I can’t believe that a man of your stature would allow a mere death threat to impede your judgment.

Even a death threat from a wild, bellicose Australian who knows where you live.

Send the Aussie bastard English wine.

Dan Murphy’s is probably your cheapest option but for a better range try Nick’s
https://www.nicks.com.au/

Physics.

The bottle is upside-down so it pours the wrong way.

I’ve been tempted. His actual quote when I suggested it was that if I did, he would “come up to the UK to kill me in person”.

One problem I do have (that maybe the wine aficionados here could help me with) is where I can find a decent selection of European wine in Melbourne. Specifically, on the Mornington Peninsula. The last few times I’ve used Dan Murphy’s, which has worked OK, but if anyone knows a better option I’d be very grateful.

There has been a change since 2002. Essentially, the 2002 Aussie was confident to the point of cockiness about victory, whereas the 2002 Englishman was so sure of losing there was nothing but bitterness and cynicism. At least, that was the situation in that bar.

Since then both sides have approached the middle, and we are now more similar in our attitude to sporting success than we are different. I think we’ve learned to be a bit more Aussie about winning, which is a good thing, and as you suggest, the Aussies aren’t especially cocky these days.

That said, I’ll get a phone call early one Friday morning in a week or so, which will be from a half-inebriated Victorian with a corkscrew. I will hear the unmistakable sound of a cork being pulled, followed by a resounding toast to Steve Smith (a tradition on drinking any of the Bet wines is that we toast the winning captain). Cockiness will have been resumed for an evening.

Ged, I think you will need to switch to an Aussie wine binge for future away series. I know you can do it. Even if you just twist off the cap and leave it there.

PS. I’ve had a couple btls of the Scribbler in the past, a fine wine indeed. Perhaps we should set up a KC Wine Club?

Possibly something to do with the wrong type of cork used in Australia?

I was able to break my Aussie wine fast last night, which I did by cracking open a fine bottle of Yalumba Scribbler.

One strange thing I have noticed is that my Aussie wine fast for the Ashes works unfailingly for home series (I started it in 2005) but, apart from 2010/11, it doesn’t seem to work for away series.

Does anyone have any idea why this might be? I cannot fathom it.