The Weekly Review

Hari Raj gets some north-eastern exposure.

Millions of words must have been written over the years about finding the right wines to serve with different foods. For some of us, knowing to serve a white with fish and red with steak is enough, but for professional sommeliers it’s an ongoing quest for new wines and combinations.

I won’t be the first person to talk about the weather, but with winter coming early this year it seems that’s all we’ve been talking about lately. Most of us have well and truly ditched warm-weather fare and lighter wines and headed into slow-cooked food and rich wine territory.

Open a bottle of malbec near me and I can immediately hear the buses rattling past the magnificent Uriarte y Honduras apartment we rented in Buenos Aires three years ago, on an international rendezvous to take in steak, soccer and wine.

I’m long overdue a trip to Tasmania. The last time I was there was about 25 years ago, when we headed over on the Empress of Tasmania for my cousin Jeanette’s wedding.