn't happen, and it wasn't because they couldn't capture a real life dragon>
Electric Avenue’s new single “Behind Closed Doors” didn't make the Top 100 cut ........but only because it hadn’t been released!…..but next year……..And you can get it now at http://electricavenue.hearnow.com/
Wine: Artemis Pinot Grigio, NSW Southern Highlands
Whisky: Morris of Rutherglen “Muscat Barrel Single Malt”
Songs: Keith, by Playlunch
             Triple J Hottest 100 – ABC LIsten app
Podcast “What Went Wrong” Game of Thrones episode  (Lizzie Bassett and Chris Winterbauer)
               “Sumomainichi” podcast – Dave and Amy

Mixtapes and lightning, very very frightening

Lightning has taken out Graham’s internet and TV; Jack goes back to the future with vinyl and cassette tapes (remember those?) - who knew how much friction is involved?. Graham gets Traitorous, and both discuss “What You Can Know – Ian McEwan’s new book on a near-future partial apocalypse caused by …. you and I (and don't they hate us for it in the future!). Jack does some Crime (in Scotland of course), Graham gets excited about barely-clad large men (ie its Sumo before you jump to any conclusions). We avoid a debate about which is the best city in the entire Universe (Melbourne or Sydney). Graham looks forward to some Australia Day lamb, and Jack to the Australia Day release of Electric Avenue’s new song “Behind Closed Doors” (it's a good one!).
And a shout out to our listener in Romania…..!!
Music:  Status Quo: Piledriver album  
​Electric Avenue: Behind Closed Doors single (released on 26 Jan)
​Triple J Top 100 (Listen for this on the last weekend in January)
TV/Streaming: The Traitors UK (Channel 10, Australia, BBC UK)
​​Crime (UK) – Britbox
​​Scoop – Netflix
​​Greenland (where-ever)
Books: This Way Up (When Maps Go Wrong) – The Mapmen
​Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York; Andrew Lownie
Drinking: Magarey Lane “Glenroy” Cabernet Sauvignon   (a 97 point wine – get some!)
Classic Gin and Tonic: Husk Distillery  Burnt Orange Ink Gin, Fever Tree Indian Tonic, with home-dried orange garnish (by Graham).

New Year not resolved

Why is Jan 1st the start of the year? Why wasn't Xmas Day a holiday in Scotland? Why is Graham drinking whisky? Jack has his band (Electric Avenue) but why should everyone also see  "My Brothers Band"? Why did the bus get lost? What is so exciting about books about maps? What were Jack and Graham's New Year resolutions? These and many more questions will probably not be satisfactorily answered but we had fun trying......
Films: "Lost Bus", "Breakdown 1975", "Nuremberg", "My Brother's Band", "Now You See Me"
Books: "What we can know" Ian McEwan; "The Proving Ground" Michael Connolly; "Churchills History of Ungentlemanly Warfare" Giles  Milton; The Great Zoo of China" Matthew Riley
Upcoming Concerts: Electric Avenue @ Mosman Whalers (or is it Mosman Wailers?); Ludovico Einaudi - Sydney; Anna Lapwood, Organist, Sydney and Melbourne